Chapter 68: Eternal Happiness

“Why do we need to attack Davo? If we can cut off its supply lines, we can win just by besieging the city.” In the meeting before the battle, Rodrick questioned Fred’s strategy.

“The problem is, we cannot completely cut off the supply lines. Kelsey’s disruption might cause a food shortage in the city for a while, but once the Winstons realize how serious the problem is, they can suppress us with their powerful fleet and retake control of the river at any time. A temporary food shortage can at most cause chaos among the defenders, but it is not deadly. If Prince Louis is as excellent a commander as we have seen him to be, he is fully capable of controlling the situation.”

“We can defeat them. On the water, we are the strongest force!” Kelsey declared proudly, and several of the main pirate captains at the meeting loudly agreed.

“Calm down, Kelsey. I don’t doubt that we can gain an advantage in the initial fighting, but what about after that? The Winstons have the largest military harbor, the best-equipped shipyards, and enough soldiers, and these are all things we do not have. Your ships can hardly even get ordinary repairs in our shipyards. And to starve the enemy out, we would need at least half a year. No, that is impossible.” Fred explained.

“Then Fred, you went to so much trouble to invite us here, just to temporarily disrupt the supply lines? I don’t understand.” Kelsey accepted Fred’s explanation, but she immediately noticed another problem and felt displeased at being overlooked. “I cannot stand by in this battle. I want to take part in the real fighting. Pirates also have the dignity of pirates!”

“No, that’s not what I meant. In fact, Kelsey, you are the key to this battle. In fact, all of us have to pave the way for your actions. You are the main players in this battle…”

…

Now, the Winstons had taken the initiative. Two thousand Heavy Infantry firmly held the city walls, like a solid dam, crushing wave after wave of frantic attacks under their feet.

In comparison, our attacks were clearly weak. The battle had gone on for too long. Fatigue had long since quietly settled onto the soldiers, but the originally favorable situation made people deliberately ignore it. Now, the situation had taken a sharp turn for the worse. The unfavorable situation magnified the effect of fatigue tenfold, a hundredfold, making our warriors yield again and again before their powerful opponents.

We watched all this helplessly, knowing in our hearts that they were doomed to defeat, but they also had to hold on.

Fred’s gaze had long since left the battlefield before him. His attention had crossed this wall, even crossed this city, extending to the surface of the Morning Light River on the other side of the city. There, Kelsey and her pirate fleet lay in ambush. With them were three thousand of our finest soldiers. I did not know whether they had received the smoke signal we had sent. If the answer was yes, then they should have already approached the other side of Davo City by now, ready to launch a landing operation.

We were waiting.

Just as Fred had said, they were the true main players who would decide the outcome of this battle. From the very beginning, this battle was meant to create the illusion that we would launch a fierce assault on Davo City, drawing the Winstons’ attention to the South Gate, making them lower their guard at the northern dock area, and creating an opportunity for Kelsey and the others.

This surprise force drifting on the water was the last and largest piece of the trap Fred had designed. If it worked as planned, it would bring the Winstons a fatal blow.

For this blow, even sacrificing the lives of these soldiers fighting to the death was worth it.

Now, we had done what we should do, and could only wait for this sharp sword from behind the enemy to take effect.

“Look, that smoke!” Suddenly, Red Flame pointed ahead and shouted. Following his finger, we could see a thick black column of smoke rising from behind Davo City. This was the signal we had agreed upon beforehand.

Kelsey had finally begun to land.

According to estimates, the defenders on the north side now numbered fewer than a thousand. With Kelsey’s current forces, she could completely break through in one stroke. All they needed was time.

Before long, urgent bell sounds rang out from within the city. This was an alarm that only appeared when the city faced a great crisis. Along with the bell sounds came the enemy’s panic and wavering. A feeling of panic swept over the defenders on the city walls. They began to look around, and their movements were no longer firm and powerful. They might not yet know what was happening, only that the city they were guarding was facing a danger of life and death. This was for the best. Unknown danger was the most frightening. As this danger drew closer, their confidence in victory was no longer as firm as it had been just a moment before.

We had waited for this moment—this fatal moment that choked the enemy.

At Fred’s command, majestic drumbeats sounded from the city walls behind us. Company after company of mighty warriors stepped to the rhythm of the drums and moved forward in orderly formation. This army, which had been resting since the battle began, was the last force in our hands. We were going to use them to win this victory.

If everything were still as it had been just now, even these last four thousand elite troops could not have broken through the iron walls guarded by the Heavy Infantry. But now, everything was different. Our enemies were still standing there, but they were no longer a group of warriors with hearts as firm as iron and stone, tough and steadfast. They were scattered soldiers with panic in their hearts. Even if their longswords were still sharp, the hands holding them were already trembling.

They were no longer the invincible, powerful enemy.

A new round of slaughter began. The soldiers attacking the city did the best they could: they trampled on the corpses of their comrades, ignored the dangerous arrows, roared as they charged toward the city walls, picked up the scaling ladders left by those before them, and began the most difficult climb of their lives. This climb was a gamble with their lives as the stakes. Those who did not reach the top lost their chance to win, while those who made it onto the walls started a new round of gambling. This time, the tools of the gamble were no longer long ladders, but sharp weapons.

“Forward!” This was the only command Rodrick gave. This brave comrade of ours once again walked at the very front of the formation. He stood on a scaling ladder, shouting loudly, dodging countless falling blades, and was the first to climb onto the city tower. He might not have been the bravest of the soldiers, but he was certainly one of them. Facing countless opponents far taller and bigger than himself, he nimbly dodged fatal attacks again and again, plunging his sword into the enemies’ blood to drink their lives. His courage won space for the soldiers. Behind him, one fearless warrior after another climbed onto this wall that had already been soaked in too much blood.

“Forward!” No command was needed. Experienced warriors knew how to use their swords. Forward, only forward. Only ahead was there victory, and proud glory waiting for true warriors.

“Look, look over there! They made it!” Red Flame shouted excitedly again. At the other end of the city, a second column of smoke shot into the sky. This was the signal that Kelsey and the others had successfully broken through the walls, which meant half of this city already belonged to us.

“Kill!” The sounds of clashing weapons and fighting rang out from within the city. These sounds greatly encouraged us. In our expectations, Kelsey should have already fought her way into the city by now and be charging toward the South Gate.

They collapsed. Our enemies completely collapsed. They did not even need to actually be caught in a pincer attack from inside and outside. Just these sounds of fighting were enough to make the Winstons lose their will to fight. I had never seen our powerful opponents so panicked. Prince Louis finally left this line of defense under the cover of his loyal subordinates, heading toward the fortress in the city. Along with his blue command flag departing went the Winstons’ confidence and courage. Nothing would change anymore. Both sides had already brought out their last strength. What remained was only a contest of pure power, and this was clearly disadvantageous for the Winstons, who were attacked from both front and back.

With a harsh cracking sound, the gate that had blocked our advance for almost a day finally shattered. The tenacious Winston defenders shot a burst of swift arrows from the gaps in the gate, shooting down the attackers closest to it. But this was only a useless delay. Before long, an even more urgent rain of arrows shot into the city from the same place. Those brave Winston archers, following the footsteps of the enemies they had killed, also helplessly left this world. Someone passed through the broken gate. One, two, and then more. Then, the gate was pulled open.

“Full charge! Victory belongs to us!” Fred shouted the slogan of certain victory and charged out at the very front. Behind him were countless mounted men who had been waiting for a long time. His warhorse passed through the city gate, and his battle robe was stained with blood. Many brave Winston warriors fell before him, and then were trampled under the feet of his loyal followers.

Victory—this word that had seemed a thousand miles away from us just a moment ago—was now grasped in our hands, and would never be lost again.

…

“Kelsey!” Red Flame moved almost as fast as his voice traveled. When Fred began calming the citizens and accepting the surrender of prisoners, Red Flame led us charging toward the place in the city where the sounds of fighting were the most intense, while calling out his lover’s name. We followed closely behind him, almost losing sight of his figure.

On the widest road in the city, a remnant force of Winston soldiers was putting up a final resistance against the army led by Kelsey. Although they were few in number, they occupied favorable terrain and had placed archers on the taller buildings along the street to snipe from a distance. The pirates and soldiers here had to pay a price for every step forward. If not for this tenacious defensive force, they might have already charged to the South Gate of Davo City by now, and together with us, surrounded and completely annihilated the Winston defenders, without giving them a chance to retreat into the central castle.

“Charge through, and join up with Fred and the others! We have already won!” Kelsey’s clear, bright voice came from within the battle formation. From afar, we could see her pink headscarf fluttering among the crowd, carrying a startling charm like a blood-stained butterfly.

In front of her, the strong pirate captain “Storm” Dirk swung his iron staff, killing one enemy after another who tried to approach, unintentionally guarding Kelsey’s safety. He shouted:

“Charge! Letting just a few people block us here is our shame. Let them see what true bravery is. Show your courage! We are the men under the fearsome skull flag!”

Although the pirates were bold and brave, they could not adapt to this formal formation combat like soldiers could. Due to the limitations of his weapon, Dirk had to face three or even five opponents alone. No one could coordinate with him within the range of his iron staff. Similar situations happened to the others as well. Purely in terms of fighting skill, the pirates were almost all superior to their opponents, but now they had to endure the challenge of enemies they considered weak.

This scene was broken by our arrival. Red Flame spurred his mount and charged into the Winston formation from behind. With a flash of his twin blades, a poor Light Infantry soldier lost half his head. This brutal sight did not stop his killing. He turned his concern for his lover into battle passion, pouring it out without reservation on the Winstons around him. We then joined the battle.

The Winston soldiers, already at a disadvantage, now lost the cover of their formation. Their fighting now relied more on their own instincts and luck. But even in this hopeless battle, not one of them turned into a cowardly surrenderer. In the melee, a mid-ranking officer shouted “I would gladly die for His Highness” and charged at me. I blocked his sword, and another Knight beside me plunged his war blade into the officer’s chest. The Knight carelessly thought he had ended the man’s life, but was forcefully dragged off his horse by the dying warrior. If the cavalry around him had not rescued him in time, he might have lost his fragile life at the hands of this enemy who did not fear death at all.

“Kelsey, are you alright!” Even in the midst of the melee, Red Flame did not forget his concern for his lover. While brandishing the deadly weapons in his hands, he loudly shouted out his words of concern without any concealment. If there was anything good about war, at least it could make those walking on the edge of death more honest, without needing to hide feelings that should be respected and envied out of shyness.

“I’m fine!” Kelsey answered loudly. She viciously ran her rapier through an opponent, then turned back and gave Red Flame a beautiful smile.

Suddenly, her smile froze. I caught a glimpse of her unusual expression and followed her gaze upward.

On the top of a three-story building, an archer was aiming the arrow in his hand at Red Flame, who was fighting fiercely.

“Dodge!” Kelsey shouted loudly. Hearing the shout, Red Flame did not know what was happening. He hesitated for a moment and did not follow Kelsey’s warning.

“Red Flame, dodge!” I spurred my warhorse toward him, trying to make one last effort to save him. But it was too late. Although there were only seven or eight figures between him and me, the distance at this moment seemed as far as thousands of mountains and rivers.

The bowstring flashed, and a fierce arrow shot toward Red Flame’s back with a sharp whistling sound of metal tearing through the air. I helplessly reached out my hand forward, but there was still almost the length of a sword between me and touching Red Flame’s arm.

I could not save him.

“Dodge!” A voice like thunder rang out, and then a tall, sturdy figure lunged toward Red Flame. Like a leopard, he leaped high, pressed down on Red Flame’s waist, and forcefully pushed him off the horse. Then, the figure let out a miserable cry, and we saw that deadly arrow deeply embedded in the figure’s back.

Dirk. That was “Storm” Dirk, the bold yet deep young pirate captain, the one who secretly loved Kelsey. If there was one among us who did not want Red Flame to be saved, it should have been him. But it was precisely him who, at the most critical moment, pushed Red Flame out of the door of death. And the price he paid for it was his own life.

“Dirk!” By this time, I had already rushed to his side. I dismounted from my horse, kicked down the enemy blocking my way, and lifted Dirk’s body. That arrow was so sharp that it almost pierced out through his chest. A large amount of blood gushed from his wound, and his life was irreversibly draining away along with it.

“Dirk!” The rescued Red Flame also came to his senses. He shouted the name of his savior, knelt before us, and examined Dirk’s wounds. When he saw the shocking wound, he could not help but turn pale.

“I finally… finally… repaid your kindness.” Dirk struggled to say to Red Flame.

“Yes, yes, what you owed me is all repaid. But what I owe you can never be repaid.” Red Flame answered with tears.

“Don’t… repay… me. If you want to repay… then… repay… her…” Dirk struggled to turn his head toward that pink cloud in the crowd. The owner of that cloud was constantly drawing closer through the crowd, calling out the name of her friend.

“I will…” Red Flame promised solemnly.

“Jeff…” Dirk’s lips quivered. His voice was too soft. I had to put my ear to his mouth to hear his faint voice.

“I think… I found… the… the happiness… that belongs… belongs to me…”

This was the Bless I gave him on his ship.

These were the last words of this man.

To spare the person he loved most from enduring grief, he gave his life.

And this was the greatest, the final, and yet the eternal happiness that belonged to him.

“You bastard, you bastard! Aren’t you the best pirate captain? Don’t you have to compete with me in everything? How could you lose so easily? I don’t feel happy about winning. This is not what I wanted…”

Kelsey was crying. Those were tears shed for a friend. I did not know whether this was Dirk’s happiness, or his sorrow.

To the north of Davo City, there was a river called the Morning Light River.

It was an ancient and persistent river.

It flowed day and night, never stopping, always heading east.

That was the direction of the sea.

He let everything he had flow into the sea…