Chapter 1131: No Schemes Here (2/2)
An old attendant, who had followed the family for two generations, said boldly, “Sire, according to the current formation, this warship will be at the vanguard once the fight breaks out. Your wellbeing is priceless, so how can we take this kind of risk? The Empire will suffer great losses if something happens to you. I think we should change the formation.”
Another person said, “Our lord is a loyal subject of the Empire and not one to fear death. Your words are inappropriate, but I agree that the current formation will put us at a disadvantage during engagement. There’s no telling when the enemy fleet will appear, so it’s best to change the formation.”
These words were much more subtly spoken. The first elder wasn’t angry, either, and merely waited for the minister’s reply.
The two placed emphasis on different things with their toadying. One was balanced and the other was loyal, but both of them were shoulder to shoulder in terms of verbal skill.
The Minister of the Right finally turned back with a smile. He raised his right hand but didn’t say anything else. Everyone knew that he was about to make an important decision. The man would usually contemplate his options before making a critical decision, and only speak when he was certain there were no problems.
The longer his silence, the more important the topic would be.
The minister took longer than usual this time, so long that even the smile on his face seemed distorted. The people nearby felt their craned necks growing tired, but the Minister of the Right still hadn’t spoken.
Finally, the minister glanced over everyone’s faces and said, “This fleet is made up of the combined forces of the Second and Third Imperial Guard. While technically the vanguard, our fighting power far exceeds the main forces of the First Imperial Guard. Since the Empire has assigned me as the commander of the vanguard, I must size up the situation and plan for everything. It seems the current formation has to change.”
Many of the followers looked delighted, but no one knew if they were happy about the minister’s safety or their own little lives.
The Minister of the Right said in a deep voice, “Issue my order! Switch to assault formation. Move this warship to the fore of the fleet!”
The old attendant said, “Sire, you must not put yourself at risk!”
The minister raised his hand to stop all the dissuasion. “As the commander, I must be at the very front of the army if I want them to risk their lives for me. That is what it means to be the vanguard.”
The massive formation of airships transformed slowly as, one after the other, the Evernight airships appeared over the horizon.
The Minister of the Right stood before the window, gazing at the endless void and the slowly approaching enemy fleet.
The Evernight fleet was somewhat inferior in quality, but they were numerous and their airships were big. The two giant vessels on either side of the fleet were even bigger and more sinister-looking than the Empire’s battleships. Clearly, they were duke-grade flagships.
The Imperial vanguard held the advantage, but it was rather limited and a bitter fight was inevitable. The Minister of the Right was expressionless and merely kept on gazing ahead. Only when the two fleets were gradually drawing close did he issue his second order. “This vessel shall take point. All ships, attack!”
Everyone was shocked out of their wits because such a method would leave the vanguard flagship in great peril. One had to know that there were no peak experts protecting this warship, and they only had mechanical fighting power to rely on.
The Minister of the Right suddenly looked back. “I might specialize in trickery and tactics, but there’s none of that in this fight!”
No tactics? Was he planning to lead the army into a brute-force battle? These people were all skilled in subduing political opponents and scheming against people, but none of them were willing to lead the charge.
But it was too late to turn back. Both armies were charging at full speed and would soon arrive within firing range. All they could see outside of the cabin windows was a firework display of enemy cannons and sparks.
As beautiful as those flames were, what the people here saw was death and despair. This was a sign that the Evernight warships had opened fire, with each spark representing a cannon shell.
On the Empire side, tens of thousands of fiery raindrops whistled past the minister’s flagship and fell toward the enemy fleet. Those were the Empire’s ballistae, taking charge of spreading death and destruction among the enemy.
As expected, the flagship at the van of the fleet soaked up most of the enemy fire. Countless cannon shots fell upon the flagship and erupted into dazzling balls of fire. The vessel was soon submerged in a pool of flames.
The Imperial captains all held their breath as they gazed at the sea of flames in front.
The next moment, the flagship leaped out of the firestorm like a phoenix!
Like an angry immortal bird, the flagship charged into the Evernight formation, spewing dozens of flaming streams from either side. Several enemy vessels were destroyed within moments.
After a moment of silence, every ship in the Imperial fleet broke out in cheers. Then all the captains shouted out orders in a hysterical manner, sending the entire Imperial fleet charging into the enemy like a wild bison!
The Evernight fleet reacted quickly after their initial confusion. They concentrated all their fire upon the minister’s flagship.