White Whale Port, with a permanent population of about 60,000 and a transient population of over 100,000, is Ilya Kingdom's second-largest trade port and an important gateway of the entire "Tulip Alliance" connecting the Southern Continent.

According to legend, when the port was established, enormous white whales continuously spouted water columns dozens of meters high outside the port for several days. Residents believed this was the goddess's blessing on the city, and thus the port was named.

However, whether or not it truly received the goddess's blessing, the prosperity of this port city is undeniable.

This season happens to be the peak of the sailing season, and the port is bustling with business, with merchant ships docking, unloading, loading, and setting sail every moment.

Well-dressed merchants, dark-skinned sailors, dream-chasing adventurers, devout clergy, sweat-soaked dockworkers, and various local residents... The port is bustling with activity, very lively.

"Captain Ambrose, isn't this Brigadier General Buer, who is responsible for the port's defense, too arrogant? We are here to assist by order, yet not only does he not appreciate it, but his own defense work is also perfunctory.

If pirates really target here, with what means does he intend to defend? The public knows nothing about this!"

A group of knights clad in gleaming full-body armor, tall and as burly as human tanks, walked out of the navy outpost of this port. Among them, a youthful-looking knight spoke indignantly.

The leading knight without a helmet, to whom the young man referred as the captain, looked back at the outpost gate. His extraordinary perception ability, granted by his powerful strength and firm belief, easily picked up the wanton music coming from inside the building once again.

Ambrose sighed lightly.

This General, who claimed to be busy with official duties and thus ushered them out of the outpost, turned out to be such a "dedicated professional"?!

"However, the situation in the Ilya Kingdom is indeed somewhat delicate..."

Even as an Iron Wall Knight affiliated with the Church and independent of the secular world, Ambrose can keenly feel that with the rapid aging of "Stormy Sea Tide" Byron Ilya, the only titled knight existing in the Ilya Kingdom, various forces within the kingdom, especially the emerging commercial aristocrats, have begun to stir.

The struggle for power and profit has almost come directly to the surface, reaching a fever pitch!

Even the navy, as the kingdom's strongest armed force, has been infiltrated to such an extent. Perhaps this ally, clearly belonging to the new aristocracy, is not unaware of the risks that such behavior might bring upon himself.

But when "paying lip service while secretly opposing" has, to some extent, become a political correctness, his actions are no longer under his control.

When everyone is opposing for the sake of opposing, and you step out to say, "We should do the right thing!"

What's everyone's first thought at that moment?

Traitor!!!

Heh, politics is just that ridiculous!

"Let's go, first stay at a local church. The orders of Lord Bishop must be carried out, and the glory of God will surely shine upon the lambs of White Whale Port!

As knights of the Goddess, even with nothing but single-sword in hand, the words 'retreat' are not in our dictionary!"

Ambrose turned his head and strode off.

"Yes, Captain!"

...

In a blink, ten days passed.

The sea was calm, nothing unusual. Those gathered pirates seemed to have completely vanished like foam on the sea surface.

Church.

Due to the belief in "Queen and Goddess of Navigation", most Iron Cross Church cathedrals are located near the sea, and White Whale Port Cathedral is certainly no exception.

Rustling——

In a room with an endless blue sea view outside the window, Ambrose is writing a letter to his mentor-like old Bishop Benedict, far away in Phaletis Kingdom's "New Inn Port".

"Esteemed Bishop:

The situation in White Whale Port, or rather Ilya, is rather unusually bad. It's evident that the nation's administrative body has fallen into some kind of chaos, possibly even completely disregarding the safety of its citizens.

Forgive my language, but I believe their actions are outright desecration of the goddess's grace. Yes, 'desecration'...

Compared to the vigilance you mentioned in 'New Inn Port', General Buer of White Whale Port has done virtually nothing. However, he indeed seems very busy..."

Writing to this point, a touch of sneer appeared on Ambrose's firm face. Clearly, in just a short ten days in this city, this Brigadier General left an immensely poor impression on him.

"Although we haven't been able to capture the whereabouts of the pirate fleet again, since receiving your order, it's been a full ten days since we arrived at 'White Whale Port', yet there's not been any change, not even an additional warship...

The busy shipping, the flowing Golden Lions, the sweat and blood of dockworkers; the grand merchants and dignitaries toasting in celebration. But in my eyes, 'White Whale Port' is like a girl walking alone in a primeval forest, completely defenseless against unknown dangers lurking somewhere...

Maybe I am overthinking it, but I hope the goddess continues to watch over the people of this city!

We..."

Dong——

Dong——

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!....

At this moment, just after the alarm bell echoed throughout the city, the deafening sound of artillery fire suddenly interrupted the Knight's thoughts. The pen paused, and he looked up towards the window.

It was as if the executioner's blade, raised high, had finally fallen.

It seemed that the dark and overwhelming pirate fleet, emerging from the sea, had already approached the port, and several low-level battleships on the periphery were instantly sunk without resistance under concentrated fire.

The number of cannonballs fired at once was truly overwhelming...

"We will fight to the last moment, bless us, Your Excellency!

The Goddess is with you and me!"

The pen continued to glide, writing the final sentence because Ambrose knew this might be the last letter he would write to that old man in his lifetime.

No military deployment, no allied defense, no emergency plan, no backup whatsoever, not even a trace of vigilance...

Unless the Goddess truly descended a miracle, from the moment the pirate fleet appeared, the future of this city was almost predetermined.

But just as he himself had said, as knights of the Goddess, the word retreat did not exist in their dictionary!

Grabbing the heavy sword and giant shield by the desk, Ambrose shouted with all his strength:

"Iron Wall Knight, assemble!"

...

Boom——

Originally an open new trade city, "White Whale Port" had never been equipped with defensive structures like city walls since its establishment. The pirates coming from the sea easily broke through the city under the premise where the navy force was virtually useless.

Before entering the city, they even mimicked a "battle line," forming a crooked long formation and fired concentrated volleys at the coast.

The cannonballs fired from nearly a kilometer away were already off-target, but nearly three thousand solid iron cannonballs, like raindrops, still easily destroyed everything close to the coast!

Although the church luckily escaped disaster, with the main building almost intact, what significance did it hold?

"Kill! The treasures and women are ours!"

"Hahaha, what's a big city? Rob it all! Kill them all!"

"Where's the navy? Damn navy, come out and taste the power of us pirates!"

"..."

The pirate ships docked, and a large horde of dark pirates screeched as they charged into the city. Nobles, paupers, clergy, soldiers, officials... no one in this city could stay unaffected.

Soon.

The city's meager few hundred regular guards were easily defeated.

"Help!"

"Don't kill me!"

"Run away quickly!"

The citizens' screams and cries for help were already resounding in unison, men and women, young and old receiving no exception, properties looted, buildings set ablaze, the originally prosperous and peaceful White Whale Port instantly dyed red.

That was the color of blood and fire!

Not counting the personnel left on the pirate ships, over a hundred pirates from more than two hundred pirate ships had already swarmed onto land.

This scale could no longer be described as mere pirate plunder; it was a war, a massacre of extreme bloodshed and cruelty.

"Octopus Ghost" Hawkins stood on the burning dock, the smile on his face utterly unchanged.

Only now, looking at the Black Sea Pirate King, under his affable and portly appearance, hid a cold-blooded, vicious, and sinister devil!

However, amidst the pirate flood, some fled with all their might, yet others bravely advanced!

The lofty oaths resonated across half the city:

"In the face of strong enemies, fear not, tremble not!"

"Brave and loyal, worthy of divine grace!"

"Righteous and upright, rather die than yield!"

"Protect the weak, no violation of heavenly principles!"

[Divine Skill: Knight's Oath]

In the sea of steel, a white radiance soared into the sky!