Chapter 21 Conflict

Amidst the anxious anticipation of the new recruits, the day of boarding the ship finally arrived.

There was no grand ceremony as imagined because all the battleships needing additional crew had their own tasks. The vast ocean could mean months at sea in one trip, making it impossible to gather everyone for a grand ceremony.

However, apart from Eugene, the Third Fleet dispatched a civilian Lieutenant Colonel to escort each batch of recruits onto the ships, signifying the importance of the event.

The boarding schedule had a certain order, and those ships not yet back in port continued training while nervously waiting. In reality, most enlisted recruits started from small, Level 6 frigates unless they performed exceptionally well during training.

Of course, it's a different matter if someone is a noble offspring or an outstanding graduate from the Royal Navy Academy.

A week after the boarding activities gradually began, Aiven was directly awarded the rank of Sub-Lieutenant (Candidate Officer) as the top trainee among this batch of recruits and boarded the Silver Wings cruiser.

Aiven knew that without that recommendation letter from the Viscount, things wouldn't have been so simple. Because the candidate officers onboard mostly were from noble lineage or academy graduates, ordinary civilian recruits needed to endure two years at sea before having such status.

Unlike his peers who mostly boarded the Level 6 communication ships, the Silver Wings was a Level 5 cruiser. At 45 meters long with 40 cannons, it was one of the main combat ships in the mutually understood "privateer fleets" of various countries. It had a nominal crew of 250, but in reality, less than 200 were onboard.

Among the Navy's Level 6 warships, the first four levels are battleships, fully known as "main battle line combat ships," qualifying them to join large fleet battles.

While the Silver Wings didn't quite reach the battleship level, it was just beneath that. And since Eugene mentioned his role in arrangements, this ship's uniqueness wasn't limited to its rank; Captain Gel of the Silver Wings had more to his name.

Colonel Gel was incredibly capable, not just a powerful veteran knight but also a former Level 4 battleship captain. Due to significant damage to the original battleship during combat (an official statement with undisclosed real reasons), the ship was under major repairs and the Third Fleet had no temporary replacement. Thus, he was temporarily placed over this Level 5 ship.

Otherwise, getting Aiven directly onto a Level 4 ship as a candidate officer wouldn't have been easy during normal times.

Moreover, Aiven found Eugene's mention of Colonel Gel somewhat familiar but didn't dwell on it, as running into someone with a familiar name isn't unusual.

When Aiven and Gary boarded the Silver Wings with their belongings, they discovered that among the 30 new recruits, only they were new, while the remaining 28 were veterans transferred from the Level 6 communication ships.

The so-called "veterans" weren't very old, with the eldest possibly just 20, but they appeared much older after spending considerable time at sea.

The veterans cast a subtle gaze at Aiven and Gary, showing no overt actions but clearly excluding them from the main group. It's a universal tradition for veterans to bully new recruits, especially if they spent years earning an opportunity now easily secured by two newcomers, naturally breeding discontent.

However, neither of them was intimidated. Aiven, being a peak Apprentice Knight, and even Gary, a newcomer on the path to the extraordinary, could easily overpower them.

Since Captain Gel went to the navy base to report after the ship docked, the new recruits hadn't had the chance to meet him. So after a brief handover with Eugene, the new recruits were led by old crew members of the Silver Wings to settle into their cabins.

Aiven's cabin was in the ship's forepart, a private single room reserved for officers and candidate officers, far better than the communal berths crowded with unwashed, smelly men for months.

Although Aiven could handle hardships, imagining dozens to hundreds of unbathed men crowded together made him immensely grateful to Viscount Andrea and Major Eugene.

However, Aiven's early happiness was premature. He was satisfied with his situation, but Gary might not be the same.

Aiven had anticipated such a scenario but hadn't expected a conflict so soon!

Major Eugene had managed to get Gary onboard due to his exceptional talent but couldn't grant him a Sub-Lieutenant rank, logically placing him in the same cabin as the veterans.

The cause didn't matter, for someone like Gary, who seemed docile in Aiven's eyes, could easily be provoked if one sought trouble.

"Beat him up and teach him who's in charge on this ship."

"If he doesn't obey, he'll be sleeping with the crew's toilets."

"Just a greenhorn, we were battling pirates while you were still in diapers."

Bullying new recruits is normal, with rookies often being the disadvantaged party. But in this world, they picked the wrong target to bully!

When a group was pushing and shoving their way to the deck, Aiven heard the commotion and came out. Leaning against the corridor door to observe Gary's recent training results rather than intervening directly.

Today, with most crew members ashore in Gabred's bustling city, enjoying their time off, the remaining sailors didn't stop and instead gathered in groups, watching with interest.

Gary wasn't very concerned, smiling at the veterans surrounding him, "Less talk, let's fight! If I lose, I'll listen to you, but if I win, you listen to me."

Aiven's "training" included not just swordsmanship but also character and perspective. Now, with increased strength and confidence, Gary feared no one of his age except Aiven.

"Haha, is this rookie out of his mind? Thinks he's invincible after learning a few days of swordsmanship in new recruit training?"

"Let him taste the prowess of hard-fighting veterans like us."

"Indeed, it's better to suffer now than face bullets from pirates later. This lad should thank us."

The veterans, divided into smaller groups without a single leader, unanimously agreed on teaching this arrogant guy a lesson.

A stocky young man stepped forward, tossing his saber to a companion, "Let me handle this." Though prepared for a fight, no one dared to draw knives now after boarding.

Without waiting for a reaction, he assumed a stance and charged at Gary. The veterans slightly spread out to enjoy watching the veteran's brutal lesson to the rookie.

"Hah! Take my punch!"

"Bam!"

But he almost returned faster than he came as Gary met his half-swing punch with a "bam," kicking him back into the crowd heavily.

"Ah! Jason, are you alright?"

As his companions helped the sturdy youth up, another one charged in.

"Let me teach him a lesson."

"Bam!"

Another kick.

"..."

Gary, never trained in the Knight's Breathing Technique before, surprisingly had a natural constitution of 0.7. Facing ordinary folks with a maximum constitution of 0.5 now, who could match him?

Imagine how unstoppable Deputy Kururu of the Blood Anchor was on the Yellow Crane with only 0.6 constitution and 0.7 agility. Gary wasn't any worse now.

"Everyone, let's get him! Avenge our brothers!" someone shouted from the crowd, and shockingly, they all surged forward.

"Jealousy truly is one of the original sins!" witnessing the scene, Aiven sighed, drawing his sword and also joining the fray.