At the same time, above the clouds.
The Goliath, like a giant steel whale, swam above the sea of clouds, sunlight reflecting a cold luster off its "scales" of riveted armor and gun turrets.
The combination of a diesel internal combustion engine and ultralight gas technology enables this behemoth, weighing tens of thousands of tons, to cruise continuously at high altitudes.
Thanks to its high altitude, it can precisely deliver death to ground targets from 30 kilometers away.
At present, no known air defense weapon in the world can pose a substantial threat to it at this altitude.
It was thanks to the four Goliath- class warships that the Northern United Kingdom gained an overwhelming advantage in recent border conflicts, almost ending the nearly century-long tug-of-war with the Southern Victoria Empire.
In this age of steam and steel, Goliath was undoubtedly the "weapon of the gods."
The reason they did not launch a general offensive southward was because they feared that the Empire would gather a large number of steam airships and launch a suicidal attack that would result in mutual destruction.
These war behemoths were built with the resources of an entire nation, and even the loss of just one would be an unbearable blow.
It's important to understand that the kingdom's enemies are not just the empire.
The New Federation and the Eastern Nation, both eyeing us covetously across the ocean, need these warships to patrol and deter them.
However, in recent years, with the younger generation gaining control of the discourse, more and more councilors feel it is time to unify the Albion Continent and restore its former glory.
In a sense, both General Muoro and Colonel Muska belong to this "radical faction".
However, Muska's ambitions were far grander and more dangerous than those of old-style warlords Mouro Muro, who were content with merely seizing power and plundering wealth.
What he wanted was not just the Victoria Empire.
At this moment, the atmosphere inside the spacious Bridge of the Goliath was thick with tension.
" General Muoro, you had better provide a reasonable explanation for why you mobilized the Goliath without consulting me at all!"
The head of the Intelligence Department, who was always known for his calm demeanor, was unusually flustered at this moment.
His gold-rimmed glasses were askew, and his short blond hair was slightly disheveled, clearly indicating that he had rushed onto the ship after receiving the news, leaving no time to tidy his appearance.
After the meeting the day before yesterday, Muska thought he only needed to wait for the soldiers and agents to bring the target back.
Although Mouro was foolish, his soldiers were still somewhat capable of fighting; they wouldn't fail twice in a row on such a trivial matter as chasing a fugitive.
Unexpectedly, this guy actually summoned the Goliath Battleship without notifying him!
If Muska hadn't noticed in time and insisted on joining the boat, this fat pig would probably have abandoned him and led the group to Valley Town alone.
Mouro leaned back comfortably in his chair, his rounded body almost filling the entire command seat.
He held a steaming cup of black tea in his hand, deliberately mimicking Muska's usual manner, slowly blowing on it, but refusing to drink it.
Seeing Muska's exasperated appearance, every crease on his face relaxed, revealing a look of pure satisfaction.
The fact that this Goliath could make this always sarcastic and self-important young nobleman lose his composure like this shows how worthwhile it was!
"Explanation? I've determined that the enemy has acquired some special technology or weapon that you've deliberately concealed, and we must deploy Goliath to suppress them by force."
"Is this explanation sufficient, Colonel? Should I write it up as a formal report and submit it to the Senate Armed Services Committee?"
Mouro believed he had seen through everything, and he specifically emphasized the words "deliberately concealed".
After the meeting the day before yesterday, he felt something was amiss, so he took precautions and first sent a reconnaissance plane to conduct high-altitude reconnaissance of Valley Town and its surrounding area.
The photos and reports brought back by the reconnaissance plane nearly made him jump out of his chair.
Beside the Railway Valley, a giant golden tree, hundreds of meters tall, suddenly sprouted overnight!
Considering that Dola was also searching for the legendary ancient Volucite and the treasure of Laputa, Mouro almost immediately concluded that this strange giant tree was related to relics of an ancient civilization.
He knows perfectly well how amazing the relics of ancient civilizations are.
There lies a malfunctioning robot, impervious to water and fire, and indestructible, beneath the Tidis Fortress.
And the fact that Dola's Gang, who had mastered ancient technology, were able to repel the army suddenly became quite reasonable.
Would Muska's agents be unaware of this intelligence?
Bullshit! They were there at the time, and there are still sentries nearby!
He definitely knew but deliberately concealed it, wanting me to send ground troops to suffer another crushing defeat!
Fortunately, Lao Tzu was wise enough to discover these petty tricks in advance.
Mouro was smug, feeling that he had outwitted the opponent.
"Special weapons? What nonsense are you talking about?" Muska's brows furrowed tightly; he genuinely had no idea what Mouro was saying.
He had indeed heard from his men about Pazu and Dola's unusual behavior, but he hadn't taken it seriously.
In that chaotic situation, it's quite normal for several shots to miss.
Even if those two are truly as powerful as rumored, could they possibly withstand the artillery fire of an armored train?
"Hmph—keep playing dumb then. No one can resist Goliath's power."
Mouro put down his teacup, looking confident.
Under the shadow of Goliath and the muzzle of his cannons, any resistance is futile.
This will be a swift and easy suppression.
"Idiot!"
Muska finally couldn't hold back any longer and, disregarding her composure, cursed under her breath.
"You're just driving the Goliath over there so brazenly. What if Dola and her gang manage to escape with their target beforehand? Wouldn't the whole plan fall apart? Don't you understand the principle of alerting the enemy?"
"Colonel, watch your words!"
Mouro's face darkened, and his voice turned cold.
" The Tiger Moth's speed and rate of climb are nowhere near that of the Goliath. By the time they spotted us, our radar and lookouts had already locked onto them."
As if to confirm his words, an alarm sounded from the Bridge.
"General, an unidentified flying object has been spotted ahead. It is suspected to be a small aircraft belonging to Dola's Gang!" The soldier in charge of monitoring the radar turned around and reported.
In calm conditions, Goliath was very fast, and since both were moving in opposite directions, the ornithopter quickly approached Goliath.
"Those annoying flies, swat them down!"
At Mouro's command, the small-caliber gun emplacements and machine gun turrets on the upper level of Goliath quickly turned around and aimed at the approaching reconnaissance target.
Before he could even give the order to fire, the three ornithopters released large amounts of colored smoke, completely obscuring his vision.
After the smoke cleared, there was no trace of the three "flies."
"Reporting to the general, the target appears to have fled in different directions."
"Ignore those little bugs; they're probably just trying to distract us. Have you spotted the Tiger Moth?"
"Neither sentry posts nor radar detected it, suggesting that the Tiger Moth has not yet taken off."
"Alright! Full speed ahead towards the Railway Valley, they have no chance of escaping!"
Mouro leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the large observation window in front of the cockpit. Gray clouds swept past the sides of the warship, suggesting that rain was imminent.
Glancing sideways at Muska, who was about to say something, he interrupted him, "Just sit there and wait to see the show, Colonel."
"Behold the true power of this behemoth! See how utterly insignificant those little tricks are before absolute power!"
"The One Piece of Laputa will surely be ours!"