The Eagle God and the Serpent God, both 18th-level Archmages.
Their top-tier combat strength was at least twice that of their opponents.
Twelve Golden Eagles, seven Serpent Maidens, a group of Archmages above the 15th level, and the warrior followers brought by the mages, each above the 15th level.
Their high-end combat strength was at least twice that of their opponents.
As for the low-end combat strength... when the opponent's high-end combat strength is overwhelming, how could the low-end combat strength turn the tide?
As Archmage Byerbo said, "The people from the Radiant Church will understand what's happening the moment spells start falling. As for the natives? They follow the wind and howl, and when the situation turns unfavorable, they run faster than anyone!"
With such a disparity in strength, not crushing the opponent with overwhelming force would be strange.
Therefore, the mages naturally chose the strongest combat method. Archmage Byerbo paired with the Eagle God, while Archmage Haines teamed up with the Serpent God, each targeting the strongest on the enemy side.
Archmages above the 15th level each took advantageous positions, using powerful offensive spells to alter the terrain, divide and surround the enemies, and crush their morale.
As for the ground pursuit, such dirty work, why would the Archmages participate? Isn't the Eagle God's Kingdom full of warriors?
The Archmages' additional support was to enchant all their wooden spears, obsidian arrowheads, stone axes, and gold knives with [Advanced Magic Weapon] before the battle.
Then, some monitored the battlefield, occasionally tossing fireballs to help if they were in a good mood, or just floating above to watch the show if they weren't.
Another group used their flying devices to scan the terrain from the battlefield to the east and south:
This area was hilly and grassy...
This one had winding rivers with large swampy areas...
This one had lush jungles, with small scattered villages and farms...
Ah! The port! In a roughly right-angle bay, twenty or so three-masted ships with the Brolin Kingdom's flag drooped despondently.
There were also a dozen single-masted boats sailing inland along the wide river...
"This is it."
"This place is good."
The two mages responsible for scouting terrain and selecting a site for the council base exchanged glances. The natural harbor and berths had already met a critical condition.
The presence of inland rivers increased transportation convenience and reduced costs. If their common sense was correct, following the winding river would lead to the foothills of the plateau.
By the port, a cluster of houses had formed a natural town, even with a small shipyard...
"Let's circle the coast. If there's no better river mouth, this will be it."
"I bet this is the best place. The pirates chose it for a reason."
"Even so, it's best to check around. Besides, we need to consider the Mage Tower's location."
"But now the priority is... securing these ships!"
The two mages nodded at each other and split up, one approaching from the south side of the port and the other from the north. With a casual gesture, a row of vertical tornadoes rolled toward the ships near the shore:
"By order of the council! All crew, surrender unconditionally!"
A group of mages joined the fight to control the situation, chasing and capturing the fleeing enemies from the Radiant Church.
Another group patrolled the area, flying in airships through the rugged mountains, scanning the terrain with the airship's facilities.
Another group descended from the plateau, surveying the surrounding terrain, resources, and population to select a site for the Mage Tower and plan trade routes.
And another group of mages, like Garrett...
"Wow! The farming methods here are so peculiar!"
Garrett, Son of the Thunder God, Plague Lord, and key figure who brought the mages to the Eagle God's Kingdom, wandered leisurely around Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Eagle God's Kingdom, after being enlightened by his senior brother:
Visiting temples, palaces, markets, and residences...
He squatted down, using Mage's Hand to scoop up a handful of mud from the ground, examining it closely. The accompanying White Eagle warrior quickly stepped forward:
"Lord Divine Son, this is silt from the lake! It's dirty!"
"Silt?" Garrett tilted his head, walked to the edge of a field, and stomped hard. The edge of the field was not raised soil but a wicker fence fixed with wooden stakes. It swayed back and forth—
This was a floating island, a man-made island fixed with wicker and wooden stakes, filled with silt. The fields were covered with green leaves. Not far away, another field had tall green stalks...
"What are you planting here?"
The White Eagle warrior couldn't answer. He glanced around, beckoning a man in a coarse linen cloak—whom Garrett guessed was the farm manager—and asked a few questions. Then he turned to Garrett and pointed:
"This area is pumpkins, this is corn... this is amaranth, and this is beans..."
Garrett walked around the front and back of the houses. He didn't see any pigs or sheep, only some chickens and ducks clucking in the yard. An old dog lay outside the yard, lazily wagging its tail when it saw Garrett and his entourage.
As for large livestock for plowing, there was no sign of them—well, the silt from the lake probably didn't need plowing.
"No pigs or sheep? What do they eat? Besides chickens and ducks, they must have some other meat, right?"
"They do, but these farmers can't eat it... even the chickens and ducks, they have to give to the nobles, they can't eat them themselves... the meat is in the market, follow me..."
To Garrett's surprise, there really was meat in the market, or rather, in the large market in front of the palace and under the temple. The market was bustling with stalls selling pottery, linen, wicker baskets...
Bird feathers, leopard skins, crocodile skins, buffalo hides, various shiny stones, spices, dried fruits...
Garrett even saw some fine-quality sunstones, moonstones, turquoise, and cat's eye stones among the small stones... even if not used as casting materials, buying them to fill Cirilla's collection would be a good idea.
Each stall was a large grass mat spread on the ground, with all the goods placed on the mat, and people squatting in front of the stalls to pick and choose. They conversed in different languages, haggled noisily, making the market lively and bustling.
The huge rock-paved square was not dusty, nor was there sewage flowing everywhere. Even though the goods were laid out on the ground, the market environment was relatively clean and bearable.
"Silt? Sewage? Don't you have any in the city? How do you deal with it?"
Garrett grabbed the White Eagle warrior to ask. The warrior puffed out his chest proudly, leading him to a water channel:
"See, there are water channels and pipes everywhere. At the pipe junction, there's a big jar—"
Garrett saw it. Trash in the sewage settled in the jar, covering most of the stench. The warrior pointed to a nearby slope:
"The trash in here is regularly cleaned. Not just in the square, but also in the temples, palaces, and many houses, have these facilities..."
The body he had crossed into came from Hartland City, even Nevis City didn't have such facilities. Garrett sighed regretfully:
Such a city shouldn't be destroyed! Fortunately, they came, fortunately the council found this city and planned to cooperate long-term with the Eagle God's Kingdom...
Following the White Eagle warrior, he crossed the market. Not far away, a fragrant smell wafted over:
"What's this? Roast meat? Smells so good!"
In front of the stall, two large ovens roared with flames. On one oven, a stone slab over a small fire was grilling small pieces of meat, the vendor turning them with a stick, sprinkling powder and brushing sauce.
The other oven was more rustic, a whole animal was roasted directly over the fire, the vendor turning the spit slowly, watching the meat turn from red to white to yellow, the fat sizzling and dripping.
The only problem was that Garrett couldn't recognize the roasted animals, even if they were cut into pieces or whole, skinned, and beheaded...
The White Eagle warrior spoke with the vendor, then handed a small bowl of roast meat to Garrett:
"Honorable Divine Son, please try our roast meat..."
"What is this?"
"This is rabbit meat, this is dog meat... rest assured, these are domesticated, not caught in the jungle, they are safe to eat..."
"I'm not asking if it's safe to eat!"
Garrett's face twisted. Roasted rabbit meat was fine, but dog meat? It should be stir-fried first, then simmered slowly with spices!
Oh, right, the Eagle God's Kingdom had limited metallurgy. They probably didn't have iron pots to stir-fry...
Garrett shrugged. Suddenly, a shadow passed overhead, airships flying over the city, dozens of mages stepping out, descending like celestial maidens scattering flowers;
Then, the Sun Pyramid shone brightly, forming an eagle, while the Moon Pyramid exuded black mist, a black-and-white serpent coiling and raising its upper body;
Next, high-pitched reed flute sounds echoed from the two pyramids, harmonizing into a beautiful melody...
"They're back!" The White Eagle warrior escorting Garrett, his face flushed with excitement:
"Victory! Victory!—With this victory, we will surely hold a grand sacrifice! If the Eagle God blesses us, I might advance another level!"
"What will you sacrifice?"
Garrett had a bad feeling. The White Eagle warrior glanced at him oddly:
"Of course, the captives! There are many 'White Ghosts' among the captives this time. Using foreigners as sacrifices pleases the gods the most!—Ah, I don't mean you..."
The market was already in chaos. Every vendor was busy packing up, and every customer stood aside.
At the edge of the square, a long line of captives was being escorted by warriors. Among them, a particularly noticeable Archbishop in white gold-trimmed robes and a knight in steel armor.
"They'll be used as sacrifices too?"
"Of course! They're the best sacrifices!"
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