章 94: Mission Where Death
As the argument intensified, Father Weiss and Father Phillips' words grew increasingly heated, and the tension between them thickened with every exchange.
Father Phillips' face was flushed red as he pointed at Father Weiss and roared.
"You have no understanding of the terrain! Going directly north is a death sentence!"
Father Weiss refused to back down.
"You're the one who doesn't get it! You want us to enter a foggy forest and get picked off by the magic beasts one by one?
I won't go along with that!
You're playing with the soldiers' lives!"
Father Weiss slammed the table in anger, his face turning red.
"I am not! You're just stubborn, refusing to adapt!"
Father Phillips raised his voice, just as fierce.
The shouting escalated, and soon, Father Thomas and Father Carsey also joined in, each taking sides, turning the entire tent into a battlefield of words.
They pointed back and forth at the map on the table, knocking over a corner of it in their heated argument.
Father Carsey pointed at Father Phillips, speaking bluntly, "You're leading us all into the fire!"
Father Thomas shot back, "You're being too cautious! At this rate, we'll get surrounded by the magic beasts!"
Both of them rolled up their sleeves, getting ready to throw fists.
Father Weiss grabbed Father Phillips by the collar, and Phillips didn't hesitate to shove him back.
"Come on, let's see who's afraid!" Father Weiss gritted his teeth, his face burning with anger.
"You think I'm scared of you?" Father Phillips retorted, not backing down.
Seeing the situation worsening, Father Thomas and Father Carsey also stepped up, their fists clenched, ready to brawl.
Father Thomas stood with Father Phillips, forming a unified front, while Father Weiss and Father Carsey stood in opposition.
"You don't even see the whole battlefield!"
Father Thomas snapped at Father Weiss and Carsey.
"A frontal assault won't defeat these magic beasts! We need more flexible tactics!"
"Flexible? You're being reckless!"
Father Carsey shot back, standing firmly with Father Weiss.
"The northern route is the best for our troops.
Going through difficult terrain will only trap us!"
The usually dignified and noble priests now looked like a group of street brawlers.
Father Thomas and Father Carsey grabbed each other's robes, while Weiss yanked on Phillips' cassock, trying to drag him to the ground.
"You're sending us into the magic beasts' jaws!" Carsey roared, trying to shove Thomas away.
"You're the reckless one!" Thomas snarled back, their struggles knocking over the map and sand table on the desk.
Weiss and Phillips even tumbled to the ground, grabbing at each other's sleeves and cursing like common street toughs.
"You idiot, you don't know a thing about tactics!" Weiss shouted.
"Shut up, you fool!" Phillips retorted harshly.
The four of them wrestled on the ground, shouting in anger, their robes tearing as they struggled.
Just then, Father Raphael's calm voice cut through the chaos.
"Enough."
In an instant, four streams of water enveloped the priests, lifting them into the air and separating them, leaving their furious and embarrassed faces hanging in the air.
With a casual wave of his hand, Father Raphael gently set them back in place.
Their wrinkled robes were smoothed out by the water, and the map and documents on the table were neatly restored to their original positions, as though nothing had happened.
Father Raphael spoke softly, "We are clergymen, not street ruffians."
The four priests glanced at one another, their faces showing traces of embarrassment.
They quietly adjusted their robes and sat back down, the tension in the air dissipating.
Despite being younger than the other priests, Father Raphael now seemed more like their elder.
He looked at them calmly as they gradually regained their composure.
He pointed at the small paths on the map and the open northern area.
"The northern route does have more magic beasts, but the terrain is relatively flat, which is ideal for deploying our large army.
The central and forward forces can take advantage of this open terrain for a frontal attack."
Father Raphael tapped the marked locations on the map before pointing to the northeast.
"The northeast, though it has fewer magic beasts and the terrain is more complex, is also more prone to ambushes."
He paused briefly before continuing. "Therefore, we will divide our forces.
The central and forward troops will engage the enemy head-on from the north, advancing steadily.
Meanwhile, our elite scouts will pave the way in the northeast for the flank army, ensuring they avoid being ambushed.
If the situation allows, we can launch a pincer attack."
The four priests thought over his plan and agreed it seemed more reliable.
Then Father Weiss broke the silence.
"But which squad should lead the flank scouts? This mission is practically a death sentence."
The four priests fell silent.
Though each priest had their own elite scouting units, sending them on such a dangerous mission was a tough decision.
These scouts were their best men, and if they died, it would weaken their military strength.
"You each send a squad of scouts," Father Raphael said calmly.
His gaze swept across them before finally resting on Father Thomas.
"Father Thomas, I hear you have an elite scouting unit led by Khazik, correct?"
Father Thomas' heart tightened, though he tried to keep his expression calm.
This squad was his prized unit, trained in Stormhaven, and they had survived many dangerous missions.
But recently, they had lost two members, a loss that still weighed on Father Thomas' heart.
Now sending them on this mission would be an even heavier blow.
Father Thomas drummed his fingers lightly on the table, trying to hide his unease.
He took a deep breath and, after a brief pause, slowly nodded.
"Yes. If necessary, I can send them to the northeast."
Father Raphael nodded in satisfaction and turned to the other three priests, waiting for their responses.
After some thought, Father Weiss, Father Phillips, and Father Carsey all reluctantly agreed to send their own elite scouting squads as well.
Together, they formed a 50-man vanguard.
Their mission was to clear a path through the dense forests and treacherous mountain paths of the northeast, the most dangerous area.
With the challenging terrain and the lurking threats of magic beasts, the mission was perilous.
Even if they discovered the magic beasts lying in wait, retreat was not an option, for the army behind them relied on their safe passage.
Their task was to clear the way for the larger force, even if half of them fell.
In other words, no matter the danger, they had to push forward, leading from the front.
It was undoubtedly a mission where death was almost certain.
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