The battle is over.
The bandits ultimately failed to "fight to the death" as their leader had boasted.
When they realized that bullets couldn't even scratch the golden shield, while the holy sword could easily take their lives, their morale completely collapsed.
Some people dropped their guns with a clatter and raised their hands high, while others began to weep and beg for mercy incoherently.
Faced with the still-warm blood of their comrades, splattered all over their bodies, their so-called bravery and ferocity melted away as quickly as ice and snow under the sun.
Of course, whether surrendering is useful or not is not up to these bandits to decide.
Apart from the recently subdued leader Ohara, his deputy Goatee, and a few squad leaders randomly selected for other tasks, the rest of the " Insect Claw " members...
" The Divine Tree has ordered that the rest be killed without exception!"
No! You can't—
He didn't finish his plea for mercy.
The golden sword light shone once more.
Soon, the rioters' blood stained the entire tower.
Even if this cannot wash away the sins and bloodshed they bear, it can at least offer some solace to the souls of those innocent victims.
This was Nausicaä's request, and as one of his favorite subjects, Mu En didn't mind granting her this small wish.
In any case, these wicked and unruly thugs were of no use to him, and keeping them around would only incite the refugees' discontent.
After the last scream faded away, the Blessed Warrior began to clean up the battlefield.
The bodies were dragged to the outskirts of the village and piled up. The bloodstains were roughly covered with sand. The restless Horseclaw were led out of the temporary stables and tied to intact wooden stakes.
Weapons, ammunition, and scattered supplies were collected one by one and piled up on the open ground in front of the tower.
As the inventory work progressed, the scale of the spoils became increasingly astonishing.
Even Mu En couldn't help but sigh inwardly:
"It really is true that murder and arson bring wealth... Just how many treasures has this ' Insect Claw ' plundered?!"
The first thing to be lifted out was a wooden box with iron hoops that looked exceptionally heavy.
When the box was discovered, it was in Ohara's room in the tower.
The chest was crafted from thick hardwood, with iron bars around the edges, and the lock was an exquisite brass structure—yes, it was the kind of ancient and classic treasure chest.
The moment the lid was pried open, the glittering jewels seemed to spill out.
It was a whole large box of gold and silver jewelry, perfectly fitting the stereotype of a "treasure trove".
Deep red gemstones the size of pigeon eggs, lustrous opal roughs, exquisitely crafted gold and silver tableware that can be considered works of art, necklaces, rings, bracelets, and headdresses inlaid with various jewels... all were piled up haphazardly together.
But the most eye-catching item was the crown placed at the very top of the pile of treasure.
The crown is made of pure gold, with elegant yet dignified lines. The sides of the Diadem are inlaid with a whole circle of meticulously carved, clear diamonds, each the size of a fingernail, which refract a dazzling starlight under the torchlight.
It's tacky, but dazzling.
It's important to understand that the world of Valley of the Wind is not a purely wasteland or apocalyptic. On lands not yet eroded by the Sea of Corruption, many people still maintain stable or even prosperous lives.
In other words, these gold and silver jewelry pieces are hard currency with real value.
Even if their purchasing power is not as exaggerated as it was in Mu En's previous life, they are still a symbol of wealth.
Mu En was almost certain that this box of jewels, especially the crown, most likely came from the private treasury of Kingdom of Pejite Deus, or from a member of the royal family of extremely high status.
After all, the Insect Claw Mercenary Corps was also one of the members who stormed the palace and overthrew Pejite's rule.
Immediately afterwards, two heavy, jingling canvas bags were piled up to the side.
Unlocking the bag, one finds gold, silver, and copper coins mixed together.
The obverse of the coin features a relief of a two-headed serpent in the shape of an "Ω," with its heads raised on either side; the reverse depicts the empire's proud weaponry.
Bronze rifles, silver tanks, and the golden Corvette Warship, the pinnacle of imperial industry.
This is one of the two common currencies of the nations of the Sea of Corruption, the Two-Headed Snake Coin from Tolmekia.
Roughly estimated, the two bags of coins weigh over 100 kilograms in total, mainly consisting of gold and silver coins with some copper coins, and their total value is quite considerable.
This was clearly the proceeds from the Ohara gang's looting of villages and towns along the way, or the savings they had accumulated from previous contracts of murder and robbery.
Aside from the outright wealth mentioned earlier, the other material gains could absolutely be described as "luxurious."
Eighty-three Horseclaw were tethered in the area temporarily fenced off next to the tower.
These creatures look almost identical to "chocobos" in other fantasy worlds. They are not only incredibly enduring but also remarkably strong, capable of carrying fully armed, heavily armored cavalry in high-speed charges.
While not as powerful as the traditional draft cattle of Valley of the Wind, it is more than capable of carrying goods and pulling vehicles.
The original horned cattle of the Valley of the Wind were conscripted during the conscription of soldiers in Tolmekia. These Horseclaw directly solved the current problem of insufficient animal power.
In terms of weaponry, the gains were equally astonishing.
Fifty-two intact " Storm " assault rifles (some were damaged by the Order's Blade in the battle), hundreds of magazines, and more than two thousand rounds of gleaming yellow ammunition.
A 100mm anti-tank gun, cobbled together from Ceramic Steel barrel, an old breechblock, and a makeshift support, is surrounded by six neatly stacked conical shells.
There were also several homemade grenades, Molotov cocktails, and other explosives, filling four or five wooden crates.
It is worth mentioning that none of the bandits were equipped with flashbangs or insect repellents commonly used to deal with the Sea of Corruption worms, which puzzled Por and his men.
In addition, there were thirty Ceramic Steel weapons collected from the corpses of the sand bandits (not all sand bandits were accustomed to carrying melee weapons), and a longsword that was placed separately and attracted much attention.
The sword is about 1.2 meters long, with a blade as thin as a cicada's wing and a warm, jade-like white luster.
This is Ohara's sword, made of the same material as Yupa's twin swords, polished from the shell of Ohmu. He probably obtained it by chance during his exploration of the Sea of Corruption.
Although the shell of the Ohmu itself is indestructible, it will still be corroded and decomposed by spore-forming fungi if exposed to Sea of Corruption environment for a long time. This makes the material extremely rare and valuable.
Even in the Valley of the Wind of the Winds, near the Sea of Corruption, only Chief Jihl and Yupa possessed weapons made from the shells of the Ohmu.
Mu En's consciousness swept over the longsword; perhaps it could be given as a reward to the first " Golden Knight ".
The question remains: will this honor belong to Nausicaä or Yupa?
Another gain worth mentioning is the transformation of the Blessed Warrior.
It's not a mental challenge, but a real improvement in skills.
After this battle, some of the ten Blessed Warrior who killed more enemies, such as Por and Jiduo, are already getting closer to becoming Golden Folk, while the others have also improved to varying degrees.
Mu En guessed that this was related to their actions of "killing" the enemy.
In the Lands Between, the Tarnished grow stronger by killing enemies and plundering Rune.
However, he did not intend to tell Por and the others this for the time being; what he needed was a disciplined army, not a group of bloodthirsty berserkers.
Finally, and most importantly for Mu En, were the refugees who had survived, huddled in the corners of the camp.
In this vast, sparsely populated, and harshly populated border region of the Sea of Corruption, people are always the most precious resource.
Labor, skills, knowledge, and even potential sources of faith are all entrusted to these vibrant lives.
"Hopefully, among these people there will be management talent, or... at least some skilled craftsmen."
He turned his attention to where Nausicaä was.
She was leading Meila and Yupa toward the terrified refugees.