After a few taps, Lucat pulled a piece of iron, about the size of a thumbnail, from the wooden board.
He stroked the small, sharp piece of iron, muttering, "It's been burned."
Leto frowned as he looked at the blackened piece of iron, and then said, "There are signs of burning."
Lucate reinserted the metal sheet into the wooden board, his expression growing increasingly grave: "The metal sheet is so deep into the board, and there are even burn marks. Don't you think this looks like the result of an explosion?"
After hearing his words, Leto thought for a moment and then echoed:
"Yes, there have been previous incidents of artillery chamber explosions, and the traces are very similar to these."
"This must have been caused by an explosion from a cannon malfunction on a Federation fleet ship, right?"
Lucat did not answer, but instead examined the other wreckage.
During this time, the ship continued to sail, and at Lucat's request, the sailors would salvage some wreckage every so often.
As more and more wreckage was salvaged from the ship, Lucat discovered more and more fragments.
He straightened up only after he pried a small piece of iron out of a large wooden board, and his expression became increasingly serious.
"Have you discovered something, Marshal?" Leto asked.
“This is not a fragment of an artillery accident,” he said, looking at the rectangular block of iron that was clearly man-made.
"What is that?" Leto asked, puzzled, but seeing Lucate's serious expression, he also felt nervous.
After a few breaths, Lucat said in a deep voice:
"I think perhaps...that's the case."
"The enemy fired shells into the Federation warships, and the shells exploded, causing a fire."
"But that wasn't the end of it. Shell fragments and their contents were flying in all directions, hitting planks, masts, sails, people—anything they touched."
"And so, these shells destroyed one Federation warship after another."
As soon as he finished speaking, Leto shuddered. He turned his head to look at the broken and charred remains, his scalp tingling instantly, and goosebumps rose on his arms.
"The enemy's shells can explode?..." Leto murmured, his face turning pale at a visible speed.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
