The members of the Hidden Kill squad also noticed movement behind them. Fearing being surrounded, they immediately sheathed their weapons, activated stealth mode, and hid to the side.
The werewolves were the first to arrive, followed closely by the minotaurs. By the time they reached Xiao Xun, the area was already a mess, littered with corpses.
It wasn't that the beastmen reinforcements were slow, but rather that the battle had lasted less than twenty minutes.
In this great battle, Xiao Xun's two major legions, comprising over twenty thousand light and heavy cavalry, were all wiped out. His overall casualties were nearly half. Xiao Xun's hands trembled as he looked at the casualty list.
What was most infuriating was that they hadn't seen a single enemy corpse. Furthermore, they had only heard gunshots, without seeing a single bullet or shell casing. They had taken two artillery strikes without ever seeing the enemy's shells or knowing where they came from.
Only when clearing the battlefield and collecting the remains of their comrades did they find a shattered helmet they had never seen before.
"Are these people fighting with air?" Not only the people present couldn't understand, but Xiao Xun, who lived in that world, also couldn't comprehend what kind of bullets and artillery shells the enemy used.
Xiao Xun hadn't realized that the enemy's weapons and equipment far exceeded his comprehension.
When he got his hands on the helmet, he was stunned. He tapped the tactical helmet with his knuckles, which made no sound. "What is the origin of this Scourge Legion? Isn't this the Sergeant's helmet? How did it end up here..."
He asked Delvana, "Sister Na, who was the first to detect the enemy's movements?"
"One of my people. He was lurking outside the city gates today and encountered these suspicious individuals. He took down the one at the front."
Xiao Xun nodded. "Please summon him. I have something important to ask him."
Soon, Delvana brought him over. Xiao Xun primarily asked about the appearance and attire of the attackers.
Based on the description from the Sun God Tribe people, Xiao Xun was certain that the attackers were the Sergeant.
"Summoning a bunch of locusts is one thing, and rats I can tolerate. Skeleton soldiers, big zombies, I can understand all of that. But future technology appearing in the magical era? Playing with me without any limits!"
The others didn't know who Xiao Xun was talking to and dared not disturb him.
After saying this, he only spoke two words to everyone: "Withdraw."
No one asked him for his reasons. Nigeria was already struggling against the skeleton soldiers and archers; facing futuristic warriors would be completely insufficient.
Before leaving, Xiao Xun visited Botu and advised him to return home. He explained that with the Scourge Legion appearing globally, this wasn't about the gains or losses of a single city, but a catastrophe for all humanity. Coming here to defend a desolate small city was meaningless.
Botu followed Xiao Xun's advice and issued a withdrawal order that very night.
As it turned out, Xiao Xun's departure was entirely correct, because the next day at noon, the volcano at One-Line Sky erupted. Huge volcanic ash obscured the sky, and magma spewed everywhere, completely covering the entire territory of Midia. After the eruption, Midia no longer resembled a place inhabited by humans.
Xiao Xun, who had retreated to the border defense line, immediately inspected the arsenal. He was very dissatisfied with their progress.
He left Delvana in full charge of commanding the Phoenix Army and holding the border, with Nigeria assisting.
He himself, along with the Twelve Star Envoys and a small unit, rode a twin-headed dragon towards the capital of Saint Roman. He intended to return to his original world to seek a way to defeat the enemy, especially the Temple of Time, believing that it must hold the solution to counter future technology.
Before returning, Xiao Xun visited Tejjego. Firstly, to return Duke Sancho's two sons to him, and secondly, to finalize the subsequent grain supply for the border defense line.
When Xiao Xun saw Duke Sancho again, he noticed that he had aged considerably, his hair turned gray. If not for his height, he almost wouldn't have recognized him.
"Why aren't the Duchess and your two lovely daughters with you?"
Duke Sancho's face was cold, lacking his usual憨厚 (hān hòu - simple and honest) appearance. "They've gone back to their maiden families."
Xiao Xun suggested, "The world is not peaceful lately. If you can have them stay by your side, let them return! At least Saint Roman is safe."
Unexpectedly, Duke Sancho suddenly burst into tears. "They... they can't come back. It's all my fault! It's all my fault..."
His eldest son quickly asked, "My Lord Father, what happened?"
Sancho looked at his two sons. "Your mother and sisters were all killed by the Scourge Legion."
The family of three began to cry, holding each other. Xiao Xun knew it was time for him to leave.
As Duke Sancho saw Xiao Xun off, he declared that he would crush the Scourge Legion, even if it meant going bankrupt.
Xiao Xun was eager to return. He knew that delaying by even a day meant more suffering for the lives here.
Finally, on a sunny noon, Xiao Xun entered the vicinity of the capital of Saint Roman. He recalled that it was only a few days into autumn when he left, and now it was late autumn.
When he saw the towering city walls of Saint Roman, his excited heart leaped.
Bai Yang had gone ahead to notify them. Everyone in the city, from princes and ministers to commoners, lined up at the gate to welcome him.
They had heard about the matters on the front lines. Winning three times against the Scourge Legion and annihilating the Wu Wang detachment once was something no one in the history of Saint Roman had achieved. Many in Saint Roman had hailed him as a 'God of War'.
Of course, where there was praise, there was also criticism. Some said Xiao Xun's victories on the front lines were achieved by piling up human lives, and that with the continuous supply of food and weapons from the five dukes of Saint Roman, anyone could have won.
As the Empress, Seleverpes was not suitable to come out for the reception, but she had already prepared a grand banquet at the Fire Shield Divine King Palace. This had only happened three times in the history of Saint Roman's founding, and each time it was to entertain heads of other countries and their own Divine Law Masters. No one else had ever received such an honor.
The new Prime Minister had also been chosen; it was the former Minister of General Affairs, Titiajev.
Xiao Xun had a deep impression of this person; it was he who had relieved him of his endless embarrassment in the past.
At the banquet, besides the new Prime Minister, there were also various princes and ministers. They all expressed their praises to Xiao Xun.
Xiao Xun stood up, holding his wine glass, his eyes resolute. "Thank you for your compliments, I truly don't deserve them. I have gained a lot from my time at the front lines. This first cup of wine, I toast our Empress." With that, he turned to Seleverpes, raised his glass, and drank it down.
As Seleverpes prepared to return his toast, Xiao Xun asked a nearby maid to refill his glass and then said, "This second cup of wine, I toast the unfortunate soldiers who died on the front lines. Without them, those locusts, rats, and skeleton soldiers of the Scourge Legion would have been everywhere in a few days." He then drank another cup.
Seleverpes slowly put down her wine glass. She could tell that Xiao Xun was about to make a move.
Indeed, Xiao Xun picked up the third cup of wine. "This third cup, I toast all of you present. You diligently squeeze out that little bit of grain for my Phoenix Army from the cracks every day. Do you know that I lose sleep every night, calculating how much food is enough for today and how many days the current granaries will last? Oh, and one more thing, I built an arsenal on the front lines, intending to produce heavy artillery, bows, and arrows. Yet, after a full three months, I only saw the first batch of cannons and bows last week. How can we fight like this?"
"Is Duke Svein speaking to us in a questioning tone?"
Xiao Xun looked at the man speaking, a silver-haired man dressed in luxurious attire, with a monocle over his left eye and an arrogant expression.
"Who are you? I don't recall you being anyone of significance."
The man turned to Svein. "I am Bikress, the Chief Financial Minister."
It could be said that this man controlled all the money and grain of Saint Roman. Since taking office, he had vigorously reformed the country, making Saint Roman the wealthiest nation globally. This was the capital of his arrogance.
Xiao Xun scoffed dismissively. "So, another miser."
Bikress's expression turned displeased. He stood up and looked at Xiao Xun. "What do you mean by that? I have served diligently in this position for over twenty years, and my achievements are there for all to see. Even in front of His Majesty, I can say without hesitation that Saint Roman is where it is today entirely due to my efforts."