I only wanted to retire, but I ended up becoming an extremely popular character.

"This is Sergeant Cassius's complete battle report on the elimination of the bandit leader 'Bloody Hand' Killian. Facing an enemy armed to the teeth, comparable to the Imperial Army, Sergeant Cassius successfully completed the mission with zero casualties."

Zod stood in front of Captain Spinter's desk and calmly and fluently gave Spinter a brief summary of the report on Cassius.

Captain Spent leaned back in his chair, his arm resting on the armrest, and carefully read through the report.

He had assumed Zod would lead the team himself, but to his surprise, the lieutenant turned around and handed over such an important task to a sergeant major.

Lieutenant Zod dared to assign such a task to a sergeant major. I wonder if he was truly audacious or if he had extraordinary confidence in the sergeant major's abilities.

Judging from the mission results, Lieutenant Zod seems to have begun to adapt to the role of a lieutenant and knows how to utilize and train his subordinates.

Captain Spent first met Sergeant Cassius when he visited Zod in the hospital.

At that time, this sergeant major did not seem particularly remarkable, and his talents appeared to be unremarkable.

However, the report in front of us shows that this person is unexpectedly decisive and capable.

Captain Spent's gaze swept across the report, nodding occasionally: "Good, very good! This sergeant major has done a commendable job in clearing obstacles for the stability of our rear."

Upon hearing the words "meritorious service," Zod immediately tensed up and replied, "Captain Spinter is wise, and Sergeant Cassius has performed exceptionally well in both the battle at Clock Tower and this bandit suppression operation."

"Therefore, on behalf of myself, I hereby formally submit my application, hoping that this military merit can serve as an opportunity to promote Sergeant Cassius to the rank of warrant officer, in recognition of his contributions to the Empire."

Of course, this is just his personal suggestion.

The one who truly needed to report to his superiors and specifically commend Cassius was his direct superior, Captain Spent.

Captain Spent stood up, his gaze falling on the detailed report on the table. He agreed almost without hesitation: "No problem, I'll report it to my superiors later. It's just a warrant officer rank; with this achievement, there shouldn't be any obstacles."

Zod is still unaware of the upcoming decisive battle involving the "Imperial Blades" legion.

But Captain Spinter had already vaguely heard the news.

He knew it would be an incredibly brutal battle, and many people would fall, including Sergeant Cassius, who had just distinguished himself in battle.

Even if it were merely to inspire this sergeant major to dedicate his loyalty and heart to the Empire in the great battles to come, Spent would not hesitate to award him a warrant officer's epaulettes.

Moreover, in elite units like the "Imperial Blade," as long as military achievements are solid enough, the path to promotion is always smooth, and they are rarely blocked by quotas like local troops.

Therefore, as long as Captain Spinter applied, Cassius's promotion to the rank of warrant officer would almost be a natural progression, provided that Cassius's merits were met.

"Thank you, Captain Spent!" Zod straightened his back and gave Captain Spent a standard military salute.

"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave!"

Now that the important business was settled, Zod turned around and prepared to slip away.

He was afraid that if he stayed any longer, Captain Spente would remember some tricky task and dump it on him—since you and your men are so capable, then give them some more "training".

Just as he reached the office door and his fingers touched the doorknob, Spente's voice came from behind him.

Zod had a bad feeling. Was Captain Spenter going to assign him another mission?

Spinter suddenly said solemnly, "Lieutenant Zod, go write your will!"

"???" At this moment, countless thoughts popped into Zod's mind. From Black Forest Town to the "Imperial Blade" Legion, he hadn't made any mistakes!

Could it be that his previous attempt to desert has been exposed?

No, that's impossible!

In the end, all the questions in Zod's mind boiled down to just three words: "Why...why?"

Spinter didn't keep them in suspense and said with unusual solemnity, "Next, our 'Imperial Blade' Legion will fight a decisive battle against the Holy Kingdom. The higher command has ordered that all officers and soldiers in the legion, including myself, must write their wills! You are responsible for conveying this message to your soldiers."

"...I understand!" Zod's response was somewhat absent-minded.

Zod had a premonition that as long as he stayed in the "Imperial Blade" legion, that day would come sooner or later.

He will be swept into the vortex of war like a small boat.

On a battlefield with tens of thousands of people, his life was as insignificant as a speck of dust.

A stray bullet, a sharp blade, or a shell that came from nowhere could easily obliterate him, and then silently disappear into the long river of history.

When watching war anime, some people like to imagine themselves as generals who strategize and command with great skill, as if they could wipe out powerful enemies with a mere laugh.

But Zod often imagines himself as an extra when watching war dramas.

He would always unconsciously put himself in the role of those "cannon fodder" who charged into battle and faced life and death.

He knew all too well that even if fate had given him the "opportunity" to travel through time...

Statistically speaking, he had absolutely no chance of becoming a general commanding thousands of troops; at best, he was just a "large-scale cannon fodder."

Especially after he actually traveled to such a war-torn world, he realized more than anyone else how powerless and fragile an individual is in the face of the torrent of the times.

Life is fleeting!

Back at the base, Zod repeated Captain Spinner's words to Cassius and Hitis.

Hitis and Cassius seemed somewhat used to it, as their military careers were longer than Zod's.

They had also experienced writing their wills, but they survived.

Zod had traveled to this world halfway through his journey, and this was the first time he had ever encountered the matter of writing a will.

After all, even the seemingly perilous operation at Clock Tower didn't prompt Zod to write a will.

This decisive battle is likely to be even more dangerous than that previous battle; it may be a battle where the entire army gambles everything.

Zod locked himself in his office, his mind racing with a thousand thoughts.

He picked up a pen, intending to write a will, only to discover that he had no relatives in this world.

Even if he wrote it down, how could the messenger here possibly deliver his will to his family on Earth?

Writing a will? What a load of rubbish!

Zod slapped his cheek hard.

No, Zod, don't be fooled by the appearance of this "final battle".

My ultimate goal in this world has always been the same: to survive.

I must survive, no matter what.

When this pure and unwavering thought clearly emerged in his mind, Zod felt as if he had been "redeemed" in an instant.

What does the Empire's war have to do with me, Zod? Let them fight their war, I'll just run away.

Even if Zod were on the battlefield, would he be able to win the "Imperial Blade" legion? And if he weren't on the battlefield, would the legion be defeated?

That's impossible; his presence or absence wouldn't affect the course of the war.

Why would he risk his life just to be "cannon fodder"?

It's not like Zod hasn't tried to escape before; this is just him going back to his old ways.

There was absolutely no psychological burden on them.

Instead, being left behind as "cannon fodder" puts him under greater psychological burden and may even affect his sleep at night.

He immediately stood up, strode to the office door, flung it open, and shouted, "Someone! Bring me the latest and most detailed military maps of the theater of operations immediately!"

Whatever mission he might receive next, he must find a safe route on the military map today that allows him to cross the borders of the Holy Kingdom and escape to a peaceful third-party country.

Zod's path to "redemption" is hidden on this thin map.

At that moment, Cassius, who was engrossed in writing his will in the next office, heard Zod's urgent order and felt a deep sense of admiration.

"As expected of Lieutenant Zod! In such a critical moment, his thoughts are not on his personal safety at all; he is still racking his brains, thinking about how to lead us to the final victory for the Empire!"

That's so touching! Being able to stay by the side of a lieutenant like that would make me feel so safe!

"On the eve of the war, the Imperial lieutenant, disregarding his own safety, was still single-mindedly focused on forging a new path for the Empire's victory in the war..."

On the other side, Hitis's eyes lit up slightly. She quickly picked up her notebook and hurriedly jotted down this scene and her thoughts, as it was excellent material for a novel.