"Fire!"
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!...
This is a Level 3 Battleship that has just crossed the entire Black Sea, returning from the New Continent. In fact, other than battleships equipped with powerful Extraordinaries and weapons, almost no ships dare to cross the dangerous Black Sea alone.
But this battleship that had managed to return safely to the Old Continent is now an arena of carnage and slaughter.
Regrettably.
Facing the terrifying enemies that boarded the battleship, firearms were clearly of no use.
The commander, pale-faced, swung his Command Saber with a roar:
"Charge, kill!"
Swoosh—
However, a sharp white gale swept across the deck like autumn leaves, with no retreat, no blockage; only constant advance, and then advance further.
No matter how many soldiers stood in the way, it made no difference.
Where the gale passed, the pale blue heads fell like ripe fruit, as if by their own will.
Because too many heads were detached at the sa ti, blue blood columns rose from their necks and fell like raindrops, yet they were blocked by a dim airflow, even as the massacre reached from the bow to the stern, that deep blue military uniform remained... spotless.
Clang—
Standing on the empty aft tower, Aiven's cloak fluttered lightly, and the gilded Command Saber returned to its sheath.
One could only say the battle began unexpectedly and ended just as suddenly.
This battleship, originally turning to sail southeast, upon hearing the commotion made by Aiven capturing the "Mountain Giants", couldn't resist its curiosity and veered north to see what was happening here.
Tragically, it enacted a scene of "curiosity killed the cat."
The origin of the tragedy: On the ship bearing both Tulip and Ilya Long Banners, from officers to crew, everyone was a ghoul! Moreover, for so unknown reason, it carried at least one-fifth more than the standard 350 personnel, the whole ship was packed to the brim.
Besides ghouls, the most stockpiled goods on board were human corpses, the purpose of which was self-explanatory.
For humans, worldviews have no standard; in the world of ravens, swans are guilty too.
Especially when being a group of man-eating monsters mingled with Wright, differing stances are their greatest cri!
Aiven, while not a moralist, felt justified in slaughtering four hundred.
Moreover, even in a one-on-one with a battleship, it would be equally effortless.
In other magic professions, facing wooden sailboats perhaps would find fire attacks most effective, but Aiven, a Vice Admiral and Quasi-Legendary Battleship Captain, understands the real weakness of sailing battleships clearly.
[Storm Dragon: Class Spell: Serenity]
Within a ten-kiloter diater circular range, not even the slightest whisper of airflow could arise.
This vehicle entirely powered by wind, without wind can't leave the port, let alone fight. Historical naval battles where wind changes led to defeat are countless.
A simple, non-lethal spell could paralyze humanity's pride, although this simplicity is relative to a Tier 3 High-Rank Wizard.
In war.
A Tier 3 Physical Side Transcendent might still perish from cannon fire and other physical harm, but the gap between Tier 3 Great Wizard and mortals is already worlds apart.
No amount of soldiers, nor any advanced military weapons (at the current technological level) can bridge this gap.
Just like when besieging the "Box of Dead Souls" in New Inn Port, a single Tier 3 Military Witchcraft: Drowning Spring from the opponent left the entire fleet resigned to death.
Most tis, those who command the battlefield are not Titled Knights, but these Great Wizards with myriad techniques.
After the battleship was paralyzed, next ca the ti for unrivaled mowing down.
To Aiven now, when dealing with low-level enemies, whether it's a divine weapon or a stick in his hand makes no difference, after unleashing Sword Qi, he could just as well pierce steel beams with one swing.
After piercing four hundred, looking at the blood-soaked deck, only two ghouls remain not yet dead, the strongest on the ship—the captain and First Mate.
Pop—!
Aiven snapped his fingers softly, the weapons beside them automatically jumped up, liquefied in mid-air, and shaped into locks and shackles, the faint emissive spiritual light flickered adding minute runes.
[Strong Demonic Weapon]
Then they seemingly possessed life, bouncing eagerly to bind the ghoul captain and First Mate's hands and feet behind their backs, tightly restraining them.
Aiven squatted in front of them:
"Co on, lift your heads and look into my eyes!"
"Uh..."
The two ghouls uncontrollably lifted their heads and widened their eyes, seeing Aiven's eyes already transford into dragon-like vertical pupils.
The magic spiritual light flickered, their eyes lost their luster, and the painful expressions vanished completely.
[Magic-like Technique: Domination of Humanoid Creatures]
"Tell , why retreat so many troops back ho during the Spirit Tide in the New Continent? What happened in Ilya?"
"We...."
Upon hearing from them that they were recalled to prepare for the upcoming "ard coup" by erging rchant nobles, Aiven almost laughed aloud thrice.
Because the opportunity he had been waiting for finally arrived!
Though the Ilya Royal Family is on the verge of bad luck, during the great upheaval in the Ilya Kingdom, the rebels led by Wright will finally end their petty, shady dealings and officially step onto the stage.
Moreover, they will thoroughly expose the long-hidden festering sore of the Ilya Kingdom, revealing to all allied nations the bloody consequences of this new class when developed to its limits.
The Tulip Alliance will certainly take so actions thereafter, and that will be Aiven's opportunity to leverage the situation!
Basing on feedback from the ghouls, that ti won't be far off, probably not exceeding half a year.
He intends not only to eliminate Wright but also to completely wipe out all mbers of this family and the properties they painstakingly amassed, erasing any chance of their resurgence.
Clatter, clatter...
Endless sea water surged and washed this battleship clean. If not for wanting to preserve this precious trophy, he probably wouldn't have needed to resort to close combat.
Having just stored away this Level 4 battleship and the two ghouls on board into the [Witchcraft Garden], Aiven picked up Olivia, who was watching the battle, and was about to head ho.
Flap, flap—
A ssenger brought a Spirit Realm communication from the Crown Prince, Aiven glanced over it quickly, his brows furrowing instantly:
"Hesi, we need to make a trip to the Royal Capital."
Liwina knew of his ability to transform into the "Thunderbird," enabling him to travel easily between the New and Old Continents, and requested him to head to the Royal Capital promptly to attend the conference set a week ahead in his advisor capacity for the think tank.
At this juncture, there shouldn't be any coincidental major events, right?
...
An hour later.
Phaletis Royal Capital Bekele, the Queen's residence and office—St. Jas's Palace.
Tap.. tap.. tap..
Aiven had entered the palace following Crown Prince Liwina, who occasionally glanced back at him, into where Queen Isabella conducted her work.
Guessing the intelligence network far surpassing his own Kingdom should have already received the relevant information, he was eager to know the Kingdom's stance on this matter, having arrived in the Royal Capital almost imdiately after receiving the ssage.
He first escorted Olivia to rest at the royal villa in the Royal Capital before heading straight to Liwina's residence, pulling her along to see the Queen.
Last year, Aiven acquired an advisor title in the Queen's think tank, granting him the privilege to offer opinions at any ti.
The Queen's think tank was akin to a small cabinet, possessing enormous influence while sparing from constant administrative distractions, considered one of the Kingdom's top noble positions.
When granted entry into the Queen's study, after greeting Queen Isabella, they unsurprisingly saw a group of not-so-young advisors.
Clearly, before the joint conference kicked off, the Queen would certainly give her confidants an initial briefing to ensure the eting would unfold as she anticipated.
Among them were Kirkcaldy, who initially held the free-market economic principle that stimulated market vitality, and Francis, who bore the notion of strengthening through technology and coordinated national developnt, as chief and deputy of the think tank.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince!"
"Mr. Galliot is surprisingly here already!"
"Sothing is happening in Ilya, your prophecy indeed ca true."
As they entered, the two stood up first among the rest, fixating their gaze on Aiven as their eyes filled with awe, watching him like a living Great Prophet.
The words he said a year ago rang in their ears, now on the verge of becoming an inevitable fact.
"The establishnt of a 'capitalized economy' is a prerequisite for advancing the 'steam industrial revolution,' the future victory of which would further solidify the capitalized economy and inevitably solidify this class's economic and political clout!
A class holding vast social production assets and currency wealth symbolizes what kind of power?
Even though we possess the state's supre force, stirring up Kingdom turmoil is incredibly straightforward for them. They could even disrupt the foundation of ordinary citizens' survival, leading to the collapse of the nation—certainly not beyond their capability.
Since human nature is innately self-beneficial, it wouldn't be surprising if they destroyed a country for profits, leaving countless people holess."
He also proposed a suggestion to the Kingdom on this point: partial state intervention in the economy, rejecting the outright complete privatization.
By now, everyone present had obtained intelligence from the Ilya Kingdom, admiring Aiven's foresight profoundly, so precise as to outmatch those mystical divination skills a hundredfold!
For this bunch of scholars turned advisors, high official positions didn't hold sway; only knowledge and competence could captivate them. In this instance, Aiven's performance was nothing short of miraculous.
On the contrary, notice the Queen sitting at the top queried Liwina with her eyes, but upon seeing her shake her head slightly, understood the detailed agenda content hadn't yet been divulged to Aiven.
Slightly taken aback, she remarked:
"Count Galliot, you don't seem curious about what exactly is happening in Ilya?"
Aiven stood up, saluting, explained:
"Your Majesty, in reality, that's precisely why I'm here."
Snap—!
Following the snap of his fingers, the illusion of a vast city flashed briefly before everyone's eyes.
Thud! Thud!
Two ghouls, still tightly bound, tumbled out from it, hit the floor of the study heavily.
However, at this mont, no one paid attention to the figures falling on the ground; instead, they all stared firmly at Aiven's hand that made the snapping gesture.
Especially Queen Isabella, a Tier 3 Great Knight, and Crown Prince Liwina, simultaneously felt their hearts leap.
In astonishnt, they exclaid:
"This is... [Witchcraft Garden], Great Wizard?!"
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