The Strongest Dull Prince’s Secret Battle for the Throne

Chapter 608: The Flagship Alphonse

"Half encirclement complete! Numerous enemy ships are burning!"

"Maintain bombardment while being mindful of ramming. What about the ships that escaped the encirclement?"

"Three ships have escaped and are headed towards the fortress!"

Receiving the report, I confirmed the escaped ships with my own eyes. Despite the chaos caused by the Sky Falcon Unit's air raid, the enemy's numbers were superior. Moreover, we were at sea.

Perfect encirclement was difficult. It couldn't be helped that some had escaped.

However, it was unexpected for them to abandon their besieged allies and head towards the fortress.

"Their target must be the evacuation ships."

Ships were constantly leaving the fortress. They were almost overloaded with people.

They were clearly non-combatants. Probably, they were civilians who had been sheltered from the monsters. To get these people safely to the sea, Leo and his team were fighting.

Many ships had already left the fortress. Only two remained.

At this point, attacking the last two ships wouldn't make much sense. There were still plenty of monsters left, but their momentum was not like before.

It would have been better if they had just retreated. Why are they targeting civilians?

"I can't understand it."

Even if they're going to get annihilated, I can understand the thinking of wanting to take the enemy with them. However, if they could escape the encirclement, they could also flee.

Instead, they're heading towards the evacuation ships like suicide attackers.

"Are they prohibited from returning? Or are they strictly ordered not to let the evacuation ships escape?"

Are they desperate because they can't return, or are they trying to strictly follow orders?

The former is almost certainly the case. There's no point in sinking the last ship now. Many ships have already gone out to sea.

If there's a person that must absolutely be dealt with on the last ship, there's a possibility, but the Royal Navy should have no way of knowing that.

Besides, there aren't many who would take precedence over Leo. So, this is really bad.

Nothing is more troublesome than someone who has given up.

"Notify the fleet. From here on, the flagship Alphonse will provide cover for the evacuation ships. Keep the semi-encirclement intact and minimize damage."

Giving up on signal flags, I let my voice reach the entire fleet. This is a double-edged sword, as it also informs the enemy, but in this situation, speed is of the essence.

"Turn around and head towards the fortress. Get in between the escaped ships and the evacuation ships."

"The flagship itself?"

"It's the only one that can catch up now."

The ones taking the lead are the escaped ships. We'll be chasing them from behind.

It's unlikely that other ships will make it in time. The only ship that has a chance is this Alphonse, the latest model.

The captain, perhaps convinced by my words, turned the ship towards the fortress.

"Full speed ahead! This ship is fast! We should be able to catch up!"

Hearing the captain's words, I let out a deep breath. We should be able to catch up. But...

"Captain! Can we use the barrier generation device?"

"It won't hold for long! Most of the magic power was used for the Thunderbolt!"

The flagship Alphonse is equipped with a barrier generation device for defense. As the name suggests, it can generate a barrier to protect the ship.

However, magic requires magic power. Most of it was exhausted, and now the Alphonse was just a ship with high performance.

Even if we catch up, the question is whether we can protect the evacuation ships from the three ships.

"Captain, can you quickly sink the three ships with the magic cannon?"

"Don't talk nonsense! We could sink one at most! And they're singularly focused on targeting the evacuation ships! To stop them, we need significant firepower!"

"I agree."

I'm well aware that I'm suggesting something unreasonable. But if we don't stop them, they'll sink the evacuation ships.

Leo and his team risked their lives just to allow these evacuation ships to escape.

Just one ship.

However, there are soldiers who lost their lives to let this single ship escape.

"Enemy ship! Begin bombardment!"

"Deploy the barrier! Let the Alphonse cut into the line of fire!"

"It won't last long!"

"I'll think of something!"

Responding so to the captain, he reluctantly steered the Alphonse between the three ships and the evacuation ship.

The three ships showered the Alphonse with gunfire. Meanwhile, the evacuation ship tried to break away, but its movements were slow, probably due to being loaded to the brim with evacuees.

"Starboard magic cannons! Fire all at once!"

At my command, the starboard magic cannons fired in unison. One of the salvos hit one of the three enemy ships. However...

"The enemy ship! It's not stopping!"

"It's planning to ram us!"

"Maximum output for the barrier! Deploy it concentrated on the starboard side and brace for impact! Hold your ground at all costs!"

"This ship won't make it! This is the flagship named after the first emperor, remember?"

"If it's named after the first emperor, then we can't afford to run! For the sake of the helpless civilians, the first emperor would surely forgive us! Full defense! Prepare for the shock!"

The enemy ship that had been hit was charging towards the Alphonse.

In response, the Alphonse cast a barrier on the starboard side and took the impact.

A great shockwave.

The enemy ship sank while burning.

Somehow, we managed to maintain the barrier, and the Alphonse was unscathed. However...

"Barrier's down! Two enemy ships still intact! They're coming our way!"

"Your Excellency! If we don't have another way, I suggest we clear the path! My duty is to protect you over the evacuation ships!"

Receiving the captain's warning, I gathered magical energy in my right hand.

I tried to supply the magical core installed in the ship with magic.

If the magic can be restored, we can generate a barrier.

If a barrier can be generated, they can't penetrate the Alphonse.

That was the plan, but...

"Stop it. You will need magic from now on. It would be wise to conserve it."

The voice echoed from behind. Turning around, a man dressed in a white robe was standing.

His face was hidden under a deep hood, but I could tell he was grinning.

"Well, I liked your action, even though you knew it was pointless. I'll lend you a hand. I can tinker with this ship a bit."

With that, the man disappeared.

It didn't seem like anyone else heard his voice. As I wondered what was happening...

"The magical core has been restored! It's almost fully recovered!"

"What happened!?"

"I don't know! But we have plenty of magic!"

"We'll figure out why later! Pour it all into the barrier! Don't let the remaining two ships get close!!"

The magical core suddenly started working again.

We poured its magic into the barrier, and the Alphonse managed to block the onslaught of the two ships.

We couldn't completely eliminate the impact, but the two charging ships were being damaged by the barrier.

"Ready the starboard magic cannons!"

"Magic cannons are ready!"

"Fire!!"

Having their charge halted, the two ships were left defenseless.

Without missing this opportunity, we unleashed the starboard magic cannons.

Unable to resist, the two ships were hit at close range and slowly sank.

Cheers erupted within the Alphonse.

But my mind was more concerned about the voice I heard earlier.

Who on earth was that?

Suddenly reviving the magical core is not something an ordinary mage could do. Moreover, it should have been impossible for him to board the ship without me noticing.

"Your Excellency! Your Excellency!? Are you alright?"

"A-ah, I'm fine."

"What will you do next? Will you land and fight?"

The monsters are still alive.

We need to do something about them to claim victory.

We've nearly annihilated the Royal Fleet, but the main threat is still the horde of monsters.

As I considered landing to aid Leo, I looked at the sky and realized there was no need.

"You're late."

TL's Notes: So who is the mysterious guy in the white robe?

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