It took them a few days to prepare the golems. Although they learned fast, there were so many ships and so many golems to teach at once, and there were only 6 people to teach them.
In the meantime, Aldred was having fun around the ship with his women and friends. The mothership was the only ship with an entertainment lounge, food storage, and kitchen. The other ships did not have this kind of luxury.
But if the captains wanted to enjoy themselves, they could visit the mothership to do so.
A few days later, all the ships were prepared and all of their cannons pointed at the island.
"Preparing to fire in 3. 2. 1. Fire!" Burchard commanded.
And that was when the whole world trembled.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
All of the cannons on all of the ships bombard the island. When the shells crashed against the land, they exploded and burst forth with powerful magic particles and aura that engulfed nearby objects and then turned them to dust. Each shell created a crater more than 7 meters deep, and 13 meters wide with the surface of the crater covered in sizzling smoke.
The animals, trees, and rocks were all obliterated as they were engulfed by flames. Some of the shells even contain lightning elements and it crackled throughout the island, killing all lives even when they were deep under the ground.
One shell was fired from a destroyer, exploded in mid-air near the beach, and it spread out a blinding light that scorched and melted the stones around it.
After firing at the island for a few hours, Aldred told them to stop and let the smoke dissipate.
They all took in a deep breath when they saw the state of the island. What was once a green, a beautiful small island was now a destroyed land filled with ugly craters, burnt marks, and destruction.
Even Aldred trembled in fear when he saw this. He didn't believe that he would stand a chance if that shell hit him directly.
Mary, Mareona, and the others were all watching this as well, and they were no more amazed than Aldred.
"This so powerful… no wonder it cost so much to build a ship."
"Shipyard doesn't usually accept gold coins as payment," Zafrina said. "Everything is mostly priced in mana crystals."
Aldred chuckled. "I guess, the Empress really helped me a big time. Even though we couldn't meet her, her influence is so huge that we can enjoy a benefit we wouldn't dare to imagine."
Zafrina giggled. "If you want to buy ships, my dad can always help."
"Must be nice, having a rich family," Mary said.
"At first, I didn't think much of it, but after hanging out with you guys, I now see the privileged I have as the daughter of a noble."
"You can say we humbled you," Mary laughed. "Anyway, where are we going now, Aldred?"
"Right. I almost forgot." He took out something from his inventory. It floated in the air, radiating a gentle golden light.
"It's the astrolabe…" Burchard said.
"You know your stuff, Commodore. Now, tell me where I have to go."
The golden, clock-shaped devices spun and then projected a golden arrow that pointed towards the east.
"You see that, Commodore? Set sail to the east!"
"Yes, my Lord!"
The fleet turned around from the scorched island and they headed to the east.
Aldred had 106 ships in total. 30 of them were speedboats that were tied to the bigger ships, so he had 76 ships sailing on the sea.
This large fleet might not be comparable to a full fleet owned by nobles, but it was large enough to scare pirates.
Pirates usually consisted of 24-58 ships, and they usually looked for easy targets. The moment they saw Aldred's mothership accompanying the fleet, they knew they had to turn around and run away.
"Look at all those pirates running away from us." Aldred laughed. "But it's very surprising to see one already."
"Pirates are very common, my Lord. Anyone that sailed to the sea usually will see one or two."
Aldred yawned. "If they dare to approach just destroy them. Right, Burchard. From now on, I will call our fleet The Destroyer's Fleet, and this mothership will be called Mother of Destruction."
"That's a very domineering name, my Lord."
"It fits our power." Aldred smiled. "I will take my leave now. You can take care of everything."
Burchard slightly bowed while Aldred left with his women to have some fun in his compartment.
…
Inside Hammer and Tongs, a man with big arms slammed the sword on the anvil with his hammer.
Clang! Clang!
Each strike produced a spark, and with each spark, the sword came into being. When he was done, Dobbs grabbed the sword and dipped it inside the water, making a sizzling sound.
Dobbs was a bulky man with rough hands from years of smithing and forging. He had thin hair lines and his whole body was always sweating from all the heat inside his blacksmith shop.
Suddenly, a group of well-dressed men entered his shop and looked around. The one on the lead wore noble-like clothes and his face looked like it had never smiled.
"What do you need, my Lord?" Dobbs asked.
"Look at you. Once was known as the Great Smith, is now living in a run-down shop, making mediocre swords all day long?"
"I lived my life however I wanted, my Lord. I know you have the power to change that, but I will not involve myself in this treasure hunt. Not anymore."
"You still feel upset about that sword?"
"That sword which I created for a decade specifically for your son, and you sell so easily to a neighboring country. Yes, I still feel upset about that, and I don't want my weapon to fall to any unwanted hand."
The lord frowned and glared at him. Eventually, he shook his head. "Come to me when you change your mind."
"I will never."
"Your head is as hard as an anvil, but I am a patient man. I will be waiting for that day." He left the shop with a bitter heart.
Dobbs watched the lord leave and grabbed the ordinary sword before hanging it on the wall among many other ordinary swords.
He sighed. Years ago, he would spit on these swords due to mediocre they are. He hated any blacksmith who created mass-produced low-quality swords such as these.
But now, he became something he despised the most.
Dobbs sighed again and looked through the window where there was a large mothership on the ocean.
It was the Lion's Gate, the lord's personal mothership which had defended the sea against numerous enemies.
"I was the one who created that."
His story was the typical falling from grace story. An arrogant blacksmith who fell due to his own ego. He put himself in this position, but he didn't know if he could return to glory once again.
"Maybe it's time to go out and explore the world." Dobbs looked at his workshop for a few seconds before he packed his bag.
