Chapter 12: An Irresistible Temptation – 1

“General Iskal, you say?”

“Y-yes, Admiral! That’s correct!”

The unexpected name echoed through the communication crystal.

Hearing it, Admiral James Cook felt a wave of surprise—but more than that, his interest in these Imperial soldiers grew even stronger.

General Iskal…

The man who had suffered a crushing defeat at Mevis Harbor, losing nearly his entire army in the process.

Given that only a few days had passed since that disaster, it wasn’t entirely shocking that some of his troops had managed to survive.

The soldiers on the other end of the crystal continued their desperate plea.

“Right now, we are hiding near the northern dock of Mevis Harbor.”

“But our situation is dire. Our food supplies have run out, we have numerous wounded, and the demons are closing in on us with each passing moment.”

“If this continues, we will all die here—hunted down like animals. Admiral, please! We beg you, save us!”

The Imperial soldiers’ voices trembled with desperation.

And through the flickering crystal, Cook could see their condition—it was bad.

They were malnourished, wounded, and trapped deep within enemy territory.

It was clear to anyone that they wouldn’t be able to hold out for much longer.

However.

Despite understanding all of this, James Cook felt more irritation than sympathy.

‘For the love of… as if I’m not already busy enough…’

Even though these men were fellow Imperial soldiers, he had no real desire to go out of his way to rescue them.

If they were his direct subordinates, it might be a different story.

Saving General Iskal’s subordinates was one thing, but launching an attack on enemy territory with limited forces?

There was no reason for Admiral James Cook to risk his men for soldiers he barely had any connection with—especially when he wasn’t even on good terms with Iskal.

More importantly, his priority was delivering military supplies as quickly as possible.

“…I understand your situation. But unfortunately, we can’t rescue you.

We have our own mission to carry out, and our forces are stretched thin as it is.

I sincerely wish we could help, but the reality of our situation makes that impossible. I hope you understand.”

Of course, in reality, he didn’t care at all—he just wanted to be rid of them.

However, rather than being outright dismissive, he chose to feign sympathy, offering them empty words of regret before ending the conversation.

But then.

“Admiral! We’re not just asking for rescue.

We’re asking you to help us retake Mevis Harbor.”

“…?”

A phrase he couldn’t ignore.

James had already been considering the possibility of retaking the harbor, and now, these soldiers were handing him an opportunity.

“Retake it? Do you actually think that’s possible?”

“It’s absolutely possible. Maybe not before, but right now, the main demon forces have already left the harbor.”

“Only a small defensive unit—about 500 demons—remains to guard the area.”

“If we create a diversion to draw their attention, and you attack at the right moment, we have a real chance of victory!”

“…500?”

Far fewer than he had expected.

For a moment, James Cook felt tempted.

Right now, he had around 600 combat-ready soldiers under his command.

Including the non-combat personnel, that number rose to over 1,000.

Numerically, they actually outnumbered the demons.

And with the stranded Imperial troops launching a diversion, the odds suddenly seemed much more favorable.

“If we go in now… we could reclaim Mevis Harbor?”

But even as the thought enticed him, a sense of unease crept into his mind.

‘Something… feels off.’

Even though he had a mission to complete, the thought of straying from his course made James Cook hesitant.

Besides, the words of the soldiers on the other side of the crystal felt too flimsy to trust completely.

Logically, the right choice was to refuse.

However.

‘But… if we miss this opportunity, retaking Mevis Harbor will only become harder later.’

Having insiders working from within made a huge difference.

Right now, only 500 demons were stationed there.

But if the demons fully occupied the harbor and began establishing naval forces, that number could skyrocket into the thousands—maybe even tens of thousands.

In other words.

Now was the cheapest price he would ever get for taking back Mevis Harbor.

And that temptation kept gnawing at him.

‘And if I, James Cook, succeed in reclaiming the harbor after Iskal’s humiliating defeat… my reputation will soar.’

If he pulled this off, he wouldn’t just be a mere supply transport officer anymore.

He would be someone worthy of true military command.

Maybe—just maybe—he could even secure the vacant position of Admiral of the Imperial Navy.

‘Yes… this is an opportunity. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If I let it slip through my fingers, I’ll regret it forever.’

A memory from two years ago surfaced in his mind.

A painful one.

Back then, he had been eyeing stocks in the Eastern Trade Company, carefully watching the market.

He hesitated.

Over and over, he deliberated on whether to invest.

And in the end.

He chose not to buy.

The very next day, the stock doubled in value.

Even now, that bitter regret remained in his heart.

And the worst part?

As he kept hesitating, the stock soared over tenfold.

The crushing regret of hesitating when he should have acted—

It had left a scar deeper than any financial loss ever could.

And now.

That same intoxicating temptation was right in front of him, whispering that this was his moment to strike.

The idea of seizing a massive gain at the perfect time—

The once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—

Was simply too much to resist.

‘Now is the cheapest it’ll ever be. If I don’t act now, when will I ever get the chance?’

‘Yes… I’ll do it. I, James Cook, will capture Mevis Harbor with my own hands!’

The moment his mind was made up, his entire demeanor shifted.

Turning toward the communication crystal, James spoke in a firm, commanding tone.

“Tell me. What’s the plan?”

A deep, moonless night blanketed the sea.

Dark storm clouds swallowed the sky, leaving the world shrouded in pitch-black darkness.

Amid this veil of shadows, James Cook’s fleet of warships slowly approached Mevis Harbor.

“Admiral, are you truly certain about this? I have a bad feeling about this operation. Even now, we still have time to turn back—”

“Nonsense! Our comrades are risking their lives within the enemy stronghold as we speak! Do you mean to abandon them?”

“B-but…”

James cut off his hesitant lieutenant, his tone sharp and decisive.

Of course, deep down, he too felt a lingering unease.

However, he shoved aside his doubts and pressed forward.

‘If things go wrong, we can always retreat. If the enemy forces turn out to be stronger than expected… or if Iskal’s soldiers fail their part of the plan, we can simply withdraw—’

With that thought in mind, James Cook held his position, waiting just outside the harbor.

If anything suspicious happened, he would pull back immediately.

But if the “promised signal” appeared—

Then he would charge in without hesitation.

And then.

BOOM!

“!? Admiral, look over there!”

“Ooooh…!”

A massive explosion suddenly erupted in the distance—

Bright, fiery flames engulfed the harbor, illuminating the dark sky.

A massive explosion erupted from the center of the harbor, flames engulfing one of the key buildings.

Seeing this, Admiral James Cook’s face lit up with excitement.

“Advance! Commence the landing operation!”

“Commence landing!”

At his command, Imperial warships surged forward, entering Mevis Harbor.

Contrary to expectations of resistance, their approach was met with eerie silence.

Even as shouts and chaos echoed from the distance, the immediate area around them was oddly deserted.

The only figures in sight were a few scattered demons, who—upon spotting the Imperial troops—panicked and fled.

From the looks of it, Iskal’s surviving soldiers had created enough of a distraction to lure most of the enemy forces away.

Seeing this, James let out a triumphant smile and ordered his troops to disembark and secure the harbor.

The landing was shockingly easy.

At this rate, victory was already halfway secured.

“General, all troops have completed their landing!”

“Good. Then we push forward immediately! In the name of the Leaf Empire—exterminate every last one of these demons!”

With their smooth landing giving them momentum, James knew now was the time to strike.

The first target?

The demons scattered before them, scrambling in confusion.

Pushing deeper into the harbor, James and his forces quickly closed in on the panicked enemy.

“Wh-what’s happening?”

“H-humans? How did they get here?!”

The demons broke ranks instantly, scattering in fear.

One by one, they were cut down without resistance, their retreat disorganized and chaotic.

Like sheep fleeing from wolves.

To James, the scene of demons falling in droves felt like watching a bright red stock market banner soaring into the sky.

A symbol of success and fortune.

When caught up in the thrill of victory, people lose their sense of reason.

Even James’ hesitant lieutenant, who had expressed doubts earlier, was now swept up in the excitement, his self-restraint fading away.

And so, in pursuit of total victory, James and his soldiers pushed forward, marching straight toward the central plaza.

Where Iskal’s surviving forces had promised to meet them.

However.

Something was wrong.