Seeing Sonanda Again
Later that day, after the Sun had set, Sodoma set off with an old ship from the Great Oak Territory that had been disguised.
He was going to meet with Viscount Sonanda to discuss the battle plan and to pick up Ron.
Taking advantage of the darkness and the sea breeze, the ship sailed swiftly, and a few hours later, Sodoma and his ship arrived at a calm sea.
"Pass down the order to furl the sails and implement a blackout. No one is allowed to use fire for lighting. Anyone who disobeys the order may be executed."
Sodoma's orders were quickly relayed. The entire ship was shrouded in darkness, and with the sea being cloudy that day, neither moonlight nor starlight could reach it, making it blend into the vast ocean.
The boat drifted with the current for less than an hour when Sodoma spotted a faint light on the distant sea.
The ship's displacement wasn't large, and although it was a bit old, it had its advantages, as it could use oars, which is why Sodoma was able to operate it.
Sodoma ordered the sailors to start rowing immediately and slowly sail in that direction.
Sodoma saw the ship sailing at sea when it was about 500 meters away.
To avoid being discovered, Sodoma kept his ship at a distance while he stood on the mast and used the firelight on the ship to make his judgment until he confirmed that it was a patrol vessel of the Great Oak Territory's Coastal Defense Fleet.
This is a meeting point agreed upon by Sodoma and Viscount Sonanda, which was confirmed when they traveled north at the end of last year.
Viscount Sonanda had previously agreed that patrol boats would be sent to patrol the area after the beginning of spring. If Sodoma needed to send a message or find him, he could do so by contacting the patrol boats.
This time, Sodoma, as agreed with Viscount Sonanda, came looking for them with his ship.
After confirming that it was a ship from the Great Oak Territory, Sodoma immediately lit a lamp and gestured a secret signal to the patrol boat.
Soon the ship also spotted Sodoma's ship and responded according to the coded signal.
Sodoma was completely relieved. He took a small boat to the patrol boat and immediately recognized the man on board – one of Viscount Sonanda's old subordinates.
After a brief exchange, the two did not waste any time, and the patrol boat immediately set sail and took Sodoma back to their anchorage.
When they arrived at the anchorage, Sodoma found hundreds of ships of all sizes anchored there, nearly doubling the size of the Coastal Defense Fleet that had joined the noble fleet.
Based on Sodoma's knowledge of the coastal nobles of Suffolk County, he discovered that these nobles had expanded their armies, not only increasing the number of ships but also making their ships much larger.
Sodoma exclaimed, "As expected of the richest county in the Eastern Region, none of the coastal nobles in Suffolk County are good-for-nothings. The cost of building these fleets and recruiting the sailors is enough to support an entire legion."
Just as Sodoma was observing and assessing these noble fleets, the patrol boat carrying Sodoma arrived next to a large ship.
Sodoma looked at the large ship, which was arguably the largest in the fleet, and was no less impressive than the flagship of Iron Birch's ocean-going fleet.
Sodoma interrupted his observation and assessment of the noble fleet and focused his attention on the ship. "It seems the New Wavebreaker has been successfully completed!"
Sodoma was very familiar with the ship. He had studied it extensively when it was just a blueprint, and even made suggestions on some of its designs.
This ship is the new flagship of the Coastal Defense Fleet, the Wavebreaker. The old Wavebreaker was given to the Golden Sunflower Family and is currently Sodoma's personal ship.
At this moment, the people on the Wavebreaker also spotted the patrol boat. After the two sides finished exchanging flag signals, the patrol boat quickly approached.
Compared to the new Wavebreaker with a displacement of over 800 tons, this patrol vessel is much smaller, and the two differ in deck height by at least 5 meters.
When they reached the side of the New Wavebreaker, the New Wavebreaker dropped down a rope ladder, which Sodoma climbed up.
The person who greeted him on the New Wavebreaker was none other than his father, Viscount Sonanda. Upon seeing that the person climbing aboard was his son, Viscount Sonanda was very excited and gave him a bear hug. He truly missed his child.
However, this performance put Sodoma in a difficult position. There were quite a few people on the deck of the Wavebreaker at this time, but they were all old subordinates of Viscount Sonanda, and Sodoma knew them all. Being hugged by his father in front of so many familiar people made him feel quite at a loss.
Fortunately, Viscount Sonanda was focused on official business. He knew that Sodoma, as one of the few fleet commanders of the Golden Sunflower Family, must have important business to attend to, so he quickly released Sodoma.
"Sodoma, what brings you here in person? What are Viscount Victor's plans?"
Viscount Sonanda looked expectant, feeling that his advice to Viscount Victor had been adopted.
"Father, Viscount Victor has agreed to your plan. We are willing to cooperate with the Coastal Defense Fleet to prioritize eliminating the noble fleet."