Iron Powder and Spellcasters Chapter 72

   Chapter 72 Feast

   The lighthouse port is very lively, twelve galley warships are docked at the dock, and porters are carrying dry food and fresh water barrels to the warships. The sailors disembarked and pitched their tents in the open space of the port, made a fire to cook, and slept and rested.

Since leaving Veneta, the sailors of the galleys have had to drink cold water and eat oatmeal cakes that have become dry due to the loss of moisture, and it is only after arriving at the lighthouse port that they can taste warm soup and fresh for the first time. bread.

  The lucky ones selected by lottery on other ships also camped on the shore to make a fire and cook, but they were strictly separated from the sailors of the galley and were not allowed to touch each other.

The same goes for the sailors on the galleys. The sailors of each ship camp separately, and the adjutants and midshipmen take turns to patrol, and no sailor is allowed to leave the ship's camp without permission.

   These measures are all for epidemic prevention. Lieutenant General Nareshaw has lived at sea all his life. In his opinion, the outbreak of infectious diseases on the dirty and crowded galleys is a matter of time and cannot be avoided no matter how hard you try.

The only thing the Vice Admiral could do was to prevent the sailors on the galleys from spreading the disease to the galleons.

   The berth outside the port, where the rest of the fleet anchors.

   The entire fleet appears to be moored at anchorage in disorder, but in fact there are inherent rules.

  The Glory and the supply ships were moored at the innermost side, the large merchant ships that the infantrymen of the Third Corps took were moored near the Glory, and the navy's main galleon and warships were on the outer circle, protecting the merchant ships carrying the infantry.

   The other light ships in the fleet were placed farthest from the flagship by Admiral Nareshaw, serving as the outermost layer and sentinel of the entire fleet.

  In the night, the warm port gradually fell silent, but the atmosphere on the Glory gradually warmed up, and a grand banquet was being held on the Glory.

  The temporary partitions on the artillery deck have been removed, and the square table is assembled into a long table, which is placed from the bow to the stern.

  The two admirals, Antonio and Nareshaw, sat side by side at one end of the long table by the bow, and the other naval and army officers sat face to face, roughly in descending order of rank, all the way to the stern.

  The navy brought freshly slaughtered cattle, pigs, chickens and ducks, fresh vegetables and fruits, and fine wine from the port in small boats.

  The cook on the ship worked hard tonight, and the small kitchen on the ship kept bringing out one after another big dishes on the long table.

   The recipes for these dishes are very simple, nothing more than roasting and boiling. The meat is roasted on a fork, and the vegetables and fruits are washed and placed on a plate.

   But it was rare to eat fresh meat and vegetables on the boat. Everyone was very happy to eat, and they praised the chef's good craftsmanship, and praised the five-year-old sailor's face flushed.

  The officers dined together in the cabin, and the sailors on the deck also received double spirits according to the standard of Victory Festival, and enjoyed roasted meat and vegetable soup from the kitchen. Although there are no tables and chairs, they are no less happy than the officers.

Winters had never attended such an interesting banquet, and the venue was so dark, low, and shabby: behind Winters' chairs was the Glory's cannon, and not much above his head was the Glory's deck, set in The dozens of candles on the dining table are all the light in the cabin.

No crocheted tablecloths, no fine china, no gold and silver knives and forks—not even cutlery, in fact, the Glory had never received so many officers, and officers were not allowed to use sailors' cutlery, so they sat behind a long table. Half of the officers eat meat by hand.

   But the atmosphere in the cabin is so warm and cheerful. According to Winters, this place doesn't know how much more interesting it is than the pretentious reception of the Navarre family, and the serious dinner in the army.

   Who would have thought that the strict navy would throw away the concept of inferiority and inferiority when it came to the dinner table?

On the artillery deck of the    Glory, army officers and naval officers gathered together, and no one could see that these were two groups of people who usually looked down on each other.

  The officers didn't drink much, but their faces were flushed. Antonio's witty remarks rang out, and from time to time there was a burst of laughter from the dining table over the bow.

  Winters, Bud and Andre and the other warrant officers were seated at the end of the table. They couldn't hear what the generals on the other side of the table were saying, but only heard waves of clapping and laughter.

   But the advantage is that they are far away, and no one cares about the manners of these lowly apprentice officers, and all the dishes are served from their position, so a few warrant officers can eat a lot regardless of their appearance.

  Andre passed his plate to Winters, which was filled with a large pile of meat like building blocks. With bulging cheeks, he chewed hard and said vaguely: "Eat... eat this meat, this part is grilled deliciously..."

   Winters unceremoniously put half of the roast on his plate, raised his glass and said with a smile: "To the cook! To the fire in the hearth! To the pig!"

  Andre stretched out the wine glass with a smile, and the two clinked.

  Bud also silently raised his glass and touched it. He never liked to talk during meals.

   At this moment, sitting across from several warrant officers were four or five furry children who looked to be in their early teens.

  One of the blond curly-haired children was trying hard to break off a rib, but his strength had not grown yet, and the rib was so strong that no matter how hard he tried, it wouldn't move.

  Winters stood up when he saw this, took out a knife and pried off the ribs along the bones, and put it on the blond child's plate.

   The little boy in the blue officer's uniform stood up and said politely in a childish voice, "Thank you, Your Excellency in the Army."

   Looking at the children, Winters thought of Benway's younger brother, Charles. So he simply rolled up his sleeves, removed the meat from the half-roasted pig, and shared meals for several children.

   These little boys in officers' uniforms were all extremely polite, and every time Winters put meat on their plates, they got up and thanked them.

  Although they are only eleven or twelve years old, they have not even reached the period of changing their voices, they are completely children. But they belonged to the same rank as Cage, and they were both midshipmen, and Cage was only this big when he first got on the ship.

   This is how the Veneta Navy trains officers, the Army runs a military school, and the Navy directly sends these eleven- or twelve-year-old children to warships. In the Navy's view, warships are the best military schools.

  These children left their parents at the age of eleven or twelve and were sent to live on ships. As apprentice officers, they learn how to use sextants and charts, how to navigate the waves and how to earn the respect of sailors by the captain's side.

   By the time they reach twenty—if they can survive the hardships at sea—they will be tough, tenacious men.

   At that time, they will be eligible to participate in the examination of the Naval Commission. After passing the examination, they will enter the real officer class of the Navy and become an adjutant.

   But now, the apprentice officers in front of Winters are just children.

   "Do you have anything else to eat?" Winters asked, after filling the plates with meat for every child in front of him.

   The blond curly-haired child and his companions looked at each other, then stood up and bowed slightly: "That's enough, thank you."

   But this gesture of intimacy angered the little officer, the polite blond child angrily knocked off Winters' hand: "Don't treat me as a child, I'm a naval officer!"

   Winters laughed. Not only did he not feel angry, but he felt that the little adult was more adorable.

  Andre also laughed and stood up, raised his glass and said, "I apologize to you on his behalf, and respect all naval officers."

After   , he drank a whole glass of wine in one go.

  The blond curly-haired navy officer was not to be outdone, poured himself a full glass of wine, raised his head and drank it clean.

   Winters punched Andre and bowed sincerely to the little midshipmen: "I was abrupt just now, sorry."

   At this time, I don't know what was being discussed at the dining table over the bow, and another burst of laughter came. The army and navy commanders were breathless with laughter and slapped the table hard.

Lieutenant General    stood up with a smile on his face, raised his glass, and toasted loudly: "To the lovers and the madam - may they never see each other!"

   This quip sparked a burst of laughter in the cabin, and all the officers raised their glasses together: "To the lovers and ma'am—may they never see each other!"

   Then everyone drank it.

   A song suddenly came from above. After the sailors on the deck drank the wine and ate the meat, they began to sing the boat song in harmony:

   "Back to the peaceful hometown,

   Let the sea roar, friend! "

Lieutenant General    Nareshaw was in high spirits, and then the sailors sang:

   "Experienced countless storms,

  We landed safely! "

   All the naval officers looked at each other with a smile, and all stood up and sang along:

   "Don't forget your old comrades on board!

   la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la, oops! "

  Antonio stood up too, clapping his hands to the chorus of the naval officers. Under his lead, the army officers all stood up and beat the beat for the naval officers.

   "We have the same gun,

   Let's wipe the deck together,

   I wiped the cannon, you reloaded,

  Victory and victory! "

   After a few seconds of pause, the sailors on deck and the naval officers in the cabin sing:

   "Experienced countless storms,

  We landed safely!

   Don't forget your old comrades on board!

   la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la, oops! "

  Everyone refilled their glasses and was waiting for the two generals to say toasts.

   However, suddenly, there seemed to be a sound of thunder on the sea in the distance.

The lively atmosphere of the    banquet quickly cooled down, and the originally noisy cabin instantly became quiet. The officers were all too familiar with this voice.

   "Thunder? Or cannon?" Winters was startled, trying to discern the source and direction of the sound.

   Another thunderous sound came.

   was the sound of artillery, Winters was sure, and it came from the direction of the sea.

  Why the sound of artillery? Could it be that the Taniria Federation wants to repeat the old tricks?

   The quiet cabin suddenly became noisy again, and the officers were swearing swearing to find their swords and coats.

   "Quiet!" Lieutenant General Nareshaw yelled.

   All the officers in the cabin froze in place, turning to look at Lieutenant General Nareshaw.

"The Falcon and Amelia reported that since the day before yesterday, two clippers had been behind us not far or near. Therefore, General Serbiati and I thought that it would be better for them to go to the pirates than to go to them. Create a chance to fight with us!" Lieutenant General Nareshaw said calmly: "Tonight, the wind direction, tide, and formation are not in our favor. The pirates of the Federation must think they have caught a god-given opportunity, and we will Get back the first blood debt tonight!"

   "I declare, the first order of the United Command: completely wipe out the enemy that came tonight." Lieutenant General Nareshaw announced loudly, and then he raised his glass: "This glass, to victory!"

   After he finished speaking, he drank it and smashed the glass to pieces.

   Except for a few high-ranking officers, most of the officers knew what was happening at this time.

  Antonio also shouted: "Victory!" and drank the wine in the cup.

  Under the leadership of Antonio, all the officers raised their glasses, either worried, panicked, or calmly toasted.

Lieutenant General   Nareshaw calmly said to his adjutant: "Mr. Karaman. Send orders, beat the drums and prepare for battle!"

   The rapid drumbeat sounded, and the Glory entered the battle state.

  The naval officers put on their uniforms, hung up their swords, and ran to their posts.

  The sailors poured into the cabin, and the tables, chairs and cutlery on the artillery deck were quickly removed. Andrei held the plate and said with a sad face: "I haven't finished eating yet."

   "Throw it away, look at some little kids." Winters pointed to the young naval officers.

   They obviously hadn't eaten a few bites of meat, but after the sound of the war drums, they got up and left the cabin without any hesitation.

  The sailors threw the unfinished food directly from the gun port into the sea, and the gun deck was cleared in less than a minute.

   Every officer and every sailor on the ship returned to their posts and prepared for battle in an orderly manner. Only the army officers stood there, not knowing what to do.

   "The centurion went back to the ships to find your troops. The captain stayed on the Glory, waiting to be assigned." Antonio called the army officers to his side and ordered, "Follow the orders of the Combined Command."

   All the army officers woke up from their dreams and left the cabin one after another. At sea, the Army rotates one officer on each ship, while the others rest aboard the Glory.

  The three warrant officers also ran back to the cabin of the **** to get their weapons, and then found Captain Wilson of the 100th Person of the Chief Brigade.

  The sailors lit torches all over the deck of the Glory, and the four small boats were let down and returned to their own ships carrying the naval and army officers who had just attended the banquet.

   Two more horns sounded, this time from the Glory.

  The entire fleet was awakened by the sound of cannons, and other ships also lit torches one after another, sending their horns to respond to the Glory.

   In the distant port, the sailors who went ashore to rest also heard the sound of the horns. The port came to life, and the sailor's camp gradually became brightly lit from starlight.

   Lieutenant General Nareshaw stood on the bow floor, with his hands behind his back, silently counting the sound of his horns in response.

  An adjutant climbed up the forecastle and said excitedly, "General, Drake is actually here!"

Lieutenant General Nareshaw counted to thirty before answering: "I waited for him for a day and a half. If he doesn't come again, it means I overestimate him. The whole bay is full of spies, no matter who they are or where they are. We can't hide the news, let alone a ship has found us."

Antonio also boarded the forecastle. He shook hands with Lieutenant Admiral Nareshaw excitedly and congratulated: "Your Excellency can actually make the enemy act according to your plan across the vast sea. If you hadn't informed me in advance, I would have I thought it was you who responded to the situation and used this rhetoric to appease the military's heart."

"In fact, it is to appease the military, the situation is still not good for us, and I was not sure whether Captain Drake will come." Lieutenant General Nareshaw said with a wry smile: "Captain Drake is a fanatical gambler. Disciple, he will not miss any chance to make a big one. After getting our four warships, his gambling book is even bigger, but I am not sure whether he has the guts to come off and gamble in the end. "

   "Please don't be so humble, your grasp of Drake's mentality is beyond my imagination." Antonio said admiringly.

"Because I am also a gambler, and only gamblers know what gamblers are thinking." Lieutenant General Nareshaw's face did not show any joy: "I am actually taking the fleet as capital and betting with Captain Drake. Bundle."

   "What do you need our Army to do tonight?" Antonio asked.

"Do nothing." Lieutenant General Nareshaw replied a little embarrassedly: "I won't use these twenty-one troop transports unless it is absolutely necessary. It's different. If I can not use the Third Army, I will try not to use the Third Army."

  Antonio nodded, showing his understanding to Nareshaw with his eyes.

   Lieutenant General Nareshaw also nodded gratefully.

   On the sea in the distance, a little fire flickered.

   is a guard ship arranged on the periphery. Nareshaw sent two light sailboats with a tonnage of less than 100 tons to patrol the periphery of the fleet anchorage. Just now, they discovered the enemy's fleet and fired warning shots.

   The vigilance ship is conveying information to the flagship through lights.

   The regularity of lights on and off represents several situations that have been agreed in advance.

   The warning ship kept repeating this message: Enemy ships, northwest, twenty to twenty-five.

   The moon was dim, but on the dark sea about two kilometers away, a faint shadow of the ship could still be seen.

  The enemy is coming.

   The boat song in this chapter is Don'tforgetyouroldshipmates. The first time I heard this boat song was in "AC: Mutiny", and then "Fight the Sea".

   Thanks to the book friends who have voted for the recommendation before, and the book friends who have been voting for the recommendation. Thanks for the recommendation ticket of the book friend Social Justice Pharaoh, thank you; thanks for the recommendation ticket of the book friend Ji Shanyou, thanks for the recommendation ticket of the book friend who does not know what it is called; thanks for the recommendation ticket and monthly pass of the book friend Qinggui W, thank you; thank you book Friends writersblock's recommendation ticket. thank you all.

   (end of this chapter)

Chapter end