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

Chapter 214 Pampering, the Wind of Extinction, Encirclement
At 8:20 PM, on the west bank of the Luoyue River.

"Wow!"

After receiving reports from scouts, Allied heavy artillery brigades arrived one after another and set up camp on the shore.

At the same time, a large number of engineering corps members jumped off the transport vehicles traveling with them. Under the orders of their respective officers, and with the cover of their own artillery vehicles, they carried heavy mines and walked cautiously toward the pontoon bridge ahead.

"Brigadier General Ymir, do you think we still have a chance of winning this time?"

On the rear edge of the heavy artillery unit, looking through his binoculars at the engineering corps busily laying mines in the distance, Bai, the commander of the 4th Artillery Regiment with the rank of lieutenant colonel, couldn't help but feel a hint of worry on his face.

He had been feeling uneasy ever since he thought about how the kingdom had to temporarily revoke the commander's position due to the mistake of the Legion Commander Roxie and instead appoint Gal, the heir of the Loken family, in his place.

It wasn't that he looked down on Gal's military command abilities; after all, in addition to mastering the unique spell of the Forge Hand, Gal was also a military talent who graduated with excellent grades from the Ingrant Military Academy.

He is someone whose strategic abilities surpass those of 90% of his contemporaries.

Otherwise, the enemy would never have resorted to such an unexpected tactic as laying mines after knowing that they had intercepted a signal that the enemy might launch a general offensive.

Ultimately, however, they were not facing some mediocre talent, but an unprecedentedly terrifying commander.

Even Frank, who had been granted an honorary professorship in tactics by Grant Military Academy, was killed in battle due to the enemy's tactics.

He graduated from the kingdom's premier military academy with unparalleled excellence and earned the title of Morning Star within just a few years. He also became the unprecedented commander of the Roxie Legion, who was promoted to lieutenant general before the age of thirty.

In his encounters with the Imperial commander John Maslow, he suffered two unprecedented and crushing defeats.

Both of these excellent commanders have ended up in this state after fighting against the enemy.

Given the forced change of commander at the last minute, replacing him with the less capable Colonel Gal, is there really any chance for our side to win this battle?

Thinking of this, Bai couldn't help but sigh.

"Is Commander Bai worried that our army will be defeated?"

Upon hearing this, Yimir couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, but quickly realized the source of the problem. He couldn't help but shake his head with a smile, and then said something that left Bai somewhat bewildered:
"Aren't you curious why, with two major generals and three division-level staff officers currently in our army, the council would hand over the position of acting corps commander to Colonel Gal?"

"What do you mean? Could it be that this is part of the Loken family's scheme?"

Bai looked surprised. As the commander of the newly formed artillery regiment of the Fifth Army Corps, he really didn't know much about the Fifth Army Corps.

Therefore, the only possibility that can be thought of is that the opposing family is pulling strings behind the scenes to try to help them gain more military merits.

"Yes and no."

Ymir smiled and shook his head, then added meaningfully:
"I've heard that the young lady of the Solaris family has a close relationship with our Colonel Gal. In fact, the reason why the Sunfire Fleet was transferred from the Northern Theater where that Sword Saint is located to come all the way to Faoken to provide support seems to be related to that young lady's concern for the safety of a certain colonel."

"A Grand-rank powerhouse who dotes on his daughter leads a fleet of warships to the battlefield. How enviable!"

"!"

Upon hearing such a shocking rumor, Bai's eyes widened immediately, and his face was filled with disbelief.

He had intended to question the authenticity of this intelligence.

But when she thought about the personality of that Solaris family heiress, and how she had faced off against the Duke of Ostan, who was ranked 165th in the championship and had the title of 'Extinction Wind', in the high seas of the western seas when she was young, she was reminded of the story of the Solaris family heiress.

Due to a moment of carelessness, the opponent successfully launched a super-limit-range attack from the sea using the Omega-class heavy cannon combined with the forbidden wind spell 'Infinite Raging Wind'.

Without being able to deploy a corona barrier in time to stop it, the giant cannonball wrapped in a forbidden wind spell traveled straight across 1,300 kilometers, destroying a Horst-class battleship, and successfully arrived at the Duchy of Solaris, thousands of miles away, at the cost of light speed. Under the effect of the infinitely raging forbidden wind spell, it completely leveled the territory where the core members of the Solaris family were located in less than three seconds.

This led to the annihilation of the entire Solaris family, with only 'Isa Solaris,' the granddaughter of Marshal Corona, surviving as she was still away from her maternal grandfather's family after visiting them.

Thus, the grief-stricken Marshal Sun Crown poured all his love into this only relative, spoiling him to the extent that was unparalleled in the kingdom, to the point that even the current First Prince of the kingdom couldn't help but envy.

It can be said that if the granddaughter had not been excessively indulged, leading to her being willful and capricious, often embarrassing the offspring of other families in social situations, and thus causing dissatisfaction and even impeachment among many nobles, then...

Given Marshal Reginald's contributions to the Kingdom of Victoria and his blood ties with the Victorian royal family, he would probably have long ago become a Grand Marshal, just like Duke Ostan of the Empire, commanding the kingdom's navy, instead of holding the lower rank of Marshal.

Therefore, if it was Isa Solaris who begged her grandfather to come and support the Faoken battlefield, then this seemingly absurd thing could actually be quite plausible.

But why was Colonel Gal the one that the young lady took a liking to?

Frankly speaking, in terms of appearance alone, any random young colonel in the Fifth Army Corps could probably easily outshine this bald colonel who doesn't even have any hair.
Aside from having muscles and strength that are beyond the reach of ordinary people, does the other party seem to have no other advantages?

Or is it that His Highness has a particular fondness for this?
Bai was completely bewildered. He was considering whether to let his precious son participate in the physical modification experiment in order to try and win the favor of Princess Isa.

The next second, Ymir's words caused his pupils to shrink to their absolute limit:

"Of course, besides Marshal Reginald's personal presence on the battlefield to ensure our army's ultimate victory, more importantly, the Sunfire Fleet has now arrived at Faoken Bay, and under the Marshal's command, our warships have been divided into three groups: one is being transported by the Centaur Clan along the Source River towards the Starry Coast, currently on standby along the western coast of the Cocobia Rainforest, and the other is being transported along the Morno Continent towards the Aiken Sea."

"After several days of sailing, barring any unforeseen circumstances, our fleet will be able to reach the battlefield in two to three days and complete a true encirclement of the Imperial Third Navy, which is likely already deployed in the Crescent Strait, and annihilate the enemy forces here without leaving a single one alive."

"Then launch a landing operation, and in coordination with our forces, completely annihilate the Imperial Army led by John Maslow, ultimately bringing victory to our honorable and great kingdom!"

"This is the real reason why the Kingdom Council decided to hand over command of the legion to Colonel Gal."

"The Solaris family needs an outstanding grandson-in-law, Her Majesty the Queen needs a victory that can deliver a crushing blow to William XIII, the Marshal of the Sun needs to quell the blood feud that has festered for years, the nobles need resources from Faoken, and the people of the kingdom need a heroic celebration."

"The current situation is the result of a combination of factors, and this is the fundamental reason for the change of command of the Fifth Army Corps."

Seeing the shocked expression on Bai's face, Yimir chuckled and shook his head, casually extinguishing the cigarette between his fingers. Then, he added quietly to the other man:
"In fact, I only received the information from the family yesterday regarding the inside story of the change of command and the route of the Blazing Sun Fleet. Normally, I shouldn't reveal this level of information to you, since Commander Roxie once told me that there is a mole in our troops."

"However, now that Davis, the mole, has been exposed, such concerns can be dispelled. Moreover, as the newly assigned commander of the Fifth Army Artillery Regiment, you have passed the test of Commander Roxie during the flood storage mission, which confirms that you are one of our own."

"Besides, you're my subordinate, so sharing this kind of classified information with you isn't exactly breaking the rules. Although I might be questioned by Commander Roxie after this battle ends, sigh!" After saying that, Ymir sighed as if in difficulty, and then gave the other person a meaningful look.

As for the other party's actions, he was a commoner who relied on the guidance of his teacher, who was the former commander of the Fifth Army Corps, as well as the help of his fellow students and his own efforts to barely reach the rank of lieutenant colonel at the age of forty-eight.

Having gone through countless trials and tribulations, Lieutenant Colonel Bai, who was well-versed in human relationships, understood perfectly well that the other party was intentionally recruiting him.

His eyes lit up immediately, and he thanked the other party profusely.
"Bai Du Xie Yimir's cultivation. If you need me in the future, please feel free to call me anytime. I will be there whenever you call and will never break my promise!"

"Hehe, Commander Bai, you are indeed very clever. I like smart people!"

Seeing that Bai was so cooperative, Yimir didn't say much. He simply smiled and gestured for Bai to smoke, then casually took the cigarette from the obsequious Bai, lit it with the match Bai offered, took a satisfied puff, and slowly exhaled before speaking to him:

"Also, let me give you a sneak peek, consider it my investment in you in advance."

"In fact, the information my family received the day before yesterday was not just these two pieces of information; there was also one about Commander Roxie."

"The falling out between Legion Commander Roxi and General Olko was the talk of the kingdom not long ago, and many nobles were tempted by it."

"After all, the bloodline of the Eye of the Sky is truly enviable, isn't it?"

Ymir spoke softly, then, as if recalling something amusing, a strange smile crept across his face. He then remarked with a sigh:
"But guess what? Just three days ago in the council, General Olko, who was rumored to have fallen out with our legion commander, actually did not kick him while he was down after hearing that Legion Commander Roxie was being held accountable for trying to kill both friendly and enemy troops. Instead, he openly said something that shocked everyone."

“‘The essence of war is to use any means necessary to achieve victory, therefore I believe Roxie Sancaster should not be held responsible!’”

"Tsk tsk, to say something that could turn him from a one-eyed hunter into a villain just to protect his disciple's future, this kind of master-disciple relationship that is almost astonishing. If this is considered a falling out, then wouldn't my respected father and I be considered mortal enemies?"

"So, it's obvious that the previous statement was just a rumor. It's highly likely that this one-eyed hunter was trying to test the movements of those immortal nobles who stole the bloodline blessed by the God of War, and was trying to use some means to put them in a bad light."

"Of course, it's also thanks to their resistance to such temptations that our kingdom might soon see a large-scale purge of nobles, just like the one in the Empire, triggered by the mysterious murder of members of the Binot family."

"Furthermore, compared to the white-haired demon general of the empire who is constantly hampered and has no family support, our esteemed Lord Orko will be more thorough and horrifying in his purges."

"However, such conflicts between the great nobles are not something we little people should concern ourselves with. Rather than trying to participate in that terrifying vortex and becoming a victim who will most likely be affected by the aftermath and thus be strangled."

"There is only one thing we should focus on, and that is, after General Olko stepped forward to dispel the doubts, the future of the exceptionally talented and only descendant of the Sancaster family, Commander Roxie, is destined to be much more than this."

"Furthermore, with the Fifth Army Corps suffering heavy casualties among its core members and urgently needing to replenish its ranks with loyal generals, the crucial question has become how to choose for those who are still unsure of their future paths."

"That's all for now. As for what to do next, Lieutenant Colonel Bai, with your intelligence, you should know what to do, right?"

After saying that, Ymir extinguished the still-burning cigarette with his fingers, then calmly scrutinized his new subordinate.

"Bay Berg will never betray your trust and cultivation, nor will he betray the great General Roxie and the Fifth Legion!"

Upon hearing this, Bai immediately saluted Yimir without saying a word, then made a fervent promise to him:
"If I have any disloyal thoughts, may I be struck by lightning and my soul be enslaved by the great god of death, Deshart, for all eternity!"

"Clap clap clap!"

“Very good, Lieutenant Colonel Bai, I believe in your resolve, and I also believe that in the near future you will be glad you made the choice today.”

Ymir breathed a sigh of relief upon successfully recruiting one of his subordinates. His earlier worry—that he might be discarded as a pawn if he lost control of the Fifth Legion to Roxie due to his insufficient faction power—vanished without a trace.

Just as he was about to throw a few more empty promises at the other party in order to trick this ignorant civilian artillery regiment commander into serving him to the death,

Before he could even figure out how to paint a picture of the future, a violent surge of magical energy erupted from the opposite bank of the river, followed by dozens of blinding beams of light that suddenly illuminated their vision.

Along with the beam of light came a terrifying, ear-piercing roar and violent tremors:
"Boom boom boom!"

"!"

What's going on! ?

The terrifying explosion instantly woke Ymir.

After exchanging a glance with a stunned Bai.

Then, without prior arrangement, the two picked up binoculars and looked in the direction from which the sound came, but what they saw made their pupils shrink instantly.

Right in front of them, the artillery regiment that had been lined up along the riverbank, ready to go, now seemed to have been pierced and swept by some kind of extremely hot ray. Fifty huge charred scratches, each at least ten meters wide, about two hundred meters long, and at least three meters deep, filled with the colors of flames and lava, were left on the ground.

If it weren't for the fact that the two of them had placed their elite troops in the rear of the army to discuss matters, but instead were stationed on the front lines with the other two regimental commanders...

So, under this terrifying beam attack, they would most likely be engulfed by those deadly attacks and perish!
So, we've been attacked by the enemy?!

Didn't the scouts say they didn't spot any enemy troops? Where did this damned beam magic cannon come from?
"asshole!"

Yimir's face turned ashen instantly. Realizing that his side had most likely fallen into a trap, he disregarded everything else and hurriedly took out his communication device to issue a retreat order to his troops.

However, just as he took out his communication device and before he could even open the communication, countless dazzling blue lights suddenly surged from the pontoon bridge.

The terrifying magic and destructive aura contained within caused Ymir to break out in a cold sweat the moment he became aware of it.

Especially after seeing that the blue light covered an area that extended beyond the riverbank of Luoyue River.

Finally realizing the enemy's sinister intentions, Ymir murmured in despair:
"It's over!"

Meanwhile, on the pontoon bridge, a large number of mines were thrown into the Luoyue River by the panicked engineers out of their instinct for self-preservation. However, the magic emitted by the mines was quickly absorbed by the pollen and stuck firmly to the bottom of the wooden planks, thus successfully activating them.

And so, to the astonishment and despair of all the engineers, an unprecedented and violent explosion suddenly erupted on the Luoyue River:
"Boom!"

……

(End of this chapter)