This is good, at least after this operation, the logistics team won’t have to judge whether these clothes are still fit for use.
After all this, an alarm came from Salis that about two kilometers to the south, a squad of cavalry was approaching, and Salis confirmed they were all armored. Considering this was a Chaos-occupied area, Malin immediately began to retreat—the Northern Kingdom’s military had not notified Malin of any cavalry movements, so this cavalry could only be Nagoth’s corrupted knights.
This was a genuine troop of Chaos warriors, far stronger than the so-called cavalry that Malin had dispersed at a camp a few days ago, and stronger than the so-called warrior troop that had just been killed once.
Crossing the ruins and climbing over mounds, everyone mounted their motorbikes, and Salis, who was circling the skies above Malin, had already spotted the knights. Their vanguard had entered the village and revealed their true faces in the light of the fires—indeed, they were corrupted knights.
They did not approach the plaza—the area around the plaza had been thoroughly purified, and the power of the divine could ignite any unwelcome filth at any time.
When the knights turned their gaze toward the North, Malin ordered the convoy to start and immediately retreated northward—don’t try to outlast the corrupted knights, as mechanical vehicles can break down, but they don’t get the chance to tire to death.
Before long, Malin heard the sound of hooves coming from behind—snowmobiles were not known for their speed. They were used to replace sled dogs, as dogs run slower and can’t sustain running for several hours or even over ten hours.
Nagoth’s knights did not have any of the weaknesses of human knights and their warhorses. In the Great Wilderness of the South, they might have no way to deal with the Knights of Justice, but here, their speed allowed them to catch up to the convoy.
"We’ve got company! Jason! You drive!" Malin turned around after speaking, and a young shoot of the World Tree transformed into a magic wand in his hand.
"We should tell the folks at the academy that this kind of four-wheeled vehicle should not only run at such a speed. Before the Great Destruction Era, the grannies of that time could easily hit speeds over a hundred miles per hour. Now, it’s like a children’s toy car, and I’m like a nanny robot taking kids out for fun," Jason complained as he steered the vehicle to follow the convoy.
Ahead, a vehicle slowed down; it was Sudel’s and Rhodes’s snowmobile. Sudel let his cousin drive, and he sat in the back, looking at Malin, "My Lord, you might need some help."
"Carmen is leading the way up front, isn’t she?" Malin asked, eyeing the distant bluish lights.
"Yes, we’re here to help you, my Lord," Sudel nodded.
"Then watch my performance," said Malin, lifting his hands.
Spires of stone immediately rose, and the first wave of pursuers did not have time to react before being impaled upon them.
But the knights that followed either maneuvered their steeds to leap over the spiring zone or circumvented it from the side.
With a swipe of his wand-wielding right hand, Malin created a trench under the snow. The corrupted knights failed to notice the trench, and the leading ten or so riders tumbled into it headfirst.
However, the corrupted knights were not easily dissuaded. Those Chaos warriors circumvented the trench and once again stubbornly pursued.
This time they were greeted by a Flame Burst Fireball, a massive explosive that enveloped the leading ten or so knights in flames. The knights pursuing from behind were mostly blown off their steeds, toppling onto the ground, prompting a domino effect of falls.
Eventually, the knights vanished into the darkness and failed to catch up for the rest of the time.
"Is this the power that a Legendary Mage should possess? It is truly terrifying, akin to those magicians in the northern tales who destroy villages... No, you are even more powerful than the mages in the stories, Your Excellency," Sudel said with a hint of admiration in his voice after watching all the performances, looking towards Malin.
"Sudel, my strength comes from Spell Formations; Spell Formations are power, Firearms are power, power is neutral to good and evil." Malin turned his head, looked at Sudel with a smile, and said, "Good and evil, rights and wrongs, are determined by the user, so you don’t need to fear power, because you hold a Firearm in your hand, you too are a possessor of power."
"I understand," Sudel nodded.
"Alright, go ahead to the front, I’ll watch the rear of the team here."
After sending Sudel away, Malin looked into the darkness behind him. They were lucky this time, but what about next time? As encounters with the forces of Chaos become more frequent here, will they still have a chance to destroy those plague cauldrons?
...There must be a chance!
Malin decided that once he returned, he would contact the Academy of Sciences; even if he couldn’t get a bomber made, he would have them make a mono-wing plane with a 1000-pound load, or a biplane with a 500-pound load if not a mono-wing, or if not a plane at all, a lightweight bombing Array so the mages could carry it to bomb the cauldrons.
In short, this is war, and only the stronger will emerge victorious.
If a certain Confucius is happy, let him be, at least he is under the watch of the Lord of Justice and cannot make waves.
Thinking this way, Malin cheered up again—you see, war must be the simplest mass participation sport in the world, with only victory and defeat, winners and losers.
If nothing else works, next time they’ll attach a machine gun mount welded to the rear bucket of the locomotive, press on the machine gun, and make do with blasting away the next big cauldron.
Malin’s locomotive returned to Copenhagen in the middle of the night, underwent inspection in the quarantine area, and healers from various Churches all marveled at how exceptionally well they were, with not even a single person having a mouth ulcer.
After passing the inspection, Malin led the team back to the house where the young people lived. After Sudel announced the disbandment, Malin, Sudel, and Carmen went over the operation again. Everything up to the retreat could be considered perfect, but the appearance of that platoon of Knights put Malin on alert. He asked Sudel and Carmen to analyze the situation.
Carmen spoke first: "They had not appeared within the sight of your Legendary Falcon before, but appeared suddenly while we were destroying the cauldron. I cannot be certain whether this was Nagoth pursuing our troops or if this area has already had large-scale contact with Subspace, allowing the forces of Chaos to enter our world with ease."
"Either way, our battles ahead will be extremely tough, as we have to be wary of the enemy’s potential sudden appearances, leaving us with little time for combat and retreat. We need to make every second count, Your Excellency," Sudel said, indicating a certain level of helplessness: "But no matter what, our team is small in size, yet we do not lack fighting strength. Everyone comes from the Church, so it is the best choice for us to destroy any subsequent plague cauldrons. You have said it before, Your Excellency, we are Elite, so it’s natural for the Elite to face losses in the fight against the cauldrons."
"I understand your resolve, but I will find a better way. It might take time, or we might need to go ourselves in the battles ahead, but I swear I will do everything in my power to bring every one of you back. My oath might be broken, some of you might die in battle, but I will not give up on anyone, in life I must see the person, in death I must see the body, and if anyone falls into decay, I will personally purify his pitiful soul."
Both young people bowed their heads in unison, indicating they had heard Malin’s oath.
Malin nodded with some relief: "Well, I’m going back now. Tomorrow morning, Sudel, you announce everything I’ve said tonight to everyone, and Carmen will be your witness."
"Yes, Your Excellency," the two young people responded with a nod.