I, who was eager to retire, became an Imperial General.

Chapter 106 Code Name: Zero Project

John was unsure whether Wolf would change his original support plan after this conversation, based on the value he had demonstrated.

But based on Conrad's performance, he felt the probability was very low.

"Although I still don't understand why Wolf is targeting me, it's generally acceptable."

The bait of the Sage's Crystal has been thrown out, and Conrad's advance assessment of the Allied magical technology, once the data was compiled, was enough to prove his talent.

After that, all he needs to do is secure a victory on the Faoken Gulf front, and that will be enough to deter Wolf from targeting him again.

And when that time comes, that will be the moment when I truly begin to shine.

Shaking his head to pull himself back from his thoughts, John glanced back at the brightly lit manor, then called Wendy, who was looking wary and alert, and got into the car parked outside. They then headed towards the accommodations Dormammu had arranged for them.

……

The next day, early in the morning.

After breakfast, John explained the situation to Leia of Longan Territory via radio, instructing her to lead her troops back. He then communicated with Glenn to outline the subsequent governance plan for Longan Territory.

Just as he was about to visit Dormammu to confirm his identity as the person in charge of the economic revitalization policy of Glenn Dragoneye Territory, thus ensuring that his development plan would not be distorted by the imperial political officials who would arrive later.

Before he could even step out of the hotel, a voice at the door suddenly called out to him.

"John, wait a minute!"

"Major General Jeter?"

Upon seeing the person's face, John raised an eyebrow in surprise.

The other person was Jett Slevin. Compared to before, his appearance had not changed much; he still had that hard face with a perfect jawline.

Thanks to his previous merits, this muscular man was promoted and received a raise, rising from colonel to major general.

Logically speaking, someone who has made progress should be in a state of great success and beaming with joy.

Unexpectedly, Major General Jet frowned, his face filled with gloom and displeasure.

Combined with the guilt and pity in the other person's eyes as they looked at him, and the hesitant expression on their face, he realized that they were about to say something but couldn't.

In an instant, John understood everything. Without saying a word, he took the initiative to invite the other party to the hotel's meeting room.

"Squeak!"

As the door slowly closed, before John could even remove his military cap and sit down, Major General Jet's deep voice echoed in the room:
"John, what are your plans regarding supporting Faoken Bay?"

Major General Jet looked at John with a complicated expression, his eyes filled with guilt and frustration.

He had just returned to his post this morning after completing his mission, and was happily reporting the results of the cleanup to Marshal Dormammu. However, he did not expect to hear from him that John was about to be sent to support the Faoken front.

The good mood that came with the promotion vanished instantly under the influence of this news, replaced by anxiety and unease.

Therefore, after briefly reporting the situation to Dormammu, he rushed to the hotel where John was resting, wanting to comfort his excellent junior and see if he could offer him some advice to help him avoid this damned mission.

Those parasites in the Ministry of Military Affairs deserve to die. They know better than anyone what a mess Faoken is in right now, yet they still choose to deplete the Empire's strength for the sake of internal strife.

First, in order to counterbalance His Majesty the Emperor, the Imperial Third Navy was abandoned.

Now, they've pushed a young man with the potential to lead the empire to new heights directly into the fire.

How is this any different from directly betraying the empire?
Indeed, I shouldn't have advised Marshal Dormammu to hold back in the first place.

They should have sent those damned nobles to hell back then!

In that case, John, who should have had a bright future, wouldn't have ended up in this situation.

I've dragged him down with me!

The more Jet thought about it, the more an unprecedented tightness appeared in his chest.

Then, as if making a decision, he took a deep breath and gritted his teeth, saying:

“John, you met with Conrad yesterday, right? That guy is Wolf’s lackey. Don’t listen to his nonsense. Faoken is a mess, and you can’t save it.”

"What's more, the Imperial Army's commander this time is that Dolan. That guy is a good-for-nothing who only knows how to eat, drink, gamble, and whore. He's completely useless. Given the corrupt situation there, even if Marshal Dormammu went, let alone you, he probably wouldn't be able to turn the tide of the war." "Here's what we'll do. Listen to me. You immediately stay in the hotel and pretend to be sick. Say that you were injured during a recent mission and your magic is acting strangely. Then immediately apply to your superiors to change your assignment from commander to logistics."

"only you……"

"Major General Conrad has made it clear to me that he will arrange for me and the members of the 1st Battalion to travel to Faoken by warship the day after tomorrow. In addition, Major General Conrad has received a direct order from the Department of Military Affairs, and he will not allow any unexpected situations to occur."

"Moreover, changing positions on the spot due to illness also requires review and proof of illness, and this process takes at least seven days, which is not feasible in time."

John interrupted Jet before he could finish speaking.

He then quietly looked at Jett, whose face was flushed red and whose chest heaved with anger. After a brief silence, a smile involuntarily appeared on his face, and he said in a deliberately relaxed manner:
"It's alright, Major General Jet, you don't need to worry so much. I know what I'm doing, nothing will go wrong."

"Also, I've actually wanted to visit Faoken Bay, which is teeming with orcs, for a long time. This time, I'll take advantage of the mission to go sightseeing and pick up some local specialties while I'm at it. If there's anything you want, I can bring some back for you later."

"……Ugh."

Seemingly understanding that John's current situation was unchangeable, Jett sighed and then asked:

"Is there anything I can do to help? Please don't hesitate to ask."

"Yes, there is. I'd like to borrow someone from you. I wonder if you, Major General Jet, are..."

"You want to borrow Leia, right? You don't need to borrow her from me anymore. General Dormammu has already assigned her to your support mission. Once your 1st Battalion is fully reorganized, she will serve as the company commander of the 1st Battalion's ground support company."

"And frankly, putting her in the Black Hawk Special Forces is a bit of a waste of her talents. Only in your hands can Leia play her greatest role."

Before John could finish speaking, Jett interrupted him, then added:
"Is there anything else you need? There are many good members in the Black Hawk team right now. If you need anything, you can just let me know, and I'll transfer someone to your team later, with Leia in charge of leading them."

"After all, compared to magic soldiers, the members of the Black Hawk Unit are more accustomed to fighting in that kind of terrain."

"Although, it will be equally difficult to reverse the situation on the Faoken front..."

Major General Jet sighed helplessly once again.

"Actually, I already have some ideas about the battle of Faoken Bay, and in my plan, a large number of magic soldiers will be needed to complete it. Therefore, I appreciate your kindness."

John smiled and shook his head, though Jett had previously thwarted his plans twice, leaving him quite frustrated.

However, given his current predicament, the fact that the other party not only did not take advantage of his misfortune but also offered him timely help truly moved him.

Even the other person's perfectly flawed jawline suddenly seemed somewhat pleasing to the eye.

Can I say that I am becoming more and more like an imperial lackey?

Ugh……

John sighed inwardly, wanting to shake off this troublesome matter, say goodbye to Jeter, and then hurry up and finalize Glenn's position to avoid any unexpected situations.

But just as he was about to say goodbye to Jett and run away, he suddenly remembered a certain unfortunate Allied colonel whom he had planted as a spy, whose fate was now unknown. He quickly slapped his forehead and asked Jett:
"By the way, speaking of which, I do have something I need your help with. It's about the Allied spy I recruited before, the agent who made contact with them. Major General Jet, do you have any suitable people you could arrange?"

"Agent? Oh, you must be referring to 'Project Zero', right? Didn't I already resolve that based on your suggestions? Didn't the Marshal tell you?"

Jet looked at John with a puzzled expression, seemingly not understanding why the other would ask such a question.

"Huh? My opinion? Major General Jet, are you sure? I don't remember giving any opinion."

John was completely bewildered. He had indeed asked someone to report the spying, but he hadn't offered any opinions whatsoever. Even the intelligence was sent by Mia, the communications officer of the 14th Squad, on his behalf.

Wait a minute, speaking of which, Mia seems to play with that idiot Wendy quite often, could it be...?

As if he had just realized something, cold sweat began to bead on John's forehead, and an unprecedented sense of unease welled up in his heart.

However, as if to confirm his conjecture, Jett, looking completely bewildered, uttered an answer that left him speechless:

"Didn't you say you needed a higher-ranking secret agent to liaise with that spy? So I arranged for your classmate Hassan Daryl to be the one to make contact?"

"Speaking of which, that kid is indeed a talent. Despite being an early graduate, he has done quite well as a special agent. In just two years, he was promoted to the head of the intelligence team within the Allied Forces. He is also currently the highest-ranking special agent in the Allied Forces among all our Seventh Air Force agents."

"Having the other side contact the agent you arranged is perfect... Hmm? John, why do you suddenly look so pale? Are you alright?"

……

There's one more chapter, still writing. I'll post it as soon as it's finished.
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(End of this chapter)