Harassment

Ronan found it easy to handle the situation on his side, but some warships with fewer crew members than Ronan's and those that had ventured too deep and were surrounded encountered trouble.

Pirates swarming from all directions left them struggling to cope. Rexa had to dispatch other warships to provide support, but overall, Xinteland still held the upper hand.

Perhaps, as Mario had said, Eredar had merely hired a group of brainless pirates to obstruct or even weaken Xinteland's support team.

In his excitement, Ronan even led his subordinates to charge onto the pirate ships. The Nord Royal Guards took the lead, raising their shields and leaning forward to withstand the pirates' arrow volleys as they climbed the ladders.

Upon reaching the edge of the deck, they leaped directly into the pirate formation, smashing one pirate down with their shields, then hurled three throwing axes into the crowd.

The Nords quickly gained a foothold on the pirate ship, followed by Ronan, leading the Vigyan Knights and Templar Knights. Gripping his sword with both hands, he deflected a pirate's scimitar, then maneuvered behind him and thrust his sword under the pirate's arm, piercing his back.

Another pirate, attempting to seize the opportunity to attack Ronan, had his head exploded by a mace swung by a Vigyan Knight who had just boarded.

The situation quickly became clear; the pirates were completely unable to trouble Ronan and his men. Many chose to jump into the sea and swim towards other pirate ships, only to be targeted by the Elf archers with arrows.

The pirates soon scattered, fleeing in disarray after abandoning several captured ships and hundreds of corpses. Xinteland suffered only a few dozen casualties, primarily from the warship that had charged too aggressively and fallen into an encirclement.

Ronan returned to the Wavebreaker from the pirate ship, accepted a towel from his subordinate to wipe the blood splattered on his face, and then tossed the towel into the sea after wiping his katana.

At this point, the sea in this area had turned crimson with blood. Many shark fins broke the surface, gliding back and forth, clearly attracted by the scent of blood, having traveled thousands of miles to enjoy a feast.

Most warships were largely unharmed; minor scrapes did not affect their course. Only one ship, which had been repeatedly rammed by several pirate ships, was heavily damaged and had to be replaced with a relatively intact pirate vessel.

The fleet did not waste time scavenging for spoils, as these pirates had little to offer. At most, they had some food, drink, and weapons on board, all of which the Xinteland forces had in abundance.

The remaining ships were set ablaze, and the fleet set sail once more.

The Snake Worshipers had not truly expected these pirates to defeat the Xinteland forces, but they had certainly managed to annoy them.

While their smaller size made the pirate ships inferior to warships in combat power and troop transport capacity, their speed was significantly superior. The Xinteland fleet simply couldn't catch them. They constantly trailed the fleet, harassing them daily.

Although they couldn't inflict significant casualties on the Xinteland forces, and suffered considerable losses themselves, they succeeded in doubling the fleet's travel time, thus completing their delaying mission.

Finally arriving at the port of Terra, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Although the pirates hadn't caused them too much trouble, the day-to-day harassment had exacerbated the fatigue from the long journey.

The fleet slowly docked at the designated area in Terra's port. From here, the magnificent city could be seen in the distance.

The earth-yellow Terra City stood on a cliff not far from the port. The entire city had only one entrance and occupied a strategically advantageous position that was difficult to attack, making the situation seem not too dire. The allied forces hadn't yet reached Terra City.

Otherwise, the fleet wouldn't have been able to dock smoothly. As soon as the fleet docked, a group of Terra people, dressed in long robes and wearing headscarves, approached.

Rexa immediately began conversing with the leader of the group. Ronan paid no attention to their conversation, pacing back and forth on the ground, enjoying the feeling of solid ground beneath his feet. His time at sea had made him feel as though he was floating.

Simultaneously, a system prompt indicated that the first stage of the mission was complete, and the second stage had not yet been triggered. It was likely that the mission would only be triggered upon entering Terra City and understanding the combat objectives.

With the help of the Terra people, supplies were unloaded from the ships and loaded onto carts. The horses were also brought out; over a month at sea had dulled their coats, and some had fallen ill.

By this time, Rexa had finished his conversation with the Terra generals, and the convoy began to move again, forming a long procession.

An hour later, the troops entered Terra City and settled into their arranged barracks. Ronan, Mario, and other unit leaders were to follow Rexa to the King of Terra's palace to discuss the upcoming battle.

Enduring physical fatigue and hunger, they finally reached their destination after another half hour's walk.

The King of Terra and the high-ranking Terra generals were already waiting at a large council table.

King of Terra, Gogen, was fifty-three years old. Paleness had already crept into his temples, and wrinkles had etched themselves onto his face. His once strong body had weakened.

In a few years, he would abdicate, making him even more eager to win this war, as he did not wish to be a king of a fallen nation. Terra, at least, would not decline under his reign.

Standing to the King of Terra's left was the First Prince, Gogen, also the heir to Terra. The King of Terra had Gogen late in life; Gogen was only about twenty years old, full of youthful vigor, and was currently engaged in a heated debate with the general on the King of Terra's right, who was clad in scale armor.

To the King of Terra's right was Terra's Grand Marshal—Hogul. Hogul was one of the earliest generals to follow the King of Terra, having accompanied him in many victorious battles. However, the passage of time had tempered his youthful impulsiveness, making him more prudent.

Currently, Gogen and Hogul were arguing over strategic disagreements. Gogen advocated for an aggressive counter-offensive, while Hogul favored a stable defense. The King of Terra sat at the head of the table, saying nothing.

Seeing the Xinteland reinforcements, led by Rexa, enter the hall under the escort of guards, the King of Terra extended a hand, signaling Gogen and Hogul to stop.

Rexa bowed to the King of Terra and then was the first to find a seat. Ronan, mimicking him, bowed and sat down. During their month at sea, Mario had specifically trained Ronan in this regard, as Ronan knew nothing of the various countries' etiquette.

This support contingent included, besides the Silver Moon Clan led by Ronan and Mario, the Starfall Clan led by Rexa, the Elf mage Inella Phantom Feather representing the Phantom Feather Clan, who was reportedly Thursma's sister, the Elf knight Norin Sun Chaser representing the Sun Chaser Clan, and the Elf ranger Sandora Spiritwood representing the Spiritwood Clan.

In addition to these five major clans, there was also a mercenary group of six hundred led by Rexa.

These individuals were all core figures of their respective clans. This expedition to support Terra was undertaken with the same objective as Mario's: to gain renown for their young masters and to add leverage in the struggle for the throne.