Execution Queue on the High Seas 5

Translator: Cinder Translations

...

The battle inside West Port City was still raging. Although the goblins fighting against the kingdom's army weren't as useless as people had imagined, their individual strength was still far inferior to that of the human soldiers. Furthermore, their numbers were fewer than those of the kingdom's troops.

After overcoming their initial fear and surprise, the kingdom's soldiers gradually realized that the goblins weren't as terrifying as they first thought, and they began to engage the enemy more proactively.

As the tide of victory slowly shifted in favor of the kingdom's army, Harrison let out a sigh of relief.

What puzzled him, however, was that apart from the pirates commanding the goblins, there was no sign of the main pirate forces. Harrison didn't believe that just a few humans leading a group of goblins could occupy West Port for so many days.

"Perhaps the Northwest Fleet has successfully pinned down the pirates at the docks? I wonder how much pressure they're facing."

Partly concerned that his allies might be struggling, and partly wanting to end the battle quickly, Harrison selected a squad and personally led them toward the docks. The battle with the goblins was nearing its end, and the human pirates commanding them had mostly been killed or wounded. Without leadership, the goblins quickly reverted to their nature, becoming a disorganized rabble.

Harrison led his squad in a swift charge toward the docks. The streets were empty, as the residents had taken refuge in their homes, making their advance smooth.

Upon reaching the shoreline, Harrison and his men witnessed a sight they had never seen before: out on the distant sea, ships flying the red dragon flag were fiercely engaging a fleet of pirate ships flying the skull-and-crossbones.

The Northwest Fleet had a total of 12 ships. Initially, they had been sailing roughly from north to south, while the pirate fleet launched their attack from the east. After a few rounds of engagement, the leading six sailing ships began to turn east to encircle the pirates, while still maintaining a defensive line, guarding both ends of their formation. From an aerial view, the Northwest Fleet would now appear as a crescent shape.

Every time the pirate ships approached the Northwest Fleet, they were met with a brutal counterattack. To Harrison, calling it a battle was an overstatement— it was more like the pirates were being mercilessly pummeled.

Harrison had previously seen a demonstration of the Northwest Fleet's cannons, but today he finally grasped their terrifying power. Each time the pirate fleet tried to regroup or ram the enemy, the ships of the Northwest Fleet would spew thick white smoke, followed by chaos on the pirate vessels as their formation fell apart again. Harrison, having witnessed cannons before, knew that the white smoke was accompanied by deadly high-speed metal projectiles.

The power of the cannonballs was immense. When the first sailboat finished its turn and sailed parallel to a pirate ship, the two vessels were only about ten meters apart. The pirates on deck were already preparing to board, but the left side of the Northwest ship suddenly unleashed its cannons. The thunderous roar of one cannon after another sent wooden splinters flying from the pirate ship. The main target of the cannons was the rowers inside the pirate ship's hull, and after the barrage, the enemy ship could no longer maneuver as before. As the first ship passed, the second ship continued the cannon assault, and with many of the rowers killed or injured, the pirate ships began to drift helplessly with the wind.

While Harrison remained composed, many of his men, seeing the Northwest Fleet's "magic" for the first time, were utterly stunned.

"Sir, could there be wizards on those Northwest ships?" one officer asked Harrison anxiously.

"Stop being so paranoid!" Harrison scolded. "I've seen their weapons with my own eyes. They're called cannons, and they fire projectiles at enemies, just like crossbows. The ones operating them are ordinary soldiers!"

In these times, anything associated with magic was frowned upon.

The sea battle continued for over two hours. Though solid cannonballs were devastating to human bodies, they weren't as effective against ships, especially wooden ones, making it difficult to sink them outright.

The six rowing ships at the back of the Alden Fleet had weaker firepower, and four of them were boarded by pirates. The pirates, thinking they had finally broken through the long-range attacks and could engage in close combat, were instead met with a brutal volley of musket fire. Unfamiliar with the muskets in the hands of the Alden sailors, most of the pirates were cut down in an instant, with the few survivors soon facing a desperate melee...

After enduring continuous beatings, the pirates abandoned their will to fight. Ten of their ships made a desperate attempt to flee south, while the remaining eight, with too many rowers dead, were unable to escape and eventually raised the white flag in surrender.

"General Tirpitz!"

Harrison smiled as he opened his arms to greet the fleet commander stepping ashore.

"Oh, no need for the title 'general'; I'm not one yet!" Tirpitz corrected, while accepting Harrison's enthusiastic welcome.

"We've achieved a great victory this time!"

Harrison was elated. This was his first battle, and it wasn't just about personal honor— it also concerned the fate of his family. Ever since his father brought in a concubine of low birth, the Abbott family had fallen out of favor with the king and had been sidelined for years. His family desperately needed military achievements to regain their prominence.

Alas, if it weren't for that incident, his name would surely have been among the generals leading the southern rebellion suppression campaign.

Harrison shook his head, dispelling any fleeting regrets.

He and Tirpitz chatted as they headed toward the town hall, which had already been cleared by soldiers.

As they approached the central square, they saw a large crowd gathered—not just soldiers, but also brave civilians who had ventured out.

Tirpitz asked, "What's going on over there?"

Harrison smiled, "We captured some goblins brought by the pirates. The people are venting their anger on them!"

"Goblins? The goblins from the legends?"

The fleet commander pushed through the crowd, with Harrison's guards clearing a path for him.

There, a group of small humanoid creatures huddled together, trembling. Their long, pointed ears drooped down, making them appear weak and helpless. The bruises and tattered clothing on them showed they had been beaten quite a bit.

"Is this your first time seeing goblins, Commander Tirpitz?"

"Haha, forget goblins. We hardly see any non-human creatures in the Northwest Bay. I've heard that sometimes dwarves from the northern mountains come down to trade, but I've never seen them."

"Don't be fooled by their current appearance. These creatures are innately vicious and brutal. I'm going to execute all of them shortly."

"I see, but could I take a few back with me? I'd like to show them to the people back home."

Harrison hesitated. He had initially intended to refuse, but Tirpitz had just helped him achieve victory by defeating the pirates' main force.

"Alright, but I can only give you one. If you don't want goblins to overrun the Northwest Bay, you should know they breed like rats."

"Uh… why not just give me a few males or a few females?"

"There's a rumor that if only males or females are left in a goblin group, some will change their sex. So, just to be safe… and even if I give you one, make sure it's well-guarded. If you get tired of it, kill it immediately. Who knows what other weird tricks goblins might have."

"That's amazing! Alright, I'll keep that in mind."

As they were talking, a government official rode up hurriedly on a horse.

"Viscount Dylan, you arrived so quickly?"

Harrison was surprised. The newcomer was Viscount Dylan, who was responsible for handling the exchange of supplies between West Port and the Northwest Fleet.

"I followed the army into the city!"

Viscount Dylan replied, clearly angry.

"What's got you so upset? We've just won a great victory."

"It's all gone, everything's gone!"

"Gone? What's gone?"

"The supplies in the warehouse! I just checked—they're all gone! Damn those pirates, I curse them!"

Dylan dismounted and began cursing the pirates with language unbecoming of his noble status.

Harrison frowned. "This is terrible. The southern army will be affected."

Tirpitz tried to comfort the two men. "As long as the sea is secure, supplies from the Northwest Bay will keep coming."

"Exactly! Lord Tirpitz!"

Viscount Dylan suddenly grabbed the fleet commander's hand tightly.

"The pirates' main force is gone, but I think those bastards will come back. Please, you and your fleet must stay here."

"Ahem!" Harrison faked a cough and quietly reminded the viscount, "That's for His Majesty the King to decide."

Dylan suddenly remembered that the Northwest Fleet had been sent by an external lord and that their position was somewhat delicate. His face showed embarrassment as he fell silent.

Tirpitz hadn't considered the matter that deeply, but he agreed that Dylan's point made sense. However, he hesitated, saying, "I can't decide that on my own. I'll need to consult with Earl Grayman."

(End of the Chapter)

---

For More Chapters & Exclusive Releases!

Join my Pa.treon at (pa treon . com / CinderTL)

Read Ahead: Up to Chapter 612 as of 18Nov24

Bonus Mass Releases:

Explore More: 2 Other Stories with 1000+ Chapters, totaling over 1.16M+ Words 💥

Support Tiers: Early Access $5 | General Support $1

Your support makes all the difference 😊

Let's Stay Connected

For update notifications, reviews, or to chat, join me on Pa.treon for FREE.

Please share this story with friends and review on WebNovel and Scribblehub if you're enjoying it. Thanks!