Kite Tactics

Milta and Wawa pulled the cords at the same time, quickly triggering the cannons' flintlock mechanisms. The Alchemy Gunpowder ignited almost instantly.

BOOM—

The three cannons fired almost as one. The shells, propelled by tremendous force, skimmed across 1,500 meters of sea, and two struck different parts of the Swordfish on the eastern side.

A 24-pound cannonball hit the Swordfish's foremast, then punched through the hull on the other side.

An 18-pound cannonball pierced the Swordfish's stern hull at the waterline and tore through the cabin.

The Swordfish's captain was completely at a loss. In a panic, he shouted for the ship to turn and flee.

It wasn't as if three cannonballs alone could scare him. What had shaken him was the sight of cannons that could hit their target accurately from nearly a mile away.

In an era when everyone fought at distances of two hundred to five hundred meters, hitting a target from over a thousand meters away was well beyond the norm. And judging by the size of the cannonballs, they'd been fired from a 24-pounder. Could a small sailing ship even withstand the recoil?!

He noticed that after the strange sailing ship fired a volley, a powerful wake suddenly frothed up behind it, white spray and bubbles surging in its trail. The ship visibly picked up speed and shot forward.

A chill ran through him. "It's a trap!"

He cursed the Golden Sail's captain for his greed and stupidity, but had no choice but to obey. "The Golden Sail was the one after you! Why don't you attack them instead...?"

Ian didn't care in the slightest what his opponents were thinking. The eastern side was closer to the main shipping route. His aim was to attack and intercept the ship there first, driving them all toward the western waters.

Ian was pleased with the results of the volley. With its mizzenmast broken, the sailing ship had lost much of its speed and stability. It couldn't get away now.

As Lia reported the results, Ian kept working with Milta to clean the barrels and reload the cannons.

The target remained the same. Better to cripple one finger than injure all ten: disable one ship first, then focus all their firepower on taking out the other.

BOOM—

"One hit. It struck the quarterdeck..." Lia's voice was crisp and clear.

The results of this volley weren't great. Fifteen hundred meters was well within the Alchemy Cannons' optimal range, but the waves were rough and the enemy had turned sharply, so a low hit rate was normal. The first volley had largely been a matter of luck.

"Close in to a thousand meters," Ian said, paying no attention to the ship fleeing on the western side.

All three ships were sailing into the wind. The merchant ships, powered only by their sails, couldn't exceed six knots, and had to tack in a zigzag. With its sails lowered, the Leviathan made eleven knots, unaffected by the headwind, and sailed in an almost straight line.

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM—

As Ian closed in rapidly, the Swordfish may have wanted to prove it wasn't to be trifled with. It managed to fire a volley first, but the distance was too great. The nearest cannonball missed the Leviathan by several hundred meters.

Ian gave a derisive laugh. "Fire!"

BOOM—

"Two hits! One struck the hull at the bow's waterline, and the other hit a gun carriage and winch on the main deck." Lia's voice rang out, bright with excitement.

Milta was even more excited, letting out several strange, eager yelps. This was his first time "playing" at this, and he was having the time of his life.

The Swordfish had taken on water in several places and slowed down again, but it was still a long way from sinking. Without explosive shells, dealing with wooden sailing ships was a real nuisance.

"Keep going..."

Thanks to its tremendous speed and maneuverability, the Leviathan stayed a thousand meters from the Swordfish as it circled around it. Several more volleys followed. With the distance closing, nearly half the cannonballs found their mark, though there was no telling where they would hit.

The Swordfish suffered heavy damage to both its hull and crew, and raised a white flag early on.

"Don't stop. Keep firing!" Ian's voice was hard. They'd raised a white flag but hadn't lowered their sails; they were still hoping to get away.

Each armed merchant ship had nearly a hundred crew members. There were only three of them. Ian wasn't about to get any bright ideas about boarding and claiming the spoils.

BOOM—

"Hit the mainmast!" Lia said excitedly.

"It won't get away. Turn around and pursue the other ship." Less than half an hour had passed. A sea battle had started abruptly and ended just as quickly—something rare in the age of sail.

Even sailing at an angle away from them, the Golden Sail was now only seven or eight nautical miles from the Leviathan.

Perhaps due to sheer bad luck, the sea breeze began to die down. The Golden Sail's captain watched the Leviathan chase them in a straight line from behind and to the side, his face full of despair.

The two ships chased each other northwest. In less than an hour, the Golden Sail entered the Leviathan's optimal range.

BOOM—

Shards of wood swept across the Golden Sail like blades. A large number of sailors were wounded, and the blood even made the deck "muddy."

The Golden Sail wasn't new to playing pirate. Every time, it roused the crew to a frenzy.

After all, according to their agreement, they would each receive a generous share of the spoils—far more than their meager wages.

They'd tasted success several times, so they weren't afraid of a sea battle. But being forced to take fire without being able to hit back was enough to drive anyone mad.

They couldn't escape, and they couldn't land a hit. The Leviathan kept "tugging" at the Golden Sail like a kite.

The Golden Sail tried several times to close in and board, but every attempt was futile.

Each cannonball was like a deadly note. Even the white flag flying high couldn't make the lively "music" pause for a moment.

The Golden Sail was badly damaged and had slowed to just two or three knots, but it still hadn't sunk.

Ian simply slowed the pace. He took a supporting role while Wawa, Milta, and Lia took turns directing the cannon fire.

The Leviathan couldn't fire as frequently as Ian had estimated. The recoil from the 18-pound and 24-pound Alchemy Cannons was still too powerful. Its unique shock-absorbing structure and sturdy hull let the Leviathan withstand it, but the ship rocked too much for it to fire continuously.

Still, it wasn't a major problem. It was a good chance to let them practice.

What surprised Ian was that Lia was the most accurate. Milta wasn't far behind, though. With practice, his aim kept improving, and he was beginning to find his own rhythm.

Wawa relied on an exact understanding of the ship and how to control it, and had a decent hit rate too.

Milta relied on the [Precision Intuition] granted by his Extraordinary class and his impressive familiarity with firearms. He lacked experience, but had a lot of potential.

Lia relied on experience. The cannons she'd used before were matchlocks, and this was her first time operating a flintlock cannon with such a short delay. Yet her experience still gave her a surprisingly good hit rate.

BOOM—

"Hit the powder magazine!"

From a thousand meters away, Ian and the others clearly saw the Golden Sail suddenly erupt in towering flames. The ship broke in two amidships.

Milta, who had directed that shot, leaped into the air with excitement.

Ian watched in silence as the Golden Sail split apart and burned. Broken pieces of the ship and assorted debris floated on the sea, along with sailors struggling desperately for their lives. He was the one who had caused all of it!

Ian had always thought he was a decisive person, someone who would never hesitate when dealing with an enemy.

"There are innocent people among them, aren't there?" Ian wasn't entirely sure.

Then Ian thought of his own family. Weren't they innocent too?! The word "innocent" had no place in the Sea of Miracles! There was no right or wrong here, only sides.

"You chose to stand against me, so you're my enemies. You stood to gain from it, and now you have to bear the consequences. After all, making a choice is a gamble. If you lose, you have to accept it!"

Ian turned and met Lia's worried gaze.

He gave her a reassuring look. His eyes sharpened again. This was only the beginning!

"Turn around. There's still another ship we need to deal with."