Chapter 46: The First Battle of the Giant Mechs – Section 4

“By the supreme glory of the ancient nobility!! As you wish!!”
It was a cry, and also the choice of all the captains gathered around Duke Poseidon!
To the eyes of the world, they might not differ much from those tyrants who oppressed the people and committed every kind of evil. But in their hearts, they never regarded themselves as being on par with those who relied on their ancestors’ legacy to live comfortably.
For they were true nobles.
True nobles do not build their happiness on the suffering of others. Just like the chivalry they uphold, true nobles also possess the eight virtues of Honor, Valor, Humility, Honesty, Sacrifice, Justice, Compassion, and Spirituality! Moreover, true nobles are even nobler than the bravest knights, for in addition to these eight virtues, they must also possess abilities that ordinary people cannot have!!
Leadership!!
The guns roared, and the warships trembled. As the transition gate in the distant starry sky gradually expanded, one after another giant black crystal warships appeared before everyone’s eyes. But this time, there was no fear anymore!!
“By the supreme glory of the ancient nobility!!”
“By the supreme glory of the ancient nobility!!”
Angry shouts and unyielding spirits spread through every corner of the fleet via the public channel. Under these voices, thousands of warships gathered tightly together and charged at the transition gate above them. The black crystal warships that had just emerged from that gate clearly were unprepared for such a scene and hesitated for a moment.
The pause was brief, perhaps less than ten seconds. But for a group of enraged warriors, that short time was enough to send their enemies to hell!! In an instant, countless fiery trails shot out from thousands of human warships, slamming into those poor black crystal ships and engulfing them. Severe explosions rang out one after another, turning the starry sky red with flames.

This is the power of conventional weapons. Perhaps humans are nearly a thousand years behind the Moors in terms of technology. But that doesn’t mean the Moors are invincible. Their excessive reliance on energy weapons has made them the best in one area of the universe, but at the same time, they’ve lost their defense capabilities against conventional weapons. Especially the Black Crystal warships, created specifically to suppress rebellions within their own country, are utterly vulnerable under the assault of conventional weapons.

Of course, human ships are no different in their eyes.

As hundreds of millions of shells engulfed that Black Crystal warship, Black Crystal warships emerging from other teleportation gates simultaneously attacked human fleets. Fiery red energy balls lit up, exploding into beams of light. In just a few seconds, countless energy beams rained down on the human fleets like a storm. Before anyone could scream in agony, hundreds of ships disappeared from the ranks of the First Fleet. Looking at those violently burning fireballs, the survivors’ eyes were bloodshot.

“Damn you!! Damn you!!”

“Damn it! My brother is still on that ship!! Damn you, I’ll kill you!!!”

Painful screams and furious roars filled the air. People had lost their sanity to rage. If not for the discipline of the fleet, chaos would have ensued. But under the strict control of their respective captains, everyone calmed down and organized another wave of intense fire attacks.

By this point, no one was holding out any hopes. In just a short time, the number of Black Crystal giants in the sky had reached an astonishing twenty-plus. They formed a perfect encirclement around the First Fleet—everywhere, in all directions, were their terrifying massive silhouettes. Fiery red energy balls kept exploding into deadly beams of light. The First Fleet of Duke Poseidon was shrinking at a visible pace.

Meanwhile, as the most prominent flagship in the fleet, Duke Poseidon’s situation wasn’t much better. One-fifth of the energy balls from the Black Crystal warships were aimed directly at him. Despite the desperate defenses of the surrounding escort ships, Duke Poseidon’s flagship was still heavily damaged. The huge ship was covered in craters from explosions, like pockmarks, with more violent explosions occurring from time to time, spewing out burning fireballs.

The interior of the flagship was also in chaos. Most of the fixed damage control crew had already perished. The majority of the crew were assigned to repair work. Aside from the necessary defense personnel, the flagship had essentially lost its offensive capability. Yet the bridge, the most important part of the ship, was eerily calm. Apart from the busy footsteps and urgent commands, there was no sign of panic. On everyone’s face, there was only determination and awareness.

“Boom!”

Another violent explosion rocked the flagship. Grand Duke Bosisi staggered under the impact. After managing to steady himself, this man in his fifties calmly brushed off the dust from his clothes and adjusted his hat before speaking slowly.

“How many ships do we still have?”

“Thirteen hundred, Your Grace,” Captain Rocot replied immediately. It was clear he was also busy calculating. Compared to Grand Duke Bosisi, who had an overall view of the situation, he had an even heavier workload—not only coordinating the flagship’s constant evasions but also managing the formation of the surrounding ships and organizing counterattacks.

Grand Duke Bosisi gave him a satisfied look, a hint of appreciation in his eyes—a rare sight. After all, everyone who knew him understood that his name meant rigor. Like all nobles with ancient noble bloodlines, this also meant strictness and coldness. So although he had many subordinates, to this day, not a single one had earned his praise.

“Captain Rocot, how many years have you served me?”

“One thousand one hundred thirty-two more… Huh? What?” Captain Rocot answered reflexively, not realizing the grand duke’s question had changed. When he realized it, he was shocked and quickly stood up straight.

“Twenty-five years, Your Grace!!”

“Twenty-five years… That’s quite a long time. How come you’ve only reached the rank of baron? You’re quite foolish.” Ignoring the intense gunfire outside, Grand Duke Bosisi spoke as if chatting casually, a rare smile appearing on his serious face.

This reaction terrified Captain Rocot. Having served under Grand Duke Bosisi for so long, it was the first time he had seen the grand duke smile, especially during such fierce combat. His face turned pale as he replied nervously, “Your Grace, you’ve forgotten. I’ve actually been promoted to viscount. It was because of carelessness during a mission—I forgot to close the exhaust vents of a warship, causing its engine to explode. That’s why you punished me by demoting me.”

“Oh? So that guy is you…” Grand Duke Bosisi laughed even more happily. “Just forgetting to close the warship’s exhaust vents isn’t a big deal. Demoting you like this is indeed overreacting. I think I should apologize to you.”
“No, Your Grace!” Captain Rokot suddenly looked up. “I don’t think it’s overreacting. On the contrary, I think this is the right thing to do. Though it may seem trivial, on the battlefield, an engine explosion on a warship can affect an entire fleet, and a mistake by one fleet can impact the whole situation. Your punishment is entirely reasonable. I have no complaints at all.”
“Is that so?” Grand Duke Bosisi examined the middle-aged man before him carefully. Then he sighed. “But now you’re going to die as a baron. Don’t you feel regretful? You know, even the lowest-ranking noble outside could be a viscount. Some even inherit the title of count. They have their own estates, their own star systems, numerous subjects, magnificent palaces, and beautiful women. And you haven’t enjoyed any of this. All you face are cold warships. Don’t you regret that?”
“I do regret it…” Captain Rokot lowered his head and replied slowly, his voice somewhat low. “But it’s all worth it, isn’t it? Yes, Your Grace. Any of those pampered nobles outside has a higher title than mine. But what good is that? It’s not their title—it’s the glory of their fathers and ancestors. No matter how brilliant that glory may be, they’re still just pampered nobles. And I, though just a humble baron….”
Captain Rokot suddenly looked up, his face flushed with excitement.
“I am a baron appointed personally by Grand Duke Bosisi! And in the entire universe, there are only a hundred people with such honor!! Every bit of my glory is a reflection of my own worth!! Years from now, when people talk about me, they won’t say, ‘Look, that’s so-and-so’s son.’ Instead, they’ll say, ‘Look, that’s Rokot! The great Baron Rokot!! He didn’t back down in the battle against the Moors—he’s a true warrior!!’”
“That’s right, a true warrior…” Grand Duke Bosisi’s eyes moistened. He reached out and patted the man’s shoulder. “But there’s one thing you’re wrong about.”
“What?” Captain Rokot was puzzled, not understanding the grand duke’s meaning. But soon, a small medal appeared in Grand Duke Bosisi’s hand and was placed on his chest.

“What they’re talking about isn’t a baron. It’s an earl.” Grand Duke Poseidon personally placed this medal of honor on Captain Rocquet’s chest, then asked with a smile. “Now, my dear Count Rocquet, may we walk to the end together? You know, I’m quite old now; the constant turbulence isn’t good for an old man like me. Perhaps we could sip coffee slowly in Satan’s Garden?” Looking at the smiling old man before him, Captain Rocquet’s throat tightened. He gently touched the medal on his chest, carefully wiping it clean, before heading straight for the control panel. He didn’t say another word the whole time. Ten seconds later, Grand Duke Poseidon’s flagship, the Ice and Rose, let out a deafening roar, leading the remaining 700 warships of the First Fleet in a deadly assault against the enemy…