Baron Anthony stood with his soldiers at the crossroads, waiting for Malin. When Malin arrived, the young man handed the flag he was carrying to Malin.
"There’s no need for this," Malin shook his head.
"This is the Gallo family’s honor, Mr. Malin. Since the dark ages, our family has always fought under this Battle Flag. Sotis, we entrust the flag to the most fearless warrior, asking him to carry it for us. Today, I have found that warrior." Anthony’s right hand held a short sword, a caster’s sword, in place of a magic wand.
Malin considered for a few seconds, finally extending his hand to take the flag.
"Gallo warriors! Forward!" Malin gave a sharp snap with the Battle Flag and then raised it high.
Although it was sowhat short, the soldiers from the Gallo family cheered excitedly nonetheless.
"And you, we stand here today as beings of life! Forward!" Malin looked at the baron and his subordinates; the commander of another assault team had died of serious injuries, and he was now the sole commander of both assault teams.
The baron clenched his fist and struck his breastplate, then raised a longsword high, "Hear that, Farole’s warriors!"
At that mont, Fio, bracing Blood Roar, had already positioned himself at the front line. anwhile, Malin handed over his shotgun and ammo pouch to Lorrin, and the auto-firing shotgun made its grand debut.
Malin waved his hand, and blessing spells descended upon them, the Blessing of Strength and Divine Armor. The forr granted them even greater strength, while the latter provided better protection against the blades of Chaos.
So the soldiers cheered once again—this ti, Malin could feel the respect and gratitude they had for him in their eyes.
Then the forces of Chaos surged out from behind their cover, these madn launching a countercharge with howling.
Malin advanced to the very front of the formation, kneeling on one knee with the flag in his left hand and his right hand touching the ground.
Several shield guards moved to his side, ready to block any projectiles flying his way, as Fio stood bravely at the forefront with Blood Roar.
As the Chaos forces closed in, rows of Spikes of Earth rose in front of Malin. They first thrust Fio and Blood Roar far away, and then like waves, or like an Earth Dragon churning in the ground, one after another, the earth spikes surged up from the ground. They impaled the forces of Chaos and then pressed them back into the earth, the Chaos energy visibly rising before being purified, while the spikes continued rolling over the land layer by layer until they stopped almost a hundred yards away.
The cover was destroyed, Fio, bracing Blood Roar, was in pursuit of the Chaos Sorcerers.
"Forward, soldiers!" Malin got up, pointing to the other end of the street.
Then, the soldiers, howling enthusiastically, rushed past Malin, with Baron Anthony even slapping an acceleration spell on himself, leaping over the broken cover in the lead.
Then Malin’s view was completely blocked by the rushing troops.
Only the moans of Chaos and the occasional heads flying into the sky proved the irreplaceable role of Fio and Blood Roar.
Hmm... better to leave Blood Roar, at least Fio needs a sharp enough axe to cleave through the Chaos when he charges. After all, we can’t let him beco a hamr; that would be too much exploitation of the bottom-layer employees of the World Tree group.
With such a thought, Malin stepped forward and then stepped on the flag, lifting his foot, Malin raised the Battle Flag high, only then allowing the lengthy flag to leave the ground.
After thinking for a mont, Malin motioned with his hand, and Lorrin ran over, dropping his gun and ammo pouch, and then rolled up the flag.
Then, under Malin’s direction, Lorrin took the lead.
By the ti they entered the cover area, the battle had ended. Anthony continued forward with his troops, leaving behind the old mage who noticed the World Tree Sapling carrying the flag in confusion. But when he saw the little footprint on the flag, he chuckled with a mix of embarrassnt and joy, simultaneously slapping the confusion back into the belly of his apprentice.
If the little one can’t speak, he shouldn’t be courting misfortune. Don’t they know that trouble cos from the tongue?
Malin didn’t notice any of this; he just carried his gun, following the troops to the north, occasionally raising a hand to save the wounded.
Until a petite girl from the accompanying Benevolent Church combat priests ca to him, "Sir."
Malin turned and looked up at the elf girl... no, how could this Farolian Wood Elf be so tall: "What is it?"
Out of respect for the Goddess of Benevolence, Malin nodded and asked.
"Please leave us so of the wounded so we can also be of so service," the girl said awkwardly.
Malin nodded and then gestured to a wounded soldier who had been pulled aside by his comrades after being stabbed in the belly, "He’s all yours."
The Wood Elf combat priests of the Goddess of Benevolence happily gathered around.
Malin walked a bit further and saw Baron Anthony sitting on a pile of debris, his left ankle terribly swollen.
"What happened to you?" Malin asked.
Anthony, who was treating himself, grimaced and sighed, "Everything was fine when I crossed the cover, after slaying the Chaos. I was about to leap over a Chaos corpse when I got tripped by his dying struggle, lost my balance, and sprained my ankle upon landing."
After speaking, he opened a Healing Potion and drank it down in one gulp.
Then he noticed the World Tree Sapling next to Malin, as well as the Battle Flag that had been raised over Malin’s head and the little footprints on it.
"Ah..." he exclaid with a sigh.
Malin had already walked away, and on hearing the noise, he turned his head and said, "If your foot injury hasn’t healed yet, take a rest. Your wound is too minor; I need to conserve my Spiritual Energy for those with serious injuries." In Malin’s view, the battle was going very smoothly, and a sprain like Baron Anthony’s didn’t require his effort to heal.
"Yes, I got a bit anxious just now," the baron replied with a sowhat ingratiating smile.
"I’ll be leaving first, follow with your guards when you can walk," said Malin, and after finishing, he pulled out his Revolver and set the baron on fire.
Baron Anthony let out a scream before noticing that all his body parts were intact. At that mont, a Chaos creature pounced from behind him and landed on his injured leg, smashing its spiked hamr right onto his ankle.
The poor baron clasped his head and scread loudly.
After assessing the injury, Malin whistled at the Wood Elf girl, and she looked up, seeing the new patient Malin had prepared for them.
The Wood Elves discussed briefly before sending the girl with several young companions running over.
"External injury, needs Purification of the wound," Malin stated, then moved to the partially closed door from which Chaos had just broken through. A guard was already poised with his Shield, ready to charge in, but Malin stopped him.
"This isn’t a good idea. There are just three of you, and you don’t know how many Chaos are inside. The best thod is this," Malin said, and with that, he conjured a large orange Fireball in his hand and threw it at the door.
The wooden door was directly ’lted’ by the flas and right after it flew in, Malin snapped his fingers, causing the stone part of the door to close.
The next second, flas burst from the windows, and the distinctive howls of Chaos creatures ca from inside the house. Malin pointed at the windows, and the guards imdiately rushed over with their weapons. Right as a Chaos creature jumped out from a window, before it could stand up, it was pinned to the ground by several swords.
Another Chaos creature, engulfed in flas, was about to crawl out when a Baron’s guard bashed it back in with a Shield blow. He raised his Longsword, intending to stab another Chaos crawling halfway out.
"Don’t kill them! Burn them with fire!" his companion shouted loudly, pushing another Chaos that was climbing out of the other window back with his Shield.
Thus the guard bashed the Chaos creature back into the inferno with his Shield.
Turning around, Malin saw Baron Anthony receiving treatnt: "I’m taking my leave."
Baron Anthony, with a contorted face, waved goodbye to Malin.
Watching his face twist under the Wood Elf girl’s bleeding knife, Malin shook his head and then headed to the front lines.
You see, this is the most sincere form of treatnt in a dieval fantasy setting.
Thinking this, Malin quickened his pace, because he noticed that the pace of the soldiers was picking up, as if there was no resistance ahead. Eventually, Malin had to jog until he arrived at the granary district.
There was no resistance along the way. The Chaos creatures seed either dead or had already fled. However, Malin’s task was to inspect the grain storage, so he naturally didn’t have the ti to pursue them.
After inspecting the facilities with his team, he found that the doors of two of the three warehouses were smashed open. Malin didn’t even need to enter to sense the presence of Chaos within. He signaled, and the soldiers imdiately brought fire to ignite the two warehouses.
The door to the third warehouse was still intact. Malin broke it open and surveyed the interior: "Hey, no more hiding."
There was no response, so Malin snapped his fingers, and imdiately a dozen soldiers from under the Baron and Lord’s command scrambled to present themselves before him.
"Be careful, carry torches, and check the small room on the left as you enter the door. It looks like live people, but be cautious," he instructed.
No sooner had he finished speaking than a man’s voice rang out: "Damn Chaos! Co on! Co for my head! But don’t think I’ll kneel to die! Farole n would rather die in battle than succumb!"
A disheveled man erged, wielding a rolling pin in each hand and stood in the doorway, then stared down Malin and the soldiers for a mont.
"Aren’t you Chaos?" He asked, sizing up Malin.
"Do we look like it?" Malin retorted while eyeing the weapons in his hands... Could those things actually kill Chaos?
The man fell silent for a mont then turned his head: "Honey! Bring out the children! We don’t have to eat flour anymore!" As he spoke, the man, his beard covered with a white mysterious substance, was already in tears.
He approached Malin and opened his arms, then grasped Malin’s raised right hand, kissing it forcefully on the ring: "I am a civil officer, and when the Chaos broke out, my family and I were on a nearby street. I led them here, thinking they had looted two warehouses and would not spare this place. I thought we were dood."
"This proves luck was on your side," Malin said with a smile, and then turning to the equally disheveled lady and her three children, he lifted his helt: "Good evening, madam. It’s truly a pleasure to see you."
The lady, seeing Malin and the soldiers standing behind him, first smiled, then burst into loud tears.
The children, though, seed very happy.
It’s good that children have no worries.
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