As the date of the attack promised by Spain drew near, France also sortied its fleet.

About 20 first-rate battleships and dozens of smaller second- and third-rate ships of the line raised anchor at ports across France and headed out to sea. The sight of the French fleet gathering in the Bay of Biscay to form formation was a spectacle among spectacles.

Many painters flocked to capture the gathering of the French fleet on canvas, and with the sailors of the fleet granted shore leave crowding in, Lorient enjoyed an unprecedented boom. However, the painters who climbed nearby hills to paint the gathered French fleet soon began to harbor questions.

“What are those small ships?”

Behind the ships of the line boasting massive bulk, about 40 small ships were huddled together. They were small vessels, capable of carrying only 10 to 20 people at best, with a single mast positioned slightly forward on the hull and a long smokestack rising behind it.

“There are too many of them to be supply ships or liaison boats, aren’t there?”

“What do those ships do?”

While the painters were expressing doubts about the ships in question, about 20 carriages were entering the French naval base in Lorient. The carriages, their windows blocked by sturdy bars, entered the base under the heavy protection—no, surveillance—of the cavalry.

As the carriages stopped, armed soldiers ran up and surrounded them.

Soon, a group of soldiers unlocked the padlocks on the rear doors of the carriages, threw them open, and shouted.

“Get out!”

At the soldiers’ command, a group of figures began to disembark from the carriages one by one. Covered in filth, wearing tattered clothes, and sporting bushy beards and hair, they raised their hands to shield their eyes as if the sunlight of Lorient was too bright.

Every hand raised like that was shackled with thick chains. It wasn’t just handcuffs. Their feet were also bound with thick chains, and heavy iron balls dangled from the ends of those chains.

“Move!”

Those who got off the carriages were moved to the brig located in the deepest part of the base under the surveillance of soldiers.

Clang!

As the barred door of the brig closed, the officer standing in front spoke to those imprisoned inside.

“You have volunteered for this operation. I say again, if you succeed in the assigned mission, you will be pardoned for your crimes, become free men, and simultaneously receive a reward of 5 livres in gold coins.”

At the officer’s words, one of the prisoners inside raised his voice.

“Will you really keep that promise?”

At the prisoner’s question, the officer unrolled a scroll he had tucked under his arm and showed it to the prisoner.

“It is an official document recording that His Majesty the King has promised. Do not doubt the promise.”

After the officer finished speaking, there were no more prisoners asking questions.

“Any other questions?”

“……”

As the prisoners answered with silence, the officer turned around and ordered the guards.

“Give the prisoners a meal.”

“Yes, sir.”

A moment later, food began to be distributed to the prisoners.

The gazes of the prisoners looking at the plates filled with meat and bread were complicated.

***

Although the development of the assault ship was successful, the development team and naval commanders discovered another problem.

“The effect is certain if operated properly.”

“That ‘operating properly’ is the biggest problem.”

The combat doctrine of the assault ship was as follows:

• —Mount a barrel or container filled with explosives at the end of a long pole extending forward.
• —A harpoon-shaped attachment is fixed to the end of the pole.
• —The assault ship, charging at full speed toward the side of the enemy ship, drives this pole into the enemy ship’s flank.
• —When the harpoon-shaped attachment pierces and sticks to the wooden hull or the connection points of iron plates on the enemy ship’s side, the assault ship releases the connection of the pole and reverses.
• —A line connects the fuse attached to the explosive and the assault ship, so when it moves a certain distance away, the line triggers the fuse to detonate.

Just looking at it, it was a complex and dangerous task. Therefore, the ignition device of the bomb and the connection part doctrine were improved once again.

• —Driving the pole into the enemy ship’s side by charging is the same.
• —A device is added to the pole to separate it from the assault ship immediately upon collision with the enemy ship.
• —The bomb’s fuse uses a delayed fuse.
• —The assault ship attaches the bomb to the enemy ship’s side and immediately reverses at full speed.
• —The bomb attached to the enemy ship explodes after a certain time using the delayed fuse.

“…Is this the best we can do?”

“It is the best.”

“Hmm…”

Hearing the developers’ answer, the French naval commanders agonized repeatedly. The power of the bomb mounted on the assault ship was certain. The problem was the survivability of the assault ship.

Surviving during the charge was a problem, and surviving after the charge was also a problem.

It was certain that for everything to fit perfectly and for them to return alive, the saints and saintesses protecting the sailors on board would have to work overtime. But discarding the assault ships developed with great effort was also a problem. This was because of the Imperial Navy vessels that were rummaging through the Mediterranean and Atlantic as if it were their own front yard.

The Imperial Navy vessels were powerful enough to make ‘even devils curse, and saints and saintesses curse’ when facing them in a standard, traditional fleet-to-fleet decisive battle. The assault ship was the best asymmetric force to counter the Imperial Navy.

Therefore, the French naval commanders mobilized other means.

• —Maximize the firepower of the bomb mounted on the assault ship.

Enough to make even a damn Imperial vessel sink in one blow if it works properly.

• —Mount a high-output steam engine on the assault ship.

To charge at maximum speed and firmly drive the bomb into the enemy ship’s side.

However, durability is abandoned.

• —Finally, compose the crew with people who don’t matter if they are lost.

‘People who don’t matter if lost.’

They were prisoners.

As sea routes were developed not only to Africa but also to Terra and Gloria, many ships roamed across the oceans. And pirates dreaming of making a fortune targeting them also increased.

The European powers, who suffered great losses from pirates rampant on the Gloria and Terra routes, strove to suppress them. As a result, a considerable number of pirates became fish food, and a similar number were caught and imprisoned.

And the French naval command had thought of using them. And those currently eating with complicated expressions in the prison of Lorient were those captured pirates and sailors who had staged mutinies and been suppressed, who had volunteered.

***

Shortly before the operation took place, a group of naval officers visited prisons across France.

“Anyway, your fate is hanging, or at best, hard labor in a mine until you die. However, if you succeed in the mission assigned in this war, we will pardon you. Pardon is not everything. We will also give you 5 livres in gold coins as a reward.”

At the words of the officer in charge of recruitment, the prisoners began to whisper.

A moment later, one prisoner carefully asked the officer.

“What mission is it?”

At the prisoner’s question, the French naval officer answered in a dry voice.

“What mission would you sea rats take on? It is steering a ship.”

“A ship?”

As soon as they heard the word ‘ship,’ the prisoners’ eyes began to shine.

Noticing the change in the prisoners’ atmosphere, the officer smirked and added more words.

“The ship you will handle is not a general warship. It is confidential, so I cannot tell you in detail now, but it is a ship that will perform a special mission.”

At the officer’s words, the prisoners’ atmosphere sank again.

Those words meant that even if they managed to escape with that ship, it was a vessel useless for anything else.

“I say again, those who take on this special mission and succeed will be immediately pardoned and become innocent, and will receive 5 livres in gold coins as a reward.”

At the officer’s words, the prisoners began to think deeply.

‘Like that damn officer said at first, even if I stay like this, it’s hanging or digging in a mine until I die. But if I succeed, pardon. And I can receive 5 livres (approx. 2.5kg) of gold coins? If I do well, I can secure funds to start a new life.’

‘It’s tempting, but the fact that the conditions are too good bothers me. In other words, it means it’s hard to survive.’

Seeing the prisoners agonizing, not knowing what to do at the crossroads of choice, the officer opened his mouth.

“Anyway, your end is fixed. What are you worrying about?”

Those words became the fuse, and prisoners who were former pirates and sailors trapped in prison began to volunteer one after another.

***

As the final checks were completed in Lorient, the French fleet began to prepare for departure. Accordingly, the prisoners who had been confined in the Lorient naval base prison were also put back into carriages and arrived at the port.

Prisoners wearing handcuffs and shackles on their hands and feet were put on waiting boats and moved to prisoner transport ships. Looking at the transport ships floating in the middle of the Bay of Biscay, the prisoners spat and grumbled without exception.

“To think I have to ride that unlucky ship again!”

Those transport ships were the vessels that carried prisoners from French naval bases in Gloria and Terra to prisons in mainland France. And to the prisoners, they were ships that symbolized harshness.

This was because, during the journey to mainland France, not just one or two prisoners were simply processed as ‘deceased’ inside those ships and thrown into the sea. Therefore, the prisoners who saw the transport ships spat and cursed in unison.

Whether they did or not, the prisoners were moved from the boats to the transport ships again. Once the verification and incarceration of the prisoners who boarded the ship were finished, the transport ship raised anchor and unfurled its sails. Starting with this, the French naval fleet left the Bay of Biscay and began moving south.

***

As the French naval fleet’s large-scale southward movement was confirmed, it was the Portuguese Navy that went on alert. Every Portuguese naval base facing the Mediterranean went on immediate alert, and messengers carrying urgent telegrams traveled between Lisbon and the bases daily.

“20 first-rate ships of the line and at least 40 second- and third-rate battleships… What are these guys trying to do again…”

Admiral Cristiano, having confirmed the report, placed a hand on his forehead.

“It is a force lacking nothing even compared to the last Italian War.”

At the staff officer’s words, Admiral Cristiano nodded.

Compared to the last Italian Unification War, the numbers were much smaller. However, the content was the problem. The warships called the strongest of the French Navy in the last Italian War were now second-rate battleships. The current French first-rate battleships were powerful vessels to the point where it was said they were worth fighting against the Empire’s Challenger-class battleships.

Therefore, although fewer in number compared to the last Italian War, it was a French fleet with even more powerful combat strength.

“Where is the expected destination of the French fleet?”

At Admiral Cristiano’s question, the staff officer answered immediately.

“It is not certain yet, but Gibraltar is the most likely.”

Admiral Cristiano, pondering for a moment at the staff officer’s answer, made a decision.

“I must see His Majesty the King. This is a matter of politics.”