Restart:Untalented Man-Chapter 497: Sea Supremacy
"Hmm...," At first, Acellin planned to use that governor as a catalyst to cause unrest in the Vofors region. But their neighbour was quick to put out the fire.
What had once been a valuable piece has become a burden.
Moreover, if Wilmot meant what he said, Barlia would lose its precious base in the south.
For years, they had poured so many resources here.
And there's another issue with King of Ryntum's claim on Cerdeauxia. While he didn't explicitly say anything, it would be unwise to provoke or give him reason.
"How troubling…," Acellin lamented. "I suppose you're right. Let's take a step back and give in to their request."
If giving one man can save them from facing multiple problems, then why not?
Walter can feel the tension on his body loosened up.
He was preparing to argue, to somehow convince Acellin to not escalate the situation.
To his relief, the influential businessman had already reached that conclusion on his own.
There was no need for any push.
Walter was familiar with someone like Acellin. He may be polite, but his patience is limited.
"Do you have anything else to say?"
"No, that will be all."
"If not, then go." Acellin chases the president out.
"Thank you for your time, sir." Walter bowed and made his way toward the door.
The sooner he could get out of Acellin's presence, the better.
While Walter can breathe easier now, Acellin has another serious issue to solve.
Out on the sea, his fortunes were slipping through his fingers.
The pirate he sponsored kept getting attacked.
They had been his partners in disrupting his rival's trade.
But recently, his pirates started to face an increasing amount of attacks. Their once-dominant presence on the seas was challenged.
His merchant ships were also constantly raided.
At first, the losses were bearable. But now, it starts to shrink his income.
He couldn't afford to let this continue. If his revenue streams dried up, his influence in Cerdeauxia would be threatened, and so would his entire standing.
This wasn't the work of random pirates. It was a coordinated attack, and Acellin had an idea of the person behind this.
....
Somewhere in the Leviathan Sea, pure chaos unfolded.
The turbulent sea was filled with shouts and screams as two ships clashed. Cannons roared and flames lit up.
The wooden pirate ship rocked violently with each wave. Its deck is slick with seawater and blood.
One pirate stumbled on the deck. He gripped the rail for balance and looked out toward the enemy ship. "No mast, smokey tower, iron body…"
He then shouted, going against the racket of battle. "Isn't this the ironclad we've been hearing?"
His crewmate peers through a spyglass. He focused on the flag flying high above the strange iron ship.
"That flag...it belongs to Jon Blue!"
"Jon Blue?! How the hell did he get his hands on that ship?" the captain yelled.
"How could I know? There's only one place producing this ironclad..."
The captain's face darkened once he made his guess, "Bideford Arsenal…"
That place is known to all. Rumours had it that many ingenious weapons were stored there.
These are the kinds of weapons that are out of the grasp of most nations.
Whenever weapons originate there appear in the black market, they are sold at high prices.
Even so, many would fork out tons of gold to buy it.
"That bastard Jon Blue!" The captain snarled, "Now it all makes sense. No wonder he rose so fast and unstoppable. He has become Ryntum's pet."
The captain analyzed the situation. This battle will soon be disadvantageous if it continues.
They had no chance against a ship like that with their wooden vessel and underpowered cannons.
"We're retreating," the captain said. Continuing this fight is suicidal. "Full sail! Get us out of here!"
On the opposite side of the battlefield, Jon Blue stood at the bow of his ironclad and watched his pirates bombarding the opponent.
Smoke curled from the cannons and the heavy smell of gunpowder lingered in the air.
Despite the tide of battle siding with him, Jon was far from pleased.
"How long has it been since this battle started?" he growled. His eyes fixed on the enemy ship, battered but still afloat. "The enemy hasn't sunk into the ocean!"
He turns around toward his crew.
"Do all of you forget what sea we're currently in?" Jon shouted, "The Leviathan Sea! We made loud commotion up here. Wrap it up already!"
"Sorry, Captain. The equipment is new to us. We haven't gotten used to it yet."
Jon's eyes flicked to the artillery mounted on the ironclad.
"New equipment or not, that's not an excuse for failure. I don't care if it's your first time or your hundredth. Sink that ship before something else appears."
The pirates rushed to comply with his order.
Boom!
The cannons roared once more, this time more intense. The impact was brutal.
Wood splintered, sails tore, and the ship began to list heavily to one side. The scream from the crew can be heard despite their distance.
Within moments, the ship was swallowed by the sea. Everything disappeared beneath the waves.
"Finally! We're done here." Jon exclaimed.
As he was about to give his next instruction, his keen eyes spotted something in the distance.
A merchant ship.
Typically, pirates don't care about the ships' affiliation and simply attack them. But someone like him can't do that.
He couldn't afford to blindly attack ships at random, especially not ones affiliated with Ryntum.
Jon raised his spyglass, trying to figure out the flag.
It was Blande's. That country was known for the riches they got from trade.
Slowly, a predatory smile crept across Jon Blue's face. Ships from that country were within his target list.
There's nothing to worry about.
He can imagine the expensive stuff that will soon fall into his hands.
"Perfect timing." Jon turned to his crew, "See those ships? That's our next target."
