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

Chapter 39 Is this guy fucking sixteen?
Located in the western part of Longyanling, at the foot of Mati Mountain, not far from the village of Shidong near the Domu River.

At the front of the troops, looking at the blond man who was surrounded by his own soldiers and trembling, John couldn't help but feel a hint of doubt in his eyes. He then turned to look at Wendy beside him:

"Wendy, what's going on?"

"Reporting to the captain, I saw this guy at the village entrance from afar, but he ran away as soon as he saw us coming. I suspect he's an Allied spy trying to tip us off, so I had him detained!"

Wendy replied smugly, not forgetting that her side had come to win over hearts and minds in order to thwart the Allied forces' treacherous scheme.

Although the man in front of them was dressed like a poor farmer, his size didn't look like that of someone raised in a farming family. Moreover, he ran away in fear as soon as he saw them.

Therefore, the other party must be an Allied spy without a doubt!

Hmph, they caught the enemy sentry so easily. As expected, I am the smartest soldier under Warrant Officer John!

If I can get important information from this spy, then Warrant Officer John will definitely praise me highly, right?

Thinking of this, Wendy couldn't help but lick her lips excitedly, and then volunteered:

"Captain, how about I interrogate him? I've learned interrogation techniques from others. If you hand him over to me, I guarantee I can get this bastard to tell me the color of his underwear today in less than half an hour!"

Allied spies?
What a load of bull! It would be a miracle if there were any Allied soldiers in this godforsaken village.

Didn't you see that they were so scared they wet their pants?
Doesn't that already prove that he's clearly just an honest and law-abiding villager?

As villagers, it would be crazy not to run away when we saw you bunch of imperial dogs coming!

Besides, what use is the color of his underwear to me? Even if you're crazy about merit, you can't persecute an honest person.

What do you think human life is? You're a complete bastard!
Seeing the pitiful man surrounded by a pack of Imperial dogs, who was so frightened he was about to roll his eyes back, John's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

He first glared fiercely at the bewildered Wendy, then dismissed the soldiers who were standing guard, and stood before the middle-aged man who had suffered this undeserved misfortune. He then spoke to him in a gentle tone:

"My fellow countryman, my soldiers are ignorant and mistook you for an Allied spy. As their superior, I must apologize to you first. I hope you won't hold it against them."

"..."

It seems they never expected that the Imperial Army, which the Allied forces described as ruthless and bloodthirsty, would actually take the initiative to apologize to an ordinary civilian like themselves.

Upon hearing John's words, the unshaven middle-aged man froze on the spot, staring at his superior in disbelief.

But then, as if he had suddenly remembered something, his face turned deathly pale.

Then he began to kowtow repeatedly to John, trembling, while pleading for mercy, saying things like, "My lord, please don't kill me."

He exerted considerable force, and even when his head hit a rock and bled, he didn't dare stop.

It was as if if he stopped, these demons of the empire in front of him would immediately shoot him dead.

The air was filled with the sound of the other person's forehead hitting the ground, which made John's teeth ache.

Wendy, look what you've done, you idiot!
How the hell did you scare people?
Sure enough, those imperial dogs are imperial dogs, not a single one of them is any good!

Seeing that the burly man ignored him and kept kowtowing and begging for mercy, John's face immediately turned extremely ugly.

But he also knew that the empire's infamy was well-known among the common people, and it would be difficult to persuade them with words.

Therefore, in a state of headache, he directly ordered the army soldiers nearby to lift the man up, and then gave the middle-aged man, who had already wet his pants, a forced smile:

"Brother, don't be afraid. We are all good people and would not kill innocent people indiscriminately. We are just passing through and want to stay here for one night. We have no other intentions."

"...Sir, sir, didn't you come here to kill us?"

"Of course not. The Allied forces have already been driven back by us. Longyan Territory has become the territory of the Empire. Soon you will also become citizens of the Empire. We are all one family. How could our Imperial Army possibly lay a hand on our own people?"

“We are only investigating the situation according to orders from above and issuing new policies to Shidong Village. We will never harm civilians, so you really don’t need to be so nervous, brother. Just think of me as a distant cousin. Don’t be so afraid. We are really good people.”

Seeing that the fear on the other person's face gradually disappeared after hearing this, John gave a wink to the two soldiers holding the person, signaling them to let go.

Then, enduring the strong smell of urine, he patted the poor man on the shoulder in a friendly manner and started chatting with him about everyday things:
"Hey sir, are you a villager from Shidong Village? How old are you? Are you married?"

"My name is Mike, and I'm sixteen years old. I'm not married yet, but my dad said that once he saves up enough money this year, he'll arrange a marriage between me and Mary from the next village next spring. Hehe."

Seeing John's amiable demeanor, seemingly indicating he had no intention of killing him, the somewhat anxious-looking old Mike breathed a sigh of relief and scratched the back of his head, saying in a simple and honest manner.

But soon, when he thought of the rumors that the Imperial Army had always been arson, murder, looting and all sorts of evil deeds, the smile on his face froze instantly, and cold sweat began to pour from his forehead.

The pain was excruciating the moment the fluid flowed down to the wound on my forehead.

Faced with the terrifying imperial army, he dared not wipe his sweat, but could only grit his teeth and endure the pain, not daring to utter a sound for fear of angering the important figure in front of him.

Is he fucking sixteen?
With your sloppy appearance, I'd believe you if you said you were forty!

Looking at Mike, a scruffy young man with skin as dark as a Nigger's, John's lips twitched involuntarily. But he suppressed the urge to criticize, instead chuckled, patted Mike on the shoulder, and remarked:
"Sixteen is great! Sixteen is the perfect age to get married. If I hadn't joined the army, I probably would have gotten married at sixteen like you, and I might have several kids by now."

"However, meeting is fate. I think we are quite destined to meet. How about this, when you get married next year, I will definitely have someone give you a gift as an apology for my subordinate's rash behavior today. What do you think?"

"No, no need, sir, really no need, I'm fine."

Mike shook his head nervously, his heart filled with regret.

As for the gift-giving, judging from the villagers' descriptions of the Imperial Army, it would be good enough if these people didn't steal his wife and kill his whole family.

After all, aren't the Imperial Army all ruthless monsters?
If he really agrees, I'm afraid that before he can even share a room with his beloved Mary next year, the grass on his grave will be two meters long.

Sure enough, I shouldn't have listened to those bastards in the village and come to the fields to catch loaches.

Old Mike, both young and old, was filled with regret.

“Just accept what I’m giving you. We’re all family, so don’t be so polite with me. I know you’ve heard a lot of slander against our Imperial Army from the Allies, but I want to warn you that what you’ve heard are all rumors, and rumors are the least credible things.”

"People should trust their own eyes. For example, do you still think I look like a bad person right now?"

John patted the other man on the shoulder with a friendly expression, his tone full of confidence.

He felt that with his approachable demeanor, the villager of Shidong Village would surely sense his refined and easygoing nature.

After all, although he was dressed in the skin of an Imperial dog, he was essentially a passionate and kind Allied soldier.

This kind young man, being a villager of the kingdom, should surely be able to understand this essence of his character.

However, upon hearing this, Old Mike did not shake his head seriously as he had expected. Instead, he looked fearfully at the two soldiers beside him who were glaring at him.

Seeing the look in their eyes, as if to say that if he dared to nod, they would immediately show him what it felt like to be shot by the Empire.

So old Mike forcibly suppressed the urge to nod, and instead shook his head rapidly to show his agreement with his superior's words.

Then, seemingly realizing that this didn't demonstrate his loyalty, Mike quickly added:
"Sir, you are completely different from those damned Allied soldiers. You and your soldiers are good people, the best of the best. You are the most loyal commander in the Imperial Army, truly!"

?

Am I the most loyal commander of the empire?
No, if you can't speak properly, then don't speak at all. Believe me or not, I'll sue you for defamation!
John was so angry he gritted his teeth, wishing he could give the other person a good scolding.

But seeing the pleading and fear in the other person's eyes, his anger vanished instantly, replaced by an unprecedented sense of helplessness.

What could he say to Mike, who was seven years younger than him and whom he considered just a child in his past life?

Moreover, the other side didn't know that he was different from those Imperial Army soldiers who came from noble factions and were used to burning, killing, and looting.

Moreover, aside from the country he lived in in his previous life, throughout history, regardless of the dynasty, it is only natural that any ordinary person would involuntarily feel fear when encountering soldiers.

This is an inevitable result of the deterrent effect of violence and the influence of the current national system, and it is common knowledge that everyone knows.

Even though he considered himself to come from a civilized society, he knew very well that his views were not applicable to this era, and that bullying the weak would only make him feel like an animal, so he instinctively resisted such behavior.

Ultimately, however, he cannot change this trend at present.

All he can do is conform to the rules of this world and make some changes to them within his own capabilities.

After all, individual voices of resistance are often swallowed up and extinguished by the horrific violence of capitalism centered on a group.

To survive in this game world centered on elements such as interpersonal relationships, nobility, and power, he must always make himself fit in.

He has to learn to accept it eventually.

Thinking of this, John couldn't help but sigh.

It was at this moment that he truly understood.

He is probably the loneliest person in the world.

No one could understand his troubles at that moment.

I just hope that one day I can find a path that truly belongs to me.

John shook his head, suppressing the jumble of thoughts in his mind. He waved his hand somewhat irritably, instructing the soldiers to treat Mike's forehead injury.

Ignoring Wendy's questioning cries, he silently walked toward Stone Village, which was just a stone's throw away.

……

(End of this chapter)