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

Chapter 253 Mortas's Greed Leads to the Killing of His Teammates; Old Noah Lays the Decisive Move
Inside the jungle, the Bloodhowl Legion marches slowly.

"Crack!"

As a lieutenant general of the Bloodhowl Legion and the true commander of the Bloodhowl Legion's main force, Mortas Bloodwolf's face was filled with gloom and irritability. He even had the urge to disobey Gromas's orders, lead the main force away from the enemy, and go alone to search for and deal with those damned Imperial troops.

After all, in the hour that they had been fighting the swarming Imperial troops that resembled insects, under Gromas's orders to advance in formation, they had not sent any troops to annihilate these hateful enemy forces, except to retaliate when attacked.

They could only be like a herd of moving livestock, allowing the Imperial Army to launch surprise attacks and harass them in the jungle.

Under this passive, non-resisting order, our own troops have suffered a total of three thousand casualties so far.

If Gromas continues to follow his order to advance in groups, his main force will likely be wiped out in just 10 hours due to the relentless harassment and jungle guerrilla tactics.

For this reason, he protested to Gromas more than once and applied to lead the main force directly to hunt down these damned imperial flies.

However, Gromas rejected his application to lead troops to conquer the enemy, arguing that it was a trap set by the enemy to force them to divide their forces and defeat them one by one.

But in Mortas's view, this reason was nothing more than a casual excuse used by the other side to wear down his main force.

After all, once the jungle guerrilla warfare began, Gromas's personal guard and Nils's elite troops were positioned in the main force of the legion at the center.

The soldiers responsible for perimeter defense and flank advance were all troops under his command.

The dead and wounded soldiers had nothing to do with Gromas; in fact, the enemy might have even been happy for these soldiers to die.

After all, only by weakening his uncle's military power could Gromas further suppress him and solidify his position as clan leader.

But didn't the other side consider what would happen if they continued to deplete the Blood Howl Legion's forces like this?

Even if our side wins the war in the end, the other side will have successfully eliminated our rival for the position of clan leader.

But how could the Blood Howling Legion, already weakened, defend its territory from the encirclement of other powerful tribes?

With just his newly crowned champion status, he was able to single-handedly withstand an army of 20,000 ice mages from the Northern Froststar tribe.

What a load of bullshit!
"Idiot, an absolute idiot!"

Mortas grew angrier the more he thought about it, and his eyes immediately reddened. He wished he could pick up his greatsword and rush to Gromas, questioning the high command about whether Gromas truly cared about the clan's future.

But then he realized that doing so would likely give the other side a handle to use against him, allowing them to kill him in public on the grounds that he had attempted to attack the legion commander.

He forcibly suppressed his suicidal impulse, then glared hatefully at Gromas's arrogant back. With a livid face, he led his confidants out of the main defensive formation, intending to go to the flanks to appease the dissatisfaction of the leaders of his various units. At the same time, he was thinking about how to prevent his troops from being continuously worn down in meaningless attacks.

"despair!"

However, just as Mortas was worrying about making a decision, he was escorted by his trusted men to the flank. In the afterglow of the torchlight, he suddenly caught a glimpse of Noah Darkstab, who should have been in the center of the main force, meeting a member of the Darkstab clan covered in blood in the forest behind the army, under the guard of Gromas's trusted troops.

Furthermore, the content of their conversation seemed quite crucial, causing Gromas's confidants, who overheard it, to change their expressions and become overjoyed. They immediately wanted to escort Noah back to the main force, as if they intended to report the situation to Gromas right away.

"Um?!"

Something is wrong, absolutely 110% wrong!
Upon seeing this, Mortas immediately narrowed his eyes, then pulled on the reins to stop his mount from moving forward, and gave a wink to the guards beside him.

After seeing that his personal guards had completely surrounded the group, he leisurely rode his mount to the furious Gromas confidant.

He then dismounted from the wolf's back, and after scanning the crowd, his gaze was quickly drawn to a sheepskin map that Noah was trying to 'hide' behind his back.

Wait, a map?
If I remember correctly, the Dark Assassins were previously dispatched by Gromas on a mission to search for the Empire's main forces.

Combined with the fact that the Dark Assassin Clan member who delivered the intelligence was covered in blood, and Gromas's confidant's immediate plan to leave after hearing the contents, this incident highlights the importance of understanding the situation.

All of the above points to one thing:

"The members of the Dark Assassin Clan have indeed located the main force of the Empire!"

Upon realizing this, Mortas felt as if his heart had been struck a heavy blow, his breathing became uncontrollably rapid, and his eyes were fixed on Noah, who was trying to 'hide' the map. Countless thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant.

But his thoughts were quickly interrupted by the cold voice of one of Gromas's confidants:

"Lieutenant General Mortas, what are you doing? Do you intend to disobey Chief Gromas's orders?"

"Ok?"

Mortas slowly regained his senses. He glanced expressionlessly at Gromas's confidant who had just spoken, but didn't say anything. He merely curled his lip in disdain before turning his gaze back to Noah, who was now bowing his head in silence, seemingly 'afraid' to get involved in the power struggle between the two Blood Wolf tribes. His tone was calm, but carried an undeniable firmness:

"Hand over the map!"

Finally, seemingly realizing his tone had been too harsh and might cause the demonic bastard holding the map to drop it in a moment of panic, Mortas suppressed his impulse, even though he desperately wanted to snatch it. Instead, he softened his tone and smiled as he spoke:

"Major General Noah, I know you have no intention of getting involved in the power struggle of our Blood Wolf tribe. However, I think that as the current patriarch of the Dark Thorn family, and having successfully led the Dark Thorn family to unprecedented glory, you must be a smart man."

"As a smart person, the most basic thing is to have the ability to assess the situation. At present, although Gromas has luckily seized Niels's right to inherit the crown and taken the position of acting patriarch of the Blood Wolf tribe, he seems to be enjoying unlimited glory."

"But you and I both know that this kind of irregular way of climbing the ladder will only bring him disaster in the end."

"Therefore, as his uncle, who controls four-fifths of the Blood Wolf Tribe's forces, enjoys the support of over 60% of the tribe's elders, and whose talent is no less than Gromas's, it is necessary for me to guide my foolish nephew on his misguided path at this crucial moment, and to personally teach him how to become a qualified tribal chief."

"Even if a coup is necessary to readjust the existing job positions within the Blood Wolf Clan, isn't that a must?" "!"

The moment Mortas finished speaking, Gromas's confidants seemed to understand something, and their expressions changed drastically.

However, instead of immediately charging and breaking through, he drew his weapon without hesitation, turned around and slashed at Noah, who was in a state of 'thinking' behind him, while trying to use blood curse to completely destroy the map that recorded the location of the enemy's main force.

Just as these confidants were trying to destroy crucial intelligence to prevent the ambitious lieutenant general from monopolizing the credit and then, upon returning to his homeland, instigating the elders to forcibly remove Gromas from his position as legion commander, or even strip him of his blood core, they were also trying to sabotage him.

However, someone on the field launched an attack before them!

"laugh!"

Wrapped in numerous eerie ribbons, with crimson blood flowing across its surface, it resembled a blade composed of writhing flesh. In an instant, it pierced precisely and ruthlessly through the chests of Gromas's confidants, causing everyone to widen their eyes in fury.

However, before they could even rage and curse in their dying moments, or prepare to use signal flares to alert their main force, a terrifying suction force emanated from the blood-red blade.

Almost instantly, these elite soldiers, all of whom were of mid-rank or higher, were drained of their life force by the 'friendly forces' and turned into gray, desiccated corpses. They collapsed to the ground one by one, uttering a dull thud in vain.

"Boom!"

"Tap, tap!"

However, Mortas didn't even glance at the corpses of these stubborn fools. Instead, he walked directly toward Noah, who had raised his head at some point and whose blood-red eyes revealed a tense emotion. He then stopped a meter away from Noah.

He then pointed at the other person, his face still bearing the same peaceful smile, but a chilling undertone had crept into his tone:
"So, Lord Noah, do you intend to accept my goodwill and obediently hand over that crucial map containing intelligence on the Empire's main force, or do you, like these ignorant fools, intend to remain loyal to my stubborn nephew until death, and then, filled with regret and resentment, become sustenance for my sons?"

"...Respected Lieutenant General Mortas, I can give you this map containing the locations of key Imperial forces, but I need you to grant me one condition."

After a long silence, Noah slowly spoke, and before Mortas could refuse with a sneer, he calmly took the map in his hand, and before Mortas's eyes could narrow, he took out a tinderbox and brought it close to the map.

He seemed poised to burn the map immediately if Mortas dared to steal it, his tone filled with resolute determination:
"Otherwise, even if I had to burn this crucial intelligence, which was barely obtained at the cost of nearly four thousand soldiers in the Dark Assassins Force, I would never have handed it to you personally!"

"!"

Upon hearing Noah's 'threat,' all of Mortas's doubts vanished, replaced by unprecedented joy.

If Noah were to hand over this intelligence to him without hesitation, he might suspect that it was a trap deliberately set by Gromas to exploit his division of forces and then use it to launch a trial against him for disobeying orders after the war, thereby further weakening his power.

But Noah's 'crazy' behavior at this moment has already proven that this information is obviously true.

Otherwise, how could these lowly demon races, who are always kicked by real orcs wherever they go, and who, despite being far stronger than their opponents, never dare to fight back and can only bow their heads and helplessly endure humiliation, dare to threaten a real orc noble?

What's more, it's threatening someone like myself who almost controls the entire army group?

"Therefore, this intelligence must be true without a doubt!"

If I can obtain this intelligence, and if I can lead the main force to launch a surprise attack and annihilate the empire's main army, then no matter how unwilling Gromas is, under such an absolute difference in military merit, he can only resign from his position as chieftain under the orders of the elders. Afterwards, I only need to continue to sow discord between the two brothers and take the opportunity to kill Nils, so that I can frame the other party for Nils' death.

He then requested the esteemed king to send out the 'Scythe of Death'—Baghda Nils Iron Crocodile, who is ranked seventh among the crown lords, is currently recognized as the strongest individual fighter in the Saga Kingdom, and is also the kingdom's ultimate guardian.

They then punished Gromas for 'betraying' the tribe and forcibly removed the blood core from his body.

At that time, as the only remaining direct descendant, he will be able to naturally integrate this blood core that only the clan leaders of all generations can absorb, and then step into the crown realm that he has longed to enter since the warrior trial when he was sixteen years old!

Thinking about it, Mortas was almost trembling with excitement.

But he understood that to realize these visions, he had to solve the current problem; otherwise, it would all be just empty talk.

So, suppressing his excitement, he turned to the demonic bastard in front of him, who inexplicably seemed increasingly pleasing to the eye, and gave him an unprecedentedly sincere and enthusiastic smile:

"Haha, calm down, Major General Noah. In my opinion, there is nothing that cannot be resolved through negotiation."

"Moreover, I am aware that your Dark Thorn Clan has been frequently targeted by other tribes recently due to your successive defeats in the Golden Lion Territory and Morning Star Territory, which has made even the most basic food supplies difficult."

“However, unlike those fools whose minds are clouded by the sins of their ancestors, I have seen all the sacrifices and efforts your Dark Assassin family has made for the kingdom over the years. It is truly heartbreaking that you have sacrificed so much for the orcs but have not received the treatment you deserve.”

"After all, our kingdom has fallen far behind humanity in terms of development, but many nobles are unaware of this, which is undoubtedly extremely tragic."

"And the more this is the case, the more we orcs should unite, shouldn't we?"

Motas spoke boastfully, as if it were someone else who had ordered the troops to massacre members of his own clan.

After saying a few nice words and noticing that Noah's expression gradually softened, his previous madness replaced by suspicion and expectation, Mortas secretly mocked the other's foolishness and naivety.

However, on the surface, he tried his best to look away from the map in the other person's hand, and then sincerely spoke to Noah:

"So, Your Excellency Noah, you can now state your conditions. As long as they are not too unreasonable, I think I will agree to them."

"Of course, due to the urgency of the military situation, I will only give you three minutes for this negotiation, so please consider it as soon as possible and do not delay the battle opportunity because of personal interests."

"Otherwise, if this map fails to achieve its intended effect, I don't need to elaborate on what awaits the Dark Assassin family, do I? Heh!"

……

(End of this chapter)