Biting Bay, Pebble Island, Pryor Fort.
The Pryor Family was a minor noble family from The Vale, their fief located west of the Fingers Peninsula. They were an island truly governed by the Arryn Family of The Vale.
Pebble Island, Witch Island, and Buttock Island were three islands directly ruled by the Arryn Family, forming the first line of defense for the Vale's maritime territory, protecting the Fingers Peninsula.
Unlike the Three Sisters, these three islands were located on the essential route between White Harbor and Seagull Town. Over time, they became supply points for merchant ships from The Vale and the Eastern Continent.
The families on these three islands also rose rapidly due to these advantageous conditions. Originally, they had a joint fleet, but it was defeated by Marco's Narrow Sea fleet in a naval battle three days prior.
The Elsa Family of Buttock Island and the Erlif Family of Witch Island escaped the naval battle, but their fleets were utterly destroyed, leaving them unable to resist Marco.
Seeing the inevitable, the Pryor Family of Pebble Island surrendered to Marco and offered their family fort, Pryor Fort, as Marco's temporary residence.
Viscount Egor Pryor, the lord of Pebble Island and the current head of the Pryor Family, was kneeling on the ground, reporting the movements of The Vale to Marco, holding half a Raven Letter in his hand.
Viscount Egor Pryor was very enthusiastic after surrendering to Marco, perhaps even overly so. He used his intelligence network to gather information on The Vale for Marco, preparing for future conquest.
"So, Littlefinger pushed Nine Stars City forward, and several families near Fingers Peninsula formed a joint fleet to deal with us?"
Marco asked Viscount Egor Pryor, sounding a bit surprised, as if he couldn't quite believe Littlefinger's plan.
Littlefinger, Petyr Baelish, had been playing power games in The Vale since becoming the "Guardian of the Vale," driving many of the Vale's nobles crazy.
The nobles trusted no one, each believing the others had been bought off by Littlefinger. With Robin Arryn becoming Littlefinger's adopted son, he could openly control the entire Vale.
Robin Arryn, the "Eater of the Vale," had been in mourning since his mother's death. Petyr Baelish, the duke, comforted him, providing him with many novel toys and a few new "wet nurses."
Because Littlefinger was nominally Lysa Arryn's husband, the somewhat naive Robin Arryn trusted him and was willing to call Petyr "father."
"Even at this point, he's still thinking about suppressing those who disobey? Sigh! It seems this guy is just like that. I even considered him an interesting opponent. Davos, do you have any plans?"
Marco said with a hint of helplessness, then turned his gaze toward Davos, who was standing before the sand table. He asked about the corresponding battle plan.
Davos first bowed respectfully to Marco, then began to simulate the battle on the sea map on the sand table. Wielding the pointer in his hand, he moved it left and right. In a short while, with the help of several assistants, he set up a very detailed battle simulation plan.
Marco had specifically asked the "Wolf Spirit" members to make this sand table to ensure that his commanders could accurately simulate military plans. The "Wolf Spirit" members were getting more and more skilled at these things. Before each battle, they only needed an hour to make a detailed sand table.
"Your Majesty! The news we received is that the enemy is gathering on Buttock Island. I suspect they hope to fight us in the open sea, which would reduce the threat of their ships being burned by dragonfire and increase the burden on the dragons' long-distance flights.
My suggestion is to launch the decisive battle on Witch Island. Witch Island is near Fingers Peninsula. We will make it appear as though we are landing there, luring the enemy to attack and forcing them to fight us there.
The number of enemy warships is unknown. This method is the most reliable, and Witch Island is close to the mainland, allowing our dragons and flying troops to rest and refuel at any time. They will also have more time to attack.
Our fleet will then attack the enemy in a composite oblique array formation, with three dragons engaging the enemy's flanks, disrupting their offensive momentum, and allowing our fleet to break through their formation."
Marco nodded in satisfaction and couldn't help but clap his hands at Davos. The people around him followed suit and clapped as well.
"Davos! Your plan is truly excellent. You truly are a veteran who fought alongside Stannis for years. It's just a shame Stannis died at the hands of the Others. I hope you can strive forward, General Davos!"
Marco encouraged Davos, then turned his gaze to Viscount Egor Pryor, and asked:
"Viscount Egor Pryor, do you think our Valyrian Empire's Narrow Sea fleet will win this victory?"
Viscount Egor Pryor swallowed hard, his voice trembling as he replied:
"At present... the entire Vale is in a state of chaos. The 'Alliance of the Just' and Littlefinger, Petyr Baelish, are at odds. This is a very good opportunity for the Valyrian Empire. I believe Your Majesty can seize this chance to take the Vale in one fell swoop."
"Hahaha... good, very good. I hope everything will be as you say. Aegon! Give the order, launch a full-scale attack! The Valyrian Empire's military might is unmatched in the world. Long live... long live!"
"Huzzah... Long live the Valyrian Empire!"
The crowd beneath the throne roared in response to Marco's declaration, his voice echoing throughout the hall. The candles in the center flickered violently, shaken by the momentum.
Afterward, Marco gathered everyone in the castle hall for a small banquet to boost morale before the next day's battle.
A large amount of Northern cuisine was brought out, with various delicious foods and fresh fruits, allowing many newly subjugated nobles to enjoy a hearty meal.
The evening arrived quickly, and after the banquet, the Three Sisters fell silent. Moonlight streamed down from the sky, making the entire castle appear quite desolate.
Suddenly, three swift black shadows flew rapidly out from a hidden tower compartment. They flapped their wings, quickly heading south, the dark environment seemingly having no effect on them.
Meanwhile, in a military tent outside the castle, Davos and Brynden were sitting around a campfire, drinking and roasting meat. They exchanged glances, a meaningful smile playing on their lips.
Ten days later, in the waters of the Fingers Peninsula, near Buttock Island and Witch Island.
The weather today was perfect for sailing, cloudless, with moderate wind speeds, a rare and beautiful autumn day.
Seagulls in the sky were continuously circling. They weren't circling because of the sardines; it was because they sensed the scent of death.
At this moment, Marco's fleet in the Narrow Sea was advancing towards Witch Island in a long, attacking formation. Leading the charge was a massive sailing ship, one of the two "Salla's Boats" Marco had specifically summoned for Davos.
Now completely unburdened by resource constraints, Marco had already upgraded the Magic Guild to level 5, just so he could summon the "Great Sailing Ships" from the game.
The Moon and other early-summoned magical ships had all been transformed into Great Sailing Ships later on. Including these two, Marco now possessed a total of five magical ships.
Davos had named the Great Sailing Ship leading the way "Stag," while his own flagship was named "Raging Tides."
The Great Sailing Ships summoned by Marco were like behemoths in the entire fleet. Many captains hoped to command them, but in the end, Davos, after comprehensive consideration, handed the "Stag" over to the lords of the Three Sisters.
Since gaining new power from Marco, the lords of the Three Sisters seemed to have awakened certain memories in their minds. They had rekindled their forgotten faith, and the Hall of Gods was now extremely popular there.
If it weren't for the obstruction of the religious affairs office, the statues of the Seven Gods would probably have been smashed. After rediscovering their faith in the old gods, the islanders seemed to feel certain powers within their bodies.
For this naval battle, Marco had also summoned fifty Abyssal Naga at once. They, under the leadership of four chieftains, would deliver a fatal blow to the enemy's fleet.
The large sailing ship could carry 300 people at a time. Aside from the 54 Abyssal Naga, the rest were crew members from The North and the Three Sisters.
The large sailing ship summoned by "Salla's Boat" was somewhat similar to the three-masted warships of the Blue Star's Age of Exploration, except its sails looked even bigger.
And, most importantly, this was a magic warship. It had the original resource repair function, but also reduced the weight and toughness of the sails, and had a very magical wind-guiding function.
It could be said that if Marco wasn't limited in number by the system, he could completely build an invincible fleet, and it would be the kind that couldn't be sunk in a normal naval battle.
"Whoosh..."
With the sound of horns, a fleet also appeared on the distant horizon. This fleet was charging towards the Narrow Sea Fleet in a wedge formation.
The heraldry flags hanging on these warships were all sorts of different designs. Davos didn't see the big families of The Vale, and it seemed like the situation was the same as described in the intelligence.
However, when the opposing commander saw the formation of the Narrow Sea Fleet clearly, his heart suddenly skipped a beat.
Davos' information was sound, but the commander of the Vale's combined fleet received completely different news, delivering a harsh blow.
Seven Templeton, a member of the Templeton family from Nine Stars City, was the commander of this combined fleet. They had initially planned to break through the Narrow Sea Fleet's formation in a wedge, aiming for boarding actions with minimal losses.
To achieve this, they even sacrificed the combined fleet of three families to create opportunities and buy time for their own forces.
However, when Seven Templeton saw the Narrow Sea Fleet's formation, he suspected they had been deceived. He wasn't sure if Viscount Egor Pryor had betrayed them or if their plans had been discovered.
All Seven Templeton could do was order a full-scale attack. Retreating now would render their entire plan useless.
Soon, the "Stag" used its superior speed to break into the enemy's vanguard. Stone projectiles rained down, targeting the approaching three main warships and slowing their advance.
The wind today was blowing from the northwest, giving neither the Nine Stars City combined fleet, approaching from the northeast, nor the Narrow Sea Fleet, coming from the west, a wind advantage.
Therefore, both commanders were vying for wind and the initiative to maximize their attack effectiveness. The "Stag's" dense barrage of stone projectiles and crossbow bolts inflicted heavy damage on the combined fleet's three leading warships.
Just at that moment, three dragons from the Valyrian Empire made their move. The Crystal Dragon took the center, flanked by the fire dragon "Green Dream" and an ice dragon. The vanguard ships were blocked.
This caused the subsequent allied fleet to be stuck. The three enormous dragon beasts quickly flew to the front of the allied fleet. Dragon breath of fire, ice, and crystal energy swept through the warships.
The Narrow Sea fleet took advantage of this gap to increase the distance from the allied fleet. Stone bullets and crossbow bolts were frantically poured onto the allied fleet's warships, and soon, some ships began to sink.
Originally, the allied fleet's wedge formation would not have encountered this situation. A composite oblique line formation was the most suitable for breaking through with a wedge formation, but due to errors in intelligence work, the allied fleet completely lost its initiative.
After seizing the initiative, the Narrow Sea fleet changed from one to three columns and gradually surrounded the allied fleet in an arc.
Seven Templeton watched the chaotic battlefield from his flagship, the "Glittering Star," and was very anxious. He had completely lost hope of victory.
Just as Seven Templeton was about to order a breakthrough, he felt the flagship shake. Then, he heard exclamations and the sounds of fighting on the deck.
Seven Templeton turned his head and saw a scene he would never forget. Monsters that looked like a mix of snakes and fish climbed up from both sides of the ship's hull. Their terrifying appearance directly caused many crew members to lose their courage to fight.
Then, a series of chopping sounds came from the bottom of the ship, as if something was chopping at it, and not just in one place.
This chaotic situation directly caused many people to lose their courage to fight. Many were trembling, as if they had arrived in the legendary seven layers of hell.
"Ah... Demons, die!"
"Boom... Bang!"
A soldier, completely devoid of courage, shouted and charged towards the nearest Abyssal Naga. However, before he could get close, a block of ice fell from the void and smashed into him.
In an instant, blood and gore splattered everywhere, covering the surrounding soldiers. Many were so frightened that they dropped their weapons.
Tristan Sunderland said in a deep voice, using standard Common Tongue:
"The Valyrian Empire treats prisoners well. If you lay down your weapons and surrender, I can guarantee your safety."
"Shut up! We are the most devout followers of the Seven Gods, knights anointed with holy oil. Surrender is impossible! Followers of the Seven, charge! Argh…!"
Seven Templeton drew the longsword from his waist and shouted at the people around him, but his impassioned words didn't resonate with anyone.
Before Seven Templeton could even take a few steps, he was surrounded by several sailors. A short sword pierced the gap in his armor and plunged directly into his body, causing blood to splatter everywhere.
The most serious wound on Seven Templeton was his neck. A dagger pierced the major artery on the right side of his neck, and blood gushed out like water. Soon, he was twitching and collapsed on the ground.
Seeing the sailors and crew around him throwing down their weapons, Tristan Sunderland nodded in satisfaction and ordered them:
"Immediately send orders to the surrounding ships, tell them to surrender immediately. Godrich, tell those fishmen to stop, we…"
"Woof…"
Before Tristan Sunderland could finish speaking, a horn sounded in the distance, interrupting him. He turned his head and saw a fleet suddenly attacking from the north.
Tristan Sunderland clearly saw the flags flying on these ships, his golden eyes narrowing.
"A black field with a green snake, three rust-colored anchors, three spears on a white shield, a green field with a broken black wheel, and also rune stars and a burning tower. It seems the entire Vale is..."
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