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

Chapter 163 It's never too late to mend the fence after the sheep are lost.
"Yes, Your Excellency John!"

Upon hearing this, Ian's face immediately lit up with joy, but he became even more wary and vigilant towards this rising star of the empire who shared the same Immortal Qin bloodline as him.

At the same time, when he thought about his other identity, and the almost superb interrogation skills that Major John had displayed in dealing with spies during the Battle of Walden, he couldn't help but feel uneasy.

Yes, he is Ian Grant, a spy.

However, he was not an Allied spy, but a conservative spy planted in the Third Navy.

More precisely, he was an outside intelligence agent for the conservative party.

Previously, in intelligence supporting the Northern Theater of the Empire, Marshal Bob had anticipated that their route would likely be betrayed to the Allies by the Conservatives and made several route changes.

However, they were ultimately intercepted by the Allied submarine force, mainly due to Ian, who was the destroyer's navigator.

After receiving instructions from the conservative party, he summoned monsters from the ocean using his "Song of the Mermaids" technique and secretly used these monsters to transmit the latest operational information of the Third Navy, which ultimately led to the Third Navy being successfully intercepted by the Allied forces at sea.

Furthermore, during this mission to support Faoken from the Third Navy, he was also assigned to surveillance and intelligence reporting duties.

Once it is confirmed that the Third Navy is about to be destroyed, a member of the Conservative Party who is specifically in contact with him will lead him to meet with Vice Admiral Dolan and successfully evacuate from this doomed battlefield.

Finally, through his contributions to the Conservative Party, he was able to gain their trust and favor. Relying on his own skills, he rose to a high position in the Conservative Party's intelligence department. Then, in the name of the Conservative Party, he launched a revenge campaign against Viscount Eric Gamanra, who was under the Duke of Mosilis's faction, so that his father, who had died unjustly, could rest in peace.

In Ian's original plan, things were supposed to go this way.

But everything changed after the arrival of this rising star of the Empire who had distinguished himself on the Walden battlefield.

Located in Faoken Bay, the Chinese army, which had suffered a major defeat due to acclimatization issues and other factors, was instead winning victories under the leadership of the enemy.

Not only did they successfully defeat the enemy's 101st Division, but they also miraculously annihilated the 7th Army Corps, which outnumbered their own forces several times over.

To be honest, if Ian hadn't witnessed firsthand how the raging flood swallowed up tens of thousands of enemy soldiers, he would never have imagined that someone in this world could completely reverse a war with just their own tactics.

Even the Allied commander, whom countless people called the 'Kingdom's Morning Star,' had never achieved such a terrifying feat.

However, compared to the terrifying tactical abilities of this rising star of the Empire, what Ian found most incredible, even terrifying, was that the other party had directly revealed his family's unique technique and directly ordered Marshal Bob to personally issue an order, allowing him to use all his strength to help the Third Navy complete the follow-up support mission.

He didn't understand how the other party knew his technique and was so certain that he could accomplish this support mission.

But Ian understood that this was John Maslow's warning to him, and also a test he was being put to the test.

If he refuses, then in the presence of this terrifying man who seems to know all the secrets of the world and is like a ghost or god, only death awaits him.

Therefore, upon learning of the mission, he had no choice but to demonstrate his magical abilities for the first time within the military and to help the Third Navy complete the subsequent support mission without reservation.

But after waking up during treatment, he saw Cambert, who led a special medical unit that served only Marshal Bob. He was nominally known as the Hand of Life, but before becoming a naval captain, he had used poison in the army to kill all the enemy soldiers in a town, earning him the nickname "Plague King" from the enemy.

Ian knew perfectly well that the brilliant Marshal Bob had begun to doubt him.

The reason they didn't immediately send someone to interrogate him was simply because they wanted to see what John Maslow had in mind regarding him.

In other words, his meeting with John Maslow was not an ordinary conversation, but an interrogation.

An interrogation that would determine whether he survived!
Faced with this devilish interrogator who could easily spot enemy spies and seize the town of Bahamut with almost miraculous means, could he, who was already full of flaws and had not received any real anti-interrogation training, really walk out of this interrogation that the other party had carefully set up for him?
"!"

Ian, who had instantly sorted everything out in his mind, couldn't help but have a glint in his eyes.

At this moment, a constant battle of thoughts began to rage within his mind.

The idea even arose of taking John Maslow hostage to escape.

After all, he couldn't die before he could avenge himself on his enemy Eric, and he absolutely refused to die in this power struggle between high-ranking officials, which was meaningless and worthless to him!

However, just as Ian's murderous intent was rising and he was about to take the risk,

At that moment, John Maslow's voice slowly entered his ears.

His tone was perfectly calm, yet it was like a terrifying bolt of lightning, instantly tearing apart all his thoughts and impulses:
"By the way, Ian, speaking of which, how is your mother doing these days?"

John smiled as he looked at his former comrade-in-arms, whose face was filled with murderous intent. He understood what the other man was thinking and felt no tension. Instead, he poured himself a cup of coffee and took a sip.

Then, turning casually to Ian, whose face had inexplicably turned deathly pale, he spoke in a calm tone, as if a long-lost friend were inquiring about the other's family situation:
"I heard that the Grande family seems to be planning to revive the jewelry business recently? Hmm, jewelry formed from the tears of mermaids is indeed a fine thing. Not only can it soothe the mind, but the colors produced also vary depending on the emotions at the time of its formation, making it a rare treasure."

"Unfortunately, producing mermaid tears not only requires corresponding emotions, but also damages one's own spell circuits. Given the current number of people in the Grand family, it may be difficult to achieve large-scale production."

“If there’s an unexpected fire or robbery like in the past, the Grande family will probably decline completely before they can rebuild the business, won’t they?” After saying that, John poured himself another cup of coffee and then used his magic to move the cup of coffee in front of Ian across the table.

He first smiled slightly at his old friend, then gestured with his hand:
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Asking you this so suddenly might be a bit offensive. If I've said anything wrong, I hope you'll forgive me."

"After all, we are compatriots by blood, otherwise I wouldn't have taken the initiative to meet you today."

"So, for the sake of my goodwill, Lieutenant Ian, how about we sit down and have a frank and open discussion?"

"..."

Ian didn't speak. He silently watched as the other person skillfully manipulated the cup of coffee, moving it smoothly and effortlessly to his face without spilling a single drop.

He immediately understood that John Maslow was using this astonishingly meticulous manipulation of magic to tell himself not to try to give rise to any unwarranted delusions.

Otherwise, the other party could easily crush you in the palm of their hand in an instant, just like they would with this cup of coffee.

So, is this the strength of the rising star of the Empire who single-handedly reversed the battlefield of Walden and once again turned the tide in Faoken?
This domineering nature, this audacity, and this masterful manipulation of people's hearts—it's all remarkable.

It was simply like a real monster!
For a moment, Ian's mind raced with conflicting thoughts, but with John's almost obvious hint, he understood that he had already been seen through and had no other way to go.

He could only sigh helplessly in his heart, and then he released the tension he had deliberately pretended to have. He pulled out a chair and slowly sat down, then looked calmly at the man opposite him who looked very gentle and refined under the light.

But in his eyes, the black-haired man, who seemed to have transformed into the most terrifying demon in the world, spoke:

“Sir John, this matter has nothing to do with the Grant family. It was all my own decision. I can accept whatever you intend to do with me. I only hope that you can…”

However, before Ian could even try to appeal to their shared fraternal bond and persuade the other party to make an exception, John interrupted with a smile:
"Lieutenant Ian, you must have just woken up and your mind hasn't fully recovered yet, right? I don't understand any of what you're saying, but that's not important. It's normal for young people to make mistakes, even I am the same."

"In my opinion, as long as the person involved has not caused too serious an impact and is able to make amends later, then such a person can be forgiven."

"As the saying goes, it's never too late to mend the fence after the sheep are lost. This farmer's story from before the Qin Dynasty is quite true, isn't it?"

Seemingly surprised that the devilish interrogator would say such a thing to him, Ian was immediately taken aback. But meeting John's meaningful gaze, he seemed to understand something, and his eyes lit up. He quickly and respectfully replied:

"Yes, yes, Your Excellency John, you are right, that is indeed the case."

“Very good. It seems we have reached a preliminary consensus. This is a good start, and now we can continue our conversation, Mr. Ian.”

Seeing that the other party understood his meaning, John immediately smiled slightly.

He knew that he had already succeeded in winning over this old friend with his complicated background.

Next, he needed to explain to the soldiers who were hiding in the shadows and listening to the meeting—the soldiers who represented Bob's eyes and ears—his reasons for giving Ian a break.

This dissuaded the marshal from his idea of ​​purging Ian.

And coincidentally, he had already prepared for this reason.

John pondered for a moment, then, under Ian's anxious gaze, he interlaced his fingers on the table. After a long silence, he slowly spoke:

"However, before we formally discuss the follow-up, I think Lieutenant Ian, you're probably more concerned about how I obtained the information about you, right?"

"After all, the Grundt family's 'Song of the Mermaids' spell, because successive inheritors only focused on the music and the added function of the mermaid tears, while neglecting the most crucial invocation quality, has resulted in the fact that the mages in your family's history have never held any military positions in the empire, but have always served in civilian positions, such as musicians and financial officials."

"But coincidentally, I am somewhat fond of studying the history and culture related to Xianqin. In addition, I am the top graduate of the First Military Academy of the Empire. I was valued by Principal Trolovsky, who was the 'Demon King' of the previous generation of the Empire, and was appointed as the candidate for Minister of the 'Eye of Truth' intelligence department established by the Principal."

"Therefore, I was fortunate enough to read some top-secret intelligence, and the intelligence about the Grande family was part of it. In addition, it also contained the fact that Lord Kane, your father, was attacked by a large number of pirates in the waters under the control of the Gamanra family and unfortunately perished. However, before his death, he summoned a giant monster in the sea to devour the enemy."

"Therefore, I was able to confirm that the Grundt family's 'Song of the Mermaids' technique is not as simple as the Empire knows, and your performance in this support plan has successfully confirmed this."

"And this is a fortunate thing, whether for the Empire, for you personally, or for the Grant family, isn't it?"

Meeting Ian's thoughtful gaze, John raised his cup and took a sip of coffee. His dark eyes seemed to casually survey his surroundings, but with the activation of his analytical technique, he had already taken in all the elite members of the Raiders' land and sea combat forces who were hiding in the darkness or clinging to the walls, and who had already drawn their guns and were aiming at Ian, ready to eliminate this traitor at any moment.

Then, with a slight smile, under the watchful eyes of the soldiers who were acting as Bob's eyes and ears, and also ensuring their own safety from being threatened, he slowly uttered a sentence that surprised everyone: Ian, who was so enraged by the mention of their blood feud that he clenched his fists, his eyes burning with hatred, and was almost losing his composure:
"But unfortunately, in my opinion, Lieutenant Ian, with such talent, is best suited to achieve the restoration of your family and revenge through military merit, but you have taken the wrong path from the very beginning."

"And it's completely wrong!"

……

(End of this chapter)