Unexpected Opponent

Clearly, the pirate fleet had not expected that their two-on-one advantage would be so easily shattered. Such naval combat prowess was top-tier even among the Kul Tiras fleet, and the fact that Mist of the Maiden possessed such strength left the pirates utterly bewildered.

Now, as Morton summoned a massive water elemental, the pirates were truly shaken. When they accepted this mission, no one told them their target ship carried a Tidesage—and judging by this display of power, clearly a high-ranking one at that.

While these sages were not necessarily the strongest in direct combat, their utility at sea far exceeded that of other professionals of the same rank, making them comparable to heroes.

With the pirates already committed to the fray, they had no choice but to line up in formation and prepare for a head-on collision.

"See that? That's a Tidesage. Your mission this time is to go and snag one for me." Liam patted Wilton on the shoulder, his calm tone as casual as if he were suggesting they steal a head of cabbage rather than abduct a living person in broad daylight.

"My mission again... and what are you going to be doing this time?" Wilton was too tired to complain about Liam's habit of dumping all the work on him, so he went straight to the point.

"I'm going to go make money, of course. Building a massive ship isn't something you can do with just a few tens of thousands of gold coins. Between the auxiliary facilities, artillery, ordnance, rigging, and sails, the cost is astronomical. Just the two of us 'robbing the rich to feed the poor' every day wouldn't be enough to cover the cost of a ship like Mist of the Maiden in a hundred years."

Liam looked at Wilton with a wistful expression, implying that the latter "didn't know the price of firewood and rice," leaving Wilton speechless once again.

"Besides, I don't want a 'small boat' like Mist of the Maiden. I want something that surpasses Daelin Proudmoore's flagship, Sea Power—a battleship with three main masts, a secondary mast, four-sided composite sails, at least three decks, and 100 cannons..."

"Just tell me how you plan to get that Tidesage first." Wilton quickly cut off Liam's daydreaming. The kind of ship he was describing didn't exist in Kul Tiras, and even during the height of the elven era, no one would have dared to dream of building such a vessel.

It wasn't a matter of wealth or technology, but rather that this world possessed too many strategic, world-ending powers. Ships relied on numbers; tonnage might be useful in ship-to-ship combat, but a single powerful mage could easily destroy such a giant vessel.

However, the reason Wilton lacked confidence was that he didn't yet know the extent of Liam's insane plan, or what kind of ship he was truly trying to build...

"Fine, since you asked so sincerely... I'll tell you. It can be summarized in one sentence: I need you to go to a certain place and study for a while."

"Study again? The first time I followed you, I spent three years learning, and now I can't even go home. What are you going to have me learn this time? You aren't planning on making me become one of those damn Tidesages, are you? Do you know how long that takes? Look at Morton! He's got a beard down to his chest!"

Wilton could no longer remain calm and nearly jumped up in agitation. It wasn't for any other reason than the fact that Liam was simply too unreliable!

Just as Liam was about to explain his "perfect" plan, a thunderous "BOOM" startled both of them, cutting their hushed, secretive conversation short.

It turned out that while they were talking, the lightning-fast Mist of the Maiden had entered the enemy fleet's range and, despite the enemy holding the T-crossing position, had forcibly launched a charge against the blockade.

The weakness of linear tactics is that they can only utilize broadside fire. The so-called T-crossing position relies on single-sided firepower and requires precise artillery marksmanship.

Mist of the Maiden's tactic was to weave between the head or tail of the enemy formation, enduring one round of fire, and then, while passing through the enemy fleet, unleash a simultaneous broadside from both sides to maximize instantaneous firepower.

Generally, such tactics require reloading and turning, executing a wave-like, curved path to gain an advantage over linear formations through agile movement and massive burst damage. Mist of the Maiden's smaller size allowed for faster reactions and greater maneuverability, enabling it to focus fire on damaged enemy ships. This style was more like naval guerrilla warfare and was the most effective counter to linear tactics.

However, Mist of the Maiden was currently aiming to break through the blockade and had no intention of getting bogged down in a prolonged fight, so it abandoned guerrilla tactics in favor of a headlong, unstoppable breakthrough!

"Listen to my orders! Keep only one round of powder for the cannons, dump all other supplies!"

The captain of Mist of the Maiden waved his cutlass and shouted the order.

"One round of powder only! Dump all supplies!"

The first mate roared, relaying the command. Soon, the order echoed across the ship. The sailors immediately sprang into action, hauling fresh water, food, and barrels of ale from the hold onto the deck, then tossing them overboard along both sides of the ship without a moment's hesitation.

Everyone who made a living at sea knew that even the weight of a single barrel of rum could slow Mist of the Maiden down just enough—and that tiny bit of speed could be the difference between heaven and hell.

"Mr. Zank, looking at the situation, the enemy isn't just sailing their ships. If we want to complete the mission this time, I may have to trouble you to intervene."

On the battleship, a pirate who clearly looked like the captain whispered to a middle-aged man in a hooded robe standing beside him. His tone was extremely respectful, signaling the man's extraordinary status.

"I came here specifically for such an eventuality. Even if you hadn't asked, I would have acted. However, the payment..." Mr. Zank, the middle-aged man in the robe, replied as if he had expected this all along.

"No problem, just name your price." The captain had nothing else to say. They had already suffered heavy losses, and if they couldn't secure the target now, they would have no choice but to leave Kul Tiras and find work elsewhere.

"Very well." Mr. Zank replied with only two words before pacing toward the side of the ship facing Mist of the Maiden.

He drew a staff the length of his arm from his robes, and the incantation he began to chant was far shorter than Morton's prayers.

As the eerie blue light on Zank's hand grew brighter, a dark cloud suddenly appeared in the cloudless sky, hovering less than ten meters above the sea, shrouding the area of water directly in the path of Mist of the Maiden.

With the appearance of the dark cloud, the temperature in the area plummeted sharply. Despite it being the height of summer, large icicles began to form in the air at a speed visible to the naked eye!