Chapter 194: Aerial Landing
The port on Black Forest Island had been much livelier than usual recently.
On one hand, Heck and his men were here every day, using the captured cargo ships to train newly recruited sailors.
On the other hand, construction had begun on the road from the port to the newly planned Dawn New Village.
Many of the territory’s residents took advantage of the agricultural off-season to work, thereby earning extra income.
Today, however, the place was bustling with people.
Kaelon had already gathered all the Guards and Militia stationed in the port area.
By the time Duane and Simone arrived, the army of Black Forest Island had already formed up in a defensive posture.
Duane carefully examined the formation.
The front rank was composed of Warriors wielding Shields, the second rank was Archers, and behind them were more armed Warriors.
Thanks to the support of King Eric in the form of weapons and equipment, all of them were now wearing Armor and were well-equipped.
Even the Archery Squad, which previously had only ten men, had now been expanded to fifty.
Although their Archery still needed training, their sheer numbers could provide a degree of suppressive fire in the initial stages of a fight.
It was clear they had frequently trained for scenarios involving enemy landings.
"My Lord, what are you doing here?"
Kaelon immediately came before Duane, his face anxious. "It’s too dangerous here! This is no place for you!"
"He’s right, My Lord! This fleet is too powerful, and their intentions are unclear. It’s too dangerous!"
Raymond and the others also came forward to urge him to leave.
"I understand your concerns, but in my view, the Akutas Kingdom and Viscount Freddy won’t do anything to Black Forest Island."
Duane looked out at the port from horseback.
Heck had already used two cargo ships to block the harbor, so no matter how many warships there were, they couldn’t dock at the pier.
If the enemy’s main force wanted to land, they would either have to deal with these two ships first or find another place to come ashore.
Either way, it would be an extremely time-consuming affair.
That said, Duane still felt a little pressure as he looked at the swarms of warships on the sea.
If the enemy was truly willing to go to war and attack Black Forest Island, they could solve the problem of the two blockading ships with a fire attack. Once the ships burned out, they could force a landing.
If that happened, he would likely have no choice but to flee into Thorn Valley or the Hot Spring Mountain Range to survive.
Meanwhile, in the center of the fleet at sea.
Freddy had the Mage Sarah use a Far-sighted Crystal, which reflected the scene at the Black Forest Island port.
"This Little Baron actually thought to block the harbor with two ships. Interesting."
Freddy’s lips curled into a smirk. It sounded like praise, but it was more akin to mockery.
The few ships anchored near the shore were ones he had leased from Duke Star Sea; he never expected they would now belong to Duane.
Beside him, Baron Torre Courtney, who had come with him, snorted coldly and said with disdain:
"You can just burn the ships with Fire Arrows. An obstacle like this is worthless."
The capture of his wife, Selena, had caused him to lose a great deal of face, so he naturally harbored a deep resentment for Duane.
"Relay my orders!"
Freddy commanded, "The Sword, advance to the port! The other warships will wait here!"
The Sword was the passenger ship he was currently on, not a warship equipped with siege weapons.
"Freddy, remember the promise you made to me. Don’t stir up any trouble!" Earl Ashman warned him again.
"Relax. I’m just going to say hello to the Little Baron."
The Sword sailed slowly toward the Black Forest Island port, coming to a steady stop a dozen or so meters behind the two cargo ships.
Kaelon walked to the edge of the pier and shouted, "Approaching vessel, maintain your distance, or you will be attacked!"
His voice was like a booming bell, carrying clearly to the ears of the newcomers.
Freddy came to the bow, leaned on the railing, and replied:
"No need to be nervous. I’ve only come to speak with the legendary Baron Duane."
Many of the men, who had been on edge, relaxed slightly.
At least, judging from their current posture, the other party had not come to attack Black Forest Island.
Duane came to Kaelon’s side. "And what is it Your Excellency wishes to discuss with me?"
"Don’t you want to invite me ashore, Baron?" Freddy shouted.
Duane spread his hands. "Apologies, but my crew isn’t here. These two troublesome ships can’t be moved at the moment."
"No matter."
Freddy bent his knees slightly, then abruptly pushed off from the deck.
The force from the eruption of his Fighting Qi sent him soaring into the air like a great bird.
"That Freddy!"
Ashman cursed under his breath and quickly followed suit, leaping after him.
He was worried Freddy would act rashly. If Duane were injured, it would be a huge problem.
"Heh, seeing this, the Little Baron will probably be scared out of his wits!"
Baron Torre Courtney sneered and, surprisingly, followed them.
THUD!
THUD!
THUD!
With three loud thuds, the trio flew a distance of several dozen meters, leaping over the two cargo ships blocking the way and landing steadily on the pier.
The immense impact made the wooden planks of the pier creak and groan.
A blast of air from their landing rushed straight toward Duane.
He narrowed his eyes, his expression grave.
To leap eighty or ninety meters across the sea in a single bound—they had to be Celestial Tier Warriors.
Three Celestial Tier Warriors!
"My Lord, be careful!"
Kaelon, Simone, Raymond, and Gaius, who had just arrived, quickly moved to stand in front of Duane, fearing the newcomers might charge.
They had all entered the Tier Realm, so they naturally understood the strength of the arrivals.
To stand their ground in front of him was a commendable act of courage.
"Heh, so the Baron Duane who captured the entire Gale Corps now only knows how to hide behind his subordinates?"
Freddy stepped forward, the scar on his left cheek giving him a deeply unsettling appearance.
Duane gestured for the four of them to step aside. "I also never expected Black Forest Island would one day welcome three Celestial Tier Warriors at once."
He took two steps forward to face Freddy directly.
"Negotiations between the Pruck Kingdom and the Akutas Kingdom are imminent, yet you all arrive at my Territory in warships. Could it be you wish to try and kill me again before the talks begin?"
"You misunderstand, Baron Duane."
Ashman stepped up beside Freddy. "We were just passing by and made a special trip to greet you."
Duane noticed the silver battle-axe insignia of the Akutas Kingdom on the man’s chest. "And you are?"
"Ashman Thorn, representing His Highness the Regent King in these negotiations."
Duane didn’t recognize his identity and cast a questioning glance at Simone.
Simone explained in a low voice, "He is an Earl from the Akutas Kingdom, a powerful Celestial Tier Peak Warrior renowned for his precise and sharp Swordsmanship!"
Only then did a faint impression surface in Duane’s memory.
"Earl Ashman, a pleasure to meet you."
He offered his greeting while turning to the last man. "And this is?"
Baron Torre did not reply, his face cold.
Although their purpose was to negotiate and quell the potential conflict between the two kingdoms, that didn’t mean they needed to be polite to Duane.
After all, the one who would decide this matter wasn’t this minor lord, but the High Lords of the Pruck Kingdom.
Ashman introduced him: "This is Baron Torre Courtney. His wife is Selena, whom you should know."
Understanding dawned on Duane. Thinking of his plan with Selena and Brison, he broke into a smile.
"Baron Torre, rest assured, I have always respected Mages. During Lady Selena’s time on Black Forest Island, not only did I see to her well-being, but I even allowed her to take the Red Sun Grass she went to great lengths to find."
A trace of suspicion flashed in Torre’s eyes. He finally spoke. "She found the Red Sun Grass?"
"Of course."
Duane said with a smile, "I just don’t know what use it is to her."
Torre didn’t answer, but instead seemed to be pondering something.
"Alright, Duane."
Freddy took another two steps forward. "I want to talk to you alone. If you have the guts, follow me."
He didn’t wait for Duane’s reply, walking off the pier first to wait in the distance.
"My Lord?" Kaelon and the others looked to their lord, wanting to dissuade him.
But Duane shook his head. "He won’t do anything to me."
With that, he followed.
"What did you want to talk to me about?" Duane asked.
For the first time, Freddy properly sized up the young man before him. "You’ve got guts, and you’re calm. It’s no wonder Garrot fell at your hands."
Duane remained silent. He didn’t believe the man had sought him out just to praise him.
"I’m not going to waste time with pleasantries."
Freddy stated his demand directly, "I want the grain and oak resources from Black Forest Island!"
Scorching Wind Territory had missed its harvest after being ravaged by Secret Realm Demon Beasts, so a food shortage was a certainty.
And now, with this fierce diplomatic storm, the reparations they would have to pay would be immense.
Under these circumstances, it was very likely that the Nobles who had promised to sell Freddy grain would now make excuses and refuse to sell.
As a Lord, he needed to secure more fallback options for his Territory.
In previous years, he had been able to supplement his supplies with nearly 15 million jin of grain from Black Forest Island annually.
If he could maintain this trade now, it would be extremely beneficial to his situation.