(BIS144) Red Tide Chapter 1 The Whip of Hosts

（I‘）

I don't remember the time and place***

Had a long, long dream.

The corners of your eyes are wet when you wake up.

But I can't remember what the main plot of the dream was.

I vaguely remember some emotions.

It's mesmerizing, and it's a little sad.

I tried very hard to remember, but I still couldn't remember anything.

I woke up today as usual and found myself on a bed decorated with ornate white silk.

"Good morning. What do you want for breakfast?"

"Sandwich, want yogurt sauce. ”

After reflexively saying two words, the memory of baked bagel comes to mind, and it looks sweet and delicious.

It's just a sandwich, so there's no need to reminisce.

"It's not that dream. ”

The housekeeper left, but he still couldn't remember the content of the dream.

He laughed self-deprecatingly and sat up from the bed.

The top of the bed is made of a single piece of glass, as are the bed brackets at the four corners, and the back is coated with mercury, which can be used as a mirror.

From the mirror, I saw that my long blond hair was unkempt hanging down on my chest, all the way to my waist, and it seemed that I hadn't taken care of it for a long time.

The bed is designed in a rare way, and there is nothing artistic about it.

It's like cutting a large glass box like a fish tank through the middle and putting a mattress on top.

"Why would I order such a stupid bed?"

He slapped the back of his head with a wry smile.

Maybe it's because I'm a little older, but my memory seems to have deteriorated.

But wait a minute—

"How old am I?"

It seems that it is not only the content of the dream, the emotions in the dream, the structure of the sandwich, or the reason for this stupid bed.

“...... Who am I?"

“...... Where is this?"

“...... Why am I here?"

When I realized these seemingly important philosophical questions, I found that I couldn't remember them at all, just like a dream.

Not at all impressed.

I can't think of it, I

No matter how much I stared at my own shadow on the glass, I still couldn't remember.

（I）

September 13, 1666

At the mouth of the Metterbisy River, the seat of the Provisional Military and Political Council of the Free States, both land and sea, the important Fort of Severty

It rained in Forte Forts today. The rain soon stopped, leaving only the coolness of early autumn.

The war ended with the summer, but life went on.

The tents of the refugees stretched along the north bank of the Methi River to the east, north, and east, with no end in sight, from the outside of the fort, the embankment, the river wharf, and the coastal forts to the harbor area.

The outer forts on the south side had been completely submerged by this flood of refugees, and the fortresses and shantytowns were connected together to form a temporary large city. The refugees collected the remaining supplies from the siege camp abandoned by the Imperial army and lived in it as if the siege of the Empire was not over.

Standing on the pier of Fortibourg, the canvas tents and the sails of the huge fleet moored in the harbor are connected like a river of various canvases, entangled with the waters of the Metributi River, and cascading into the sea.

Naymen Soleton, a young Free Army major, covered his officer's epaulettes and put on a mantle soaked in water-repellent oil, and walked between the tents.

"Dear GI, are you going to the beach to see the Liberty Ship, or are you picking up people?"

"Mr. Officer, do you want to buy some smuggled goods! The Seventh Fleet has just entered the port, fresh oriental goods, real Huachao tea, and by no means Taiping tea!"

"Your Excellency, General, we have a small boat, which can carry five tons of cargo despite its shabby appearance! If you have goods or local products that you want to sell, I can also contact the logistics officer of the navy for you! It doesn't matter how small or small the list is!"

The rain affected today's business, and there were not many customers who braved the rain to come to the docks. The inhabitants of the tent shouted vigorously and did not stop for a moment, using more and more fleshy names one after the other.

Because many of them did not come with honorable intentions, almost all soldiers who passed through the camp would routinely cover their ranks, and the refugees could only rely on common sense to judge the class of the arrivals. Of course, it certainly doesn't hurt to call a compliment a little higher. The young man in front of him didn't look like a general, and the guards who were generals were too young, but this did not affect them in the slightest from using the highest honorific title. If you can't make a deal in a day, the family will definitely not have food to eat in the evening.

"Borrow it. I'm sorry. I'm not interested. ”

Naimon tightened his poncho, lowered his military hat, and put on a cold attitude, enduring the burning desire to pass through the crowd and push away mercilessly.

He is not unsympathetic to these refugees. It's a pity that with his ability, he really can't save a few people.

In this war that had just ceased fire, Lenny alone produced more than 300,000 refugees, plus the refugees of the West Julocco, the total number was more than two million.

These free citizens, quasi-free citizens, their wives and children, who had been living ordinary lives, were forced to flee their homes – or, in other words, "to the land of freedom".

It's just that the journey of freedom is not as beautiful as it sounds in the speech.

Although the agricultural areas of Upper Iemia were vast, slavery had been practiced for many years, and the local peasants were not willing to hire too many free citizens to work with their slaves, which would have made them morally disgusted, preferring to use horses or cattle. The land of Eastern Julok was barren, and the land annexation of Phathus was bad, and neither could absorb such a large number of refugees. Refugees who cannot find a job cannot afford to sit on their laurels and continue to wander.

Some choose to continue south, opening up new fields in the subtropical rainforests of Lower Italy. Others gathered in the harbors around Emerald Bay and the Interre Sea, waiting for ships to sail to the New World, Murrayman, or the great powers of the East. But the largest group of refugees has always gathered around the main force of the Free Army, which is constantly moving.

"Where there is a government and an army, there is a job" is always a rule that cannot be mistaken.

The current Free Army is both a government and an army. Ever since the Provisional Central Power was established at Fortiburg by the Military-Political Council, army after army arrived from afar and repeatedly challenged the strength of the fortress, forcing the logistics department and engineering teams to work from early morning until late at night. The Free Army had 50,000 soldiers, and the Free Navy had 50,000 sailors.

The money that leaked out of the hands of these 100,000 soldiers alone was enough to feed the 200,000 refugees who wanted very little and had nothing. Some of the sailors at the dock took bribes, some did not, but none of them were willing to drive away the refugees who were begging for a living on the docks.

The young officer stopped in front of the outlying posts of the sailors. The sentry could hardly tell his rank from his army red cloak, so he gave a military salute and asked, "May I ask this colleague ......?"

Naimon shook the rain off his cloak and lifted the corner of his placket to reveal his rank, while showing the wax-sealed parchment roll in his hand.

"By order of the Military Council, I have the honour to inform the Governor of the harbor that this order is addressed to the Commander of the Seventh Fleet, Admiral Pease Wayne, who entered the harbor this morning. ”

"Yes, we will inform His Excellency the Governor of Hong Kong immediately. Are you going to meet him with you?"

"No, I'll just wait for him on the docks. ”

Naimon stopped at the end of the pier and looked out at the berthing area in the distance. He remembered when he was serving here, and the quayside was deserted—a stark contrast to what he sees now. Fortei is one of the top 10 deep-water ports in the world, but even it is a little too small for the fleet in the berthing area.

"Is that the real 'Big Red Fleet'?"

He didn't think it was until the Seventh Fleet, which arrived with almost all of the fleet this week, that he realized the true power of the Free Navy......

In the face of such power, everyone will stop in awe.

Most of the huge ships that were like hills had three or four gun decks, hundreds of light, medium, and heavy guns, and magic guns. There were four or five hundred sailors on each boat, and the number of people on one boat was equivalent to that of an army battalion, and the firepower was almost equal to half a division of the army. After all, artillery cannot be deployed in layers, but shipborne artillery can.

If you want to make a comparison, the average armed merchant ship, like the "Emperor Cleon", has only thirty-six medium and light guns, and is less than one-sixth the size of these giant ships. The "Border Guard" that Naimon had ridden before was the flagship of the river fleet, and it only had 64 medium and heavy guns and two decks, which was more than half the flagship of each fleet.

What's even more terrifying is the quantity. The Seventh Far Eastern Fleet, which docked at port yesterday alone, had nineteen such battleships of the first and first rank. The other five admirals who arrived for the military-political meeting did not come with the whole fleet, but they all brought their own flagship detachments......

The giant sails of those giant battleships emitted a red glow of fireproof magic, and it was these fireproof technologies that annihilated the ironclad arsonist ships that the Eastern Empire was proud of. When these great ships came to rest, their sails and masts were like red walls on the sea, blocking the horizon.

At present, there are a total of 42 battleships and more than 300 light and heavy frigates moored in the sea off Fortiburg, and the total number of sailors exceeds 50,000, and more than 30,000 sailors rotate ashore every day to rest, which makes the logistics department miserable.

"The 'Great Red Fleet' you are looking up is synonymous with 'Free Navy (modern). Now for you. Some of the information has already created contradictions, and I will ignore the contradictions. ”

What sounded like Anne's voice rang in his ears, and the words and line drawings unfolded in Naimon's right eye, merging with the scene in front of him.

"Actually, the one I just asked is not a question sentence......" Namen sighed, "Forget it, Annie, you can continue." ”

"I'm not Anne, I just have her knowledge base. The female voice corrected in a voice that did not fluctuate in the slightest, "Third, the Free Navy at the end of the Freedom War. At its peak, the navy had more than 3,000 sailing ships of various types, including more than 2,500 armed merchant ships, more than 600 warships, more than 100 battleships, and more than 20,000 artillery and magic guns, including shore defense guns. ”

"If we want to get rid of the West Interre fleet and half of the Emerald Bay fleet now, there will probably not be such a large number. Naimon stretched out his finger and dragged the information in front of him, "The big ships in front of us are the ships on the map, right?"

"Pictured here is the famous Liberty Ship (FNVFreedom), one of the most popular sailing ships among model ship enthusiasts, along with the Empire's 'Loyalty'. The first real battleships of the Free Navy were the 'Independence class', built from the end of the 16th century onwards, with 64 guns. Later, the Maritime Trade Commission designed and built the 74-gun second-class battleship 'Ping-class', the 88-gun first-class battleship 'Democracy Class', and the largest 100-gun special class 'Liberty class', which was equipped with magic cannons. Assigned to seven fleets, these ships controlled three of the most important seas of the Age of Sail for the Free Nations: the Endless Ocean, the Interre-Murrayman Sea, and the Far East, and were responsible for fighting the navies of the Holy Empire, the Elves, the Murrayman Turbans, and the Eastern Empire, respectively. ”

"Please continue. This narrative intrigued Namen.

Nearly every officer knew that the Free Navy had seven fleets, but few paid attention to why they were scattered in distant seas where it was difficult to support each other. Naturally, the Navy guys would not divulge these secrets to the Army - even the funds for building the ships were obtained by the Maritime Trade Commission itself from taxes on ocean trade.

"In charge of the Endless Ocean are the 1st 'Emerald Bay', the 3rd 'South Seas', and the 4th 'New World' fleets, with their home ports at the Witland Fortress in West Juroc on the northern flank of the Emerald Bay, Odip in Lower Italy, and Freeman Harbor in the Free Islands of New Continent. In charge of the Interre-Murrayman side are the 2nd 'East Interre' and the 5th 'West Interre' fleet, with their home ports in the southern province of East Interre and the phase port of West Interre. In charge of the Far East are the 6th 'Golden Port' and the 7th 'Far East' Fleet, and the home ports are located on the Golden Port Peninsula on the west coast of New Zealand, and Lingyangmen in the Far East. ”

Among them, the Seventh Fleet, which was responsible for fighting against the Chinese Dynasty Naval Division and suppressing the Spice Islands and the Yingzhou Islands, was the largest. Naimon blinked, bringing the largest Liberty ships into his view, "Help me find out which ship is the flagship of the Seventh Fleet, Annie." ”

"According to the flag list, the goal is the first article on the right side of the first row. ”

"What's the flag on it?"

"The Marshal flag was not raised, the commander of the fleet was not on the ship. No matter what kind of content is said, the voice of the magic network sounds like this cold tone.

"I remember that the Seventh Fleet was notified by the military-political council before......" Naimon shrugged, "is it better to run for nothing, but it is understandable." It took me more than two months to get back from the Far East, and then I heard that there had been a ceasefire, and that the capital had been lost by the army, and that I would have lost all my duties and went ashore to drink. ”

"It's good that you can understand, so I can save a lot of trouble. A voice with a slight tone of saint-sen sounded behind him.

Naimon turned his head and clapped his hands in the air with the familiar voice of his master in elven manners.

After losing control of the river, the former commander of the river fleet, Leonard Kekawi, was sent here to manage the capital port of the Free Nations' military government.

"That is, to be attached to the Seventh Fleet in West Interres with you, and their attitude towards this matching. It looks like it's going to take some time before you officially take office. ”

The officer classes of the Free Army and the Free Navy are not mutually compatible, so Naimon Soleton, as Major of the Free Army, does not have to salute Leonard Kakawi, who ranks as Vice Admiral as Gundam.

In fact, the Free Army Staff did not even officially recognize the rank of the navy, and in their eyes the navy was still the same as a hundred years ago, there were only three classes of "admiral", "captain" and "lieutenant". From the admiral in charge of a fleet to the young ensign who wipes the deck every day, in the eyes of the army, they are just a variant of these three classes, and naturally there is no need to strictly follow the rules of military rank. The rapidly expanding navy, which has been expanding for nearly half a century, is very dissatisfied with this, but there is nothing to be done. There are so many civilian people in the navy who have been co-opted, and there are many "big men" who have taken the fleet to take refuge and then become vice admirals or even admirals overnight, and even the trade commission itself is helpless against these guys.

"Your Excellency Admiral Leonard Kekawi, long time no see. ”

"It's not the Admiral, it's just the Governor now. The river flotilla no longer exists, because we no longer have river bridges. ”

Hearing the half-elf's words with a hint of sarcasm, Naimon smiled and eased the atmosphere: "Your Excellency has become more accustomed to the southern climate than the last time we met." ”

"Lennie's hero, Major Naymen Soleton, if you also passed the gallows with military law** and then were kicked into this military port as the governor, you will also change. The half-elf smiled bitterly, "Since you secretly learned the naval flag language, do you still need me to send a liaison officer to the ship?"

Naimon thought for a moment, shook his head, and said, "There is no need to go to the ship, but I want to know where Admiral Wayne weng." ”

"Probably some tavern. Leonard casually pointed to the west, "Marshal Wayne of the Seventh Fleet is a very interesting person, and I'm afraid you will go in vain." The Navy and the Army are not the same, and each naval fleet has different characteristics. ”

"Maybe the Navy and the Army are different, but the mission is the mission. Naimon hesitated, "Moreover, the order I brought with me was not a bad thing for the Seventh Fleet, and several other admirals agreed to it. ”

The half-elf shook his head slightly: "It's not enough." Everyone knows that the Western Interre Coastal Defense and the Ring Naval Port will be transferred to the Seventh Fleet. If you know how many resources a fleet consumes, you can understand why they want to fight for more resources. As for the others...... The size of their fleet is not as large as that of the Seventh Fleet, and they even have the opportunity to transfer part of their fleet to the extreme east to share the dividends of sea trade, so naturally they will not object. ”

"You guessed it right, the order I brought is indeed like this. "However, most people think that this is an acceptable arrangement, and the West Interre Sea has the best ports of the Free Nations, and the Free Nations need fleets. The Imperial and Elven Offshore Fleets still have three or four of our ports in the present. ”

"But only the most lucrative trade routes can feed the Seventh Fleet. However, you are the next Intray Overseer, and perhaps you can bargain with him...... He's here, so you can find a way to get on the job. ”

"I don't know what to do with this position yet. Naimon smiled bitterly and told his true intentions, "Can you come with me?" I don't think the knowledge of the army alone is enough to convince this admiral. ”

Leonard Kekawi readily agreed: "I owe you a favor last time. Let's go. ”

The two walked out of the harbor together, and the half-elven harbour governor also covered his rank to avoid being entangled by the overly hungry refugees. He instructed a few of his out-of-duty men to go to the admiral who was out of nowhere to spend his time through a network of sailors, and he and Namen walked briskly through the refugee-occupied riverside fortifications.

Wealthy refugees rented bungalows in the port area or paid for temporary shacks on the embankment. The fortifications, which were originally intended to defend against the invasion of the Imperial army, were covered with bunks, and men and women slept on these bunks. It's already a good place to spend the night, and you'll have to collect a silver coin a night. The poorer people huddled into tents on the side of the streets, or simply laid out their beds in the shadow of coastal forts and shooting trestles.

In these huts and tents, there was almost everything that officers and soldiers needed. From churches, newspapers, religious congregations, and mage's guilds, to gangs, bars, casinos, prostitution halls, and ......

In short, all the services that should and should not exist, as long as human beings can think of them, can be found in this vast refugee camp. One of the hottest is undoubtedly the publishing industry.

"Latest Treatise on Magic! For the future of a free nation, buy the New Mattebysie Times now, and donate one copper coin each for the Republic!"

"Uprisings have broken out in many places in the occupied areas!" "Free Southern Herald, your patriotic choice!"

"Eliminate the false and keep the true, the latest thirty-seven new magic reviews! Buy the "Advanced Magic Newsletter" now, and it also comes with parchment for practice!"

"Interlay will levy a tea tax!" The phase port trading market has been in the dark for a week, and the Interlay Sea Freight Composite Index has plummeted by 17 points...... It's all in the Trade Speculation Express!"

The newly appointed "editors" and "freelancers" on the roadside are selling their own newspapers and ready to go out to run the news. Naimon didn't know how many publishers were printing newspapers and weekly magazines in Fortiburg today, but the price of paper and ink had doubled – and even then demand was still in short supply.

With just a few coppers a day, you can hire a literate and even literate citizen, which is really a paradise for the publishing industry. In the military fortress of Fortiburg, there is really little else to do.

Of course, the lives of these practitioners are by no means decent. Most families can barely make ends meet, and those who don't have a job for a while go hungry. Those who did not even have the ability to work could only rely on the oatmeal and rye porridge that the Free Army gave from time to time, which was thin enough to show shadows.

"Where do you think Wayne will be?"

In such a noisy environment, Naimon did not dare to add a military rank. He believed that the admiral would not reveal his identity either.

The half-elf replied, "If you can extrapolate from the rumors I have heard, this marshal is very fond of the oriental scenery. According to rumors, that person's bearing can even impress the 'scholars' of the Eastern Empire, and it is precisely because of this that we can obtain Ling Yangmen as the station of the Seventh Fleet. It's just that Fort Forte is a military fortress, and it stands to reason that there is no such place......"

Naimon thought for a moment: "Is there an oriental-style luxury restaurant, there is really a new one." At the western end of Robert El Access Road. ”

Named after Lieutenant Colonel Robert Eyre, who distinguished himself at the Battle of Fort Fortei, the Battle Readiness Tunnel traverses the entire Fortiti defensive system, extending beyond the main fort and ending at the outer fourth base in the northwest, which was unnecessarily renamed Robert Ayer. The original warehouses along this road have been all removed from the previous war, and all the newspapers and hotels have been rented.

"Are you familiar with these places? The half-elf thought for a moment and suddenly realized, "Of course you should be familiar with it. Your new position is ......"

Naimon hurriedly raised his hand to stop the half-elf: "Don't let them smell money or power. They're claiming to rename it News Avenue. ”

Naimon looked around with trepidation, hoping that no one would notice them. In the past few days, he had grown tired of being followed by journalists, so he would go out in an anti-surveillance cloak disguised as an ordinary soldier as he did now.

But to his surprise, no one noticed him and the half-elf.

As soon as I entered the Aier Pathway, the crowd around me seemed to be extremely sparse, and there were not as many refugees as there were in the various defense areas on the east side. Journalists, who look like beggars, are running around telling each other the latest news.

"Big news, in the Seventh Defense Zone on the west side of the main Cypriot!

"Sailors' mutinies are big news? Lately, there have been two or three times a week, which fleet?"

"The fifth'Western Interre Sea Fleet'. This time it was different, they had already dispersed the nearby guard troops, and it seemed that they were commanded by the former senior officers!

"Wouldn't it be dangerous?"

"Don't worry, Fortiburg's Free Gendarmerie is the strongest in the entire Free Army, and even a few thousand sailors are no match for them!

On the western side of the fortress, as they say, black smoke rose into the sky.

Naimon and Leonard looked at each other. The half-elf looked west, gave a thumbs up with his left hand, and closed his eyes alternately, measuring the actual distance of the pillar of smoke. This is a simple ranging method that every artillery officer and naval officer will master, and Naimon will too, but not as skillfully as Leonard.

"Look at the black smoke from the riots, in the middle of the west side of the fortress...... It shouldn't be such a coincidence. ”

Naimon smiled wryly: "Maybe it's not just 'such a coincidence'. What the Seventh Fleet is scheduled to take over is precisely the original defense area of the Fifth Fleet. Speaking of which, do you know how much the Fifth Fleet has suffered?"

Leonard frowned and recalled, "I can't say, it's a military secret. But the marshal of the Fifth Fleet had already sunk with his flagship. Did you mention the next steps for the Fifth Fleet in the order you received?"

Naimon shook his head: "No. In short, it will not be to Lingyangmen, and it is impossible to face the complicated situation in the extreme east with a crippled fleet. Looks like I'm going to have to go to the scene anyway, and hopefully it won't make too much of a fuss. Mr. Kakkawi, if you want to leave, you can. ”

"Let's go together. Nothing will happen to the port authorities. The half-elf smiled rarely, "I'll regret missing the opportunity to get closer to the brightest rising star in the Free Army." Maybe I'll have a fleet soon, too. ”

Naimon didn't answer the joke.

Mutinies of sailors were frequent. The sailors' commotion of the Free Navy became especially frequent.

Giant ships with red fireproof mainsails sail all over the world, and flying the battle flag is a warship, and hanging the navigation flag is an armed merchant ship. Thousands of admirals and lieutenant colonels of the Navy, who carry out their duties as captains but also serve as obnoxious capitalists, have a very different relationship with their subordinates than in the Army.

Every ship is a company, and every fleet is a monopoly, and most of them have to squeeze sailors to keep their ships on the sea. A battleship needs oak and ironwood cut from the tundra of North Kirman to make its hull, pine forests and firs north of St. Forest to make masts and decks, and it needs to recoup all the costs and funds for the next ship or even three or five ships in the twenty years it has been maintained. In Interre, in order to keep the world's largest fleet running, merchants developed stocks, bonds, insurance companies, and shipping indices, and almost every captain, even if his home port was far away in Lingyangmen or Freeman Island, was burdened with enormous pressure, countless contracts, and unbelievable debts.

In terms of management methods, there is no way to restrain these captains. Without teleportation magic to safely reach an uncertain ship, teleportation commands are usually only possible until after docking. There were only two reasons to stop them from becoming pirates: the Free Navy, which spared no mercy on pirates, and the large dockyards that could only be found in civilized countries.

You can't expect such people to be kind to their men, and mutiny is to be expected.

If you look at the history of the Free Navy, you can see all kinds of incredible causes of mutiny. Needless to say, there are regular reasons such as withholding military salaries or poor food, and large-scale mutinies that start with a quarrel, a brawl, or a fight over alcohol abound, and hundreds of people have been killed or injured because of jokes or fishing disputes. In some cases, one was not surprised that the Free Navy mutinied, but that the sailors of the Free Navy were treated in such a way that there had not yet been a mutiny. Some ships have not been paid a penny for thirteen years, some have the captain of the ship using his sailors to practice necromancy, and some have the captain of the ship asking the sailors to practice gang jumping in the middle of a storm.

Even in such a large red fleet, there were people who were known for their kindness to sailors and warlike warfare—and such a reputation spread especially easily. The names of these commanders are louder than their ranks or positions, and they are known not only to the entire detachment, but also to the regional fleets and even other fleets. These people are generally very good at business, so they have the spare energy to treat sailors well.

Rear Admiral Darlo Salamis, of the Fifth Fleet Guards Fleet, has always been proud of such a reputation. For more than two decades, his flagships and fleets have been known for their managerial skills and generous treatment.

He was more like a maritime merchant than a rear admiral. The rear admiral had a slightly fat belly and a large beard, wore the silk of the Far East, smoked the best cigars in New Island, and became a rear admiral in the Fifth Fleet with the superb ability of "retreating at the right time".

Even after a crushing defeat at the Battle of West Interre, he escaped, and the marshal, two admirals, and two lieutenant generals of the fleet all sank with the fleet, and he was the only one of the three flankers and rear admirals who survived.

But now, he is regretting his fame.

Because the mutinous sailors elected him to be the commander of the mutinous sailors.

The reason was that a few sailors of the former Fifth Fleet drank too much and had a quarrel with the sailors of the Seventh Fleet who had just landed. The other side was clearly here to occupy their territory, and the two sides quickly got into a fight and died.

The situation was soon out of anyone's control. There were not many sailors in the Fifth Fleet, only three or four thousand, but these landlords had been in the city for weeks, and they knew every route of readiness. They soon dispersed the sailors of the other fleets, gathered their own men, and any sailors who would join in the riots, and controlled all the big men who sold money in taverns and brothels.

Then they found Rear Admiral Darrow, who was drinking, and embraced him as commander of the mutinous forces, "to rebuild the glory of the West Interre fleet."

At that time, the entire Western District was already in flames, and the army's vigilant troops had begun to suppress the sailors on the periphery.

Daro knew that he couldn't wash his name, so he had to start giving orders to save his life first.

"All the insurrectionary forces are concentrated in the new area on the west side of the Eltong Road! According to the original organizational structure of the fleets, a three-tier defense line is organized according to the avant-guard, flanker, and rearguard fleets! All sailors who do not obey the command are regarded as rioters who take advantage of the fire to loot, and they are thrown to the army! Do not kill innocents indiscriminately, and if you find that you are defeated, retreat slowly!"

Orders flowed from the luxurious hotel he had requisitioned as a temporary command post. After all this, and making sure that his men were able to withstand the attack of the regular army for a while, he breathed a sigh of relief and began to count the cards in his hand.

Then he found that the cards he had grabbed were big, numerous, and hot.

Twenty or thirty mid-level officers will not be mentioned. The strange-looking and dangerous clergy and adventurers are not to be mentioned.

These mutinous sailors not only left behind corpses, but also some dangerous people that they could not handle, and they concentrated on the temporary headquarters of Major General Daro Salami.

Two of the most dangerous of these are former Speaker Webster, an adviser to the junta, and Pease Wayne, the commander of the Seventh Fleet. When he heard this, Darrow almost dropped his jaw in shock.

"Sir, would you like to go up and see our hostages for once?"

"No need. Just let them stay there!" Darrow silently recalled the two men's biographies in his mind, confused, "Let them be held with the other hostages. Just send some obedient and honest sailors to watch over it. If they really want to rush out, we can't stop them. ”

But why didn't they run away?

The rear admiral carefully read the list of names in his hand again. Some of them he knew, but most of them he didn't, and many of them were pseudonyms at first glance.

But his instincts were to say that, with the seniority and strength of Councilor Webster and Field Marshal Pease Wayne, it was impossible to be tied up unless they had something to do.

"It's good that we still have time ......"

Rear Admiral Darrow casually pulled up a chair, sat down on it, stretched, looked at the fierce sailors beside him, and smiled bitterly. He was still better at business than mutiny.

"Send a few men up, and be careful to ask for the identity of each of them again. Especially those suspicious Imperial people. Do you have any magicians, even if they're new to it these days. ”

He singled out a few of the most vicious and slightly magical-looking ones. The vicious sailors looked at him suspiciously, but made their way up the stairs.

Next, let's talk about what to do. If the other side maintains the current pressure, maybe we can break through. Several of you here are the vanguard of the uprising, and now you are equivalent to my fleet staff, please express your opinions......"

Before he could finish speaking, the sailor who had been sent out to give the order before stumbled into the door of the hotel, covered in blood and with an expression of disbelief on his face.

"What's going on?!"

"Sir, sir...... The Independent and Independent Military Police Corps is an independent military police regiment! They have made a breakthrough and made a breakthrough!"

Hearing this, Major General Darrow jerked up from his seat.

"How can it be so fast! Let all the troops withdraw! The people in the neighborhood gather all the muskets you can find, don't go out into the streets, just rely on the houses to resist! Gain time! Gain time!"

The rear admiral didn't bother to say any more nonsense about the staff department, and walked to the window on the second floor alone, looking at the black smoke and crowds not far away.

The mutinous sailors looked defenseless in the face of the gendarmes.

The Independent Gendarmerie Regiment was the product of a compromise between the Free Army and the Navy, and was the ultimate weapon to maintain order in the temporary capital of Fortiburg. It is made up of the best of the freer's best, most experienced in combat, and the best of the most intense battles, and is surprisingly strong in terms of discipline, will, and magic.

Major General Darrow saw that the mutinous sailors, who were barely lining up, were scattered and fled by a volley of guns fired in rounds. This is completely different from the gang-jumping training of the past: there is no such resolute forward front at sea, nor such a neat and sharp charge. The barely formed chaotic formation of sailors was vulnerable to the crushing of real war machines. The mages of the Independent Gendarmerie concentrated their magic and used their non-lethal spirits and disruptive magic to break through one queue after another, and the mutinous forces were not even able to slow down their advance.

"Sure enough, it still can't be compared to the army...... It is worthy of the iron army that fought to the death with Renny in Jena. ”

Darrow turned around and faced his "mutinous staff". This is not the mutinous army of the Directory Army that was about to rebel and seize power, but a group of drunks who started to mess around when they were drunk. Everyone nervously awaited the order of Major General Darrow. These sailors were very good at robbing and killing, but when they faced the powerful formation of the army, they revealed the truth of their fierce inwardness.

He lamented his fate in the depths of his heart, and regretted that his reputation was too good. Surrounded by mutinous forces, there are hostages who can put great pressure on people, and there is an independent gendarmerie regiment, which can be called the strongest soldier in Fort Forti.

"Maybe not only the military career will end here, but even the life will end here. ”

Unless...... Negotiation.

Thinking of this, Major General Darrow seemed to see a glimmer of life again.

He considered himself one of the best merchants on the two Interlands, buying low and selling high, buying short and selling short. As long as the other side can be dragged into the negotiation, there is still a chance of survival.

"You guys, there is robbery...... No, have you collected magic flares and amplification magic for retreat?"

The sailors were in confusion for a while, and some of them ran out of the house on their own to search for the booty.

Darrow sighed in his heart again, but these people still brought him what he wanted.

The rear admiral walked to the window, opened the blinds, and shot a magical signal representing the retreat into the sky.

"Please don't go any further, Army comrades. I am the commander elected by the insurrectionary forces, the commander of the Fifth Fleet Guards Division, Rear Admiral Darrow Salami. ”

The sailors almost retreated and left the line. Perhaps the Separate Gendarmerie Regiment had already received orders, or perhaps they had not yet received orders to pursue, in any case these powerful enemies did not continue the pursuit.

Hope is not the enemy, the major general changed his mind in his heart. Their actions increased the hope in Major General Daro's heart.

"Maybe the young commander of the independent gendarmerie is a reasonable man......"

He waited until the mutinous sailors had retreated beyond the firing line of the gendarmes before he continued to speak.

"We ask to negotiate with your commanders. ”

The rear admiral paused, letting pessimistic despair fill his statement. These feelings are all real.

"We don't want to cause killing, and we don't want to hurt the hostages and ordinary citizens in our hands. All we need is our fleet, supplies, freedom, and lost reputation. We have no intention of killing, we have no intention of hostility, and we are willing to fight for the cause of the Free Army. Listen to us. ”

His voice reached behind the tight array of the independent gendarmerie.

There, in the crowd, Namen Soleton and Leonard Kakawi heard the request.

"That's what the other side is asking for, right?"

"It doesn't sound like they're in a good situation. It's a hassle. And you named me. ”

Naimon unbuttoned his cloak, revealing a crimson military uniform with only the right sleeve, and approached the array of the Independent Gendarmes.

Beneath his bare left arm hung an inconspicuous black pistol, and a one-handed saber with an unusually ornate scabbard. He didn't bring out his pair of medals, but he didn't need them, everyone in this army knew who he was.

"I'm back. Raise my command flag and inform the other side. ”

When his figure appeared under the command flag of the military police, the whole battlefield fell silent. Members of the gendarmerie unit, who did not hold weapons in their hands, turned around and saluted him.

"It's a strong operation that's in charge of this front, right? Good job. ”

The most determined part of the General Army of the West consisted of the "Qiangyun" battalion.

The most tenacious part of the New Lenny Army consisted of the "Iron Guard" battalion.

Together, these two form the Independent Gendarmerie Regiment. Whether it is combat effectiveness, establishment or supply, this is the most powerful regiment in the entire free army. It is said to be a battalion, but whether it is the number of veterans and officers in it, or the configuration of magical combat power and technical equipment, it is probably comparable to a regiment of other troops.

"I am the commander of the Independent Gendarmerie Regiment of the Free Army, Major Namen Soleton. I accept your request for negotiation. Soon I will be over. ”

That was another position that Nammon got in those days. One that would be enough for him to take over the hot potato position of Overseer of Interretic.

Addendum: About the Free Navy

Starting with a few small sampans, the Free Navy eventually annexed almost all of the maritime forces within the republics, creating a large combined fleet. In 1650~1675, its power once accounted for half of the world's total maritime power.

According to the traditional view of the Free Army, there are only three effective ranks in the Navy: Admiral, Captain, and Lieutenant. Most of the others were mere "positions" that were established by the Maritime Trade Committee of the Joint Parliament, which oversaw the Navy, and were not recognized by the Free Army Headquarters.

AdmiraloftheNavy: Theoretically the highest position tied with MarshalloftheForce. In the middle of the XVII century it did not exist.

Admiral (AdmiraloftheFleet): The Supreme Commander of the Navy who commands a fleet. There are no corresponding positions in the Army. The position that had arisen since the establishment of the Fifth Fleet was responsible for all affairs in a distant maritime area, with authority equivalent to that of a colony's governor. For example, another position of the marshal of the Seventh Fleet is the governor of Lingyangmen.

Admiral (Fleet Commander = Admiral): The same as the Army Admiral (General) is the permanent highest position. In the middle of the XVII century was the commander of the main detachment, the equivalent of the commander of the detachment of the marshal.

Vice Admiral (Vice Fleet Commander = Vice Admiral): Commands a relatively small detachment fleet, or takes over the command of a detachment when an Admiral dies.

Rear Admiral (Commander of the Guards Fleet = RearAdmiral): The commander who commands the Guards and Flanker fleets.

Captain (Captain = Captain): The captain of a capital ship (battleship). The so-called battleship is the ship that is "responsible for arranging the main battle column".

Lieutenant Commander (Minor Captain = Commander): Captain of a secondary battleship and destroyer. The service life of a sail warship is generally 20-30 years, and the capital ships of the previous generation will be downgraded to secondary warships after 15-20 years.

Naval Lieutenant Commander (frigate captain = LieutenantCommander): Captain of frigates and armed merchant ships.

Navy Captain (Second Lieutenant = Lieutenant): The ship's co-captain and stalwart officer, first mate, second officer, third officer, etc., refer to the command order of the captains (and lieutenants and ensigns).

Navy Lieutenant (Second Lieutenant = SubLieutenant): A captain with relatively junior qualifications, not enough to enter the command order.

Second Lieutenant (Deck Officer = Midshipman): Rank and Trainee Naval Officer.

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