Chapter 500 Man of Steel (Part 1)

…

Roland stood on the rooftop at the top of the bridge command room, looking at the long fleet lined up behind him, and his heart was filled with excitement.

Although except for the flagship Roland, the other ships are slow and clumsy cement ships, but when more than ten ships are put together, they still look spectacular. The white smoke coming out of the chimney stretched into a long line, and the river swayed to both sides because of this huge fleet. Feeling the ups and downs of the ship's bow as it broke through the waves, it felt quite indomitable.

As the flagship gunboat, it is the most dazzling star in the queue - its towering bridge and slender appearance make it completely different from ordinary sailboats and cement ships. Its weapons and equipment include a 125mm main gun at the front of the hull and The two Mark I machine guns at the tail, the special high-pressure steam engine and the propeller drive system allow it to run at a top speed of 12 kilometers. In this era, it is definitely the overlord of the inland river basin.

"You seem to be in a good mood," Nightingale smoothed the ends of her hair that were blown by the wind, "because you will be able to return to your hometown soon?"

"The Royal Palace? No, I will never go back," he smiled and shook his head, "The Western Region is my home, and I am just happy that I can quickly settle the disputes."

"Hmm...half of it is a lie."

Roland couldn't help but choked. He almost forgot that the other party could tell lies. "Ahem, okay, I actually feel very satisfied that I can suppress so many ships in one evil month."

"It's true this time," Nightingale blinked, "but it sounds a bit boastful."

"That's why I don't want to tell the truth."

"It's understandable." She chuckled twice and walked to Roland's side. "Actually, I don't blame you. If it's not about me, I won't mind even if you make a little fuss."

"..." Roland secretly cursed, if you don't mind, don't point it out specifically.

"By the way, I haven't said thank you to you yet." Nightingale looked forward and whispered.

"Thank you for what?"

"End the disputes and pacify Graycastle. Both ordinary people and witches can live happily under your rule," she said slowly, "I knew you would definitely do it, but I didn't expect this day to happen so quickly. arrival."

"It's not that fast. Even if Tifeko is overthrown, the nobles will counterattack and struggle to the death. It will probably take several years to fully integrate Graycastle." Roland exhaled, "After all, history always moves forward in a spiral. I think There is still a long way to go to achieve the ultimate goal.”

"It's far beyond my imagination. Originally, I was worried about whether I could see this scene with my own eyes."

"What are you talking about?" He glared at the other person, "Do you think I will put you in danger?"

"Because I am a fighting witch. It is natural to be active on the front line. And if you want to break the existing rules, you have to pay some price." Nightingale tilted her head, "I will do it from the moment I swear allegiance to you. This is ready."

"I'm sorry to disappoint you," Roland shrugged. "Of course there will be a price, but it will basically be paid by the enemy. Besides, I actually have to thank you for this."

"Why?" she asked in surprise.

"Because if I hadn't met the witch, I wouldn't have made up my mind to take this step so quickly."

If it weren't for Anna, he wouldn't have made the immediate decision to save the witch. If there was no magical power in this world, he might still be in a barren border town, living a primitive and simple life in fear.

"This is...the truth," Nightingale looked up at him.

"Of course," Roland smiled.

Suddenly, a golden figure fell from the sky and landed next to the two of them, "Your Highness, there are four sloops approaching us twenty kilometers away, with oars on both sides. They look very similar to the eagle-headed ships mentioned in the intelligence. ." Lightning yelled, "But I didn't see an eagle-like statue on the bow."

"The eagle head probably refers to the underwater collision angle," Roland patted her head, "Good job, keep monitoring."

"Then...can the number of exercises for punishment be reduced?" The little girl looked at the prince longingly.

The latter couldn't help being amused, "Well, if you can promise not to mess around in the future, you can just make one serving."

"Yes!" Lightning's eyes lit up immediately, then he jumped up and flew towards the east like an elf.

"You shouldn't let her go," Nightingale said dissatisfied.

"Rewards and punishments will make your memory more profound," Roland waved his hand nonchalantly, turned and walked towards the ladder, "Go back to the command room, we have work to do."

…

There was nothing in the four-meter-square command room except a wooden table fixed on the floor and four benches. The First Army commanded Iron Ax, Artillery Battalion Commander Bryan, Artillery Battalion Commander Vanner and Victory. Captain Kakusim stood at the table and made a battle plan for the first water battle.

"According to the information provided by Tassa, Tifeko's four warships are all river galleys. Their speed should be comparable to that of cement ships, but their steering is more flexible." Roland pointed to the schematic diagram on the table and said, "This type of ship The attack method is usually to get close to the enemy ship and then jump to join the fight. You can also load flammable materials such as gunpowder or sulfur to hit the target and kill them both. However, considering that the opponent’s original intention of sending warships is to block the river and get some oil and water at the same time, it is unlikely to adopt this method. The second way. This is our first time conducting surface combat, so feel free to put forward any ideas you have."

"Your Highness, it is difficult for artillery to hit a moving target, and we are also constantly moving, so I suggest that we get close before firing," Fanner was the first to express his opinion, "As long as we get close to about fifty meters, I guarantee that these young men will Each of our shots can capsize an enemy ship!"

"But I heard that a cannon shell not only consumes a lot of gunpowder, but only Miss Anna can make it," Brian shook his head. "So it's better to wait for the other party to take the initiative to join the ship. As long as they dare to come close, use the heavy guns on both sides." The machine gun can completely sieve them. "

Roland looked at Kakusim, "What do you think?" The reason why the old man was summoned to the flagship was precisely because he was probably the only person in Neverwinter City with naval combat experience - according to He said that he had encountered pirates more than once when he was running business. Although he was robbed every time, it was still an experience.

"Uh, Your Highness..." Kakusim hesitated for a while, "In my opinion, just hit him directly."

"What?" The other two people stared at each other.

"Your ship is big and fast, and it is made of steel. I am afraid that the wooden ship will fall apart if it is hit. Even if it does not break up, the water entering the breach will make them incapacitated." He looked up at everyone. , "Of course, this...this is just my personal opinion."

Hearing this tactic, Roland couldn't help but think of the poem "Today the sky is clear and blue, the waves are high, and the D flag is flying on the leader's mast."

"Very well, let's do it," he finally decided. Although there was no D-shaped flag, it would be just as easy to replace it with the tower's four-star flag. "Give me my order. The Roland will hoist the Neverwinter flag, sound the whistle, and move forward at full speed!" (To be continued.)