Gospel of Blood

“Enemy attack! Enemy attack!”

“Wake up all the sailors! We’re under attack!”

On the sea, with the continuous fire from the fleet of oar-sail ships, the combined fleet of the two duchies also fell into chaos.

No one had expected a night raid. The coalition fleet was no different.

When dozens of warships formed up and fired upon the fleet, most sailors were still sleeping in their hammocks below deck.

The alarm bells rang out across the ships, waking the sailors who scrambled to dress.

The noble commander of the fleet stood at the prow of the flagship in disheveled clothes, peering through his telescope at the unfamiliar fleet firing at them under the moonlight. His expression was a mix of shock, anger, and confusion.

“A fleet? Where did this fleet come from?!”

No one could answer his question.

In the darkness, the mysterious fleet, like phantoms of the night, kept firing at the coalition fleet.

Anchored and unprepared, the coalition warships were sitting ducks, suffering damage under the relentless bombardment from the unidentified fleet.

“By the Gods! How can they aim at us so accurately? Can they see as clearly at night as they do in the daytime?!”

On the lookout tower, a sailor watched in terror as the bombardment showed precision equal to daytime accuracy.

“Extraordinaries… they have extraordinaries who can see in the dark!”

The noble commander quickly realized.

Silver lights began to rise on the sea, as some warships activated their magic shields.

Seeing the lights, the noble commander’s face changed instantly.

“Idiots! The enemy has night-vision extraordinaries! Signal them to lower the shields immediately!”

But it was too late.

A barrage of anti-magic cannonballs rained down, hitting the shielded ships. The magic shields flickered a few times before shattering, and the ships were riddled with cannon fire, slowly capsizing amidst the explosions.

“Raise sails! Drop heavy items, head northwest! Gunners, get ready to return fire!”

The commander ordered.

However, shortly after, more cannon fire came from the northeast.

“We’re doomed! The Castell fleet has also set sail!”

A terrified sailor shouted from the lookout tower.

The noble commander noticed the cannon fire from the northeast as well.

He grabbed his telescope and looked towards the illuminated Northport, where he could see several warships sailing out of the port, heading northwest to join the southern fleet in encircling the coalition fleet.

An ambush…

This is a premeditated ambush!

The noble commander realized everything in an instant, his face turning deathly pale.

With the Castell fleet joining the battle, the naval combat escalated fully.

Meanwhile, the duchy coalition forces on land fell into deeper chaos.

No soldier knew where the enemy came from. In the darkness, the camp seemed full of enemies.

Screams and clashes resounded, ghostly figures darting through the camp, overturning torches that set tents ablaze, painting the sky red.

“Where are the elite soldiers?! Where are our elite soldiers?!”

Seeing the camp in chaos, Prince Philip grabbed a noble by the collar, yelling in anger.

The noble, pale and trembling, replied.

“Y-your Highness… it’s too chaotic. We haven’t organized yet, and we don’t know how many enemies there are…”

“Blow the horn! Send signals! Form up and counterattack!”

The prince shouted.

As soon as he shouted, a blaring horn sounded in the distance.

It came from the direction of Northport.

Silver-blue light illuminated, the magic shield covering Northport lit up again, and the drawbridge of the Castell Bridge connecting to the mainland was lowered.

Amidst the battle cries, soldiers clad in magical armor, bearing the banners of Castell and Gaston, charged out of the Castell Bridge…

“It’s the rebel troops from Tulip County! They’re charging out!”

On the coalition side, the commanding noble shouted in terror upon seeing the attacking troops.

In the chaos, the coalition forces had no time to organize an effective counterattack.

In just one encounter, the defensive fortifications set up during the day to besiege the Castell Bridge were torn apart by the charging elite troops.

“Castell’s forces are launching an attack!”

“We’re defeated! Our army is defeated!”

“Retreat! Retreat quickly!”

…

Cries of panic echoed through the camp, and the coalition forces fell into deeper disarray.

With Castell’s forces launching a counterattack from Northport, the coalition soldiers, already in disarray from the night raid, completely lost their will to fight and their morale collapsed.

Soldiers abandoned their armor and weapons, fleeing in panic. Even the elite soldiers lost control and scattered.

In the chaotic retreat, there were large-scale falls and trampling, with continuous screams and wails, making the situation even more chaotic.

The fire spread, and battle cries rang out from all directions.

“The Third Prince is dead!”

“Our army is defeated!”

Various shouts spread through the camp, causing total collapse.

Seeing the terrified, fleeing soldiers who had lost all fighting spirit, and the coalition fleet engulfed in flames on the sea under the dual assault of the southern and northern fleets, Prince Philip’s face turned ashen.

“Your Highness, we must retreat! This is an ambush, a trap set for us!”

Count Linte shouted anxiously.

“Retreat… how do we retreat… Northport Bridge has already been retaken…”

The Prince muttered, his eyes vacant.

“Small boats! Take the small boats by the shore!”

Count Linte killed an approaching Castell soldier with a sword and shouted.

“Right… small boats… we can take the small boats!”

The Prince snapped back to reality and followed, surrounded by his guards.

By the time he followed Count Linte to the Dorn River, only Count Linte, blood-soaked, and three guards remained by his side.

“Your Highness… where is Lady Eleanor? Didn’t you bring Lady Eleanor with you?”

Count Linte asked urgently, looking behind the Prince.

The Prince stared blankly at him, shaking his head.

“No… she’s still inside…”

“Sigh!”

Count Linte sighed deeply, then turned back.

“Your Highness, retreat first. I will bring Lady Eleanor out! Borde cannot be without Lady Eleanor!”

With that, he returned to the camp.

The Prince stared vacantly in the direction Count Linte had left, his expression utterly despondent.

He knew that after tonight, his army was likely finished…