The sun was high in the sky, scorching the desert below.
In the distance, a team of hundreds of people was moving slowly in the desert.
This was a group of holy Egyptian magicians led by Saul, who were ordered to go to Arabia to support Saladin's army.
Saul rode on a camel at the front of the group, glancing back from time to time to make sure everyone was keeping up.
This was his first time commanding such a large team, and he was very nervous.
Although he is a newly promoted Ultimate Great Magician, he is still a novice when it comes to commanding troops.
"Um...should we take a break?"
He turned around and said to a man in a red robe behind him.
That's the Pope.
Upon hearing this, the Pope simply smiled kindly.
"Lord Saul, if you hope to reach your destination on time, it would be best if we rest during the night."
"Desert nights are more suitable for traveling than days. The temperature is just right and visibility is good."
Saul looked at the magicians in the team, who were already showing signs of fatigue, with some concern: "But everyone has been walking for so long..."
The Pope simply continued: "A soldier's duty is to obey orders and endure hardships."
"Moreover, we are shouldering the heavy responsibility entrusted by His Majesty the Holy Pharaoh."
Saul nodded thoughtfully.
The Pope's words made him understand the first simple truth.
A leader’s responsibility is not to please his followers, but to make the right decisions at critical moments, even if those decisions may not be popular.
That night, they camped on the back of a sand dune.
Saul took the initiative to assume the responsibility of inspection and personally checked the deployment of sentries and the security of the camp.
The Pope observed from the side and gave guidance from time to time.
“Being a leader is not easy. You need to learn to balance care and discipline, to be kind but also decisive.”
"Just like His Majesty the Holy Pharaoh."
“Sometimes, seemingly considerate decisions can lead to the worst possible outcomes, and seemingly cruel choices can be the best way to protect everyone.”
"If you don't know what to do, think of His Majesty the Holy Pharaoh."
"If His Majesty the Holy Pharaoh were to do this, what would he decide?"
"You should find your own path based on this."
Saul listened carefully, nodding from time to time.
These words reminded him of his experience studying at the magic academy, that is, theoretical knowledge is important, but the understanding gained from practice is more valuable.
The next morning, they set off early and continued on their journey under the rising sun.
Unlike the previous day, Saul was more decisive this time and directly ordered adjustments to the marching speed and direction to ensure that the team could advance efficiently.
"The terrain to the northeast is relatively flat, suitable for large groups of people to pass quickly."
"I suggest we change our route and take that shortcut."
The Pope nodded approvingly. "Very good, Saul."
At noon, the team passed through a rugged rocky area and entered a more open desert plain.
At this moment, a forward magician discovered something unusual and quickly returned to report.
"Sir, an unidentified object has been found ahead. It looks like armor fragments."
Saul and the Pope looked at each other and immediately ordered the team to slow down and send several scouts to check.
Not long after, the scouts brought back the news.
Those were indeed some broken pieces of armor, with dried blood still on them.
"This is?"
"Why do you look familiar?"
Saul picked up a metal plate with a special pattern on it, and the design on it was faintly visible.
After a careful examination, the Pope frowned.
"This is Arab army equipment, but why is it in a place like this?"
"This place is still a long way from Arabia."
Just as they were thinking about this, another magician came running from behind a sand dune not far away.
His face looked a little panicked: "My Lords! You have to come and see this!"
"There are some armor fragments here too!"
"It seems to have been brought here by the previous sandstorm!"
The sandstorm he was talking about was the one they saw from afar about two days ago.
To avoid the sandstorm, Saul chose a slightly longer route.
After hearing the news, Saul immediately decided to expand the search range and ordered the team to spread out in a fan shape, with each person fifty meters apart, to carefully search the surface.
Soon, more armor fragments, weapon debris and bloodstains were discovered.
There was an unusual reflection on the distant horizon, as if caused by a large area of metal exposed to the sun.
“Stay alert!”
Saul immediately gave the order and urged the camels in that direction, followed closely by the Pope and several other high-ranking magicians.
As the distance shortened, they could see the source of the reflection.
There were piles of armor and weapons scattered on the sand.
But even more eerie were the hands and feet that vaguely appeared from the sand.
Obviously, those are the owners of the armor.
Saul himself was the first to dismount and cautiously walked towards the nearest pile of armor.
The Pope waved his magic wand, and a faint light shot out from the tip of the wand, gently floating in the air, illuminating the scene under the sand.
As they pushed away the sand on the surface, corpses appeared one after another.
These people were obviously killed and left in the desert.
"this?!"
"They are from the Arab mission!"
the Pope exclaimed immediately, pointing to the peculiar emblem on the deceased's chest.
"This kind of wound was most likely caused by cavalry!"
"They were most likely killed by their own people!"
Saul stood up and looked around at the deadly field.
He swallowed hard, but secretly admired the foresight of His Majesty the Holy Pharaoh in his heart.
"If these deceased were indeed members of the embassy to Holy Egypt, then they must have carried important information."
"Now that they've been killed, it means that message can no longer be delivered."
The Pope continued, “Yes, Lord Saul!”
"It may also mean that the situation in Arabia may be more chaotic than we expected, otherwise the rebels would never have attacked the official mission."
"They don't have the guts!"
"Unless, they are already prepared!"
Saul also immediately realized the seriousness of the matter.
The rebels are likely to take the opportunity to launch a full-scale attack!
Time may be running out.
"I'm afraid His Majesty Saladin sent the delegation this time because the situation in Arabia is urgent!"
"After all, His Majesty the Holy Pharaoh just gifted them a lot of supplies last time. It's impossible for them to use them all in such a short time."
"I don't know if the supplies arrived safely. If they were hijacked by the rebels..."
Saul immediately got back on the camel and raised his voice.
"Everyone! Full speed to Arabia!"
"His Majesty the Holy Pharaoh has long anticipated this situation. Now is the time to support our allies!"
"Everyone, please follow me closely!"
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