The roar of the Rainbow Cannons and the Magic Cannons finally subsided. The vibration caused by the power spine in the high-load mode also quickly subsided as the load decreased. Inside the armored compartment of the Iron Throne — Mortal Python, the sound of machinery running normally and the sound of the vehicle rolling over the track replaced the previous sound of gunfire.
Maryland left the command post and came to the window on the side of the compartment. Through the reinforced crystal glass window, he looked at the distant plains. Smoke and fire were still rising on the horizon. The scorched land by the Rainbow Cannons was glowing red at the end of his sight.
A moment later, the roar of another moving train came from the rear. The Iron Scepter that slowed down to create a shooting window slowly accelerated and gradually caught up with the Boa Serpent in front. Before the two trains converged, the lights on each train flickered rhythmically to inform each other that they were safe.
"Aerial reconnaissance did not detect any large-scale enemy activity. The on-board sensors did not detect any abnormal magic fluctuations." A technician reported loudly behind the communication desk. "Escort train requesting acceleration to confirm the situation of the road ahead."
"Permission granted." Maryland nodded. "Remind the boys and girls on the train to keep their eyes open and be careful of the Typhon's destruction of the railway. They have learned to place arcane neutralizers and passively triggered large bombs beside the railway."
"Yes, general!"
Maryland nodded and looked out the eastern window again. In the sky above, he saw two small black dots flashing through the clouds. Behind the black dots were a faint magic halo.
It was the air company escorting the Mortal Python — the Dragoon Reconnaissance Squadron. This air force provided protection for the railway at the front line and was also responsible for scouting the enemy's movements in the outer area of Winter Castle and carrying out bombing missions on some Typhon strongholds. When the Iron Throne was on an attack mission, the main responsibility of the air formation was to protect the armored train and guard against the sneak attacks of the Typhon.
This was the response by Cecil after a Typhon air formation attacked the armored train and almost caused great damage.
From Maryland's point of view, the Tifeng Empire's air force was not strong. Although they had a large number of old-fashioned combat griffins and flying mages, their combat ability was a whole level behind the dragon knights. The real problem should be the air defense of the Tifeng Empire near Winter Castle. The Tifeng Empire, with its strong national strength, had built a large number of mage towers in the border area. In the era of new warfare, those towers were unable to fight against the chariots and huge cannons with astonishing range. However, their long-range lightning bolts and beam arrays were a great threat to the relatively fragile dragon knights who had only been formed for a short time.
In a rash bombing mission, several Dragoons were shot down by the lightning and laser beams that covered the sky.
This made Maryland, who had the upper hand since the beginning of the war, to seriously evaluate the combat ability of the Typhon several times and concluded some experience. The air superiority could indeed determine the direction of a war, but the threat of ground anti-air firepower to the air force should not be underestimated. In actual combat, outdated weapons could still be a huge threat, especially when the enemy knew how to learn and adapt.
The communicator not far away rang.
Maryland came to the communicator and after activating it, the image of a Dragoon warrior appeared above the projection crystal. The Dragoon warrior was in the cockpit, and the clouds outside the cockpit and the dragoon wing drive extending out from the edge could be seen in the background.
"The area is safe, sir." The Dragoon warrior reported the situation through the communicator. "Clouds are gathering, it seems that another snowfall is coming."
Maryland subconsciously glanced out of the window. From his position, he could only see a limited amount of the sky. In the direction of the Typhon's control area, he could indeed see iron-gray clouds gathering — the Dragoons in the sky could see more details. He withdrew his gaze and nodded to the warrior in the communicator. "Bad weather may affect flight. Be careful."
…
The machine made of steel and crystal soared in the sky. The whistling cold wind swept back along the tangential line of the shield and the edge of the dragoon wing drive. The fine water vapor and dust in the air were disturbed by the force field released by the anti-gravity ring, forming a wonderful "ring" around the aircraft. Under the protection of the shield, steel, and crystal, the pilot in the cockpit had just finished the communication.
"The snowfall in the north this winter is really frequent," he said to the mechanic cum bombardier sitting behind him. "It's only been a few days since the weather cleared up."
"It reminds me of the time when I was riding the Gryphon," the comrade sitting in the back seat replied. "At that time, the Gryphon Knight who could fly and return in the snowstorm were recognized as fierce warriors. Not only did they have the courage and skill to challenge the snowstorm, but they also had the patience and experience to calm the Gryphon after returning."
"Yes, my father used to have this skill. He was the most outstanding Gryphon Knight in the Solandor region. He once successfully rode the Gryphon to deliver a letter from the lord to the manor outside the city during a snowstorm. He was rewarded when he returned. Unfortunately, before I could master his superb flying skills, the era of the Gryphon was over … "
"Ah, your father was a great Gryphon Knight … But I'm more curious about how important the letter was that it required him to take the risk to deliver it in the snowstorm …"
"Hah! It was a damned love letter written by the feudal lord to his mistress. My father was furious when he found out what he was going to send, but he had no choice but to obey the order. But when he saw the lover of the mistress in the manor, his mood improved …."
The comrade sitting in the back seat was stunned for a moment. Then, he could not help but laugh. So, the steel flying machine was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.
The pilot also could not help but laugh. At the same time, he was paying attention to the data on the dashboard and the scene outside the cockpit. He saw that the iron-gray clouds in the distance were thicker and closer than before. The surface of the clouds was rolling and surging as if a storm was brewing inside. Such a scene made him tighten his grip on the joystick. He frowned and said, "Damn it … It looks like the clouds are coming toward us …"
"Are the clouds gathering and moving that fast?" The mechanic was a little confused. "The wind speed outside is not that high …"
"It's hard to predict the weather. Anyway, it's better to be vigilant," the pilot muttered. His eyes could not help but be attracted by the rolling clouds. In a trance, he seemed to see thousands of troops moving in the clouds, but when he focused again, he could not see anything. "… Did you see that just now? I feel that the clouds are a little strange … "
"I didn't see anything." The mechanic looked out through the side observation window, puzzled. "Were you dazzled by the reflection of the clouds?"
The pilot frowned. After experiencing the calamity in the Sacred Plains, he quickly made a decision. "… Anyway, let's report first. This war is very strange. What we see can't be treated as an illusion. Maybe the experts at the back can analyze something."
The mechanic agreed. The pilot once again turned on the communication device in the corner of the control seat. While their attention was attracted by the clouds outside the cockpit, in a corner that neither of them noticed, several runes in the mental defense system in the cockpit lit up spontaneously. The light was very weak, almost indistinguishable by the naked eye, but it pulsed slowly like breathing.
…
Cremonte Dart stood on the high hill, overlooking the land not far away, where smoke and flames were still rising. He looked at the wreckage and flags that were scattered among the black soil and white snow. He didn't say a word for a long time.
A few minutes later, a gust of wind roared and rolled up the loose snow on the hill. The noble of Typhon said to the mage servant beside him in a low voice, "Is that the damage caused by Cecil's weapons?"
"Yes, my lord," the mage servant answered, lowering his head. "According to the intelligence, Cecil's people called it 'Prismatic Light'. It's a high-purity, high-intensity, and long-lasting arcane focused ray. It's very powerful and has a very long range. This time last year, the technology was not mature yet. Due to the problem of heat dissipation, Cecil's people could only install it on fixed positions or ships. But this year, they installed it on their mobile fortresses … "
"Mobile fortresses …" Earl Cremonte narrowed his eyes. In the sky above his head, a Mage's Eye was facing the defense line of Winterwolf Fort. In the center of the Mage's Eye's cold and detached "pupil", the railway, blockhouses, and armored trains moving south were reflected in the distant horizon. "I can see it. It's indeed an incredible creation."
"Yes, it's incredible... That incredible thing has caused us heavy casualties several times and even destroyed several of our fortresses. It moves fast, has terrible power, and has a strong defensive capability. There are also a lot of other war machines around it to protect it. Those are steel fortresses armed to the teeth and equipped with wheels. We can't do anything about it." The mage servant sighed. "Count Palin Winterfort once organized an air raid. We almost succeeded, but because of insufficient preparation, we failed. After that, the Cecils immediately learned their lesson and began to use those flying machines to guard against our air raids."
Cremonte controlled the Mage's Eye. He carefully searched the sky in the distance and finally locked on to the little black dots flying in the clouds.
"It's okay … We're here to solve this problem," he said in a low voice. At the same time, he looked up at the sky in the northwest direction with his naked eyes. In his sight, a huge cloud was rapidly forming and moving toward the defense line of Winterwolf Fort. "A miracle of war … Go and ask the priests. When will the 'miracle' they mentioned be fully formed?"
"I just asked. The priest who presided over the ceremony said that everything went well. God responded very positively to this prayer. They suggest that you set off in 20 minutes."
Cremonte nodded slightly. "Very good. Inform the Mage's Team and the Griffin Knight to get ready in 10 minutes."
…
Near the hill where Cremonte was located, the sacred ceremony was coming to an end in a large assembly hall.
A priest of the God of War in a priest's robe stood in the circular hall, leading nearly a hundred priests in the last prayer. The low and solemn prayer echoed in the hall, even covering the whistling of the cold wind outside. In the center of the hall, on a platform slightly higher than the surrounding ground, a huge brazier was burning fiercely. A layer of iron-gray luster gradually appeared in the dancing flames.
The priest of the God of War walked around the brazier for the last time and stopped at a very precise location and time. He turned to face the brazier with his back to the priests who were bowing their heads in prayer. He could not help but show a look of joy and fanaticism on his face.
He could feel that his Lord had cast a caring gaze on this world.
It was a turbulent time, a dark and oppressive time, and the situation seemed to be at its worst. In Aldnan, and most of the hinterland of the Empire, public gatherings and prayers of the God of War had been violently banned. Believers and clerics tried to resist, but they could not fight against the Augustus family who had a firm grip on the military power. This made many clerics disheartened, and some were even punished for having thoughts of betraying their god.
But here, the priest felt hope again.
After all, the tyrannical emperor did not have the courage to completely turn his back on God. He also knew who had been protecting Typhon for hundreds of years. Here, in the place closest to the front line of the war, the priests could still pray, carry out such large-scale sacred rituals, and communicate with God. Was there anything more gratifying and encouraging than this?
The front line in the north was cold and bleak. Of course, it was not as comfortable as the warm churches in the rear. But for the devout priests, as long as they could close the distance with God, it was the most comfortable place.
This battlefield was the closest place to God. Every pious God of War cleric could feel this. As the war continued and as order was reestablished, they could feel the aura of God more and more clearly at the front line of Winterwolf Fort. There was no doubt that this entire area had become a sacred place. Just like the "Sanctuary" mentioned in the ancient books, this battlefield that was closest to the truth of God had become the closest place to the Kingdom of God in this world.
A smile appeared on the face of the priest of the God of War. He looked at the brazier in front of him. The six eyes and three slits on his face were brimming with smiles. And in the blazing flames, he saw the Pope he had always respected — Malcolm Dunnett standing there, smiling gently and lovingly at the priests in the assembly hall who were praying piously.
The prayers around him had finally reached the last stage. The invisible bridge had been built, and the connection between God's world and the mortal world had become unprecedentedly strong in this assembly hall.
Without hesitation, the priest took out an iron dagger and cut a deep wound on his palm. Before the wound wriggled and healed, he sprinkled the blood into the brazier.
The blazing flames suddenly rose, and the color of iron in the flames rapidly spread. In the next second, the flames in the brazier were dyed the color of iron, and a majestic aura descended on the assembly hall.
"Lord! Please give us a miracle! "
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