Clack, clack, clack…
The heavy winch effortlessly pulled the string of the ballista back. A spear over a meter long was locked into place as another soldier adjusted the aim, leveling the massive weapon directly at the bow of Viscount Louis's ship.
"My Lord, th-th-that! Look at that!" The sailor shrieked, his finger trembling as he pointed at the spear perched atop the high tower.
"We are envoys sent by his royal highness the fourth prince!" Louis screamed at the top of his lungs. He had obviously seen the spear pointed at them—his legs were shaking so violently they were practically knocking together.
"Captain? What are the orders?" A soldier asked, turning to his squad leader.
"Fire," The captain replied coldly.
He remembered exactly what the Vice Chief of the Military Bureau had told them: if any foreign vessel tries to approach the naval port, warn them once, warn them twice, then shoot. It didn't matter who was on the ship.
"Yes, sir!" The soldier slammed the trigger. The bowstring snapped forward with a thunderous crack, sending the spear hurtling through the air.
Whizz!
The sound of displaced air tore through the silence.
CRASH!
The spear instantly punched through the bow of Louis's ship. The entire vessel lurched from the impact, sending Louis stumbling and slamming his forehead against the deck, drawing blood.
Hummmmm…
Half the spear was buried deep in the deck plating, its tail end still vibrating wildly. It had likely hit the main beam; otherwise, the force would have driven it clean through the hull.
"Gulp…" Louis swallowed hard, his face pale with terror. The spear was barely two meters away from him. If the aim had been just a bit off, he would have been torn in half.
"My Lord! Are you alright?" The sailors scrambled to his side while the knights formed a defensive line in front of him.
"I-I'm fine," Louis stammered, his face flushing a deep, humiliated red. Between his legs, he felt a sudden, icy wetness. He had literally pissed himself in fear.
"My Lord, th-they're loading more spears!" A sailor cried out, pointing back at the tower.
"What?" Louis jolted upright. This time, there weren't just one—there were five spears per ballista, and all three ballistas on the tower were leveled at them. Fifteen massive spears were ready to turn them into a pincushion.
"WARNING! RETREAT IMMEDIATELY! YOU ARE IN A MILITARY EXCLUSION ZONE. FALL BACK NOW!" The captain shouted from the tower, looking down at the morons on the ship with indifference.
They had practiced on targets, but this was their first time firing at a real ship. If these idiots didn't take the hint, they'd unload all three ballistas. And if that didn't work, they had pots of oil ready for a fire attack.
The port was lined with over a dozen of these towers, each bristling with heavy weaponry. It was the only reason the harbor remained so peaceful and orderly; Lucas protected his cash cow with overwhelming force.
"Back up! Get us out of here!" Louis shrieked at his crew. He was genuinely terrified. He thought his status as the fourth prince's envoy was his ultimate shield, but these people didn't give a damn about politics. They warned you, and then they killed you.
"Yes, sir!" The sailors scrambled to turn the ship around.
Ultimately, under the mocking gazes of the onlookers, Louis's ship was forced to dock in the civilian section of the port.
"What a moron. There's always some arrogant prick who thinks he can ignore the rules around here," A merchant on a nearby ship jeered loudly.
"Seriously. Remember that noble a few days ago? Tried to kidnap a beastkin girl in broad daylight. He's still rotting in the Security Bureau's jail. Heard he had to pay ten gold coins just to keep his head, and he's still serving time," Another chimed in.
"A bunch of entitled nobles thinking with their dicks. Pathetic."
Louis ground his teeth as he listened to the mockery. He hadn't even met Lucas yet, and he had already been utterly humiliated.
Suddenly, a squad of twenty soldiers appeared, surrounding Louis's ship. Ten drew their long, straight blades that gleamed dangerously—while the other ten leveled repeating crossbows at the crew.
"Everyone on the ship, get off! Hands empty!" Alton barked.
After arriving from Maplewood City, Alton had been personally interviewed by Lucas, put through a brutal training cycle at the Military Bureau, and eventually appointed as the Port Inspector. His job was to ensure nothing compromised the security of the harbor.
"My Lord, what do we do?" The knights asked nervously. They only had twenty men; they stood no chance against an organized squad with heavy firepower.
"Leave your swords on the boat," Louis hissed, his face twisting. "We go down empty-handed."
Louis stepped off the boat, trying to ignore the cold, wet feeling in his breeches. Seeing the strange, razor-sharp swords and the cocked crossbows, his knees felt weak. The shadow of that ballista spear still loomed over him.
"Go up and search the vessel," Alton ordered. Ten soldiers marched onto the ship, both to inspect the cargo and to recover their spear.
"You… This is an outrage! You are being incredibly rude!" Louis bellowed, trying to use anger to mask his fear.
"Who are you? What is your business in Sedona City?" Alton asked, completely ignoring the outburst.
"I am Viscount Louis, the envoy of his royal highness the fourth prince! I am here to see Baron Lucas!"
"Is that so?" Alton replied flatly. "Once the investigation is clear, you can submit a formal request for an audience at the gate. If the City Lord has free time, he might see you."
"What?! I have to submit a request?!" Louis was stunned. He was an envoy of a prince! Usually, doors flew open for him.
Alton looked at him with pure disdain. He hadn't forgotten how princes' envoys had toyed with the people of Maplewood City during the floods. If they didn't want to help, fine—but they had mocked their suffering. He had zero patience for their entitlement.
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