Chapter 184 - 180: A Crushing Victory

Chapter 184: Chapter 180: A Crushing Victory

"It should be over soon..."

On the deck, a man who looked like a commander stared at the distant shore.

According to the plan, tonight was the night White Bear Town would be utterly destroyed.

When the shore was set ablaze, it would be their signal to approach and bring the Wata Duchy’s cavalry home.

"War..."

The Commander muttered to himself, then shook his head with a self-deprecating smile.

As soldiers on the front lines, they had no desire to experience war.

After all, for most soldiers, war meant danger, injury, and death.

But they could not defy the will of the Dukes, so they could only obey.

"White Bear Town... It was just recently rebuilt, wasn’t it? This time, it’s going to be destroyed all over again, and even more thoroughly than before."

The Commander chuckled, feeling no sympathy whatsoever.

War was cruel, but climbing the ranks through meritorious service, treading on the skulls and blood of the enemy, seemed like a fine choice as well.

’Did the cavalry get delayed on the road? According to the plan, when night fell, White Bear Town should be engulfed in flames. But it’s getting darker and darker, and there’s still no change on the shore...’

Just as the Commander was wondering, he suddenly saw a massive, dark mass blotting out the sky in the distance, flying toward his ships.

"Are those seagulls?"

The Commander looked closely and suddenly realized the flock of birds was heading right for them.

"Not seagulls—they’re Sea Eagles!"

The Commander was stunned.

Sea Eagles were supposed to be solitary hunters. Why would they gather in a flock?

Before he could figure it out, the Commander heard a loud RUMBLE. The hull of the ship shook as if it had been struck by something.

"Commander, this is bad! A large school of fish is ramming our ships!"

A guard rushed over in a hurry.

"How is that possible?"

The Commander was about to go to the side of the ship to check when he staggered, nearly falling over.

A school of fish actively approaching a ship—it defied logic.

"What in the world is happening?!"

A sudden panic seized the Commander.

This mission was just a pickup for the cavalry, not a main combat operation, so he was the only Junior Knight on board.

Faced with such a bizarre phenomenon, the Commander felt he was losing control of the situation.

Just then, a sweet, melodious song suddenly reached the Commander’s ears.

The song seemed to drift from a great distance, yet he could hear every single note with perfect clarity.

The song was ethereal and serene. He couldn’t help but fall under its spell, his fading consciousness trying to find its source.

On the deck, figures collapsed one by one, each person’s face fixed in an enchanted smile.

The Sea Eagles swooped in like a passing dark cloud and landed on the deck. They began to frantically peck at the unconscious soldiers, and the smell of torn flesh and blood quickly filled the air.

At the same time, the scent of blood agitated the school of fish beneath the ships.

Sharks and other large carnivorous fish had now joined the school.

But instead of fighting among themselves, they worked together to ram the ships.

CRASH!

A large hole was smashed into the bottom of a ship. Seawater began pouring into the hull, causing the vessel to list before it capsized completely.

The moment the ship overturned, the Sea Eagles scattered and flew away, disappearing over the horizon.

Meanwhile, the carnivorous fish below the waves had just begun to feast.

In the distance, a patrol boat had approached at some point without being noticed.

On its deck, Dane watched everything, dumbfounded.

Beside him stood Colson, smacking his lips.

The destruction of the Sosen Kingdom’s enemies was the joint work of Colson and Selena.

However, because Selena’s identity was a secret, she remained hidden in the water and did not show herself.

In all of White Bear Town, only Vili, Wally, and Colson knew of Selena’s existence.

"This... You did all of this?"

Dane stared at the young man beside him.

"Of course. I did this."

Colson seemed quite pleased with Dane’s look of shocked disbelief.

For the longest time, everyone had seen him as just an animal breeder.

But today, Colson had used his power to prove to outsiders that he, too, possessed immense strength.

"You have to understand..." Colson continued, "I’m a Silent... a Silent. Lord Vili should have mentioned them to you. Ah, speaking of Silents, the name of this profession really bothers me. Human language is such a beautiful thing, so why name the profession ’Silent’? If I become the most powerful Silent one day, I’m definitely going to change its name. I’ll call it... a Polyglot! Yes, a Polyglot! What an interesting title..."

Whatever excitement Dane had been feeling was completely dissipated by Colson’s rambling.

He wanted to interrupt Colson, but considering the great service Colson had just performed, he held his tongue.

"...Everything’s been resolved perfectly. Lord Vili will definitely praise me..."

The patrol boat began its return journey. Across the night sea, a young man’s chatter drifted freely...

...

"The enemy has changed their route! They didn’t go to the northwestern border—they went to White Bear Town!"

"The Sosen Duchy and the Wata Duchy have formed an alliance! After destroying White Bear Town, the cavalry will return to the Wata Duchy by sea!"

This was the latest intelligence Count Lumbar had received.

"So the Sosen Duchy did get involved in this war after all!"

Count Lumbar was seething with rage.

With the Sosen Duchy’s help, the Wata Duchy’s raiding cavalry would return to their homeland unscathed. What they did in Dawei Province was as easy as a stroll in the park.

This outcome was even more severe than Count Lumbar had imagined.

Their objective was highly specific: to destroy White Bear Town a second time, sealing their alliance with an act of supreme provocation.

This was no longer just trampling on Count Lumbar’s reputation and dignity. It was a move to utterly shred his prestige, forcing him to face all the nobles and his own subjects as a grotesque, incompetent failure.

Lumbar supported his forehead with his hand, feeling the blood rush to his head in waves.

Right now, he was at a loss for what decision to make. It seemed any move he made would be seen by the outside world as nothing but a feeble excuse.

"My Lord Count!"

Just as Lumbar’s mind was in turmoil, Kaczas strode in, holding a letter.

However, upon seeing Count Lumbar’s dejected state, he quickly wiped the smile from his face.

Count Lumbar looked up at Kaczas, wanting to unleash all the anger and resentment in his heart.

But for some reason, the anger stopped as it rose to his chest, replaced by an indescribable sense of helplessness.

In truth, Count Lumbar knew. The main reason for this easy sneak attack was a flaw in his own defensive planning for the territory.

Now, Count Lumbar didn’t even have the energy to express his negative emotions.

"My Lord Count..."

Kaczas saw Count Lumbar’s expression, glanced at the documents on his desk, and faintly guessed the situation.

In fact, when he had first seen the intelligence report now before Count Lumbar, he had felt even more helpless than the Count.

But shortly after receiving that report, he had received a new one.

An unbelievably uplifting and incredible piece of intelligence.

"Kaczas, leave me. I want to be alone for a while."

Count Lumbar’s eyelids drooped as he waved a dismissive hand at Kaczas.

Hearing this, Kaczas did not leave immediately. Instead, he opened the envelope in his hand and placed it in front of Count Lumbar.

"My Lord Count, before you rest, please take a look at the latest news."

Kaczas said respectfully to Count Lumbar.

Count Lumbar frowned at his words but still forced himself to glance at the contents of the letter.

Yet that single glance was enough to instantly transform Count Lumbar’s previously dejected expression.