Polia Kingdom & Nubea Kingdom

Though war had been declared, daily life at school hadn’t changed much. Being an island nation, unless they suffered a major defeat at sea, there was virtually no chance of an invasion. So everyone simply continued with their lives as usual.

Of course, some kids—too young to know better—boasted that if they were sent to the battlefield, they could easily win the war. Total nonsense. They had no idea what real danger or warfare felt like, having never experienced it firsthand.

‘Even if I never fought in a full-on war in my past life, I was in enough life-or-death fights to know how terrifying a battle can be. I also know just how horrific gunpowder weapons really are.’

No matter how strong one might be, no sane person would like fighting. Ian remembered that even in his past life, he had hated battle. Yet he’d killed more people than anyone else. That bitter memory never faded.

‘I’m indifferent to it now, though.’

Now that he understood death as merely another beginning, he no longer felt that same sorrow. Still, the atmosphere in school was dominated by excitement and anticipation. Nobody was even considering the possibility of defeat.

‘Well, I guess I think that way too—so why wouldn’t they?’

“These days, the other kids are being extra careful around you, Prince.”

“You know the reason for that, don’t you?”

“Of course. Ever since the incident with Prince Dian, the royal family has become something sacred and untouchable.”

“You’re sharp.”

Previously, Ian had made sure the boy bullying Dian was taken care of, and the school had been thrown into chaos. A prince had bled—how could that not shake things up? The teachers involved, the student in question, and even the parents had received harsh punishments.

‘Still, I guess the family had some influence, huh?’

At least no one died. But they were fined a staggering amount. Enough to shake the very foundation of a lesser noble house. Since then, no one dared lay a finger on Ian. Not that anyone had before, but now even the teachers avoided asking him questions.

‘School life sure is easy.’

It really did seem that being born into the right family made all the difference. Though the others looked down on him even more, Ian didn’t mind—he had no intention of becoming close with any of them anyway.

“Don’t you feel a bit hurt, Prince? They’re all ignoring you more than ever.”

“Not at all. I actually love it. I hope it stays like this forever.”

“There’s really no one like Prince Ian. You’re one of a kind.”

“You already know that. And you’re even weirder for sticking with me—you’re just as much an outcast.”

“I don’t mind.”

“If that’s true, then don’t call me weird.”

“Fair enough. By the way—did you hear?”

“What is it now? What gossip did you pick up today?”

“They say the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th Fleets have joined forces and are heading toward the Nubea Kingdom. Also, the 4th and 6th Fleets have gone to the colonies to attack Nubea’s forces stationed there.”

“Really now?”

So, after officially declaring war on Nubea, Polia had finally begun moving its fleets. Of the kingdom’s nine fleets, only the 1st, 7th, 8th, and 9th remained behind to defend the mainland island.

‘Now that I think about it, Count Nudelria was the admiral of the 9th Fleet.’

That fleet had been left behind simply because it was far weaker than the others. It might even have been a deliberate move by the higher-ups to ensure Count Nudelria never got the chance to earn glory.

Still, the number of fleets made the kingdom seem stronger than it really was. In truth, each fleet consisted of a single battleship supported by a few cruisers and about a dozen destroyers.

‘I heard they’re behind the empires not only in number of ships but in tech too.’

Compared to the great empires, they were clearly outclassed. Most believed their ships were of lower quality too—though the Polia Kingdom would never admit it.

Ultimately, Ian only knew any of this thanks to Armin’s constant updates.

‘That kid really is smart.’

He always maintained top-tier grades. Though he carefully avoided ranking first, Ian understood why. Like Ian himself, Armin hid his talents—being “different” only brought rejection. Armin knew his family wouldn’t treat his talents kindly.

‘I’ll have to keep hiding mine too.’

If his powers were revealed, people would fear him—and possibly try to exploit him. Ian knew that well, so he focused on keeping his abilities hidden.

‘The sea was truly a gift from the gods.’

Why hadn’t he thought of using the sea in his past life? It was perfect. From heavy resistance training to precision control—he could do it all.

“We’re going to win, right?”

“Of course! Even if the Nubea Kingdom has decent military power for a kingdom, they’re nowhere near us. In size, in ships—there’s a clear gap.”

“That’s good to hear.”

But then a troubling thought crossed Ian’s mind. What comes after victory? The empires wouldn’t take kindly to the Polia Kingdom expanding its influence. They might try to interfere with the spoils of war.

‘That would drive my father absolutely mad.’

The king, as Ian had come to know, was a man full of pride and arrogance—with a voracious appetite for anything he considered his. If the empires tried to restrict him, no one could guess how he’d react.

‘Still, what can he do? He might rage, but he’ll have to accept their meddling. The empires are just too strong.’

The empires were true superpowers. Polia was still just a kingdom. It had no choice but to follow. No doubt the empires were intent on limiting Polia’s growth—especially now, when alliances could shift the entire balance of war.

The fleets of the Polia Kingdom that had moved into the waters of the Nubea Kingdom surged with confidence as they entered enemy territory. There were three battleships, thirteen heavy and light cruisers, and over forty destroyers. Including supply and transport vessels, nearly sixty ships had arrived in the area.

Opposing them, the Nubea Kingdom’s fleet numbered nearly a hundred ships. Being the defending force close to home, they had been able to mobilize more vessels. But in terms of actual capability, they were clearly inferior to the Polia Navy.

They only had two battleships, six cruisers, and the rest were destroyers and small-tonnage patrol boats. Some ships were even outdated armored sailships dragged out from storage.

Thus, the two nations’ fleets confronted each other in the central sea of the continent, and it wasn’t long before battle erupted. The Nubea forces, with the advantage of proximity to their mainland, even deployed biplane fighters.

Boom—! Boom boom—! Boom—! Boom boom boom—!

Cannons on both sides roared, aiming at enemy hulls. As explosions lit up the sea, many ships caught fire and billowed black smoke. Heavily armored battleships and cruisers, even when hit, endured and continued firing.

But smaller ships, once struck, were often instantly disabled or sunk. Of course, accuracy in naval combat, especially amid real ocean waves, wasn’t high.

Both sides fired while in motion, so a hit or a miss largely came down to luck. That’s why each clash could last nearly ten hours. Biplane fighters strafed with machine guns or dropped bombs, but few attacks landed.

Even when they hit, the hand-dropped bombs lacked the power to significantly damage warships. At best, they left scorches on the deck. Meanwhile, Polia’s anti-aircraft cruisers lit up the sky with machine gun fire, downing several planes.

As fighters fell into the sea, the three Mongrelia-class battleships of the Polia Navy relentlessly bombarded the enemy vessels. Their twin 250mm guns packed considerable destructive power.

Many shells splashed into the sea, but those that struck hulls or decks triggered loud explosions and thick black smoke. No matter how you looked at it, the tide of battle was clearly turning in Polia’s favor.

Journalists and military observers from various nations, stationed on neutral ships, watched and recorded every detail. War was always a spectacle—and such a large-scale naval clash hadn’t occurred in years, making it all the more noteworthy.

In this era, war still carried a hint of romanticism. A formal declaration had been made, and the fleets clashed openly in the middle of the sea. Had the Nubea fleet attacked the incoming Polia forces with a surprise ambush instead, things might have gone very differently.

“The Polia Kingdom’s battleships are performing quite well.”

“That’s true. But both their gun caliber and range fall far short of what the imperial fleets possess.”

“They can shine like this only because their opponent is the Nubea Kingdom.”

“To be blunt, their ships are lighter, with inferior firepower and range. Of course they’re going to lose.”

The imperial navy officers looked down on Nubea while being unimpressed with Polia. From their point of view, this battle was only being won because the enemy fleet was simply weak.

“It’s a delicate situation.”

“Indeed. The Polia Kingdom isn’t strong enough or weak enough—it’s in that awkward in-between that makes it hard for us to decide how to deal with them.”

“With this victory, they’ll try to expand their navy using the spoils of war.”

“We can’t allow that. The benefits they gain must be minimal.”

“Agreed. After this, all four empires must act in unison.”

In such gatherings, the officers from the four empires were already discussing how to handle things after the war. From Polia’s perspective, it was an outrageous scene—but under the logic of power, there was little they could do.

If they wanted justice, they needed strength. Polia had none compared to even one of the empires. So if all four acted together, Polia would have no choice but to comply. As the foreign observers watched, the tides of battle continued to shift in Polia’s favor.

Of course, the war wasn’t over yet. Despite the heavy blows, Nubea’s two battleships remained operational. This was just one battle—and many ships still remained. But if this clash was any indication, the Polia Navy looked poised for victory.

At the same time, colonial fleets of both kingdoms were also clashing in the waters near the New World. Early signs indicated those battles would yield similar outcomes.

-“Glorious Victory! Overwhelming triumph in the First Naval Battle against Nubea!”

-“Enemy ships ablaze and sinking! Victory is within reach!”

-“Blazing heat in the colonies—witness the Polia fleet obliterate Nubea’s colonial forces!”

-“Colonial border clash: 14,000 of our troops vs. 15,000 enemy soldiers! Both sides suffer devastating losses?! The machine gun’s deadly power shocks all!”

“So we’re winning. That’s my country, after all.”

Scanning the newspaper, Ian’s eyes reflected a sense of relief. Though Armin had been confident in victory, Ian had always harbored a bit of doubt. His concern, however, had never been for the country—it was for his mother, his sister, and himself.

There was nothing more terrifying than a nation defeated. As royals, they might be taken hostage by a foreign power. Ian had already prepared for escape if necessary. He had money saved, enough to live comfortably in another land under a hidden identity.

‘If I bring up my sister, Mother will surely want to come with us.’

Of course, this was a plan based on the worst-case scenario of defeat. But judging from the newspaper, the Polia Kingdom was dominating at sea, even if things on land remained unclear. At this rate, the war would likely end by year’s end or early next year.

And as Ian predicted, the war continued to tilt heavily in Polia’s favor, eventually resulting in their victory. The decisive moment was the sinking of Nubea’s battleships.

This happened in early World Era 1903, when Ian had just turned thirteen. Though Polia had achieved a grand victory, interference from the four empires was just beginning.