RNP Chapter 547 Avoiding War
Chapter 547 Avoiding War
Chapter 547 Avoiding War
"how?"
Dick stood on the stern and asked David beside him.
"Sir, we must prepare for battle," David replied.
And that's exactly what Dick fears most.
If he were to lead a cavalry charge, he would undoubtedly be at the forefront.
However, if the boarding was to be carried out at sea—to be honest, Dick wasn't confident.
Despite his deep-seated loathing and hatred for the navigator, he had to admit that the man had had a significant influence on him.
The navigator, with only one ship, managed to contend with an unprecedentedly large fleet of hundreds of ships and nearly broke through their encirclement.
Sometimes Dick couldn't understand why God would bestow such talent upon a person so deeply sinful.
Even the most loyal dog is wary of the navigator on the sea.
As a loyal servant, Dick never managed to defeat this great warrior.
If a battle at sea could cause a loyal dog distress, it would certainly be the same for Dick.
Therefore, Dick should absolutely avoid any maritime conflict unless absolutely necessary.
However, the enemy was already in hot pursuit.
Dick sighed. "David, we have to run away."
“This is difficult,” David said, frowning. “Sir, you know very well that the Hunting Dog is old and frail, and it’s a heavy ship. It can bite into enemy ships, but it’s not good at escaping.”
"Then go even faster," Dick said.
"It's already very fast, sir. You've even personally participated in rowing," David said with a bitter face. "Handling a long oar is a skill, but also a physical one. Our sailors are already exhausted, and the enemy is quite cunning."
"Cunning?" Dick was very curious about this statement.
"Cunning, or rather, seasoned. The commanders of those ships are no novices. They line up in a row to reduce the wear and tear during the voyage, while we, who are at the front, have to cut through the waves for them. Even if we are evenly matched, we will definitely be the ones who can't hold on any longer."
"So if we start the war sooner, we might still have a fighting chance—" Dick concluded based on what he had learned at the Knights Academy.
“That’s exactly what I meant,” David said.
"But we still think we have to escape," Dick said. "We only have one boat, while the enemy has four."
"Lord Hubert is never afraid of strong enemies. He once said that four skilled swordsmen are much more difficult to deal with than four good ships. What does that mean? It means that coordination between ships is more difficult. We can always find a way to defeat them one by one."
Dick then thought of the navigator, which was probably the reason why he was able to cause such great difficulties for the massive fleet.
However, Dick still couldn't easily agree: "I would rather deal with four skilled swordsmen. We're an old ship, and I'm not as good at commanding as Loyal Dog."
David frowned: "Sir, you said you wanted to be a qualified, even excellent, captain. I believe this is a rare opportunity to gain experience."
"And you also said that the most important thing for a qualified captain is to know where he is leading the ship and where he is going,"
Dick turned and gazed at the vast sea ahead of the ship. "I am very clear now, Lieutenant David, I am here to carry out the mission entrusted to me by the royal family, not to prove myself. I am responsible for the honor of the Peyton family, and even more so for the lives of everyone. We may win the battle, but as long as we avoid fighting, there will be no casualties."
Upon hearing this, David hesitated, then finally bowed slightly to Dick and said, "Sir, I understand. Please forgive my rudeness."
"You don't need to mind, David. I need your advice. Although I'm being stubborn right now, it doesn't mean I haven't considered your thoughts. But as you said before, only when the captain has a clear vision will the entire ship avoid going astray."
David nodded: "Sir, please do not hesitate to ask if there is anything you need from me."
"I have one right now," Dick said, looking at David. "I need you to help me think of a way to escape their pursuit."
"As I said, there's nothing we can do; the ship's capabilities limit our speed."
Upon hearing this, Dick couldn't help but feel somewhat disappointed.
Is there really no other way?
"However—" David suddenly said.
Hearing that word, Dick felt a glimmer of hope: "Please speak."
"Although our ships are not as fast, they are more agile, which allows us to turn more freely."
""
Dickton nodded: "You mean, we can use frequent turns to shake them off?"
“The sea is flat, there’s no point in doing this,” David shrugged. “Unless we head to an island reef area, but that would put us in danger anyway. We might as well stop the ship and fight, at least we’ll die standing.”
Dick wholeheartedly agreed: "So what do you mean?"
"Besides the reef area, there is another place where we can take advantage of our ship."
Where is it produced?
"A winding, meandering body of water."
Upon hearing this, Dick frowned: "Both of the words you used are used to describe rivers, but we are on the ocean."
“That’s right,” David smiled, “but what if we could go to the river? Sir, if the Featherfall Island you speak of really exists, it must be a huge island, and there might even be a sizable river there.”
Dick frowned. "But what if we don't?"
"We can also ground our ships on the beach and fight back from the land. Even if our ships are riddled with holes, as long as they don't sink into the deep sea, we can repair them. I refuse to believe that the legendary island doesn't even have enough timber."
Dick couldn't refute this: "But the map I had was very blurry, and you know, we had no idea how far we were from that island, or even how to find it."
"There's nothing I can do about it," David said, "but these are the only methods I can think of."
Hmm—Dick couldn't help but feel uneasy—meaning it was either fight or arrive.
But these two things are easier said than done.
"I understand, Lieutenant David. Let me think about it."
After Dick finished speaking, David walked down from the stern.
Dick stood on the stern tower, leaning on the handrail to keep his balance.
He feels really helpless right now.
The ocean was so vast that it constantly challenged his perception of his own insignificance.
Finding an island in such a place, one that is not clearly marked or even whose existence is unknown, is, in Dick's opinion, an impossible task.
Dick let out a deep breath, and just then—
A voice called out from behind: "Dick!"
Dick turned around and saw Peggy: "Peggy, what's up?"
"We need to talk."
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