CHAPTER 500: CHAPTER 455: WOUNDED SOLDIER

The next day.

Shhh...

Aiven and Olivia sat across from each other at the large desk, with several pens floating automatically over sheets of white paper, rapidly documenting the intelligence transmitted back by the Spiritual Seagulls that had been released.

The number and rank of warships on the main routes, the approximate types and loads of cargo on Hilus Merchant Ships, changes in territorial maps on land, the distribution of military forces, the current battle status of alliance nations against Hilus... Every detail was being compiled.

At this moment.

The small library within the fortress had become a combat analysis room exclusively for the two of them.

Gel’s injuries had been completely resolved, now all that was required was to wait for his awakening.

Coincidentally, the Military Priest team was conducting a highly formal blessing ceremony for Gel, adding another layer of assurance for his recovery, and Aiven and Olivia, not being Holy Professionals, were directly "ushered" out.

Moreover, estimating based on the highest speed of the "Storm Horn," it would take about 25 days to arrive, but this did not mean they would be idle until then.

Aiven simply approached the two base commanders and applied to join the battle.

This unexpected volunteering delighted the two base commanders immensely; a Tier 3 powerful Extraordinary was an absolute deterrent no matter where, especially in the currently disadvantageous Southern Continent due to the surprise attack by Hilus.

A Tier 3 Extraordinary joining offered numerous strategic opportunities, even if they had only seen the tip of the iceberg of Aiven’s power, it was enough to warrant equal treatment.

Without needing Aiven to worry, the two Major Generals immediately contacted the Military Department to handle all types of formalities and orders for him, officially incorporating him as a robust reinforcement into the naval defense system of the Southern Continent.

Aiven also immediately communicated with Crown Prince Liweina through the Spirit Realm Messenger to explain the situation and learned from her that his aunt had already set out on a support fleet towards the Southern Continent.

Though slightly delayed, there was no significant concern for his aunt’s safety, as deploying Seagulls to monitor the route would suffice, or he could fly there himself if necessary.

Now, Aiven focused primarily on Steel Knight Kungang Tita and Hilus Fleet Commander Dale Griffith.

With a true age of over sixty years, the highly skilled and experienced Peak Grand Knight Dale Griffith might be temporarily beyond his reach.

However, Steel Knight Kungang Tita, who was merely lingering at the threshold of a Senior Grand Knight, had already made it onto Aiven’s must-kill list.

’This man also nearly caused Uncle Gel’s death, so I must seize the opportunity to take his life!’

Olivia, dressed in military uniform without activating the "Mask of Deceit," exited the "Mind Network" established by the Seagulls and slowly opened her eyes to report to Aiven the part of the intelligence she was responsible for:

"Aiven, Kungang Tita and his Steel Dragon have not yet left the Navy Base at Luanda Cape, but the Quasi-Legendary Battleship ’Red Maple’ has been quite active at sea due to its own powerful mobility.

The ’Northern Cold Wind’ stationed in the Nigeria Colony north of Benin Gulf has also set out, but there have been no engagements yet."

The Lobito Colony, where Luanda Cape is located, was the largest independent colony of Hilus in the Southern Continent, and one of the areas richest in mineral, forestry, and other natural resources in the entire Southern Continent.

After two hundred years of exploration, the estimated natural diamond reserves reached about 1 billion carats, iron ore at 1.7 billion tons, and phosphate ore at 200 million tons. The forest area covered 53 million hectares, with a forest coverage rate of 35%, making it the second-largest source of forestry resources in the Southern Continent, producing precious woods such as ebony, white sandalwood, rosewood, and mahogany.

Geographically, it was less than two thousand kilometers north of "Treasure Tree Bay," described as a treasure trove.

Likewise, the Nigeria Colony was Phaletis’s largest colony in the Southern Continent and currently the only coal-producing area in the continent’s west, with rich iron ore.

With Bess not present at the time, Olivia, as a Magic Position adept enough to match Aiven on the Wizard path, naturally took over some of the Mind Network’s permissions, acting as his key secretary.

The pens recording information automatically paused slightly, and Aiven, sitting opposite Olivia, winked at her:

"Hesi, call me General!"

In the Spirit Realm, neither of them fretted over how this game of hide and seek began or the emotional journey in between, as the transition of identity was natural, and there was a unique sense of closeness.

"Tch~"

Knowing this guy was teasing her again, Olivia couldn’t help but roll her eyes, realizing that although he seemed very serious on the surface, once you got familiar, he wasn’t so serious after all.

Originally, as Little Fatty Roddy, she thought Aiven hadn’t noticed her identity and didn’t feel anything, but after revealing everything to each other, she felt slightly shortchanged.

"Moreover, how did you know the name Hesi?"

Suddenly realizing something was amiss, the girl glared at Aiven with her big blue eyes.

"Oh, your mom told me during the last banquet."

"Eh? How could she..."

But just as a squad of soldiers passed by the window, Olivia quickly quieted down.

She overheard them discussing faintly:

"... Not sure how many of the wounded stationed at the Land Gold Mine will survive in the end. They dispersed and escaped after being defeated, it’s really tragic. Luckily, on our side..."

"Yes, thanks to..."

The two people in the library exchanged a glance. With the intelligence from the mind network, they understood what had transpired within the base.

A batch of wounded soldiers, defeated at the Land Gold Mine, had just been transferred to Tetadis Fortress, the alliance’s most crucial and final public stronghold in the Southern Continent.

It was foreseeable that in the coming period, as the battles dragged on, this situation would keep occurring, and the wounded soldiers and logistics would become a colossal burden on both the alliance and the base.

Especially as many soldiers entering the wounded soldier camp succumbed to infectious wounds and pus-filled injuries (those who severely bled out couldn’t even make it here), causing indirect casualties to surpass direct ones, which would be a significant blow to morale.

As for the priests, their divine arts could surely be used to save lives, but the concept of microbial pathogens was beyond their reach. The "Divine Skill: Disease Removal" effective against inflammation could only be performed by a Tier 2 Bishop-level Holy Professional.

They couldn’t "produce" divine arts. To put it bluntly, they merely borrowed the power belonging to the gods. This group of priests was no more than transporters of divine skills. How many nails could even a body made of iron drive?

"Let’s go and take a look at the wounded soldier camp."

"Alright!"

Since the main target remained inactive for the time being, the gathering of other intelligence was just a side task, providing reference for the alliance’s next strategic decision, not urgent at the moment.

On leaving the library, Olivia had already transformed back into the likeness of Captain Roddy, which was more convenient within the army.

"Ah!"

"My hand, my hand!"

"..."

Upon arriving at the wounded soldier camp, specially planned outside the fortress, cries of despair filled the air. A group of doctors, led by two priests of the priest and bishop level, had also stationed themselves here.

Limited by current medical conditions, there was very little they could do.

Extracting bullets with tweezers, disinfecting wounds with high-proof alcohol, and bandaging anew after applying medicine was already considered sophisticated techniques, especially for simple suturing of large knife or sword wounds.

The advantage was that the reserves of holy water were temporarily sufficient and could be provided to some of the severely injured.

But the biggest issue was that the Black Iron Cross Church had no foundation of faith in the Southern Continent. For the Anuma people, who were slaves, apart from the unique "Starry Night Order," no other True God Church accepted their faith.

Acceptance of faith implies acceptance of human rights, which conflicts with the interests of various nations.

This resulted in a severely limited local production of holy water that needed indigenous support during large-scale wars.

As more wounded soldiers arrived, even low-concentration holy water would certainly become scant.

As for now,

The first to retreat was a cavalry unit belonging to the Tulip Duchy, equipped with firearms and steeds, numbering about three hundred. Obviously, four-legged runners were faster than two-legged ones.

In this cavalry group, the perfectly unharmed were few. Most had injuries, either minor or severe. The severely wounded accounted for a quarter of them, many being evacuated in pairs on horseback after emergency bandaging.

"Dear Bishop, please save Sandi! He’s only sixteen—a life this young shouldn’t be easily lost in a land so far from home. It would be a great pity.

Even the most supreme Goddess would show mercy to him!"

The cavalry captain, whose wounds were not severe, pleaded before the middle-aged priest for his subordinate.

Both gun and sword wounds had the potential for severe bacterial infection, and Sandi, this newly matured cavalryman, bore multiple gunshot wounds.

Some wounds had swollen and festered to the point they were higher than bread, with reddish-yellow seepage at the bandaged areas. The fever was so high he was already delirious.

Anyone with a bit of sense knew his wounds were gravely infected and festering. Especially in the harsh, hot climate of the Southern Continent, wounds deteriorated faster than elsewhere, and in this case, death seemed almost inevitable.

The middle-aged priest at the bishop-level looked troubled upon hearing this.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to save him.

Extraordinary abilities surely had the potential to create miracles. Yet, whether it was the wizard’s magic potions or the priest’s healing arts and holy water, these were all scarce resources when faced with the vast number of wounded soldiers.

"Tier 2 Divine Skill: Disease Removal" operates much like triggering the individual’s immune response, applicable to any type of disease with a broad scope.

However, given the severity of his condition, it’s not just about how many divine arts would be needed to save him. Even if the divine skill was employed, the hope of recovery was slim.

Moreover, once this precedent is set, with more wounded soldiers arriving later, even exhausting the priest corps would be insufficient.

Amid the silent deadlock, a clear, hopeful voice called out from behind him:

"Let me try!"

A composed and confident young general, accompanied by his attendant officer, gracefully walked into the wounded soldier camp.