Chapter 1415: Chapter 1415

The fervor of the crowd on the shore was immediately answered by the slowly approaching warships, whose blaring steam whistles echoed far beyond the docks.

"Wait, why are there only three ships? That's not what your intelligence said!"

Jenkins suddenly interjected. Magic Miss had repeatedly stressed just days ago that five ships would be the first to dock, carrying naval dignitaries, important prisoners, and the expensive spoils of the campaign. She had even detailed the troop deployments on each vessel—all information she'd gotten from Miss Windsor.

"Miss Windsor said five... That woman!"

Realization dawned on her, and she spoke through gritted teeth, rising onto her tiptoes to peer further out to sea.

"She never trusted me. She fed me information just so I would keep Femishue occupied, making it easier for her own people to operate! I should have known better than to trust one of those high-born noblewomen. They're all liars... Mr. Candle!"

"I'm here. What are you going to do?"

Jenkins was half-afraid Magic Miss would have a breakdown and drag him off the tower with her.

"Despite all these surprises, the plan doesn't stop. We proceed as intended. Five ships or three, it makes no difference..."

As they spoke, a dense crowd milled below them. To their left, the bustling city lay shrouded in fog; to their right, the vast, boundless sea stretched out under a clear sky. Against this backdrop, a dark object shot past them at incredible speed. It carved a parabola through the air before plunging into the sea, triggering a massive explosion.

Jenkins knew that sound. Early last month in Ruen, he'd heard the blast of such a weapon up close. In modern warfare, it was the most powerful and most strictly controlled firearm in existence.

Before Jenkins could utter another word, a second shell streaked past them, flying out over the distant sea. This shot was perfectly aimed, striking the escort vessel to the port side. Whether by incredible luck or design, the shell must have pierced the powder magazine or the engine room. After the initial, staggering blast, a series of secondary explosions rocked the ship from within.

A thick cloud of smoke from the explosions quickly enveloped the hull. On the docks, the crowd stared, dumbfounded, as the warship, its stern blown clean off, broke in two and slowly slipped beneath the waves.

Panic spread through the crowd like ink bleeding into clear water, starting from the front of the pier and radiating outwards. Individual fears coalesced into a wave of collective terror.

No one cared what was happening anymore. The quick-witted turned and fled, while the slower ones were swept along by the surging mob, carried back toward the city.

Just then, the third steam cannon fired. This time, the shell didn't land in the sea, but on the shore. It slammed into a fishery warehouse several thousand feet from the ceremony, sending shrapnel, masonry, and the remains of cooked fish flying in every direction.

Although the warehouse was far from the main crowd, affecting only a few panicked pedestrians who had fled in that direction, the shell utterly shattered everyone's psychological defenses. The scene descended into total chaos.

"This wasn't part of the plan either, was it..."

Jenkins asked his companion. Magic Miss bit her lip, her eyes fixed on the horrific scene below.

"The matter with Femishue... forget it. We're close to where that steam cannon just fired. The Church and the police are bogged down by the rioting crowd. Let's the two of us go check it out. We might be able to stop a fourth shot."

It was hard to imagine the resolve it took for her to abandon a plan she had spent half a year crafting. Jenkins was glad his friend was a good person.

"I think it's too late for that."

The words were barely out of his mouth when the fourth shell was fired. Jenkins felt a flash of insight, a premonition of the shell's launch an instant before it happened.

"Am I finally getting the hang of divination?"

In that instant, everything before him slowed to a crawl. The flow of time nearly stopped. Following his intuition, he raised his right hand and swung his sword, which met an object of incredible speed and momentum in mid-air.

The White Bone Holy Sword was knocked from his grasp, but Jenkins recalled it an instant later. The deflected shell veered from its original trajectory and smashed into a vacant dock far in the distance, setting off the fourth explosion.

"What did you just do?"

Magic Miss asked, astonished. She looked from Jenkins, who was rubbing his wrist, to the distant explosion:

"I know some high-level Benefactors who specialize in Red Martial abilities can withstand humanity's most powerful firearms, but deflecting a cannon shell with a sword? Isn't that a bit much?"

"I didn't deflect it with the sword. I think my precognitive ability kicked in."

Jenkins wasn't entirely sure what that feeling had been, but as he thought about it now, he summoned the motes of light representing all his abilities. The one that was still forming was glowing faintly.

"Was that you, giving me a heads-up?"

"Who are you talking to?" Read full story at n0velfire.net

"Nothing. I didn't say anything. Are you sure about giving up on Femishue for now?"

"It's the only way for now..."

Magic Miss replied, her voice tinged with melancholy.

There was no time to waste. The two of them hurried down from the tower to the chaotic scene on the ground. During their descent, a fifth shell was fired. The target was once again the sea, but this time it landed miraculously close to the two remaining warships. The blast nearly capsized them, but in the end, they weathered the shock.

The spectators had scattered and fled, but their escape was hampered by the decorative pillars the city hall had so creatively erected for the event, congesting the paths away from the docks. Chaos had fully erupted. Police, civilians, and all manner of rabble were crammed together. Sporadic gunshots could be heard from the edge of the docklands, a sign that some faction or another had already begun to trade fire.

Meanwhile, several small boats launched from hidden coves in the docklands, making a beeline for the two large ships that were now dead in the water, neither advancing nor retreating. At the same time, scores of armed men pushed against the tide of fleeing people, storming into the ceremony grounds from all directions as if they were searching for something.

Men poured out from low-slung buildings, from behind hidden crates, and from warehouses with their doors shut tight. They either sprang into action or simply raised their guns and fired. Most of the shots, however, were aimed at the sky—warning shots to keep people away. From this, Jenkins surmised that the shooters were likely military.