Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

And so, The Glorious miraculously avoided disaster by a twist of fate, prompting a sigh of reflection.

Just as Nalesho had said, those twenty-one troop transports watched the entire naval battle from a distance, serving no practical purpose.

The evening following the Lighthouse Port naval battle. Discover hidden tales at empire

"There really was no helping it." Cage sprawled out on the bed, speaking carelessly, "We didn't count on them from the start. When those troop transports were requisitioned, they came with their original captains and sailors, who of course preferred to save their own ships."

Cage now had a bald head with a startling gash on his scalp, stitched with more than a dozen sutures.

As expected, with the merits from this battle, he would smoothly be promoted from officer candidate to lieutenant—the navy had lost a batch of officers and urgently needed to fill the gaps.

"I think there's more to it than that," Bard said thoughtfully, "I think for your navy, the captain's initiative is very important. Army officers are used to obeying orders, while navy captains often make their own decisions. Last night when The Glorious engaged with the enemy, not a single warship came to rescue; they all headed straight for the main battlefield. This shows that the captains on all the ships had made a judgment, deeming the frontal battlefront more important than rescuing the flagship."

Cage cracked a smile, "That's a fresh take... but on second thought, it's not wrong. Just like that. A lone ship on the vast sea, surrounded by water, a ship is a kingdom, the captain is the king."

"I still think it's because of the lack of unified command. The merchant captains wanted to fight, but the army officers aboard might have been waiting for orders. The army officers were keen to fight, while the merchant captains probably wanted to save their ships. If there was a supreme commander on each ship with full authority to command, we might have fought more easily."

Andre's bunk made an untimely snoring sound; he always got sleepy listening to these armchair military discussions. He was a man of action, understanding only through personal involvement.

"How could that be possible? When have the army ever listened to navy officers? And the navy wouldn't want to be commanded by army officers either." Cage yawned as well.

"But aren't we now all under the command of the Joint Chiefs of Staff? The Joint Chiefs should have the authority to appoint officers who can command both the army and the navy," Winters pondered, resting his arm under his head.

"Forget it, let's not talk about that. If that were the case, you army officers shouldn't be here but rather on board a sailing vessel. And the sailors from the sailing vessels should be transferred to those requisitioned merchant ships. That would be the most logical arrangement, allowing the whole fleet to utilize its full combat power. But in the end, wasn't it all to cater to the army's preferences, placing you on the big ships?"

Cage's blunt words left Winters and Bard at a loss for words.

"Let's drop that subject, I heard something interesting." Cage, sensing the awkward atmosphere, quickly changed the topic, sat up, and patted Winters's bunk, grinning mischievously, "I hear you scared the sailors on the Golden Lion so much they wet their pants."

"That's an exaggeration, it wouldn't be to that extent." Bard immediately defended his friend, "Who told you that nonsense?"

Cage slapped his thigh, "Do I need someone to tell me? It's spread throughout the entire fleet. I bet you'll have a nickname soon. If you're worried about it being unflattering, think of a nickname yourself and I'll help spread it. Ah, I've been wanting a nickname myself..."

Ever since Cage was wounded on the head, he seemed to have unlocked a chatterbox personality.

Winters sighed, turned away from Cage, curled up on his side, and just felt a pang in his stomach.