“This doesn’t feel right…”
Unlike Captain Thomas, who grew anxious from the sense of unease his experience was signaling, Captain Brow commanded with an excited voice:
“Unfurl all sails! Chase that Sea Eagle at full speed! If we follow that ship, we’ll reach the ‘Country of the Flower’!”
“Woooah!”
“Raise the signal flag!”
“Aye!”
The ships of Brow’s fleet began chasing the distant Haeung-class warship at full speed.
The only exception was Captain Thomas and his trusted men.
“Just in case. Be ready to engage in battle at any moment if necessary.”
“Right. Something feels off.”
Seeing Captain Thomas’s worried expression, his first mate, navigator, and boatswain immediately bowed their heads.
“Understood. We’ll inspect the cannons.”
Captain Thomas’s trusted men never questioned his decisions.
From some perspectives, Thomas was a captain who prepared almost excessively. But thanks to these preparations, they had escaped life-or-death situations more than once.
As a result, the Golden Mary’s sailors, forced into untimely cannon maintenance, erupted in complaints.
“What’s with this sudden inspection?”
“We’ve already spotted a ship from the ‘Country of the Flower’! Isn’t it common knowledge that we’re safe once we meet their ships?”
The complaining sailors fell silent at the boatswain’s words.
“The captain says something feels wrong.”
Even the veteran sailors knew well of the captain’s ability to sense danger.
***
Three days later, Brow’s fleet encountered the imperial navy fleet stationed in the New Frontier.
“Quite a large group coming? Two Challenger-class and six Sea Eagle-class…”
“Do they usually move in such large numbers?”
At the clan representative’s question, Captain Brow lightly shook his head.
“No, sir. Usually, Sea Eagle-class ships move in pairs of two.”
“Isn’t that dangerous then?”
“I don’t think so. They’re probably swarming like this because they were surprised by our appearance from an unexpected direction.”
Finding Captain Brow’s answer reasonable, the clan representative nodded.
“Indeed…”
It was certainly true that the route they had taken would have been unexpected to the imperial forces. Seeing the clan representative’s brightening expression, Captain Brow asked in return:
“Have you prepared the credentials?”
“I’ve had them ready. I’ve been carrying them in my bosom ever since we spotted the Sea Eagle.”
The clan representative briefly showed the envelope containing Edward IV’s credentials that he kept in his bosom.
Seeing this, Captain Brow warned him once again.
“You must keep them with you at all times. Without them, all our efforts will be in vain.”
“I’m well aware.”
‘Without credentials from a king or monarch, even if we reach the southwestern islands, we cannot enter the Empire.’
Due to the Empire’s notorious entry regulations, the clan representative had to obtain credentials from Edward IV by offering him gifts.
As the imperial fleet drew close enough to be seen with the naked eye, Captain Brow ordered:
“Raise our national flag on the mast!”
“Aye!”
After giving the order, Captain Brow looked more relaxed as he watched the approaching imperial fleet.
“Whew~ Now we can catch our breath.”
***
However, the situation did not unfold as Captain Brow had expected.
The imperial fleet, led by two Challenger-class warships in a two-column formation, split to both sides, surrounding Brow’s fleet.
“Huh? What’s this?”
Feeling uneasy at the imperial fleet’s unexpected movement, Captain Brow turned his head and shouted to his crew:
“Raise the white fl—”
Boom-boom-boom!
Before Captain Brow could finish his order, the Challenger-class warships began firing their cannons.
As the shells fired by the imperial navy created water columns near the fleet’s ships, Captain Brow urgently commanded:
“Battle stations! Battle stations! Return fire!”
“Why! Why is the ‘Country of the Flower’ doing this?”
To the clan representative’s scream-like question, Captain Brow answered with a pale face:
“I don’t think these are ships from the ‘Country of the Flower’! No, I’m certain they’re not from the ‘Country of the Flower’! What are you waiting for? Open the gun port hatches!”
“Aye!”
“Are you certain they’re not from the ‘Country of the Flower’?”
“I’m certain! If they were from that country, we would all have sunk with the first volley!”
At Captain Brow’s answer, the clan representative wore an expression that couldn’t decide between crying or laughing.
“If preparations are complete, open fire!”
“Fire!”
Boom!
***
The battle raged fiercely over quite a long period.
This happened because most of the imperial fleet’s sailors stationed in the New Frontier were natives with no combat experience, while Brow’s fleet surprisingly consisted of competent sailors.
Despite rigorous training by experienced commanders and officers from the mainland, the native sailors, facing battle for the first time, couldn’t demonstrate their full capabilities.
On the other hand, Brow’s fleet had many experienced sailors. Even the novice sailors and slaves had become seasoned through the battle with pirates.
However, as time passed, Brow’s fleet gradually found itself at a disadvantage.
The imperial navy already had numerical superiority, and unlike earlier, the native sailors were becoming accustomed to battle.
Boom-boom-boom!
Finally, the Golden Brow, having taken a critical hit to its flank, began to sink as it listed to one side.
With the flagship sinking, the Golden Mary and Golden Wind attempted to escape.
The two ships split in different directions, trying to increase their chances of survival.
The Haeung-class warships pursued the scattering ships.
***
“It’s fortunate we survived, but…”
Captain Thomas, who had regained his strength, let his words trail off as he looked at the Golden Mary, run aground off the beach.
While evading the pursuit of Haeung-class warships, the Golden Mary plunged straight into a rising storm without hesitation.
This allowed them to escape the pursuit of the Haeung-class warships, but the already battered Golden Mary couldn’t withstand the storm.
“I can see a beach to the right!”
At his subordinate’s report, Captain Thomas turned the bow in that direction without hesitation.
However, the Golden Mary, already taking on significant water, ran aground just short of the beach.
“Abandon ship! Lower the boats!”
“Abandon ship!”
With a blood-covered face from a head injury suffered in the grounding impact, Captain Thomas ordered evacuation.
At Captain Thomas’s command, the sailors lowered the boats, threw overboard anything that could float, then jumped from the listing ship.
Captain Thomas, preparing to abandon ship last, lost consciousness from blood loss and was carried to the beach by his subordinates.
***
“Is it possible to repair the Golden Mary?”
To Captain Thomas’s question, the first mate who had escaped with him answered:
“Since the carpenter survived, it should be possible somehow, but the problem is we’re severely short-handed.”
“How many survived?”
“About a third.”
“Damn… By the way, where are we?”
Captain Thomas, hiding his disappointment at the first mate’s answer, looked around.
“If the ships that attacked us departed from the southwestern islands, could this be Luzon?”
To Captain Thomas’s question, the first mate who was also surveying the surroundings spoke:
“It doesn’t seem to be Luzon or nearby islands. It looks similar, but something is different.”
“Right? Then where are we?”
Curious about where they had drifted, they soon accepted reality.
“Where we are isn’t the issue. First, we need to repair the ship and leave this place.”
Having decided on their immediate task, the survivors took action. They secured whatever supplies they could salvage from the grounded ship and scouted the area for usable timber.
On the fifteenth day of their busy efforts for survival and escape…
Aztec warriors began to emerge one by one from the jungle at the beach.
The faces of the slowly approaching Aztec warriors were filled with murderous intent.
Seeing this, Captain Thomas and the sailors frantically searched for weapons. But watching the Aztec warriors continuously pouring out of the jungle, the survivors sensed their doom.
“Judging by what those fellows are wearing, this is definitely not Luzon.”
“Then have we discovered a new territory for England?”
“It seems so. A glorious achievement.”
Captain Thomas and the first mate conversed with composed expressions. The surrounding sailors also exchanged words with similar expressions.
“Would they accept our surrender?”
“As if they would.”
“I wonder if these fellows are the cannibals we’ve heard about.”
“If they’re cannibals, they’ll be delighted to see your belly fat.”
“Woaaaaah!”
The Aztec warriors who had been slowly approaching the survivors charged with battle cries, and the survivors began a desperate resistance against them.
***
Unaware of the fate of Captain Thomas and his crew in the south, Hyang focused on reviewing reports and devising countermeasures.
“Moving forward with the assumption they’ve returned alive is the best course of action. In that case, the priority is to build and deploy assault ghost ships. And to deal with those madmen in the south. Even if we abandon the south, we must secure Mexico to feel safe.”
After listing the immediate tasks, Hyang sighed.
“Whew~ The problem is people. We’re short on people.”
After lamenting the chronic manpower shortage, Hyang soon made a decision.
“There’s no choice. We’ll have to juggle resources.”
While planning what to write to Wan on a blank sheet of paper, Hyang suddenly smiled.
“Wait? We don’t necessarily have to draft troops from the military, do we? If Islam has the Taliban, we also have our Taliban, right?”
Hyang had thought of Neo-Confucian scholars as a source of necessary manpower.
“Though diluted compared to the history I know, the Neo-Confucian scholars who follow the way of Confucius and Mencius and who jump at the mention of moral education are still around. And they say that now that people are becoming more prosperous, the number of rigid traditionalists is increasing too, right? If we seek people among them to punish and enlighten the cannibalistic natives, they’ll swarm out like a herd of African buffalo.”
With a brightened expression, Hyang began excitedly filling the blank paper.
***
Upon receiving Hyang’s report on the Aztec Empire, Wan burst out:
“How can such cruel and vicious people exist! Have you all seen this?”
To Wan’s question, the ministers bowed their heads.
“Yes, Your Majesty, we have read it.”
“It is truly a barbaric matter.”
“That humans would use other humans as food is an atrocity that would enrage both heaven and man.”
The throne room transformed into a forum of condemnation. After confirming the ministers’ reactions, Wan moved to the main point.
“The approach of Europeans to the New Frontier is a problem, but punishing these barbarians and enlightening the natives is also something we must do. Therefore, I believe it is good to accept the proposal made by the Emperor Emeritus.”
At Wan’s words, the ministers began calculating various factors. But the outcome was already determined.
“I believe it is truly an excellent plan.”
Hyang’s proposal was an ingenious plan that could secure both moral justification and practical benefits.
A few days later, a notice was posted at government offices in the Empire’s mainland.
It was Wan’s proclamation that would make Neo-Confucian scholars across the Empire’s mainland spring into action.