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

Chapter 195 Perfection and Doubt

"Tap, tap!"

Early morning, outside the entrance to the dimly lit corridor, inside the Allied headquarters.

Dressed in military uniform, Roxie sat at the command table, her azure eyes scrutinizing the five files arranged in a row on the table. However, upon closer inspection, one could notice that her pupils were somewhat unfocused.

Clearly, her attention wasn't on the five personal files at the moment; she was thinking about something else.

Since the Imperial Army withdrew from the battlefield of Chokepoint Peak yesterday and moved into the Dark Corridor, she has finally had a good night's sleep in the past ten days, and her mind has returned to its best state.

Considering that John Maslow had completely anticipated her previous plans with incomprehensible strategies and devised corresponding traps, Roxie felt that she might need to change her original plans after re-examining them.

"First of all, the trap must be set. After all, if the spies within the legion are not caught, the subsequent battles will be affected."

"However, compared to the original conservative plan, I might be able to try something more radical this time."

"For example, we could divide up 30,000 troops to carry out different missions!"

The Blitzkrieg Imperial Army 2nd Division launched a surprise attack on Mad Fang City and Blue Lake City, which is located on the outskirts of the Cocobia Rainforest!

"..."

Thinking of this, Roxie immediately narrowed her eyes slightly, and then placed the five red soldier pieces on the table into the five positions she had planned in advance on the sand table, making a barely perceptible sound.

"despair!"

That's right, this time Roxie plans to pursue three fronts simultaneously.

Rather than having the main force wait outside the Dark Corridor for the 109th Division to arrive and launch a joint attack on John Maslow inside, Roxie felt that, given her superior troop strength, splitting her forces to launch a three-front war was the truly optimal solution.

She didn't know if John Maslow could have a very long tunnel built inside the dark corridor in such a short time, thus ensuring the Imperial army's subsequent withdrawal.

But Roxie knew very well that, given the intelligence the other party had previously displayed, they would certainly not trap him in a deadly situation.

In other words, the other side has likely already chosen an evacuation route, and this evacuation route may even lead to the Cocobia rainforest behind our side.

If this had happened before the Battle of Chokepoint, Roxie certainly wouldn't have elevated the enemy to such a level during the tactical counter-offensive.

But after truly experiencing defeat in her confrontation with the other party, even she had to admit one thing.

That man, John Maslow, was indeed someone she should treat as if he were stronger than herself.

At this point, Roxie believed that only by taking into account those almost impossible scenarios and preparing countermeasures could she succeed.

With such a meticulously planned strategy, where no further unexpected events could occur, she would have a chance to defeat her opponent head-on.

"Of course, this is also a gamble. After all, if John Maslow can realize that his forces have been greatly reduced, then after realizing that the plan to blitz the Cocobia rainforest has failed, he may very well take the risk of rushing out of the Dark Corridor to fight him to the death."

"At that time, the opponent only needs to send magic soldiers to launch suicide attacks on our side, destroying our garrison and attempting to kill us, the commander. In this way, the Fifth Legion will be left leaderless, and under the opponent's strategy, our side will completely lose any chance of victory."

But Roxie knew that the probability of this happening was very low.

Not to mention that his Spirit Heart Technique can easily weaken the power of magic and physical attacks after it is deployed, it is difficult for the enemy's ordinary soldiers to get close to him.

Secondly, although Orion's Phase Teleportation spell has become a consumable.

However, if the Phase Teleportation spell is used at full power, the opponent can cast it at least three times.

If John Maslow were to truly descend into madness and launch an explosive attack against his own side...

At that time, she only needs to teleport to easily avoid the explosive magic released by the magic soldier through suicide, which cannot be affected by anti-magic devices.

And the other party must know this, so in Roxie's view, the other party, who is trying to maintain a rational state of mind, is unlikely to do so.

Of course, we cannot rule out the possibility that the other party made this decision impulsively.

After all, the human heart is the most difficult thing in the world to grasp.

Even she couldn't guarantee that John Maslow wouldn't go insane after discovering the plan had failed.

This is why Roxie calls it a high-stakes gamble.

She was betting that the other person would use reason to suppress their impulse and then find another way!

They gambled that the opponent wouldn't be so crazy as to send their magic soldiers in a suicide attack, and used this almost desperate gamble, with a much higher probability of failure than victory, to achieve victory.

If she can win the bet, then she will be able to turn the tables on this game.

But what if we fail...

"..."

For a moment, Roxie's eyes flickered.

But she quickly put aside her thoughts, her eyes hardened again, and without hesitation, she picked up the communication device beside her and dialed:
"Dilion, bring the people to me in the previous order!"

"Yes, General!"

……

"Tap, tap!"

Half an hour later, at the Allied headquarters.

Looking at Major Dillion walking in front of him, dressed in an Allied uniform, Will Hoffman, whose previously empty right hand had somehow been fitted with a mechanical arm, although his face was expressionless, he felt a sense of unease.

Especially when he thought about how the other party had just found him and claimed that General Roxie had personally called his name and told him to go there.

Will, who had now become an imperial spy, felt a chill run through his hands and feet.

Although Will has never seen the mysterious contact Hassan mentioned since arriving in Faoken with the Fifth Legion half a month ago, nor has he passed on any intelligence to the Empire.

However, his defection to the enemy is an undeniable fact.

After all, the book he both loved and hated, "Maslow's Quotations," was currently hidden in his tent.

Although he did indeed disguise himself well, it was difficult for others to notice anything amiss.

Even without evidence, mere suspicion was enough for Roxie to have his men take action against him.

Moreover, this Morning Star is known for his intelligence. With my poor acting skills, can I really withstand the interrogation later?
Will was unaware of this, but as he followed Dillian toward the location of the command tent ahead.

He then felt his breathing gradually become difficult, and his heart sank to the bottom.

Just as he arrived at the command tent, which resembled an execution ground, filled with anxiety, before Dillion could even ask any questions inside...

With the sound of a tarpaulin being lifted, a burly man with a short blond haircut and a robust build emerged from the tent.

Will vaguely remembered this man. He seemed to be a recently recruited officer in the Fifth Army, a colonel of the same rank as Will.

However, compared to him, whose strength has decreased by at least half due to losing an arm, making him a mid-to-low-level player who can currently only lead an independent battalion.

This colonel, named Davis Bachter, is a proper high-ranking mage and possesses a unique spell, albeit a functional one.

However, it is quite effective in torture; it is said that no enemy can withstand that technique for half an hour without speaking.

Moreover, among the officers transferred to the Fifth Army Corps to replenish combat losses, he was the only one who directly assumed the position of brigade commander after joining the Fifth Army Corps.

Will would never believe that the other party wasn't one of Roxie's trusted subordinates developed outside.

So, what is going on?
Didn't Roxie say he only called for himself to come over?
Why is Colonel Davis here too?
Could it be that the other side has already captured the Imperial agent responsible for transmitting intelligence to them?
Was the reason he was called over so that Davis would interrogate him?
Have I... been exposed?

"!"

Upon realizing this possibility, Will's heart sank, and cold sweat began to seep from his back.

Just as he was feeling extremely nervous and hesitant about whether to force his way out.

Davis, who bumped into the two ahead, couldn't help but be taken aback. He seemed to have never expected that someone else besides him would be summoned by General Roxie to give him a mission.

But when he thought about the advantages he would gain on the battlefield upon completing the mission he was in charge of, he lost all interest in staying.

Therefore, after nodding slightly to the two of them, he took the document in his hand and walked away into the distance, disappearing from their sight in no time, while Will looked on with suspicion.

"Tap, tap!"

So, he didn't come to interrogate himself?
"call……"

Watching Davis's departing figure, Will, realizing that the death crisis had passed, immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Before he could even wipe the fine sweat from his left palm, he heard a sound coming from inside the tent.

He had no choice but to stop wiping his sweat, and under Dillian's questioning gaze, he coughed twice dryly before bracing himself and walking inside.

"despair!"

Will stood in the center of the tent, then, meeting Roxie's scrutinizing gaze, took a deep breath and saluted:

"Commander of the 1st Independent Battalion, Will Hoffman, reporting for duty. May the light of Victoria forever illuminate your path, General Roxie!"

"No gift."

Looking at Will, who was staring at him with a restrained expression, Roxie raised her hand slightly, but did not speak immediately. Instead, she narrowed her eyes and thoughtfully glanced at the fine beads of cold sweat on Will's forehead.

As if the other party's suspicious behavior confirmed some suspicion, the chill in her heart grew even more intense.

In fact, when the list of five suspects was first selected, the one that Roxie found most suspicious was Will.

There was no other reason than that the person who was sent by his teacher, Olco, to carry out that foolish assassination mission, yet managed to return alive from John Maslow's clutches, was shrouded in too many suspicious points.

After all, even she herself has now suffered a humiliating defeat in her contest with John Maslow.

In fact, it's uncertain whether Orion would be alive today if she hadn't sacrificed her future to use Phase Teleportation.

In contrast, Will managed to survive and safely return to the Kingdom of Victoria by losing only his right hand, a creature even more monstrous than himself.

That's incredibly lucky!

"It was as if he hadn't escaped by luck, but rather that John Maslow had deliberately put him back."

So, Will Hoffman, are you the damned spy who kept passing on intelligence about our forces to the enemy, leading to my humiliating defeat?
You are the current heir of the Hoffmann family, a family renowned among the kingdom's nobility for its loyalty.

In the end, did he betray his family's honor and choose to become a despised imperial lackey just to survive?

Looking at Will, who was tense-faced, Roxie felt a surge of murderous intent welling up inside her.

But she also knew that it was dangerous to rashly execute or try a nobleman before having real evidence.

Especially nobles with a good reputation in the Kingdom of Victoria would only bring her endless trouble.

Moreover, she has already set up a corresponding trap for that despicable traitor within the legion.

Once the other party enters the game and chooses to believe, then everything will come to light.

She could not only find and execute that damned traitor, but also bring the war to a final close!
Thinking of this, Roxie forcibly suppressed the murderous intent in his heart. After giving Will a meaningful look, he didn't keep him in suspense and spoke directly to him:

"Colonel Will, I think you should already be very clear about the current situation between our army and the enemy, so I won't waste any more words."

"In order to break the current deadlock, I plan to send troops to the Blitzkrieg Imperial Army 2nd Division to help the 109th Division to withdraw from the western front and come to support us."

"But I anticipate that after seeing me divide my forces and advance, John Maslow will certainly not give up easily, but will most likely send troops to try to block us."

"Therefore, I need you to lead the Independent 1st Battalion to this location and hold it firmly, giving me enough time for our main force to annihilate the Imperial 2nd Division. This mission must not be allowed to fail in any way."

"Can it be done?"

Roxie's calm voice reached Will's ears like a thunderclap from a clear sky, causing Will's pupils to shrink to their limit and his face to show disbelief.

First of all, he did not expect that, given the heavy losses suffered by his side, Roxie would not only not make a decisive advance into the Dark Corridor and try to overwhelm the Imperial army with sheer numbers to secure a victory, but instead chose to divide his forces and launch a surprise attack on the western battlefield.

Secondly, he never expected that he, leading an independent battalion of 1200 men whose strength had been severely damaged, would be sent by Roxie to cover the rear of the main force and prevent John from launching a possible surprise attack.

If he hadn't become an Imperial spy, then from the perspective of the Fifth Legion officers, this was almost entirely a suicide mission.

No normal person could accept this!
Moreover, having already become an empire's spy, dying at the hands of his own people would be somewhat like hell...

However, he felt Roxie's cold, scrutinizing gaze.

Through the other person's emotionless blue eyes, combined with the orders they gave him.

At that moment, Will understood perfectly well that he was now on the general's list of suspects.

If they refuse to comply, they will likely face the same interrogation as Colonel Davis.

Under such excruciating pain that could almost tear one's soul apart, no matter how hard one tries to endure it, there is probably no way to keep the secret in the end.

Therefore, even though his heart was filled with despair and bitterness, Will dared not reveal his true emotions in the slightest.

Instead, he remained silent for a long while before speaking in a deep voice under Roxie's ambiguous gaze:

"Reporting to General Roxie, Will Hoffman guarantees the mission will be accomplished!"

……

(End of this chapter)