The harbor of Bruno is located near the sea.
"Sir, something seems wrong."
Inside the main ship of the Black Powder Fleet, the adjutant Mark spoke to Sebastian, who was hiding in the cabin.
Sebastian, huddled in the corner, looked up hastily upon hearing this and asked anxiously, "What's going on? Have they caught up? How much longer until we get into the inner bay?"
Moments earlier, seeing the Yan Kingdom fleet closing in, Sebastian, overwhelmed with fear, ran into his cabin and chose to escape.
Mark, seeing his panicked expression, said with a worried look, "Yes, sir, they're catching up."
"It's less than five kilometers away from us, and the distance will gradually decrease, while we are still at least twenty minutes away from the port."
"ah!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than Sebastian clutched his head and screamed in panic.
"It's over! It's over! We..."
His panicked cry was cut short as he stared wide-eyed at the shells, his face a mixture of fear and confusion: "But I didn't hear any shelling!"
"Mark! Are you kidding me?! Mark! What's going on?!"
Mark frowned, scratching his head in frustration, and said, "That's the situation."
"They've closed the distance to us. If I remember correctly, their shells could fire within this range, but... but they haven't fired."
At this point, Mark's expression turned serious, and he continued:
“I think they… are trying to follow us through the pass into the inner bay.”
Despite being gripped by fear, Sebastian immediately understood the enemy's scheme after hearing his explanation.
"Sir, what... what should we do?" Mark asked hesitantly.
Sebastian's expression gradually stiffened. If the enemy wanted to enter the pass by tailing him, then they were using his own fleet as a shield.
He remained silent and did not utter a word.
“Sir, it’s probably too late for us to turn to another port now… Once we make any move, I think the Yan people will immediately launch an artillery barrage.” Mark said, his eyes darting around, seeing that Sebastian remained silent.
"Don't worry about it."
Suddenly, Sebastian leaned his head against the wall and said this without any expression.
“Whatever?” Mark asked.
"Don't worry about anything else, just follow the original plan, go back to the port, enter the inner bay, then disembark and return to the mainland."
Upon hearing this, Mark looked down at the damp floor and said, "But then the Yan people will follow us in..."
Before he could finish speaking, Sebastian suddenly sprang into action. He grabbed Mark by the neck, his face contorted with rage, and slammed him against the bulkhead, roaring at him face-to-face:
"Enough! Enough!"
"I just want to take the fleet back. I just don't want to die in vain at the hands of the Yan people! What have I done wrong!"
"This is not my fault!! I will take the fleet back! Back to our homeland!"
The hoarse roar left Sebastian utterly exhausted. He gasped for breath, slowly lowered his arms, and collapsed back onto the ground, his gaze becoming vacant once more.
Mark rubbed his neck, a rush of heat welling up in his eyes. He quickly turned around, and before leaving the cabin, he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, his voice trembling:
"Yes, sir."
"Then let's go back."
"Returning to our motherland..."
——
Having gradually regained his confidence after a major setback, Bernhardt now faces a new "decision".
In the command center, a new urgent report was sent in.
"The Black Powder Fleet will arrive at Bruno Port in about twenty minutes. They intend to cross the pass directly into the inner bay!"
"But... the enemy is right behind them. If they are not stopped, they will arrive at the port of Bruno together in twenty minutes!"
As soon as the major finished speaking, everyone's expression turned extremely cold.
Dingle spoke first, his face grim. "We can't let the enemy reach the port like this," he said. "The fall of the Star Islands has already been a lesson. Once the enemy launches a beach landing, things will get out of control."
His words were met with agreement, and the officers followed suit:
"From the fall of the Star Islands to the enemy's attack on our ports, only a few days have passed. The enemy's speed in combat far exceeded expectations. Under these circumstances, we must strike them as many times as possible at every key strategic location!"
"If we land alongside the Black Powder Fleet, the enemy and our forces will be mixed together, making it even more difficult to launch an attack!"
"We must sound the horn immediately to inform the Black Powder Fleet and order them to counterattack!"
Upon hearing this, Dingle's eyes dimmed, and he said in a low voice, "If they were capable of fighting back, they wouldn't have just fled back to the port without a care in the world."
The officers' expressions froze, and they realized the problem.
Then, they all looked at Bernhardt, who remained silent.
"Sir, how should we deal with their arrival?" one of them asked.
Bernhardt's face darkened, and he countered, "Whose arrival are you referring to?"
The officer who asked the question stiffened, lowered his head, and said, "The enemy, and... the black powder fleet."
Bernhardt sighed inwardly; he didn't make a judgment immediately after the problem arose, as he usually did.
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