Chapter 61

When I stepped out of the cabin, the deck was in a flurry of activity.

The crew members were running around the deck, hastily preparing for battle.

I wanted to give orders, but I deliberately held back.

I was ignorant of naval combat, so I should leave it to the captain, who was an expert in this field.

I didn’t want to bother the busy captain, so I asked Hans instead.

"How is a naval battle conducted?"

The tension of battle had probably cured Hans of seasickness.

He had regained his usual calm tone.

"Usually, in a naval battle, the mages are the key," he said.

"I see."

Then perhaps I can be of help.

Hans pointed to a pile of stones placed at the edge of the deck.

"The basic tactic is to use magic to launch these stones and create large holes in the enemy ships."

I finally realized the purpose of the pile of stones.

This world is one of swords and magic.

Therefore, there are no gunpowder weapons, and they rely on magic.

In the world of my previous life, naval battles were dominated by cannons.

Cannons mounted on the sides of ships would fire continuously, sinking enemy ships, which was the basic tactic of naval combat.

"---So you make up for that with mages, huh?"

However, it must be expensive to gather mages, and the stones lack sufficient power.

Perhaps, I could consider making cannons as an export to Zenobia.

But first, I needed to focus on the enemy.

I decided to intercept the 'stone bullets' unleashed by the enemy mages.

I could use any of the spells: *Barrier*, *Shock*, or *Fireball* to intercept them, but to ensure the safety of this ship, I chose the *Barrier* spell.

Instead of protecting the entire ship, I would guard the incoming stones point by point.

Ideally, I would leave the defense to other mages and join the attack, but Sati was on this ship.

I wanted to avoid any worst-case scenarios.

The enemy's stone bullets were shattered in mid-air, and similarly, our side's stone bullets were also being shattered. A few lucky shots hit the enemy deck, but they were not enough to sink the ship.

Hans explained.

"Redbeard Carossa is also a high-ranking mage."

"---I see."

That explains why he could plunder so many Zenobian ships.

"If that's the case, the rest of the battle is predictable."

In this kind of naval battle, pirate ships are equipped with a ram called a 'rostrum' at the bow.

They use it to pierce the side of the merchant ship and board it.

That's the standard tactic.

Sure enough, Carossa's ship was approaching at an incredible speed.

The sails of the enemy ship were swelling with incredible force.

It seemed they were using the *Gale* spell to accelerate the ship.

"I have to admit, he's quite skilled."

I couldn't help but be impressed.

I never knew the *Gale* spell could be used in such a way.

At first, I thought he was just a pirate, but Redbeard Carossa seemed to be quite a character.

He might be the best mage I've ever encountered.

While thinking this, I prepared for the impact of the enemy ship.

As the bow of the enemy ship pierced the *Boro Senka* and the pirates rushed in, all of them were lightly armed, wielding scimitars or short swords.

"Of course."

This is a naval battle; if they fell into the sea with heavy armor, they would drown.

There's no point in wearing armor in a naval battle.

Moreover, no one was using spears on the narrow deck.

Almost everyone was fighting with scimitars or short swords.

If they were hit, they would immediately become combat ineffective.

Furthermore, there was nowhere to run on the deck.

Everyone was fighting desperately.

This might be the biggest difference between naval and land battles.

Thinking this, I searched for the enemy commander.

I could leave the grunts to the crew and Hans.

They are also brave sailors and won't fall behind.

The problem was Redbeard Carossa.

From the skill and efficiency I had seen so far, I deduced that he was the source of the Redbeard Pirates' strength.

In battle, the side that defeats the enemy commander wins.

If Carossa fell, the battle would be decided.

Thinking this, I scanned the deck.

I thought it would be difficult to find him in the chaos, but it wasn't.

The captain was easily identified.

The most authoritative figure on the enemy deck was Carossa.

He was dressed neatly and had his arms crossed, looking very commanding.

"..."

That was all I could think.

I couldn't help but say it out loud.

"Is there a more perfect pirate than him?"

Even in a black-and-white Hollywood film, they would probably add more twists.

Carossa wore a pirate hat with a skull mark, a red headband, and a red velvet jacket over a shirt that looked like it belonged to a noble.

"..."

If his left hand were a hook, it would be perfect.

And indeed, his left hand was a hook.

Moreover, as expected, he had an eye patch over his left eye.

I sighed but didn't let my guard down.

Carossa may look like a typical pirate, but he is a capable commander.

He didn't join the chaos on our deck but calmly gave orders from his own ship.

Sometimes he would cast *Enchantment* spells to aid his allies and launch *Waterball* spells at our sailors.

He looked like a pirate, but he was an excellent mage and commander.

I have fought many people, but he might be the best mage and commander I've ever faced.

"I wouldn't say it wouldn't be interesting if he weren't."

The more skilled the enemy, the more casualties we would suffer.

I saw that the butler Hans was engaged in a fierce battle with one of the pirates.

The other sailors were at best evenly matched, and overall, we were at a disadvantage.

"If this continues, we'll lose."

Thinking this, I began to chant a spell.

I would use the *Teleport* spell to board the enemy deck directly.

This is the sea, and following the pirate code wouldn't be bad.

Thinking this, I teleported to Carossa.

The first words out of Carossa's mouth when he saw me were,

"..."

"Hmm."

Then he said,

"I've been impressed by your *Barrier* spells, but I didn't expect such a skilled mage to be on board."

Carossa seemed to have assessed my strength in an instant.

That alone was proof of his competence.

I didn't let my guard down and infused my staff with magic.

Despite his appearance, he had a rational and gentlemanly demeanor, but he was a pirate.

I had no idea what tricks he might use.

Sure enough, he attacked without any preamble.

He didn't shout typical pirate phrases like "Die!" or "Take this!"

He silently aimed for my vital points with his saber.

I blocked it with my staff, and sparks flew.

Seeing this, Carossa's expression changed for the first time.

"..."

"Your staff is impressive, even with the magic infusion. You're not just anyone, are you?"

"I'm a brigade commander in the Demon Army, a mage."

I wanted to reveal my identity, but it wasn't necessary.

I focused on the battle with him.

The repeated sword clashes, each time he took a step back, and I took a step back.

He was indeed a skilled fighter.

Even without my Undying Robe, I didn't expect to struggle this much.

In terms of swordsmanship and magical power, he reminded me of the 3rd Legion Commander, Bastio, whom I fought before.

Thinking this, I realized how terrifying humans are.

Such talented people are buried in the wild.

"---But"

I decided to end this battle.

I infused all my magic into my staff.

Without thinking about the consequences, I infused 'almost' all of it.

The staff glowed with a pale aura.

I bet everything on this one strike.

If I couldn't break Carossa's saber with this strike, I would lose this duel.

But that possibility was unnecessary.

My maximum strike was effective.

*Snap!*

Carossa's saber broke.

Seeing this, Carossa let out a surprised exclamation, but it was only for a moment.

He quickly regained his composure and pointed his hook hand at me.

The hook hand opened.

It seemed to be loaded with a *Mithril* bullet.

Guns don't exist in this world, but a pseudo-gun does.

A firing mechanism made of *True Silver* with *True Silver* bullets, triggered by magic, would launch the bullet at high speed.

It's useful against magic creatures like werewolves and vampires, but it's not ineffective against humans.

In fact, its power might be comparable to a musket.

In other words, if I were hit, I would die.

"---But, if I were hit, that's the story."

I had anticipated this.

That's why I had reserved some magic.

The *Barrier* spell was flawless.

Carossa's last trump card was nullified.

I entered his guard and, with the remaining magic, drove my right fist into his stomach.

*Gasp!*

He spat out a large amount of stomach acid.

I don't think he was bleeding, so he wouldn't die, but I had completely taken away his fighting ability and consciousness.

Seeing this, I declared to the pirates fighting on the *Boro Senka*.

"Your commander has been defeated by me. Any further resistance is futile. If you surrender now and drop your weapons, I will guarantee your lives!"

Perhaps my words had an effect, or perhaps the defeat of their strongest captain lowered their morale.

The pirates dropped their weapons one by one and raised their hands.

At the same time, cheers erupted from the *Boro Senka* crew.

"We did it! We won!"

"Now Zenobia will be safe!"

"We, no, Lord Ike, defeated the strongest pirate, Redbeard Carossa!"

While tying up the pirates, the crew praised me.

It felt good to be praised, but I had one concern.

I asked the panting butler Hans, who approached me.

In my previous life, pirates were always hanged when captured.

I asked if the same was true in Zenobia.

"Pirates are always hanged in Zenobia."

"..."

Of course, that makes sense.

Pirates are criminals.

They attack merchant ships, kill the crew, or abandon the survivors in small boats in the open sea.

Showing mercy would set a bad example and embolden other pirates.

However, I had promised to spare their lives if they surrendered, and breaking that promise would hurt.

This was the sad nature of someone with memories from a previous life.

I asked, "Can't we do something about it?" but Hans made a suggestion.

"Have you heard of a pardon, Lord Ike?"

"Of course, I have."

When a king ascends the throne or a prince or princess is born, the king may grant a pardon to reduce the sentences of criminals.

Some countries still do this in my previous life, and Japan has such a law.

It was practiced until the Taisho era, and it was considered during the current emperor's ascension.

However, it's not likely that a king would ascend or a prince or princess would be born conveniently.

Moreover, this is a city-state, not a kingdom, and there is no king.

Thinking this, Hans surprised me.

"Zenobia will soon have a celebration. We can use this as an excuse to avoid hanging the Redbeard Pirates."

I understood what Hans was implying.

He was suggesting that I announce my engagement to Yuria as soon as we return to Zenobia.

I sighed deeply and decided to return to Zenobia.

I needed to report the defeat of Redbeard Carossa to Eltoria and use it as leverage in negotiations with the Demon Army.

Sighing, I returned to my cabin.

Sati was still praying.

I told her we had won and asked her to make tea.

Perhaps because I had just returned from the sweaty sailors and the bloody battlefield, the tea seemed to have a better aroma than usual.