I Pioneered Scientific Magic

As the Lava Fire Dragon plummeted, the group of wizards on the airship breathed a sigh of relief. They had finally dealt with this major trouble and were now safe.

The Holy Church's Gryphon Knights, under the assault of several fighter planes, were even more helpless, falling from the sky like dumplings.

On the ground, the bishops also witnessed the powerful fire dragon summoned by the Holy Maiden swiftly beheaded, and the Gryphon Knights rendered powerless. They were both shocked and angry, but there was nothing they could do, especially since, under the cover of night and light-bending magic, they couldn't see how the Gryphon Knights were eliminated.

"Lord Joshua, under the Holy Maiden's command, should we withdraw our forces?" a cautious archbishop suggested.

With the absence of the fire dragon, the Gryphon Knights suffered severe losses in aerial combat, losing their influence over the airborne warships. The upcoming battles would constantly expose them to threats from the sky, possibly leading to a situation similar to the battle in the Sea of Mist.

Before Lucia could respond, the proposal faced strong opposition from the bishops.

"Are you suggesting we hand over the Empire's weapon and watch as the minions of darkness slaughter the people?" one bishop exclaimed.

"Absolutely not! It's a disgrace!"

The bishops argued passionately, and in the sky, a Gryphon hit by gunfire descended towards them.

Lucia paid no attention to the bishops' arguments. She extended her hand, and a gentle divine light appeared. The falling Gryphon's speed slowed, and it landed smoothly on the ground.

This unfortunate Gryphon had lost half of its wing, emitting mournful cries and showing faint signs of consciousness.

The knights on top were turned into sieves by gunfire, and their bodies were scattered somewhere.

【Divine Gift of Refreshing Rain】

Lucia gently stroked the Gryphon's head, and a misty divine light enveloped its broken body. The body, pierced by gunfire, visibly healed at an incredible speed, and the broken wing regrew.

The restored Gryphon seemed to still be recovering from the fear, occasionally emitting hoarse cries.

Lucia shook her large gown, then agilely sat on the back of the giant beast and suppressed the Gryphon's fearful emotions with divine magic.

The bishops, now forgetting their arguments, looked in astonishment at the Holy Maiden.

"Lady Lucia, you don't intend to personally join the battle, do you?"

"This is too dangerous, and relying on you alone may not be effective," an anxious cardinal spoke out.

Although Lucia had displayed formidable power when summoning and enslaving the fire dragon, they were still against her risking herself in such a reckless action.

After all, the Holy Maiden represented the dignity of the Holy See and was a servant of God. She couldn't easily get involved in dangerous situations.

Before Lucia could respond, the bishops turned to Joshua, hoping the Chief Justice would stop Lucia's impulsive actions.

However, Joshua did not comply with their expectations. Instead, he respectfully inquired, "Is there anything we can do, Your Holiness?"

Lucia glanced at the dispersed airships in the sky and decisively said, "You take some manpower and return to the City of Fire Oil immediately."

"Their numbers are too few!" Lucia murmured.

Before Lucy could receive a response, the reorganized Gryphon spread its wings and flew into the sky. Dust rose from the ground, causing a dozen bishops to frown. What confused them even more was Lucia's words.

Return to the City of Fire Oil? Did she mean they should retreat?

Or was it suggesting some people should withdraw first?

"Do as she says!" Joshua didn't hesitate, looking at the bishops and giving a direct order. "I will lead a group of Divine Punishment Knights to the City of Fire Oil immediately. Ragnar, you are in charge of the subsequent command!"

"But, Lord Chief Justice..." Archbishop Ragnar hesitated, showing doubt about such a chaotic and irrational order. Should they really follow it?

Other bishops were also discontent, thinking that Lucia, despite her noble status, was commanding recklessly, relying on her own high status.

Amidst the questioning voices, Joshua spoke slowly, "The Holy Maiden has received divine inspiration, and her instructions represent the will of the Lord!"

Ragnar and others immediately fell silent, understanding that Chief Justice would never joke about such matters.

After giving a few more orders, Joshua led three thousand Divine Punishment Knights, setting off for the City of Fire Oil.

At the same time, the Divine Punishment Knights, who had gone to search for and treat the wounded, also began to return.

The Gryphon Knights hit by lasers and gunfire, as well as those who fell from the sky, were mostly dead. The airships hit by flames were no exception; not a single survivor was found.

Ragnar, having a thought, suddenly asked, "Have those airships been inspected? How many bodies are on them?"

"Probably less than twenty!" the reporting knight hesitated, most airships were incinerated by the fiery breath of the dragon before crashing, and the bodies were completely unrecognizable. Still, it definitely didn't exceed that number.

"Only twenty?!" Ragnar's pupils contracted, feeling a chill in his heart. He immediately realized an issue they had overlooked.

They saw only about a hundred airships in the sky, and according to their previous estimates, after that battle, there were still around eight thousand wizards in the army, not counting reinforcements.

In other words, each airship must have carried seventy to eighty people and the heavy new weapons...

This was impossible!

Ragnar and the other bishops quickly understood why the Holy Maiden suddenly ordered them to send reinforcements to the City of Fire Oil.

Because the main force of the wizards was not here. They were likely still lingering in that town, creating the illusion of evacuation to lure everyone to chase after the airships.

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

On one side was the critically important oil field, and on the other side were the fortresses and strongholds in the western part of the empire. What was the true target of those wizards?