City of Desire [Kingdom Building]

Chapter 251: Attacked At Sea I

“How long since we have passed Inam?” I asked Stone behind me. “One and a half hours ago,” he replied. 
 
I would have liked to see it; it is a beautiful city. I will see when we come back.
 
I was staring at the vast blue sea when Locke and two people came out to the deck and there was a smile on their faces.
 
In the five days of negotiations, there has been only a person who had leveled up or told he had leveled up. If he was telling the truth, then likely nearly everyone had leveled up today.
 
I wish I could use Sight Through Veil on them, but I couldn’t. There is too much resistance.
 
I had tried it and been training in it in the Lauryl. Many people don’t mind such skills being used by them, as long as you pay them.
 
So, I had quite a lot of subjects to test my skill, but since it was a skill from Agent of Experience, I faced resistance and could only see the classes that were below Lv. 10.
 
Even if I could see their classes, I won’t. It is rude. I could do that with girls because it is stipulated in their contract, but these people didn’t work for me. 
 
However, since I am their superior, even if I do that, they won’t complain. 
 
I won’t.
 
I was standing by the railing when Captain Perry, came walking toward me. “It is quite a good travel skill you or one of your people have used; it will take us to Port Midlet, a little quickly,” he said in a good mood.
 
“Thank you, Captain Perry,” I replied.
 
It is not me, but I am not going to tell him that. Though, I am surprised, not by someone using a travel skill. I am surprised by Captain Perry telling me about it, which means the skill is good.
 
I wonder who it is?
 
“We should be able to reach Port Midlet by eleven, right?” I asked after a moment of silence. “The wind is wind us, we might be able to reach before eleven,” he replied.
 
We have a meeting at two with the trade department of the Port Midlet, and it made me relieved that we will be there well before time.
 
I don’t want this negotiation to be as stressful as the last. They won’t be. We have already agreed on a couple of important things and their reception has been well about others.
 
They don’t have a choice; with six cities joining us, they are the only one who has yet to sign the contract.
 
If they don’t, they will miss the opportunity. So, they swallowed their hate for us and agreed to the negotiation.
 
“That’s good,” I said and.
 
He smiled and opened his mouth when suddenly, he stopped and whipped his neck to the left toward the western side.
 
“What happened, Captain?” I said immediately, seeing the sudden change in his demure. The captain didn’t answer immediately and instead took out the enchanted spyglass and began to look.
 
We are sailing close to the coast. So, I don’t think there is a danger; the coast is patrolled.
 
Though it might not be heavily patrolled along the mainland’s coast, it is secure. 
 
Considering, that the coast of the Renwell region comes in the middle of the coast of the mainland and the coast merchant state, two of the most secure coasts in the continent of Zenid.
 
“Captain, a ship is making a way toward us,” warned the watcher.
 
Captain Perry didn’t react, but others became serious.
 
Some of the members of the delegation, who were on deck, gathered near the door, and even those coming out like Ina, had also stopped at the door, feeling the atmosphere.
 
“What is happening Captain?” asked Captain Azalea as she appeared by us.
 
She had already directed her men to take positions, while the men of Captain Perry had also started to move toward their position.
 
“A ship is coming toward us, and its intentions don’t look pure,” said Captain, with his expressions turning serious, while mine and Captain Azalea turned nasty.
 
“Pirates?” asked Captain Azalea, to which the older man shook his head.
 
“It is hard to say, seeing, they are wearing masks, but one thing is clear, they didn’t look like they have good intentions,” he said, and his eyes turned sharp.
 
“Men, on position.” He ordered and seemed to activate some skills, before turning to me. “Adviser, please go to a safe cabin; it might become dangerous here,” he requested.
 
“I will stay,” I replied, and he looked at me. He wanted to say something but stopped after seeing my guards appearing beside me.
 
“Everyone, follow the captain's men to safety,” I said to Ina and others. 
 
“Take care, Master Silver,” said Ina after a moment of hesitation before going inside the ship. There is one safe cabin on the ship, which is better protected; it can also eject people out if the ship drowns or burns.
 
“I had thought, after a week of intense negotiation. There will be some nice and quiet during the travel, but it didn’t seem like, that is the case,” I said, with a mirthless smile as I took out of my saber.
 
The people beside me didn’t say anything and just kept looking.
 
Soon, I could see the ship, and their target was us. They know who we are and targeting us. The flags of Greltheaven and the Count could easily be seen on our ship from the distance.
 
I really hope it is nothing but a misunderstanding. If they want us harm, it could be solved with words and some money.
 
The ship has come close to that. I could make out its size and tell the ship was smaller than ours 
 
Captain walked toward the railing, and I asked Zela to follow him.
 
“Halt and reveal your intentions,” said the captain. 
 
He didn’t raise his voice much, but I do not doubt that with the skill he was using, the people on the other ship had heard it loud and clear.
 
Boom!
 
There was a response. A cannonball; seeing that, I cursed loudly.
 
Boom Boom Boom
 
Those bastards aren’t even willing to talk; they have directly shot the cannonball, and it is only one; after the first one, they have released the volley.
 
“Fire at will,” said Captain Perry as he straightened, and I felt him activate his skills.
 
Boom Boom Boom
 
Like the enemies, our ship begins to fire the cannons, that begin to shake the whole ship. The cannonballs moved toward the enemy ship, as theirs came toward us.
 
I begin to feel the sailor's activating the skills. As they targeted the enemy with cannons.
 
It took seconds for cannons to reach the ship; most were avoided with expert maneuvering of a ship under the captain's order and the power of skills, but some still came at it.
 
BANG BANG BANG
 
“Mages, shields,” said Captain Perry, and shields appeared in front of the cannons.
 
These cannon balls are powerful. Seeing the first shields wasn't enough to stop them, but the four mages on the ship were experienced and they cast layers of shields, which protected the ship from any harm.
 
Usually, the ship only has two mages, but I had two extras for this trip; not to mention, there are three more in Captain Azalea’s team, and they are all experienced in naval combat.
 
She is standing by me with my guards.
 
While she is responsible for the security of delegation, her priority is me. She has to save me, even at the cost of others. They are her exact orders. Count Darrow had said those words to her in front of me.
 
I am scared, only an insane wouldn’t be scared in this condition when an unknown ship came at them and started attacking us with a barrage of cannonballs.
 
A single cannonball will turn me into a shower of blood and gore.
 
What is even more worrying is that those who are attacking us are masked, which is not common, but isn’t rare either.
 
Some mercenaries also act as pirates to earn extra money and wear such masks for it. 
 
Hun!
 
Our cannon balls have reached them, and the spells popped in front of the ships defending them.
 
“They have at least four mages,” said Jon. “It is not a common attack. They have come prepared,” added Captain Azalea, and my heart skipped a beat. 
 
I had expected it, but I didn’t feel good when I heard that.
 
Cannons shot from both sides repeatedly but were defended by the skills and mages. 
 
Soon, the distance between the two ships, that of a few hundred meters and I could see the masked people on the small ship, which seemed to be packed.
 
“Mages, archers, attack!” ordered Captain Perry, before turning to Zela beside him.
 
“Mage Zela. I would really appreciate your help,” said Captain Perry, and she looked at me.
 
I nodded, and a moment later, her staff lit up, and tens of lances formed from the seawater and shot toward the ship.
 
Those twenty-four lances are four meters long and as thick as a man. They went toward the enemy ship, with a force greater than the cannonball.
 
She is at Level 25+ Mage.
 
For a water mage like her, the sea is the best battlefield. She could cast more spells without expanding, as much mana as she does on the land.
 
The powerful lances reached the ship in less than half of the time. The lances, with the power they would, would tear through the ship if they hit them, and I hope they hit their target.
 
The lances had reached the ship when suddenly a wall of water rose from the sea.
 
It was big, that it had covered the whole ship, and thick as the length of the lances.
 
BANG BANG BANG!
 
The lances crashed against it hard and went inside. Seeing that, a smile lit up on my face.
 
“There is a powerful mage in there,” said Zela, freezing the smile on my face a moment later. The water wall fell like a curtain, revealing the ship that was completely unharmed.
 
My heart sank, seeing that.

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