Kloze did bring back an ironclad ship.
Facing the invasion of Snake Worship Cult, Kloze summoned some fellow villagers to form a force of more than 300 people. Count Goodrian, who followed Mettenheim, participated in the battle to defend his hometown, and killed the invading Snake Worship Cult gangsters without much effort.
And that ironclad ship was the ship Kloze boarded when participating in this battle.
In late September, Kloze led his troops back to the Pande Continent - he returned to Imperial Port, because he wanted to return those ships carrying grain to Governor Kairos.
Ironclad ships are indeed not suitable for long-distance voyages. This is mainly because the draft is relatively deep, the hull is bulky, and the acceleration and steering are relatively slow.
It's okay when sailing normally, but when encountering relatively large waves, it seems to be inflexible, and basically it can only be resisted.
Since the sails are set up higher and more than those on ordinary ships, the sails will be furled more slowly. When encountering strong winds, it is easy to lose power due to the mast breaking.
At the same time, the side of the ship is relatively high, and the iron-clad hull has no openings, so it is impossible to use oars - if something happens, it will just be a large floating object.
But if it is traveling with several ocean-going sailing ships, it won't be a big problem - if it doesn't work, it can be towed.
It's just that Kloze's luck has never been very good. As soon as he arrived at Imperial Port, his troops were trapped inside.
Because Snake Worship Cult happened to surround Imperial Port at this time.
Originally, they could still come out through the port, but the problem is that Snake Worship Cult seems to have such a fleet coming to look for food...
As a result, the huge ironclad ship was blocked inside.
But fortunately, the armored ships blocked the port. If Mettenheim Brutes hadn't helped to defend the city, Imperial Port might have been captured...
That fleet is a bit strange. They have been wandering offshore, but have not attacked the port. They seem to be waiting for the Snake Worship Cult thieves on land to fight with the Imperial Port defenders before they come to take advantage.
In order to save the armored ship and to see the lord alive, Mettenheim Brutes naturally did not force a breakout, but helped Imperial Port block the attack of Snake Worship Cult's gangsters.
In fact, this ironclad ship is a souvenir given to Li Ang by the people of Mettenheim. Even the coat of arms on the bow and sails are made of griffins - this is a gift from Count Goodrian to express gratitude to Li Ang.
Moreover, this is a national gift.
Frederi's stance when he served as diplomatic envoy was recognized by Count Goodrian. Now Earl represents Mettenheim and regards Li Ang as an equal monarch.
After all, Li Ang helped the Mettenheim people obtain the most suitable grain seeds, and also sent them the most needed experts who are proficient in agricultural water conservancy. Mettenheim people pay attention to repaying kindness.
Of course, revenge must be avenged.
After Imperial Port's Snake Worship Cult army abandoned the siege and headed north, the Mettenheim Brutess planned to take revenge - they planned to kill the fleet that had blocked them in Imperial Port for several months.
Without the enemies attacking from the land, the entire Imperial Port troops were able to free up their hands. They and the Mettenheim people joined forces and rushed to the port.
But the group of guys who were fishing ran away immediately when they saw something was wrong.
Mettenheim people boarded the ironclad ship and rushed out of the port to pursue them, but the strange guys had already run a bit westward, and the ironclad ship was too slow to catch up.
Later, Kloze they chased the fleet all the way to the west, but the ship encountered strong winds halfway and lost track of the enemy.
In order to avoid any problems with the ironclad ship, they withdrew in time before the wind and waves became stronger, parked the ship at Imperial Port, and then pursued it overland - because the people from Imperial Port told them that there was only an abandoned and uninhabited fishing port Serendil in the west that could park the ship, and the people from Snake Worship Cult must have run this way.
"However, I don't think those guys are these undead... They were still fishing before. These undead probably don't eat fish."
Kloze looked at the soldiers who were searching for the stranded ships and shook his head. "We didn't expect you to be here."
"Wait a minute... that fleet is fishing at Imperial Port?"
Li Ang frowned and waved to the former Snake Cult priestess not far away. "Elisa! Come here...Snake Worship Cult, can you eat fish?"
"Hiss, Commander... Snake Worship Cult's teachings do not allow eating meat. Fish is also meat. We will not eat it, otherwise Goddess will be punished... Hiss... But Pande Continent's vegetable styles are really relatively few."
Elisa confirmed that Snake Worship Cult was indeed a vegetarian and complained about Pande's food.
"That's because I've never really been hungry. I'll eat anything when I'm hungry... However, since Snake Worship Cult hasn't fished much for more than a hundred years, that means there should be more catches around the Amara Continent., why did this group of people come to Imperial Port to fish? And... since they have already broken the habit of eating fish, why are they afraid of famine? They have boats and people, so it shouldn't be difficult to catch some fish in the Amara Continent!"
The Lord Lord spread his hands.
Yes, Imperial Port has a large number of residents, and the coastal waters have been fished for a long time. The catch is definitely not as good as that of the ports controlled by the Amara Continent Snake Worship Cult, which has never fished.
Since you came here specifically to get food, even if you have to fish for a living because you can't get food, you shouldn't fish at Imperial Port. Wouldn't it be better to go directly to Serendil?
There is no one here, and it was once the place with the richest fishery resources in Pande. Since those 'Snake Worship Cult disciples' would flee here, they should also know about this place.
"Sir, do you mean that they are not Snake Worship Cult disciples?"
Wendy The people nearby understood clearly that there must be something wrong with this group of people.
"It's not certain whether those people are Snake Worship Cult disciples, but they are definitely not from the Amara Continent..."
The lord turned to look at Kloze: "Have you seen what those people look like?"
"No, actually we didn't have any direct battle with them. They seem to have been avoiding fighting... I also don't feel like they are Snake Worship Cult disciples."
Kloze thought for a while and added, "But their ships do look similar to those broken ships over there."
The boats stranded in the sea are Fear Legion boats. They are indeed quite dilapidated, with even the sails damaged a lot.
But this is a composite boat with sails and oars. The undead who won't be tired can probably paddle quite powerfully. The presence or absence of sails probably has little effect on the Fear Legion.
"Sir, what should I do with these boats and horses? Those boats are quite dilapidated, with rotten wood in many places, and are basically scrapped goods. And those horses... don't obey orders, and they look scary."
Jocelyn came over and interrupted the lord's reminiscence with his old subordinates.
Some of the horses in the underworld are still 'alive', but after losing their owners, these horses are all wandering on the beach. Through their dark horse armor, you can see that their bodies are all rotten horse corpses.
It's just possible that they were well-trained war horses before they were alive, but they didn't attack people at will.
Jocelyn did try to ride on it, but then realized that this attempt was pointless - those horses couldn't be driven because they didn't respond to anything.
It cannot be controlled, cannot be led away, and even if you slash it with a knife, it will not react - it is obviously impossible to use it as a mount.
"Let the wounded stay here and dismantle their horse armor, and then send them to where they should go... Don't worry about those broken ships. We don't have much time. We have to rush to Fidne. We will meet in three hours!"
The Lord Lord waved his hand and told Jocelyn to go and do it quickly.
Justus looked at Kloze and came over.
"Kloze... I have to thank you for helping to guard Imperial Port..."
Justus is indeed very sincere in his gratitude. He must also express his gratitude to this friendly force on behalf of Bax who is entirely out of help.
"You're welcome, Lord Governor. In fact, even without us, the pig-raising general Imperial Port can probably hold on... Besides, we have received help from Imperial Port, so it is appropriate to help Imperial Port."
Kloze did not take credit. They used the ocean-going ship that Governor Kairos found from Imperial Port to transport grain seeds back to the country. Although this was the result of Li Ang's creation, the Mettenheim people who had clear grievances were also willing to help Imperial Port.
However, Justus is quite concerned about another sentence of Kloze: "The general who raises pigs? Who is that?"
Based on Justus's understanding of the nobles in Imperial Port, no one can be called a general.
Kairos and his troops have been away from Imperial Port. Justus actually wants to know who is holding the city - a general who can still hold on when tens of thousands of Snake Worship Cult troops besiege the city. Unless it is Agasong or Creon, Justus cannot think of anyone else who has this ability and courage.
"His name is Ivaillo. He seems to have been a serf... a pig farmer."
Kloze scratched his scalp. "Well, of course, I think he should be considered a general now."
When an empire encounters a life and death crisis, it will always produce some unpredictable heroes.
Imperial Port has just that one.
This is a man who lives in an unknown village next to Imperial Port. In the past years, he was just an unnoticed serf, living in a pigsty every day.
Before Snake Worship Cult's army attacked Imperial Port, Ivaillo had been quietly raising and killing pigs, supplying meat to the owner's family.
Speaking of which, his master was probably one of the kinder ones among slave owners - even though Ivaillo would often come into contact with precious meat, he still did not let him wear a collar.
Of course, this is mainly because Ivaillo has proven his character and loyalty with his honest and honest attitude for many years - well, to put it another way, this is actually because everyone thinks Ivaillo is a fool.
In fact, this pig-raising boy has been the target of constant teasing since he was a child.
Whether they are civilians or others who are also serfs, they will find fun in him - he seems to be born with thick flesh and is not afraid of pain, so his reactions are usually slow, and he is not very angry.
Naturally, such a strong and temperless serf does not need to be locked up.
If life continues like this, maybe Ivaillo will keep raising pigs until he dies.
However, everything changed after Snake Worship Cult's army came here.
His master, the local tribune, ran away immediately after hearing the news.
While running away, he also forced the shoulder strap and a short sword representing the identity of the tribune into the hands of Ivaillo...
To be honest, Ivaillo certainly wanted to escape, but his master gave him a golden opportunity.
"Ivar, Imperial Port is recruiting militia troops. If you take a few militiamen to Imperial Port as a tribune, you will be free and become a noble from now on!"
These were the words of his master, the true tribune, before he left.
It was obvious that his master did not want to participate in the battle, nor did he want to be regarded as a deserter by the empire...
The tribunes are obliged to protect the local people, and fleeing without fighting is a typical act of desertion. Deserting is one of the biggest crimes in the Bacchus Empire. If discovered by the consul, the end is usually to be demoted to a slave - and the consul of Emperor Lin is Governor Kairos. This governor looks down upon deserters the most.
Therefore, the tribune threw Ivaillo there to replenish the number, and he escaped...
I don't know whether it was because Ivaillo was slow to react or because he longed for freedom. Anyway, he did bring a few serfs into Imperial Port and became a member of the hastily formed Imperial Port garrison, and became a squad leader as a tribune.
Then, everything becomes a little magical...
No one expected that Imperial Port would face an army of tens of thousands of Snake Worship Cult.
After being besieged by the Snake Worship Cult army for a week, the acting consul in the city disappeared inexplicably.
Subsequently, the political officer and his successor died in battle one after another, and several lieutenants who led the army also died in battle.
Most of the nobles in the city had already fled before the siege... and the other small lords around Imperial Port basically all defected to Snake Worship Cult.
By the end of September, Ivaillo was surprised to find that he, the team leader, had become the only one with the status of tribune among the people guarding Imperial Port!
If it were normal times, the tribune of a small village would be just a small official as big as a sesame seed or a mung bean.
But now, all the militia troops defending the city have expressed their willingness to listen to his command!
In Imperial Port, there are no nobles anymore!
It's really hard to explain talent. Ivaillo actually adapted to leading the militiamen to defend the city every day in a short period of time.
Perhaps due to the effect of killing pigs every day in the past, Ivaillo is quite calm when killing people. In addition, he is not very angry in the first place and is a bit dull. If you put all this on a pig-raising serf, it can only be called stupid and stupid; but if you put it on a general leading the army, it will appear extremely calm and dignified!
As a result, this serf quickly became the backbone of all militiamen. As long as Ivaillo did not show fear, the militiamen seemed to have no fear.
Fortunately, the nobles ran away in a hurry. Imperial Port left behind a large amount of food and supplies. Basically, there was no shortage of anything. As long as the fighting will is enough, they can indeed last for a long time.
Moreover, Ivaillo was lucky enough to meet the troops brought by Kloze.
The ironclad ship blocked the attack from the port, and the powerful Mettenheim people helped him defend the most difficult defensive battles.
Two months later, Snake Worship Cult's offensive slowed down, and Ivaillo, in these months of actual combat, truly became a general capable of leading troops.
"A pig-raising serf... unexpectedly guarded the most important portal for the empire, and all the nobles actually... alas..."
Justus sighed long and hard.
"Sir Governor, you should have more experience in Erudition City... most of the time, nobles can only cause trouble."
Li Ang shook his head. "Bacchus Empire It's actually not bad. At least the tribune who ran away knew how to find a serf to replenish the money... At least he is still afraid of the law."
Justus sighed again, "Perhaps, the reform needs to be deepened."
While the lord was encountering Fear Legion and Python Knights, Qizha Village and Emperor Marius, who were only separated by a bay from Serendil, were also experiencing a tough battle.
The situation he faced was even more difficult than that of the lord - Emperor Marius faced Maltis and two hundred Adder Vanguard.
Although the number is indeed small, the enemy's elite level is far beyond what Python Knights can match.
Moreover, the number of troops brought by Emperor Marius is also not large.
Unlike the decaying undead like Python Knights, Adder Vanguard doesn't look like an undead army at all.
All of them have skin as smooth as cream, and their red lips and chins exposed under their half-covered helmets are very attractive. They all seem to be as beautiful as gods.
Yes, they.
Here are two hundred women...
In other words, these are two hundred female elves.
Except for their scarlet eyes, which reveal a slightly evil and monstrous feeling, these Adder Vanguard look just like living people.
The same goes for Maltis.
They still have flexible and powerful martial arts, and their agility seems to be completely unaffected.
If he hadn't known that they were indeed undead, Emperor Marius would have thought he was fighting a group of particularly powerful living elves.
Perhaps only the powerful Noldor Twilight Knight has the combat power of Adder Vanguard... However, the entire Noldor clan together cannot make up a hundred Twilight Knight.
But here, there are two hundred Adder Vanguard...
The Imperial Knightss under Emperor Marius were almost dead or injured after just a few encounters.
Fortunately, Agasong saw the opportunity quickly and ran away dragging Emperor Marius. At least he got away.
Imperial Knights fought hard to hold off the enemy for a while. The emperor's direct guards were indeed all loyal.
Maybe Emperor Marius was lucky. Maltis did not pursue after killing the soldiers who stayed to block the enemy, but turned to look at the sea.
Emperor Marius and Agasong, who had already run away, did not see several damaged warships on the sea that were blown to Qizha Village by the wind and waves.
The people who got off the battleship were not Snake Worship Cult disciples, but some burly men with various equipment.
This looks like a group of Mettenheim people, but they all look unkempt.
After seeing Maltis, the leader, the big man with messy hair and beard, was obviously stunned. "Priests of Snake Worship Cult? There are not many of them! Kill them!"