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

Chapter 280 [6K8] Returning to the Lighthouse to Rekindle Old Feelings, the Young Demon General Appears
The next day, early in the morning.

After completing the troop allocation for his subordinates, John generously granted everyone except those responsible for guard duties a twenty-day leave to go home and visit their families.

After resolving the issue of leave, he followed the royal guard captain to the Heraldry to discuss with the Herald the commissioner the creation of a coat of arms for the Maslow family, in accordance with the succession process.

In terms of the design of the coat of arms, John adopted the classic Gothic shield shape with strong lines, which is a common style in the Empire and symbolizes resilience and protection.

The shield uses the rule of thirds, but not simply as color blocks; rather, it employs a symbolic composition.
The upper section features a deep blue background, representing the empire's skies and laws, signifying the family's loyalty to the empire and their current noble status.

The central area features silver wavy stripes, representing rivers and land, the foundation upon which people are nurtured, and reflecting the author's humble origins.

The lower section features a green background, representing fields and hope, and symbolizing the people's vision of living in peace and contentment.

The central motif is the imperial cornflower, with three blooming blue cornflowers rooted firmly in the silver "soil" and the flowers extending upwards to the deep blue "sky".

This symbolizes perseverance, loyalty, and humility.

The choice of three flowers represents the past, present, and future, symbolizing the family's legacy and responsibility for the future.

At the center of the coat of arms is a silver longsword and a golden wooden plow, placed in a crossed position with the sword tip pointing downwards and the plow head pointing upwards.

The blade represents defense, strength, and sacrifice.

It demonstrates its mission to defend its homeland and people by force.

The wooden plow represents farming, creation, and prosperity.

It signifies that they come from humble backgrounds and always put the people at the center of their lives.

The helmet's design adopts the "tournament helmet" style, with a closed visor and outward-facing sides, symbolizing the knight's dignity and readiness to meet challenges.

This perfectly matches John's newly acquired military aristocratic status.

The base of the helmet is wrapped with an alternating blue and silver ribbon, echoing the main color of the coat of arms.

The helmet veil was a magnificent curtain of blue and silver that draped down from both sides.

The top ornament is a lark spreading its wings as if about to take flight, representing freedom, hope, and joy.

The shield, supported by two golden lions, is a common symbol of strength and courage in imperial coats of arms.

The reason for using gold is to represent the status and honor of the nobility.

Its shape, featuring two lions flanking each other, is meant to highlight the family's prestige and its status recognized by the empire.

The above is the overall composition of the John family crest.

After completing the design of the family coat of arms, compiling the corresponding design drafts, and confirming that the Maslow family coat of arms did not overlap or conflict with the existing family emblems of the Empire, the Herald first praised John's understanding of aesthetics. Then, he took the initiative to submit the final design of the Maslow family coat of arms to the Dean of the Heraldry for review. It was expected that the corresponding finished product could be produced within one to three days and included in the record of the Empire's noble emblems.

By the time John and his guards left the Herald House, it was already evening.

After a quick dinner and carefully considering and responding to the invitations sent by the reformist allies, it was already late at night.

Although the victory celebration has just ended and Elenor, as the imperial capital, is still in a jubilant mood, the conservatives are unlikely to choose this time to assassinate him.

However, considering that unexpected situations might occur, John still summoned Carrie, who was also exhausted from a day of various trivial matters, and together with the surveillance team responsible for his security, they went to the Beacon of Hope, the Imperial Third Orphanage where he had once lived.

……

"Clap!"

In the stillness of the night, in the study of the Hope Lighthouse Orphanage in the western suburbs of Areno, only a warm desk lamp is lit.

At this moment, Celestina, the director of the orphanage, dressed in a simple nun's habit, was repairing an old book under the lamp, as if waiting for someone.

At the same time, a soft knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.

She slowly put down her needlework, and her face, though aged by time, still revealed glimpses of her youthful beauty in her eyes. She slowly looked toward the door, and a complex emotion appeared in her eyes.

But in the end, he sighed softly and said:

"Please come in."

"Squeak!"

As the door was slowly pushed open, John, now dressed in an Imperial Air Force uniform, entered.

John carried a chill unique to early autumn nights, which seeped into the room as he pushed open the door.

A light autumn rain fell slowly outside, wetting the grass in the courtyard.

John whispered a few words to Major Bruno, who was standing respectfully beside him. Bruno nodded repeatedly, then gestured to the members of the surveillance team around them before quickly leaving the peaceful courtyard and standing guard outside the orphanage.

After watching Bruno lead the group away, John turned his gaze to the middle-aged woman who was smiling and staring at him.

He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but in the end, he gently removed his military cap, then bowed his head and saluted the other person, saying:

"Dean."

John's voice was very calm, with a relaxed quality, as if he had taken off a mask.

"John is back."

Seeing John's actions, Celestina seemed to realize something, a hint of helplessness flashing in her eyes, but she still smiled and pointed to the chair opposite her, gesturing to John, then asked with a smile:
"How was the celebration banquet? Was it lively?"

"To be honest, it was lively, but I felt bored most of the time."

John slowly took his seat, then, under the dean's watchful gaze, poured himself two cups of black tea, before rubbing his temples and sighing:

"The noise, the flattery, the partisan clashes... and the countless political chips being wagered are not as real as a cup of tea here."

"Yes, this is a process that all newly promoted nobles in the empire must go through. Although I know that you will not like this environment because of your personality, this is the nature of nobility. If you want to gain a foothold in this environment and try to win your own place, you must learn to adapt."

The dean slowly placed the tea on the table, then rested her cheek on one hand, her azure eyes gazing tenderly at the child she had raised herself. As she looked at the child's figure, her gaze uncontrollably became unfocused.

It was as if I was recalling the scene from several years ago when I first met the other person.

In her memory, John was wrapped in bandages all over his body. After she carefully cut off the bandages, she was even more horrified to find that John's arms and neck were covered with dense needle marks.

Furthermore, it appears that when blood was drawn or medication was injected, the child was not treated like a child, but rather roughly as an object, with numerous bruises covering the wound.

What saddened and angered Celestina the most was...

The other person's eyes, which should have shone like obsidian, did not reveal the vitality and joy that a child of that age should have, but rather an unprecedented stillness and emptiness.

She was so thin that she looked like skin and bones, if it weren't for the slight rise and fall of her chest.

At the time, Celestina even thought that the mysterious child sent by the Caster family was a corpse.

However, after she ignored her brother William's complaints about the royal treasury's massive expenditures and insisted on continuously increasing the number of professional doctors to treat the child, the child gradually changed from a puppet that could only swallow and be manipulated to one that was gradually able to speak.

Although his conversations were extremely brief, he never initiated conversations with anyone and always remained aloof, never playing with other children his age in the orphanage.

But Celestina, out of concern, began to observe him and discovered that John was not trapped by past traumas as she had imagined. Instead, while everyone else was immersed in the joyful knightly games, he would go alone to the orphanage's small library, read various books, and show a genuine smile when he read a wonderful story.

Her worries gradually dissipated.

They began to pay more and more attention to this unusual child, and at the same time, they started to plan for the little guy's future.

In fact, Celestina initially hoped that John would become a scholar or an engineer.

After all, in her view, John was not good at speaking and loved learning.

This type of job, which emphasizes professionalism and has low social requirements, is the one that best suits the other party's preferences.

She even made plans in advance to use her status as the Empire's eldest princess, something she hadn't done in a long time, to pave the way for the other party.

Unfortunately, after that accident, all her plans for the child were disrupted...

As if recalling a past she didn't want to remember, a complex look flashed across Celestina's eyes, but she quickly suppressed it.

She then smiled and addressed the child in front of her, who, though completely different, still retained the same stubbornness she remembered:

"I heard that His Majesty also attended yesterday's victory celebration banquet. Did His Majesty William publicly praise your operations in Faoken?"

"His Majesty accurately assessed the political gains from the victory and made corresponding plans for the next stage of development."

John responded calmly, as if he were giving a post-war briefing to some extremely esteemed figure, rather than communicating with a simple dean:
"Because the 101st Division of the First Air Army carried out unrestricted demolitions on the remaining tribes of the Saga Kingdom after the war, it successfully caused panic among the Allied forces, forcing them to choose to negotiate with the Empire under threat."

"The Allied delegation will arrive in Elena in about nine days. At that time, the Empire will also usher in a long-awaited peace. The Empire's new recruits will also have time to train and become the Empire's sharpest blade when the next war comes, bringing even greater glory to the Empire!"

Listening to the written report, the dean seemed oblivious to the deliberate aloofness in John's words, continuing to look at him calmly, like a mother tenderly gazing at her child, yet the words that escaped his lips carried an extraordinary air of authority:
"So, John, what's the price? Have you calculated the cost of this 'glory'?"

John paused for a moment, then, instead of looking directly into the tenderness in the eyes of the headmaster who had raised him, he gazed out at the endless night. After a long while, he slowly spoke:

"I have already calculated the compensation and land grants for the fallen soldiers to the highest standard, and there will be no logistical problems."

"Currently, under the explosive attacks of the 101st Division, according to the report sent by the garrison troops not long ago, the four remaining tribes in the Faoken Bay territory have also chosen to apply to me, the lord of the Faoken territory of the Empire, for vassalage under the intimidation of the Empire's supreme power."

"Although some of the remaining direct descendants of the other three tribes besides the Darkmoon Clan still harbor thoughts of revenge against the Empire, considering that the main forces of these three tribes have been basically wiped out by me in the battle, and there are no outstanding strongmen among the new generation of direct descendants, they are not a cause for concern."

"Furthermore, in the subsequent governance of the territory, I will implement policies that benefit the people and corresponding development plans to make the orcs in Faoken realize the greatness and benevolence of the empire, thereby ensuring that the matter of rebellion is completely eliminated."

“Economically, the existing mining industry in Faoken is the main project of the future development plan. The abundant grain industry and by-product industries such as fruits due to the tropical climate also have development value, and the huge potential of fishery resources have also been included in the options, which is enough to ensure the sustainable development of the territory.”

"Politically, with the signing of the peace treaty and the confirmation of good diplomatic relations, I will send a delegation to try to establish a trade guild under the name of the Imperial Royal Chamber of Commerce and conduct trade with the orcs around the Faoken territory by ship. While promoting economic development, I will try to further change the orcs' attitude towards the Empire and strive to develop them into long-term partners, or even allies."

"Militarily, because Faoken is adjacent to the monster-infested continent of Morno and is relatively close, troops can land in northern Morno in less than four hours by warship, gaining a natural training ground, a source of high-quality monster meat, and an excellent point for collecting magic crystals." "With these three development plans, I am confident that within the next five years, Faoken can become a first-class province comparable to the Empire's existing ones, continuously providing the Empire with various economic, political, and military resources unique to the Kingdom of Saga."

"Therefore, in conclusion, from a strategic perspective, the costs are controllable, the benefits are significant, and all sacrifices are worthwhile!"

John's tone was as calm as if he were stating a mathematical formula, but his fingers, gripping the teacup, unconsciously tightened towards the end.

"..."

Celestina, who had discerned John's true thoughts, was about to say something.

But just then, the study door was pushed open a crack from the outside.

Then, under John's gaze, a brown-haired boy with a few freckles on his face walked in carrying a tray with some snacks on it.

He kept his head down, his footsteps were very soft, and his movements were as quiet as a kitten.

"Leo, thank you."

Celestina smiled gently as she watched the brown-haired boy approach.

But then, as if remembering something, her expression changed slightly, and she spoke to the other person again:

"However, although I appreciate your thoughtfulness, it's getting late, so Leo, you should go and rest now. Also, I have something to discuss with... your brother."

"..."

Upon hearing this, Leo slowly put down the tray in his hand, but did not leave immediately.

Instead, he quickly glanced at John beside him, who was wearing an Imperial black and gold uniform mixed with an Air Force uniform.

But there was no childlike adoration in his eyes; instead, there was a scrutinizing look, almost like an examination.

He lingered for a moment, especially on the number on John's uniform and the tactical map tube he carried with him.

?

Looking at the boy with brown curly hair, even without activating his magic eye, John noticed the amazing observational skills the boy had just displayed, as well as a maturity that was different from his peers.

A look of surprise flashed across his eyes.

The other person's appearance reminded him of an opponent who had given him a rather troublesome experience in the game.

That person, like Lothar, was one of the Twelve Protectors who had accepted the Siegfried Circuit.

However, unlike Lothar West, who inherited the West family's "Bloodstained Oath" technique, whose power increases with anger and who is recognized as the strongest of the Twelve Protectors in the game, Lothar West is different.

The person he was thinking of was the complete opposite of Lothar in terms of ability.

Not only did he lack any martial prowess, but he also failed to master even the most basic defensive spells, such as the Invulnerability Magic. The ten spell slots, representing the limits of human potential, were filled by his opponent using support and mental magic spells.

Her own body was so fragile that it could not even withstand an ordinary blade.

But what replaced it was a terrifying supercomputing capability and absolute control over the aircraft, a capability that even the most sophisticated machinery could not match.

In all the battles John encountered when he completed the game in his previous life.

This character appears in the mid-game and, in his first battle, leads the Imperial New Army of Mages in a way that no one expected. In the Battle of Bahamut, he commands a legion of only 6,000 Imperial New Army Mages and, in one night, breaks through six lines of defense of the Western Golden Rose Kingdom.

Successfully, in a near-impossible way, helped the Imperial Army forces, which were besieged by the main Allied forces, to open a path for evacuation.

Later, as the plot unfolded, he continued to clash with the Allied special operations force that John was then in, and engaged in no fewer than fifteen battles with John, who was the commander.

In these fifteen battles, the enemy's command capabilities and almost abnormal ability to convert neutral resources gave John an unprecedented headache and made things difficult for him.

On no fewer than twenty occasions, John's seemingly insignificant mistake in his orders led to his own troops being ambushed and killed by unexpected traps, forcing him to retreat.

Or perhaps they were defeated after being attacked in a large-scale poisoning incident.

Even as the commander, when he was receiving a report, his own air defense system inexplicably malfunctioned, and he himself was directly hit by artillery fire from hundreds of kilometers away, and was blown to his death on the spot.

All of this is due to the fact that he possesses the unique technique of [Hyperdomain Computation], and was officially recognized as a [Demon General]. In the background, he is known as the most outstanding successor of the white-haired demon general Dormammu, and is arguably the most troublesome, yet also the easiest, monster commander to deal with in the game.

'Imperial Yaō General: Hartmut Eisner'!

Simply put, once the opponent's unique technique is activated, it can gain an extreme level of battlefield spatial perception and deduction capabilities.

Furthermore, unlike the Magic Eye and Analysis that John currently possesses, the opponent's technique can, in a very short time, transform the battlefield illusion he sees—whether it's real, a sand table, or a map—as long as it's accompanied by accurate data.

Hartmut can transform it into a computable three-dimensional model in his mind and perform highly efficient tactical simulations and optimizations based on existing parameters such as troop strength, equipment, terrain, and weather.

He himself is also able to instinctively find the optimal solution that is beneficial to his side.

The difficulty level of the AI ​​battles surpasses even the hellish difficulty.

However, this trans-domain calculation, which can almost be described as divine power, also comes at a terrible cost.

That is, whenever the spell is used, Hartmut's emotions are forcibly stripped away uncontrollably.

When using his abilities, he enters a state of absolute rationality, and everything in his eyes, including humans, is seen as cold data.

Overuse can exacerbate his emotional detachment, making it difficult for him to empathize with others, and may even lead to cognitive impairment.

It can be said that Hartmut was the most difficult opponent John encountered when he finished the game.

In order to defeat his opponent, he consulted strategy guides more than once, trying to find the opponent's weaknesses.

Only at the very end did he discover that his opponent, who was an AI of monstrous skill in battle command, had a fatal flaw.

That is, he only needs to send an assassination squad to a mansion to assassinate an old woman. When the woman receives the message, she will go into a berserk state and use her computing power to lead her troops in a deadly battle against his side.

He only needs to withstand the first five waves of attacks from the opponent, and the opponent will die on the spot due to the backlash of the spell. This hellish AI opponent will also die completely, thus entering the side story called 'The Despicable Assassin'.

However, John, a hardcore player, naturally disdained this kind of assassination mechanism that was like an Easter egg to get through the game. Instead, he engaged in countless battles and attempts with his opponent. After three months of fierce fighting, he finally defeated his opponent in a direct confrontation and thus entered the normal perfect ending storyline.

It can be said that John's ability to achieve an unprecedented victory in Faoken despite being at a disadvantage is at least 50% due to tactics he learned from his former rival, Hartmut.

Unfortunately, the story provides very little information about the background of this imperial general. All that is known is that he was a student at the academy in the second year after his defeat and retirement in Dormammu.

The plot has now completely veered off course due to my influence. Where is this former rival now? Is he perhaps Schrödinger's cat?

Ugh……

Thinking of this, John was filled with emotion, but he didn't dwell on it any longer. Instead, he shook his head and put the matter out of his mind.

He then looked at the boy in front of him, Leo, who looked somewhat like Hartmut but had a completely different name.

"Is this the new child?"

John asked Dean Celestina this question.

"Leo has been here for two years. He's not very talkative, but he's very skillful and has helped me repair a lot of equipment. Also, he's fascinated by... structural things and loves reading, just like you used to be."

The dean explained in a complicated tone, but for some reason, looking at the other person's flickering eyes, John felt that there seemed to be a deeper meaning in the dean's words.

"Crack!"

Just then, a very faint yet uniform sound of horses' hooves and the scraping of metal suddenly came from outside the courtyard.

The person seemed to have stopped at the entrance of the orphanage and was talking to the surveillance troops on guard.

After a brief conversation, footsteps quickly approached from outside the study in the autumn rain.

"Tap, tap!"

At that moment, the atmosphere in the study changed instantly.

As if sensing something, the relaxation in John's eyes vanished instantly, replaced by extreme vigilance and the mask he put on again.

At the same time, Dean Celestina, sitting opposite him, also sighed softly.

The study door was pushed open.

Two soldiers from the Ashborn Guard of House Caster came into view.

The two stood at the doorway like cold sculptures, ignoring Leo beside them, their gazes fixed on John, who was dressed in military uniform.

Immediately, one of the leaders spoke, his voice mechanical and cold:
"By the decree of Queen Diana, the Castor family is delighted to hear of the triumphant return of His Excellency John Maslow and hereby bestows upon him the Order of the Obsidian Heart in recognition of His Excellency's outstanding strategic prowess in the Battle of Fauken Bay."

The head guard emphasized the word "strategy" and presented an open black velvet box.

The medal inside the box has a grotesque design, resembling a piece of cooled lava.

John slowly stood up and took it expressionlessly:

"Thank you for the grace of Queen Diana."

Seeing John accept the order, the other guard turned to Celestina, his demeanor still cold, but slightly more submissive:
"Your Highness, Queen Diana sends her greetings and wishes you good health, as the early autumn nights are chilly."

"The eldest princess?"

Leo, standing to the side, exclaimed in astonishment, his gaze towards Celestina filled with disbelief.

……

(End of this chapter)