The conflict that had emerged on the two spy ships ended shortly. It did not take long for Moshan and his men to subdue the crew of both the vessels. He and his men held an overwhelming numerical advantage, and they were also far better trained and superiorly armed. It had been far too easy for them to claim victory in the first assault of this monumental war. Now, those two ships were also under their command.
Sylvia had climbed down the cliff and arrived at the coast where twenty-three ships, the original twenty-one plus the two captured ones, were about to dock.
"General Sylvia," Moshan said, being the first to land on the coast from the lowered gangplank.
He bowed in greeting to the General of his army. Moshan was still holding his sword, which was slick with blood. His hands and clothes were also splattered from the blood of the enemy he had slain. A proud smile hung on his face at the victory he had won for Lord Aeos.
"All the men on the ships have been subdued and restrained," Moshan reported. "There were a few who were unwilling to bend and showed great defiance and aggression against us."
"We put them to the sword," he added calmly. "What do we do with the others? Kill them?"
"Keep them under restraint for now," she said with a shake of her head. "We do not need to kill people unnecessarily. When we depart, simply release them and let them be. They will surely find a way back home."
"Just make sure to keep them caged and that they are not able to collect any information about us," she added. "Though I am certain that by the time they are actually able to send something to Lys, the city would already be in our control."
Moshan nodded in acknowledgment.
"How many men can the ships carry in total?" Sylvia questioned.
"Each ship is capable of carrying 120 men if we take into account food, water, and supplies to keep them afloat for twenty-five to thirty days," he replied. "And since we do not really have to carry a heavy load, as the journey is going to be just over one day, we can expect one ship to carry somewhere between one-hundred-fifty to one-hundred-sixty men."
"That means half of our total of seven thousand men," Sylvia remarked.
"Yes," Moshan nodded. "We will have to make a second trip to carry the other half of the soldiers."
"True," Sylvia agreed. "But by the time you complete this second trip, we will most probably have already taken over the city."
Moshan nodded, acutely aware of the reality. Once half the force reached the shores of Lys, the invasion would begin. They would have no other option. And once the invasion commenced, three days, the time Moshan would need to make the second trip, would be more than enough.
"Collaborate with Jelerion and load the men into the ships," Slyvia said. "We will depart as soon as possible."
"We have been waiting for far too long. And now everyone is getting impatient and itching for the fight."
"It is time we finally take over the city," she added, a confident smile hanging on her face.
"Yes, General," Moshan replied as he walked away to fulfil the orders.
.
.
.
The port of Lys was drowned in a strange silence, broken only now and then by the sound of men moving through the docks. No ships were landing or departing. The city's main port had become the most strategic and the most important location in the upcoming battle.
It was true that there were many harbors and smaller ports where the incoming navy of Lord Aeos could make landfall, but all of them had their restraints and constraints.
These harbors were either too small to accommodate more than a few ships at once, or the surrounding waters were too rugged for smooth, fast sailing.
The main port, however, was free from all these limitations. A few dozen ships could make landfall simultaneously, and in these deeper waters, the vessels could sail swiftly.
If Lord Aeos' forces attempted to land at any other location, they would be easy to repel. They would be funneled in, only two or three ships reaching the coast at a time, and their progress would be slow. If the enemy chose that method, the Lysene forces would massacre them, ensuring an easy victory.
Trying to land at any other location other than the main port was an extremely foolish decision and a suicidal one.
Therefore, these conditions made it almost certain that Lord Aeos' forces would land at the main port with the goal of seizing it. At most, he might send a few ships to other harbors to launch one or two diversionary attacks, but the main assault would surely happen at the port.
Considering all these scenarios, the bulk of the Lysene force, around four thousand men, had been stationed for the protection of the port. It was half of their total forces.
Smaller squads were dispatched to a few other minor but important harbors, and the rest had been retained in the city. Once it was ascertained what kind of strategy Lord Aeos' forces would be employing, these forces would be dispatched.
A couple of Magisters were standing in the middle of the port, their eyes fixed on the distant waters. Standing along with them was Salac, whose ships were scheduled to arrive at the port at any time.
"Are you sure your ships are here, Salac?" one of the Magisters questioned.
"I think so," Salac replied. "As per my estimate, they should be reaching here anytime soon."
The Magister nodded as he said, "You are lucky. Lord Aeos' navy is only half a day away from our port. If your ships had been any later than this, they would not have been able to make it to the port."
"Lord Aeos' forces would have surely sunk them," he added.
Salac nodded. "Indeed. It seems even the Gods are willing to allow me to help the city in its war against Lord Aeos."
"What Gods do you believe in?" the Magister questioned, with a chuckle.
Salac was about to answer when there was the loud, blaring sound of a horn. It was the sign of ships approaching.
"Around twenty ships are approaching!" the man on the outpost shouted. "The exact number can only be told once they come closer."
"Seems like your ships are here," the Magister said as they moved closer toward where the vessels were about to land.
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