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

Chapter 242 Clarity, Core of the Crimson Tide

After listening to Mia's analysis, he then inquired about the specific details of the Silverstone Mine operation.

Knowing everything, John's gaze towards Mia, this promising young talent, became more complex than ever before, and he looked as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.

He never imagined that his ordinary instructions would escalate into such a complicated situation due to the over-interpretation by his subordinates.

However, considering that although there were many unexpected changes, the situation was unexpectedly brought to a point that was most favorable to our side.

John suppressed his complicated emotions and instead sincerely praised Mia:
"Very good, Mia, you did an excellent job this time, even exceeding my expectations. After the Battle of Faoken, I will take the initiative to recommend you for merit and let you receive the honor that belongs to you!"

"I only did what I was supposed to do; it's all thanks to your excellent guidance, Battalion Commander!"

Realizing that her initiative had been recognized and praised by John himself, Mia immediately gave a startled military salute, and her gaze towards John became even more respectful.

"From now on, I will read the 'Maslow's Quotations' written by Lieutenant Wendy at your request even more carefully, and I will always keep the great will you have proclaimed in mind. Under your guidance, I will strive to become a better Maslow's warrior and use my actions to spread glory throughout the entire empire!"

"...Very good, very energetic!"

Looking at Mia, who was beaming with excitement and seemed like a fanatical believer from the rumors, John's lips twitched slightly.

Compared to the inner turmoil he was feeling, he was now more interested in knowing exactly how much his pig-headed squad leader had embellished and altered his original words in "Maslow's Quotations" to transform this collection of quotes, which he hadn't put much effort into explaining, into something that resembled an intellectual enhancement document.

This is simply outrageous. He opened the door for outrageousness. It’s so outrageous!
So, shouldn't I go back and brush up on Maslow's quotes?

John pondered this, but after learning the inside story of why the Empire had sent reinforcements, he understood everything and didn't let Mia stay any longer. After telling her not to follow Wendy Pig to learn how to swear, he dismissed the communications soldier whose intelligence had skyrocketed.

Thanks to the intelligence provided by Mia, and knowing that the reinforcements were caused by the ravaged Marquis Irias, John also had some guesses about Wolf's purpose.

He guessed that the reason the other side sent this elite force was most likely to seize military power from him.

After all, only in this way could the other side attempt to seize the achievements of the reformers.

Otherwise, given Wolf's intention to kill him, the other side would not have chosen to use the Empire's fastest armed transport ship, shortening the journey that would normally take fifteen days for ordinary warships to seven days, reducing the sailing time by half.

This situation clearly indicates that the opposing side intends to launch a surprise attack while they are 'struggling' against Roxie, using the terrifying power of the First Army Group and 10,000 magic soldiers to achieve a crushing victory, thus overshadowing all their contributions to the battlefield and allowing the conservatives to establish an unshakeable dominant position in the Battle of Faoken.

It's not impossible that he could then logically deny his own status as commander, or even be forcibly imprisoned on the grounds of overstepping his authority.

"But unfortunately, Wolf never expected that before this friendly force trying to steal the credit arrived, the most troublesome Fifth Army had already been defeated by our army."

"As for my command of the Second Army Corps, everything became compliant after Dolan publicly bestowed the commander's baton upon me, and there was no question of overstepping my authority."

"Furthermore, since our commander is missing, and the First Army Group is currently part of the National Defense Forces, which is different from the Mannia Military District to which the Second Army Group belongs, even if we are nominally leading the core members of the Conservative Party from the First Army Group here, the other side has no right to issue an order to forcibly take over command."

"Instead, we need to consult with the Duke of Moses, who is the Grand Marshal of the Army. Only after he approves can he complete the process of reclaiming command."

"But given the current dispute between Duke Mosiris and Prime Minister Wolf over the construction of the 'Vulcan' giant ground warfare weapon, it's clear that Duke Blood Lion will not obediently help Wolf. Instead, he will try to use this as an opportunity to exchange benefits."

"Given Wolf's personality and the interest groups behind the conservative party, it is highly unlikely that he will easily accept this huge loss of interests, and will instead be bogged down in negotiations for no less than two weeks."

"But the problem is that, let alone two weeks, I only need two days. Once Irias arrives with reinforcements and attempts to complete the Holy Revenge, as long as the commander of the Allied Navy isn't an idiot, they will understand that with 74,000 ground troops defending the area and the deadly firepower of 10,000 magic soldiers, the Allied forces have completely lost any chance of retaking Faoken Bay!"

"In other words, from the moment they set off, Wolf's orders to these two units to seize power and claim credit were already impossible to fulfill!"

"Although the other side will certainly not let this go after they know the situation, but will try to restrict me in every possible way. After all, only by successfully suppressing the activities of the reform party after sending troops can the conservative party save face and maximize the restriction of the reformists' rewards for this victory. But that is no longer my concern."

"After all, the two legions on the main battlefield have been completely wiped out by me, and the biggest problem has been completely solved. Although the Darkmoon Clan still has a portion of enemy troops remaining, after our victory in the rainforest battle, this remnant army will most likely not dare to launch an attack rashly."

"All I need to do next is to set up defenses in Faoken Bay and, within the next two days, successfully hold the line against the enemy's naval forces, which could launch an attack at any time. Then I can achieve final victory and return to the Empire in triumph!"

Two days would be a difficult time for others to withstand an attack from a fleet of 241 warships.

However, he himself had no fewer than ten ways to delay the enemy, as well as a brilliant strategy to maximize the preservation of his own forces and hold out until reinforcements arrived.

In other words, now that the situation is completely clear, I will be in an invincible position with absolutely no possibility of defeat!
After analyzing the entire situation, John couldn't help but reveal a smug smile.

It’s stable, everything is stable!

After Irias pulled off such a divine vengeance, he could now open champagne in advance to celebrate his upcoming peaceful return home!
"We've never had such a wonderful start before; it's so exciting it makes you want to cheer!"

John was filled with excitement, but he also knew that the closer he got to victory, the less he could afford to be careless, since the outcome of a battle often hinges on a single moment.

"However, there are only two days left before reinforcements arrive, and considering that Bob hasn't sent any intelligence about the enemy warships yet, they must still be on their way, right?"

As for unexpected changes, joking, how could I possibly... do that?

However, just as John was smugly setting his flag, the door in front of him was opened again the next second.

Immediately afterward, in his trembling pupils, Wendy, with a serious expression, strode towards him.

This scene, so familiar it was almost a nightmare, caused John to instantly reveal a mask of pain upon seeing it.

He felt an overwhelming urge to run away. However, knowing that running away was pointless, John could only sigh resignedly. Before Wendy could explain the situation, he asked her in a desolate tone:
"Tell me, has something happened at the front again?"

"?"

Looking at John, slumped in his chair with vacant eyes, like a salted fish that had completely lost its dreams, Wendy was somewhat puzzled, but she still honestly gave him the firsthand information brought by the communications department:
"Captain, just ten minutes ago, the secret message worm you left behind suddenly became active. After activating it according to your instructions, the worm released a piece of information."

"The sender is none other than Carrie, the orc spy you previously recruited. The contents of the letter are related to the mobilization of the Saga Kingdom's army. The details are as follows."

After a slight pause, Wendy, under John's despairing gaze, read aloud the contents of the intelligence Carrie had sent:
"Your Excellency John Maslow, two days after the Orc King received news of the annihilation of the Fifth Legion, the Saga Kingdom, through the decree of the Council of Elders and with the permission of the current Orc King, officially dispatched the Blood Howl Legion, which is relatively close by, to the Cocobia Rainforest yesterday evening. In order to ensure the complete annihilation of our troops who are currently resting, the enemy has also sent the current leader of the Blood Wolf Tribe, who is of the Grand rank, as marshal. Please be careful. Sincerely, Carrie!"

The Bloodhowl Legion? Grand-ranked powerhouses?
"I knew it!"

John's lips twitched upon hearing the intelligence, but in the end, all the complaints in his heart could only turn into a helpless sigh in the face of the impending deadly enemy. He then turned his gaze to the sand table in front of him, and his eyes gradually became sharp.

……

Meanwhile, at the border between the Tarzan Wetlands and the Golden Lion Territory, in front of two crescent-shaped peaks.

"Seriously, such destructive power!"

Looking at the two strange landscapes formed by the terrifying bombardment of the Empire's giant magic cannons, a burly man riding on the waist of a three-meter-tall blood-red giant wolf couldn't help but murmur with emotion in front of the Blood Howling Legion.

The man appeared to be in his forties, with short, blood-red hair and a pair of sharp red wolf ears on his head. He wore a red fitted outfit on his upper body and black shorts on his lower body, but he was barefoot and not wearing any boots.

His body was covered in bulging muscles, with indistinct lines between them. If one were to observe closely using magic, one could also discover that a large amount of magic was constantly flowing between every visible muscle line on his body.

If the magic power of a super-ranked mage is like a river, then the total amount of magic power in this person's body can be called an ocean!
At this point, the other party's identity becomes self-evident.

It is Gromas Shattered Fang Blood Wolf, the current commander of the Blood Howl Legion, who is also one of the ten Grand Masters of the Saga Kingdom. He reached the Grand Master level at the age of forty-two and, with his super destructive power and near-invincible regenerative ability, jumped directly to the 146th Grand Master rank after reaching the Grand Master level. He was given the Grand Master title of 'Core of the Crimson Tide'!
After uttering these words in astonishment, and gazing at the two crescent-shaped mountains before him for a moment, Gromas suddenly smiled, then murmured to himself:
"However, in fact, I should thank the Empire and that ravaged Marquis whose thigh was bitten off by my father."

"After all, if it weren't for the conflict they stirred up, which ultimately led to too much damage to Father's regenerative power circuitry, making it impossible for him to repair his body."

"With my father's power, he could at least live to be a hundred years old without any problems. After his lifespan ends, he would bestow the blood core upon his third-generation direct relatives or even his fourth-generation direct relatives according to clan rules. As his son, I would not have the opportunity to devour the ancestral blood core inside my father's corpse and step into the crown realm under the baptism of the blood core."

"In other words, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the tyrannical Marquis of the Empire is my benefactor. What do you think, Lord Noah?"

After speaking, Gromas turned to look at the figure beside him who was completely hidden in a cloak, with no other distinguishing features except for a gray chin and a lot of bandages wrapped around his body. A playful look flashed in his eyes.

"Marshal Gromas is joking. In my opinion, whether it is the Empire or the Allies, all humans are either slaves or mortal enemies to us glorious orcs. There is no such thing as benefactors. Please do not make such jokes."

Noah's tone was perfectly calm, but to Gromas, it sounded like a joke, and he burst into laughter. Then he said in a low voice:

"Is that so? But I've heard that you Shadow Orcs have been secretly gathering intelligence about the Empire recently, and quite extensively at that. Even our Blood Wolf Tribe knows about it, and our esteemed King has expressed great dissatisfaction after learning about it. What is your opinion on this, Lord Noah?"

"This is just intelligence gathering work to better analyze and deal with the enemy. I think it's a very common intelligence operation and there's nothing suspicious about it."

Noah's tone remained unchanged, and before this unpredictable Grand-ranked powerhouse could speak again, he added:
"Moreover, in order to ensure the success of this operation to annihilate the Imperial Army, the Shadow Orc clan has mobilized its entire Shadow Orc division. Apart from the old, weak, sick, and disabled, there are no soldiers left in the clan territory that can fight, leaving almost the entire clan territory exposed to the sight of other clans."

"In your opinion, can't this kind of determination be considered a demonstration of loyalty? Your Excellency Marshal Gromas?"

"maybe."

Gromas smiled without saying a word, but after taking a deep look at the relatively short Noah, he turned his gaze to the distant Cocobia rainforest.

It was as if I could see through time and space and gaze upon the Imperial Major who displayed unprecedented wisdom on this battlefield, who, through strategy alone, defeated the weak and successfully annihilated nearly three army groups.

A sinister, excited smile crept across his lips.

Although he has fully absorbed the Blood Core and entered the Grand Rank, he has yet to meet the Lord of Destruction who killed his father, and has not been able to kill him in battle to truly win the recognition of the Blood Wolf Tribe as the current chieftain through revenge.

However, before completing that exciting revenge hunt...

It's not without its fun to eliminate a rising star of the empire and force the empire to send out the Crusher to try and reclaim the battlefield.

In particular, the reward for slaughtering the Imperial forces is that the resources within the Golden Lion Territory can be freely disposed of.

The sheer amount of blood and flesh available is incredibly tempting, isn't it?

Thinking of this, Gromas couldn't help but lick his lips with his scarlet tongue. Then, laughing loudly, he pulled on the reins, causing his mount, named 'Moon Devourer,' to rear up. With a wave of his hand, he gave an order to his proud legion behind him:
"Everyone, follow me! Target: Stargazing City!"

"Let those weak imperial humans tremble, cry out, and beg for mercy on the impending battlefield, and ultimately be torn apart by our absolute power, only to become nourishment for the Blood Howling Legion's path to strength!"

"In the name of the Great Sage, Bloodhowl Legion, advance!"

"Yes, Marshal Gromas!"

"despair!"

……

(End of this chapter)