Four Split Personalities

"There won’t be another round of bombing,"

Ford • Bombdrill shook his head and quickly walked to the back of the deck, where he expectedly saw two mechanical creations emitting thick smoke. He spoke gravely, "Engines seventeen and nineteen are on fire; the damage control team is useless now. Listen to my command, overload engines nine to eighteen at a bearing of twenty-five degrees west, full speed ahead!"

"Roger that!"

The towering orc who was responsible for steering, a former crew member of the "Lucky," did not hesitate upon hearing the captain’s order. He immediately gripped the heavy compass in front of him and turned it forcefully to the left, shouting, "Position is being calibrated, prepare to overload engines nine to eighteen in fifteen seconds!"

Rivet Wheel, who was preparing for the next airdrop, hesitated for a moment, then ran up to Ford • Bombdrill, indignantly saying, "Have you gone mad? We already have two sets of engines down, and you want to overload them?!"

"Yes, you idiot, I’m going to overload them!"

Ford • Bombdrill gritted his teeth as he faced the frantic dwarf engineers and declared, "Our airship is too cumbersome and too slow. If we don’t overload the engines now, there’s a thirty percent chance we won’t reach Ebby City in a short time."

Rivet Wheel pointed at the temporary engines, which were beginning to smoke one after another, and furiously said, "But that means a crash!"

"I know, I’ve been in more crashes than you’ve repaired engines!"

Ford • Bombdrill waved his hand calmly and then jerked his chin towards the only cabin of the Kirov, shrugging and saying, "But I have to deliver our clients safely, and this time, not a single hair less, including the horses and whatever else there is to ride!"

Rivet Wheel, after all, was an engineer, not a captain, so he clearly understood that no matter how much he protested, he couldn’t overrule the other’s command. Therefore, he resignedly asked, "What about the remaining hybrid bombs? The original plan was to drop five batches over Ebby City, but with what you’re doing now, getting Her Highness the Saintess and the others to the designated location is already the limit."

"Don’t worry, I have a plan."

Ford • Bombdrill laughed heartily and clapped Rivet Wheel on the shoulder, "Just wait and see!"

...

Eight minutes later

Game Time PM 21:22

The long bridge of Ebby City, behind the temporary defense line established by the reinforcements of the Skalan Duchy

Ford • Bombdrill, who had traded the overloading of engines one to five for half a minute of low-altitude hovering, saluted the twenty or so fully armed knights before him with a serious expression, "Captain Ford • Bombdrill of the Kirov assault team, on behalf of all members, wishes you the best of luck in battle."

All the members of the Princess’s Guard lifted their longswords, performing a perfectly synchronized knightly salute to Ford • Bombdrill and everyone standing beside him.

"Thank you all for your efforts."

Yu Chen, held in Snow Mane’s arms, bowed slightly and said with a smile, "May the gods bless you."

"Thank you, Your Highness the Saintess."

Ford • Bombdrill laughed heartily and grinned, "Then let’s proceed as we agreed. As soon as we signal, you all start your move."

Snow Mane nodded gently and then sharply pulled on the reins, leading the charge on her formidable steed as she leaped from two meters above the airship, "Princess’s Guard, move out!"

...

Five minutes later, the Kirov climbed back up to its previous altitude, moving slowly towards the other shore where the mutant groups were still assaulting the Skalan defense line like a faltering old man.

At this moment, all the engines on the airship were emitting thick smoke, groaning under the strain of the reckless overload, looking like they might stop at any moment.

And indeed, they might stop at any moment.

"Fifty seconds! Fifty seconds at most!"

Rivet Wheel, having completed the final rescue of the engines, came back to the deck covered in soot, waving a wrench at Ford • Bombdrill and shouting, "Tell me now, what is your damned plan, at least let me die with some understanding."

"A crash doesn’t necessarily mean death, especially under the command of a good captain."

Ford • Bombdrill casually tossed a large backpack to Rivet Wheel, shrugging, "Go to the rear deck, everyone is already assembled there. My helmsman will tell you how to use this thing. The wind is good today, if you’re lucky, you’ll land to the south of the riverbank. As long as you’re not too stupid, you probably won’t die too easily."

"What about you?"

Rivet Wheel, holding the large backpack thrown by Ford • Bombdrill and seeing the same on his back, asked with a frown, "Aren’t you going with me?"

The latter rolled his eyes and waved his hand, "I plan to drop the remaining ’goods’ first. Didn’t you just say it, don’t waste firepower? There are a bit too many monsters left on the side of Ebby City. It won’t do to leave without clearing out the inventory."

Rivet Wheel glanced at the goblin in front of him, who carried a parachute on his back and had two rocket jets hanging around his waist, and gave a dry laugh, "You make sure you can escape, right?"

"I guarantee that if we keep on chatting, whether or not I can escape, you are definitely a goner."

Bombdrill rolled his eyes, pointing in the direction of the rear deck, "Stop blabbering, just get lost."

"Hmph, even if you’ve crashed many times, don’t get too reckless."

Rivet Wheel pursed his lips and then turned to run toward the back deck.

...

Thirty seconds later

Bombdrill watched as those Bao Gang Aviation’s standard emergency parachutes disappeared into the night, and he let out a long sigh of relief.

At the same time, a series of piercing roars erupted from behind the ship.

"Tsk tsk, engines four, seven, nine, and eleven really were the first to go~"

The captain, not particularly old but who had spent half his life flying in the sky, made an accurate judgment without even turning his head. He grinned, not dropping the mix bombs as he had previously said but instead calmly took off the parachute from his back, discarded his rocket jets at his waist and walked over to the compass at the front of the deck. He patted it firmly, "Good buddy, even though those bastards made you dumb and heavy, you are still my best ship."

The answer to him was a series of explosions occurring from all around.

Rivet Wheel was not wrong; fifty seconds really were the Kirov’s limit. Those engines, which did not have much life left to start with, had been overloaded countless times and were already at the end of their tether. The fact that they had lasted this long was the best outcome the old dwarf could manage by desperately repairing them.

"Ah ha, this is definitely the most spectacular crash of my life."

Bombdrill gripped the compass taller than himself, humming a tune while skillfully adjusting the Kirov’s course, finally aiming it towards a spot half a kilometer from the Scarlan defensive line, where a large number of mutants were gathered. He murmured, "Let’s make some big noise!"

...

"Report from the Kirov’s suicide squad."

Feather Song, who had arrived with the main force, stood behind Motan and said expressionlessly, "Successfully delivered the Princess Guard to the designated location. In addition, all members other than Captain Ford • Bombdrill have safely escaped; the inspection squad reports, the Kirov, with all engines completely destroyed, has accurately crashed before the Long Bridge of Ebby City, right in the middle of the Mutant Groups. The remaining mix bombs have been fully detonated, causing..."

"...causing a huge sympathetic explosion."

Motan nodded slightly, looking at the vast cloud of smoke that had not yet dissipated in the distance, and said in a deep voice, "I saw it, he completed the task beyond the call of duty..."

Feather Song bit her lower lip gently, and after two seconds, she said softly, "I suggest giving twice the consolation money to that captain’s family; he provided a perfect start to the final phase."

"His family all perished due to the plague a month ago."

Motan gave a wry smile, shook his head and after a long silence, he spoke softly, "How about the Princess Guard?"

"They have started to move."

"What about Cordova and those Scarlan people?"

"As per your orders, they withdrew the defensive line a minute ago."

"How about the evacuation work in Savah City?"

"It has been completed."

"Good."

Motan nodded, casually tearing open an Amplification Scroll, turned around to look at the faces filled with weariness and resolve...

"All members of the Misha County Joint Forces, follow me and charge."

"Yes, Commander!"

Chapter 456: The End