The Demon King is unfathomable

Chapter 304 It seems that we need to meet with the mysterious prince
The pointed fortress sits on a steep sea cliff, with the empire's flag fluttering in the sky.

The spacious harbor was filled with sailing warships and steam supply ships, and soldiers and dock workers were hurrying back and forth like the tide.

This is Fort Saint-Il, an important military town of the Empire in the New World and also the hub of the "Mistral Route".

Half a year ago, when the Legion of Hell raided the Port of Saldo, General Hamelton's troops set out from here to provide support.

The weather outside the fortress was nice today, with a cloudless sky and seagulls circling around the flags.

But the air still retains the damp and salty smell brought by the sea breeze.

Just two weeks ago, a sudden storm hit here and lasted for a whole week.

Fortunately, Fort St. Il has solid stone walls, sophisticated underground drainage channels, and most importantly, a spellcasting group.

Thanks to the protection of the barriers erected by mages one after another, this towering fortress was able to maintain its vitality and not be blown off the map.

It was a thrilling week.

Thinking of it now, the soldiers in the fortress still feel a chill down their spines and are grateful for the protection of Saint Sith.

In short, St. Ilburg was unscathed for the time being.

But poor Porto Saldo was not so lucky.

It was an important supply port for the empire along the coast of the New World and the throat leading from the empire's mainland to its inland colonies.

Today, the port has been reduced to ruins, the floating bridge in the port area has been torn apart, the warehouses have been swallowed up by the sea water, and the entire coastline has been shattered as if it had been bitten fiercely by some giant creature.

Even when the legions of hell occupied there, they had not caused such serious damage!
There are many rumors about this tsunami.

Some people said it was a giant monster that suddenly appeared in the deep sea, some said it was a demon from the subspace that descended upon the sea, and others described it as an ulterior conspiracy of hell.

But no matter what it is.

Hamelton was certain that the thing lurking in the storm was definitely not a kind thing...

The command room of the fortress was filled with smoke.

General Hamelton sat in a large oak chair, wearing a military uniform and looking stern.

He had a heavy pipe in his mouth, with faint blue smoke rising from the copper mouthpiece. He listened motionlessly to the quartermaster's report, his eyes fixed on the strategic map spread out on the table.

There were densely packed flags on the strategic map, and many ports and shipping routes were circled with red circles or marked with red crosses.

That's what "temporarily disabled" means.

"...This storm almost destroyed one-third of our fleet deployed on the east coast of the New World," the quartermaster said in a low voice, with his head down, "especially the supply ships stationed in Saldo Port and Seagull Bay. Since they were unable to escape the storm in time, the losses were particularly heavy. At present, all supply lines in the entire eastern region of the New World are paralyzed. It's not just us... I'm afraid that several other fortresses are also having headaches now."

The empire had no rivals in the vast ocean, and the warships' usual mission was to support battles on land or fight pirates.

As for supply ships, pirates generally do not dare to rob them, and it is difficult to sell the looted items, so there is no need for advanced power at all, and a sailing ship is enough.

The ships that suffered the most damage in this storm were these old sailing ships.

Hamilton said nothing, but slowly exhaled a puff of smoke.

The quartermaster's Adam's apple moved, and he squeezed out the cruel fact with difficulty.

"According to the rear headquarters, it will take at least three months for them to replenish their ships and reorganize their supplies! General... We must admit that we may not be able to count on them for the time being."

Three months is a conservative estimate.

Although supply ships are not as troublesome as warships, it is still extremely troublesome to mobilize so many ships in a short period of time.

Hamelton tapped the ashes in his pipe and spoke in a hoarse voice.

"What do you suggest?"

The quartermaster hesitated for a moment, but finally spoke out.

"We may have to...seek help from civilian forces."

The air was silent for a moment.

General Hamelton narrowed his eyes and remained silent in thought.

This sentence is said in a very obscure way. To break it down, it is nothing more than relying on the power of the major chambers of commerce in the empire.

It's not that he didn't trust those chambers of commerce, but the prices they quoted were often not cheap. Turning to those guys for help might solve the immediate problem, but he would definitely face new troubles three months later - such as asking him to turn a blind eye to their smuggling business.

Being able to manage business to the extent of controlling thousands of ships is not something that ordinary merchants can do. Behind them are basically nobles from the empire.

It is unrealistic to expect to take advantage of these people and then kick them away, and once you get on their pirate ship, it is difficult to get off.

However, the reality was that there were indeed not many supplies left in the warehouse at Fort St. Il, and he couldn't convince the soldiers to go hungry.

Hamelton's brow was furrowed.

Even when facing the bombardment of Hell's Magic Crystal Cannon, he had never felt as troubled as he did now.

perhaps……

We can only leave this matter to the Governor to decide.

Slowly taking down his pipe, Hamelton was about to speak when there was a knock at the door.

He calmed himself down, signaled the quartermaster to leave, and then spoke in a deep voice.

"Enter."

The door opened and an officer in naval uniform strode in.

He had an upright posture and brisk steps, and the face under his military cap was a familiar face - it was the captain of the "Grace", Derek Hawthorne.

The captain, who had escaped the storm, had just landed at Fort St. Irvine and immediately came up with something important to report, so Hamilton summoned him.

Passing by the quartermaster who was leaving the room, Derek walked to the table, stood at attention, and gave a standard military salute.

"General."

Hamelton looked up at him.

"I heard that you have important information to report to me in person."

Derek nodded and said seriously.

"Yes, I have compiled a written report on the unusual circumstances of this voyage, but there are some contents that I think still need to be explained in person."

Hamelton made a "go ahead" gesture.

With the general's tacit approval, Derek did not hesitate and immediately told the general everything he had seen and heard on the Jana continent.

"First, regarding the political power in this region, the local area is ruled by a political entity that calls itself the 'United Kingdom of Gutaf'. Its main race is the lizardmen that are common in the coastal areas of the Whirlpool Sea. They have their own culture and religious beliefs, and have established a relatively mature civilized society. They are not the loose primitive tribes that we encountered in the New World."

He paused, his face solemn.

"The most shocking thing is that they are suspected of mastering steam power technology that is more mature and even more advanced than the Empire in some aspects."

The general's fingers paused slightly, and a hint of surprise and disapproval appeared on his resolute face.

Steam power technology superior to the Empire?
how can that be!

If this were true, it would be the steamships of the United Kingdom of Guttaff, not of the Glorious Empire, that would be crisscrossing the vast ocean.

Although he disagreed with the information provided by Derek, General Hamelton did not interrupt him, but motioned for him to continue.

Derek paused for a moment, then continued.

"Secondly, this is another thing that surprised me - although this is the first time I've heard of the existence of the Janna continent, there are already traces of imperial colonies on this land."

"Oh?"

General Hamelton raised his eyebrows, tapped his pipe on the ashtray, and said in a tone of amusement, "How did our colonists colonize an area that does not exist on the nautical charts?"

"I was also puzzled at first, but after interacting with the local residents, I think I have found the answer."

Derek nodded and continued carefully. "The local residents are mainly refugees of unknown origin. According to my observation, among them there are suspected sailors who died in the shipwreck, and there are also descendants of the missing sailors."

Hamelton grinned.

"I see. That's where all the missing sailors went in recent years... I thought the sea area that swallowed ships was just a rumor."

"That... I don't know, but based on my observations, I'm afraid it's not in recent years. According to the locals themselves, Deadwood Harbor has a history of more than a hundred years. An Imperial prince named Roxel Colin ruled there. While establishing order in the local area, he also claimed the right to colonize the area on behalf of the Empire."

Looking at Hamelton who looked surprised, Derek continued speaking quickly.

"During the time I stayed, Prince Colin did not show up. Instead, his vassal, an imperial baron named Titch Kosia, served as the lord of the baronies around Deadwood Harbor. The nearest Deadwood Harbor is under the charge of Governor Kedesen appointed by Titch."

"According to the Baron, 'Prince Colin' once had a military conflict with the United Kingdom of Gutaf, but a ceasefire agreement has been signed and the country is in a state of truce."

"Both sides agreed to use the Stairway to the Sun Mountains as their border and set up trade routes, at least on the surface, to maintain peace."

When he said this, his eyes dropped slightly and his tone sank.

"I originally planned to stay there for three to five days to resupply and observe the situation, but as I saw many suspicious points and the situation was complicated, I decided to return as soon as the ship was repaired."

"Also, regarding this matter——"

Derek paused, a complicated look on his face.

"My ship's steam power system was severely damaged in the storm. I thought it was hopeless to repair it in a short time, but... Baron Teach sent a messenger to invite repairmen from the United Kingdom of Gutaf, and they completed the repair in just half a day!"

Hamelton's expression finally changed slightly.

Although he was not very knowledgeable about the technical aspects of repairs, he knew from common sense that a failure that could cause a battleship to run aground would not be fixed in half a day!
Most of the time, it takes their engineers at least half a day to find out where the problem is!
But this guy said that the natives of Janna only took half a day to repair it?!

What a hell joke!
As if he could see the surprise and disbelief on Hamilton's face, Derek continued to tell him the fact that shocked him the most -

"…They not only repaired our engine, but also improved our power components, increasing their operating efficiency by at least 30%!"

"I can swear to Saint Sis that everything I said today is not exaggerated. You only need to arrange for a craftsman to take a look on the Grace and you will know."

After Derek finished speaking, he stood straight and waited quietly for instructions without interfering with General Hamelton's judgment and thinking.

Hamelton smoked for a long time, then suddenly put down his pipe, looked sharply into his eyes and spoke.

"The technology of the steam engine...could it be that Prince Colin leaked it to them?"

Derek hesitated for a moment and shook his head.

"I don't know. But judging from the level of engineers sent by the United Kingdom of Gutaf, even engineers who graduated from the Royal Naval Academy are inferior to them. I don't think Mr. Roxel Colin also graduated from the Royal Naval Academy."

This is quite...

It seems that the ancestor of that imperial prince was also an unlucky guy who was washed ashore, otherwise so many years would not have passed, and the continent of Janna would have been lying in the vast ocean without any news leaking out.

According to the chief spellcaster of the Saint Ilburg Mage Corps, this great storm must have destroyed a certain barrier on the vast ocean, causing the concealment method of the Janna continent to become ineffective.

As for why there is a barrier that isolates the entire continent, and what is hidden under the barrier... we can only leave it to the adventurers of the empire to find out.

They are best at this.

Hamelton's brows relaxed slightly, but then frowned again.

After all, if the steam engine technology did not flow into the Kingdom of Gutav from Prince Colin, it would mean that the locals used their own wisdom to develop a maritime weapon that was as good as - or even stronger than - the Empire!
Fortunately, they have no interest in sailing.

Otherwise, who knows what kind of terrifying monster this storm would unleash...

"What is the local population? What's the productivity? What do they wear? What means of transportation do they use? Horse-drawn carriages? Or rickshaws?" Hamelton's thoughts raced in his mind, and he quickly asked Derek questions.

Derek was caught off guard for a moment. After all, he hadn't been there for too long, so he could only shake his head and reply cautiously.

"I stayed there for too short a time, so I don't know the specific situation of the Kingdom of Gutaf. But with the reproduction rate of the Lizardmen, if there is no shortage of food, their footprints are likely to have spread all over the Janna continent... As for the technological strength, I think we can refer to the many vassal states of the Empire, such as the Kingdom of Ryan, which excels in steam power technology."

The Principality of Campbell under the Kingdom of Ryan is the Empire's largest shipbuilding base on the northeast coast of the Whirlpool Sea. It is second only to the Royal Dockyard in the Holy City in scale. It may be a little ahead of the other in technology. After all, it seems to be the birthplace of the steam engine.

Hamelton continued to ask.

"What about Deadwood Harbor?"

Derek replied quickly.

"I heard there were one or two thousand people...but I only saw about a hundred."

Hamelton frowned.

"What do you mean?"

Derek continued.

"I heard from the locals that Teach evacuated all his servants to the shelter on the nearby mountain. It seems that those who stayed on the beach to build the port were those who were recently washed up on the beach."

Retreat to the mountains?
Hamelton's eyes flickered slightly.

"It seems that they have a good relationship with the local lizard people?"

Derek shrugged slightly.

"I think this is normal. If they had a falling out... considering their isolated and helpless situation, they would have become the enemy's meal long ago."

This is the truth.

Considering the physical fitness of the opposing Lizardmen who can easily jump onto the deck, if there is no technological gap between the two sides, the entire colony would probably be wiped out in minutes.

That Roxel Colin is an imperial prince. He may be very powerful, but he is just one person after all and cannot turn the tide of the war.

He was not a professional army general, but he had some common sense - it was unrealistic to rely on a group of civilians washed up on the beach to fight against the entire kingdom.

Besides, that Dragon God seemed to be quite powerful in the First Era?
I just don't know why it suddenly disappeared.

Looking at Captain Derek standing in front of the oak table, Hamelton fell into deep thought again, tapping his index finger lightly on the table.

A closed kingdom with a large population, it has steam-powered technology that is not inferior to the Empire. Its achievements in the realm of the extraordinary are unknown, but it is not likely to be too weak...

After all, they are the people of Gutaf.

To this day, there are still a large number of adventurers on the continent of Os who practice the "Qi" techniques he left behind.

Thinking of this, Hamilton's heart suddenly moved slightly.

If the Kingdom of Gutaf is really that powerful.

perhaps--

Maybe they can solve the supply shortage problem facing Fort Saint-Ir! ?
Thinking of this, his mind instantly opened up, and his eyes quickly looked at the strategic map spread out on the table, and his eyes gradually brightened.

Although it was unsettling to collaborate with pagans, from a practical point of view, it was better than getting mixed up with the white gloves kept by the nobles of the Holy City.

At least he and Prince Colin had no common interests, and the latter did not have enough power to force him to make concessions on the bottom line.

And we can also use this opportunity to find out the true strength of the United Kingdom of Gutaf!
Hamelton quickly looked up at Derek and asked.

"How far is it from here to there?"

Derek was slightly stunned, then immediately answered.

"If it's fast, it will arrive in a week. If it's slow, two weeks will be enough!"

Hamilton was overjoyed.

It will take four to eight weeks to get from the Empire to St. Ilburg!
The time saved in this shipping trip is even enough for him to build a port for the transfer of materials in the Dead Wood Port!
If they can get some supplies from the Jana continent, they can allocate the saved transportation capacity to the transportation of key materials.

Saint Sissi does not forbid his followers to eat pagan food.

and--

In fact, he may not necessarily need to have too much contact with the pagans on the Janna continent. He can use Roxie Colin as a middleman. In this way, his supplies will be purchased from the empire's colonies, and even the Holy City will not say anything!
This may not necessarily be successful, but as long as there is hope it's worth a try!
It didn't take long for Hamelton to make a decision. He pushed away the oak chair, stood up, and spoke decisively.

"It seems that we need to meet with the mysterious Prince!"

(End of this chapter)