"Your Highness, there's a team stationed in the dock area," Lightning, who was monitoring the enemy's situation, reported, "Around a hundred people, dressed like militiamen."
"Only a hundred people?" Roland was slightly surprised. It wasn't strange that Timothy would deploy defenses at the suburban docks. The massive fleet had sailed past Redwater City and Silverlight City, and would inevitably be noticed by those who were interested. Although the speed of steamships was much faster than that of sailing ships, completing a week's journey in just five days, it was still not as fast as messengers who changed horses continuously, day and night, let alone carrier pigeons – if the new king's scouts used carrier pigeons to transmit messages, Timothy would probably receive the news two or three days in advance.
However, it was surprising that the other side only sent a hundred people to defend the docks. According to Roland's vision, the first battle should have taken place near the docks. In order to prevent his troops from landing smoothly, both sides of the river would be lined with crossbowmen and musketeers, and even catapults might be set up. This was also why he built inland river gunboats before the Spring Offensive. The efficiency of waterway transportation far exceeded land marching, but it also had the disadvantages of being limited to docking at wharves and being easily ambushed in advance. With the ability to attack the land, he could easily defeat the enemy's ambush and open up a safe landing point.
The other party seemed to have given up the "huge advantage" of attacking halfway across the river, which was correct in terms of results, but unreasonable in terms of logic – Timothy couldn't possibly know the range and power of the 152mm naval guns.
Thinking of this, Roland called Sylvie over. "Are the militiamen carrying Berserk Pills?"
Sylvie summoned her Magic Eye to observe for a while. "I didn't find anything like pills. Some of them don't even have complete weapons, but... there seems to be something strange in the ground."
"In the ground?"
"They buried something underground... and on the docks too," Sylvie frowned. "Jars and wooden barrels... filled with black-gray powder."
"Is that... gunpowder?" Nightingale couldn't help but say.
"So that's it, that makes sense," Roland pretended to be relaxed. "A militia of a hundred people is just bait sent by Timothy to attract our attention. The real purpose is to let us seize this rare opportunity to land, occupy the docks, and then detonate the gunpowder to send us and the docks to heaven together."
Although he said it easily, he didn't think so in his heart. This tactic, similar to the ancient landmine warfare, was indeed a good plan. Even if he saw through it, he would still have to disembark – since he had chosen waterway transportation, the docks were a must-pass. Timothy obviously realized this too. He didn't plan to defend head-on, but instead set up an ambush in secret, to catch him off guard. If it weren't for Sylvie, he might have really suffered a big loss.
But since he had discovered it in advance, it was easy to solve. Without wireless detonation technology, Timothy would definitely arrange ignition personnel near the buried gunpowder barrels. He just needed to eliminate them in advance. In any case, the docks must be preserved, otherwise artillery and ammunition would be difficult to transport ashore.
Under Sylvie's meticulous observation, Roland discovered two suspected ignition points, one located in a shed by the dock, with an iron pipe underground leading to the nearest gunpowder barrel, and the other in the dock's warehouse. The common point between the two was that there were God's Stone of Retaliation-caused lightless black holes moving.
After discussing the results with Iron Axe, the battle plan was quickly determined.
First, Nightingale would sneak into the warehouse, silently kill the igniter, and guard the gate to prevent possible replacements from breaking in and igniting the gunpowder. Then, naval guns would be used to destroy the shed, even if it caused the explosives underground to detonate prematurely – as long as the docks were safe and sound.
*******************
Leaning against the battlements of the West City Wall of the royal capital, Steelheart Knight Weimas raised his telescope and observed the movement on the canal.
The slender canal was like a shimmering golden ribbon, shuttling through the brown and white interspersed fields. Most of the snow had melted, revealing the tender green of the earth, which was the sprouting of grass and the proof of the recovery of all things – such scenery, no matter when it was appreciated, was so pleasing to the eye. The only discordant thing was the trails of black smoke floating above the canal.
That was the fleet of the rebel king Roland Wimbledon.
He didn't expect that he would actually dare to launch an attack on the royal capital.
This made Weimas feel amused, and also gave rise to a trace of admiration.
Since its establishment, this capital had never encountered an attack in more than two hundred years. Any enemy who saw its towering and magnificent bluestone city walls would not be able to muster the courage to attack. Not everyone had this courage to compete in the most advantageous field for the enemy.
At least Timothy Wimbledon did not.
Unfortunately, the other party was his enemy.
A knight adhered to honor. As the guardian knight of the royal capital, he was entrusted with the responsibility of defending the capital and must fulfill his responsibility to the end.
"Sir, the rebel king's fleet is here!" an aide ran up the city wall.
"Don't shout, I saw it a long time ago," Weimas put down his telescope and spat, "Pass my order, the First Cavalry and the Second Cavalry are to mount their horses and stand by behind the city gate. As for that group of mercenaries, let them follow the cavalry closely, and don't piss their pants when the gunpowder explodes. Also, boil the oil pots, although I don't think they have the ability to touch this city wall."
The surrounding knights burst into laughter.
According to the planned plan, when the rebel king's troops occupied the docks, flags would be waved on the city wall. At this time, detonating the high-explosive snow powder buried near the docks would definitely cause heavy losses and disrupt the opponent's formation. Then, opening the city gate and launching a cavalry charge would determine the victory.
"Those hillbillies in the West probably think that the royal capital is similar to their most magnificent Longsong Stronghold, and they can capture it by building a wooden ladder," Iron Feather Knight Skar added. "I think you can save those firewood and take it home to burn."
"It's better to be prepared." What a fool, the knight thought to himself, even if boiling oil and rolling stones were not useful, they had to be displayed to show Timothy – because being careless and underestimating the enemy just because the enemy could not attack would sooner or later get him kicked out of the Royal City Knights.
He raised his telescope again, only to see that the sail-less ship at the front of the fleet had left the formation and was sailing towards the docks alone. The black flames rising from its top could be seen from miles away. There were no oars on the sides, and it was unclear how it was moving. But none of this mattered, no matter how strange the ship was, it could not fight on land.
The ship gradually slowed down and finally stopped slowly on the opposite side of the dock.
"What do they want to do?" Skar raised his eyebrows. "Could it be that they want to land on the other side of the river? Wouldn't the hundred-odd militiamen have scared His Royal Highness the rebel king?"
Weimas was also quite surprised. Normally, when people saw that the defense of the docks was so weak, they should occupy the docks as soon as possible. He opened his mouth and was about to say something when a ball of fire suddenly lit up at the front of the strange ship.
--The orange-red flame core was like the newborn dawn.