Entering the Sea-Encircled Country

"Boom!!"

With a deafening roar, the erupting waves, mixed with the current, pulled at the nearby cruise ship, causing it to shake violently.

"Whoa!!"

With violent rocking, the crew scrambled for cover, grabbing onto anything they could find while awaiting the captain's orders. Although they, as a ship, possessed necessary means of self-defense, their trebuchets were more than enough to deal with pirates, but the enemy was an official vessel! A powerful warship of the Kudel navy!

Even if a rabbit has ten horns, it is still not a tiger.

"Dear Miss!"

Meanwhile, in the captain's cabin, the unfortunate and pitiful captain was also holding his hat, which was already askew to one side, with a mournful face.

"Please, please let me go! We're just a small pleasure boat, while they're a naval warship!"

Do not be afraid.

Angela her folding fan shut, a cold yet alluring smile on her face.

"Stand still and see the salvation the Jehovah will bring you today; for the Egypt you see today will never be seen again."

"What are you talking about... What are we going to do now? This time it was just a deterrent shot, but next time, they will definitely hit us. Although I don't know why you insist on pushing through the blockade so forcefully, perhaps... perhaps we should..."

Why are you begging me?

Angela turned to the captain, her crimson eyes filled with a chilling mockery.

"Command the Israelites to go forward and raise their hands toward the sea..."

As she spoke, Angela raised the fan in her hand, a smug smile appearing on her lips.

"Separate the water."

With that, Angela forcefully chopped down the fan in her hand.

The roar of the floodwaters temporarily distracted the captain; he turned his head away, but then he could never look back.

Right before their ships, a massive chasm was forcibly cleaved open by the sea, as if an invisible giant hand had parted the vast ocean. A raging torrent of water began to swirl along the crevice, but not a single drop could penetrate. At the same time, however, the turbulent current began to flow downwards, and the two warships positioned at the edge of the chasm naturally bore the brunt of its force. Although they possessed considerable power, before the boundless might of nature, they were utterly powerless.

"... The seawater submerged the chariots and cavalry; not a single one of Pharaoh's army that had followed the Israelites into the sea remained."

After watching the two warships being torn apart by the ocean currents and swallowed by the Abyss, Angela smiled and delivered her next line. Then, she opened her folding fan and held it to her lips. With this gesture, the previously separated seas converged again, returning to their original state. Under everyone's gaze, the sea became calm once more; the enormous chasm from before seemed like a nightmare.

"You commanded the wind, and the sea swallowed them; they sank like lead in the waters. And among the gods who is like you, most holy and glorious, praiseworthy and awe-inspiring, who performs wonders? You stretched out your right hand, and the earth swallowed them up. By your mercy you led your redeemed people to your holy place."

Angela paused slightly after saying this, then smiled and looked at the captain again.

"So, there shouldn't be any problems now, right?"

"... Ah, yes. Yes!"

Upon hearing Angela's words, the captain seemed to realize what was happening. He reflexively tensed up and cautiously replied.

"Whew, now it's your turn. I want to sleep a little longer... Remember to wake me up for dinner. Today, I want veal steak."

"Yes... respected lady."

"Hmph, Jehovah, how could that piece of trash compare to me?"

Angela smiled softly and then left the captain's cabin, leaving only the sweating captain and helmsman. At this moment, the captain was genuinely regretting accepting the job for such a small sum of money. Although for sailors like them who often "moonlighted" as smugglers, crossing the blockade to another country wasn't particularly difficult. Of course, in most cases, they could succeed with a sure thing, but a dangerous situation like this was rare.

However, after witnessing that nightmarish scene firsthand, the captain would rather his ship had sunk and he had become shark food than stand there unscathed. Although the beautiful, solo woman on her boat had initially exuded a distinctly dangerous aura, the captain hadn't expected her to be this dangerous. Was he kidding? In all his years at sea, he'd never witnessed anything so bizarre. The sea parting because of a single person's words? How could he possibly encounter something more impossible than a fairy tale?

If he could, the captain would love to throw that bag of gold into the sea—and even the young lady himself. But for now, that thought was just a fleeting thought. Regardless of who this young lady was, her behavior indicated that she was not someone to be trifled with. Therefore, it was best to obey her for now. After all... at least he was still alive.

For the poor captain, he clearly had no other choice but to go.

Life at sea often makes it hard to keep track of time.

The lookout stood on the tower, gazing at the empty sea, and couldn't help but yawn. The sea breeze was already quite cold at this time of year, but they couldn't leave to enjoy a drink in a warm tavern. Not only was Kudel blockaded their coastline, threatening to strike at any moment, but also, due to this damned blockade, even the taverns had no extra liquor to sell. Damn it, even that cheap liquor—ten cups of water mixed into one cup—was now selling for five gold coins, far beyond the reach of sailors like themselves! And, to make matters worse, their damned superior clearly approved of this policy; at least that way they wouldn't mess things up because of drunkenness!

Okay, so what if we just watch from here?

The lookout, exasperated, retreated to a corner, trying to calm the wind.

Everyone knows that Kudel's naval fleet is far superior to the small wooden boats of these Sea-Encircled Country. If they really come knocking, what can we do besides run for our lives? Oh, perhaps we could raise a white flag, warmly welcome their arrival, and then offer up all our treasures, begging those guys for a little bit of goodwill?

That's damn good.

It was merely a reflex; the lookout hand glanced at the horizon again—then, his eyes widened in surprise, and he even took his hand out of his warm gloves to rub his eyes vigorously.

That's right, it wasn't his imagination; there really was a black dot on the sea surface.

What exactly is that?!

He grabbed the binoculars and began to carefully examine the black dot. Then, he rubbed his eyes vigorously—almost rubbing his eyeballs out of their sockets.

Good heavens, that's a merchant ship!!

Since Kudel blockaded the coastline, the people of the Sea-Encircled Country haven't seen any merchant ships for some time! This has been a devastating blow to them. Although they can barely make a living by fishing in their coastal waters, as a Sea-Encircled Country nation composed of many islands, the Sea-Encircled Country lacks the capacity to produce cloth and food. They trade most of their goods for goods from abroad. And because of Kudel's blockade, they haven't been able to acquire any goods for a long time!

The resounding bell immediately rang, and the once lifeless dock seemed to gradually awaken, becoming lively. Many people, pulling trucks loaded with various seafood, gathered on the dock. They too had seen the growing black dot on the coastline, and their faces were filled with excitement. Although they didn't know what kind of cargo ship it was, as long as it wasn't Kudel warship, then there was no problem!

Soon, two warships from the Sea-Encircled Country also sailed out of the port. Under everyone's watchful eyes, they gradually approached the merchant ship. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the outcome. They didn't want it to be a warship disguised as a Kudel Navy vessel, but it certainly didn't look like one—moreover, given the huge military disparity between the Kudel Navy and the Sea-Encircled Country, they had no need to use such methods.

After several back-and-forths, the warships circling the merchant ship began to turn, escorting it towards the dock. Just as the crowd was about to cheer, suddenly, the two warships simultaneously activated their signal flags, and flashes of light appeared at their bows. Upon receiving the signal, the soldiers on the dock immediately sprang into action. Without explanation, they separated the onlookers, even ruthlessly excluding the merchants who had come to make a quick profit. Fully armed soldiers sealed off the entire dock in the shortest possible time. Then, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, a luxurious carriage sped out from the official residence halfway up the hill not far away. Soon, a shrewd and capable man stepped out of the carriage. He wore a well-tailored shirt, and his thin face was somewhat gloomy, even tinged with unease.

Upon seeing this man's appearance, the onlookers couldn't help but whisper among themselves, for this man was none other than the governor! It was well known that he hadn't appeared in public for a long time during this tense period. And now, he had actually shown himself... Could it be that some important figure had arrived?

But what kind of important person would come here on a merchant ship?

Under the expectant gazes of the crowd, the merchant ship slowly docked at the pier. As the sampans were placed on the dock, everyone watched with anticipation as the important figures they imagined would appear on deck. Which country's nobleman? Or which country's king?

However, when that figure appeared, almost everyone felt their heart stop beating at that moment.

A slender, graceful figure was enveloped in a magnificent black gown, her long silver hair shimmering softly in the winter sunlight. Her exquisitely beautiful face held captivating eyes that gazed upon everything with a triumphant and proud look. In that instant, almost everyone prostrated themselves on the ground, expressing their utmost reverence for this irresistible beauty in the most dignified manner.

Fortunately, this feeling only lasted for a moment, and they quickly regained their rationality. Even so, they all lowered their heads in unison, unwilling to look at the beautiful girl even for a second, for fear that their gaze would desecrate that lofty beauty.

Very good.

Angela narrowed her eyes, observing the crowd with a smug smirk. She disliked being stared at by these "lower people" with lustful eyes. Therefore, when Angela appeared, she deliberately released a small amount of her aura. Although it was only one percent of Angela's full power, it was enough to evoke a sense of awe in the hearts of those people.

"On behalf of the Sea-Encircled Country, I welcome you, beautiful and noble lady."

"Hello."

Angela did not accept the outstretched hand, but nodded slightly in return.

"I am Angela Christie, and I come on behalf of the most exalted Dominator of the Magic Empire — the Arcane Mage —to respond to your request."

As soon as Angela said this, the previously lively crowd fell silent. Everyone stared at the ground in front of them with disbelief, wondering if they had misheard something.

Magic Empire!?

Their king actually made demands of the Magic Empire?!

"Angela... Miss Christie."

Under Angela's bloodshot gaze, the governor couldn't help but shiver before hastily adding her full name.

"His Majesty the King has been eagerly awaiting your arrival. We are deeply honored that you are here... So..."

The governor wasn't an idiot. Although Angela didn't take his hand, he still turned his hand and gestured "please" toward the carriage.

"..."

In response to the governor's remarks, Angela did not say much, but chuckled softly before turning and stepping into the carriage.

As the carriages and soldiers departed, the once quiet docks came alive again. People discussed the scene with astonishment, even forgetting their plans to trade goods with the merchant ships. For nothing could be more awe-inspiring than what they had just heard with their own ears.

"This is insane! Why would His Majesty the King request the assistance of the Magic Empire?!"

"The Magic Empire... that's the evil nation that was supposedly destroyed a thousand years ago, isn't it? My God, has it reappeared?"

"Old man, what are you afraid of? It wasn't us who destroyed the Magic Empire back then, it was those pigs from the Five-Nation Alliance. What are you afraid of? I heard that the Magic Empire is now beating the Five-Nation Alliance so badly on the continent that they can't even breathe. The Five-Nation Alliance has crushed us so badly, so their enemy is naturally our friend, isn't it?"

"So you young people are just ignorant and arrogant. You have no idea what terrible things the Magic Empire did back then..."

"Come on, old man, isn't that all you've heard from legends? Have you seen it with your own eyes? Besides, those idiots in the Five-Nation Alliance just keep saying we're all barbaric natives who eat raw fish."

"Oh dear... how could His Majesty the King make such a decision..."

"The Five-Nation Alliance is not easy to deal with..."

Various interpretations began to spread among the crowd, and everyone reacted differently to the information—some were happy, some were afraid, some were sad, some were excited, and some were uneasy. After all, none of them knew what changes this would ultimately bring to them.

Meanwhile, in the palace, facing Angela, the king of the Sea-Encircled Country was also somewhat uneasy.

"Welcome to our country, Miss Angela... I imagine your journey must have been very tiring."

"Actually, it wasn't that hard."

Angela neither bowed nor returned the greeting. She simply stood there, responding casually to the king's reply with a languid expression. However, no one dared to criticize her behavior. Angela was behaving like an arrogant envoy from a powerful nation, completely disregarding a small country like the Sea-Encircled Country. Of course, this was perfectly normal. Even the Five-Nation Alliance wouldn't behave any better when sending envoys—they were all genuine scoundrels and villains.

Your Majesty.

Although it was a title of respect, Angela's arrogant yet melodious voice completely devoid of any sense of reverence.

"You sent an envoy to our Arcane Mage requesting assistance... and now, we have made our decision."

Upon hearing this, both the king and his ministers stared intently at her. Although they had guessed what would happen next since Angela arrived, guessing and receiving confirmation from her were two completely different things.

"The great and exalted ruler of the Magic Empire, the Arcane Mage, has decided to offer your assistance in resisting Kudel's attack."

Angela's tactful approach was remarkable. While it was essentially a request or demand, she avoided uttering statements like "The Angela Arcane Mage agrees to your request" or "I agree to your demands." This shifted the balance of power. Although diplomacy ultimately hinges on the outcome, the outward appearance of the process is equally important. By changing the wording to "The Arcane Mage has decided to provide assistance," Angela effectively seized the initiative. She stated, "This is our decision to provide assistance," rather than "Assistance provided at your request"—the game of linguistic transformation can be incredibly complex.

However, these people were now completely unconcerned about the verbal games Angela was playing. After hearing Angela's response, many of them breathed a long sigh of relief, though their expressions varied greatly. His Majesty the King, on the other hand, looked completely relaxed, even somewhat pleased.

He won his gamble! He entrusted the fate of the entire nation to the Magic Empire, and now it seems that it was not a wrong decision.

Of course, the fact that the other side only sent one envoy and made no other gesture was somewhat insufficient for the king. However...

"We are delighted to hear such a friendly response, Miss Christie."

The king was, after all, the king. Although he was filled with joy and excitement, he did not show it on the surface.

"I just don't know what kind of assistance your country is willing to provide us?"

"We can guarantee that Kudel's navy will no longer be able to threaten your country."

Angela's words brought a surge of joy to everyone, but her next words plunged them into Abyss.

"However, we hope that your country can provide some small compensation for this."