Chapter 103: Idar’s Sword and Shield

For the sake of confidentiality, the fishing port and shipyard of Idar were strategically positioned on opposite sides of the Idar River estuary one to the south and the other to the north.

On the northern bank of the Idar River, a large piece of land had already been marked out by Bruno on the map. This area was designated for the construction of the Idar Navy Headquarters, which would include naval barracks, material warehouses, and a series of supporting facilities.

Meanwhile, the southern fishing port was planned to serve as the starting point for Idar's future trade routes and would gradually develop into a major commercial and cargo port.

The grand shipbuilding project of Idar was in full swing. After spending some time adjusting, Captain Jack had finally adapted to the work efficiency of the Idarians.

Tasks that he originally estimated would take a week to complete were being finished in just three days without any compromise in quality.

Although this was largely due to the use of the Anti-Gravity Magic Array, Captain Jack was also deeply impressed by the dedication and efficiency of the Idarian workers.

They did not compete for work, but when it was their turn, they never shirked responsibility.

The Anti-Gravity Magic Array was the latest product of the Idar Magic Array Research Laboratory, evolving from the Floating Magic Array designed by the mage apprentice Arnel.

The original Floating Magic Array had a rough structure, making it highly unstable. It required a mage to be present at all times to oversee its operation; otherwise, workplace accidents were almost inevitable.

However, the Anti-Gravity Magic Array completely eliminated this flaw. A group of nine mage apprentices collaborated to upgrade and optimize the Floating Magic Array. They added backup circuits to the array so that if a failure occurred, the backup system would immediately activate, preventing heavy timber from suddenly falling and causing injuries.

Additionally, the apprentices refined the overall structure of the array, shifting it from a single magic circuit to multiple circuits running simultaneously, reducing the burden on magic consumption and significantly extending the array's lifespan.

Since the Anti-Gravity Magic Array was designed with a manual switch, it allowed ordinary people to control it without requiring mage supervision. When Captain Jack first saw wooden beams floating across the construction site, he initially assumed that all the workers were mages.

Idar... is truly unfathomable!

Although Captain Jack only had basic knowledge of shipbuilding, his vast naval combat experience from years at sea made him an invaluable asset perfectly filling Idar's gap in naval training.

However, giving Captain Jack full authority over naval training was out of the question. Instead, Bruno temporarily appointed Mal Cullen, the former deputy commander of the Idar Guard, as the Grand Admiral of the Idar Navy.

As for Captain Jack, he was assigned the role of Special Naval Consultant, assisting Mal Cullen in training the navy.

After all, Captain Jack was still a prisoner of war in Idar. He could only offer suggestions for the navy's development, but gaining real power in the short term was simply impossible.

The training regimen of the Idar Navy borrowed some aspects from the standing army while making necessary adjustments.

For instance, military posture drills and squat exercises were retained not because they drastically improved the soldiers' physical fitness, but to instill military discipline and regulate military conduct. These exercises ensured that Idar's naval recruits always remembered their duties as soldiers.

Bruno placed great emphasis on the discipline and ideological development of the Idar Navy.

After all, once the three-masted warships were completed, the Idar Navy would spend most of its time sailing far from home. This meant that sailors needed to remain loyal and committed to Idar, treating it as their homeland and its people as their family.

However, rigorous land-based training exercises such as weighted endurance runs were largely simplified for the navy.

Instead, the Idar Navy introduced new specialized training programs.

For example, to help recruits overcome seasickness, Mal Cullen deliberately assigned small fishing boats to take the newly enlisted sailors out to sea, forcing them to endure the waves.

The rough seas, the howling winds, the cramped, overcrowded cabins filled with queasy sailors—these small fishing boats rocked violently with every swell of the ocean…

"Urgh—"

The first recruit finally vomited, releasing a foul stench into the cramped quarters.

The crowded space, combined with the rocking motion of the boat, soon caused a chain reaction—one sailor after another succumbed to seasickness.

"Ughhh—"

"Blehh—"

The stench grew unbearable.

By the time the fishing boats finally returned to shore, the recruits stumbled off the boats as if fleeing for their lives. Spectators on the docks recoiled from them in disgust.

"You'll get used to throwing up eventually!"

For these new naval recruits, this phrase became a living nightmare.

But the high wages of the navy, along with the inspiring stories of Idar's standing army told during ideological training, had already taken deep root in their minds.

And so, driven by a mysterious force, they persevered through the suffering vomiting, recovering, and training even harder.

Half a month later, when the first batch of Idar's navy recruits stood proudly at the naval base a massive three-masted warship under construction behind them they were reviewed by Earl Bruno.

Each soldier stood tall and resolute, radiating a sense of determination and discipline.

"Excellent! Very spirited!" Bruno couldn't help but praise them from the bottom of his heart.

He had high hopes for the Idar Navy.

If the standing army was the shield that protected Idar's homeland, then this newly formed Idar Navy would be its sword!

At this stage, the navy was the key force that Idar would rely on for external expansion.

"Idar's navy must not only be disciplined and well trained, but they must also be fearless in battle and they must win! Right now, the most important thing is to stay sharp and intensify your training. Once the three-masted warships are completed, the Idarians will go on the offensive and crush the pirates in their own waters."

After inspecting the navy, Bruno spoke in a grave tone to Mal Cullen.