Into The Horizon: An NHS Fanfic

Chapter 6: Battle of Lhorus Sea (1)

April 17th 1639, 2800 Nautical Miles Northwest of Branchel Continent, Outside Winnos Territorial Waters.

Cerium-class Magic Battleship, AES Lanthanum, 2nd Subjugation Armada

A few months ago back in February, the Annonrial Navy had lost contact on one of their investigatory groups sent to investigate a magic storm that occurred northwest of their empire. This disturbances, which the Mystar Satellite System detected, are akin to the records of the Sorcerous Empire in their Transference Magic Research, the log that the MSS has made on the supposed timeline the superpower of Mu came from another world. However, it is not yet the scheduled return of the masters, and the occurrence of 3 storms meant the transference of atleast 3 nations. 

With this in mind, the 41st investigatory division was sent out to see what has happened, and if new nations were really transferred. However, due to the sheer incompetence of the nepo-baby captain of the AES Emerald that lead the fleet, not only did they lost contact with them, they also figured out nothing except for "likely Muans".

It was an unforgiveable failure, and with the possible capture of the magic cruiser, their technologies and secret might get revealed if they indeed were Muans. However, it raises the question - did the Muans detect the storm and went to investigate? Or was it a new country mistaken as Muans?

The majority of the Annorial navy do not believe the latter. How coincidental would it be that a nation just transferred would be extremely similar to one of this world that the eyes of people that can use magic to see afar would mistake them?

And why did the Muans go investigate? Was it by request of the Milishial? If the Milishial or Eimor detected the storm, will they really allow any of their rivals to get to it and investigate, or worse, take what secrets lie?

The Annonrial did not believe so. None of the two arguments make much impact to them to even begin consideration. However, it is not the case for Navy Marshall Regeland Frost. The leader of the 2nd Subjugation Armada, Frost commands over 300 ships, along  with 8 magic battleships of the latest Cerium-class. Named after rare elements, the Cerium-class an inferior copy of the Orichalcum-class, of which only 2 has been unearthed. Why bring a subjugation fleet? Because in the seas where the investigation group vanish, there is only water for over 10000 nautical miles. This distance is as far as Runepolis is to Fenn and Gahara by sea. There is no way that a flotilla of Mu, who cannot detect and has no interest in magic to begin with, will be this far out.

It leads Frost to believe in one thing: They can subjugate these newcomers and use their resources for research, their people for experiments and as slaves, and land for staging attacks on the 2nd Civilization Area. 

Unlike the previous encounter where there were only 3 obsolete and small Annonrial vessels, this time he brought 72 ships, including 4 Cerium-classes - the Lanthanum, Promethium, Gadol, and Holm. These magic battleships are armed with 9x 381mm (15 inch) guns in 3 triple turrets, 18-cell Arrow Launch System, and 32 6 inch secondary batteries in twin-gun ball turrets. 

Among the 72 ships are 12 invasion ships each having 500 soldiers, 5 supply ships, 5 tankers, 27 destroyers, 18 light cruisers, and 13 heavy cruisers of the Lapiz-class. The Lapiz-class heavy cruiser is an improved version of the Sapphire-class cruisers, with their 203mm guns having an improved 24 seconds reload compared to the Sapphire's 42 seconds, due to the guns now having Calibration Options and Magic Load Mechanism. 

In the Sapphire, magic input and enhancements must be placed after loading the shell, however in the Lapiz, the gun control can uniformly input the needed magic enhancements, not needing a crew in every gun to do so. However, this did increase the amount of mana stones in use, and the fragility of the system, as damage on the bridge means the guns cannot fire.