"Are you not afraid of him reneging?"
"Even if he reneges, we can kill him?"
Garrett's eyes lit up. Ah, it's so good to have a backer, so good to have someone covering for you... No matter how you choose, someone ensures you get enough benefits. Such days are wonderful!
If only he had enough power before, he wouldn't have had to endlessly negotiate with people; he could have directly attacked the Kingdom of the Eagle, slammed the table, and said: "Release them, or I'll destroy you..."
Given this, he didn't need to immediately see the results now, thus reducing the strategic choices of his team. Garrett relaxed and leaned back, his eyes slightly curving, nodding to Senior Brother and Archmage Haines:
"I think we should listen to Brother Lynn and Mr. Troka's opinions."
"You can decide," Archmage Haines immediately replied. After a pause, he added:
"Don't worry, if Lynn has any objections, let him come to me."
Isn't this just asking me to make the decision for Lynn... But alright, according to the unspoken rules among mages, a mage being followed has every right to decide these matters for their followers. Garrett took a deep breath and raised a smiling face:
"In that case, let you two decide. No matter what, don't affect this war or cause losses to our team."
"Of course! I'll make sure they fight!"
Garrett smiled and leaned back, sitting upright, posing as if he were just there for show and listening to the decisions of the big shots. He listened to Senior Brother and Archmage Haines engage in verbal sparring with the other side, one taking the aggressive role, the other the passive—
Forcing the Eagle God and the Serpent God, tomorrow, the day after, in any case, when facing off, they must fight with all their might!
One of the archmages presented facts and reasoned openly, while the other occasionally made sinister remarks;
One was brimming with heat, ready to explode with endless light and heat in the hall, while the other exuded a faint black aura, as if he were close to the underworld, comparable to the Serpent God;
One spoke softly but firmly, without yielding an inch, while the other could explode and flip the table at any moment...
Moreover, the archmages on the airship were scanning, analyzing, and providing material and negotiation strategies in real-time. Within a few rounds, the battle plan was finalized:
First, the Golden Eagle Warriors, along with the White Eagle Warriors, would conduct large-scale reconnaissance to provide accurate information, while mages disguised themselves and followed the team to verify the information's authenticity;
Once the enemy's main force was confirmed, the Eagle God and Serpent God would lead their experts into battle, with Grand Archmage Byerbo and Archmage Haines assisting. They would concentrate superior forces to eliminate the enemy's experts in one strike;
After eliminating the top forces, the medium and low-level forces of the enemy would be eradicated by the warriors of the Kingdom of the Eagle. The mages and warriors of the council would patrol the battlefields, providing timely support...
"It's decided," Garrett's mind wandered, allowing his meditation core to record the verbal sparring, and finally, the negotiations had a result. The first and second days were for large-scale reconnaissance, and if everything went smoothly, on the third day, they would capture them all in one fell swoop!
Alfonso Cortes felt a bit jittery.
He felt something was off. The advance had been smooth, sweeping up hundreds of thousands of troops along the way and pushing straight to the foot of the plateau.
It was normal to encounter resistance while climbing the plateau, with native armies dying wave after wave, their bodies filling the mountain paths—
Although it was hard for him to call those topless warriors, painted with various colors on their faces and bodies, and draped in animal skins, an "army." But after fierce offense and defense, and paying a sufficient price, they finally broke through the first pass.
Then, the resistance from the Kingdom of the Eagle suddenly weakened.
Where there used to be three or four Golden Eagles circling overhead daily, leading dozens of White Eagle Warriors, now the Golden Eagles and White Eagles were gone, replaced by some Black Eagle Warriors leading ordinary natives, fighting and retreating—
"They fear us!" The head of the native city-state, who had married his daughter to Alfonso's deputy, excitedly declared, thumping his chest:
"They have never seen such an offensive! Steel blades that can cut through obsidian, mythical creatures that spew flames, lightning from the sky—they must be scared! Push forward, push into Tenochtitlan, and break the wings of the Eagle God!"
"They probably have a massive epidemic," said Archbishop Telamo, his robes billowing as he rode, the gold threads on his robes gleaming. His warhorse trod unevenly on the rugged mountain path, but he sat steadily:
"Such a large-scale smallpox... We prepared in advance, gathering a large number of priests and holy water to spread our faith among the natives. How can the healing power of false gods compare to ours? It's normal for half of them to be dead by now!"
"Maybe some important people died?" Alfonso's advisor and strategist, Pedro Varado, riding beside him, speculated earnestly:
"Their power structure is strange... Golden Eagle leaders, the Serpent Woman, and spokespersons... If important spokespersons and nobles died, it would be normal for the Golden Eagle Warriors to rush back to the capital to vie for power..."
Alfonso, the vice-governor, pondered silently. He felt that things weren't that simple, but several powerful pirates had already cheered and rushed ahead:
"Forward, forward!"
"March into Tenochtitlan!"
"Storm the capital of the Kingdom of the Eagle!"
"Capture the Eagle God for display! Seize the Serpent Woman for our beds!"
Alfonso sighed helplessly. Though these pirates were scoundrels, trash, bastards who wouldn't be missed if they died ten thousand times, he still had to rely on them—it was easier to command them than those damned natives.
So far, he hadn't figured out how many natives there were! Fifty thousand? One hundred thousand? Or five hundred thousand?
They swarmed over the mountains and valleys, filling every corner. Running, shouting, sleeping, defecating, everywhere he looked and couldn't see. Luckily, he didn't have to supply them with food, so he let them be—
Cautiously, he gathered his core soldiers, his knights, and rode alongside Archbishop Telamo's guard. Then he sent someone to call the pirates:
"Maintain formation! Maintain formation! Be ready for an attack at any moment! Watch out—"
His heart suddenly skipped a beat. Archbishop Telamo abruptly raised his head, clutching the holy emblem on his chest. The heavy, gold-engraved emblem, studded with diamonds, emitted rays of light shooting straight up—
A piercing eagle's cry and the sound of rushing wind came from the highest, farthest point, descending rapidly. The holy emblem's light shot out, causing the wind to shift slightly, avoiding the holy light but still diving towards him.
As the wind approached his head, shouts of alarm rose around him. Archbishop Telamo, calm and composed, gripped the holy emblem and murmured a low prayer:
"My Lord..."
A thin layer of white light enveloped him. The 18th-level archbishop's protective shield seemed thin but was extraordinarily tough:
The golden eagle, made of light, dove at high speed, crashing into the shield but failing to break it. Its claws and steel beak deformed, melting like molten metal on the shield.
It screeched in agony, struggling to rise, but Archbishop Telamo gently raised his eyes and softly intoned:
"Edict: Death."
Bang!
Feathers exploded, golden light scattered. The archbishop reached out, grasping a ball of golden light, a faint smile on his face. He looked up, gazing at the golden light spiraling in the sky, took a deep breath, and continued to pray:
"My Lord, you are the light of the heavens, the sanctity of the world. All things in the world are illuminated by your radiance..."
His priests bowed their heads and prayed in unison. Their voices spread far and wide, even touching the heart of the tense Alfonso, who couldn't help but dismount and pray:
"My Lord, you are the greatest, you are the highest..."
A layer of white light emerged from Archbishop Telamo. The surrounding white lights converged into him, gradually forming a giant ball of light. The light ball condensed, then transformed into a six-winged angel who raised a sword skyward—
The eagle's cry was sharp, like a roar of fury. The golden light in the sky swelled to its limit, casting a giant shadow on the ground. The sun high in the sky seemed to have all its intense light absorbed by the golden feathers!
Finally, the golden light contracted abruptly, transforming into a gigantic golden eagle, diving at high speed. The angel swung the light sword, sending a concentrated beam of white light upwards, which was swept aside by the golden eagle's wing.
"Eagle God? It's making a direct move?"
Alfonso, the vice-governor, exclaimed. Archbishop Telamo lowered his eyes, calm and composed:
"Quiet! This false god usurping our Lord's power will surely be restrained by our Lord! Pray with all your heart!"
His commanding presence silenced everyone. The knights, soldiers, and even the pirates followed his lead, praying in unison:
"My Lord, you are the light of the heavens, all the radiance in the world belongs to you... No light is outside your control..."
The
six-winged angel's radiance burned fiercely, blocking the Eagle God in the sky. But as the prayers continued, its light suddenly dimmed:
"Didn't the doctrine change?"
"Yeah, didn't the mages discover two kinds of light first..."
Alfonso heard these whispers. It seemed like someone was murmuring, or perhaps he himself was thinking this... In his moment of distraction, Archbishop Telamo suddenly raised his head, pushing his hands outward with all his strength:
"Heretics!!!"
A blazing ball of light fell among the crowd. The extreme brightness and heat instantly disrupted the formation. On a distant hilltop, a mage brushed the sundial stone powder off his hands, blew gently, and murmured:
"Solar Flame Explosion."
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