Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

Chapter 413: Sea lions(1)

Chapter 413: Sea lions(1)

The hour of reckoning had arrived. The sea, vast and unyielding, would bear witness to a battle that would shape its dominion for decades to come. Two mighty fleets, bound by rivalry and ambition, converged upon the open waters—one sailing beneath the banner of the Confederation of the Free Isles, the other under the proud standard of the League of the Southern Romelian Houses.

A hundred and fifty-six warships, advanced toward one another, their prows cutting through the waves like blades poised for the kill. The prize was no mere island or fleeting victory—it was control of Harmway, the keystone of the trade routes, and with it, supremacy over the boundless sea, between the two continents

 For the victors, glory and dominion; for the vanquished, ruin and exile upon the tides. And so, as the sun cast its golden glare upon the restless waters, war came to the sea.

Both fleets surged forward, like two great beasts baring their fangs. The arrowhead—a classic formation meant to slice through enemy lines and envelop their flanks—was mirrored perfectly by both sides.

Because no matter how meticulously planned the formations were, a naval battle always devolved into a swirling, unpredictable maelstrom, far messier than any clash on land.

On solid ground, armies fought in rigid formations, their ranks dictating the rhythm of battle. A single broken flank could send the entire force into retreat, like a row of dominoes toppling in unison.

But the sea was no solid ground. It was a living, shifting thing, and battles fought upon its surface were as fluid as the waves themselves. There were no steadfast lines to hold, no ground to claim. Instead of one grand, decisive clash, the fight fractured into a hundred smaller duels—ships peeling away from the main force, locked in deadly, isolated struggles that could stretch on for hours.

Yet victory at sea was not always about winning the most of these scattered skirmishes. It was about delivering the decisive blow—the kind that shattered morale and turned the tide in an instant. And nothing did that better than the destruction of the enemy flagship.