As a loader, Yuri was unable to load a single shell into the barrel during tonight's battle. After all, how could a field gun placed in the ship's hold be pushed onto the deck in such an urgent battle to fire at the enemy fleet several kilometers away?

Moreover, they were just an army unit; how could they possibly deal with an enemy force skilled in naval warfare?

The enemy's bombardment lasted less than three hours before their transport ships were destroyed. During this time, they were unable to retaliate or escape. Every warship was subjected to indiscriminate bombardment, and they were pressed to the ground like lambs, left to be slaughtered by the enemy.

Salty tears mingled with the seawater. Yuri, amidst silent cries, grabbed a large plank of wood and then climbed up with all his might.

Although he hadn't been swimming in the sea for long, Yuri was already exhausted after climbing onto the plank.

With a "vomit," seawater gushed from his mouth, and Yuri's face turned ashen, like a corpse. He slowly raised his hands and then covered his face with his cold palms.

Suppressed sobs gradually rose, then turned into loud wailing. Yuri curled up, tears streaming down his face.

In this battle, he did nothing and could do nothing. From the beginning to the end of the bombardment, he could only stay in the cabin until the mast collapsed, the hull was bombed to pieces, and flames burned everywhere. Only then did he hurriedly run out of the cabin.

He had never experienced a battle like this before. The profound sense of powerlessness made him feel desperate, and his hatred for the Yan people made him want to grind his teeth to pieces.

But as Yuri lay on the plank drifting with the sea, his hatred began to shift. In addition to hating the enemy who had defeated them, he also began to hate the Black Powder Fleet that had abandoned them.

The departure of the Black Powder Fleet rendered the comrades who died in this battle utterly meaningless.

The cold sea breeze blew across the sea, the flames still crackled and popped, Yuri's sobs gradually subsided, he lowered his arms, and stared blankly at the dust drifting down from the night sky.

As more and more dust fell on his face and the cold sensation grew stronger, Yuri raised his arm and spread his palms towards the sky.

The drifting dust settled into his still-warm palm, gradually wetting it. As Yuri's pupils began to dilate, his lips, now dark purple, moved slightly, and he began to murmur softly.

——

"It's snowing."

Inside the control room at Bruno Harbor, Bernhardt, standing by the window, took off his glasses and, while wiping the fog off the lenses with a dry cloth, said:

"If there are no unforeseen circumstances, reinforcements should arrive at the Star Islands tonight. However, it's snowing now, and I don't know if it will affect the upcoming operations."

Upon hearing this, the staff officer beside him said, "It's just light snow, it shouldn't affect the operation."

As he spoke, he took out his pocket watch from his chest, glanced at it, and then said, "It's almost eleven o'clock."

Bernhardt didn't even look up, still wiping his glasses: "So what? Who's in the mood to celebrate the New Year?"

"If we cannot repel the Yan Kingdom's army, then we will be in a state of emergency for a long time to come."

At this point, Bernhardt sighed: "When the military report reaches Salivia, I think the Emperor will also have a headache about this. The Yan Kingdom's fleet is really not easy to fight head-on."

"Our territorial waters are very likely to fall into their hands."

"To be honest, I do wish the people of Yan could be a little more radical."

These words made the staff officer frown. He asked, "What do you mean?"

Bernhardt put his glasses back in the case, looked up at him and said, "We will have a hard time winning at sea, but on land, we have a huge advantage in manpower."

"If they are aggressive enough, they will keep launching landing operations on the Star Islands, which will allow us to inflict more and more casualties on them. They will come from afar, and how many reinforcements can they send to replenish their fighting strength?"

Upon hearing this, the staff officer's brow relaxed, and he pondered for a moment before saying:

"That's true, but we still need our reinforcements to arrive at the Star Islands smoothly. During this time... we can't afford any accidents."

Upon hearing this, Bernhardt suddenly chuckled and said, "Don't you also think it's a bit risky?"

After a moment of silence, the staff officer nodded and said, "It is indeed a bit risky."

Bernhardt shook his head and sighed softly, "This is indeed the most risky decision I've ever made, but someone has to make it, and I'm willing to bear all the consequences."

"If the Emperor were here, I think he would give the same order."

The staff officer grunted in agreement, then looked at Bernhardt and stammered, "General, we've prepared a simple dinner in the dining room. They're all waiting there. You see..."

Before he could finish speaking, Bernhardt frowned and interrupted in a deep voice, "What time is it now!"

The staff officer blushed and said in a low voice, "There are only a few generals here, all of whom you brought with you. Let's just have a simple celebration, since the New Year is just around the corner."

"They just arrived, and the celebration will end right after midnight. They'll return to their posts immediately, so it won't take too long."

This explanation eased Bernhardt's grave expression slightly, but he still waved his hand and said:

"You guys celebrate, I won't go."

"But even in celebration, you absolutely cannot drink a drop of alcohol! If I find out, you'll be dealt with according to military discipline."

Hearing this, the staff officer was somewhat disappointed, but he knew he could no longer persuade Bernhardt.

This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!