I Created Scientific Magic-Chapter 432 - 420: Hesitant and Trapped, the Expeditionary Force in a Quandary

As the Molten Lava Fire Dragon crashed down, the wizards aboard the airship breathed a sigh of relief. With this huge menace dealt with, they were finally safe.

As for the knights of the Griffin Order, under the assault of several fighter jets, they were helpless and fell from the sky like dumplings.

The bishops on the ground also witnessed this scene. Seeing the Holy Maiden's summoned mighty fire dragon beheaded in an instant and the Griffin Knight Order left powerless to strike back filled them with shock and anger, yet they were utterly helpless.

Most importantly, under the cover of night and Polarization Magic, they couldn't see how those Griffin Knights were being taken down at all.

"My lord Joshua, Your Excellency the Holy Maiden, perhaps we should consider withdrawing our forces," a cardinal bishop cautiously suggested.

Without the fire dragon and with the Griffin Knight Order severely damaged, they have miserably lost the aerial battle. This also meant they'd lost the power to check the aerial ships, leaving them constantly vulnerable to threats from above.

They could even find themselves in the dire situation they once faced in the Mist Sea, relentlessly chased and attacked.

However, before Lucia could respond, the proposal was met with strong opposition from the other bishops.

"Do you mean to hand over the empire's prized weapon, to watch those demons' minions slaughter the Lord's people?"

"Unthinkable, it is a disgrace!"

The bishops argued heatedly, and in the sky, a Griffin struck by machine gun fire crashed towards them.

Lucia ignored the bishops' disagreement and extended her hand. A gentle Divine Radiance appeared, and the Griffin's fall slowed until it landed smoothly on the ground.

This poor creature, with half a wing broken, let out mournful cries and still possessed a trace of consciousness.

The knight who had been aboard was riddled into a sieve by the machine gun fire, his body unrecoverable.

Divine Gift of Dew

Lucia caressed the Griffin's head, and the mist imbued with the glow of Divine Arts immediately enveloped the broken body. The wounds penetrated by the machine gun healed at a visible speed, and the severed wing grew back.

The recovered Griffin seemed unable to shake off the fear, uttering continued noises of distress...

Lucia, her voluminous robe flicking, settled herself deftly onto the back of the huge beast and suppressed the Griffin's fear with her Divine Arts.

At this moment, the bishops were too concerned to argue further, looking bewilderedly at the Holy Maiden.

"Your Excellency Lucia, you surely don't intend to join the battle yourself?"

"It's far too dangerous, and alone, you're unlikely to make a difference," a red-robed bishop urgently interjected.

Though Lucia's previous display of power in summoning and enslaving the fire dragon had greatly changed their perception of her, they still did not endorse her dangerous act of going alone.

After all, the Holy Maiden represented the Church's dignity, a servant of God, whose safety should not be risked lightly.

Not to mention that since her election, Lucia had been living a life of luxury in the Holy City with no real battle experience. Even with great strength, she might not be able to utilize it effectively!

While they tried to dissuade her, the bishops also turned to Joshua, hoping that the Judgement Chief could stop Lucia's reckless behavior.

However, Joshua did not act as they had wished, but instead inquired with due respect, "Is there something we need to do, Your Eminence?"

Lucia swept her gaze across the skyships that had now dispersed, then said decisively, "You take some men and return to Fire Oil City immediately!"

"Their numbers are indeed too few!" Lucia murmured to herself.

As her words fell, the rested griffin knights spread their wings and flew into the sky, kicking up dust that made a dozen bishops frown. But what puzzled them even more were Lucia's words.

Return to Fire Oil City? Did she mean for them to retreat first?

Or for a portion of them to withdraw first?

"Just do it!" Joshua didn't hesitate in the slightest, looking towards the bishops and commanding directly, "I will lead a part of the Divine Punishment Knights and head to Fire Oil City immediately, Ragnar, you will take charge of the command hereafter!"

"But, Judgement Chief..." Cardinal Ragnar showed a hesitant expression. Was he really supposed to follow such chaotic, irrational orders?

The other bishops were also extremely dissatisfied, thinking it was nothing but Lucia, with her inexperience in warfare, wielding her high status to command around recklessly.

Amid the voices of dissent, Joshua slowly spoke up, "The Holy Maiden has received divine inspiration, and her directive is the will of the Lord!"

Ragnar and the others immediately shut their mouths because they understood that the Judgement Chief would never joke about such a matter!

After giving a few instructions, Joshua took three thousand Divine Punishment Knights and set off for Fire Oil City...

At the same time, the Divine Punishment Knights who had gone to search for and treat the injured also began returning one after another.

This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.

Those griffin knights, who had been hit by lasers and autocannons and fell from the sky, were almost certainly dead, and the same went for the skyships brought down by flames - not a single survivor was found.

Ragnar's thoughts stirred, and he suddenly asked, "Have those skyships been checked? How many corpses are on them?"

"Probably less than twenty!" the reporting knight hesitantly answered. Most of the skyships had been nearly incinerated by the scorching Dragon Breath before crashing; even the corpses were beyond recognition, but the number shouldn't exceed that...

"Only twenty?!" Ragnar's pupils contracted, a chill running through him as he immediately realized an issue they had all been overlooking.

They had seen only a little over a hundred skyships, and according to their previous estimates, after that battle there should have been about eight thousand people remaining in the wizard's army, not counting any reinforcements.

That meant each skyship must carry seventy or eighty people, along with those heavy new weapons...

This was impossible!

Not just Ragnar, but many bishops quickly came to their senses and immediately understood why the Holy Maiden had suddenly asked them to deploy support to Fire Oil City!

Because the main force of the wizards was not here at all; they were likely still lingering in that town, having simply created a false appearance of retreat to lure everyone into pursuing the skyships...

Realizing this, Ragnar's forehead broke out in a cold sweat.

On one hand was the highly important Fire Oil terrain, and on the other were the western fortresses and strongholds of the empire. What exactly was the wizards' real target?

(PS: The second chapter will be around 2:30.)