Trebian Sea...
Alex was aboard the DRS *Dracul*, the flagship of his temporary fleet. He needed to sail over 200 km from Pangea to the Hedian Archipelago, where he was invited to a trade meeting or possibly a crowning ceremony.
He sat on the captain's chair, gazing at the calm sea. The electronics in front of him were prototypes from the pre-Cold War era. They weren't entirely reliable, and there should have been magical equipment because the electronics might shut down and become useless. So, Alex had upgraded them to match World War II technology, but it still wasn't enough—this was a test.
"Pirates spotted! Starboard of the fleet, 20 km!" one of the spotters shouted.
Alex stood up, curious, and headed to the viewing deck. He saw three wooden ships, powered by paddles and sails.
"Captain, what are the best options?" Alex asked.
"The best is to ram them if we want to conserve ammo, but we can sink them. Another option is to fire on them and continue our route, and the last is to fire a warning shot and order our marines to capture one," the captain replied.
Alex thought for a moment and then spoke, "Okay, go for the second option."
"Understood, my lord," the captain said, bowing slightly before entering the bridge to order the ships about the plan.
He grabbed the radio and spoke, "*Chermia*, you are ordered to sink one pirate ship with one of your turrets, ram the middle one, and for the last, capture it, disarm them, and order the marines to set it ablaze."
Soon, DRS *Chermia* broke away from the formation and aimed towards the three pirate ships, which had become alerted. The ships were galley models, row-powered, and started shooting arrows. They each had a ballista and began firing, but due to the speed and armor of the destroyer, the arrows didn't land, and the ballista shots were inaccurate.
"Prepare to fire," the captain of *Chermia* ordered as crew members scrambled to their stations and the marines stood by with their Champoo rifles locked and loaded.
One of the turrets locked on the left ship, and the weapons master spoke through the radio, "Sir, we are ready to fire. Give us your signal."
"Okay, fire away."
*Bang!*
A thundering explosion echoed from the turret. The shell slammed onto the deck of the galleon, and with its trigger mechanism, it exploded, causing the ship to split apart. The people onboard either burned or died from the explosion, and those who survived tried swimming to the remaining ships but were fired upon by the marines.
"Okay, full speed ahead and ram the center ship," the captain ordered.
The destroyer sped up, heading toward the center pirate ship. Seeing the iron ship about to crash into them, the pirates tried turning the ship, but it was too late.
"Abandon ship!" the pirate captain ordered.
The crew tried jumping into the water, but those who were too late were crushed by splintered wood as the ship caved in. The destroyer passed through as if it were nothing.
"Once we're a few meters away, turn starboard and prepare to board the last pirate ship," the captain said.
Five minutes later, *Chermia* turned and captured the last ship. The marines lined up the pirates along the edge of the ship, and some marines threw the usable weapons into the water.
"Okay, who's the commanding figure among you?" the marine platoon officer asked.
One pirate stood up with his hands raised and spoke in a small voice, "I'm the leader."
"By the order of our commander, you are free to go and head to Draconia. Start a trading company; we need people like you." The officer tossed him a bag of coins.
"The city-state of Draconia?" the pirate asked in disbelief.
"Yes, we need people who can traverse the vast ocean, so we're hiring the remaining pirates. If you refuse, we will execute you immediately," the officer said as the marines aimed their rifles.
"We… we accept," the pirate stammered, terrified of the weapons aimed at him.
"Oh, and if you try to run away or break your promise, we will hunt you down and slaughter all of you," the officer said with a slight smile.
The pirates shuddered at the thought.
Three hours later...
*Chermia* rejoined the formation. Alex calculated that it would take four days until they arrived at the archipelago.
---
Four days later...
Alex's fleet arrived in the economic zone of the Hedian Trade Union. They saw various types of merchant ships heading toward the capital city, Helios. It was a large island city, with four smaller islands acting as its defensive deterrent. To siege the city, one would need to capture the four fortresses first, which was nearly impossible.
The sight of iron warships without sails floating and moving on the water shocked many people of different races. Some tried to get close to touch the hull, but the crew members used megaphones to shout at them to keep their distance.
A Hedian warship powered by mana crystals sent semaphore flag messages, and one of Alex's crew responded, pointing to the flag of Draconia. The Hedian ship guided them to the harbor, aware of their visit.
An hour later, they were 15 minutes away from docking. Alex sat in the captain's chair, reading intelligence reports about the city and its political atmosphere.
The leader of the trade union had two sons who were equal in political power. They had decided to choose the youngest due to his rationality and best judgment. However, the eldest was more militaristic, and Alex suspected he might plan a coup d'état during the transfer of power ceremony.
Alex expected this might happen, so he began planning. He would have an escort of 30 marines.
A few minutes later, Alex walked down the gangway to the harbor, where the platoon of marines stood at attention. As he stepped onto the stone ground, he was greeted by a representative sent by the trade union.
"Greetings, City Lord Alex," the man bowed slightly.
"Thank you for the welcome. Can you guide me to where I will be staying?" Alex asked.
"Of course. Please follow me and ride in this carriage," the representative replied.
Alex entered the magical carriage, flanked by his marine platoon on either side. As they rode, Alex and the representative exchanged pleasantries until they reached a two-story mansion for guests.
"My lord, this will be your guest house for your stay," the man said.
Alex nodded and, with his marines, entered the home. They were greeted by the staff, who took care of the mansion. Alex was led to the study room, where the marine platoon officer waited for orders.
"First lieutenant, I need you to radio the destroyers to be on high alert. I felt eyes on our ships when we arrived. Also, for the mansion, I want our soldiers ready for an emergency evacuation."
"Yes, my lord. But may I ask why we need to be prepared for an evacuation?"
Alex sat on the couch and replied, "Some people might negotiate with us to let the eldest son of the leader of the trade union take over. We will remain neutral in their conflict, and if we deny the request, they might attempt a coup d'état and try to steal our ships. Be ready for the worst."
The lieutenant saluted and left the office.
Alex gazed at a map of the Siegfried Empire and the southern Sigfried Empire. It was an invasion plan he had revised over 40 times. After the 41st try, he had completed it. It was how Blitzkrieg was created in this world, relying on fast-moving infantry, cavalry, and small forces to capture cities.
After finalizing the plan, Alex opened his booklet to read *Adventures of the Great World*, a book by a man who had discovered various continents and interacted with them. The author wrote about the disadvantages of different regions and spoke of a continent that had remained isolated but was vastly superior. He was the first visitor in 400 years and documented the continent's history in separate books, leaving five copies per continent he visited. Alex had completed the collection and was currently reading the main book.
Many conquerors had sought after the man's work, but the books were hidden. Alex had met the man when he was tried for scamming by illegally selling books. After reading the book, Alex pardoned him on the condition that he work for Draconia as a scholar and be free to travel. The man, accompanied by an agent from the Assassin X, was currently exploring Pangea and reporting his findings. Once he finished, he would move on to another supercontinent.
Alex headed toward the master bedroom, sensing the presence of people watching him—women, trying to set a honey trap for him. This was common for desperate women hoping to blackmail nobles or wealthy merchants. It had happened to Alex a few years ago, but the attempt had failed, and he had sent his Chaos Brigade to erase that household for good.
'Guess I'll give them a bonus when I leave here,' Alex thought. The society he had built in Draconia was not like that of other kingdoms, and he didn't adopt their practices.
He entered the room and sealed it with ice, sensing several trap doors. A few maids were ready to jump on him, but he created a soundproof barrier around his bed.
He nodded to himself and lay down to sleep.
---
A few minutes later...
The maid hiding outside, confirming that Alex was asleep, tried entering the room in lingerie. But when she attempted to unlock the door with the master key, it wouldn't open. She tried kicking it
, catching the attention of a pair of marines patrolling the corridor.
"Hey, what are you doing?" one marine asked, pointing his rifle. It had a flashlight attachment, revealing her outfit but not her face. The maid made a run for it.
"Stand guard here. I'll go after her," the marine said to his comrade.
"Sure, but be careful. She might be carrying weapons."
"Yeah, I will." He pulled out his bayonet knife and locked it onto the muzzle.
Inside the room...
Four maids emerged from their hiding places and approached the bed, but they encountered the barrier Alex had set up. Frowning, they kicked and punched it to no avail. They tried going around it but failed, and even shouting didn't work.
After a few hours, they sighed and left, some crying because of their failed attempt. They had hoped to blackmail Alex to pay off their family debts. Alex, though, didn't like anyone trying to take advantage of him, even if he was kind to those whose circumstances were out of their control.
---
Morning...
Alex rose from bed, stretched, and looked around, sensing no one near him or inside the room. He removed the barrier and sealed the trap doors with ice. After bathing and taking a toilet break, he left the room, saluting the marines he passed in the hallway.
When he arrived at the dining hall, he was served delicacies from around the world. The food was delicious, and after breakfast, Alex checked the schedule: the crowning ceremony was tomorrow. He decided to begin planning an escape route in case an attack occurred.
---
Two hours later...
"My lord, someone would like to meet you," a marine reported.
"Who is it?" Alex asked while eating sunny-side-up eggs with grilled steak.
"It's the firstborn of the trade union leader, and he's with a bodyguard unit. He wants to discuss some business deals."
Alex sighed. He knew this was coming, so he stood up.
"Guide them to the living room and order our marines to be on high alert. The ships too—tell them to keep an eye on their surroundings."
Alex straightened his clothing and walked toward the living room.
*To be continued...*