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

Chapter 279 [7K6] John ponders his future path, Wendy probes for the lead.
"Squeak!"

"Oh!"

As soon as the car stopped in front of the Imperial Hotel, Serbia, with a cold expression, got out and slammed the door shut. Ignoring the pained looks from the escort team members who were driving the car, he strode towards the hotel alone, leaving everyone with only a proud and aloof back view.

"..."

Watching the Red Dragon Queen leave alone, though she said nothing, her anger was clearly already at its peak.

John immediately realized that he was unlikely to see a pleasant expression from the other party in the next few days.

This made him feel increasingly troubled.

After all, at this point in time, even without thinking too much, he could tell that the conservative party must have sent countless people to monitor his every move.

Perhaps, at this very moment, documents documenting his 'conflict' with Serbia have already been presented to the top echelons of the conservative party.

Given John's understanding of the conservative party, it's likely that it won't be long before they try to use this as an opportunity to send people to Serbia to make contact.

And they attempted to undermine their alliance with the other side.

Although it was known that, given Serbia's temperament, the conservative party's separatist plan would most likely end in a crushing defeat.

But John's concern wasn't whether his side would be divided, but whether the conservatives would prioritize eliminating his team.

After all, he had already determined that the Allied delegation and the Imperial Ministry of Foreign Affairs would reach a ceasefire agreement through negotiations in ten days.

The conflict between the conservatives and the reformers will then escalate completely.

In the struggle between these two powerful forces, if one's side is noticed by the conservatives too early and listed as a priority target for elimination...

His original plan to sit back and watch the two sides fight, and to try to develop his own power, or even to secretly establish a new party, would fail, forcing him to completely side with the reformists.

Subsequently, with their actions restricted, the reformists united to eliminate the conservatives.

However, there was no place for reformers in his complete blueprint.

After all, the reformers' goal was to push the emperor to complete the dictatorship of power, and then to achieve the empire's goal of conquering foreign lands through the integration of political, military, and party resources.

Although its goals are opposite to those of the conservative party, the essence of its political party is not much different from that of the conservative party.

It still revolves around the nobility, maintaining class distinctions to ensure that the interests of the nobility are not affected and to preserve the supreme authority of the emperor.

It only included a small number of bourgeois commoners and outstanding commoner individuals in the scope of development.

However, its nature of exploiting and enslaving the masses has not been changed.

John guessed that the reason he was accepted by the reformers was that his abilities were enough for them to ignore his commoner background.

More importantly, he had participated in William's training program for commander-type magic soldiers, and had previously invested in what appeared to be a member of the royal family. There was even a mysterious member of the royal family living in an orphanage, which might have inadvertently led him to be categorized as a royal confidant.

Even so, after joining the reformists and using his intelligence advantage and efforts to unite with them to defeat the conservatives, he finally achieved party unification.

Having not come from a major noble family and lacking sufficient family influence, he was destined to be unable to become the leader of the reformist faction.

It is even less likely that they will take the lead in completing internal reforms within the party.

Therefore, there has always been an irreconcilable conflict between his goal of eliminating class differences and the reformist faction, which is composed of more than 90% aristocratic forces and whose aim is to make their families immortal and stronger.

It is something that cannot be avoided in the end and must be resolved.

Therefore, in pursuit of the ultimate goal, he and the reformers were destined to part ways.

"There is still a long way to go..."

In an instant, John, having sorted out his thoughts, couldn't help but feel worried about the uncertain road ahead, which was destined to be full of difficulties and obstacles.

But soon, after glancing at Wendy, who was grinning broadly with her teeth showing, clearly unaware of how worried her captain was about their uncertain future, and was only laughing heartily at John's miserable predicament, she realized that Wendy was the only one who understood.

John's forehead veins throbbed violently, and without a word, he slammed the merciless iron hand down on the other man's head. Ignoring the man's screams of agony, he spoke to him with a forced smile:

"Wendy Brown, I bet you've gotten too cocky since you were promoted to major! You idiot, instead of helping your superior when he's in trouble, you're leading the mockery of your superiors! Don't you know that's called contempt of a superior, and that's punishable by being dragged out and shot? Huh!"

"Wow, Captain, I was wrong! I'll never laugh at you again for the torture you suffered because of your womanizing! I swear, please have mercy on me, my head is about to explode!"

"I wish your useless brain would explode! You bastard, I've put up with you for so long, you know that! The time before last you burned my crotch, and the time you even used my arm as a pillow when I was sick—I haven't even settled those scores with you yet, and now you dare to mock your superior? I think you're not just disrespectful to your superiors, you're downright lawless!"

"Huh? Didn't you already punish me back then and let it go? Why are you bringing it up again now? Captain, you're such a petty person!"

Hearing that John was going to bring up old scores again, Wendy immediately gave the stingy captain a disdainful look.

"What the hell..."

Looking at Wendy's disdainful gaze, which seemed to be silently saying 'you're untrustworthy,' John was speechless for a moment, and then felt a nameless anger rise in his heart.

Just as he was thinking of punishing the pig-headed squad leader by making him guard the door all night because his subordinates were not allowed to talk back to their superiors, he decided to use this as an excuse.

He planned to use his superior's power to make this ungrateful idiot understand the terrible consequences of arguing with him.

Carrie's embarrassed voice slowly reached John's ears:

"Um, Commander John, how about we go back to the hotel first and talk about it?"

"!"

Hearing Carrie's words of reminder, John finally came to his senses. Looking at the crowd of passersby around the hotel who were staring at him with either surprise or curiosity, John realized that he had almost embarrassed himself. He immediately put away the ferocious expression on his face and removed his right hand from the head of the sulking squad leader.

John then coughed lightly, seemingly nonchalant, and straightened his collar under everyone's gaze, attempting to salvage his newly promoted Imperial Lieutenant General status. He then maintained a professional smile and nodded slightly to the people around him.

He then led Wendy and the others, who were all muttering and complaining, into the hotel, and then gave the order to disperse on the spot.

However, just as John returned to his room, wrote down the matters that needed to be dealt with tomorrow in advance, took a hot shower late at night, and planned to go straight to bed for a good night's rest in order to deal with the troublesome matters tomorrow.

As someone slowly knocked on the door, John, puzzled, opened it.

What came into his view was Wendy, with short chestnut hair and a pillow in her arms.

However, compared to the expression of dissatisfaction he showed when he was punished by his merciless iron fist earlier.

At this moment, the pig-headed squad leader had changed into a cute pink pajama set, and his face still showed a guilty look, with his eyes constantly scanning his surroundings.

It was as if she was afraid that her visit to John's room at night would be discovered by some woman with terrifying eyes, thus forcibly ending her plans.

"Wendy? What are you doing here so late at night? Why aren't you sleeping in your own room?"

John was completely baffled by Wendy's furtive behavior at the door.

However, considering that if someone were to witness this scene, it could cause unnecessary misunderstandings, he decisively pulled the pig-headed squad leader inside.

Then, looking puzzled, he turned to the squad leader who was staring at him with a silly grin and asked in an annoyed tone:
"Speak, what is it? Do you want to go home early for the holidays? Or is it something else?"

After saying that, as if remembering something, a look of suspicion flashed in John's eyes:
"Wait a minute, I remember you went out and bought a lot of things today, right? You didn't just go on a shopping spree and spend all your salary, so you don't have money for the train home and that's why you're coming to me so late to complain about being broke, did you?"

Seeing Wendy staring at him with an incredulous expression, John immediately realized that he had guessed the 'truth'.

A wicked smile involuntarily crept onto his lips, and then, straightening his back, he smugly wagged his index finger at Wendy, who was speechless, and said:
"Want to borrow money from me? No way! There's no way I'll lend you a single Elon. So, Major Wendy, I advise you to give up on that idea!"

"...Captain, it turns out you're not only petty and vindictive, but also a miser! You're so lame!"

Seeing the smug and foolish look on Captain Big Smart's face, Wendy couldn't help but feel a sense of helplessness.

Before the stingy captain could even raise his eyebrows, he mercilessly rubbed his chubby little face with his iron hand as revenge.

Wendy quickly pulled out the train ticket she had bought in advance from her pocket, and then confidently said to John:

"I actually bought the tickets a long time ago, okay? How could I forget something so important? Captain, you're underestimating me! I'm really smart!"

"Tsk!"

Seeing that the pig-headed squad leader had such a trick up his sleeve, and realizing that he couldn't make the squad leader obey him by becoming a creditor, John clicked his tongue in annoyance and then asked irritably:

"Then why did you come to see me? Get to the point. If there's nothing else, I'm going to sleep. If you delay my trip tomorrow, Major Wendy, you'll be held legally responsible, you know that?"

"Captain is so rude! She's a girl, you know. Can't you be a little gentler with her?"

Looking at John, who seemed completely nonchalant and didn't regard himself as a human being, Wendy couldn't help but feel a hint of resentment.

Then, as if remembering something, he cleared his throat and, under John's puzzled gaze, spoke with a distinctly tea-scented tone:

"Of course, I don't expect Brother John to treat me the same way he treated Princess Alafia, but if Brother John could be half as gentle with me as he was with the First Princess, I would be so happy that I wouldn't be able to sleep at night."

"After all, she's not like that terrifying Red Dragon General. As her little darling, she only feels sorry for her brother John~"

By the end, Wendy's voice had reached an unbelievable level, making John feel a chill run down his spine.

Seeing that the pig-headed squad leader wanted to continue using his powers, he immediately indicated that he couldn't take it anymore and gestured repeatedly to stop:
"Stop, stop, stop! Where are you trying to put this? We're all on the same side, don't say a word, I'm begging you, don't force me to kneel down!"

"Tch, it still doesn't work, huh? What's wrong with it?"

Seeing that John was not flattered at all, but instead looked as if he had seen a ghost in broad daylight, as if he wanted to pull out Holy Water Thomson on the spot and perform a physical exorcism on her, Wendy couldn't help but mutter something under her breath.

"Nothing's right, Wendy. Are you sure you're not just messing with me on purpose? If you have nothing else to say, get lost or I'll kick you out!"

Looking at the mischievous Wendy, John felt a vein throbbing on his forehead, and his gaze towards her gradually turned hostile.

"Hey, Captain, why are you so violent? I... okay, I won't grab it anymore, Captain, can you please put your fist down and let's talk this out? Hehe!"

"Hmph, get to the point, or shut up! I don't have time to mess around with you!"

"Oh, it's nothing really, it's just that ever since the celebration banquet started, Captain, you've always looked so worried, which makes me a little anxious."

Seeing John's astonished expression, Wendy immediately realized that her guess was correct. She then dropped her usual playful demeanor and looked at John seriously, saying:

“I know the captain is very smart, and he thinks of things far beyond what I can imagine. He always manages to solve everything with amazing strategies and a near-perfect approach. Everyone is used to this kind of thing under your orders.”

"But I know that nothing is absolute. Behind your efforts to maintain this perfect state, Captain, the psychological pressure and negative emotions you endure must be far greater than those of ordinary people."

Seeing John fall silent, Wendy felt a pang of pity. She wanted to pat him on the head to comfort him, but then thought it would be too offensive and overly intimate.

She forcefully dismissed the idea and instead spoke in a gentle tone:

"So, Captain, when you feel frustrated or worried, have you ever thought about not suppressing these emotions inside, but instead expressing them? Both I and everyone who follows you would be happy to help you resolve your problems." "I think you can try relying on us and trusting us more, wouldn't you?"

"..."

John didn't speak, but looked at Wendy, who was smiling and staring at him, with a complicated expression.

Sensing the gentleness and worry in Wendy's eyes, John suddenly realized that Wendy, whom he had always considered a fool, was not as dull as he had imagined.

The other person was the first among them to clearly perceive the unease within him from his seemingly omnipotent and perfect facade.

In addition, whenever I feel annoyed by something, the other person always tries to bother me through seemingly nonsensical or obnoxious behavior.

Although I occasionally get so angry that I go too far, most of the time I manage to relax my tense mind in a way that I don't even realize it.

He finally understood why he always unconsciously put on a hypocritical act in front of others, creating an image of himself as the perfect commander John Maslow, almost like an imitator.

In front of Wendy, this idiot squad leader, he can never worry about his so-called image and perfection, and can unscrupulously show all his dissatisfaction and childishness.

The fundamental reason is that he felt an unprecedented sense of security and trust from the other party.

Wendy's actions made him clearly realize that no matter what amazing glory he achieved or what kind of low-level mistake he made, the other party would not waver, but would always stand firmly behind him and give the corresponding response when he spoke.

They were like real family.

"!"

John's pupils dilated sharply as the word flashed through his mind, but outwardly he feigned disdain and turned his head to speak:

"She's just Wendy, don't try to play the hero in front of me. You think I can rely on you? Wait until the next life, no, even the next life after that won't work!"

"...Captain, has anyone ever told you that you and Miss Serbia are actually very similar?"

"Huh? What do I have with that arrogant girl...?"

John's questioning voice abruptly stopped. Then, feeling Wendy's gentle yet slightly mocking gaze, he immediately felt uneasy, as if his true intentions had been exposed. He instantly became angry and embarrassed, saying:

"What are you looking at? Haven't you ever seen a handsome guy before?"

"No, especially someone as handsome and capable as you, Captain, is just my type. So, can I look at you a little longer?"

Wendy looked at John with a smile, seemingly surprised that the usually timid Major Wendy could launch such a direct and fierce attack on his feelings.

This unexpected reaction immediately stunned John.

He then subconsciously wanted to distance himself from Wendy, who for some reason made him feel particularly dangerous, but as if she had anticipated John's actions, Wendy immediately stepped in front of John.

At the same time, they reduced their faces to only a few centimeters apart, staring directly into each other's eyes.

"!"

At this distance, John could even clearly smell the jasmine-like fragrance emanating from Wendy, and under the light, he could even see the fine downy hairs on her face.

Especially the emotion revealed in the other person's eyes, an emotion he had never seen before, so straightforward that it was impossible to question it.

This made him unconsciously hold his breath.

Just as he was about to give in and make his move, Wendy's playful voice slowly entered his ears, like a bucket of cold water, instantly chilling him to the bone:
"So, John, what exactly is your relationship with Princess Alafia? Are you just good friends? Or are you childhood sweethearts who have secretly pledged your lives to each other?"

"?"

Upon hearing this, John was filled with questions.

But seeing the curiosity and nervousness in Wendy's eyes, he instantly realized that the reason this idiot had used his charm on him earlier was not because he wanted to reveal his feelings to him.

Instead, they were trying to deceive themselves into telling the truth!
What a bastard!
Realizing he'd been tricked by the pig-headed squad leader, John's face turned ashen. Without a word, he shoved the bewildered squad leader aside and said irritably, "..."

"Are you an idiot? She's the First Princess! What kind of relationship could a commoner from an orphanage like me possibly have with her? Have you been reading too many chivalric romance novels? Why do you always fantasize about such absurd things? You're incredibly stupid!"

"It's okay, it's okay. Why are you reacting so strongly? Besides, you almost pushed me to the ground."

Looking at John, who was inexplicably angry, Wendy looked aggrieved and pitifully raised her chin, as if seeking comfort.

However, upon recalling how he had almost been manipulated by the pig-headed squad leader and completely fallen into a woman's trap, John, feeling deeply ashamed of it, immediately glared at the other man irritably before coldly saying:

"That's because you deserve it!"

"...Captain is indeed a wicked man. But then again, it makes sense. To forget your childhood sweetheart, Princess Alafia, who is the First Princess and whose mother, Queen Diana, is the eldest daughter of the Castor family, it's understandable that you would treat girls so badly."

While Wendy was praising John's "great achievements," she glanced at John, whose face had inexplicably turned ashen, and then subtly probed:

"Speaking of which, Captain, aren't you tempted? After all, in my opinion, Princess Alafia's attitude towards you is not as simple as that of an ordinary friend; rather, it seems more like she has feelings for you."

"In addition, that princess is not only the first princess, but also the most beloved granddaughter of Prime Minister Wolf. If you can successfully marry her, Captain, you will be able to reach the pinnacle of your life."

"At that time, you can directly bring the conservative party under your control, and you will no longer have to worry about political struggles or so-called assassinations. Doesn't that sound tempting?"

Heartbroken?

I think it's more like someone moved his heart!
Do you really think Wolf is a person who acts impulsively?
Once Old Deng turns hostile, he'll kill not only his granddaughter, but even his own daughter without hesitation.

If I were to play this so-called family game with such a dangerous guy, and even try to subvert his party ideology...

In the end, apart from being hanged by the other party, or dying with some dignity due to an accidental fall off a cliff while climbing, there is probably no other possibility!

Moreover, this only mentions old man Wolf, not the Rose Witch of Ellaphia.

She was officially listed as the biggest villain in the sequel. Not only did she become the queen of the new empire and single-handedly cause the Allied forces to split completely, but she was also identified as the existence of a new power system.

This princess doesn't seem like someone to be trifled with.

Dealing with someone whose skills and intelligence are no less than, and who also possesses exceptionally dangerous control techniques, could easily lead to being unknowingly corrupted into a puppet who can only nod.

I would avoid such a monster like the plague, but how come it's become a hot commodity in the mouths of my incompetent teammates?
Upon realizing that the pig-headed squad leader, like Serbia, was also gossiping about his relationship with the Rose Witch, John suddenly felt more exhausted than ever before.

However, considering that vague statements might be misunderstood by the other party's idiotic imagination, leading to a situation that would be unbearable to witness.

So John patiently explained to the other party:

“Your dream of beauty is wonderful, but Wendy, let me tell you the truth, the granting of rights is not as simple as you think. It involves political party ideologies and interest groups, and it cannot be completely reversed simply by signing an engagement.”

"Moreover, Alafia was only trying to get close to me out of courtesy. She seemed very affectionate towards me, but that was just a tactic used by the royal family to win people over. She didn't have any other intentions."

"Furthermore, this kind of thing can be discussed in private, but it must not be spread. Otherwise, if this rumor about the princess spreads, it might even attract the attention of His Majesty William."

"At that time, even if the people involved had ten heads, it wouldn't be enough to chop them off, so Wendy, you better learn your lesson, understand? I don't want to see you on the gallows!"

"Oh, I see. I understand, Captain. I promise you, I will never talk nonsense again."

Seeing John's serious expression as he gave her these instructions, Wendy immediately nodded repeatedly, like a chick pecking at rice.

But without John noticing, her eyes activated their magic eyes, taking in his every move.

Judging from his micro-expressions, he doesn't seem to be lying, and his breathing rhythm hasn't changed at all.

At the same time, when mentioning Ellafia, his pupils did not constrict; instead, they revealed a sense of 'fear'.

Therefore, the captain was not lying to himself.

Rather, there was no relationship between him and the princess that went beyond friendship.

John even considered this princess a dangerous presence.

At this moment, as if she had discovered something that had been troubling her through the information she had gathered, Wendy couldn't help but smile.

But she quickly concealed this change, and instead, pretending to be nonchalant, asked John:

"By the way, Captain, if there were a foreign princess wandering abroad—just hypothetically—and this princess truly loved you, Captain, and was willing to share all her power and everything with you, just to be with you, then Captain, what would you do in the face of such a princess's affection?"

After saying that, Wendy stared intently at John, as if she cared a lot about his answer.

?

A foreign princess wandering abroad?
Would someone be willing to give up their power for true love?

What kind of fantasy setting is this?
I doubt only a child with a childlike heart would believe that.

'Wendy, you really are a little brat who hasn't grown up!'

John couldn't help but chuckle when he heard Wendy say such naive things.

I was going to tease the pig-headed squad leader for being so childlike, believing in fairy tales like this.

After noticing the expectant look in the other person's eyes, he thought for a moment, but decided not to shatter the child's fantasy. Instead, with an innocent childlike spirit, he exaggeratedly expressed himself to the other person:

"If there really was such a princess, I would definitely kneel down and propose to her without saying a word, and then immediately sit in her lap and say in a coquettish tone, 'Rich lady, I'm hungry, time for dinner!'"

"!"

Upon hearing this, Wendy's eyes lit up, and her round little face quickly turned crimson, as if she were thinking of some embarrassing scene. But then she looked at John with disgust and complained:

"The captain is such a loser, trying to live off a woman, ugh~"

"What do you mean by 'living off a woman'? You don't know anything! This is called true love, isn't it!"

Upon hearing this, Wendy immediately looked disdainful:
"It's just being a kept man, why do you have to change the wording? Captain, you really are, well, a gigolo who just wants to reap without sowing!"

Am I a gigolo?
I'm just a fucking...

Upon hearing this, John immediately flew into a rage and was ready to use his ruthless iron hand to teach the pig-headed squad leader who had provoked his superior a lesson.

However, before he could reach out, Wendy dodged ahead, then made a face at him provocatively, and grinned at John before saying something.

Then, amidst John's bewildered expression, as if she had heard something incredibly exciting, she skipped and hopped away from John's room, grinning foolishly.

"Squeak!"

……

(End of this chapter)