Jager's reinforcements were pushed back from the Glory's masts.
Young and old soldiers followed their queen, forgetting all about fighting. When Abigail arrived at the command of another warship, she saw the Queen in Silver Armor stepping on a broken log and jumping onto the "King" steadily. The brown bear-like John VI was forced to retreat step by step. Fighting the trapped beast in vain.
Standing on the mast, Abigail looked down from the heights, watching the Queen's battle closely, and shooting the enemies who rushed towards the Queen and them.
During the night walk in Rose Strait, Abigail realized that her friend was by no means a weak and weak person, but she was still a little surprised when she saw her draw a sword to fight.
He was not surprised by the queen's outstanding skill, which is difficult for ordinary people, but by the queen's swordsmanship.
Although the queen used a rapier, it didn't look cold and sinister. The light of the sword was as clear as water, with a kind of upright demeanor. It was an adjusted orthodox knight's sword. But Abigail fought Heinrich, and that man's sword carried the deep-rooted coldness, viciousness and unscrupulousness of the Double-Headed Snake family.
Adele's mentor is Heinrich, who taught her the sword skills of knights and monarchs
The head of the pirate who believed in "one-shot solution" had a dull pain in her head, and she couldn't figure out some things.
The queen stabbed John VI's throat gracefully and sharply, the tip of the sword was pulled out, and the blood flew into the sky amid deafening cheers. She retracted her sword and looked south, and Abigail followed her gaze.
The fat body of John VI slumped to the ground, and the fleet of free merchant cities he urged arrived.
The fleet of the Free Commercial City seized the 1,000-foot-long gap between Roland's center and the left flank. Amidst the sharp whistle, the warships of the merchants drove into the gap, and as John VI expected, they launched an attack on the vulnerable flank of the Roland's middle army formation.
Seeing that the flank of the Roland fleet was about to be torn apart, Abigail calmly played a new semaphore.
The left-wing fleet led by the Heinrich family noticed this change, turned around and galloped across the waves.
…………………
Ambalo Heinrich lifted the curtains and looked out over the sea of heaven.
The sun shone on his half-brother's face, as if another phantom of Heinrich was marching in the wilderness of the Brest region.
When he lowered the car curtain, his hand touched something cold. Ambalo lowered his head to look at it, and immediately retracted his hand as if touching a flame.
It was a silver rapier, and the ring guard on the hilt was hammered into the shape of a two-headed snake. The workmanship was exquisite, and every tiny scale was clearly countable. The snake's body is gracefully bent into a half-moon shape, and the two snake-headed fangs in the middle are nailed to the cross gauntlet. The eyes inlaid with rubies also reflect some kind of weird and gloomy light in the dark.
Ambalo looked at the sword used by his father, brother, and more family ancestors, not sure if he made the right choice.
The snake wrapped around the cross bit the cross and was firmly nailed to the cross.
This sword that bears sin...
Ambalo longed for it, but now he doesn't know if he has the courage to hold it.
Staring at it, Ambalo saw the flames.
Candles were lit.
The secret meeting of the Heinrich family before the naval battle.
As a member of the Heinrich family, Ambalo participated in the intra-clan resolution that determined the family's fate. He has only participated in three such meetings, one was when his half-brother was recognized as the leader of the family, one was last year's coup, and one is now.
"The first decision: whether to form an alliance with the free commercial city, East Berkeley nobles and merchants."
Heinrich read out the draft drafted by the family elders expressionlessly.
"What do they want, and what can we get?" As soon as his words fell, someone raised a question.
"The free commercial city hopes to get the help of the family in the naval battle, and can leave the battlefield while saving most of the warships. The nobles of East Berkeley were affected by the royal family's suppression of food prices, and formed an alliance with the merchants, hoping to cooperate with us to set off a second coup. Considering the impact of the "Port Agreement" and "Navigation Agreement" on the contraction of port privileges, as well as the royal family's attitude towards Elmia, the Family Senate believes that the proposals of the two parties are worth discussing."
"Both the free commercial city and the nobles of East Berkeley can't protect themselves. What do they trade for?"
"The free commercial city has reached an alliance with the Tuva Dynasty. Once they break away from the sea, they plan to enter the overseas port of the city alliance. The Tuva Dynasty will provide garrison support for defense. In addition, the attitude of the Tuva Dynasty is equivalent to that of the Pope. The attitude of Trefus II. If Roland establishes another monarch, he will get the support of Pope St. Trefus II. The East Berkeley nobles have promised the Pope that the new king will be a believer in the old gods and will be crowned by the Pope... "
The meeting room was buzzing with whispers.
Even Ambalo, who sat in a corner, had to participate in discussions with those around him.
Ambalo could not deny that this decision was in the best interests of the family—after the 1957 coup, the family was gradually losing its port monopoly, and the royal family got rid of their control. If the naval battle ended with the queen's victory, it might be a happy event for Roland, but it would be the end of the double-headed snake.
They will no longer be able to fight against the royal family, and will decline unstoppably.
Ambalo looked around, not surprisingly, most people made up their minds very quickly.
The quarrel gradually subsided, and the bony elder brought it to a vote.
One hand was raised.
"The resolution is passed."
Heinrich announced.
Shrouded in a black robe, it seemed that the elder sitting on a crow handed him the second draft resolution tonight.
Heinrich glanced down, then raised his head: "The second decision: whether to kill Adele Roland in the naval battle."
Ambalo stared intently at the expressionless face, trying to detect any change. Almost everyone's eyes were on Heinrich's face, and they looked at Heinrich's face coldly like a snake half standing up, and then they all failed.
He, they can't see anything.
The bickering over the second vote took longer than before.
This scene is very familiar, it was staged once in June of 1557.
An ancient family may not care about personally participating in a coup, but it is always very cautious when it comes to whether to directly kill the monarch - regicide, regicide family, is a very dangerous title. Once he bears such a reputation, no matter how stupid the later king is, he will be more vigilant.
But on the other hand, once they make up their minds, they will let the monarch die in various accidents in the most secret way... Ha, so many kings who lost their crowns due to rebellion in history, if they hadn't mutinied Night "accidentally" died, no matter whether he was exiled to a monastery or other places later, he would disappear quietly from people's sight in a short time.
When the sound gradually subsided, the result came out.
"The resolution is passed."
Heinrich announced.
Exactly the same as last June.
"The third item..." Heinrich read the next draft without any change in tone.
"Wait." Someone stood up and interrupted him, "Everyone, in view of the particularity of the second resolution, I ask the Patriarch to express his position on this."
Ambaro's eyes moved between the speaker and Heinrich, and there was a brief, frightening silence in the conference room.
—In order to prevent the power and prestige of the family head from affecting the results of the family meeting, in the secret meeting, the family leader is only responsible for reading the draft drafted by the elders and has no voting rights. Only in special cases, with the unanimous consent of the elders, can the head of the family take a stand on the resolution. As a balance, the head of the family has the power to supplement and submit personal proposals at the family meeting.
The elders exchanged glances, and after a while, they nodded slightly: "Please vote, Otto."
"My choice is consistent with the family."
After a long silence, he bowed to answer.
The person who asked the question sat down, but Heinrich did not continue to read the third draft, but turned to the elders: "I request to inform the Queen about the alliance with the Free Commercial Cities."
Before the voice of doubt sounded, he explained smoothly.
"We are already suspected by the royal family, and with the coup d'etat in July ahead, our every move will be under guard. The name of the double-headed snake's 'betrayal' has been around for a long time, and it is hard to believe that the family in this war Being able to fight for Roland wholeheartedly, it is hard not to speculate on our relationship with Yager and the Free Commercial City. Instead of making them suspicious, it is better to directly turn the conspiracy with the Free Commercial City from the dark to the clear. As a reward for 'selling' the Free Commercial City , we demanded Haikou privileges in the new market."
"Is this to eliminate suspicion..."
The elders were lost in thought.
After a long time, the people in the conference room raised their hands.
"The resolution is passed."
the elder announced.
Heinrich bowed slightly as a sign of humility.
When the meeting was over, Ambalo was last, and he glanced back as he left. Heinrich was the only one left in the conference room. He was looking up at the family motto "Interests First" on the pillar, his lips were tightly lined, and his shadow was stretched very long alone.
The candles flickered on and off, and the shadow of Heinrich's side face overlapped with that of many years ago.
… On that night many years ago, Heinrich, who was still a young man, looked up at that proverb.
"What are you going to do?"
…………………
what are you going to do what can you do
Heinrich stood at the bow of the ship with eyes lowered, the sea water shook the ship, and even his thoughts became wobbly like a whirlpool... Reef City, Capital City Gelt, Roland, Jager, Root... Adele, Father , Including the cousin who was killed by him many years ago... so many people in so many places, all turning in this vortex.
He did not answer Ambalo's question.
He didn't know how to answer many questions.
It's like once he told Adele "You are a princess, you shouldn't learn such sword skills", but he didn't know how to answer why.
Did he tell her that because he came from the Heinrich family, because their swordsmanship was only for killing the enemy by any means, sneak attack and despicableness didn't matter, this kind of swordsmanship was contrary to morality, and could only be hated and cast aside in a duel? Tell her how the two-headed snake family and everyone in the family are notorious beings
He couldn't answer.
The young and ambitious clansmen skillfully adjusted the angle of the warship, and the fleet of the Free Commercial City had inserted into the gap between the center and the left wing of the Roland fleet, and they cooperated with the reserve fleet to complete the siege of the Free Commercial City as planned. .
But this siege is twofold.
The distance between the left-wing fleet commanded by the Heinrich family and the Free Commercial City was already very close, and the reserve fleet was not traveling as fast as the left-wing fleet, and could only occupy the lower direction. Once the Heinrich family's fleet turned its guns, the encirclement would turn back on the Queen's fleet.
Heinrich looked up at the sky and estimated that at this time, Ambalo had already seen his wife and daughter, as well as the knights of the Knights Templar.
He habitually wanted to reach out to hold the sword, but the tentacles were unfamiliar, and only then remembered that he had given the sword to Ambalo.
Heinrich remembers Ambalo wanting the sword so much as a child, but rejecting it that day.
"Without power or status, you are nothing. How can you protect them?"
—I may not be the heir of the Heinrich family, I may not be Otto Heinrich.
—then you are nothing.
"So I'm going to have power and status, and be like you?"
Ambalo asked sharply.
They are indeed brothers, and they have a blood in the dark, so that they know how to deal the most fatal blow to each other.
Heinrich found the flag of the "Glory" on the sea.
The forest-like sails of warships, flames, and thick smoke blocked his vision, and he couldn't find the person he wanted to see.
The gunners and sailors were ready, and the ships of the reserve fleet arrived.
Heinrich gave the order to attack and drew his sword at the same time.
No, don't be like him.
… … … … … … …
The flagship "Glory" no longer became the core of the battlefield.
In fact, when the fleet from the Free Commercial City arrived and Roland's left wing fleet rushed back, the flagship of the "Glory" had already retreated under the cover of two scarred warships. Therefore, when the fleet of the Heinrich family approached the fleet of the Free Commercial City, turned its bow without warning, and attacked Roland's fleet, the queen just watched silently from afar.
The battle just now caused a lot of blood to be spattered on her armor, and the blood was dripping down the silver armor at this moment.
The queen's delicate and beautiful face seemed to be wearing a mask that no one could see through. The fire light fell on her eyes, showing no emotion or anger.
"We have no retreat, we must rush out!!!"
The voice of the Mahler consul on the "Gold Sparrow" was almost hoarse, and his roar was heard throughout the warship.
The fleet of the Root Empire was besieging the remnants of the Yager Empire. At this time, there was a small-scale local melee in this sea area, and the number of warships of the Mahler Consul and the Heinrich family gained the upper hand. The Mahler Consul successfully opened a breakthrough on the Rolands' front. At this time, he was trying his best to get close to the Queen's flagship, which realized that something was wrong and retreated.
As long as they can kill Queen Roland before the Root fleet comes back to help, they will be able to break through the blockade and escape to the port of the Alliance Overseas Colony in the north. In the early morning, they had already received a secret letter from the Duchy of Tuva, and the soldiers supporting their defense of the port had arrived at the port.
To be honest, before seeing the Heinrich family turn the bow, the Mahler Consul was always sweating.
After all, the double-headed snake family's reputation as the "swear-breakers" is too loud, and it's not impossible for this family to sell the free commercial city to the queen. Seeing them attacking the Queen's Fleet, the Mahler Consul was completely relieved.
— It can only be said that, thank God, the conflict between the Heinrich family and the Roland royal family has indeed reached the point of irreconcilability.
The traitors received far more hostility than other enemies on the battlefield. When the fleet of the Heinrich family collided with the fleet of Roland, the soldiers on the Roland warship yelled at these original companions. Rather wrestle and roll into the sea with them, than neither ship surrenders.
On the attacked warship "Luna", an officer who was already suffering from a high fever jumped up, swung his sword to meet the traitors, and continued to fight until one leg was shot by an arrow. One oarsman bit the traitor's throat, fell into the sea, and died together...
When Consul Mahler turned his head to look at it, he couldn't help but feel a chill.
Fortunately, the fleet of the Heinrich family is really excellent. With the cooperation of the remaining fleet of the free commercial city, the balance of victory in the battle is still gradually tilting towards them.
"Thank God."
The Mahler Consul muttered to himself, and then made a sign of the cross on his chest.
The experienced old consul ignored one thing: after the arrival of the Roland reserve fleet, six warships remained silent.
They were six very heavy "Calais regattas", which had played an extremely important role in the trade of the Celestial Sea, and were later eliminated. They were included in Roland's fleet and did not attract much attention. People only thought that Roland couldn't find any ships, and even such obsolete warships were used to make up the number.
For now, they float quietly on the surface of the sea, like six fortresses waiting for their time.
Heinrich silently wiped the blood off the sword.
He didn't seem to have heard all the curses on him as a "traitor", and he would take time to look at his pocket watch between battles, as if he was waiting for something to arrive.
…………………
The queen silently watched the ships in the melee, watching the approaching warships flying the flag of the double-headed snake.
Abigail hesitated, wondering if she should remind the queen.
… She didn't know what the queen was thinking, except that Heinrich himself was on those rebel warships, and had no intention of leaving the battle. Judging from the present situation, he seems to be a real traitor, a traitor.
"attack."
Abigail was still hesitating how to speak, when she heard the Queen calmly order.
The "Glory" flagship issued a "fire" signal.
The next moment, the Mahler Consul who was in the melee heard the soul-stirring sound of cannons.
Tongues of flame shot out from the six Calais regattas, and the upper wooden palisades used as camouflage were shattered by the gunfire. The six neglected warships tore off their veils, revealing their ferocious fangs.
The reserve fleet was slower to arrive at the battle than the Heinrichs' fleet, not because they could react quickly enough, but because they had to conceal the suspicious weight of the six Calaisians. The bulky and huge Calais Regatta was dilapidated on the outside, but the inside was completely repaired and many artillery pieces were installed.
The reason why they arrive motionless on the battlefield is that they don't need to collide head-on with the enemy at all.
They are six floating turrets.
The destruction of the six Calais ships was comparable to the first round of fire from both sides at the beginning of the war. The bombardment that covered the sky and the sky made the Mahler Consul, who was already sure of victory, kneel on the deck. He finally realized that this was a trap, but he couldn't understand what was going on—it was clear that the fleet of the Heinrich family was the same as theirs. under attack.
The stern of the ship hit by the shells, the mast snapped off, the oars floating on the sea...
Mahler Consul watched as nearly one-third of the warships were destroyed, and his carefully prepared plan was ruthlessly shredded.
The soldiers in the free commercial city had lost the courage to resist, and some began to jump into the sea, desperately swimming towards the Roland warship: "For the sake of the gods! Help me!"
The sky is full of fire and rain.
Some people are running in vain on the deck, and some people can't crawl... The warship Heinrich was on had a big hole made by a shell, and the sea water was pouring in. The people on the warship were looking for a boat, hoping to use a sampan to escape —Even being a prisoner is better than being bombed.
Only Heinrich stood at the bow.
There was no need to fight anymore, but he stood there as if he was waiting to surrender, and he didn't seem to want to continue to struggle in vain.
He just lowered his head, looked at the pocket watch with a broken glass mirror, and waited for something to happen.
The second shell fell on the deck, and the sails and planks were set ablaze. The flames whirred in the sea breeze and rolled into one piece, and the sea surface was printed red, like the fire of the lighthouse mixed with the sky at sunset a long time ago. The hull shook heavily, accelerating the sinking speed.
Heinrich finally raised his head and took a step forward.
Behind him was the fire, and in front of him was a sea of blood and light, passing through the black smoke and flying blood, this time he found the person he was looking for.
The battleship on the sea floated or sank, and finally the "Glory" battleship was exposed without any cover, and the Queen standing at the bow collided with his eyes in mid-air.
Heinrich gave her a pale smile.
The next moment, a meteor appeared in the sky with a long tail, and when it passed over the "Glory", it was listed as three blazing fires. People looked up at this vision in horror, whether it was Jager, Roland, Root, Free Commercial City... they all stopped their movements.
The meteor split and turned into three fireballs, just as there were three suns in the sky at the same time.
At this time, only Roland's flagship remained floating on the sea.
On Roland's flagship, the silver-armored queen stood at the bow with a sharp sword in her hand. Behind her, the God on the main sail was crucified, and the angels overlooked the doomsday battlefield intertwined with blood and fire.
The Mahler Consul slowly let go of his hand, and the sword fell to the deck. More ordinary soldiers had thrown away their weapons and knelt on the deck, trembling and unable to speak to themselves.
The enemy gave up resistance, and the people on the flagship knelt down one by one, shouting loudly:
"God save the queen!"
"God save the queen!"
The sea breeze swept across the sea full of corpses, and people seemed to have escaped from the world of Judgment Day at the end of time.
Heinrich closed his pocket watch.
A far too belated gift, my dear... Adele.
Amidst the loud cheers, he allowed himself to be swallowed up by the icy sea water.