December 5th.
The sky was gloomy and dark, the cold, damp sea wind made the sails howl, and a light drizzle was mixed in with the wind. In such gloomy and rainy weather, the Rose Fleet had half of its sails furled and was sailing at a slow speed.
On the Lightning, Lucat, wearing a coat, brushed the water droplets from his collar. His brows were furrowed, and his eyes were fixed intently on the familiar land opposite.
That's Port Potani, the largest seaport of Shenglu Kingdom. Five months ago, the Rose Fleet set sail from Port Potani, and then gathered with Sa Ri Kingdom and Hunli Kingdom in the Roman Islands before heading to Yan Kingdom.
It was summer when he left the country, and the weather was exceptionally hot. Now it was December, the last month of the year, and he would soon be able to bring his fleet to Porta Nie and step into his familiar homeland. However, at this moment, Lucate felt little joy.
He still vividly remembered the scene of meeting the Saturnians on the Unicorn a month ago; James's arrogant and rude attitude was undoubtedly a reflection of the Saturnians.
The arrogant Saurischian will surely take his anger out on his country because of the failure of this expedition. He can foresee that in the coming period, both he and the entire country will face a storm.
"Marshal, we'll arrive at Porto Porto by noon. We're finally back!" Leto said, wiping the water droplets from his face.
Lucat frowned, but remained silent.
Leto noticed his low spirits and knew his worries, so he comforted him:
"Marshal, compared to other countries, our fleet returned almost unscathed, which is very fortunate."
However, Lucate was not reassured by this advice. He rubbed his temples and mumbled, "We're in for a rough time once James reports back to Isabella."
When James was mentioned, Leto's face gradually darkened. He said in a deep voice, "The Unicorn Fleet has been left behind by us. It will be a few more days before they can return to the Roman Islands. They won't be able to get back to Garnat to report until at least the end of the month."
"Hmph...that bastard...he'll pay the price sooner or later."
He paused for a moment, then continued, "That day, James cursed so fiercely after hearing the compensation demanded by the Yan people. I think he must have exaggerated the situation when he reported back to Isabella, trying his best to obstruct it."
Hearing this, Lucat's serious expression gradually softened, and he slightly raised the corners of his mouth, saying:
"Heh, that's perfect."
"If they don't back down now, they will face a fierce offensive from the Yan Kingdom. Right now... they are still sailing at sea."
At this point, Lucate turned to look at the rain-soaked ocean behind him, his gaze gradually drifting into the distance, and then murmured:
"I think it won't be long before I see them again..."
——
December 11, Roman Islands.
As the fleet at sea gradually came into view of the islanders, more and more people rushed to the dock, where the soldiers of the Sa Ri Kingdom on duty all looked puzzled.
"What happened? Why is our fleet back? Weren't they supposed to be on an expedition to Yan Kingdom?"
"Why are you back at this time? Did something unexpected happen? Was it a storm?"
There were many speculations, but no one had imagined that the outcome would be a frontline rout.
On the Unicorn, James's expression was as gloomy as the weather. He was wearing a black winter uniform, and the several gleaming gold medals that should have been hanging on his chest were nowhere to be seen. They had all been put into a leather suitcase in his cabin.
As the dock drew closer, James instinctively lowered the brim of his hat, pursed his lips, and remained silent, not wanting to utter a single word.
Like him, everyone on the Unicorn, as well as the entire fleet, had gloomy faces and were shrouded in a thick gloom. Morale was at an all-time low, and the atmosphere in the fleet was even colder than the weather, as if it had frozen into ice.
In the afternoon, the Unicorn Fleet approached the dock of the Roman Islands in an orderly manner. After the warships docked, the officers on each ship led the soldiers off the ships.
"Welcome back, sir!"
The officers who had been waiting on the dock for a long time stood in neat rows and saluted in unison when James came down. They still couldn't figure out why the Unicorn Fleet had turned back.
Although warships had been sent to escort them before, there had been no response. Now, as the people on the Unicorn Fleet gradually disembarked, they noticed nothing unusual except for the soldiers' low spirits. This suggests that the fleet did not encounter any unexpected factors such as a storm at sea that caused it to turn back.
Despite the officers' welcoming manner, James remained expressionless and walked forward without uttering a word.
"What happened, sir?" a major asked, frowning.
James did not answer, but the adjutant beside him said in a low voice with a stern face:
"The Dawn Fleet and the Pearl Fleet...were defeated by the Yan Kingdom, almost..."
He paused for a moment, then continued, "The entire army was wiped out."
His voice was low, but his words were like a bolt from the blue.
"What?"
"How is this possible?!"
"Sir, is your information accurate?!"
Almost simultaneously, several officers bombarded him with questions, their expressions mostly one of disbelief. They simply couldn't believe this information, even though it came from their adjutant.
No one had ever imagined that the two fleets sent by the Empire could be completely wiped out by the enemy.
The cacophony of questions gradually turned James's face ashen. He abruptly stopped, glanced around at the people around him, and then, gritting his teeth, spat out the words, almost one syllable at a time:
"Those damned Yan people destroyed our warships, killed countless of our soldiers, and even Marshal Clemento died at the hands of those Yan bastards. And now these beasts are demanding compensation from us for their losses!"
"They actually dared to demand five thousand tons of gold from us!"
With a "whoosh," the crowd seemed to explode instantly.
The fact confirmed by James is undoubtedly true, and the fact is so shocking.
Whether it was Clemento's death, the defeat of the two fleets, or the huge compensation demanded by the Yan people, everything was bombarding their thoughts.
James then angrily shouted:
"Prepare a carriage and horses for me; I need to go to Garnat immediately!!"
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