Chapter 410 - 394: Justice from Above

Chapter 410: Chapter 394: Justice from Above

Over a desolate island in the North Sea, fierce winds tore the clouds to shreds.

One hundred giant seabirds tossed violently in the air currents, their grayish-brown wings slicing through the damp, cold air.

Ola lay prone on the back of the lead Big Thief Gull, his short, stout legs gripping the leather saddle on either side of the bird’s belly. His great beard flew straight back in the wind, and his entire face was covered by Goggles, leaving only a roaring mouth visible.

"Hold steady! Are you Knights or dandelions scattered by the wind?!"

Ola’s voice exploded directly inside the skulls of all the Knights.

"Barton! Your bird’s ass is practically pointing at the sky! V-formation! Weave in from the flank! How many times do I have to teach you?!"

On the right flank, a slightly smaller Big Thief Gull was struggling to adjust its position. Knight Barton’s face was deathly pale, his stomach churning violently. He desperately pulled on the reins, trying to bring his mount back to a level flight.

’Dammit... this wind is too strong...’ Barton wailed internally.

Just then, a cold, arrogant voice, dripping with disdain, sounded in Ola’s mind.

"Stupid shorty."

It was Stuka’s voice.

As the leader of the Big Thief Gull flock, the white giant bird with a wingspan of over ten meters was currently carrying Ola, leading the formation from the very front.

"You’re the one who’s too heavy. Your weight is severely disrupting the aerodynamic balance, which is the root cause of the formation’s instability. I suggest you eat two fewer steaks next time, or perhaps strip off that suit of tin you’re wearing."

A vein throbbed on Ola’s temple. He shot back on their private channel.

"Shut up, you feathered beast! One more word out of you, and your extra rations tonight will be switched to roasted seaweed! The unsalted kind!"

Stuka let out a short cry, clearly scoffing at the "roasted seaweed" threat.

Nevertheless, it slightly adjusted the angle of its left wing, using an updraft to execute an incredibly difficult climb-and-dive maneuver.

The entire flock flipped in perfect unison with its movement, the action so fluid it was frightening.

"See that? That’s technique," Stuka added coldly.

Ola just grunted and didn’t talk back.

’This bird may have a big mouth, but its flying skills are flawless.’

"Land! Ten-minute break!"

The flock circled down, their massive talons gripping the gravelly beach and kicking up a cloud of dust.

The Knights tumbled somewhat unsteadily off their birds’ backs. Though their faces were still pale, they managed to suppress the urge to vomit on the spot—a vast improvement compared to the embarrassing state of affairs during early training, when they would vomit messily in mid-air.

Ola leaped down, slamming his battle-ax on the ground and sending pebbles flying. He scanned his subordinates, who were bent over, hands on their knees, gasping for air. "A bunch of weak-kneed shrimps!" he bellowed. "If this were a real battle, you’d all be fish food by now!"

Just then, ripples appeared on the previously calm surface of the sea.

Several dark figures broke through the water.

They were messengers from the Multi-Armed Race. They were soaking wet, their skin shifting colors under the sunlight, and several tentacles were deftly coiled around a cylinder wrapped tightly in fish skin.

The messenger crawled onto the beach and, without any nonsense, presented the cylinder directly to Ola.

"An urgent dispatch from Commander Korsh." The messenger’s voice was hoarse and unpleasant, but its attitude was respectful enough.

Ola took the cylinder and pulled out the waterproof letter paper from inside.

The letter was short, the handwriting firm and forceful.

"Hector has mobilized a large number of his Knights and Mages to serve as a sea escort."

"The time has come."

Ola stared at the paper for three seconds.

He crumpled the letter into a ball and casually tossed it into the sea breeze.

In his bloodshot eyes, the previous exhaustion was swept away, replaced by a chilling fanaticism. He grinned, revealing a mouthful of stark white teeth.

"Heh."

Ola turned and kicked the dazed Barton squarely in the ass.

"Hey! Wake up!"

He raised his battle-ax, its blade glinting with a blinding, cold light in the sun.

"Pups! Break time’s over! Our ’friends’ have let all the guard dogs out, which means the house is empty!"

The collapsed heap of Knights froze for a moment, then it clicked. They scrambled to their feet, ignoring their discomfort, and quickly readied their gear.

Ola pointed to the east, in the direction of Black Stone Port.

"Lord Velin gave us wings, but not so we could flap around here trying to catch fish! Today, we’re going to show those bastards in Black Stone Port what ’justice from above’ really means!"

"All units! Load up the ’Bathwater’!"

A cave behind the beach was opened.

Ground crews came running out, grunting and straining as they pushed carts. The carts were loaded with black metal canisters and a set of wooden bomb racks that looked crude yet were exquisitely ingenious.

It was Master Anton’s design.

A few oak strips soaked in whale oil, combined with a simple lever-and-latch mechanism.

The Knights skillfully strapped the racks to the abdomens of the Big Thief Gulls, then locked the heavy Alchemy Bombs into the slots.

CLICK.

The crisp sounds of locks snapping into place rose one after another.

No complex mechanical checks, no tedious magical enchantments. As long as the wood didn’t break and the ropes didn’t rot, the damn thing was absolutely reliable.

Stuka twisted its head back, looked at the large iron chunk hanging under its belly, and let out a displeased squawk.

"This thing is ugly. And it ruins my streamlined form."

Ola patted its thick neck and swung himself onto its back.

"Just bear with it. You’ll love the noise it makes when we drop it."

"Take off!"

One hundred Big Thief Gulls beat their wings in unison.

A fierce gust of wind erupted, sending sand and stones flying.

The Stuka Corps shot into the sky, quickly vanishing into the heavy cumulonimbus clouds.