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

Chapter 113 Stances may change, but beliefs must not waver [4.5k]

"Buzz!"

As dusk fell, military green jeeps slowly drove across the fields, and a vast convoy of jeeps and trucks, billowing yellow smoke, headed toward the distant coastline.

"Snapped!"

John, sitting in the back seat of a jeep in the middle of the convoy, felt the jolting against his backside and a chill run down his spine. He casually picked up a kerosene lighter he had taken from the baron's mansion and lit a Red Bird cigarette.

Just as he was about to take a puff, he seemed to remember something, turned to look at Major General Conrad beside him who was watching him with a half-smile, and handed him the cigarette pack:

"Would Major General Conrad like one?"

"No, I usually only smoke cigars and I'm not interested in cigarettes."

Conrad smiled and waved his hand politely in decline.

Although he knew that commanders like John often needed cigarettes to help their brains release dopamine, thereby increasing brain activity and enabling them to make better decisions.

However, he himself did not like this kind of addiction. Even with cigars, he would only take a few and smoke a few puffs when socializing with his superiors. He always took a small bite and stopped, unlike John and Dormammu, who felt uncomfortable if they didn't smoke for a day.

However, John, who silently put away his cigarette case after hearing her words, had a somewhat complicated expression.

Realizing that his words and actions had been somewhat impolite, Conrad thought for a moment and then added:
"If you're interested, Major John, I'll have someone send you a few boxes later?"

"Thank you."

Upon hearing this, John didn't say anything, but instead gave a forced smile and thanked the other party, while in reality he was already cursing Conrad, that rich bastard, to the core.

Especially when thinking about how he originally owned 679,453D gold, he could have subtly shown off to the other person like that.

But after impulsively investing all his pension money into the construction of Longyanling, he felt even more distressed.

He could have easily become a wealthy dog, envied by everyone, by relying on his pension.

When I retire, I can smoke one pack of cigarettes and then throw it away.

However, he was misled by his damned kindness, which led to him not being able to afford even decent cigarettes and only being able to smoke the standard cigarettes issued by the army.

After working hard for dozens of days, we were back to square one.

The spirit of youth in the new era has misled me!

I hate it so much!
John grew increasingly angry as he thought about it, furiously puffing on the cheap 9C cigarettes he was given by the military, trying to make up for the loss of his pension by taking advantage of military benefits.

The next second, however, he happened to catch the jeep going over a slope.

This caused the smoke to not be completely expelled from the lungs during exhalation, and the person was immediately choked and coughed repeatedly.

Conrad, upon seeing this, immediately burst into laughter.

However, he did not ridicule the young major, but instead took a water bottle from the storage compartment of the carriage and handed it to him.

After seeing the other person gulp down several mouthfuls, feel better, and thank him, Conrad then teased John:

"That's why I never do anything unnecessary in the car, as it's easy to be disrespectful in front of my superiors. So John, you should learn from this."

"Major General Conrad is right. I apologize for the embarrassing incident. I will be more careful next time."

John returned the kettle to the other man with a dark expression, but he could feel Conrad's mocking gaze.

Feeling mocked, Major John immediately shifted the blame to the vehicle itself:

"However, compared to this unexpected situation, I personally think it is more related to the inhumane design concept of the vehicle. If the people in the vehicle R&D department could consider adding a shock absorption system when designing the vehicle, such as by adding springs to reduce the bumps caused by the vehicle's movement, then it might bring a better riding experience when encountering rough terrain."

"And this would also solve the problem of goods being damaged during vehicle transport due to harsh ground conditions, and it would also solve the headache of motion sickness, wouldn't you say, Major General Conrad?"

"Um?!"

Conrad, who had hoped to see John make a fool of himself, was taken aback when he heard about this improvement idea.

He then looked thoughtfully at the water bottle in his hand, which was shaking violently due to the bumpy ride of the vehicle.

I couldn't help but be amazed by John's wildly imaginative idea, and at the same time, I felt even more that this young major was a talented person and indeed worth helping out.

However, knowing that overly sudden gestures of goodwill often arouse suspicion, Conrad did not immediately reveal his plans, but instead nodded earnestly to John:

“John, your suggestion is indeed good. I will report it to the Ministry of Defense in your name. If all goes well, there should be progress within a few days. The Ministry of Defense should send someone to communicate with you and request the specific design theory. You can take some time to write down your ideas and mail them to the Ministry of Defense.”

"After the Ministry of Defense tests it and confirms its feasibility, I will help you apply for a patent, which should provide you with a decent amount of extra income."

Under John's surprised gaze, Conrad, having just finished speaking, seemed to remember something and quickly gave John an apologetic smile:
"However, considering Major John's character of treating money like dirt, you're probably not interested in this income, right? Or, I can help you donate that income later?"

Donate?
Donate my ass!
Who the hell said I treat money like dirt?

I clearly value money as much as life itself!

Slander! This is absolutely a slander against Major John!
Who exactly spread such absurd rumors?

I will never let him live under the same sky!

Hearing this, John was furious, but despite being on the verge of jumping up and down, he still coughed twice under Conrad's scrutinizing gaze in order to maintain his composure:

"Ahem, while I'm not really interested in money, I won't trouble you, Major General Conrad, with this matter. I'll handle it myself. After all, you're so busy; how can you waste your time on such trivial things!"

"That's true. Let's talk about it later. After all, the Ministry of Military Industry's testing will take some time."

"Then I thank you in advance, Major General Conrad."

"You're welcome with just a little effort."

Seeing John's barely concealed excitement and joy upon hearing his words, Conrad couldn't help but chuckle, finding the major to be an even more remarkable man.

They can throw away hundreds of thousands of dollars without batting an eye, yet they can be as happy as a child over a reward of less than a few thousand dollars.

It's really incomprehensible.

Conrad pondered this silently, which only strengthened his resolve. He then spoke to John in a deep voice:

"Major John, considering the intense battle at Faoken Bay and the fact that magic soldiers are not suitable for jungle warfare, I feel it is necessary for me to remind you of a few things."

"Of course, these suggestions of mine are just my personal opinions. You can treat them as casual conversation. If you are interested, you can refer to them appropriately. If you think there is anything wrong, just consider it as me saying something wrong. Don't take it too seriously."

"While the Second Army Corps is undoubtedly the most valiant and fearless army of the Empire, the support they can provide varies due to the different combat experience of each regiment."

"For example, the 3rd Independent Division led by Lieutenant General Dolan, although it has achieved good results in defensive battles, lacks experience in jungle warfare and siege warfare. If it is an offensive mission, the support it can provide is very limited."

"In comparison, I personally believe that the 3rd Infantry Regiment of the 1st Division of the 2nd Army Corps, led by Colonel Samuel Ivan Gorden [using the Soviet organization, excluding brigade level], has rich experience in jungle warfare and siege warfare, and its fighting style is relatively brave."

"If you need support in battle, the other side would be a good choice."

"Of course, the above is purely my personal opinion and is not intended to deny the combat capabilities of the other legions. Major John, you should understand that, right?"

After saying this, Conrad gave John a meaningful look.

John, upon hearing this, immediately understood that the head of the Second Air Force Intelligence Department was implying that Colonel Samuel was a potential ally within Lieutenant General Dolan's forces. He was also being specifically mentioned that the Independent 3rd Division was essentially Dolan's backyard unit; after all, what division had no experience in siege warfare and only defensive operations?
Furthermore, since Perus I took office, the empire has been constantly expanding outwards, and has always been engaged in foreign wars. Under the terrifying suppression of the magic soldiers, there have been very few defensive battles with serious casualties.

The Independent 3rd Division, on the other hand, has outstanding defensive experience, which is practically a direct accusation that the opposing force is just going through the motions.

If John were to encounter real trouble and ask for help, he had no doubt that the Independent 3rd Division would simply turn a deaf ear, and that the enemy might even run away faster than he did once they realized they were being attacked.

However, compared to this inside information, what intrigued John at this moment was something else entirely.

Why would Conrad help himself?
John was very puzzled by this.

As for why it is believed that this was Conrad's own arrangement, rather than an order from the Department of Military Affairs.

You can tell from the other party's cryptic words just now.

If this was truly a mission assigned by Wolf, then the other party would never have used such a troublesome method to remind him. Instead, he would have explained it directly to him, or even said nothing at all, and simply ordered him to meet up with Colonel Samuel after arriving in Faoken.

But the more this was the case, the more puzzled John became.

He simply couldn't understand why the other party was doing this.

But after the other person finished speaking, they just smiled and looked at him without saying a word.

He also understood that he was unlikely to get the specific reason from this ruthless interrogator.

So he had no choice but to suppress his doubts and instead spoke sincerely to this backstabbing king who had inexplicably offered him help:

"I have received your advice. Thank you for your guidance, Major General Conrad."

"You're welcome, it was nothing. If Major John really wants to thank me, then come to Eleanor and have another chat with me when you've completed your support mission for Faoken and successfully returned to the Empire!"

He paused slightly, looking at the three massive warships docked at the pier ahead, listening to the signal horns of the warships, and feeling the salty, humid air wafting in through the window.

Conrad also realized that the moment of parting with this interesting Major John was approaching.

The smile on his face slowly faded, and he turned to look at the excessively young Major John with an indescribably complex gaze, speaking to him with a tone of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex feeling of mixed emotions, often including regret or apprehension):

"The time has come, John. You should set off. I sincerely hope that you will return to the Empire safely with honor. I will welcome you back to Elena in a warm welcome to complete our last hastily concluded meeting."

"May the glory of the Empire be with you, Major John Maslow."

May the glory of the empire be with you!

"Squeak!"

"..."

In the back seat of the jeep, through the windshield, I silently watched John gather his troops, board the warship, and as the ship roared to life and sped away towards the horizon amidst the piercing whistle of its horn.

Conrad, sitting in his chair, fell into deep thought.

At this moment, all he could think about was that night two days ago, when he reported John Maslow's matter to the Prime Minister and received that reply.

"The conservatives don't need reformers, and the outcome regarding John Maslow remains unchanged."

Conrad had expected this answer, but when he actually heard it, he still couldn't help but find it absurd.

Especially when he thought that if John Maslow hadn't appeared, the person in the Seventh Air Force who carried out the mission to destroy the anti-magic device would most likely have been his own brother, Jet.

Based on his understanding of Jet, with Jet's stubborn personality and simple-mindedness that could be described as foolish, it was unlikely that Jet would see through the trap set by the Morning Star.

They will most likely suffer a crushing defeat in this mission, or even die in battle.

He couldn't help but feel a surge of anger rising within him.

He could accept his brother's death in battle, but what Conrad could not accept was that the brother died because of such a meaningless political struggle.

He could not accept that the other party would indirectly die at his hands.

This time, Prime Minister Wolf's decision regarding John Maslow demonstrated a focus solely on factionalism rather than individual competence.

This made him feel even more absurd than ever before.

Although he joined the Conservative Party because of the Slevin family’s long-held family motto of ‘balance’.

However, after learning that Prime Minister Wolf, despite commanding an army of 12 magic soldiers, still did not choose to usurp the throne but instead remained firmly in his position as prime minister without ever crossing the line.

He then realized that the prime minister, whom countless people regarded as a usurper, actually held an unprecedented level of loyalty to the empire.

It was under the influence of the other party's belief that he could maintain his original intention in the face of power that he was able to endure his brother's hostility and misunderstanding, as well as the disappointment and contempt of his former friends.

He has always remained a loyal follower of the Prime Minister.

But after this incident, he gradually realized that he seemed to have misjudged the person.

It is true that Prime Minister Wolf was able to resist the temptation of power.

But he couldn't accept the other party's choice to make the best of a bad situation.

He is willing to eliminate the weaker factions from opposing groups in order to consolidate his own camp.

In any case, these people are just a burden to the empire.

But he could not accept that someone who was beneficial to the empire could be killed simply because of a difference in allegiance.

This is definitely not the path he wants to strive for.

He did not want to become a sinner who, for the sake of factional stability, sacrificed one, or even several, potential future hopes of the empire.

Therefore, he has never voluntarily violated the doctrine of balance that his father had taught him to follow since childhood.

He violated the principles that a henchman of the prime minister should have.

It goes against the stance that one should have now.

For the first time in this factional conflict that should never have occurred, he switched sides with John Maslow, who should have been his enemy.

"Positions may change, but beliefs must never be shaken."

From beginning to end, his goal was to make the empire great again.

He would sacrifice everything for this.

He was willing to risk becoming an enemy of the prime minister he once admired.

"..."

As he watched the sunset gradually disappear into the mountains and listened to the faint hum of the car driving by, Conrad, half-reclining in his seat, had an even brighter and more determined look in the gradually darkening night.

……

There's one more chapter, still being written. The pacing of this chapter is difficult to break up, so I'm posting both chapters together.
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(End of this chapter)