TL: Etude


    The battle within the Port West City was still raging intensely. Although the goblins fighting against the kingdom’s army were not as ipetent as people had previously perceived, their individual strength was significantly inferior to that of the human soldiers. Moreover, their numbers were also fewer than the kingdom’s army.


    After the initial fear and surprise, the soldiers of the kingdom’s army gradually realized that the enemy was not as formidable as they had first thought, and began to actively engage in battle.


    Seeing the scales of victory gradually tipping in favor of the kingdom’s army, Harrison breathed a sigh of relief.


    What puzzled him, however, was the absence of the pirate’s main force, apart from thosemanding the goblins. Harrison did not believe that just a few humans leading a group of goblins could upy Port West for so many days.


    “Perhaps the Northwestern Fleet has sessfully restrained the pirates at the dock? I wonder how much pressure they are under.”


    Worried about the well-being of his allies and eager to end the battle quickly, Harrison selected a detachment and, under his personal leadership, swiftly headed towards the harbor. The fight with the goblins was nearing its end, and the human piratesmanding them were almostpletely annihted. Without their leadership, the goblins quickly reverted to their true nature, bing a disorganized rabble.


    Harrison led his troops in a full-on assault towards the dock area. The streets were empty, as the residents hid in their homes, afraid to step outside. This made their advance much smoother.


    Upon reaching the coast, Harrison and his men witnessed a naval battle scene like no other: in the distant sea, ships bearing red dragon gs were striking head-on against the pirate fleet with skull gs.The Northwestern Fleet consisted of 12 ships, initially traveling generally from north to south. The pirate fleet attacked from their east. After the first few rounds of engagement, the leading six sailboats began to turn left towards the east to encircle the pirate fleet. Still, the 12 ships maintained a line formation, guarding each other. From above, the Northwestern Fleet would appear as an arc.


    Every time the pirate ships approached the Northwestern Fleet, they were severely beaten. It was an exaggeration to call it an engagement; in Harrison’s view, it was more like a one-sided thrashing of the pirates.


    Harrison had previously seen a demonstration of the Northwestern people’s cannons, and today, he finally recognized their terrifying power. Every time the pirate fleet tried to regroup or attempt a ramming maneuver, the Northwestern ships would emit intense white smoke, followed by chaos on the pirate ships, disrupting their formation. Having seen the cannons before, Harrison knew that apanying the white smoke were lethal high-speed metal projectiles.


    The power of the projectiles was so immense that when the first sailboatpleted its turn, facing a pirate ship at a mere distance of a dozen meters, the pirates on deck were ready to board. However, the Northwestern warship suddenly opened fire from its port side. Gun after gun roared in session, sending the opposing pirate ship into disarray, with wood splinters flying everywhere. The cannons primarily targeted the rowers inside the hull. After the booming, the opposite ship lost its previous agility. As the first sailboat passed, the second sailboat followed up with cannon fire. With the heavy casualties among the rowers, many pirate ships could only drift with the wind.


    Harrison was somewhat ustomed to this, but his subordinates, who were seeing the Northwestern people’s “magic” for the first time, were astonished and even dumbfounded.


    “Sir, could it be that the Northwestern ships are carrying wizards?”


    A concerned officer asked Harrison.


    “Stop being superstitious!” Harrison scolded him. “I’ve seen their weapons with my own eyes. They’re called cannons, shooting ammunition like crossbows to attack the enemy. The operators are ordinary soldiers!”


    In those days, being associated with witchcraft was not something desirable.


    The battle at sea continued for over two hours. Although solid shot was highly lethal to humans, it was not sufficient to sink ships, especially wooden ones.


    The six rear sailboats of the Alda Fleet, with rtively weaker firepower, were boarded by enemies. The pirates thought they had finally broken through the long-range attacks and were ready to wreak havoc in closebat. However, they were met with the relentless firing of muskets. The pirates boarding the Alda ships, unfamiliar with the muskets in the hands of the sailors, were mostly taken down in the initial encounter. The few who survived were baffled and faced hand-to-handbat…


    After being passively beaten continuously, the pirates abandoned the idea of continuing the fight. Ten warships desperately fled southward, while the remaining eight, due to heavy casualties among the rowers, could not escape and subsequently raised white gs.


    “General Tirpitz!”


    Harrison greeted the fleetmander who stepped onto the dock with a smile and open arms.


    “Oh, no, no, I’m not a general yet!”


    Tirpitz rified while epting the warm wee.


    “We have achieved a great victory this time!”


    Harrison was very pleased. This was his first battle, not only crucial to his personal honor but also to the fate of his family. Ever since his father allowed his less reputable stepmother to enter the household, the Abbott family had lost the king’s grace, sitting on the cold bench for many years. The family desperately needed military achievements to rise again.


    Sighing, Harrison thought, if it weren’t for that incident, wouldn’t he have been among the generals dispatched to pacify the rebellion in the south?


    Shaking his head, Harrison cast aside the fleeting regret from his mind.


    He and Tirpitz, while conversing, made their way to the city hall, which the soldiers had already cleared.


    They slowly arrived at the central square, where arge crowd had gathered,prising not just soldiers but also residents who had dared toe out.


    “What are they doing?” Tirpitz inquired.


    Harrison replied with a smile, “We’ve captured some goblins brought by the pirates, and those people are taking out their anger on them.”


    “Goblins? The legendary goblins?”


    The fleetmander squeezed through the crowd, and Harrison’s guards immediately cleared a path for him.


    They saw a group of small, humanoid creatures trembling on the ground, their long, pointed ears drooping, looking weak and helpless. The bruises and tattered clothes on them indicated they had been beaten quite a bit.


    “What, Commander Tirpitz, is this your first time seeing a goblin?”


    “Haha, not just goblins, we hardly see any other races in Northwest Bay. I’ve heard that sometimes dwarvese down from the northern mountains to trade, but I’ve never seen them.”


    “Don’t be fooled by their current appearance. These creatures are inherently vicious and brutal. I n to execute them all soon.”


    “Understood, understood. But, could you spare a few for me? I’d like to take them back to show the people in my hometown.”


    “This…” Harrison hesitated. He wanted to refuse, but Tirpitz had helped him achieve victory, especially against the pirate’s main force.


    “Alright, but I can only give you one. If you don’t want goblins to be a menace in Northwest Bay, you should know, their breeding rate isparable to rats.”


    “Uh… why not give several males or females?”


    “There’s a rumor that if a group of goblins is left with only males or females, some will change sex. So, just to be cautious… and even giving you one, you need to keep a close watch. Get rid of it as soon as you’re tired of it. Don’t let it escape; who knows what other tricks goblins might have.”


    “That’s amazing. Okay, I’ll remember that.”


    As they talked, a political officer rode up hurriedly on horseback.


    “Viscount Dillon, you’re here already?”


    Harrison was surprised. The neer was responsible for the transfer of materials between the Port West and Northwest Bay fleet.


    “I came with the army into the city!”


    Dillon replied with a face full of indignation.


    “What’s made you so angry? We just won a battle.”


    “It’s all gone, all gone!”


    “What’s gone?”


    “The supplies in the warehouse. I just went there to check, and everything’s gone! Damn those pirates, I curse them!”


    Dillon dismounted from his horse, cursing the pirates innguage unbing of his noble status.


    Harrison frowned, “This is bad, the southern troops will definitely be affected.”


    Tirpitz tried tofort them, “As long as we ensure safety at sea, goods from Northwest Bay will keeping.”


    “That’s right! Lord Tirpitz!”


    Viscount Dillon suddenly grasped the fleetmander’s hand forcefully.


    “The pirate’s main force is gone, but I think these scoundrels wille back. Please, you and your fleet must stay here.”


    “Cough, cough!” Harrison feigned a cough, whispering a reminder to the Viscount, “This should be decided by His Majesty the King.”


    Dillon suddenly remembered that the Northwestern Fleet was sent by a foreign lord, and his face showed embarrassment as he stood silent.


    Tirpitz, not thinking too deeply, found Dillon’s suggestion reasonable but said with difficulty, “I can’t decide on my own. I need to ask Count Grayman.”