Chapter 90: | 090 | War For Liberation Part 9: History Long Gone
In the port of Servusarator was a battleship part of the expansionary fleet of Principatus Humanum. The warship was sent to guard the waters of the plantation colony and protect it from enemy forces.
*BANG!*
Thunder cracked and flashed throughout the stormy dark skies. The winds surged in and out, bringing about echoing creaks from welded wood. The tides were rough and volatile as waves desired to consume those who dared to sail its seas.
Deep inside the battleship were the captain's quarters where the war master and captain of the warship sat before each other with sake between their fingers. They were drinking as the storm ravaged their surroundings.
"I can't believe that they sent us alone to this plantation colony." The war master complained while placing his luxurious cup on the desk.
"We weren't meant to be alone. It's just that, the storm is halting the fleet from teleporting into the nearby waters of the port. I'm sure you already know yourself how much of a bad idea it is to use a spatial transmission spell in the middle of a storm."
The captain expressed to the war master and took a sip from his cup. Despite wanting to waste away his mind and enjoy the moment, the news about the upcoming war didn't make him feel good.
"I know, I know… No one wants to get their ship accidentally split in half." The war master sighed as he understood that he was trying to ask for the impossible.
"What do you think about the upcoming war?" The captain opened up the subject regarding the upcoming war. The war master raised his eyebrow since he'd rather not talk about it.
But since the captain seems interested. He'll have to entertain the guy. Besides, he was also a bit interested in the news.
"The Fleet Commander got paralyzed by the dragoness, right? Not even a recovery spell could help him. He's practically lying in the bed with War Master Theodore transmitting orders through magicraft."
"In all honesty, the upcoming war is a piece of bad news. We just returned from the Frontier and should be in Europa by now. Wasting our time in this sea region doesn't feel good no matter how much you think about it."
The war master wasn't in agreement when they had decided to anchor themselves in the sea region of Terra. Their job had concluded in the Frontier. What the hell were they staying in this sea for?
"I understand your statement. I'm sure many thought the same. But have you remembered why we were returning to Europa?" The captain questioned and drank his sake.
The war master raised an eyebrow as he understood what the captain meant. Although he was new as a war master and was far from a veteran, he wasn't ignorant of history.
"You mean the time when almost the entirety of the fleet was sunk by the dragoness?" The war master uttered and the captain nodded before giving his response.
"You were right about most of the ship getting sunk. But have you ever wondered how much of the fleet sunk?" The captain whispered and took another sip of sake.
Through the words of the captain, the war master became curious about the real story of what had happened. The only thing he knew was the great sinking of Principatus Humanum. Almost all battleships were sunk and over 50% of the crew drowned.
"Well, you look curious."
"The Fleet of Principatus Humanum was unstoppable in the Frontier with hundreds of battleships in its banner. Even beastfolk kingdoms would have to ally themselves with one another to contend with the fleet."
"But it all changed on the destined day."
"The Dragon of the Revolting Tide attacked the island where the Principatus Humanum was anchored. The seas burned, the storms ravaged, and the island crumbled."
While explaining to the war master, the captain remembered the time when one of the survivors told him about what actually happened. He was shocked, and couldn't believe it. But after searching through the Frontier for answers, it was the truth.
"The Dragon massacred everyone and everything. Its roar resounded with the lightning as thousands of Magus tried to fight back against the sinking island. But its scales were too think for their spells to penetrate"
"The war masters tried using spatial transmission despite being amidst a turbulent storm. This resulted in their battleships being distorted into damnation, causing everyone in it to die."
"During that time, Captain Stolz and War Master Theodore were young. They were like you and me, just the usual personnel of the navy. The capital ship, Everlasting Sun, was but an undecorated battleship. It didn't even have the name Everlasting Sun in its hull."
"Do you know the reason why they were promoted to become the Fleet Commander and the leading War Master of Principatus Humanum respectively? It isn't because they vanquished the Dragon of the Revolting Tide, no."
"It was the opposite."
"They survived the disaster, sailing on a broken battleship with 25 remaining crews of the Fleet Principatus Humanum. And so, they were promoted to the echelons of the fleet. After all, no one was left other than them."
"The Great Sinking of the Principatus Humanum was what it was called. Many of the facts were distorted, and the numbers of those that survived were exponentially increased."
"But have you not realized that only the Fleet Commander and his War Master have a history with the Dragon? There's no veteran left in the fleet. Even the oldest ones other than the two were transferred into the fleet after the disaster."
"One of the survivors of the disaster told me this story. I thought I wouldn't speak of it or even think of it ever again. But with how things are going."
"I just can't stop it from getting brought up inside my mind!" The captain clenched his fist in annoyance. He wanted to throw his cup away but stopped himself from doing so.
The war master felt astounded by what the captain had told him. To think that the Principatus Humanum got into a tragedy that destroyed all of its battleships except one. And the fact that they will be fighting against the perpetrator.
"Is that why you are nervous?" The war master questioned and the captain simply looked at him for a second, not answering his question.
It's not like he didn't understand why the captain was nervous. After all, if everything from what he had told was entirely true. They would be creeping to their graveyard the more they played with the dragoness.
"It seems that we are unfortunate." The war master stopped drinking his sake and sighed. Retirement was in sight, and death was along with it.
"Do you want to desert?" He asked the captain, who shook his head. Desertion was out of the question. The moment it was discovered they deserted. They would be hunted down throughout the world as criminals of the state.
"We have no choice, but to fight. Even against the destroyer itself." The captain muttered and drank his last cup of sake. The door to his quarters swiftly opened as his first mate ran towards his desk with anxiousness.
"Captain! There's a report!"
The captain furrowed his eyebrows after hearing what the first mate had said. The anxiousness of his first mate portrayed the seriousness of the situation.
"What happened?" The war master inquired while sobering himself from the sake. A troublesome situation had sprung up, and they needed to handle it.
The first mate calmed himself down before answering the two in front of him.
"Captain, the slaves have rebelled." He reported to the captain, who was somewhat confused. What does a slave rebellion have to do with them? Shouldn't the local garrison be able to handle it?
"The garrison of this colony can handle the rebellion." The war master uttered and felt as though his time was wasted by useless anxiousness.
"It's not that simple, War Master. Various armories have been blown up. The fortifications on the eastern side of the island are not responding to any of our transmissions. And most of all, we lost contact with the governor's manor."
The first mate explained and the two finally realized the gravity of the situation. This was a revolution, something that the local garrison wouldn't be able to handle.
Not only that, a revolution can only emerge with the aid of outsiders.
"What part of the garrison can we contact?" The captain questioned the first mate, who swiftly answered. "The western fortification and the town of Servusarator, Captain."
Half of the island had already fallen, and they didn't have contact with the governor. They would have to consolidate power and make sure that the colony doesn't fall to the slaves.
"Tsk!" The war master clicked his tongue, and the captain immediately noticed. He wondered why the war master seemed annoyed while holding a runic communicator.
The war master noticed his curiosity and remarked.
"I lost communication with the Master Magus in the manor. That only means one thing." The war master furrowed his eyebrows and gritted his teeth. After all, why does it have to be them?
"We are being invaded by the United Navy. They are planning to liberate the plantation colony of Servusarator." With the war master's confirmation, the captain and first mate realized that all hell had been let loose.
"Wait, wouldn't that mean…" As the captain thought of the United Navy, he realized something even more crucial in the subject.
"Yes, you're right. She's here. The Dragon of the Revolting Tide is participating in the liberation." The war master felt his spine unconsciously shiver from the things that could happen to him in the near future.
Death was creeping in.