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

Chapter 148 Loyalty and Destruction

Compared to the offer John made that no Shadow Orc could refuse, Galil was more concerned about the first half of John's words.

So, what John Maslow meant was that the royal family of the Saga Kingdom had always had a way to lift the curse on the Shadow Orcs, but for some unknown reason, they never did so.
Is it because of the sins committed by the Shadow Orcs?

Or is it true, as John Maslow said, that they are not orcs, and that once the curse of corruption is lifted and they regain their drow elf forms, they will find the truth by distinguishing themselves from orcs, and then take revenge on the Saga Kingdom that has been deceiving and enslaving them all along?

Is this the fundamental reason why Saga's kingdom has never lifted the corruption curse from the Shadow Orcs?
"Crack!"

As the gathering dark clouds flashed with lightning once more, a dense downpour immediately poured down from the sky. The raindrops pounded against the hard walls, making a series of crackling sounds, which seemed to strike Galil's heart as well.

This caused his usually calm mind to begin to surge with uncontrollable waves, which, fueled by anger, began to rapidly rise and surge, constantly impacting the isolated island of blind loyalty.

But Galil did not immediately believe John's words. He knew that the more skilled a commander was, the more adept he was at using psychological tactics.

After all, only the most skillful charlatans can achieve final victory in the brutal battlefield.

John Maslow, upon arriving at the Falcon battlefield, used his cunning and almost astonishing strategies to achieve numerous victories against overwhelming odds, completely reversing the situation that should have resulted in the defeat of the Imperial 1st Division.

These facts are enough to prove that the other party is definitely the most cunning among the cunning.

And the more such people are, the more likely the information they provide is to contain traps.

Blindly believing will only lead to being unconsciously misled by the other party, thus becoming a pawn manipulated by their lies to achieve their goals.

He must verify the authenticity of this information through his own investigation before making a decision!

Thinking of this, Galileo immediately suppressed the surging emotions in his heart and spoke to John in a deep voice:

"Sir John, what are your terms?"

"The conditions? They're actually quite simple. I need you to provide me with crucial intelligence at critical moments after you leave Horseshoe City and rendezvous with the Shadow Orcs on the other fronts, so that I can win this war."

"After the victory of the Empire on the front lines of Faokon Bay, I will tell you how to break the curse of corruption, so that the Shadow Orcs can shed their current ugly appearance and return to their original form."

Meeting Galil's narrowed gaze, John smiled slightly, then pointed out the key point:

"As the head of orc intelligence work in Morningstar Territory, Colonel Galil should know the serial numbers of those secret messenger worms in Horseshoe City. I also happen to know a little about how to use secret messenger worms, which should be enough to complete the intelligence transmission work."

"...Your erudition is truly astonishing, but I have a question: how can you be so sure that I will actually follow your instructions to become an Imperial spy and provide you with accurate and effective intelligence?"

Hearing John's blatant arrangement to make him a traitor, Galil wasn't angry. Instead, he felt that this Imperial commander was overconfident to the point of arrogance, and a mocking smile involuntarily appeared on his lips:

"Are you so sure that I, a Shadow Orc, would betray the kingdom and become a lackey of the empire based on your word alone?"

"It's not about being certain, because it's a fact that nothing unexpected will happen."

Seeing Galil's astonished expression, John slowly stood up, a confident smile on his face, and then calmly uttered words that silenced Galil on the spot:

"After all, whether they are humans, beastmen, or other intelligent life forms, once they have witnessed the light obscured by darkness and found the truth, they can no longer tolerate that darkness."

"Moreover, in this matter, it has never been me who needs the Shadow Orcs to be loyal to me or do anything for me."

"Instead, you, as descendants of the Drow, need to offer your newfound loyalty to me and to the Empire, so that the Empire may help you complete the revenge that has been obscured by lies for a thousand years, and allow you to reclaim the glory that belongs to your ancestors."

"Because of Galil the Drow, you drow descendants who have been blinded by the orcs, forgotten your past glory and honor, and instead pledge allegiance to your mortal enemy, have never had another path to take, nothing more!"

"Wow!"

"..."

The torrential rain pounded incessantly against the granite walls of the prison cell, water droplets splashing against the rusty steel bars, carrying a slightly unpleasant smell of rust, flowing down the mottled walls and wetting Galil's gray hair.

The raindrops, which were light enough to be almost weightless, now felt like a massive boulder weighing thousands of tons, pressing firmly on the head of the stubborn Shadow Orc leader, causing him to uncontrollably lower his head, which he had always held high.

All the resentment, anger, and shock, under the influence of a feeling of powerlessness, subtly transformed, finally culminating in the hoarse voice he slowly uttered.

Under the gaze of the terrifying figure ahead, short and thin for an orc, yet so tall that no one dared to conceive of overtaking him.

At this moment, it all transforms into heartfelt humility:
“If the truth is as you say, if you have truly kept your promise, then for the glory of the Shadow Orcs, I, Galil Drow, swear an oath to you in the name of the Silvermoon.”

"From this day forward, I and my people will become your most loyal shadows, slaying all enemies who try to hinder your progress and securing the final victory in this war for you."

"Sir John Maslow!"

……

After confirming the success of his plan to sow discord, John immediately ordered the release of Galil from his restraints and removed the effects of the magic suppressant.

Based on information from the game's background, I explained to the other party the exact location of the Dark Elf Kingdom ruins and the location of the mines explored by the first generation of orc slaves.

He then let the troubled Shadow Orc leader leave.

"Wow!"

Outside the prison, watching Galil transform into an invisible shadow after activating the spell, gradually disappearing into the dense rain and finally vanishing completely, John slowly withdrew his gaze.

He then raised his hand and glanced at his watch.

It was now 4:15 p.m., a full six hours after the military operations meeting he had held that morning.

At this point in time, the four regimental headquarters of the 1st Division, excluding the 3rd Magic Artillery Regiment, and the four company commanders of the 1st Magic Artillery Battalion should have already led their respective troops to their posts under his arrangement.

Once the advancing Seventh Legion arrives, this war, which will determine the future of the Empire in Faoken, will begin in earnest.

This is a war that is destined to be incredibly brutal, both for the Empire and for the Allies.

"..."

Looking at the grass in front of me, constantly battered by lightning and thunder, even the weeds with their extensive root systems were being relentlessly and densely pounded by the rain, which would eventually wither and die completely under the scorching sun when it rose.

John, watching this scene, couldn't help but silently light a cigarette.

As his cigarette was about to burn out, John paused slightly, noticing the steady footsteps of Igonila coming from the prison behind him and smelling the blood emanating from her. He realized that the remaining Shadow Orcs imprisoned in the cell had been completely silenced.

Then, looking at the torrential rain in front of him, he sighed:

"The rain seems a bit too heavy today, doesn't it, Lieutenant Iguodala?"

"Um, I brought an umbrella with me, so you won't get wet, Battalion Commander."

As if she understood the deeper meaning in John's words, Igonila's eyes flashed, and she quickly pulled out a black umbrella from behind her back that looked somewhat red for some reason.

Then, as if communicating with something within his body, after a brief pause, Iguodala, whose aura had inexplicably shifted from sharp and dangerous to timid and cowardly, nervously stood under John's scrutinizing gaze.

He placed the red umbrella in his hand in the continuous rain to wash it back to its original black color, and carefully avoided John's location, preventing the crimson blood from spreading to John's feet.

Then he carefully opened the neat black umbrella, turned it around, and then lifted it high, letting it rest shakily on John's head.

"...Thank you."

Looking at Iguodala, who was staring at him nervously, John sighed after a long silence, then quietly thanked him.

Then he flicked the cigarette butt in his hand into the rain.

"hiss!"

John took a deep breath, clearing his mind of all the jumbled thoughts.

His gaze returned to the distant location of the Horseshoe City Lord's Mansion, which appeared somewhat sinister under the heavy shroud of dark clouds. His voice was calm yet resolute, as if he had made a decision at this moment:

"War is coming. Are you ready, Lieutenant Igonila?"

"I await your instructions at any time, Battalion Commander."

Igonila's humble yet excited voice slowly rose from the rain, followed by the black umbrella, which remained as steadfast as a rock, moving forward steadily despite the torrential rain.

The jeeps parked on the street also turned on their blazing lights again, dispelling the surrounding shadows and tearing through the annoying rain with unstoppable force, like a galloping dragon, until they reached the end of the command post that represented the most core of the Empire's forces in this war.

"Wow!"

"Is the rain this heavy in Faoken? That's unexpected."

In the town of Starmoon Town, located at the border of Horseshoe Territory and Starshine Territory, Frank, who was in the temporary command post and looking out at the overcast sky, raised an eyebrow in surprise as he listened to the incessant patter of the rain.

Under such a rain curtain, the soldiers' visibility would be very low. Under normal circumstances, the safest decision would be to temporarily station troops and wait for the rain to recede before sending out a large army to launch an attack.

Out of a desire for stability, most ordinary commanders would choose to do so.

Unfortunately, this principle did not apply to Frank at all.

Because he, Frank Francis, was not a commander who played by the rules.

Frank has always maintained that climate change is never a one-sided advantage in a war, but rather a double-edged sword.

The rain and darkness will certainly affect the visibility and speed of our soldiers, making them more vulnerable to danger and ambushes.

However, similarly, if the location of the enemy ambush can be predicted in advance, and the influence of the night can be used to encircle the enemy with the advantage of the number of troops, and the encirclement can be gradually tightened.

This torrential rain will not only fail to aid the enemy, but will instead lead them to their impending doom.

However, Frank also knew that the young Imperial commander who had used a strategy that even he couldn't help but admire to defeat the Morningstar Clan's 101st Division and the Independent 4th Division led by his disciple one by one would definitely not let him achieve his goal so easily.

In his assessment, given the cunning and treacherous style of warfare exhibited by John Maslow, in this war where the two sides were vastly unequal in strength, the enemy would obviously not hastily integrate their forces to attempt a large-scale ambush.

Instead, they will most likely leave behind a main force while splitting up the rest of the troops.

By employing guerrilla tactics and small-scale raids, and through this continuous harassment, they could attempt to annihilate the Seventh Army's manpower while simultaneously creating confusion and preventing their own side from identifying the location of the enemy's true main force.

Ultimately, they tried to identify the strategic mistakes their own forces made during the advance, and then used the main force and the reorganized guerrilla units to wipe out their own exhausted troops.

And by continuously applying this model, they can achieve the possibility of winning against the odds.

This tactic is quite unbeatable and heavily relies on the commander's ability to direct the battle.

It can be said that, compared to clashes based on weaponry and soldiers' combat capabilities, this tactic is more inclined towards a contest between the two commanders.

If one side makes a misjudgment and fails to locate the enemy's main force from the enemy's deceptive formation, it will be difficult to achieve a decisive victory.

At best, there will be heavy casualties; at worst, defeat will result.

It is a tactic whose advantages and disadvantages are quite obvious.

Aside from a few geniuses, or rather, commanders who consider themselves geniuses, ordinary people would never dare to wage a war that relies solely on exceptional military command.

In Frank's mind, aside from John Maslow, who was about to become his enemy, there were other such figures.

Two other people are particularly skilled at this.

They were the kingdom's one-eyed hunter, Olco Dehart, and his prodigy disciple, Roxie Sancaster, who, before the age of thirty, had already risen to the rank of lieutenant general with astonishing talent.

In hundreds of simulated battles during his college years, the former narrowly lost to his "alliance" strategy, suffering one more defeat than the other.

The latter, with his admirable talent, mastered the tactics that he had never personally taught him, simply by deducing combat paths and command strategies, becoming an outstanding commander who was more like his disciple than his disciple Leon.

Now, at the age of sixty-four, he is about to clash with these two rising stars of the empire, who are similar to, or even stronger than, these two in the upcoming war.

"Seriously, just thinking about it is such a hassle..."

Frank couldn't help but complain, but as he said it, a relaxed smile spread across his face, his eyes, which had become cloudy due to the passing years, now seemed to be clouded.

At this moment, it seemed as if it had encountered an unprecedented formidable opponent, and a chilling light flashed within it.

He slowly turned around and turned his gaze to the group of Seventh Army generals who had gathered in the conference room.

Looking at the group of generals, some staring at him with fervor, others with confidence, awaiting his order to attack, he slowly walked to the commander's seat and took his seat. He then stroked his mustache and said calmly:
"Heavy rain always comes so suddenly, which is quite annoying. I'm sure you all feel the same way as me, and are starting to dislike it, right?"

"However, I would like to say that the sun will only be warmer and hotter after a heavy downpour."

"The enemy tries to bring destruction and ruin to this land with torrential rain and darkness, but I will make the kingdom's glory shine brightly here!"

Frank slowly interlaced his fingers on the table, a gentle smile spreading across his face, but his voice was like a clap of thunder in early spring, filling everyone with an unprecedented fervor at this sound that could usher in a new chapter:
"I believe that only a cold death can teach those imperial soldiers who are trying to break the peace of this land what it means to be in awe."

"In my opinion, only the dead Imperial Army soldiers are the good Imperial Army soldiers!"

"In the name of the everlasting light of Victoria, I, Frank Francis, will lead you all to crush those foolish enemies and fill this land with their blood and corpses!"

"Gentlemen, let those Imperial armies who dare to oppose us fend for themselves in their impending destruction!"

"Yes, General Frank!"

……

(End of this chapter)