People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

"For now, we can leave the Preservator's main guns at bay. Use the secondary guns to clear out the surrounding sea monsters for the Inquisition, ensuring Carmen can board smoothly. What do you think, General?"

The Colombian officer shrugged. Ernst's earlier words had convinced him, and he temporarily abandoned some inappropriate thoughts, obediently becoming the "protector" in this matter.

"Main guns, halt charging; secondary guns, prepare for battle. Let's show those scum from the 6th tier of sea what the firepower of Columbia is all about!"

"Yes! Commander!"

This time, there was no resistance. The officer had barely finished speaking when several secondary guns on the [Preserver] adjusted their muzzles, pointing them towards the sea.

Unlike the main gun, the secondary gun does not require charging. After being loaded, it was accompanied by several booming cannon shots, and a thousand waves were immediately stirred up on the sea surface!

On the sea, on the deck of the "Courtroom".

Carmen, of course, also noticed the enormous creature flying in the sky.

That was the Colombian "Preserver," the most eye-catching weapon among the various national forces during this counter-terrorism operation.

Compared to it, let alone the charge of the Kazimierz knights and the gunfire of the Lateran garrison, even the strange and low-key black-robed men of Ursus and the Sarkaz man's bizarre shapeshifting ability seemed somewhat inadequate!

The visual impact is tremendous.

Let alone the Punishing Army, even Carmen, who had experienced the Golden Age and witnessed the military power of Iberia at its peak, felt as insignificant as an ant trying to shake a tree or a frog in a well when facing this space carrier.

He even felt that the Stutifaira would be no match for this behemoth. The reason was simple: the other side was venturing into a completely uncharted territory in Terra—air-to-ground combat!

And it's not just those little drone gadgets, but real air-to-ground support!

If Colombia can mass-produce it and use it in war, at least in the short term, few countries besides the other permanent members of the Security Council will be able to rival Terra!

So when Carmen saw it appear above his head, his first reaction was to become serious.

He suspected the other side was trying to steal the prize. They wanted to take advantage of the moment the Stutifaira found them, destroy them with a single shot, and then seize the Stutifaira.

But when Carmen saw him follow behind her twice, choosing to escort her even though he could already observe the location of the Stutifaira, she understood.

This groundbreaking warship is here to help them.

Although he couldn't see inside the Preservator, he knew in his heart that this must be Ernst's doing.

Otherwise, Colombia wouldn't be so kind as to send its only strategic weapon to assist them.

"Iberia is grateful for your generosity."

He felt deeply indebted and had nothing to thank Ernst for.

Carmen silently saluted Ernst, then turned around, took the helm herself, and accelerated toward the Stutifaira.

The roar of cannons overhead was deafening, and the ripples of the monstrous carcasses and the mangled limbs of the sea creatures were scattered in waves, one after another. Many of them, along with the sea creatures clinging to the ship's railings and trying to reach the "Court of Judgments," were swept onto the deck by the waves, leaving behind trails of bloody, mangled flesh!

The battle cries of the elite Punishment Army soldiers had already begun as they cleared away the terror fish and sea monsters that had climbed aboard. These were tasks that only they could handle personally; the Preservator couldn't fire directly at close range of the Inquisition, otherwise the resulting waves, even if insufficient to capsize the small vessel, would cause far greater damage than the sea monsters boarding the ship!

Fortunately, those who accompanied him this time were all true veterans.

They are not afraid, they will not retreat, and they are not weak.

They have the ability to clear a perfectly clear view for Carmen!

And not far away, the Stutifaira, which they had been longing for, was already right in front of them!

A colossal behemoth.

They used to only have this word to describe the Stutifaira, but now they have another comparative description.

—This is the Preservator, a ship on the sea!

Even after sailing at sea for over sixty years without any resupply or repair; even though wind and rain have inevitably left their mark on the ship; even though none of the people present, except Carmen, had ever actually seen the Stutifaira in its original state!

But everyone knew that this was the ship they were looking for!

Because its body is still shining with golden light, just like the golden age of Iberia that was once considered to never fade!

Carmen took a deep breath, letting the seawater soak her entire body, and gripped the helm of the [Court of Judgments] tightly, braving the last wave that crashed against her. She then gradually slowed down, finally coming to a stop in front of the [Stutifira].

The warriors stopped their killing spree. They were covered in blood, and their swords and bows were still glistening with droplets of blood and water. Yet, they couldn't help but raise their heads.

They stood on the deck of the Tribunal, the largest surviving warship in Iberia, a relic of the Golden Age. They looked up at the massive, silent, golden-glowing vessel, lost in thought for a long time.

At that moment, they seemed to be looking up at an era.

P.S.: It's been raining like crazy in Chongqing lately, and the blanket I brought wasn't thick enough, so I caught a cold. Not only did I catch a cold, but my gastrointestinal tract caught one too, and I had terrible diarrhea all day. I'm practically exhausted. I'm really unlucky.

Chapter 747 Alfonso: Today is the happiest day of my life!

The Stutifaira hasn't had any guests for a long time.

Of course, if those monsters can be considered human, then it could be considered a bustling place.

Alfonso didn't know how long he had been on the ship; all he knew was that since that day, his fate had taken an irreversible turn.

One by one, the other ships in the Golden Fleet sank into the sea. The dark blue marks that clung to them, along with the countless sea creatures and terror fish, remained vividly imprinted in his mind, even after so much time had passed!

The Stutifaela weathered the initial massive waves, avoiding the ocean's fury when it finally raged. He later ordered search and rescue teams to be dispatched to the sites of other sunken warships.

Without exception, the search and rescue teams disappeared without a trace, never to return.

On the vast ocean, the waves were turbulent. No matter how optimistic Alfonso was, he could only admit that the crew members had met with misfortune.

After that, he had to tighten his defenses, recall all the surviving crew members to the deck of the Stutifaira, explain the current situation to them, and announce the next steps.

"We encountered an unprecedented maritime disaster. Apart from the Stutifaira, all the other warships and their crew members perished."

"What we need to do next is stay calm. The Stutifaira has ample food and fresh water reserves. As long as we hold on, there's a way! Iberia will definitely send a search and rescue team to come to our aid!"

To be fair, his decision at the time was undoubtedly rational.

Given the magnitude of the maritime disaster, the crew members weren't fools; they couldn't possibly conceal it. Continuing to suppress the news would only fuel anxiety and speculation among the crew. It was far better to be open and honest, urging everyone to unite and calmly respond.

Doing so would certainly cause trouble under normal circumstances, but now it is a truly desperate situation with one in a million chances. The sailors who are able to board the Stutifeira and participate in this "Golden Expedition" are all the most outstanding talents of Golden Iberia. With their intelligence and ability, they will naturally make the right choice that is most beneficial to the Stutifeira!

As it turned out, Alfonso's judgment was correct.

The Stutifaela immediately abandoned the search and rescue operation, confiscating all supplies for public use and distribution, ensuring the ship's continued operation for a considerable period. Furthermore, the ship's guards effectively countered the initial attempts by the sea monsters to seize the vessel, guaranteeing its safety for an extended time.

However, in any case, "a considerable period of time" does not equal sixty years.

No matter how much grain reserves, how abundant freshwater resources, or how saturated the range of medicines, they cannot withstand the depletion.

No matter how strong the will to fight, how powerful the hope of rescue, or how beautiful the vision, nothing can stop the passage of time.

Alfonso doesn't remember which year the despair began to spread.

All he knew was that at first, someone suddenly disappeared. The crew didn't know where he went, and then the disappearances became more and more frequent. Alfonso searched the entire ship but found no signs of intrusion.

Finally, his first mate reminded him.

"The sea breeze smells strongly of fish."

Yes, the sea breeze was full of fishy and bloody smells.

It wasn't just the smell of blood from those scaly beasts, but also the smell of blood from his crew, who were human!

Sailors on long voyages believe that the sea breeze will bring the aroma of beer from their homeland, but the crew of the Stutifaira haven't smelled that aroma for far too long.

So, it's not unreasonable that someone finally snapped and tried to leap into the ocean to swim towards their homeland, which is nowhere in sight, just to get closer to Iberia, isn't it?

Alfonso tacitly refrained from searching further. Gradually, the number of people on the ship dwindled. The previously scarce supplies were now enough to go around for a while.

But time!

Time forced them to eat the last piece of bread and drink the last sip of water, so if they wanted to live, they only had one choice left.

"Take it from the enemy!"

Eat the terror fish, eat the sea bream, eat their flesh and drink their blood!

This was a last resort; nobody wanted to do it, but nobody wanted to die like this either.

After all, they haven't yet steered the ship they're on back to Iberia.

As the days went by, Alfonso gradually became aware of the changes in himself and those around him.

Each survivor exhibited varying degrees of mutation. Some grew gills, enabling them to breathe. Others developed scaly fins on their arms, sharp as swords. Still others appeared physically unchanged, but their minds underwent subtle alterations.

He began to persuade people to simply let Haizi come aboard, saying that "Haizi can help them find their way home." This fallacy spread on the Stutifaira until Alfonso personally killed all those who agreed with this idea!

"Don't forget, who trapped us on this sea!"

"Anyone who tries to surrender to Hai Si will be killed without hesitation!"

His roar was deafening, and his reputation did indeed carry some weight on the ship. After that, such a sound was never heard in public again.

However, in addition to trust, a hint of fear also appeared in everyone's eyes when they looked at Alfonso.

Because everyone could see that the arm Alfonso used to slay the Fallen was pitch black and had no human-like appearance whatsoever.

"First mate, there are no survivors on this ship."

Despite the advice of his first mate Garcia, the Iberian hero, Alfonso, was still sharpening his bloodied knife under the pomegranate tree. He spoke frankly and directly.

"Including you and me, we can no longer be considered human."

He looked up at the first mate, whose "eyes" were nowhere to be found, a slight smile flashing across his face, but without a trace of contempt. He spoke calmly and seriously:

"But this is our Iberia."

"As long as I live, I will not allow my Iberia to be violated by those damned beasts!"

Alfonso certainly had hoped for rescue, but time had dragged on for far too long, and he had exhausted his hope, even his silence.

Although he hadn't received any news from his homeland, he had a vague suspicion. The great calamity that directly destroyed the Golden Fleet might not be as simple as he imagined.

His own homeland, Iberia, is likely in grave danger!

What if Iberia is destroyed just like its golden fleet?

Are we just going to accept the breakdown of civilization, the collapse of order, and the demise of the nation, while we are powerless to do anything about it?

Alfonso didn't want that. So, he came up with a plan, a plan that, in the Golden Age, would have been enough to get him hanged a thousand times over!

He's going to "inherit" Iberia aboard the Stutifaera!

If the Fool is the last remnant of the Golden Age, then he, the captain of the Fool, is the last monarch of Iberia! He will guard his last homeland at sea until true death comes!

That's what he thought, and that's what he did. He had even completely accepted the ending—Afonso under the pomegranate tree would, in complete silence, die a heroic death alongside the country!

But that evening, Alfonso, standing on the deck and surveying his "homeland," saw it.

From the horizon, from the direction where the setting sun ignites the sky with its crimson glow, I saw a warship sailing towards me!

All alone on the sea surface, it looked like a tiny toy. It was tossed about by the waves, battered by the attacking sea creatures, and several times seemed about to be slammed to the bottom of the sea by the rising waves.

But it survived, and it charged straight toward Alfonso, toward the Fool!

Alfonso felt that this was the most memorable scene he had ever witnessed since the day he piloted the Stutifaira and led the massive golden fleet out of the port city.

He recognized the ship. Even after so much time had passed and the ship's appearance had changed slightly, how could he not recognize his former vehicle?

"The Saint!"

He murmured to himself, walked to the edge of the deck, bent down, lowered his head, and looked down.

His gaze met and collided with that of another old man in mid-air, and in that instant, a radiant, almost manic smile appeared on his face!

"Carmen!"

In his eyes, he saw the image of the former Archbishop of the Church of England, now a saint, a friend from the past who had arrived aboard the ship "Saint"!

This was the happiest day of his life!

Chapter 748 Ernst: If all else fails, just blow it up!

This was the best of days, and the worst of days.

When Carmen looked up, he still felt a little unreal.

Sistustiphala, the great Fool was right before him, the scene that had appeared countless times in his dreams was right before his eyes. He had truly found the ship, found the last shadow of that long-gone golden age.

He reached out and touched the ship's outer wall; the hard, cold touch seemed to ignite something within him. This wasn't an illusion; it was happening right before his eyes—he had grasped the shadow!

He didn't want to let go anymore.

But the next second, a voice that surprised everyone suddenly rang out.

Wu's voice was loud and clear, full of energy, standing out even amidst the crashing waves; it was a joyful call:

"Carmen! I knew you'd come!"

Carmen was startled, momentarily dazed. He instinctively looked up at the sky above him, where a figure was leaning halfway out from the deck of the Stutifaira, looking down at the Tribunal below, and looking down at him as well.