Industrial Revolution of the Mage Lords

Chapter 733 Confidence and Security

The last winged being was hit head-on by a spell from a high-level mage, its body shattered in half before it crashed heavily to the ground.

Wood could even see in the rearview mirror the monster crashing into the grass, leaving a pool of thick, black blood. Its mangled body rolled several times before stopping, its slender, twisted limbs and tattered wings scattering everywhere.

Undoubtedly, the Northern Army's air reinforcements arrived just in time. Whether it was the airships that were far faster than the Winged Ones or the high-ranking wizards who could soar through the sky with their bare bodies, they all clearly showed an overwhelming advantage when dealing with these terrifying alien monsters, as if they were born to fight against these guys.

While receiving intensive driving training at the border, Wood also happened to obtain a document called "Spark Weekly," printed in Saint Valencia, from a local student. Although his vocabulary was not extensive, he could still see a lot of reports about the battles between the people of Saint Valencia and the alien races on the front page of the document.

In the numerous battles, large and small, between the Northern Army and the Lizardmen, they were virtually undefeated... At first, Wood thought it was an exaggeration by the emperor and nobles to show off their military achievements, but now it seems to be the absolute truth.

The Saint Valenians... truly possess the strength to defeat these terrifying alien races.

And after successfully completing this rescue mission, which was fraught with danger but ultimately safe... he will officially become one of them.

Thinking of this, Wood felt an indescribable sense of pride and hope welling up inside him.

……

The rescue mission in the Chensang River Valley ended with the loss of only three military vehicles and dozens of soldiers killed or wounded in the rearguard action... In terms of casualty ratio, it was a satisfactory victory.

The aerial mages and ground troops who rushed to the Shensang River Valley not only successfully annihilated a small group of demon lizardmen who had roamed the area and wreaked havoc, eliminating nearly three thousand enemy targets, but also successfully transferred more than two thousand refugees from the Shensang County area to the south, preventing these innocent people from being slaughtered by the alien race and losing their lives in vain.

After returning to Highland City, the transport convoy quickly refueled and joined other convoys that had also come from other transport stations, and then set off in a grand procession toward the border town of Langya Ridge.

After a day and a night of arduous travel, they finally passed through the border smoothly on the afternoon of the third day and officially entered Saint Valencia.

"Uncle! Uncle Wood!"

Wood had just jumped off the wheelchair when his legs went weak and he stumbled. His nephew Jacob, who had been waiting at the refugee camp, rushed up and gave him a big hug.

"I thought you wouldn't come back..."

Holmes, standing to the side, was also pale, his face showing signs of exhaustion and fatigue. He gulped down water while laughing loudly, "How could that be? Your uncle and we were on missions with the army. Don't you know how powerful the Northern Army is?"

Wood watched as the wheelbarrow that had been with him day and night for several days was slowly driven away by the logistics soldiers who had come to take it over, and couldn't help but show a reluctant expression. "This mission was indeed very successful... We returned unscathed and even rescued many of our fellow countrymen on the grasslands. Jacob, you should be proud of me."

He paused, looking at his nephew's innocent face, and whispered a reminder: "From now on... from now on we're Saint Valenians too. Once you get your official resident status, don't claim to be a grassland person anymore, and don't mention your Eisengard background anymore, understand?" Jacob nodded somewhat bewildered, and couldn't help but ask, "These past few days I've often inquired about you, and I heard from those officials that... most of the refugees will be taken to Greenpool County and Pinecone County, near the border, to cultivate the land for His Majesty the Emperor?"

Wood grinned and patted his nephew on the shoulder with a hint of pride, saying, "If we hadn't joined the transport team, we would have ended up like them... But things are different now. I will officially join the Kingdom's government and become a full-time driver with a contract, while you... will also be attending a public academy, and perhaps you will become a well-read and exceptionally intelligent scholar in the future!"

Holmes, who had been eavesdropping, chuckled and couldn't help but tease, "Weren't you dreaming of sending this kid to the academy two days ago, hoping he'd be recruited into the machine repair center as an alchemist after graduation? How come you've become a scholar in the blink of an eye?"

Wood blushed instantly... He said he wanted Jacob to become a scholar, but what he really thought was that after witnessing the heroic figures of those battle wizards fighting against alien races a few days ago, he secretly hoped that his nephew could embark on such an extraordinary path of wisdom and strength in the future.

He had just promised to renounce his religious affiliation and voluntarily abandon his faith to join St. Valentine, and the tattoo on his wrist, representing a devout believer, still occasionally stung his heart. No matter what, he couldn't bring himself to encourage Jacob to embark on the "path of heresy."

……

Soon, the drivers who had participated in the rescue operation in the Shensang River Valley were taken back to the army's base by the soldiers.

It was the same officer who had been in charge of temporarily recruiting them who stepped forward.

"Gentlemen, thank you for your full assistance to the military in this rescue operation. The reward we promised before you left will be delivered immediately."

As he spoke, an adjutant stepped forward with a registration book and recorded the drivers' identification numbers and work codes in turn, so that the promised bonuses and allowances could be deposited into their accounts along with their salaries later.

As for Eisengardians like Wood who were temporarily recruited, things were rather awkward... They didn't even have formal employment contracts, let alone Saint Valen resident ID cards, so naturally they wouldn't have savings accounts opened with the Kingdom Bank.

The military could only temporarily procure a box of gold dollar banknotes, count them on the spot, and distribute them to them. At the same time, they notified the staff of the Population Management Department to come and complete the background check for them as soon as possible so that they could issue identity documents.

Wood stood there dumbfounded, clutching a stack of colorful "paper scraps" in his hand.

For a wagon caravan that frequently travels to the border regions to transport goods, the Saint Valentine gold coin was not entirely unfamiliar... but when they actually held it in their hands, it still felt somewhat unreal.

Can these beautifully crafted pieces of paper, printed with intricate patterns, really be used to purchase any priced item anywhere in the Kingdom of Saint Valen?
The officer in charge of distributing the rewards seemed to notice their hesitation and took the initiative to explain: "There is no need to worry about the value and purchasing power of these gold coins. They represent His Majesty the Emperor's absolute authority, as well as the credibility and laws of the United Kingdom. As long as you are traveling within the territory of Saint Valen and the United Kingdom of the North, I can guarantee that no one will question the circulation of these legal tender."

He paused, then continued, "In a while, you will all be sent to the capital to continue your training as professional drivers. Once you get there... you will witness firsthand what it means to be the most prosperous and flourishing country in the Southern Continent!"

Wood listened silently, suppressing his excitement, and unconsciously rubbed the gold dollar banknotes in his hand with his fingers. He then discovered that on some of the banknotes, in addition to the Riot script symbol 20 commonly used in the Southern Territory, there was also a brand-new alchemical wheel vividly depicted!

(End of this chapter)