#443Peaceful Narnians? Searching for Aslan the LionAI Model: gemini-2.5-flashChapter 443: Peaceful Narnians? Searching for Aslan the LionThe flag bearer waved a black banner, issuing a retreat order, and the attacking Telmarines quickly relayed the signal, withdrawing rapidly towards the outside of the fortress."They're running away," Cornelius said with a grave expression. If the Telmarines retreated from the bunker in time, their battle plan would not achieve the desired effect."This is normal. Others' traps to lure the enemy are to fight and retreat, trying not to arouse suspicion.They, on the other hand, lure people in and then directly retreat, without any attempt at concealment. If the Telmarines hadn't noticed something was wrong, I'd suspect them of being idiots."At that moment, a small squad of Telmarine soldiers ran up and discovered Aaron and Cornelius, who were talking."What did I say earlier? We should have left here first," Cornelius said. "But these people shouldn't be a match for you, right?""Of course." Aaron looked at the squad of soldiers charging at them, fired two shots, killing the two closest soldiers.Then he grabbed Cornelius's shoulder, "This might not be too friendly for an old, fat man."Bang!With a muffled sound, the two were instantly swept into a grayish-white vortex.The next moment, their figures reappeared.Cornelius stumbled, almost falling to the ground. He looked at the Narnians rushing out of the tunnel not far away, and an expression of shock inevitably appeared on his face."What just happened?""This is a profound magic. Even among Wizards, less than one-tenth of them master it.You are very lucky; you might be the only human in this world to have experienced instantaneous movement."Cornelius nodded blankly, but his attention was quickly drawn by the commotion ahead, "Now is not the time to talk about this. Quickly inform Peter, the Telmarine army is retreating from the bunker.""You stay here and don't move, otherwise I can't guarantee your safety.""I understand."Aaron Apparated again, teleporting in front of Peter.Peter, Caspian, and Edmund were directing the Narnians to retreat. When he saw Aaron, he almost fell off his horse in surprise."How did you get here?""By instantaneous movement, of course." Aaron said as a matter of course, "But you shouldn't even think about it; this is a skill only Wizards possess."Peter:...Can't I tell? But I'm really envious!"I have some not-so-good news for you. The Telmarines are orderly retreating from the bunker.""What?""Don't be so agitated. They did discover that the bunker was a trap, but they discovered it a bit late.Many soldiers have already entered the depths, and the order to retreat hasn't been received in time. Even if it is received, it will take some time to withdraw, so acting now can barely achieve the desired effect.""But we haven't all retreated yet," Caspian said bitterly. "At least another half minute."Aaron glanced into the passage. The Narnians were lined up for dozens of meters, and not far behind them were many pursuers."I'll help you one more time." Aaron sighed helplessly, half-crouching on the ground and aiming."No!" Edmund hurriedly stopped him. "Our people haven't come out yet!""Don't worry, I have a sense of proportion," Aaron said, then pulled the trigger.Bang!A gunshot rang out. The last bullet instantly passed through the dense crowd, hitting an open space between them and the pursuers.Sparks flickered in the dark passage, then turned into flames, which then became crimson fire.Because the dry wood and flammable materials on the ground had been doused with lamp oil, as soon as the open flame appeared, it showed a tendency to spread like wildfire, rapidly spreading in all directions.The Telmarine soldiers stopped their pursuit as they watched the flames rolltowards them like a tide."Run!"A soldier roared, pulling them back from their dazed state.The next moment, all the soldiers' faces were filled with panic, and they quickly turned around and ran frantically in the opposite direction.The immense will to survive made them burst out with speeds far exceeding their usual, almost only a hair slower than the spread of the flames.But at many corners inside the bunker, there were oil barrels prepared by the Narnians. When they encountered the flames, they instantly became uncontrollable, and the scale of the flames directly changed from a tide to a tsunami that swallowed everything.Boom! Boom! Boom!The raging flames burned, spreading rapidly in other directions.The bunker became a huge furnace, and heart-wrenching screams emanated from within, audible even from a great distance."Where are our people?" Peter asked worriedly."There were no oil barrels placed near the exit. As long as they run fast enough, the flames won't catch up."Hearing this, Peter and the other two looked at each other.That's true, but the screams of the Telmarine soldiers were terrifying to hear.Fortunately, the Narnians' speed was much faster than the Telmarine soldiers. In less than half a minute, all the remaining people had retreated. Aside from looking a bit disheveled, there were no injuries.On the other side, Prunapi's face was instantly covered in frost.He understood what the trap in the bunker was, but even he couldn't help but swallow as he saw the thick black smoke rising.According to legend, weren't the Narnians peace-loving? But what did he see now? A horrific massacre, so bad that even demons would give them an award.He didn't issue any more retreat orders, because there was no need.The soldiers who could escape ran faster than anyone, and the fate of those who couldn't escape was self-evident."Your Excellency?" the general asked cautiously."I'm fine. I should have listened to you and had our soldiers retreat in time," Prunapi said coldly. "How great are our losses?"The general hesitated, wanting to avoid the topic."Your Excellency, I suggest...""I asked you to tell me our losses.""Yes." The general hesitated for a moment and said, "The cavalry suffered heavy losses, almost completely wiped out. Currently, fewer than fifty can fight.As for the infantry... at least one-third of the infantry died, and those who came out of the bunker alive also suffered burns of varying degrees. They probably won't be able to participate in combat for a short time.""So, from the beginning until now, the Narnians' losses are less than one-tenth, while we have already lost half of our forces?""Yes, Your Excellency." The general nodded and said, "Our advantage in this war is no longer so obvious. We need to rest for a period of time to restore the combat effectiveness of the troops.Therefore, I suggest retreating.""Retreat?" Prunapi sneered, "Absolutely impossible."The general's expression changed slightly, "Your Excellency, we have already suffered more than half losses.Now morale is low. Continuing to fight will result in far greater losses than estimated, a Pyrrhic victory, even if we win.""In war, people always die, General," Prunapi shouted loudly. "Now all the Narnians are gathered together opposite us. Once this opportunity to annihilate them in one battle is lost, it will never be found again.I am also heartbroken by the army's losses of more than half, but even with only half of our forces, our numbers still exceed the Narnians.If we retreat now, it will be a crushing defeat, and those fallen soldiers will have truly died in vain.""But...""No buts, execute the order, General."Prunapi pursed his lips and reluctantly ordered the remaining troops to assemble.Peter and the others in the distance were also somewhat incredulous at the sight, "How could this be?""Are they crazy?" Edmund asked. "They're still going to fight at this point. What good does this do them?""It does no good for those soldiers, but... it may not be the case for the elders of the council," Aaron said meaningfully.Caspian was stunned for a moment, then looked at Prunapi from afar, and suddenly realized."I understand. Prunapi wants to seize the Telmarine throne.But killing Miraz is not enough, because I am still alive, and Caspian is the most legitimate heir.Miraz is my uncle. If he took the throne, the elders of the council would all point fingers.And Prunapi is just one of the council members. He is an outsider and simply cannot command respect.Without killing me, his throne will never be secure.""Not just you, but also your little nephew," Aaron reminded. "In a sense, Miraz's son is also a Telmarine Prince.""So, after killing Caspian, he would even... Miraz's child too?" Edmund's eyes widened in surprise. "That's too vicious!""This is normal. The struggle for the throne is full of bloodshed.Miraz could let Caspian's father die in his sleep, so Prunapi can naturally let Miraz's son die in his sleep." Aaron said jokingly, "I just don't know if he will have Miraz's patience and wait until his own son is born before acting.""He doesn't need to," Caspian said with a complex expression. "Prunapi has a son.""Very good. After killing you and your nephew, he'll have no worries," Edmund said speechlessly."He wants to kill not just Caspian, but also you guys.After all, you witnessed him kill Miraz, so letting you live is somewhat of a hidden danger.""So many people have died for this throne!" Peter said. "This might be the most accurate thing Miraz ever said.""No time for your sentiments. Quickly consolidate the army!The next will be a tough battle. The Narnians have a chance to win, but it still won't be very high."Peter nodded. The Centaur leader standing beside him raised his long sword, "Prepare for battle."The Narnians immediately became serious, each picking up their weapons and quickly adjusting their state."I should probably leave now," Aaron said, then put away the sniper rifle in his hand."Aren't you staying to help us?" Peterasked, puzzled."I don't want to stay on the front lines," Aaron said, rolling his eyes. "I've helped enough. Don't ask me to risk my life!""But the forest isn't safe now either. There must be Telmarine cavalry patrolling," Caspian said."I don't care about those stragglers.If they seek death, I won't show mercy."Hearing this, the three were instantly speechless."I'm going to help Lucy and the others find Aslan. If possible, I also want to end this war as soon as possible.""But they both set off a day ago," Edmund said."I can Apparate.""I mean, you probably won't be able to find them."Aaron raised an eyebrow and took out Captain Jack's compass. "This magicitem can point to what the holder desires in their heart."The three exchanged glances, "Why didn't you take this out earlier? We might have found Aslan by now.""I tried, but I couldn't find Aslan," Aaron said with some regret. "This land seems to be protecting him, allowing him to block the compass's detection, but finding other people is still fine.""Alright, you be careful. We'll take care of things here," Peter said. "We'll definitely hold out until you return.""Goodbye!"Aaron Apparated again, teleporting in front of Cornelius.Without a word, he grabbed the old Professor and Apparated.Whoosh!When they reappeared, Cornelius patted his heart with lingering fear."Next time, please give me advance notice. This is too exhilarating, and I had no preparation at all.""You want a next time?" Aaron glared at him disdainfully. "I, a Grand Master, condescending to protect an old geezer like you is already upsetting enough. And you're still not satisfied? Who do you think you are?""Sorry." Cornelius pursed his lips guiltily, looking at the surrounding walls and rubble, his gaze stopping before four statues. "This, this is?""The ruins of Cair Paravel. The outside has been abandoned for hundreds or thousands of years, but this Chamber of Secrets has remained undiscovered.There's no safer place in Narnia than here. You stay put and don't come out until tomorrow.""Got it, got it," Cornelius said somewhat impatiently. He was very fascinated by Narnian history, and this was an unexcavated ruin, so its appeal to him was self-evident.Having settled the large burden, Aaron followed the direction of the compass needle, Apparating at a distance of five hundred meters each time.After several consecutive attempts, the needle pointed in the opposite direction."Found them." Aaron's face lit up with joy. He stopped Apparating and ran frantically in the direction indicated by the needle.Midway, he saw several corpses of Telmarine soldiers, with red arrows stuck in them, presumably Susan's doing.There was also one unlucky fellow with three bullet holes in his body, clearly caused by a firearm, most likely Lucy's work.Continuing along the direction of the needle for about a hundred meters, Aaron finally saw the two of them, and in front of them was a giant male lion over two meters tall."Aslan?"Roar!The lion let out a roar, then said in a gentle voice, "Narnia welcomes your arrival, young Wizard.""Uh... not everyone welcomes me.""Aaron." Susan kept winking at him. "You must bow down to the Supreme King.""I won't," Aaron refused outright.He had never bowed to anyone in his life except his ancestors and parents.This lion was indeed stronger than him, but it wasn't worthy of him groveling."It's alright," Aslan smiled. "Your talent is too great, and you have infinite possibilities in the future. Perhaps in less than ten years, you will surpass me."
