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

Chapter 255 The Commander's Responsibility
Should our side retreat to the sea cliff?
But isn't that location right within the firing range of the Blazing Sun Fleet?
Wouldn't retreating there be like walking into a trap?
Upon hearing John's command, everyone in the command tent looked on in astonishment. But quickly, as if realizing something, Hawke's eyes widened, and he looked at John with shock:
"Commander John, could it be that you intend to..."

"That's right, I plan to create an information gap and use the enemy's naval guns to completely annihilate Gromas in one fell swoop!"

Facing the shocked gazes of the crowd, John made no attempt to hide his plans.

In fact, he wouldn't have chosen this risky behavior if he hadn't been forced to.

However, in order to annihilate the main force of the Blood Howl Legion, all of their magical cannonballs had already been thrown into the trap.

The mage force, which forms the backbone of the fighting force, has almost exhausted its magical power after the previous continuous battles and the recent annihilation attack launched by releasing magic.

It takes at least a day to recover.

In addition, there was a shortage of ammunition, and the troops' condition deteriorated significantly due to repeated forced marches.

If they were to clash with Gromas's nearly 10,000 elite Blood Howl Legion soldiers at this moment, based on the current calculations, under Gromas's terrifying power as a Grand Class,

The side that cannot pose a fatal threat and has no means of countermeasure.

The probability of winning this confrontation is less than 20%.

Therefore, upon learning that Gromas was leading a large army to attack, John's first thought was to lead his troops to retreat.

However, upon catching a glimpse of the cliff overlooking the sea, a brilliant idea suddenly struck him.

That is by mobilizing the Drow forces under the pretext of reporting the situation.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, they secretly assassinated the Allied communications unit within Gromas's forces and used the communication devices to transmit false intelligence to the enemy, informing them that the main Imperial forces had discovered the Bloodhowl Legion's encirclement in advance, had escaped to the vicinity of Seacliff, and planned to board the warships that had been placed inside Seacliff to escape. They also planned to request the Sunfire Fleet to bombard Seacliff.

After this news was spread, based on John's understanding of Reginald, the usually cautious opponent would definitely not hesitate to mobilize the main guns of the Damister and imbue them with the power of the sun, launching a full-force Grand-class bombardment against the Sea Cliff at the first opportunity.

With the already terrifying destructive power of the Damister's main guns, and the full force of Reginald's attack, this shell was enough to destroy everything within a 35-kilometer radius and leave a terrifying crater at least 3,000 meters deep in the ground.

With such power that it could almost be described as a meteorite impact, even if Gromas, a Grand-ranked individual, were to unleash his full domain, he would have no chance of withstanding it.

Instead, they would perish completely under the bombardment of this naval gun!

"However, in order to achieve this, in addition to sending the Drow forces to wipe out the communications unit, I also need to find a way to make Gromas believe that there has been a split within our forces, or even a mutiny to seize power."

Only in this way, when Gromas discovers that he has led the Magic Guards 'wounded' and withdrawn from the main force of the Empire, will the other side believe that he intends to flee the battlefield, rather than associating it with a trap.

Subsequently, influenced by the desire to kill or capture his own imperial commander, he led his elite troops or marched alone toward the edge of the sea cliff, ultimately dying in the bombardment of his allies' ships due to his own calculations.

therefore……

"Major General Edgar Thorne, listen to my command!"

John's gaze flickered, then landed on Edgar's surprised expression. Before Edgar could even bow, John gave the order:
"Next, when our army retreats southeast and reaches within 50 kilometers of the sea cliff, I need you to cooperate with me in staging a mutiny to seize power. I also need you to shoot at me, and you must inflict a wound. The enemy must not notice any weakness. Can you do that?"

"!"

Upon hearing this, Edgar's pupils constricted sharply. He then realized that everyone in the entire tent was staring at him with predatory eyes. The intense chill and anger emanating from them made his scalp tingle uncontrollably.

But seeing John's serious expression, he realized that the commander-in-chief was not joking, but had indeed given him a formal mission.

Therefore, Edgar suppressed the urge to ask and, under the angry gazes of the crowd, solemnly agreed:

"Edgar obeys. I will carry out your orders, Commander!"

"Very good, then..."

Seeing that Edgar had agreed, and realizing that his bait setup had solved the biggest problem, John planned to explain the details of the trap—luring the enemy's naval guns to attack and then annihilating the enemy's main force—to the others. However, before he could elaborate, Carrie suddenly interrupted him:
"Commander John, please wait a moment!"

Seeing John's surprised expression and the stares of her allies, Carrie felt a little nervous, but she also realized what John had just given her from the instructions he had given.

The Imperial Army doesn't seem to be as in control as she expected; instead, it seems to be facing an unprecedented crisis.

Otherwise, why would it require John, as the commander-in-chief, to make so many plans for something as simple as killing a Grand Rank expert?

Even the other party himself risked his life to act as bait to lure the other party into this trap.

Doesn't this clearly prove that the Imperial Army has reached a dead end?

Although somewhat puzzled as to why Lord John, usually so shrewd and calculating, had failed to maintain firm control of the situation this time, Carrie didn't dwell on it in the face of the crisis. Instead, under John's gaze, she proactively took out the two sacred artifacts tied around her neck and respectfully said:

“Commander John, under your guidance, I received the blessing of the Drow ancestors in the Dark Elf Kingdom. In addition to regaining my true body and successfully advancing my strength to the Super Rank, I also obtained two holy artifacts left by the first ancestral statue.”

"Furthermore, within the sacred artifacts, the one called the Crown of Silver Moon Protection currently stores the power of the Silver Moon. Once activated, this power will allow me to forcibly advance to the Grand rank within 24 hours. Moreover, under the infusion of the power of the Silver Moon, I will instantly master the combat skills possessed by my ancestors and the use of Drow magic."

"Based on my current memories of the Drow family and the fighting figures of my ancestors, I am confident that I can fight the enemy's Grand Rank experts to a draw!"

"Furthermore, with my increased familiarity with the Reverse Gravity Technique and the enhancement of my strength, if I can replicate my ancestor's Silver Moon Dance in battle, then I will have at least a 70% chance of completely killing Gromas!"

"Therefore, in my opinion, Commander John, you don't need to put yourself in danger at all. I will take care of this battle between the Grand Masters for you!"

Carrie spoke to John with a solemn expression.

However, upon hearing this, John froze on the spot, his mind filled with countless questions:

No?

What the hell?
You're a Shadow Orc, and you not only received the blessing of the Drow ancestors? You also obtained two artifacts from the first Drow statue? And one of them just happens to be a super transformation device that allows Drow elves to advance to the Grand rank in a short period of time, and the effect lasts for a fucking 24 hours?

Are you sure you're not drunk and talking nonsense?

"..." Looking at Carrie, who was eagerly volunteering for the battle, John suddenly felt that his brain was starting to malfunction.

After all, in his memory, the drow elves' hatred for orcs was innate, and they almost wanted to exterminate the entire race.

Therefore, when faced with a descendant of sinful orcs like Cariel, the drow spirits within the Dark Elf Kingdom had long since vanished under the power of time. Even if many powerful mages had survived, they would have been worn down by the passage of millennia.

Given the spiritual power the other party possesses, let alone bestow any so-called blessing upon Carrie, it would be an act of great mercy if they didn't just drain this unfortunate soul dry on the spot!

What is Kari Er saying right now?
She not only rose to the rank of Super-Rank Magician, but also gained the ability to fight against Grand-Rank Magicians.
This……

"It's like a fucking dream!"

John murmured to himself unconsciously, but quickly came to his senses and did not have Carrie take the initiative to fight Gromas as he had planned.

After a brief moment of thought, he directly rejected Carrie's application and instead assigned her a completely new task:

"Carrie, I'm afraid you can't use this power for the time being. I need you to continue to hide it. When it's time for you to fight, I will have someone send you a message!"

"Why? Commander-in-Chief, please believe me, I can do it..."

Carrie was anxious and immediately tried to activate the Silver Moon Crown of Protection so that John could witness her power firsthand, but John forcibly interrupted her:
"This isn't a question of whether it's possible or not, because we absolutely cannot afford to make any mistakes in this trap."

John shook his head, then explained under Carrie's questioning gaze:

“I know, Galil, after you received the legacy of the 'Drow,' you, who have mastered a great deal of new power, are indeed qualified to compete with Groms.”

"But have you forgotten that this time, the Grand-ranked powerhouse we face is not just Gromas alone?"

“Reginald, who is currently on the ship and also has the Grand rank, is also our enemy.”

"And unlike Gromas, the opponent's actions are more steady and deadly!"

"If you use the Silver Moon's Crown of Protection now and successfully kill the enemy's main force and Gromas, how will we deal with Reginald, who will bring a large army to land and launch an attack on our forces?"

"This……"

Seemingly realizing the seriousness of the problem, Carrie frowned and ultimately gave up on trying to persuade her.

She was confident she could assassinate one Grand-level expert, but if the target was two people, both of whom were Grand-level, then even if she was very confident in the Silver Moon Dance of the Drow family, she would not be able to succeed.

However, with the combined attack of two powerful enemy warriors, even if she possesses extraordinary abilities, she will likely still be unable to escape death in the end.

But if we follow John's instructions...

Doesn't that mean that Commander-in-Chief John will also be within the enemy's naval gun range?

Faced with a full-force attack imbued with special abilities by a Grand-ranked expert, could Commander John, who was merely a mid-ranking mage, really dodge it?
"No, Commander-in-Chief, I think this arrangement is too risky. I believe we should have something more..."

However, before Carrie could finish expressing her concerns, John raised his hand to interrupt her:
"Galil, I am the commander of the legion, and my orders are above all else!"

"!"

Immediately, amidst the worried or awe-inspiring gazes of the crowd, John slowly revealed a calm smile, his tone even, yet carrying an undeniable resolve in their ears:

"I am very pleased with your concerns, but given the current state of our army's exhaustion, our chances of winning a direct confrontation with Gromas's elite Bloodhowl Legion are less than 2%."

"Even if we manage to delay Gromas and the Bloodhowl Legion to death and win this victory through the bloody battle of our soldiers, the price will certainly be quite heavy."

"Moreover, Reginald, as the marshal of the Blazing Sun Fleet, is no mediocre talent. After the enemy realizes that the communications unit within the Blood Howling Legion has not been able to transmit any battle information for a long time, and combined with the enemy's terrifying perception range, the enemy will not hesitate to open fire on the battlefield where our army is located the moment after our army wins this war at a heavy cost."

"At that time, our army will likely face only death!"

Gazing at the resentful expressions on everyone's faces, John calmly handed the already rolled-up map to Wendy, who was standing silently to the side, and then strode to the entrance of the tent.

Then, gazing at the distant jungle under the night sky, as if he could see across space his own soldiers fighting the Bloodhowl Legion on the battlefield, ultimately dying tragically at the hands of the enemy, his gaze gradually darkened. He then spoke calmly:

"Therefore, in order to win this war and to fulfill my promise to share the glory with you all, even if this decoy plan might cost me my life, I must take the risk to carry it out."

"To achieve victory for one's own side is a responsibility and obligation that every commander must fulfill."

"For this, I would not hesitate to sacrifice my own life."

"Moreover, as a special magic soldier of the commander type, as long as you can destroy those magic devices before the enemy deploys them, I, who can soar in the sky without an anti-air zone, will have a high probability of surviving the enemy's naval gunfire."

"If you feel guilty for failing to protect the commander's safety this time, then my answer is..."

"From now on, I urge you all to remember this feeling of resentment, guilt, and shame that I felt today!"

"Then, spurred on by this heavy heart, strive to become stronger!"

"In that way, when you encounter a similar situation again in the future, you will not feel as powerless as you do today!"

"Shh!"

Having said that, John slowly turned around, his dark eyes sweeping over the crowd. Then, under the intense gazes of those eyes, which seemed to be ignited with fire, he suddenly raised his right hand and gave the order in a deep voice:
"In the name of the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Allied Forces, all troops shall immediately withdraw to the southwest with me. Once we reach the outer combat zone, we shall carry out the decoy plan as instructed by me. There shall be no mistakes!"

"Yes, Commander!"

……

(End of this chapter)