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

Chapter 202 Framing, Phoenix Chick, Fishing, 'The Truth'

Under the full force of the explosive magic unleashed by Hawke and Mia, this Allied force, which was not equipped with anti-magic devices and had no time to react to the sudden attack from the sky, was overwhelmed.

Unsurprisingly, nearly two thousand people were killed by the explosive magic, which had a range of four kilometers.

The remaining thousand men were completely routed by the ground support troops that joined the battle, as well as the attack by the guards of the Independent 3rd Division who, having received orders from Siegfried, rejoined the battle.

In the end, 231 people were captured, including 6 officers, the highest-ranking of whom was a major.

"So, you two, what should we do next?"

Two hours later, in the Silverstone Mine, inside the camp of the Imperial troops.

Looking at the silent Leia and the pale-faced Mia, Siegfried, realizing the impact of his strategist's absence, couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

Although Hawke has now successfully defeated and captured the Allied force, including their brigade commander, who was also severely wounded and knocked unconscious by Captain Leia's strength, and imprisoned by his own side in an abandoned mine tunnel.

Logically, at this point they should have followed Sergeant Hawke's earlier strategy: try to shift the blame onto the other side and help their own real spy clear his name.

The problem is that, due to Sergeant Mia's insufficient strength during the previous explosive magic strike, she was unable to achieve a strike range of 2 kilometers.

In order to maximize damage output, Hawke had to take on more spell coverage pressure.

Under the strain of excessive workload, Hawke, the team's true strategist, has been forced into a coma due to depleted magic power, and it is unknown when he will wake up.

To ensure that the remaining prisoners do not cause any unforeseen incidents such as escape, the assassins from the ground support forces have now been assigned to surveillance missions.

Currently, among the ground support forces, only these three are truly capable of holding discussions and meetings.

After so many days of getting to know her, Siegfried had already learned that Leia, who was only five years older than his son Michael, was truly amazing in terms of fighting skills.

However, the other side is somewhat lacking in strategy.

Otherwise, the battalion commander probably wouldn't have assigned Sergeant Hawke to take command of this mission.

As for Mia herself, he didn't know much about her.

But ever since this officer was sent here, he has just dutifully carried out his duties and never expressed any opinions. Even though he dragged Sergeant Hawke down this time, it is still possible to analyze that the other party is not an outstanding soldier.

While I am a little smarter than these two, that's about it.

After all, I'm really not good at backstabbing or smearing people.

Ugh!
So, we can only wait until Commander Hawke wakes up before making a decision?
But the key question is whether this delay will affect our main force?
Siegfried couldn't help but sigh. Just as he was racking his brains trying to figure out what to do next, Mia's weak voice suddenly rang out from inside the tent:

"Um, I have an idea, I was wondering if I could share it?"

Feeling their gazes, Mia, who was already feeling guilty about the mistake in the operation, became even more nervous.

But recalling her past conversations with Lieutenant Wendy about Maslow's philosophy, during which Wendy taught her that a true Maslow's advocate must always have the courage to express his opinions, she took a deep breath and then shared her thoughts:

“I think, according to Sergeant Hawke’s previous opinion, our primary goal right now is to frame that Allied major, then pretend to be Allied and go to the Cocobia rainforest to coordinate with our main force and complete the occupation of the Cocobia rainforest.”

"Because only by acting quickly enough can we break into the city through assassination by disguised infiltration before the Allied forces can react, and thus gain control of the Darkmoon Clan."

"Although the main battlefield has already started and the Allied forces are attacking, in order to prevent the enemy from finding our main force's headquarters through magical fluctuations and thus leading to defeat, Commander John had to completely cut off communication with our squad after conveying the previous orders, so that we could not know the current state of the battle on the main battlefield."

"But based on my trust in the battalion commander's command abilities, I believe that this operation in the Dark Corridor will end with our side annihilating a large number of enemy troops and turning towards the Cocobia rainforest as scheduled!"

"Based on the analysis of the above factors, we can conclude one thing."

"That is, our mission of framing and launching a surprise attack must be swift and decisive, without any delays!"

Meeting their surprised gazes, and seemingly finding confidence in her analysis, Mia's initially tense voice gradually calmed, and a glint of wisdom began to shine in her azure eyes:
"As for how to... cough cough, sow discord among the enemy, I personally witnessed the psychological warfare tactics employed by the battalion commander in the town of Bahamut, and I also learned the principles behind them from Lieutenant Wendy's subsequent explanation."

"By exploiting the information gap caused by inequality, we can arouse the suspicion of the target and, through seemingly inexplicable mistakes, create a strange but perfectly reasonable escape opportunity that we have deliberately designed."

"This will ultimately lead the other side to believe the false facts we have created, and under this inducement, achieve the goals we truly want to achieve!"

"Although the battalion commander did not give a corresponding name to this principle of sowing discord, after learning about the experiences of the eldest son of the Hardman family who was captured and turned, and Mr. Will who is now one of our agents."

"Based on the situation of the person involved, I personally took the liberty of naming it the 'Prisoner's Dilemma' after some thought."

"While the situation of that Allied colonel is somewhat different, there are certain similarities."

"However, what we need this time is not the defection of that Allied colonel, but the 'leak' of another person to protect our agents. Therefore, we also need a real prisoner to help us achieve our ultimate goal!"

"And the other imprisoned Allied major is the perfect bait to frame me!"

Meeting the two people's seemingly confused gazes, Mia, who had expected to receive applause, instantly realized that she might have overestimated their theoretical knowledge and comprehension abilities.

So he immediately abandoned the idea of ​​explaining the underlying principles to try and improve the two men's strategic abilities, and instead honestly revealed his plan to frame them:

"Simply put, we just need to find someone of suitable build to impersonate the Allied colonel, mimic his voice, and have him, as our spy, explain the reason for the Allied 'ambush' to Lieutenant Leia, who is currently the highest-ranking officer on our side, near a place that is a necessary escape route. While offering him a reward, we will also plot to frame the colonel as a spy, intending for him to return to the Allied ranks and continue his infiltration."

"And in a very clever way, the Allied major who 'luckily' escaped saw and heard all of the above, making him realize that the reason his unit was ambushed was because their colonel was an agent who had been bribed by our side."

"After the other side successfully escapes and rejoins the main Allied force, they will then tell the Morning Star everything they have seen and heard."

"By then, the Battle of the Dark Corridor should have ended, and we will be able to report this to Battalion Commander John. Then, through our spies planted within the Allied forces, we can deploy personnel to carry out a transfer of the 'family of the agent' for this colonel who made intelligence 'contributions' to our army, and in the process, collect physical evidence."

"At that time, there will be a major who witnessed the 'truth' as ​​a witness, and physical evidence showing that the other party's family has fled to avoid punishment. Even if that Morning Star is as clever as a ghost, under the influence of this double false intelligence, the other party will never be able to doubt our real agents again!"

"In this way, we can successfully complete the mission of protecting and exonerating our agents, and provide them with unprecedented intelligence support for the Empire during crucial moments in the subsequent national war!"

As Mia finished speaking, the entire tent fell into an eerie silence for some reason.

Leia, who had been staring blankly at the map with a blank expression, turned her head at some point, her emerald green eyes fixed on Mia with surprise, as if she were re-evaluating the value of this usually timid magic soldier.

Siegfried, standing to the side, was even more exaggerated. He had already stood up, his eyes fixed on Mia, as if struck by lightning. His whole body began to tremble uncontrollably, his eyes filled with fanaticism and amazement.

He never expected that this woman, who was usually cautious and rarely expressed her personal opinions, and whom he had always considered an ordinary magic soldier, actually possessed wisdom in her head that was no less than that of Sergeant Hawke!

It was thought that Sergeant Hawke, whom Major John had identified as the team's strategist, would cause all their operations to be slowed down after he unexpectedly collapsed. However, they were surprised to see a turning point in Mia, who was traveling with them!
Yes, I should have realized all this long ago. After all, with the battalion commander's godlike strategy, how could he not have realized this?
If Sergeant Hawke only needs to be in command, why did the battalion commander send Sergeant Mia?
Wouldn't it be more suitable for this battlefield to send a few more demolition squad members as mage soldiers?
But the battalion commander did not do that; instead, he insisted on sending Mia.

Doesn't this mean that the other party is not intended as a combat force supplement, but rather as a backup strategist in the event that Sergeant Hawke is unable to take over command due to unforeseen circumstances?

It’s connected, everything is connected!

So, is everything going according to your plan, Your Excellency John?

How wonderful!

He is simply divine!

Siegfried felt as if a storm was raging in his heart, and his admiration for John reached an unprecedented peak at this moment.

However, he also understood that this was not the time to praise the lord's greatness. With Mia's explanation, he had realized the urgency of the situation. Right now, he had to complete this frame-up task as soon as possible. Only in this way could he live up to the lord's expectations.

Thinking of this, Siegfried immediately suppressed his shock and excitement. After taking a deep look at 'Phoenix Chick' Mia, he took the initiative to ask her about the details of the implementation plan.

……

"Wow!"

At 8 p.m., inside the abandoned mine where the Allied prisoners were located.

Looking at the prison cell in front of him, Major Edmund Hawthorne, the battalion commander of the 1st Combined Arms Battalion of the 2nd Brigade, felt an unprecedented bitterness and despair.

Especially when recalling the hellish scene just hours earlier, when their own forces, who should have easily completed this annihilation operation, were wiped out in an instant by a sudden, destructive light from the sky, leaving them no time to react.

He couldn't stop feeling his hands and feet getting cold and his whole body trembling.

Although he had already heard about the power of the magic soldiers, who were called the 'Demon Legion' by countless countries, from intelligence and rumors.

But witnessing firsthand how life and the earth were swallowed up and destroyed in an instant, leaving behind a pit that was like an abyss, too deep to look at directly, was unimaginable.

Moreover, only two people delivered this devastating blow from beginning to end.

At that moment, Edmund truly realized the meaning behind the title "Magic Soldier".

Monsters, demons, absolute destroyers!
How can humanity possibly fight against such unreasonable monsters?

Thinking of this, Edmund couldn't help but smile bitterly, and he slumped back down in his seat.

Now, he could only hope that this damned imperial army would abide by the laws of war and not arbitrarily execute him, a descendant of a nobleman, but instead treat him as a high-value prisoner.

In this way, he would still have a chance to return safely to the kingdom by paying a ransom during the prisoner exchange between the empire and the kingdom.

"But will things really develop as I expect?"

After all, the enemy commander is currently fighting against our main force in the Dark Corridor, and under General Roxie's strategy, the enemy commander will most likely suffer a crushing defeat.

They would then become a defeated army with nowhere to escape, facing encirclement and annihilation by their own side.

In the event of the annihilation of the commander-in-chief and the main force, would they really not, out of anger and despair, choose to kill their own prisoners to avenge the commander-in-chief's defeat?

Edmund didn't know, but he felt that if he were in charge of this unit, he would most likely do the same.

After all, this unit looked exactly like an elite enemy force.

Loyalty is the most important quality for elite troops.

If General Roxie were to die in battle, wouldn't he kill the prisoners to vent his anger?
"Ugh!"

Edmund sighed heavily, feeling his body weakened by the magic-suppressing chains, and then looked at the enemy guard standing outside the fence of his isolated mine, his back to him.

For a moment, he couldn't help but feel worried about his unknown future.

Just as he was contemplating whether to stay here and wait to die, or to try to escape while the enemy soldiers he was monitoring were asleep, he was trying to break free of his chains.

Outside the fence, as if receiving some kind of notification, the guard who was watching him whispered something after connecting to the communication device, then his expression changed drastically and he quickly walked out of the mine without ever glancing at him.

Almost as soon as the other side moved, Edmund, with his amazing hearing, faintly heard a faint sound outside the mine.

This is... a riot?
Listening to the faint yet remarkably clear sounds of battle around him, Edmund instantly realized that something unexpected had happened on the enemy's position.

At the same time, he realized that this was probably the best time for him to escape.

If I wait any longer, there's a 99% chance I'll die.

If you try to escape, there's a 50% chance you'll be caught and die.

But there's a 50% chance they can escape safely!

And, most importantly, although we don't know exactly how the turmoil in the outside world was caused.

But if I miss this opportunity, I'm afraid I'll never encounter a similar situation again!

"Since death is inevitable, the latter has a higher chance of survival, so why not take the gamble?"

It's done!

A fierce glint flashed in Edmund's eyes, but he did not act immediately. Instead, he put his ear to the ground and listened carefully to make sure that the enemy soldier guarding him had gone far away.

He then took a deep breath and began to use all his magic power to try to break the magic-suppressing bracelet on his hand.

As an outstanding officer who had studied at the Third Magic Technology Academy, possessed a wealth of magical technology knowledge, and was newly assigned to the 502nd Magic Technology Functionalist after five years of service, serving as the battalion commander of the Synthetic Battalion.

They had this anti-magic device, which came from two centuries ago and was developed by the empire at the time. It was now more than a dozen versions behind their own.

Edmund, being a semi-scholar, was naturally aware of his weaknesses.

Moreover, this Imperial Army didn't seem to value him much as a major, so after simply putting the anti-magic bracelet on him, they just abandoned him.

They didn't drive that damned magic-suppressing nail into him to achieve complete magic confinement.

This gave him an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

Therefore, in less than five minutes, Edmund, covered in sweat, successfully used magic to invade the core of the anti-magic bracelet and destroyed the anti-magic stone inside, thus freeing himself from the bracelet's restraints.

"Hoo, hoo! Very good, very good!"

Feeling the magic power beginning to gather again within his body, Edmund's eyes gleamed with excitement.

After carefully sensing his surroundings and confirming that no other soldiers were coming, he turned his gaze to the fence in front of him, gathered his magic in his hands, and slowly clenched it.

Then, it was pulled to both sides!

"Squeak!"

Under the influence of magic, the sturdy iron fence began to twist under the unprecedented load, emitting a series of teeth-grinding sounds.

Then, driven by force, it slowly but rapidly expanded into a gap large enough for an adult to pass through.

Edmund cautiously peeked out, carefully observing his surroundings. Only after confirming that there were no enemies did he breathe a sigh of relief. He then endured the stinging sensation caused by insufficient magic power, forcing himself to activate his aura-sensing spell. Leaning against the wall, he slowly moved towards the outside of the mine, afraid of making the slightest noise.

As he approached the exit, the sounds of explosions and shouts of battle grew louder. The magical energy flowing in the air, converging and dispersing into the distance, further convinced him that the enemy must have encountered an unexpected attack and turmoil.

So, could I try to rescue the rest of the troops and then join forces to launch a counterattack?
The thought suddenly popped into Edmund's mind, but when he thought of the assassins who could kill their own soldiers on the battlefield as easily as killing chickens, he immediately put the thought out of his mind.

To attempt a rebellion with a group of unequipped and unarmed prisoners against that elite force would undoubtedly be the most foolish decision.

What's more, the enemy also has two damned magic soldiers.

Faced with that terrifying explosive magic, let alone his two hundred-plus prisoners, even a fully armed combined arms battalion would likely be doomed. "Therefore, taking advantage of the chaos to escape and report this to General Roxie is the wisest course of action!"

Having made his decision, Edmund immediately stopped hesitating and carefully surveyed the surroundings of the mine, using the dim torchlight to confirm that no enemy troops were paying attention to him.

He quickly started running, his heart pounding with anxiety, and head down towards the empty passage on the left.

"Tap, tap!"

Due to insufficient magic power, Edmund did not notice that hundreds of meters above his head in the night sky, a figure hovering in the air was watching his every move through a pair of eyes that shimmered with magical light.

After seeing him head towards the planned left-hand passage, Mia slowly activated the communication device and spoke to Siegfried and the others who were already waiting on the other side:

"The fish has taken the bait, let's begin!"

"Roger that!"

……

"Those damn orcs have rioted again! Stop standing around and get to help!"

"Damn it, again? These sons of bitches, I'll kill them all sooner or later!"

On the left side of the Silverstone Mine, in front of the tents in the Imperial Army camp, a group of Imperial soldiers grumbled as they picked up their weapons from the camp, then raised their magic lamps and walked together toward the orc rest area on the right.

As you walk, the light is gradually swallowed by darkness, and finally disappears completely around the corner.

Shortly after the soldiers left, Edmund breathed a sigh of relief from the shadow of an inconspicuous tent nearby, and continued his brisk pace away from the perilous enemy camp.

Looking at the exit in the distance, which was so busy suppressing the orc riots that there wasn't even a single guard, Edmund's heart was instantly filled with unprecedented excitement.

At this moment, he wished he had two more legs so he could rush out of this damned enemy camp immediately.

However, just as he was about to seize this unprecedented opportunity to escape in one fell swoop, he seemed to hear a sound. His ears twitched slightly, and he stopped without hesitation. With unprecedented speed, he quickly hid behind the tent, trying his best to suppress his heartbeat and breathing.

"Tap, tap!"

Almost the instant he completed his concealment, footsteps sounded from around the corner not far away. Then, in his anxious gaze, five reinforcements dressed in Imperial Air Force uniforms—assassins who had left a deep impression on him during the daytime battle—walked toward his location.

Has it been discovered?
Want to fight back?

Or surrender?

As Edmund watched the five assassins slowly approach, he felt an unprecedented sense of despair and struggle.

Just as he was having an internal struggle, he was pleasantly surprised to find that just as the five assassins were about to come face to face with him at the corner, they went straight into the tent to the left of his hiding place.

Immediately, a hushed conversation could be heard from inside. Soon, as if the mission had been handed over, the five assassins quickly withdrew from the tent.

Then, under Edmund's excited gaze, he strode quickly toward the riot area on the right and soon disappeared into the night.

"Thank God!"

Edmund, who had narrowly escaped death, couldn't help but silently chant the name of the Lord of the Sun with unprecedented devotion, just as he was about to continue cautiously forward and complete this desperate escape.

As he cautiously passed the tent on the left, he happened to hear a voice that he recognized immediately.

That's... Colonel Davis's voice?
Is it an illusion?

Edmund was stunned; the powerful intelligence he received caused his expression to change rapidly.

After a moment of internal struggle, he suppressed his unease and anxiety, and silently moved closer to the tent, carefully making a small, barely noticeable hole in the back.

And then moved his right eye over there.

The light emitted from the magic lampshade caught the eye, illuminating the two figures inside the tent who were sitting at the conference table, facing each other.

Although one of the men had his back to him, he could still feel the familiarity between the man's clothes and his back.

Edmund instantly recognized the man's true identity:

The other party was none other than Colonel Davis Bachter, the highest-ranking commander of their brigade!

Sitting opposite her was a girl wearing the uniform of an Imperial Army colonel [a spare uniform from Colonel Toby], with unusual silver hair, an exceptionally beautiful face, but an expressionless demeanor like that of a doll.

At this moment, everything Edmund saw seemed to transform into boundless waves, surging wildly into his heart.

It almost drove him to the brink of madness.

He was even on the verge of madness.

He never imagined that Colonel Davis Bacht, the highest-ranking commander of his own brigade, who came from the noble Bacht family and had been secretly supported and cultivated by General Roxie several years ago, would most likely become a member of the general's inner circle!
Even though everyone on their side had been captured, the enemy appeared here unharmed and was even talking to a female colonel who was suspected to be the highest-ranking officer of this unit.

This doesn't look like the treatment prisoners should receive.

On the contrary, it seems more like a surrender?
Could it be that Colonel Davis is planning to betray the Kingdom and defect to the damned Empire?

How could this be?

How can this be!
If it’s fake, it must be fake!

Colonel Davis must have been coerced by the enemy to appear in this tent!
I'm overthinking it!

I must be overthinking it!
Just as Edmund was constantly brainwashing himself and trying to resist all the information he received.

The next second, that all-too-familiar voice shattered all his illusions, causing his face to twitch and contort in rage.

"Lady Leia, isn't it about time you settled the payment for this intelligence report?"

Davis, played by a member of the Black Hawk Down special forces, spoke calmly to Leia, then picked up his coffee cup and took a sip.

Seeing that his superior officer did not react at all upon hearing this, and was still staring at him expressionlessly, as if he had forgotten his lines, he immediately broke out in a cold sweat.

Fearing that the decoy behind him might see through his ruse, he immediately feigned anger and slammed his hand on the table, then imitated Davis's voice and roared angrily:
"Why aren't you answering me? We clearly agreed on a price of five million gold pounds for the intelligence. Are you bastards trying to back out? I want to see your superior, I want to speak directly with John Maslow!"

"Commander John is engaged in battle with the Allies and has no time to respond to you."

Seemingly realizing the impromptu performance of her subordinate, Leia stared blankly at 'Davis', then, recalling her lines, began to recite them mechanically, as if mechanically reciting a textbook:

"We are very dissatisfied with your performance this time. You lacked sufficient intelligence to play a role on the main battlefield."

"What the hell does that have to do with me? To ensure your damn excavation mission, I directly betrayed an entire brigade under my command. Even if I return to the Allies, I will definitely be held accountable, and there's a high probability that that damned Roxie Sancaster will suspect me!"

"I've paid such a high price and made so many sacrifices for the empire, and in the end you want to cut my pay with these damned words? Damn it, I absolutely cannot agree to this!"

Seemingly furious, after saying this, 'Davis' cursed viciously in Victorian:
"Damn Twat [idiot]!"

"!"

Outside the tent, hearing that all-too-familiar cursing, Edmund's last shred of trust vanished completely.

This word is a local slang term from the Red Agate Territory where the Bacht family resides. Outsiders have no idea about it, and it is a word that is used when someone is very angry and cursing their stupid subordinates.

When Davis spoke these words inside the tent, both his emotions and the intensity were exactly the same as when he used to curse his own soldiers.

The identical voice and habits prove that this damned traitor is Davis Bachter!
"Asshole, bastard!"

Edmund roared with rage in his heart, and his fingernails dug into his flesh from the excessive force, from which drops of bright red blood were seeping out.

When he looked at the figure in his field of vision, the resentment and hatred in his eyes almost materialized.

He never imagined that Colonel Davis Bachter, whom he had always followed, admired, and even regarded as an idol, would be the same person he had always admired.

They actually betrayed their own country.

Even more so, for that damned money, they deliberately revealed their own intelligence to the enemy!
As a result, the 2nd Brigade, which should have won a great victory, was not only defeated and killed due to the enemy's advance preparations, but was also humiliatingly captured by the enemy.

No wonder General Roxie suffered repeated defeats at the Battle of Chokepoint!
No wonder that despite having an absolute advantage in both numbers and combat strength, and instead of crushing the enemy, our side suffered unprecedented losses.

This led to a situation where they had no choice but to accept fighting at a disadvantage!
So it turns out that you were the one behind all of this!

Edmund's eyes were bloodshot with rage, and his chest heaved uncontrollably.

The intelligence he had gathered was already unconsciously connecting the dots, and he began to make uncontrollable associations.

He recalled the scene of him being held in solitary confinement.

At first, he was puzzled as to why, as a major, he was assigned to a different cell after being put in a magic-suppressing bracelet, and why a powerful elite guard was assigned to watch over him.

Judging from this, it is likely that Davis himself gave the order.

After all, the other side knew very well that among all their prisoners, they were the most likely to discover the truth.

Therefore, to avoid this possibility, the other side specifically had that damned Imperial Army detain him alone.

If it weren't for the orcs enslaved by the Imperial forces revolting, causing the enemy to relax their guard and allowing him to escape,

I and the other captured soldiers will probably be secretly executed by the Imperial Army within three days, under the pretext of preventing the news from leaking, by this traitor Davis.

No, it wouldn't even take three days, judging from the shameful attitude the other party has displayed.

The other party might very well execute me tonight, while I'm kept in the dark!

Davis Bachter, that guy is a complete faithless beast!

"You damned bastard, how could General Roxie have been so blind as to choose a traitor like you!"

"How hateful, utterly hateful!!!"

Edmund's anger surged, and he clenched his teeth, desperately trying to suppress the murderous intent surging within him.

His eyes gradually changed from being frantic to cold and calm.

Although I really wanted to rush up and kill this damned traitor to vent my anger.

But Edmund knew that doing so would be the most foolish thing to do.

After all, although Davis was a damned traitor, his magic class was one level higher than his, so even if he were at full magic power, he couldn't possibly defeat him.

Especially now, when magic power is depleted.

Furthermore, there is an imperial monster in this tent whose strength is no less than that of the enemy. If they were to launch an attack, there would be no other possibility than dying here meaninglessly and burying the 'truth'.

"So what I need to do right now is not to seek revenge on Davis, but to survive!"

"Only by leaving this damned mine alive and meeting up with General Roxie before Davis, who wants to continue infiltrating the main force as an Imperial spy and further sell out intelligence to the Empire, can we reveal the whole truth to the public."

"This is the best way for me to take revenge on this despicable traitor!"

Edmund murmured to himself. Having clarified his goal, he stopped watching the despicable traitor's transaction. He only gave the 'traitor's' disgusting back one last cold look before cautiously averting his gaze and slowing his pace, becoming an imperceptible ghost under the cover of darkness.

Instead, they resolutely headed towards the direction of their main force.

"Tap, tap!"

Almost immediately after Edmund completely escaped the Silverstone mine, the conversation inside the tent abruptly stopped, and the two figures slowly walked out of the tent.

"Whoosh!"

At the same time, accompanied by a gust of wind, Mia, who had been flying in the night sky, slowly landed in front of the two. After briefly inquiring about the situation and receiving an affirmative answer, Mia turned her gaze to Siegfried, who had appeared in the distance at some unknown time.

He then nodded under the other party's expectant gaze, and said with a smile:
"Commander Siegfried, our plan has succeeded! The target has escaped with false information!"

“Good! Very good, Sergeant Mia, you…”

Upon hearing this, Siegfried's heart immediately calmed down, and he was about to excitedly praise Mia's plan when he was abruptly interrupted:

"We'll talk about celebrating later; we have more important tasks to do right now."

Under the solemn gazes of everyone, Mia slowly lowered her military cap, a cold glint flashing in her azure eyes, before raising her hand to point towards the location of the Cocobia rainforest in the south.

At this moment, all her previous gentleness and timidity vanished, replaced by an unprecedented coldness and chilling aura.

"We must move forward immediately!"

"With unprecedented speed, transform into the swiftest lightning, and pierce through the defenses of those foolish enemies who are unaware of the impending crisis!"

"Under Commander John's command, capture more towns!"

"Then we will coordinate with our main force!"

"Finally, we will bring this long-overdue victory to our empire!"

Facing the excited and enthusiastic gazes of her comrades, Mia, who seemed to finally understand her future path, blushed and had a glint of ambition in her eyes. She couldn't help but raise her right hand and then clench her fist.

With all his might, he squeezed the air out of his chest, and driven by a mad thirst for victory, he unleashed it all into a roar powerful enough to ignite any hesitation:

"In the name of the Empire, let us crush those damned enemy troops!"

"In the name of the Empire!"

……

(End of this chapter)