Your Majesty, Wonders are Harmful to the Country!

Bruno's words ignited the blood of the navy soldiers present. In fact, it wasn't just the soldiers even the naval admiral, Mal Cullen, and the Idar officials in attendance were eager to take action.

After all… when Bruno took out the St. George Medal, a symbol of the church, this was no longer just Idar's war!The Holy See in Bethlehem, the sacred city, was not just the church of the Normans it was the church of the entire continent!

Before this, despite Mal Cullen being a staunch hawkish general of Idar, he still had some concerns.

They were about to confront pirates entrenched in the waters of the Basel Kingdom. While the major kingdoms of the continent did not pay much attention to the seas, the proximity to the Basel Kingdom was undeniable!

A fully armed warship belonging to a Norman Empire noble was about to stir trouble near Basel's territorial waters!Even though the pirate-infested islands did not belong to any kingdom, anyone hearing this would see it as a serious diplomatic dispute!

However, if they sailed under the church's banner, it was a completely different story!A Norman Empire noble, supported by the church, sailing across the ocean under the light of the Holy Radiance to strike down the heretics occupying the distant islands! To purify the infamous pirates!Just imagine what kind of devout believer would undertake such a mission?

In truth… the idea of using the church's name to combat piracy had only just occurred to Bruno.

As a recipient of the St. George Medal, Bruno was, in principle, under the protection of the Holy Crusaders.

So… wouldn't it follow that any army protecting Bruno was essentially the Holy Crusaders?

If one accepted this logic, then any Idar army under Bruno's command could be called the Holy Crusaders!

Flawless reasoning, no loopholes!

This was no longer a war between pirates and the people of Idar it was an act of defiance against the church! A provocation against the Holy Crusaders!

After all, in many cases, the right justification was enough to grant Bruno the moral high ground. At the very least… it made his campaign against the pirates completely justified!

Everyone present stared dumbfounded at the St. George Medal in Bruno's hand.So… the burden on their shoulders was this heavy? Even the distant church was silently watching over them!

"Kill the pirates! Avenge our fallen! Long live Idar!"

No one knew who shouted it first, but soon, all the soldiers roared in unison:

"Long live Idar!"

Hearing the fighting spirit in the soldiers' voices, Bruno cast a satisfied glance toward a certain corner of the ranks.The "atmosphere team" he had trained was truly impeccable in their timing—this morale boost was perfectly executed!

With morale lifted and orders for the campaign issued, there was nothing else for Bruno to worry about.

Although he was now a true Grand Mage, Bruno never considered personally accompanying the soldiers into battle.

As Idar's territory expanded and its naval dominance grew, the navy needed to learn to face powerful enemies alone!Otherwise, what was he, a noble Grand Mage, supposed to follow the army around to maintain order all the time?

That was clearly impossible!

Rather than charging forward as a Grand Mage, Bruno preferred to stay in Idar and cheer his soldiers on from afar.

The more he understood this world, the more he realized how little he actually knew.

Who could say whether, somewhere on the continent, there weren't even stronger mages beyond the Grand Mage level?

The tallest tree catches the most wind rather than relying on unpredictable magic, Bruno preferred to remain a low-profile noble lord, peacefully developing his lands!

Thus… it was best to let the professionals handle professional matters. Bruno believed that under the leadership of Admiral Mal Cullen and Captain Jack, the Idar navy would surely deliver a satisfying victory.

Speaking of Captain Jack, after days of careful observation, both Bruno and Mal Cullen had gotten a good sense of his character and personality.

Moreover, Jack had provided extensive intelligence detailing everything about pirate leader Kelvin Plato, including his fleet, crew numbers, weapons, and every other detail without holding anything back.

With such a weighty act of loyalty, Jack had earned their trust.

Thus, under Mal Cullen's careful orchestration, Jack was now officially seen as a former pirate captain captured by Idar, who had since repented and turned over a new leaf.

And now, Captain Jack would serve as the navy's guide, leading the Idar navy straight to the lair of the great pirate Kelvin Plato the Coral Island!

This made it easier for Idar's navy soldiers to begrudgingly accept Jack's presence.

…

The "Pioneer" three-masted warship set sail one week after its launch.

The navy soldiers needed time to familiarize themselves with this brand-new ship.

Although they had undergone extensive training, their drills had been conducted on a captured, beached pirate ship a far cry from the newly built three-masted warship.

Only by standing on the deck and feeling its power firsthand could the soldiers truly appreciate what they possessed.

For the Idar navy, pride filled every sailor's heart!People always said the Empire's western regions were the wealthiest, but Idar in the east was not far behind!

While the sailors trained diligently, Idar's logistics teams were just as busy.

They supplied the navy with ample weapons and equipment and ensured that the soldiers had sufficient food, grains, and fresh produce.

After all, unlike land-based warfare, a naval campaign meant the fleet would not return quickly victory or not.

Finally, on a crisp morning, under the watchful eyes of Bruno and the Idar officials, the "Pioneer" three-masted warship, led by Admiral Mal Cullen, departed from the naval port and sailed toward the Basel Kingdom!

Their target: the lair of the infamous pirate Kelvin Plato Coral Island!