Night deepened, and the flames in the meeting hall went out one by one.
Everyone filed out with their documents and orders. Elliott was about to follow them.
"Elliott, stay behind." Louis's voice came from behind him.
He paused, then immediately turned and closed the door, leaving only the two of them inside.
Louis looked up and smiled. "Don't stand there like that. This isn't an interrogation. Sit down."
Elliott hesitated a moment before sitting, his back still ramrod straight with restraint.
Even after all their time together, he still held a heartfelt respect for Louis.
"How is the fleet's armament coming along?" Louis asked calmly, as though discussing an everyday matter.
"Six Dawnlight main warships and one light cruiser have been fully outfitted," Elliott reported clearly.
"Every Dawnlight is an armed vessel, equipped with twelve main guns in two rows, eight secondary guns, rotating ballistae, and demon energy blast launchers.
Each has a complement of eighty crew, including forty sailors and twenty gunners, with another sixty knights assigned to groups aboard for boarding and defense.
Our ammunition and Demon Explosive Bomb reserves are sufficient for three full-fleet salvos. The shore batteries and ballista positions have all been calibrated and can support engagements at sea at any time."
Louis nodded, silently doing the calculations.
Everything was almost exactly as he had envisioned, even slightly better than expected. With this configuration, his fleet finally gave him grounds for confidence.
"Excellent." Louis walked to the window and pushed it halfway open, letting in a cold, salt-laden breeze.
Then he turned to Elliott. "A merchant convoy came to me for help last night. They said pirates attacked them in North Bay and seized several ships, one of which carried the merchant owner's family.
After taking the cargo, those pirates fled south. Our scout