The path back to the Silent Wind Military Base was long but, fortunately, uneventful. Most of the monsters in the area had already perished under the blades of Vlad and the soldiers the previous week, and those that remained had scattered.
Of course, the lack of evident enemies did not mean Vlad and First Lieutenant Mitchel would lower their guard.
Vlad was still at the head, ready to face any incoming threats. His reflexes and power were enough to handle any danger.
Lieutenant Mitchel and the rest of the soldiers, including Clasius, Roman, and Amara, formed a perimeter around the civilians, keeping everyone marching in an orderly manner and protecting them from the sidelines.
At the back were Jormungandr, Mirena, and Cazan. The small yellow cat and the women were able to unleash attacks with a massive range, so they were more than able to cover the rear. And Cazan could transform into a massive colossus that could destroy demon beasts with his bare hands, so he could protect the duo in case anyone managed to get close enough.
That was a tight and well-developed military formation, one that depicted just how well-prepared the soldiers were for this type of mission. While the civilians were not tasked with defense, they did have a job, and that was to drag all the bodies of the hundreds of demon beasts from the town along with all the Hippopotamus Monster's meat, blood, and bones.
Despite hundreds of civilians consuming as much meat and blood as they could, there was still plenty left, and the bones could not be left behind. It was not just to commemorate the battle, but practically, as the bones of a Champion Monster were extremely hard and durable.
With the bones of a Champion Monster, it would not be hard to make sharp weapons and spears harder than anything made of steel. If powerful mages trained in weapon crafting or smiths had these bones, they could make even better weapons with all sorts of abilities. There was no way Vlad would allow such a treasure to be left in Good Side Town for someone else to take.
Vlad's face was serene, his eyes sharp as he led the massive group through the rough terrain. It was not easy to go uphill, but the Champion Monster's blood and meat had worked wonders for the civilians, and all of them had more than enough strength to push forward.
Despite all that, something bothered Vlad. He could not shake off the feeling that something dangerous was approaching them. Everybody was already on guard, and expressing his concern would just make the civilians jumpy, which could incite chaos, so instead of spreading the news, he just pushed his focus to the limit and made sure to keep an eye on the surroundings.
The more Vlad and the rest of the soldiers advanced toward the Silent Wind Military Base, the more powerful the feeling of danger was on his mind. It was only on the fifth day of marching when the military base appeared in Vlad's eyes that he finally understood the danger's origin.
'I was actually walking toward the danger, and not the danger walking toward me.'
Vlad nearly laughed at that thought crossing his mind but did not lose focus, and his eyes grew sharp as he saw the group of twenty angels on top of the wall. It seemed that while he had been gone, an important force had arrived at Silent Wind Military Base.
The sight of individuals in armor with wings shocked everybody present, and some of them were elated at the sight of angels from the bible appearing, especially in a time of chaos and uncertainty where demons roamed the earth.
Some of the civilians could not contain themselves and were about to breach through the soldier encirclement as they were ready to march into the walls, but before a stampede could occur, a voice echoed with immense power.
"Everybody stand put!"
Vlad shouted with all his strength, his voice so powerful that it froze all the civilians. After making sure everything was in control, he saw how the angels on the wall turned toward them, raising their rifles.
Vlad had a very good memory of just how powerful those weapons were, and while he could survive, it would kill most soldiers and the civilians present. A shadow moved across the people and the next second, he felt a small weight on his shoulders.
He did not need to look down to know that Jormungandr had reached his side. With the small cat by his side, Vlad felt more confident in his chances. If they were in an open field, it would be easy, but the angels had the high ground, making things much more complicated.
'If I use everything I have, it will take me around twenty seconds to reach the top of the wall. Then I will be able to maneuver around those angels and kill them all. If I am willing to receive deep wounds, my chances are around 70% with Jormungandr by my side.'
Just as Vlad and Jormungandr were about to march forward, and go into a killing spree and run toward the walls, the gates of the Silent Wind Military Base opened, showing General Anglius. The man was not alone since accompanying him were another three figures.
One of them was an old man in a military uniform and the insignia he carried seemed to depict he was of very high rank. However, the one that truly drew Vlad's attention was the two angels.
One was a massive man over two and a half meters tall in golden armor. There was an immensely powerful aura around him but despite that, he seemed to adopt a subservient stance to the other angel who was a young woman.
She was stunningly beautiful, with long white hair and gorgeous blue eyes, but what truly mattered to Vlad were the wings behind her back. Unlike the feathered wings on the rest of the angels, hers were made of seemingly flowing light.
'Wings like those meant her bloodline must be extremely powerful. How troublesome.'