The White Flag

The battle aboard the Wings of Wayne is nearing its end.

The elves left on the ship were either sailors in charge of the ballistae or spellcasters without combat capabilities. All the high-ranking officers had long been assassinated by the Parrot, and they had no chance of winning against Goth's elite troops.

They didn't even have the chance to hide within the complex ship's structure and launch a sabotage or assassination attempt.

Because the Parrot were more familiar with the warship's structure than the ship's fairies.

The defensive battle on the deck was also a great success.

The elves who swam across from the island in an attempt to seize the ship have also been repelled, suffering heavy casualties.

Having repelled the elves, the captain could redeploy his elite forces to exterminate the elves on board, further tilting the scales of victory. Ultimately, humanity emerged victorious.

You've really surprised me.

After the battle, the captain approached Kang De, saluted, and said, "Mr. Kang De, I apologize for my earlier rudeness. Thank you for bringing us victory; otherwise, it would have been a tough battle."

He didn't press Kang De on why he could power crossbow bolts within the Holy Seal Archipelago, a region where supernatural powers were sealed, because it was only natural for the strong to possess secrets... Besides, he already had a certain guess when he found that piece of fire axe that day.

Kang De nodded. "Don't mention it, I'm helping myself."

The captain bowed and said, "You have helped us so much; we don't know how to thank you enough."

As they were talking, the Knight Cleveland hurried onto the deck and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Kang De was unharmed.

Kang De, annoyed by his nagging, went straight back to the bow of the ship to enjoy the scenery.

The knight didn't have time to chat with Kang De; he needed to check with the captain to confirm the situation. They reported on the battle, exchanged views, and finally brought up Kang De's matter.

The captain briefly recounted what had happened.

Cleveland's eyebrows shot up.

He went straight to the point and asked, "How many people know about this?"

The captain shook his head and said, "Apart from Oliver and his gunners, no one knows the details. I just said that Mr. Kang De brought alchemical potions from the East, and they believed me."

The knight pondered, "Are they reliable?"

The captain said, "They are all intelligent men; I will give them a heads-up."

Cleveland pondered for a moment and said, "All the sailors who witnessed this must be instructed to conceal Mr. Kang De's role in this battle, especially after returning to the mainland. They must not mention this battle to any outsiders. Captain, do you understand?"

The captain nodded slowly. "I understand... So, will Mr. Kang De also leave with us?"

Cleveland glanced at Kang De's retreating figure, then shook his head and said, "I don't know... the princess has her own plans."

Just then, Kang De suddenly turned around and shouted, "Hey! There's a fire on the island! Not on the beach, but on the mountain, and it seems to form a character! I don't recognize it!"

The knight paused for a moment, then quickly went to the bow with the captain and peered into the distance. However, his eyesight was limited, and he could only barely make out the twinkling stars in the darkness. Kang De handed him the telescope.

The knight took it, looked at it for a moment, and exclaimed in surprise, "Elf script... surrender?"

Kang De raised an eyebrow and said, "The elves have been beaten into submission? They're about to surrender?"

Wow, they surrendered after just a few crossbow shots? That's incredibly decisive! What happened to being the world's superpowers? Are they Italy?

The captain narrowed his eyes. "It must be a trap."

He explained to Kang De, "You are from Cathayan and do not know the situation on the mainland. The elves are so arrogant that they regard the other races of the mainland as uncivilized barbarians. For them to surrender to humans is worse than killing them. Since the great war between Twilight Moon and Goth broke out, there has been almost no precedent for either side to surrender voluntarily."

Kang De pondered for a moment, "If that's the case, why resort to such a clumsy tactic?"

"My thoughts are similar to Kang De's."

Cleveland lowered his binoculars and said, "The elves are doomed. True to their nature, they should accept defeat with pride and dignity. Why would they trample their last vestiges of honor and resort to a scheme of surrender?"

The captain retorted, "The loss of a capital ship is enough to shame the entire Elven Royal Navy. It's not surprising that they would stop at nothing to get it back."

Kang De said, "Alright, stop arguing."

The two fell silent.

Kang De took out a handheld camera, called over Pigeon, and tied it to its body, saying as he did so, "We'll find out what the elf is up to soon... Be careful."

Pigeon flapped their wings and skimmed across the dark sea.

Kang De instructed the Pigeon to simply take pictures of the surroundings from a distance, but this time the Pigeon seemed to have its own ideas. It actually carried the camera and flew directly in front of Lieutenant Mailun.

Lieutenant Mailun held a long, carved stick with a white flag attached to it.

He stood blankly beside the fire, the wood forming the word "surrender" in the elf's hand. The scorching firelight stung his numb and dazed soul; he was now like a walking corpse.

The Pigeon flapped its wings and came to him.

He stared blankly for a moment, then his pupils suddenly contracted. The bird was an ordinary bird, but the things binding it were extremely strange, especially the round crystal lens, which looked like an eye.

The shape of this thing... reminded him of the breathtaking scenes and installations in the Rift Valley Mountains.

In an instant, Mailun guessed the purpose of this thing.

The Eye of Sentinel?

He stared at the camera with bloodshot eyes. Undoubtedly, the person behind the camera was the culprit who had plotted the scheme and lured the captain and his crew into that underground space... It must be so.

Even the successive killings of reconnaissance teams, the tragedy at the temporary command post, and the fall of the Wings of Wayne were all part of this insidious plot, gradually weakening the elves' advantage until victory was achieved.

The Wings of Wayne fell into enemy hands.

Almost all of the five hundred crew members were killed or wounded.

Goth's victory will forever be a disgrace to the Royal Navy.

Is all of this because of the owner of this thing...?

Mailun gritted his teeth, his rage and hatred surging like a tidal wave. He wished he could exchange his soul for a moment of immense power to perish together with the culprit.

But he recalled the scenes from the underground space: Sir Taize's piercing roar, the arrow that had been shot at him, and the lord's will and pleas etched into his soul through his words.

Lieutenant Mailun's face contorted into a grimace, the veins on his hand gripping the white flag bulging, and his legs trembled uncontrollably, growing more and more violent until finally, he slowly bent over.

The elf knelt on the ground, lowering its proud head.

An unprecedentedly humiliating posture.

He said blankly, "I, Mailun Yikelesi, Marine Lieutenant of the Wings of Wayne, on the orders of the Captain and the Marine Commander, represent the Wings of Wayne to offer unconditional surrender. I wish to see your commander to convey an important message. Please... accept."

Blood trickled from his lips.

His hands almost broke the flagpole.

His breathing became short and labored, his face flushed red, and his chest emitted a hissing sound. He was tormented by both physical and mental pain, causing him to gag silently.

He pressed his other hand to his chest and hissed, "... Please."

The elf's head slowly sank into the ground.

Humility and humiliation; all grace and pride had vanished without a trace.

Just like a dog.

He murmured, "Please..."

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PS1: First update.