Realm of Power

January, Baston area

The earth has entered the cold winter. The fat man breathed hot air into his almost frozen right hand, reined in his horse, and looked at the sky in the distance. In the snow-white sky and earth, large tracts of goose feather-like snowflakes fell. A hundred meters in front, a stream of snowflakes fell. The city's caravans are approaching,

The caravan consisted of more than a dozen flatbed carriages carrying goods. The wheel tracks of the carriages rolled up dry ice-like white snow on the ground. Behind the caravan was a small city. The small stone wall was like a fence, connecting the entire city. The city is surrounded by it, with several centimeters of snow piled on the walls.

"The snow is too heavy, let's find a place to rest first, and then continue walking tomorrow!" The fat man greeted the guards behind him. The guards at the city gate saw that a group of regular army cavalry was coming, and they quickly stood at attention.

"Tell me, where is the warmest hotel in the city!" The fat man stopped his horse in front of the guard and asked the guard loudly.

There are not many small towns like this on the road, basically one every 50 miles. It is more appropriate to say it is a post station rather than a town. They are not large in scale. They usually have 7 to 8 hotels and pubs, etc., mainly To stop people coming and going, these areas are generally located at the connecting points of the city boundary, with no villages in front and no shops in the back.

Even if Fatty is a regular soldier, he is treated the same as a caravan in these places.

"Xingang Hotel, go forward 200 meters and then turn left 50 meters!" The guard glanced at the fat man's general armor, then glanced at the thirty or so black-armored cavalry behind the fat man, and responded loudly with a nervous look, "Door The three-story restaurant with the wooden oval sign on it is, sir, I can’t guarantee that the food in that restaurant is the best, but it is definitely the largest in the town. With so many of you, that’s probably the only place where you can live. !”

While the fat man was talking with the guards, a caravan coming from the opposite direction also stopped at the gate of the town. The merchant above jumped off the carriage and went to register with another guard.

"Are there many caravans recently?"

The fat man pretended to be casual and glanced in the direction of the caravan. Including the group that just went out, he had already encountered the eighth caravan today. In order to rush back to Normandy as soon as possible to reunite with his lovely wives, the fat man was a rare Braving the wind and snow

The guard raised his head and said nonchalantly, "Your Excellency, you are right. Since the construction of Haicheng began, the number of caravans on this road has almost doubled. Today's caravans are still relatively small. The snow is too heavy today." , many caravans chose to wait, and those who were on their way They are bold, and they have been like this during this period. The coldness of heaven and earth cannot stop these businessmen from seeking wealth. For Xin Haicheng, everyone is going crazy! ""You mean, these businessmen are all rushing to Xin Haicheng! Go? "The fat man seemed to have thought of something. He asked with a solemn expression.

"Of course, can't you still see it? The guard nodded at him, sighed at the cloth-covered hand, and said, "You know. The construction of Xinhai City is the most popular topic right now. The huge coastal city is like the biggest source of heat in this cold winter, attracting the attention of merchants from the entire northwest coast. Five large ports, more than 80,000 construction workers, and a surprising amount of required materials..." "If I were a businessman. I will be moved too! "The guard's voice stopped and he said with emotion." It is said that there are even many chambers of commerce coming from Ikadiva. To be honest, this kind of scene has been gone since the reunification of the Ikadiva continent. Long time no see! "The guard shook his head, and it didn't look like he was telling lies." If I were you, I would go to the hotel I just mentioned immediately, otherwise the room might be tight by then! "

"Hurry up, please! I have to take goods from here to Haicheng." An impatient voice came from behind, and another caravan came. There were not many people, five carriages, just where the fat man was talking. This is Kung Fu, this is already the third team,

A wry smile appeared on the corner of the fat man's mouth. He was really crazy. Even the small caravan came to join in. "Okay, let's go in first!" The fat man rode into the town. Both sides of the street were lined with temporary two-story houses built with wooden planks. It was newly painted and colorful, just like other small towns in the coastal area. Turning the road in front, the fat man saw what the guard said was the three-story building with a wooden oval sign on the door "Sword and Beauty!"

The fat man rolled his eyes at this popular name and got off his horse. This hotel is indeed the largest in the town. Although it only has three floors, it occupies a length of more than fifty meters. Judging from the room, it should be more than 100 meters. Well, the fat man sent a guard in and booked thirty-five rooms.

Behind the hotel is a yard, where the horses are led into the stables. There are many merchant carriages parked inside, some full of goods, some empty. Some members of the caravan are chatting in twos and threes, and they see people from the army entering. There was no surprise on the businessman's face. It was commonplace. It was not surprising to meet the military people on the road. This is the direction from Baston to Xinhai City. It is the only road that must be passed by, and people from the army often come and go on this road. The businessmen's eyes stop for a moment and then quickly shift away. The evil spirit of the soldiers is a kind of oppressive force that people dare not face up to at any time." Your Majesty, I have booked the entire third floor! "The guard who booked the room came out with a bunch of keys. "Okay, it's been a tiring day, everyone, let's go to bed early!"

The fat man waved to the other guards and walked into the somewhat simple room. The fat man sat down on the bed. The room was small, with a skylight above his head that had been closed because of the cold weather. One end of the bed faced the round window. There is a living room of about 20 square meters outside. This is the top room in the hotel.

After hesitating for a moment, the fat man leaned on the bed and took out a document from his clothes. It was a report delivered by the Supervision Department. The arrival of several princesses at the same time not only caught the fat man off guard, but also made the Supervision Department nervous. pole,

"It seems that the report of the Supervision Department is not groundless!" The fat man glanced at the report written by the emergency investigation, and a helpless smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. The situation outside just confirmed the authenticity of this report.

In this report full of surprises, Fatty suddenly discovered that he had inadvertently ignited the flames of a war. With the rapid expansion of Oparo's overseas territories, it had set off a big storm within the empire's business community. ,

After more than half a year of strong external expansion, the Falcon Empire has spawned a vast area called New Land from the Normandy region. This area has the Principality of Baston, the Principality of Bresse, the Marquis of Ohacha, the Principality of Bangor, the City of Rwanaka, and other large and small narrow coastal strips that are connected for more than a thousand miles. This area, in terms of area, has A land equivalent to one-tenth of the Ikadiva continent, in terms of population. The population of this narrow area has exceeded 700,000 after the capture of Bangor in December.

Faced with such a huge cake, Ikadiva businessmen have already begun to take action.

In the Battle of Biye Valley, the Falcon Kingdom defeated the Southwest Army, establishing its position as the Lord of the Northwest and stabilizing the internal environment. The gradually improving road network and strong military support have also aroused the ambitions of domestic businessmen. The development of maritime trade has evolved from domestic trade. Rapidly developed into trade between the two continents,

Not only the eyes of the Chamber of Commerce, but also several domestic forces are quickly focusing on the new region. There is a population sufficient to operate here, a vast land, and a natural harbor. With the escort of the Imperial Navy and the protection of His Majesty the Falcon, what else is there to worry about?

And this time, several major princesses in the country collectively went to the new land, which sent a clear message to the country.

The big forces behind these princesses have finally begun to extend their hands to the new land area. If you are still hesitant now and wait until everything becomes a foregone conclusion, you will miss not only hope, but also a soaring opportunity. This time The construction of Xinhai City has finally brought this commercial war to light.

The fat man stood in front of the oval window on the top floor, looking at the snowy world outside the window with bright eyes. Only he knew that the northwest was not as peaceful as most people saw. Although it was not an undercurrent, it was not. Algernon Katja, who was definitely caught in a precarious situation, finally returned to the Algernon family with a ransom of up to 8 million. It is ironic that the person who interceded was actually Julius Fordburg who had previously wanted to kill him and then quickly. ,

Julius Ford, who had just become the head of the New South District, urgently needed to show his capabilities to the Southwest Army, which was fighting a bloody battle with the Congolese Army. To do this, there was naturally no better solution than saving the former Southwest Commander. Good, but something that can be done without spending too much effort is even better. The Algernon family paid for it, and Julius Fordburg just acted as a middleman for a while.

The estimate is correct, 8 million gold coins. This is the limit of the cash that the Algernon family can come up with in a short time after just suffering a blow. If more is needed, the Algernon family may have to ask Gao Gao. His Majesty Emperor Lu borrowed it,

As a result, the changes caused may make the situation out of control. Gao Ming knew that the Vecchia Falcon was deliberately blackmailing him. The Algernon family had to swallow this bitter pill in the end. The Algernon family lost the southwest, and then In the northwest, it is said that the grand parade during the spring curtain season in January just passed. The Algernon family, who used to go all out in luxury to show off their wealth, could simply be described as miserable.

After receiving the money, the fat man reluctantly ordered his release and personally watched the entire process of Algernonkaja being released. Algernonkaja, who had been under house arrest in the dungeon for more than thirty days, seemed to be crying bitterly when the family messenger came from afar, as if he wanted to vent all his sorrow and depression through crying. Until Fat Man, the Battle of Biye Valley completely destroyed the confidence of Algernonkaja, who was known as the most outstanding military genius of the younger generation. Everyone thought that he was either crazy or stupid. Then he foolishly ran to Biye Valley, and in the end he was killed together with tens of thousands of troops.

The destruction of confidence is far more tragic than death in battle. He is well-dressed and well-fed, and has never suffered any blows or setbacks. He thinks he can control everything, but finds out that he is actually just the target of the other party's tricks. It is said that Alger returned to Gaul and Kyoto. Nongkajia didn't even dare to leave the house, and there were reports of beating servants several times. The kind of eyes that wandered around him as if looking at monkeys, probably no one except the person involved. Others can feel it.

Just as Fatty rushed to Normandy, some uninvited guests from the south began to appear in the waters of Xinhai City.

The sea surface in winter gradually becomes gloomy with the cold, and the sky is filled with dark clouds. Most of the time, the wind is biting, and the air seems extremely dry and cold. There is no snow on the sea, but there is rain. The patter of raindrops fell on the sea, splashing up extremely small and beautiful water splashes. The sea surface gradually became gray in the continuous drizzle, and the visibility was very low, with only the constant rippling of the sea water. As if foreseeing the coming storm, five Dragon Tooth battleships quietly appeared on the nearby sea. They were the squadron responsible for cruising. The dragon-class flagship's mast was unabashedly hung with a large Falcon Navy flag fluttering in the wind. , the continuous drizzle made the visibility extremely low on the sea, and no ships could be seen two thousand meters away.

Captain Potakdi of No. 139 Longya stood on the front deck of the Longya battleship. He raised his lookout and looked at the sea in the distance. As a cruising fleet, he received reports from some caravans that someone had been seen nearby. famous naval warship. The Admiralty suspects that this is the navy of the Empire of Congo that has transferred from the southwest sea. In a sense, the Admiralty has no plans to fight with it yet. The Minister of the Navy, Dustronkai, has quickly reported the matter to Falcon. Your Majesty, but I haven’t heard back yet.

The Admiralty could only order the cruise fleet to be more vigilant and set up defenses near the Haicheng area. As the future base camp of the Imperial Navy, Dustrunke had no intention of letting people peek into its new home. Three cruise fleets were ordered to set off. They searched in three directions. In fact, Potakdi did not expect his luck to be so good. He searched along the north. If the enemy comes from the south, they should not appear in this area

But a small black dot in the distance still caught his attention. He couldn't see it very clearly. Faintly, it seems that the outline of the sailing battleship can be seen. This is a large battleship. Followed by five to six small and medium-sized battleships. "My lord, the squadron ordered to meet them!" The voice of the flag bearer on the mast came from overhead, "Come forward? Is this going to start a war?" Potakdi was stunned for a moment in surprise. The commander of this squadron is Joseph, the rudest, but also the most offensive one among the imperial privateer fleets. At this moment, on the squadron's flagship Dragon-class battleship, Joseph stands on the deck like a condensed statue. He stared at the black spots getting closer and closer on the sea in the distance with lightning eyes. In the blink of an eye, the distance between the two sides quickly closed to about a thousand meters.

The wind and rain pounded through the deck, and the fleets on both sides could vaguely see the situation on both sides through the white raindrops floating in front. Coming opposite was a large sailing warship, plus four medium-sized warships. This configuration was more like a detective team,

The huge sail is divided into two layers, the upper and lower layers, which are almost as wide as the upper and lower ones. It is blown up like a hemisphere by the wind. It is so huge that it almost covers the side of the warship. The sail is huge and has a ten-meter-long hard angle. From a distance it looks like It was a row of knights wearing armor and holding lances. The pointed triangular bows were like sharp swords, cutting through the wind and waves in front of them very quickly. They were menacing and arrogant, like five hungry wolves. The sea on the other side rushes over

"This is the navy of the Gangfei Empire!" Joseph's pupils tightened. He saw clearly the flag of the Gangfei Empire on the opponent's battleship through the lookout glass. His face looked solemn, and there seemed to be flames bursting out in his deeply sunken eyes. ,

But he tried hard to control his emotions. The unique shape of the opponent's sailing warship made him know from his many years of sailing experience that once this kind of fast assault warship takes up all the wind and goes downwind, it will inevitably be like a sharp spike coming off the string. Plunge into the opponent's fleet, and then use the hard collision angle at the front to gut the opponent. In such near-freezing water, If a person falls into the sea, he will freeze to death due to the cold in a very short period of time, and the chance of survival is almost negligible. In such a harsh environment, the greatest weapon of a warship is speed. As long as it penetrates the enemy's On the ship deck, no matter how big the warship is, it will fall into a situation of destruction. "Should we fight or avoid!" Joseph's face was hesitating. The Navy Department had not yet issued a battle order.

"Admiral, the other side is trying to gain the upper hand!" The lookout's nervous voice came from overhead.

"Asshole, this should be regarded as a declaration of war!"

Joseph cursed very unwillingly. When fighting at sea, whoever can seize the upper wind position first will have the initiative in this encounter. The opponent is an extremely fast sailing light warship, and the cold and biting sea water is their biggest threat. weapons. As long as you take advantage of the wind, you can easily strengthen the impact of your fleet.

"Admiral, each ship has sent a request for battle and believes that the other party intends to start a war!" the lookout on the mast shouted.

Joseph hesitated, then finally raised his hand to measure the wind speed and direction. Shouting loudly, "The fleet turns 11 degrees to the left and orders the two fast ships in the vanguard to immediately seize the upper wind position!" As the order was issued, the Dragon Tooth ship, the fastest among the two fleets, quickly separated from the fleet.

The cold wind howled. The sails of the warship swelled and made a tense creaking sound. The originally scattered fleet began to turn to the left, like a giant beast running on the sea, drawing a huge upward diagonal line on the calm sea. Heavy sounds continued to come from the front. The sound of the ship's bow breaking through the ice floe,

"500 meters!"

“300 meters“

The fleet on the opposite side has no intention of slowing down at all.

"Attention, port side!"

With a tragic shout from the side, a wider warship guarding the flank was hit head-on because it could not dodge in time. "Pah! Pah! Pah!" The sound of the ship's side being torn apart was particularly harsh in the howling sea breeze, and broken wood flew everywhere, just like two huge icebergs colliding with each other. In a flash, the sailing warship of the Gangfei Empire had penetrated deeply into the side of the cruise fleet like an arrow, opening a terrifying hole. Countless broken wood boards flowed out with the sea water, and the cold sea water was rushing into the hole. The mast with the sails hanging on it fell heavily, and the deck was in a mess, with corpses everywhere, blood dripping, and the wounded lying in a pool of blood groaning in pain.

"Asshole, kill it!"

In an instant, Joseph was angry and irritable. The roar almost penetrated two decks. Everyone knew that the Dragon Tooth ship had suffered heavy damage, and their eyes suddenly turned red. "Boom boom" countless red lights with anger shot out from the sides of the Dragon-class warships and other Dragon Tooth ships.

Countless water splashes boiled the sea surface with the flames, and the decks of the two sailing warships that were triumphantly turned into powder in an instant.

Countless shells had smashed several holes in the deck, and at the same time left forty or fifty gaps of various sizes on the side of the ship. The huge explosion lifted the entire deck into the air, and the people and objects on it fell like raindrops.

The fierce counterattack of the cruise fleet completely scared the fleet that had just been non-empire half to death. The four sailing warships that were sailing with the wind quickly turned and fled (to be continued...)