Ambush

Admiral Aura glanced at him and stated, "I will remind you that the Maelstrom Gulf is under my operational authority. The Zino Kingdom's forces are under my command, and then yours. Understand?"

"I understand," Admiral Jacken replied awkwardly. Although he shared the same rank as the woman before him, he was still viewed as her subordinate. As the Zino Kingdom's representative in this war, it was a humiliation that he had to bear. Nevertheless, it was important to emphasize the chain of command to prevent any confusion.

"What are your plans after arriving at the Yunyun Stronghold?"

"I plan on inspecting our current battle strength and our progress on the frontlines. I've already written a report back to the Celestial Council and the Three Sages, but I want to personally see things for myself."

"According to the reports, we've lost four of the Ten Dawns in the Battle of Liguang. If we include the deceased Ten Dawn Tengon, that's five. How many more are combat-capable?"

"Since the Invasion of Aereon, the Zino Kingdom has a policy of permitting a maximum of four Ten Dawns outside at any time. The remaining six are required to stay within the kingdom's borders as trump cards against enemy invasions. Any amendments on that policy will require the Three Sages or the Conquestian's permission."

"That doesn't answer my question."

Admiral Jacken put on a difficult face. "Three at most."

"Will the Conquestian be making a move himself? I believe he reached High Condensed Drop."

"Surely, you jest, Admiral Aura. He is the ruler of the Zino Kingdom, not a common soldier," he argued annoyedly. It was like asking Queen Bethnal to fight on the frontlines herself. How ridiculous!

"Then what about the Protector of the Arcellius Family, Protector Avin Arcellius? I recall hearing rumors that he might be a Blue Depth Arcanist, the first one in hundreds of years."

"Conversely, I could ask about the rumored Instinct Realm Sword King Sin Quelldown," he answered tit-for-tat. He suddenly smiled and said, "Let's put aside our differences for now, Admiral Aura Stormwind. Our enemies are the Xingyuu Empire, not each other."

"I believe this was a friendly conversation though," Admiral Aura replied jokingly before drawing a serious expression. "The Battle of the Maelstrom Gulf have shown how great of a threat the Featherwind Sect can be. The Alzar Kingdom is expecting great things from you and the Zino Kingdom."

"I will try my best."

Suddenly, a bell rang, cutting across the sound of ocean waves, and transmitted throughout the fleet. Everyone could hear it! The two admirals reflexively frowned and counted the bell tolls. The more frequent the rings were, the more serious the situation was! While it might be rudimentary, it was also the easiest way to communicate between ships. Five bell tolls! It was an enemy attack! Admiral Aura cursed her bad luck, grabbed her winter coat, and charged up to the main deck. Since this was the flagship at the heart of the fleet's formation, they were still in the dark about what happened. That was the problem with a fleet this large. Communication became awfully slow which translated to response time. The admiral could not issue any orders until she fully understood the situation.

She finished speaking with her officers and spoke to Admiral Jacken who arrived after her. "They're confirming the details, but it's safe to assume the empire is attacking."

"The empire is here already?" Admiral Jacken was surprised before turning pale. Could it be the Featherwind Sect? He heard about how they killed eight out of twenty thousand soldiers in the first vanguard fleet. It sounded so crazy that he had a hard time imagining it was even possible! It defied all logic! And they were only ultimately repelled through the combined efforts of the Ten Dawns and Princess Elizabeth, key people that their current fleet lacked. Did that mean this battle over to begin with?

The woman, having reached the same conclusion, asked, "Is there any chance this fog is the result of a spell?"

"We've been sailing through this fog since morning, so I doubt it. It's far too vast for any Condensed Drop Arcanist to create and sustain." Naturally, he omitted the key detail that a Blue Depth Core Arcanist might have the potential to do such a thing. He dreaded to imagine a hostile one!

"Then can your Arcanists dispel this fog? We need to raise our visibility immediately."

"We don't have enough Arcanists to dispel something this large," he said bitterly.

She clicked her tongue and waited for reports to come in. Eventually, multiple messengers with gliders landed on the ship deck. "Report for the two admirals! The fleet is currently engaged with hostile fleets at two, seven, and eleven from heading!"

"What are their numbers and fleet composition, as well as current sustained losses?"

"Yes! The first enemy fleet at two from heading has approximately forty ships in total, all smaller civilian vessels, bearing the crest of Captain Mo Ting-Wan! They have already captured two of our ships!"

"Seven from heading has fifty-five ships, also smaller civilian vessels, with the crest of Captain Zhang Pak! They have captured four ships and isolated another seven!"

"Eleven from heading has over two hundred ships with smaller civilian vessels and larger military vessels from the Xingyuu Empire's fleet! We have confirmed the crests of Captain Ho-Liang Chi and Admiral Kang Bao-Zhi! Over twenty of our ships have been isolated with six captured! The commanding officer is requesting immediate reinforcements!"

"Those damned pirates working with the empire!" Admiral Jacken cursed. He was very familiar with them because they operated in the southern waters of the Desterina Ocean, near Aereon, which was under his authority. They preyed on the Zino Kingdom's merchant ships and pillaged wherever they went. Whenever he sent reinforcements over, they would then scurry away into whatever hole they crawled out of and disappear. They were a pain to deal with! He never would have thought all three would make an appearance here and now.

Admiral Aura had to admit it was a ruthless move by her rival, Admiral Kang Bao-Zhi. Pirating fleets had an abundance of experience in looting and specialized vessels for interception and capture. They were far more efficient than any army. Most importantly, they were willing free labor! Admiral Aura was willing to bet that any share of loot they plundered from the kingdom's ships were free for the taking. Since the kingdom shouldered the burden, that meant the empire did not have to pay them at all! Experienced, efficient, expendable, and determined too. They were perfect for the job! She immediately took command and shouted out her orders. A massive battle was soon underway!

***

"Admiral Kang Bao-Zhi…" Elizabeth murmured under her breath, a cold glint appearing in her eyes.

The Alzar Kingdom's fleet eventually escaped from the ambush, but three-fifths of the fleet had been either captured or sunk! Pirate ships were smaller and more agile, allowing them to keep the pressure on the kingdom's larger cargo ships. While there were many soldiers in the fleet, there were simply too many ships! Not every ship could be adequately defended. The Arcanists also fell short here. They might excel at long-distance engagements, giving them an immense advantage in naval conflicts; however, Arcanists were fundamentally few in nature. Anybody could pick up a sword and use it, but the same could not be said for Arcania. Arcania took years of discipline, study, and practice before it could be used on the battlefield! Furthermore, the range effectiveness of an Arcanist grew in direct relation to their Core Level. Only High Gaseous Fog Core Arcanists or above had the potential to attack the other ships! Everything culminated in a tragic defeat for the kingdom!

"It looks like we were right. First, they would destroy our supplies, and then, they would sever our supplies from the mainland. That would ensure our self-destruction," Freon sighed. "This must be the true killing strike the Imperial Council prepared for us!"

"Despite saving our supplies in the Yunyun Stronghold, the Imperial Council still succeeded in the end?" Benedict was depressed.

"How many supplies did we lose, Elizabeth?" Shirley asked the key question.

"Approximately two weeks' worth," she said. Although it sounded small, supporting two hundred thousand soldiers in the winter required an astronomical number of supplies. Suffice to say, the Alzar Kingdom took a huge loss!

"Isn't our current stockpile around one month? It takes the fleet around one week to travel between the Yunyun Stronghold and Pelangi Fortress, or around two weeks round-trip. How many supply fleets do we have?" Freon analyzed calmly.

"We don't have supply fleets per say, but supply ships which can be arranged into fleets depending on the needs of the army," Elizabeth said. She then took a moment to think. "If I had to say, then we could probably field two more supply fleets." Too small of a fleet would be easy prey for Admiral Kang or the pirates. The fleets needed to be sufficiently large to safeguard against any threats, which narrowed down the options.

"Two… That means we don't have many chances," Freon said grimly.