Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

"I declare Joint Command's First Order: Annihilate the enemy that comes tonight," Major General Nalesho announced loudly, then he raised his glass, "To victory!"

Having said that, he finished his drink in one gulp and smashed the glass to pieces.

Apart from a few senior officers, most of the officers only now realized what had happened.

Antonio also followed, raising his voice, "To victory!" and drained his glass.

Under Antonio's lead, all the officers lifted their glasses, and with expressions of worry, alarm, or calmness, they toasted.

Major General Nalesho calmly said to his adjutant, "Mr. Kalaman. Signal to beat the drums and prepare for battle!"

The urgent beat of the drums began, and The Glorious entered battle readiness.

The navy officers donned their uniforms, strapped on their swords, and rushed to their posts.

The sailors poured into the ship's cabin, while tables, chairs, and dinnerware were quickly cleared from the gun deck. Andre held a plate with a gloomy expression, "I haven't finished eating yet."

"Throw it away, look at those few youngsters," Winters said, pointing at the young naval officers.

Though they had barely had a few bites of meat, they stood up and left the cabin without hesitation as soon as the war drums sounded.

The sailors threw whatever was uneaten out of the gun ports into the sea, clearing the gun deck in less than a minute.

Every officer and sailor on the ship returned to their posts and prepared for battle in an orderly fashion, while the army officers just stood there, not knowing what to do.

"Centurions, go back to your ships and find your troops. The battalion commanders stay on The Glorious, awaiting assignments," Antonio called the army officers over and ordered, "Carry out the orders of the Joint Command."

Like waking from a dream, the army officers quickly left the cabin. At sea, the army had an officer on duty on each ship in rotation, while the other officers usually rested on The Glorious.

The three warrant officers immediately ran back to their quarters in the stern castle to fetch their weapons, then found Captain Wilson of the lead battalions' hundredth.

The sailors lit torches all over The Glorious's deck. Four small boats were lowered, taking the navy and army officers who had attended the banquet back to their own ships.

Again, two signal cannon shots were fired, this time from The Glorious.

The entire fleet was awakened by the sound of the cannons, and other ships also lit torches in succession, firing signal cannons in response to The Glorious.

In the distant harbor, where the sailors had gone ashore to rest, they too heard the sound of the signal cannons. The port springs to life, with the sailors' encampment gradually transitioning from a few specks of firelight to brightly lit.

Major General Nalesho stood on the forecastle, his hands clasped behind his back, silently counting the answering signal guns.

An aide clambered up to the forecastle, excitedly saying, "General, Drake really did come!"

Major General Nalesho kept counting up to thirty before he replied, "I've waited for him a day and a half; if he didn't show up, it would mean I had overestimated him. The entire bay is swarming with spies, no matter who it is or where they make landfall, they can't hide the news, let alone that our ships have already spotted them." Stay updated with empire

Antonio also climbed onto the forecastle, shaking hands with Major General Nalesho in excited congratulations, "Your Excellency, to think you could sway the enemy to act according to your plan across the vast ocean. Had you not informed me in advance, I would have thought you were improvising to reassure the troops."

"It is indeed about reassuring the troops, the situation is still against us, and I wasn't sure before if Captain Drake would actually come," Major General Nalesho replied with a wry smile. "Captain Drake is a fanatic gambler, he doesn't miss any opportunity to bet small for big returns. Having acquired four of our warships, he had more to wager, but I had no certainty whether he would dare to come down and gamble."

"Please don't be so modest, your grasp on Drake's mindset is beyond my imagination," Antonio said with admiration.

"Because I am a gambler myself, and only a gambler understands what another is thinking," Major General Nalesho said, his face devoid of any sense of joy. "I am also betting the fleet against Captain Drake."

"So, what do you need our army to do tonight?" Antonio asked.

"Nothing," replied Major General Nalesho, somewhat embarrassingly. "I will not call upon these twenty-one troop ships unless absolutely necessary. It's not that I underestimate your subordinates' combat power, but the sea is different from the land. If I can avoid using the Third Legion, I will try my best not to use it."

Antonio nodded and conveyed his understanding with a look.

Major General Nalesho also nodded back appreciatively.

In the distance, a light flickered over the sea.

It was the outlying patrol boats. Nalesho had dispatched two light sailing ships, each under a hundred tons, to patrol the perimeter of the fleet's anchorage. They had just spotted the enemy fleet and fired a warning shot.

The patrol boats were transmitting information to the flagship by means of light signals.

The pattern of the light's shining and dimming represented a few scenarios that had been agreed upon in advance.

The patrol boats repeated the message incessantly: Enemy ships, northwest, twenty to twenty-five vessels.

The moonlight was dim, but on the dark sea surface about two kilometers away, one could still make out the vague shapes of ships.

The enemy had arrived.