Chapter 1397 - 752: The Necessity of War

Chapter 1397: Chapter 752: The Necessity of War

This was a group of cultists wandering in the wilderness, but at this moment they seemed like frightened sparrows wanting to flee hastily from this place.

However, the eagle hovering above their heads and the eagle eyes secretly emerging from afar had them firmly locked on.

Soon they realized that they could never fly out of this cage called Hamlet, for a team seemed to have been waiting for a long time ahead on their path.

Reynard had been waiting with a team of men for a long time, and judging by their appearance, they didn’t seem like an honor guard, but their gear was quite scattered—only thirty or so—but the armor rate was very high.

This was not good news for those cultists.

They had already circled around, so who was chasing them from behind?

The answer was soon revealed as a simple confrontation was followed by the sound of hooves pounding the earth.

And judging by their appearance upon arrival, it was indeed the honor guard.

Days of rushing and fierce battles made even the champions look a bit disheveled, but it was only on the surface; their bodies were still full of strength, and their hearts remained unwaveringly firm.

Almost as the people behind caught up, Reynard directly drew his longsword, pointed it at the cultists, and issued a command.

"Charge, crush them!"

The people followed Reynard and charged at the cultists, who were driven to a dead end and struggled desperately. Their first reaction was to run, but the sharp blade was already upon them.

These people wielded longswords and sabers, and when they moved, there was no space in holding back like the honor guard; they were truly fighting to the death.

In an instant, the two sides collided, instantly tearing apart the already scattered formation of the cultists; those guards did not intend to participate in the battle, just clearing up those trying to escape on the perimeter.

This time, there was not a bit of holding back; true slaughter was shown under understated gestures.

Because the act needed for the show had already been performed, and with no room left in the sanatorium, it meant the cultists no longer served any purpose; dying here was their best fate.

The battle, from start to finish, was one-sided; the desperate counterattacks by the cultists only left marks on the armor of those people.

This is why in the era when firearms weren’t matured, the importance of armor in the cold weapon age.

After the battle, those people dismounted and joined the honor guard in tidying up the chaotic scene, finishing off surviving enemies, then stacking the corpses, and used tools to dissolve the bodies.

The flesh quickly decayed and morphed into pus, seeping into the earth; likely, the flowers here will grow exceptionally well next year.

It also completely proclaimed the end of these cultists in the real world.

At this moment, some people took off their helmets, revealing almost all of them to be youths, and among them were even girls.

Removing the helmet revealed Joan’s determined expression, with her long hair tightly bound to show a kind of capable heroism; no one questioned her presence here, for along the way, she had already proven herself through her achievements.

Girls develop earlier than boys, not to mention there was plentiful food in Hamlet, and her mother was the principal, so no one dared to cut her rations.

Moreover, she trained diligently, trained foundations with Boudica, later learned cavalry warfare with Reynard, participated in various training, and even received the Lord’s Bless; by thirteen, she was able to sustain the 30-40 pounds full set of knight’s armor without surprise.

Judging by the bloodstains on the armor and the drops of blood on the longsword, she indeed killed quite a few cultists; she was completely blooded, brave in battle, not mere posturing.

Her presence here was because Lance did not miss the chance, and selected a group of well-performing youths from the school’s youth brigade, letting them truly face blood. Margaret joined just to manage these children.

The youth brigade was formed when the army was short on personnel, and Lance had no choice but to settle on these children; their physical education classes were essentially militia training, learning some basics alongside their studies, and these children could be brought out in special circumstances to maintain order and protect the school.

But when a large influx of refugees arrived, the source of recruits was no longer so tight, and Lance gradually slowed their training, prioritizing study time.

During this process, some dropped out for various reasons, but there was still a group who persisted and were about the same age.

The school had already taught them as much as possible, and Lance didn’t mind giving them an opportunity to participate in the final missions related to the cultists or even the upcoming war, which was their graduation test.

Initially, they were used as auxiliary troops only, slowly getting involved in battles, and their performance showed they did not betray the Lord’s trust.

Though having just led them in a charge, Reynard didn’t pay much attention but was looking at the eagle perched calmly on a branch ahead as if he understood something.

"Mission accomplished, let’s head back."

...

Although Lance didn’t care about those bureaucratic laggards, the vacant positions still need filling, and after reclaiming the territory, various local forces must be cleared.

The gaps here, and sorting out local affairs, all need people.

Therefore, the training of managers is important, and religious influence must be removed, as such forces are deeply rooted in these villages, towns, and cities.