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

Chapter 211 Spreading, Discovering, Debating, Purpose

In the blink of an eye, three days had passed.

Over the course of these three days, as John's tactical plans gradually unfolded, and with the cooperation of ground support troops, all 15 Darkmoon Clan cities surrounding the central region of the Cocobia Rainforest, which John had designated as the central battlefield, had been captured.

The Imperial forces' base was moved from Blue Lake City to Stargazing City, a town located in the southeastern part of the Cocobia Rainforest, only 200 kilometers from Crescent Strait.

"If I count carefully, it's been six days already, so the downpour should arrive around tomorrow night, right?"

Hopefully it won't be earlier than planned, otherwise it might cause a lot of trouble.

Standing on the city wall of Stargazing City, John raised his hand to feel the humidity in the air and murmured to himself unconsciously.

Just as he had instructed Edgar in his previous communications, he planned to spread false intelligence in advance during this first engagement with the Allies.

By misleading the Allies with intelligence, they were forced to make a misjudgment and compel them to move their main forces to the western front.

At that time, he will command the 2nd Division, which is already in position on the western front of the central battlefield, to send out a vanguard force to launch a surprise attack on the enemy's main camp.

Try to kill the enemy's commanding general.

Of course, John was well aware that if Roxie remained on the battlefield, the enemy would surely see through this simple deception.

They then launched a counterattack, using mobile forces to create the illusion of an empty camp, while actually ambushing and attempting to encircle and annihilate the members of the 2nd Division.

Unfortunately, this situation was also within John's expectations.

Because his real goal was never to launch a surprise attack with the 2nd Division, whose combat strength was halved, in an attempt to eliminate this Allied force of at least 80,000 men through a decapitation plan.

For him, the 2nd Division's vanguard troops who participated in the raid had an even more important intelligence mission.

If this can be achieved, the limitation on our intelligence gathering capabilities caused by the dense rainforest of Cocobia will be resolved, allowing him to learn about the Allied forces' subsequent actions.

Regarding casualties, John calculated that he had to keep the losses of this decoy operation below 800 men.

If this number is exceeded, the subsequent 2nd Division will be short of troops, which will affect his subsequent arrangements.

In more serious cases, it could lead to his ultimate defeat.

"However, after my previous conversation with Edgar, this situation is absolutely impossible!"

The ultimate victor of the Battle of Fauken can only be me, John Maslow!
Because my eyes have already seen the future!
As if to confirm John's determination, just as he withdrew his slightly raised right hand, the next second, a message he had anticipated came through the communication device in his ear:

"Reporting to the commander, according to the frontline reconnaissance, the main Allied forces have successfully penetrated deep into the Cocobia rainforest and are about to reach the other side of the Falling Moon River!"

"Very good, Martha, immediately notify the intelligence department to send out the false intelligence ordering the 2nd Division to launch a fire attack on the enemy on the western front through the now-cracked wavelength. Make sure the enemy intercepts this communication signal!"

"Yes, Commander!"

"Dudu!"

……

Meanwhile, in the central Cocobia rainforest, as the main Allied force continued its march toward the southern part of the rainforest, they suddenly learned that the communications department had captured intelligence about the Imperial Army. The Allied forces immediately stopped and set up camp on the spot.

"John Maslow intends to have the Imperial Army's 2nd Division launch a fire attack on us from the western front?"

An hour later, in the temporary command tent of the Allied main force camp, Zalga, who had now risen to the position of the highest commander of the troops, was startled upon seeing the deciphered content presented by the communications battalion commander. This was quickly replaced by unprecedented elation.
"Excellent, excellent, this intelligence is timely and accurate. Your communications battalion has done a very good job. Once we win this war, I will definitely recommend you for commendation!"

Recalling the Imperial Major General who had previously inflicted countless damages on the 109th Division in the Tarzan Wetlands, who should have died at his hands but instead left behind the heavy artillery regiment to complete the evacuation.

A murderous intent involuntarily welled up in Zalga's heart. He then narrowed his eyes, and a sinister, excited smile slowly appeared on his lips.

"Pass on my order: the main force is to immediately march west and wipe out this damned army..."

However, before Zalga could immediately advance his main force to the western front, intending to settle old scores with Edgar, a mocking voice suddenly interrupted him:

"idiot!"

At that moment, everyone in the tent focused their attention on the person who had just spoken. Upon seeing the person's face, the shouts of rebuke on their lips instantly died down, and they all fell silent.

The one who publicly berated Zalga was none other than Roxie, who had once been the commander of this allied and orcish combined force, but had been stripped of his command for making a mistake and instead remained on the battlefield as a staff officer of the Fifth Army Group.

However, compared to her previous image, Roxie has changed quite a bit. Her beautiful blonde hair, which used to reach her hips, has now been cut in half, only reaching her shoulders.

Her cheekbones, which appeared somewhat prominent due to her excessive thinness, made her already sharp features even more pronounced.

Especially under the gaze of those seemingly emotionless, beast-like, crystal-blue eyes, one would uncontrollably feel fear the moment their eyes met, under the inexplicable pressure hidden deep within.

“Roxie Sancaster, what did you say? Do you dare say it again?”

Looking at this damned blonde human woman, Zalga's anger surged uncontrollably.

His brown, vertical pupils were also filled with murderous intent.

He hadn't forgotten how the enemy had tried to use the 109th Division as bait to ambush and kill both his own forces and the Imperial Army in the Dark Corridor.

After the Kingdom of Victoria offered substantial compensation and transferred command of the entire force to him, Zalga reluctantly agreed to allow Roxie to remain on the battlefield as a legionary staff officer.

He had assumed that the other party would learn their lesson after being humiliated and would no longer dare to act presumptuously in front of him, the commander.

But Zalga never expected that these damned humans would dare to so openly challenge his authority.

It’s simply lawless!
If we don't teach this damn bitch a lesson, she'll never realize who's really in charge now!

But before the enraged Zalga could use his position as commander to force Roxie to kneel down and apologize, and then stomp Roxie's head into the ground to vent his anger,

Roxie's cold and disdainful voice rang out again from inside the tent:
"I'm telling you, Zalga Blackswamp, you're a fool who can't even see through a simple feint!"

At this moment, she leaned back in her seat, a cold smile on her face.

Ignoring Zalga, who was so angry her eyes were practically spitting fire, she reached into her breast pocket, pulled out a pack of cigarettes, lit one, took a puff to her pale pink lips, and then slowly exhaled.

Before the enraged Zalga could ask any questions, Roxie spoke up directly:

"First, why didn't John Maslow inform the 2nd Infantry Division, which needed to carry out the operation, about such confidential intelligence beforehand? Instead, he revealed this fire attack plan, which could dominate the course of the battlefield, right when our troops had just arrived at this position?"

"Do you guys really think John Maslow would make such a mistake that even a novice commander wouldn't make?"

"Secondly, why did John Maslow know that our army had deciphered the communication wavelengths used by the enemy during the past half month of fighting, and that our army, with its magical technology, had the ability to intercept and interpret enemy intelligence?"

"Logically speaking, unless the other party is an idiot like you, they would never use the radio to transmit instructions at this time, let alone provide such detailed information!"

"Instead, they will try to use more covert methods that are undetectable to our forces, such as using magic soldiers that can fly at high speeds, rather than choosing radio communication, which is the riskiest, extremely easy for our forces to detect, and does not involve wavelength changes!"

"Therefore, the so-called fire attack was a deliberate illusion spread by the enemy, with the aim of getting our main force to rush to the western front, which slowed our advance and left us without the necessary logistical support to defend the front."

"Because it became separated from the main force, it was directly wiped out by the enemy's forces that took advantage of the situation."

"Ultimately, our army was unable to obtain supplies and was forced to lose on this damned battlefield!"

"This is John Maslow's true goal!"

Amidst the shocked gazes of the crowd, Roxie slowly stubbed out his cigarette on the conference table before him, then sneered at Zalga, whose face had turned ashen:
"So, Major General Zalga Kurozuma, do you have any objections to me calling you an absolute idiot?"

"..."

Zhalga's face was a mixture of confusion and embarrassment, but as he faced the pitying or mocking gazes of the crowd, he realized that if he continued to make trouble, he would only embarrass himself further and would not be able to regain any face.

So he had no choice but to suppress his anger, and instead glared fiercely at Roxie, before addressing the crowd:

"All troops, listen to my orders! Immediately divide the main force into two groups. One group will follow me to the west to attempt to annihilate the Imperial Army's 2nd Division. The other group will lie in ambush around the camp to intercept any troops that may attack at any time. Leave the camp untouched and make it appear as if it is empty. Make sure to wipe out all invading enemy troops!"

"..."

Upon hearing Zalga's standard instruction, unlike the others who were excited about the upcoming battle achievements, Roxie couldn't help but frown.

Her intuition told her that, given John Maslow's cunning, the trap he had set could not possibly have only one element.

It's even possible that the other party has already predicted her trap and thus made a deeper prediction.

Although she still hasn't figured out what John Maslow's true purpose was.

But she knew very well that if Zalga continued to command in this way, the loopholes left by their negligence would likely become a prelude to their defeat in subsequent battles.

Therefore, she immediately wanted to stop the simple-minded orc commander's idea:

“Zarga, you…”

"Oh!"

"Shut up, Roxie Sancaster!"

Before Roxie could voice his concerns, Zalga, already fed up with the annoying human female, punched the conference table in front of him, creating a huge hole, and jumped up from his chair.

His towering three-meter frame meant his head almost touched the top of the tent. His already exceptionally robust physique, fueled by anger and murderous intent, caused his muscles to swell even more.

The brown vertical pupils, gleaming with a fierce light, were now staring intently at the weak human below.

As his mouth, twice the size of a normal person's, slowly opened into a terrifying arc, a murderous roar, fueled by the powerful vibrations of his vocal cords, echoed throughout the entire tent:
"Having been defeated by John Maslow multiple times and now merely a staff officer, what right do you have to point fingers at me, the current commander of the troops?"

"You'd better recognize your damned identity. If you still don't understand who's in charge of this war, then I don't mind letting you experience real hell!"

"I, Zalga Blackswamp, am the commander of the troops!"

"My orders are absolute!"

"..."

Hearing these familiar yet unfamiliar words, even Roxie was taken aback, and then an unprecedented sense of absurdity and ridiculousness arose in his heart.

But she didn't say anything in rebuttal. Instead, she stared expressionlessly at Commander Zalga, who was almost going berserk due to anger and jealousy.

He then spoke calmly: "You are right, Commander Zalga. I have overstepped my bounds. So let's proceed according to your plan. I have no objections."

"..."

Seeing Roxie so casually admit defeat, Zalga, who had been prepared to fight the crippled super-rank mage beside Roxie, suddenly felt his anger falter.

This feeling of striking with all one's might, yet landing on cotton, left him breathless and filled with frustration.

Especially after feeling the complicated looks people were giving him, he began to feel a little regretful.

In fact, although he felt extremely disgusted by the woman's actions, he had to admit that he quite admired Roxie's strategic talent.

However, due to his near-death experience in the dark corridor, Zalga dared not trust this madman at all.

After all, who knows if the advice given by the other party might be a trap or scheme to kill them?

Therefore, even though he knew the other person's guess might be correct, he dared not continue listening.

Furthermore, given his current status as the Supreme Commander of the Allied Combined Army Group, he cannot allow himself to be repeatedly humiliated by Roxie in front of a group of high-ranking officials.

Otherwise, once our side wins this war, everyone will only remember Roxie's exceptional political cunning.

As the nominal leader, he would only become a laughing stock who relied on the opponent to win.

Even the Kuromasa clan will be disgraced by his incompetence and ultimately become a disgrace to the Saga Kingdom.

This result is absolutely unacceptable to him!
Therefore, even though he knew he might not have considered things thoroughly, Zhalga felt he had no choice but to grit his teeth and continue on.

Thinking of this, Zhalga took a deep breath, then forced himself to ignore the stares of others, instead slamming his hand on the edge of the table, and said in a deep voice:
"Very good, Staff Officer Roxie, you are indeed very sensible. However, I don't want a similar incident to happen again. Otherwise, I may have to use some special methods against you. I hope you will keep this in mind!"

After saying that, as if remembering something, Zhalga paused slightly and then added:
"Furthermore, in my capacity as the current Supreme Commander of the Combined Army Group, I authorize Staff Officer Roxie Sancaster to lead the Silent Thorn Unit in operations on the battlefield."

"The remaining troops of the Fifth Army Corps will still be under the command of Colonel Gal. Staff Officer Roxie, do you have any objections to this?"

"I have no objection. Thank you for your kindness, Commander-in-Chief Zalga."

Roxie responded expressionlessly.

She certainly knew what Zarga's purpose was in doing this.

The other party clearly wanted her to continue to use her talents so that she could cover for them.

However, out of consideration for his pride and fear of being overshadowed by her, he made the decision to give her command of only one thousand troops after careful consideration.

This attempt to have one's cake and eat it too, a behavior that Roxie found utterly absurd and laughable.

But when she realized that her current predicament was entirely due to her own mistakes, she fell silent.

"Very good. Since there are no problems, let's proceed according to my previous instructions!"

Seeing Roxie fall silent for some reason, Zalga didn't think much of it. He assumed that Roxie was feeling resentful because he had suppressed him as a superior, which was why he was putting on such a deadpan expression.

For a moment, he felt an unprecedented sense of exhilaration. Then, as he envisioned the scene of himself ripping Edgar's head off and kicking it like a ball, Zalga's smile grew even wider.

A fierce and excited glint flashed in his brown, vertical pupils.

Then, turning to look at the conference table, he saw the nine true allies who had somehow stood up, each wearing their respective tribal totem symbols. Then, in unison, they slammed their clenched fists into their chests and roared:
"Warriors and brothers of the orc tribes, bring your people and join me, Zalga Blackswamp, to slaughter that damned Imperial army!"

"Let us tear them apart, crush them, and devour them!"

"Let their blood pave our glorious land!"

"kill!"

……

"A bunch of incompetent and stupid idiots!"

After the meeting, watching the orcish legion's high-ranking members leave side by side with fervent expressions, Roxie, who had been silently observing everything, couldn't help but reveal a mocking smile on his face.

But soon, that mockery turned into silence.

At this moment, she had clearly realized it.

According to John Maslow's calculations, the orc synthetic army led by Zalga will likely not only fail to annihilate the 2nd Division, but will also be defeated one by one by the enemy's traps, or even completely wiped out.

But there was nothing she could do about it.

Of course, even if she could, she would never risk launching a surprise attack with 1000 troops for the sake of these foolish allies.

After all, on the battlefield, the real danger sometimes doesn't come from a powerful enemy.

Instead, it came from their own foolish ally.

Rather than trying to command the Silent Assassins, skilled in assassination, to save those idiotic orcs who are walking down a path of death without even realizing it,
Roxie felt that now that he had regained command of a small unit, his most important task was to focus on the entire battlefield.

After all, although Gal, who is currently the best super-ranked mage in the Fifth Legion, has developed a grudge against her due to the previous ambush plan, there is no possibility that he will obey her now.

However, Orion, who can recast Phase Teleport by accelerating the dissipation of his unique spell circuits, Liria, whose poisoning has almost completely healed, and the 1000 members of the Silent Assassin Squad, each with the rank of mid-level mage, are all present.

Finally, combined with her spiritual mind technique, the troops she currently leads are now in a state of tactical preparedness.

It can achieve an effect no less than that of a division-level unit.

However, if she could determine the enemy's main camp in advance and silently send the teleportation coordinates to that location...

So, under this unprecedentedly powerful decapitation plan...

Perhaps, she might be able to turn the tide and win.

Of course, all of this is on the premise that she can analyze the opponent's entire plan and find the location that the opponent regards as the real command post!
"So, John Maslow, what exactly is your purpose?"

"And where do you intend to confront me for the third time?"

Examining the map before him, Roxie narrowed his eyes slightly, while simultaneously racing through various possibilities in his mind.

……

On the other side, almost at the same time the Allied forces made their decision to divide their forces, Edgar received orders from John:
"Major General Edgar, we can prepare to implement the surprise attack plan. In addition, after the suicide squad members carrying the mirror crystals launch the surprise attack on the enemy camp, the entire 2nd Division will immediately abandon all existing defenses and march north to the Cloud Mountain Valley area to meet up with the twelve functional company of magic soldiers who have arrived in advance."

"Furthermore, please do not hesitate in this evacuation order. You must depart within ten minutes, otherwise the 2nd Division may very well be surrounded by the enemy's main force."

"After retreating to Yunlu Valley, the 2nd Division dispersed and stationed themselves near the valley, keeping themselves hidden and not making any rash moves, while waiting for my next instructions."

"Then you will get what you've always dreamed of, do you understand?"

"Yes, Your Excellency John, Edgar guarantees to carry out all your instructions!"

"Very good, let's move out. If nothing unexpected happens, the main Allied forces have already begun to converge on your side."

"Yes!"

"Du, du..."

Hearing the busy tone after the communication device was disconnected, Edgar immediately took a deep breath, then summoned his deputy and gave him a stern order:

"Order the 800 members of the suicide squad located in the northern region to immediately take the mirror crystal sub-body and, according to the original plan, immediately head south to attack the enemy's base located on the west side of the Falling Moon River. Tell them to fight with all their might and absolutely not let the Allied forces detect any clues!"

"Furthermore, immediately issue the order that our forces prepare supplies and head north to Yunlu Valley. This must be completed within five minutes, without any mistakes!"

"Yes, General!"

"Tap, tap!"

……

"Is it finished?"

Three hours later, on the city wall of Stargazing City, Wendy reported that the 800 members of the suicide squad from the 2nd Division who had attacked the enemy's air camp had just been completely annihilated by the ambush left by the Allied forces. However, the sub-units called 'Mirror Crystals' carried by the suicide squad members had already been buried around the Allied headquarters thanks to the suicide squad members' hard work.

The function of so-called mirror crystals is actually quite simple.

That is, after being infused with magic, the child of the mirror crystal can silently transmit the scene and images around the crystal to the mother body in real time.

This allows our side to overcome the deficiency of insufficient intelligence gathering by the magic soldiers caused by the cover of the rainforest.

This is the fundamental reason why John, knowing that the enemy would leave an empty camp to ambush the Allied forces, still sent troops to launch a surprise attack!

Once he has a grasp of the enemy's movements and troop distribution, he can use this information to set up a trap and further carry out the subsequent attack plan against the Allied forces!

And things unfolded exactly as he had expected.

Now, following his instructions, the 2nd Division had successfully withdrawn from the western front before the arrival of the Allied Orc Legion. They had already reached the Cloud Peak Valley in the north and joined up with the Magic Soldiers of the Functional Company, and completed their encampment.

"So, it's time to begin!"

John, who was gazing up at the azure sky in a daze, murmured something, but soon his gaze was replaced by determination.

He then withdrew his right hand from the city wall, slammed the scepter representing supreme command onto the ground, turned to look at the 1st Battalion members who had somehow appeared behind him, nodded slightly, and then spoke in a deep voice:

"Everyone, let's get ready to move on. We're heading to our next battle location."

"Then, let's put an end to this war once and for all!"

"Bring victory and glory to our empire!"

"Yes, Your Excellency John!!!"

……

(End of this chapter)