Chapter 473: Preparation Before Moving

The sound of ocean waves seemed to echo all the way into the governor’s office, a faint and rhythmic noise drifting in.

Alonso’s face turned even paler after hearing Simon’s words. The number of Red Wolves pirates under the Latin control had already overwhelmed him, and now Simon was telling him that what they were facing was only a small part of the threat.

"In the coastal warfare against the Eldorian Empire, the number of Latin pirates could reach up to twenty thousand or more," Simon said honestly.

Even for allies, there was no reason to send troops without benefit—especially when their alliance was so fragile. He had to make the threat sound serious to raise the value of his support to them.

"Twenty thousand..." Alonso exclaimed, as his face went completely blank. Hesitating for a moment, he said, "According to Grey, he instructed me to tell you that if you help us, the Dutch will surely repay you in the future."

Simon only nodded with satisfaction. That was enough. Saying more would seem like coercion. He replied, "We will head directly to Fort Zeelandia and drive the pirates out of their hiding holes for good, together."

"Thank you, Your Highness!" Alonso said joyfully.

While they spoke, Lancelot and Liam were staring at Alonso with wild open eyes. If Prince Simon hadn’t been there, they probably would’ve blurted out "red-haired monkey, or something." on the spot.

Once the matter was settled, Prince Simon had the governor arrange for Alonso to rest for the time being. After he left, Lancelot let out a long breath. "My Lord, why do Dutch people look so pale? its really creepy."

"Yeah, scary as hell. If I ran into one at night, I’d think it was a ghost coming to hunt me down," Liam added, still shaken.

"Cut it out, both of you. We’re about to work together. You may even exchange training methods. So act respectfully toward one another. Don’t cause any racial friction over something so petty," Simon said to them warningly.

He knows Lancelot’s bad behaviour—he couldn’t keep his mouth shut. The last thing he wanted was a racial incident caused by nonsense like this.

"Hehe, got it, my lord," Lancelot chuckled. "So when do we leave?"

"We’ll rest for a few days. We still have to wait for Desmond fleet and the supply convoy," Prince Simon replied.

As they spoke, a familiar voice came from the door— Desmond entered and saluted Simon before turning to look at Lancelot and Liam. "Officers Lancelot and Officer Liam, now that you’re both in Ashenford, you’re on my turf. So.... Come on, let me treat you to some delicious seafood."

Hearing this, Lancelot rubbed his belly and licked his lips, immediately getting excited. "Desmond, you’re the real deal. Not stingy like someone who claims to be...."

"Hey! You never said that back in the empire," Liam protested.

Lancelot ignored him, saluted Prince Simon, and ran off with Desmond. Liam, grumbling, followed behind.

Seeing this, Prince Simon shook his head. Those two hadn’t changed a bit.

...

Split Rock Main Island, Blackthorn Fortress—a thorn-shaped fort, sat across the sea from Fort Zeelandia. After the Dutch established Fort Zeelandia, they built Blackthorn Fortress on the Split Rock main island to obtain rice and sugarcane.

With this fortress, they had control over the island’s natives.

But half a month ago, the fortress fell into the hands of the Latin pirates. Over 7,000 of them now move around Blackthorn like they own the place, eating and drinking freely. More pirates continued to arrive by sea with each passing day. It seemed they were turning it into a permanent pirate base.

On the coast outside the fortress, Zack was using a telescope to observe Fort Zeelandia. In its bay, twelve Dutch warships formed a protective ring around the docks, leaving no chance for pirate ships to approach.

"Only 700 men? Hmph," Zack scoffed as he put away the telescope.

He had once warned the Dutch not to ally with Prince Simon for any reason, yet they refused to listen to him. But Alonso and Grey ignored him. When he snuck into Grey’s office and found the trade agreement, he flew into a rage.

To the Latins, this was a betrayal of Lord Henry commandments. Once the news was sent back, Henry immediately ordered the Dutch to surrender peacefully or face a forceful takedown.

They had underestimated the Dutch soldiers. After losing over a thousand men, the Latins were forced to retreat. The Dutch fleet then launched a fierce counterattack, costing them another 500 men at sea.

Knowing they weren’t strong enough, Zack requested more troops. Henry ordered the pirates loyal to him to stop attacking for now.

So far, 8,000 pirates had arrived by sea. With fifty warships, Zack was preparing a final assault on Fort Zeelandia.

"Once I gather twenty thousand men, we’ll see how you Dutch escape my grasp. And that damned Eldorian Empire—you’ll all be our slaves by the time am done, eventually," he muttered.

While Zack watched Fort Zeelandia, Claire was also watching Blackthorn Fortress.

The Dutch troops’ morale was dangerously low. Fighting far from home often led to battle fatigue, and their clash with the Latins had left many soldiers discouraged already.

In Ashenford, they had witnessed the Prince’s strength. Now, they were under siege by pirates. To many, it seemed like it was time to leave.

Grey wanted to leave too, but as the one in charge and a member of the parliament, he couldn’t. He had risked offending the Latin pirates’ leader, because he believed the Prince had more potential—and more profit on the table.

Looking north, he frowned. He had no idea what had happened to Alonso. Since he left, or whether the Prince would actually send reinforcements. But he had no choice.

"May God help us," Grey prayed silently in his heart.

...

Back in Ashenford, after three days of preparation, Lancelot and Liam led Brambleford soldiers onto the warships. Fifteen warships would carry the troops, while fifty large merchant ships were used for transporting supplies.

Moving 10,000 troops was a massive undertaking. Just the food and supplies alone took up enormous space.

This mission would be extremely expensive for Prince Simon, but he will have to manage it.

"My Lord, please board," the generals said.

Simon planned to go along—not to fight, but to establish coastal supply points. This had been part of his plan since returning from Ashenford.

By making use of this trip to Fort Zeelandia, he could finally carry it out. Whether it was Prince Valeric territory, Prince Gerad or coastal cities like Belmont or Vienna...

Maritime trade and naval patrols all required a complete network of supply stations.