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

Chapter 244 Cowardice, Division

Meanwhile, just as John was preparing for the Blood Howl Legion's attack and deploying magical soldiers to launch a strategic strike against the enemy on the western front of the Cocobia Rainforest, the Sun Fleet, led by 'Crown of the Sun' Reginald Solaris, officially arrived at the battlefield after several days of sailing.

"Hmm? The Saga Kingdom actually sent the Blood Howl Legion this time instead of its other elite forces? That's quite unexpected."

In the captain's cockpit of the battlecruiser HMS Damister, Reginald raised an eyebrow slightly as he listened to the latest intelligence.

However, he was not shocked by the addition of the Blood Howling Legion, but simply surprised that the Blood Howling Legion, after being nearly defeated by the Empire's Ruinous Marquis, still had the courage to face the Empire again as new recruits in the past few years.

After all, they are different from humans, who can quickly assemble a new legion even if their soldiers are located in different areas, through orders.

The orc legion of the Saga Kingdom consists of troops from various tribes under their control; they are more like private armies than a military force.

Since the previous generation of Shattered Fang died at the hands of the Lord of Devastation, the Blood Howling Legion has been reduced to only one division.

Given the size of the Blood Wolf Tribe and the six years of training, there is absolutely no way the other side could train the Blood Howling Legion to its former combat strength.

It will most likely be a medium-sized legion with a large number of new recruits mixed with a small number of elites.

Therefore, the Orc King intends to take advantage of the Imperial forces' current state of rest and recuperation to conduct practical training for this new legion through combat.

Good idea. After all, after the annihilation of the Fifth Army, the enemy's strength is now definitely no more than a division.

If an army group were deployed at this time, along with a Grand-level expert personally overseeing the operation, and with intelligence provided by the Darkmoon Clan, then this battle would almost certainly proceed without any unexpected changes.

"But the problem is that, according to Leon, that kid named John Maslow seems to have extraordinary intelligence gathering methods. Otherwise, it is impossible to explain why he can always anticipate the enemy's moves and make tactical arrangements in advance, and accurately predict the subsequent battlefield trends. This kind of strategy is quite bizarre."

"In addition, the fact that Roxie of the Sancaster family, the Eye of the Sky, was defeated by this person three times in a row, as well as the destruction of the Fifth Legion, all of this has clearly confirmed Leon's guess."

"So, if the Bloodhowl Legion advances like this and tries to use a blitzkrieg to annihilate the Imperial forces, along with John Maslow."

"Then what awaits them is likely a trap they've laid in advance, and through the machinations of that treacherous imperial brat, they will gradually march towards their destruction!"

Reginald took a puff of his cigar, then squinted at the endless sea before him, his aged eyes flickering with uncertainty.

He knew that for his side, the best course of action was to sit back and watch the two sides fight, and while that imperial brat was busy scheming against the Blood Howling Legion, to lead the Sunfire Fleet in a three-pronged attack on Crescent Strait, and send the Hellfire Self-Destructing Puppet Legion to raid the enemy's vulnerable rear.

After all, winning a battle by cooperating with reinforcements and turning the tide after friendly forces have been killed are two different things, and the latter would give the Kingdom of Victoria more initiative in the allocation of resources after the Battle of Faoken.

"But the problem is, if John Maslow really did what Leon predicted, does that mean that the other side has used some forbidden technique to predict in advance that our warships will arrive at the Faoken front and intends to sit back and watch the tigers fight?"

"And based on this, specific deployments were made to the warships stationed in the Crescent Strait in advance?"

"For example, turning warships to land, using cover to conceal their movements, transforming them from warships into fixed gun emplacements, and then opening fire all at once when our side is ready to launch a landing operation, completely annihilating our main force in one fell swoop? Or other unexpected tactical arrangements?"

"..."

Reginald's mind raced through various possibilities, and his intense contemplation made his gaze grow increasingly serious, but his expression remained unchanged.

After a long while, he slowly exhaled a large amount of white smoke from his mouth. Then he picked up the communication equipment, connected to the communications room, and issued an order that shocked everyone:
"In my name, I will call Marshal Gromas of the Bloodhowl Legion and inform him that the enemy has laid a deadly trap in the Cocobia Rainforest, strong enough to annihilate a Grand-level enemy. I will order them to immediately halt their advance, head south to Silverscale Port to rendezvous with our forces, and then launch a surprise attack on Crescent Strait by warship!"

"Beep, beep!"

After issuing the communication command, Reginald immediately hung up and turned to look at the sea ahead, where the current had inexplicably accelerated and even formed many huge whirlpools in the distance.

As if realizing something, he immediately strode out of the command room, then raised his hand to carefully sense the wind direction while calling over the puzzled first mate, instructing him to immediately shut down the warship's magic-powered reactor, putting the warship into a powerless state.

However, as the power unit shut down, the warship, lacking propulsion, did not change course due to the waves as usual, but instead strangely continued straight ahead.

Upon seeing this scene, Reginald's eyes flashed with a sharp light. He then looked towards the direction of Crescent Strait, as if transcending spatial limitations to see the scene unfolding around that sea area. A smile couldn't help but appear on Reginald's face, and it grew even stronger as the warship's speed increased.

Because at this point, he had already figured out the enemy's tactics.

"They actually thought of using explosive magic to create an artificial seaway? And they did it with near-absolute concealment, without even letting out a slight fluctuation of their aura. I have to say, this kind of imaginative tactics and audacious style is indeed beyond the comprehension of ordinary people."

"But unfortunately, the biggest flaw in your strategy is that you placed too much trust in your intelligence gathering ability and ignored the uncertainty of the future."

"After all, people are not machines that can act according to a fixed template without changing their minds. They are beings that can change their thoughts at any time."

"Therefore, the most crucial element in truly achieving victory in every battle on the battlefield is caution!"

"Absolute caution, absolute steadiness, absolute conservatism, and abandoning the idea of ​​taking risks to gain more merit are essential to ensure that the scales of victory remain balanced and ultimately lead to victory."

"Whether it was Leon, Frank, or Roxie, they all forgot their 'cowardice' because of their years of victory, and were then consumed by their arrogance, which ultimately led to their defeat or death."

"But unfortunately, having spent nearly two-thirds of my life on the battlefield, I cherish this cowardice more than anyone else, and I understand the meaning behind this cowardice even more clearly."

"Therefore, John Maslow, I will lead the Sunfire Fleet to join forces with the Bloodhowl Legion, and in a way that is beyond your prediction made through magic, launch a surprise attack on Crescent Strait, and with irresistible power, take your head and utterly crush all your illusions!"

"That way, I can give my lovely granddaughter an explanation, right?"

Reginald flicked his cigarette butt into the sea, then turned to his first mate beside him and gave the order:

"On my command, all 83 warships of Fleet 3 shall immediately change course and head towards Silverscale Port. In addition, notify Fleets 1 and 2 to continue their original course and proceed to the Aiken Sea."

"Upon arrival, launch a long-range artillery barrage as planned, forcing the enemy fleet to leave the strait and engage our forces, ensuring the successful pincer attack. There must be no mistakes!"

"Yes, Marshal!"

"Wow!"

……

"Hmm? A trap?"

Meanwhile, within the Bloodhowl Legion, after hearing the intelligence provided by the Allied communications officer, who was usually practically a figurehead, Gromas immediately pulled on the reins and began to ponder.

He initially considered that Reginald might be deliberately spreading false information to delay his own advance, thus allowing him to lead the Sunfire Fleet to storm Crescent Strait and seize the credit for annihilating the enemy.

But after careful consideration, he rejected the idea outright.

The reason is simple: if the fact that the other side is spreading false information is confirmed after the battle, then we can use this as a reason to take the initiative in the allocation of resources in the Gulf of Faoken after the war.

Given this fundamental error, the other party's achievements would be wasted without any sense of righteousness. Therefore, if Reginald had any sense at all, he probably wouldn't have done such a thing.

Furthermore, judging from the military intelligence from the Fifth and Seventh Corps, the enemy commander's strategic acumen is indeed terrifying.

"So, it's true that there are traps in the Cocobo rainforest?"

Gromas frowned, his gaze fixed on the lush green rainforest ahead with suspicion.

But after a moment of inner turmoil, she recalled the image of her father being blasted to pieces by the Imperial Magic Cannon and dying on the spot.

The fear of death forced him to suppress his urge to charge. Instead, he took a deep breath and gave the order to his bewildered subordinates behind him:
"All troops, change your marching route and halt!"

"?"

Upon hearing this, the high-ranking officers of the Bloodhowl Legion exchanged bewildered glances. Among them, an older lieutenant general from the Bloodwolf tribe named Mortas frowned deeply and questioned his nephew with displeasure:

"Gromas, why have you halted the advance? Are you perhaps afraid of those Imperial humans? If so, why don't I lead the warriors of the tribe to the front lines? I swear on the honor of the Blood Wolf Tribe, I will crush any enemy forces in our path!"

Having said that, Lieutenant General Mortas ignored Gromas's cold gaze, then turned to look at the group of Blood Wolf tribe generals beside him, whose eyes were gleaming. At the same time, he straightened his chest, raised his head, and raised his massive, fang-shaped scimitar, shouting sharply:
"Fellow tribesmen, never backing down in the face of enemies, tearing apart anything that tries to stand in our way with claws and fangs, and turning the flesh and blood of our enemies into nourishment to make us stronger, is a creed that our Blood Wolf tribe has upheld since the age of the gods."

"If this belief is abandoned, can this Blood Wolf tribe still truly be called Blood Wolves?"

"What difference is there between this Blood Wolf clan and those cowardly humans?"

"I think Lieutenant General Mortas is right!"

"They're just a bunch of weak humans. What do those good-for-nothings have to do with a great Blood Wolf Warrior?"

"Marshal Gromas, you don't even have the courage to fight the enemy anymore, do you?"

Seemingly understanding the meaning in Mortas's eyes, some high-ranking members of the Blood Wolf Clan who supported Mortas's faction immediately echoed this sentiment. Their barbed words provoked some neutral members of the legion to frown slightly, and their gazes toward Gromas gradually became questioning.

Gromas, who was already unhappy, became even colder when he looked at Mortas.

Gromas was perfectly aware of the underlying meaning behind his uncle's deliberate incitement of emotions and provocation of his authority.

Although such behavior would undoubtedly be considered disobedience under human military regulations, and the commander could have simply killed him on the grounds of disobeying orders.

The key issue is that ever since his father, Broken Tooth, was killed by the Marquis of Ravage, and he went into seclusion to fuse with the Blood Core, this uncle, who failed to obtain the right to inherit the Blood Core, has been stirring up trouble within the tribe. Over the years, he has attributed all of his father's failures in leading the Blood Howling Legion to the command mistakes of the direct line.

After years of maneuvering, by the time he completed the blood core fusion and officially entered the Grand Class, this long-standing resentment had developed to the point where he could hardly control it.

Moreover, and most importantly, of the three super-level powerhouses currently in the Blood Howl Legion, only his younger brother, Nils Blood Wolf, is truly at his disposal.

The other two super-powerful individuals, along with their divisions, had already been secretly subdued by Mortas at some unknown cost.

If he were to kill the other party in a fit of rage, although the other two super-ranked individuals would not act rashly for the time being due to his power as a Grand Rank expert, if this news were to reach the tribe, it would only make the tribesmen who already disapproved of him under Mortas's influence even more hostile towards him.

The tribal elders might use this as a pretext to reduce his power as chieftain, or even remove him from his chieftainship.

This is absolutely not what Gromas, who wants to lead the Blood Wolf tribe to the top, wants to see!
Therefore, even though he wanted nothing more than to crush Mortas's head on the spot, Gromas forcibly suppressed this impulse and instead smiled as he spoke to the other party:

“Uncle Mortas is right, but in my opinion, it is not the kind of thing a brave and wise orc should do to knowingly step into a trap.”

"Besides, since we can avoid our tribesmen dying in traps by simply taking a slightly detour, why should we make such a pointless sacrifice?"

Before Mortas could speak, Gromas coldly rebuked him:

"Lieutenant General Mortas Bloodwolf, do you perhaps think that the lives of ordinary members of my Bloodwolf tribe are meaningless?"

"you……"

Suddenly being labeled like this, Mortas immediately glared angrily. He wanted to reprimand the other party as his uncle, but feeling the suspicious looks from everyone, he realized that continuing would only put him in a more unfavorable situation.

Realizing that his suppression plan had once again failed completely under the enemy general, Mortas said nothing more. He simply replied coldly with a dark face, "I dare not, but it is up to the Marshal to decide," before retreating back into his army formation.

It seemed as if he had completely given up the idea of ​​opposing Gromas.

But feeling the cold and venomous gaze that the other party was casting at him from time to time, hidden in the crowd, Gromas knew that the other party had obviously not given up the idea of ​​snatching the blood core.

If he fails, or exposes a fatal flaw.

Then what awaits him is a merciless betrayal, or even the forced removal of his blood core under the coercive orders of the tribal elders.

Damn you stupid pig, one day I will personally slaughter you to prevent future troubles!
"However, for now, let's focus on winning this war first!"

The Blood Wolf tribe needs a long-awaited major victory.

As the newly crowned champion, I also need a resounding victory to prove my glory and prestige.

Only in this way can I lead the Blood Wolf Tribe to a glory that surpasses my father's!

Gromas muttered to himself, then ignored the cold gaze from Mortas behind him. After gazing at the silent rainforest in the distance, he pulled on the reins and spurred Moon Devourer to change course.

He then issued the order to the army behind him to march south.

However, Gromas, who gave the order to march south, did not notice that while he and Mortas were arguing, several high-ranking members of the Dark Assassin Clan in the Shadow Orc forces on the other side of the Bloodhowl Legion had witnessed their argument.

The leader, after the conflict ended, kept his gaze fixed on the cursing Mortas for a long time.

As if contemplating the possibility of splitting this powerful legion from within, his crimson eyes flashed with an unfathomable light, but he quickly concealed them in the darkness once more.

The sound of footsteps from the 'friendly forces' was completely swallowed up by the equally silent Dark Assassin Clan leaders and the soldiers' silent march.

"Tap, tap!"

……

(End of this chapter)