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

Chapter 208 Summoning and Methods of Relief

Why would Dormammu choose someone as insignificant as himself?
Did he know his background, or was he simply trying to teach him a lesson because of his previous attempt to assassinate John?
Six hours later, in the afternoon, inside the Kroni City Hall, Serbia looked at the two magic soldiers leading the way and various thoughts kept surfacing in his mind.

Just as she was filled with doubt and worry, the two magic soldiers in front of her slowly stopped. After the leading magic soldier knocked on the door and received permission from inside,

Then the other party proactively opened the office door and gestured towards Serbia:
"Please come in, Acting Serbian Political Officer. His Excellency the Marshal is waiting for you inside."

"..."

Looking at the wide-open door in front of him, he suspected that he might lose his freedom once he entered.

But remembering the promise John had made to him, Serbia forcibly suppressed the urge to run away. Instead, she took a deep breath and strode inside under the scrutinizing gazes of the two magic soldiers.

"Tap, tap!"

"Squeak!"

The brown wooden door slowly closed, and after passing through the long entryway filled with various books, the simple and spacious interior quickly came into view.

It seems that some renovations have been carried out. The original magnificent Baroque style decoration has been completely abolished and replaced by an extreme cool color scheme, with white walls and black wooden floors, giving people a strong sense of conflict and oppression.

Apart from a huge conference table and its chairs, there was no other furnishings in the room, which was completely different from the conventional classical style that was popular in the Empire's conference rooms.

All the windows in the room were closed and covered with thick, dark red curtains, preventing any outside light from entering. The only source of light in the room was an old-fashioned crystal chandelier on the ceiling.

As the magic stone was transformed by the internal functional array, it continuously emitted rays of cold and sharp light.

The entire meeting room didn't feel like a meeting room to Serbia.

Instead, it’s more like…

"A tightly controlled interrogation room, or a secret room for exchanging top-secret intelligence and issuing special missions."

Serbia murmured to herself, and then, feeling the gaze directed at her from ahead, her wine-red pupils involuntarily turned toward the figure observing her.

An elderly man with snow-white hair was sitting in the main seat. He was slightly thin, but his posture was exceptionally upright. He was holding a slender purple pipe and gently taking a puff.

The other person's narrow eyes did not have the cloudiness commonly seen in elderly people; instead, they inexplicably gave off an indescribable sharpness.

It was like an old eagle, yet still brave and fierce.

The other party was wearing a black and gold mage uniform that was very familiar to Serbia, with several magnificent medals hanging on his chest and a large gold cross medal around his neck, surrounded by countless gorgeous pendants and patterns, as well as a large number of cornflower patterns.

Clearly, this is the 'Golden Cross of the Imperial Order of Honor, Class 1,' representing the highest individual honor in the Norman Empire. It is a brand-new medal created after William XIII took office, surpassing the existing Order of the Golden Oak, which represented the highest individual honor in the empire.

As far as Serbia knows, only one person has received this medal, an honor that is the dream of every soldier in the empire.

And that person was...

"Domamuth Philoth".

The name slowly surfaced in Serbia's mind, and he realized that the person who had summoned him was the one who had come to see him.

Before she could even try to speak, she was drawn to a cold, sharp gaze that had appeared out of nowhere.

She immediately turned her gaze to where the other person was, and only then was she shocked to discover.

Behind Dormammu, in the shadows hidden by the curtains, there was another figure.

Furthermore, what Serbia found strange, even chilling, was that, apart from her proud perception techniques, she couldn't detect the other party's presence.

Even under direct sunlight, the other person's body blended into the darkness behind them. Apart from the cold, demonic eyes that the other person deliberately revealed, she couldn't make out their size or whether they were aiming a gun at her.

Sensing the strange state of the other party, and the powerful magical aura emanating from them that, despite being at the same level as themselves, exuded an overwhelming sense of oppression.

At this moment, Serbia had no doubt.

With the opponent's unparalleled ability to conceal and hide, if they really wanted to kill her, she probably wouldn't even know what caused her death until she died.

It was like a ghost.

So, is this the power of the Empire's top assassination squad, which has been modified into a half-magic soldier and now possesses the Seed of Illusion?

Leia was trained by one of these monsters?
No wonder I lost so badly...

Sensing the cold, ruthless will emanating from the owner of those eyes, Serbia dared not act rashly. Instead, she stood obediently in place, silently enduring this silent torture.

Just when she thought this silent interrogation would last a long time, she was surprised when, after only a few seconds, an old and dignified voice slowly rang out from the conference room:

“Jett, you seem to be frightening our guest. This is not the way to treat a guest.”

Dormammu slightly raised his right hand to gesture to Jett, then his narrow eyes carefully examined the composed girl in front of him, as if he were pondering some possibility, his gaze flickering slightly.

Then, a long-absent smile appeared on his stern face, and his usually authoritative voice became kind and gentle:
"Please take a seat, Serbia Reinhardt, acting political officer. As someone recognized by Major John, whatever you have done or experienced in the past is irrelevant to me."

“John’s friends are the Third Army’s friends, so you don’t need to be so reserved.”

"Thank you for your kindness, Marshal."

Upon hearing this, Serbia realized that Dormammu's invitation was not for interrogation but for another purpose, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, she hesitated before glancing at Colonel Jett, who was standing behind Dormammu. He had somehow dispelled the illusion spell and now revealed a burly physique with a perfectly defined jawline that made one want to complain.

Noticing that the other person had also withdrawn their cold gaze, she carefully pulled out the chair in front of her and sat down. Following aristocratic etiquette, she respectfully folded her hands in her lap, her posture becoming more upright than ever before, showcasing her slender and beautiful neck, as graceful as a swan's. Her full red lips were slightly pursed, and an elegant and dignified smile graced her face.

With her stunning red hair and delicate features, she looked especially captivating under the colorful light refracted by the crystal.

She resembled a noblewoman being scrutinized by her future father-in-law, striving to project an image of elegance and sophistication.

Sure enough, it seems my guess was correct.

Seeing Serbia's performance, Dormammu, who had long been a shrewd man, immediately understood and felt more confident about his plan.

In fact, the reason he summoned Serbia was not to see what charm this half-dragon, whom John had forcibly transferred from a fugitive and a dangerous individual who had attempted to attack an Imperial major to an Imperial political official, was that John could take such a risky step.

It was not, as an elder, to test the other person's character and ensure John's future married life.

Instead, they have more important plans to execute.

In fact, a full fifteen days have passed since our side received that intelligence from Bob Ariel.

In those fifteen days, His Majesty William convened five parliamentary sessions in an attempt to persuade the Conservatives to send troops to support the Falcon front, thereby relieving the pressure on John, who was on the front lines and facing death, so that he could return safely to the Empire.

However, all their efforts ultimately failed. Even their request to send more magic soldiers to provide support was rejected by the powerful Prime Minister, who cited the possibility that Walden Territory might face a counterattack from the Allied forces at any time and that insufficient troops might lead to the fall of the Magic Lake.

The thought that John, who already had insufficient troops and possessed command and strategy that even he admired, had miraculously defeated the Allied forces six times, would perish under the overwhelming number of Allied warships that were about to arrive on the battlefield.

After struggling for fifteen days, Dormammu made an unprecedented and astonishing decision.

He planned to forcibly send the strongest 1,000 magic soldiers in the army, as well as 736 active assassination magic soldiers from the Black Hawk Special Forces, to arrive and support the Faoken front within three days by continuous flight.

But he also knew that these troop support measures could not completely guarantee the final victory on the Faoken front.

At best, this could only ensure that John could leave Faoken alive under the cover of the magic soldiers and Black Hawk special forces.

They wanted to seize the final victory and offset the responsibility for this forced military intervention with merit.

He then needs to find ways to provide John with more reinforcements.

After 15 long days of deliberation and numerous discussions with His Majesty William, Dormammu finally found what he considered the safest and most feasible method.

This method is related to Serbia.

Thinking of this, a glint flashed in Dormammu's eyes, and his gaze became even more profound.

However, he also knew that the success of his method ultimately depended on the young half-dragon in front of him, who had been persecuted by the previous emperor but had now regained trust in the empire, or rather, in the current wise ruler of the empire, under John's guarantee.

He had to explain the dire state of the battlefront and the fact that John was isolated and helpless.

He also took the initiative to make corresponding promises to the other party on John's behalf, as well as post-war rewards.

Only in this way, under the influence of the marriage contract and the maintenance of interests, plus the vague yet strange and nostalgic bond between the two that he could see through at a glance, which was something he had experienced similar situations before, could maintain their relationship.

Only then could Serbia, a half-dragon, follow the magic soldiers to the ancestral land of the half-dragons, the Tomb of the Dragon God Asgras, in Morno Continent. According to the requirements of the Dragon God's Trial, he led the magic soldiers to crush the trial in an unprecedented manner and win the title of the new Red Dragon and Sea Dragon Tribe King.

As the successor to the dual tribal thrones, he transferred troops from the Red Dragon Clan and the Sea Dragon Clan, who were hybrid orcs, from Morno Continent. He relied on the superhuman physical abilities and swift naval combat capabilities of these two hybrid orc clans.

With the support of these two exceptionally powerful orc tribes that do not obey the orders of any nation and are loyal only to the Dragon God's covenant, John was able to turn the tide of battle!

This is the real reason why he summoned Serbia to this secret room today!

"Although the Dragon God Trial of the half-dragons is rumored to be extremely difficult, since they can bring their own clan and soldiers, it shouldn't be too difficult for them to help the other side win the first six trials with the strength of a thousand magic soldiers and 736 members of the Black Hawk Special Forces."

"The only trouble is the final test of spirit and will; only those who pass it can seize the title of the ultimate successor."

"According to the records in the Imperial Database, most of the half-dragons who participated in it eventually went insane due to a breakdown of their will, or even died on the spot because they could not bear the pain."

"However, since Serbia Reinhardt had undergone Mephisto Dragon's modification experiments and became the only successful survivor, he is more resilient than previous participants in terms of enduring pain and mental torture."

"If we use the strange bond between her and John as bait, and give him enough, only she can save John from hell if she steps forward now."

"Furthermore, through His Majesty William's name, I will use the incentive of appointing him as the commander of the Imperial Red Dragon Special Operations Division and the Sea Dragon Operations Division's naval and land special operations divisions, and granting him the rank of Major General, after he assists the Empire in achieving final victory."

"Finally, the highest-ranking officer in John's unit, as well as an elder, made the marriage promise on John's behalf."

"Then, if we use friendship, strength, power, and love—four weaknesses that humanity cannot avoid—as bait."

"I am at least 90% confident that I can get him to agree and, under the influence of his goal of rescuing John and realizing his life's value, he will spare no effort to stick to it to the end."

"This is the limit of what I, as your superior and the one who pushed you into the dangerous battlefield, can do for you."

"This is also a practical solution I've come up with for you."

"So, John, until your true reinforcements arrive, please, you must hold on on that damned battlefield!"

Looking at the half-dragon girl in front of him, who was unaware that she was about to fall into his despicable trap and head to an extremely dangerous battlefield, where she would have to undergo an unprecedented hellish test.

A pang of guilt flashed through Dormammu's mind, but soon, when he thought of the young figure he had personally pushed onto the battlefield, his eyes were filled with determination.

……

　We're leaving at 10:30 tomorrow. I'll update 4,000 words today, then go have a farewell drink with some friends. I'll start catching up on the chapters I've missed from the past few days starting on the 12th.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)