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

Chapter 283 [8K] John's Tricky Confessions Shock the Interrogation; Maslow Demands Prison Release
Forbidden Seal?

What the hell is this?

Upon hearing this utterly unfamiliar term, John was immediately filled with questions.

But considering the curiosity that Krauser was showing at this moment, and the fragments of intelligence he had previously gathered, John immediately realized that this was probably related to his lost memories at the Imperial First Military Academy.

Moreover, since the word "taboo" is involved, it is foreseeable that the confidentiality of this matter is extremely high.

If he wanted to get relevant information from Krause, he had to remain silent or show an attitude of not wanting to talk about it.

After a rapid thought process, John, having roughly clarified his ideas, calmly began to speak:

"I do not know what you're talking about."

“Senior John, that’s not very nice of you to say. After all, as the one who started this incident, how could you not know about it, right?”

Seeing John's reticent attitude, a hint of disappointment flashed in Krauser's eyes.

But John, having lost his memory, was completely unaware of this, so naturally he had no way of knowing.

But the fact that no one except the parties involved and Principal Trotsky knew anything about it made it a bizarre event in the academy.

The key person who caused this incident was right in front of him, but he was unable to obtain any crucial clues.

This intense thirst for knowledge immediately made Krause feel as if a kitten was constantly teasing his chest with its paws, making him restless and uneasy.

But looking at John, who pretended to be completely unaware of the situation, and then sat quietly in place like a puppet after speaking, he was a different story.

Krauser immediately realized that if he wanted to get information from the other party, he could only try to induce him with the clues he had found. Only in this way could he perhaps stimulate his emotions.

Or perhaps the other person will inevitably reveal some flaws after recalling the past, and you will have the opportunity to obtain from them the chance to solve this unsolved mystery that has troubled you for five years!

With that thought in mind, Krauser immediately stopped hesitating and instead smiled lightly at John, saying:

"Although I don't know why you, Senior John, and all the others involved, are so tight-lipped about this matter, based on some clues I've gathered over the years, if I'm not mistaken, this matter is probably related to our esteemed Principal Trotsky, isn't it?"

After speaking, Krauser's gaze sharpened as he carefully observed John's expression, trying to glean some clues from it.

Is it related to Trotsky?

Could it be that my amnesia is actually the work of this former Demon King?

John was deep in thought, but outwardly maintained a calm and composed demeanor:
"Oh?"

There wasn't a single flaw, and he even feigned a slightly surprised expression.

A little more would be a bit exaggerated, a little less would seem hypocritical, but it's just right, as if he, the person who experienced it firsthand, was completely unaware of it!
Absolutely amazing!

"I can only say that you truly deserve the title of the unprecedented perfect score chief, John Maslow. You are indeed more troublesome than I expected!"

Krauser cursed inwardly, but his dignity as a genius interrogator forced him to suppress his frustration, which only made him more determined.

He then calmly threw out his next 'bait':
"Speaking of which, since the mysterious 'teaching building conflict incident' you caused during your freshman year, according to my investigation, many of your classmates have voluntarily dropped out of school. I wonder if it was influenced by this incident. The number of people who dropped out at that time was as high as 63, which is extremely rare in the history of the college."

"It was after learning this information that I became increasingly interested in matters related to you, senior, and through continuous visits and inquiries, I also learned some 'details' about the forbidden sealing matters later on!"

Krauser emphasized the word "details" in his speech, but to his disappointment, John across from him did not show any surprise. Instead, John continued to stare at him with that annoying poker face.

He felt as if he had been completely seen through, like a clown putting on a show, and his displeasure grew. He immediately revealed the key information he had uncovered:
"After investigation, I found that although a lot of students dropped out of school, even more students spontaneously formed an organization called 'Nameless Society' around you after this incident. There were a total of 108 people involved, all of whom were elite members of the academy, with a mix of aristocratic and commoner factions."

"And they often hold secret meetings at 'Walps' Castle outside the academy to share intelligence and carry out secret activities."

"Although the participants did not disclose the details of the event, combined with the subsequent theft of alchemy materials, damage to ancient magic books in the magic system, and attacks by mysterious magical beasts, etc."

"These have all been resolved. Events that seem unrelated to you and the members of the Nameless Society under your name actually conceal various clues, don't you think?"

Klaus, while scrutinizing John's expression, spoke slowly again:

"Until the final, bizarre Black Tide calamity that shocked everyone, and the subsequent forbidden sealing incident, combined with your unprecedented month-long sabbatical as the chief after this incident, and your forced disbandment of the Nameless Society after returning at the end of the second semester of your sophomore year."

“Through continuous reasoning and investigation, I am absolutely certain that these strange and mysterious events that have occurred frequently since you entered the Imperial First Military Academy are all the work of you and the members of your organization called the ‘Nameless Society’. Am I right?”

Feeling Krauser's sharp gaze, John remained silent for a moment before speaking truthfully:

“…I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

"..."

A strong sense of disappointment flashed in Krauser's eyes, and he even had an urge to grab the other man by the collar and force him to tell the truth.

However, considering the other party's identity and the rumored terrifying magical control skills that are comparable to those of an apostle.

Knowing that if he resorted to violence, there was a high probability that the other party would casually use magic to forcibly break his limbs, Krauser forcibly suppressed the urge to court death.

Instead, a helpless, bitter smile appeared on his face, but his eyes were filled with resentment.

His interrogation skills, which he was so proud of, were now completely useless in front of this senior alumnus, and his own physical strength was no match for the other party. Moreover, the ongoing division of party interests between the leaders of his own side and the opposing side did not allow him to make any rash moves.

The opponent is already in an invincible position.

Even though he desperately wanted to know the truth about the Black Tide that almost devoured the entire academy back then, and that even Principal Trolovsky, the former Demon King, looked extremely serious and even used a forbidden spell to barely resolve it.

And what astonishing secrets lie behind the forbidden sealing that occurred afterward, known only to the principal and the participants of the Nameless Society?

But this yearning couldn't move the other party in the slightest in the face of this truly genius-like being who seemed not to be human and could easily control everything.

No, it's more accurate to call this guy a monster than a genius.

After all, geniuses are very common, but there is one powerful enough to crush all geniuses and make them spontaneously become vassals of it.

Perhaps the only way to describe them is as monsters!

Looking at John, whose micro-expression revealed curiosity and who seemed completely unaware of the situation, wanting to hear him continue.

Klaus knew perfectly well that this was a deliberate act by John, the master of facial expression management, whose real purpose was to maintain his previous clown-like posture and put on a ridiculous performance in front of the other party who already knew everything.

This is done to satisfy the other person's perverse sense of humor.

Just as rumored, it was extremely bad.

"However, as a monster, it also has the privilege of looking down on mortals like itself, doesn't it?"

Klaus sighed repeatedly. His original competitive spirit was now replaced by an unprecedented sense of defeat, and he fell into a deathly silence.

?

Why don't you keep talking? Why stop?

Seeing the expression on Krauser's face that seemed to indicate his heart was broken, John immediately felt terrible.

He also planned to follow the other person's words and continue to learn more about the inside story from this seemingly knowledgeable tool who knew the reason for his memory loss.

The other person abruptly stopped halfway through their sentence, a feeling that made John feel extremely uncomfortable.

But then he realized that the information above might be all the other party knew. Otherwise, the other party wouldn't be looking like a fisherman who had fished all day but hadn't caught a single fish.

I thought I could get more information from this guy, or even recover my memories on the spot.

I didn't expect them to only provide this much information.

That's absolutely awful!

John muttered to himself.

However, after learning from the information that Krause had just revealed, he gradually realized that the part of his memory that he, or rather the original owner, had lost might be more important than he had thought.

Whether it's the so-called members of the Nameless Society, the mysterious events that seem to have been orchestrated by the Nameless Society, the Black Tide that wasn't mentioned at all in the story, or the forbidden seal that the original owner returned to after an unexpected month-long leave of absence from school, etc.

These things that sounded like they were related to magic were definitely more complicated than he had imagined.

In addition, since the original owner's consciousness dissipated, countless magical formulas, like a library, have appeared in his mind.

Although he couldn't use most of them due to the limitations of magical power.

However, as a mage, he is already able to use nearly three thousand spells.

Among them are not only a total of 120 major high-level spells, but also 15 unconventional spells that are outside the five magical elements.

This includes magic suppression domains, magic synchronization, magic extraction, magic mutation, and even magic puppet creation techniques, among others.

Once these mutated spells are successfully mastered, the tenth-ring spell slots within the body will undergo a permanent mutation, making them irreplaceable and permanently retained.

But right now, he not only retains fifteen mutation spells, but he can also use the remaining three thousand spells, including the other higher-level spells.

Moreover, during use, it did not explode on the spot due to the abnormality of the magic circuit, and there were no side effects at all.

All of this has broken the fundamental rule that a mage can only imprint ten spell ring slots at a time.

No, it wasn't just broken, it was practically thrown on the ground and crushed.

This is clearly extremely abnormal!

According to John's understanding of the plot, there is only one person in the game who can truly achieve this level of existence.

That is Ivan Daovich Trolovsky, the former Demon King!
Could it be that I am actually Trotsky's illegitimate son?

But as soon as the idea crossed his mind, John rejected it without hesitation:
"No, no, no, this looks very strange, doesn't it? First of all, the ages don't match at all. Moreover, ever since Trolowski perfected the theory of the compound forbidden spell and modified his own magic circuits in the plot, the original independent magic source circuits in the other person's body have been completely integrated into the other person's body, causing the other person to lose their fertility."

"It was precisely because he was no longer able to reproduce that, upon learning that his newborn daughter had been assassinated, he was enraged and ordered the massacre of the capital and the complete eradication of the Eisner family, who had proposed the assassination plan."

"That point in time was decades ago in the story. At that time, the original owner's biological father probably hadn't even been born yet. How could the original owner have any so-called blood relationship with this former Demon King?"

If we have to force a connection, then there is probably only one possibility.

That is, the original body imitated Trotsky and transformed itself into a magical source!
"But the problem is that the magic circuits within my body are not exhibiting source flow, but rather the solidified circuit principle of composite magic, which clearly does not conform to the theory of magic source flow!"

Could it be that the original body optimized the theory of magic source flow and reached a higher level after undergoing the modification?
John didn't know the full story, but he knew one thing: he had to get to the Imperial First Military Academy as soon as possible to find out the truth. Previously, being in a foreign land and on a battlefield fraught with life-or-death situations, he hadn't had time to think about what was going on, even if he noticed something amiss.

But now the war has ended, and he has arrived in Elena.

Therefore, there is no reason to continue delaying this matter.

Although once you start trying to recover this missing memory, you will subconsciously feel a strange sense of palpitation.

But John thought it was probably just an illusion.

Moreover, if this unknown danger is allowed to continue, who knows when it might cause an unsolvable big problem!
Just as John was pondering this, Krauser, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke:

"Although it's a pity I couldn't get any information about the forbidden seal from you, senior, we can still be on good terms even if the deal falls through. If you plan to contact the Nameless Society members again later, you can come to the prosecutor's office to talk to me."

Meeting John's surprised gaze, Krauser paused slightly, then spoke with a hint of smugness:

"Through years of investigation and visits, and by using some of the family's authority, I have now successfully located more than a dozen members of the Nameless Society from back then, and also learned about their current identities and positions."

"However, before that, senior, I'm afraid I have to tell you some bad news. The dozen or so people I've found so far are all members of the conservative party. If you want to make contact with them, you'll probably need to be mentally prepared."

Krauser reminded John of something, but then chuckled and added:
"Although given your current party affiliation, I suspect that your followers would find it difficult to abandon their current achievements and join your reformist faction, there are always exceptions. After all, even though you and I are on opposing parties, we still get along quite well, don't we?"

"Of course, the principle of exchange is equivalent. If you are really interested in getting to know these followers again, I would be happy to help you. In return, I hope you can explain the truth about the forbidden seal to me at that time."

"After all, this matter involves Principal Trotsky, and there has been a Black Tide that even the legendary Great Forbidden Spell could not completely eliminate. Therefore, I am really curious about the inside story. What do you think, senior?"

"...I'll think about it carefully."

"That's good."

Seeing that John did not directly refuse, Krauser immediately realized that there was a high probability that the matter was going to work out. His frustration and disappointment vanished instantly, replaced by unprecedented excitement.

Although he felt somewhat humiliated by the scene of being tricked by John, and even now, Krauser still didn't know what choice this legendary senior would ultimately make.

However, his previous actions were meaningful whenever possible.

Thinking of this, Krauser nodded slightly in satisfaction. Then he subconsciously glanced at his watch and realized that it was already 2:15 a.m., but he still hadn't received any orders from his superiors to release the man.

Realizing that the actions of the two party leaders in exchanging John Maslow for their own interests might have been somewhat unexpected, a mutually satisfactory outcome has yet to be reached.

Realizing that the night would likely be longer than he had anticipated, after a brief moment of thought, Klaus, to John's surprise, took out the key and unlocked the handcuffs.

"Crack!"

"Interrogator Krauser, what is this?"

Krauser watched as Krauser suddenly freed himself from his restraints, then stepped out of the interrogation room, seemingly turning off some kind of listening device, before returning with a coffee pot and a matching teacup.

John was somewhat surprised, but Krauser simply waved his hand and then smiled, saying:
"Although I don't know what went wrong in the discussions between the higher-ups, since I haven't received any notification yet, there's a high probability that something went wrong. Tonight will probably be longer than I expected."

“Instead of continuing to communicate with you, John, as interrogator and suspect, why don’t we try a different approach and talk about other things on equal footing, such as…”

After a slight pause, Krauser first handed the full cup of coffee to John, then sat back down in his chair, crossed his legs, and turned to John with great interest, saying:

"What are your thoughts on the current dispute between the two parties in the Empire?"

After saying that, as if he had thought of something, he smiled and added:
“I have already turned off the listening devices, and I swear to you on behalf of the Valendner family that no one but the two of us will know the contents of this conversation. Therefore, you may speak freely, as a senior and junior student.”

"...To be honest, I'm surprised you would ask me this question."

John's eyes flashed with a strange light as he looked at Krauser, who was sitting with his legs crossed, looking completely relaxed and revealing his true colors.

But after confirming through analysis and his magic eye that there were indeed no listening devices around, John, after a moment's thought, did not refuse the other party's invitation.

Instead, meeting the other person's curious gaze, he said something that made the other person pause slightly:
"However, given the wisdom and ability you demonstrated during your studies at the academy, it is normal for you to ask me about this. After all, the more knowledge one comes into contact with, the more one realizes one's own ignorance and feels confused, which is a very normal state."

"Hmm? Although I quite agree with the philosophical statement you made, senior, I feel that my situation is exactly the opposite of what you described. I am not confused by the partisan struggle, and you no longer need to painstakingly try to psychologically guide me into a doomed party. After all, as an interrogator, I am confident in my professionalism, hehe."

In an instant, Krauser saw through John's attempt to shift the focus, transforming his own views on partisan strife into his own confusion about it, and then trying to use further rhetoric.

This reinforces the 'illusion' and ultimately attempts to convince oneself to betray the conservatives and join the reformists.

A mocking glint immediately flashed in his eyes.

As an interrogator, he was all too familiar with this kind of psychological technique. Although he was not as cunning as the other party, if the other party tried to brainwash him in the same way as they would fool an ordinary person, he would only reply with a word of delusion!
Thinking of this, Krauser couldn't help but shake his head, then seemingly casually took a sip of coffee, but in doing so, he directly sealed the fate of the other party's objective:

"Moreover, as you should know, my family, the Valendner family, is one of the thirteen heroic families. Since the Perus royal family ascended the throne, the two families have maintained a high degree of economic, political and military cooperation, which is the family of our current Minister of Defense, Minister Michel. This has been the case for thousands of years."

"Although as the eldest son of the Valendner family, barring any unforeseen circumstances, well, I will probably take over the position of head of the Valendner family from my father in about twenty years."

"But I can tell you definitively that, whether in the past, present, or future, the Valendner family will never be able to break away from the conservative party!"

"After all, whether it's a marriage based on blood ties or economic factors, these are the factors that determine all of this. So why don't you give up on that kind of seduction and talk about things that we're both interested in? How about that?"

"Hehe, then I'll assume you're not confused about this."

John didn't respond directly, but instead spoke meaningfully to Krauser, and before Krauser could even frown and ask, John continued:

"In fact, in my opinion, the two-party struggle will eventually end, and the final party unification will be achieved. You should be very clear about this, shouldn't you?"

"The only difference between you and me is that we have different positions and we are betting on different 'winners'!"

"Hmm? From what you're saying, senior, you think the reformists will come out on top in this partisan struggle?"

Upon hearing this, Krauser immediately suppressed his previous dissatisfaction, his eyes filled with surprise.

He never expected that this legendary senior would think that, with the conservative party in control of the overall situation, the reformists, who were showing signs of decline in the military, political, and economic spheres, could still turn the tide in this party struggle.

To be honest, if it had been any of the other reformers who said this instead of John, he probably would have immediately scoffed, mocked their unrealistic ideas, and turned away without hesitation.

But since the person who said this was John Maslow, even he couldn't help but be curious about the other party's confidence.

"There has always been a saying that those who seize power gain power. You should understand this principle, shouldn't you?"

John took a sip of coffee, quickly organized his thoughts in his mind, and then slowly spoke, meeting Krauser's scrutinizing gaze:

"The conservative party is linked by family interests and marriage contracts. Although it appears to be a collective group, it is a development path of governing the country with aristocratic elites."

"But in essence, it still belongs to a minority, and is a power formed by the union of family groups."

"But the party led by His Majesty William is different. Under His Majesty William's advocacy, the reformists not only gave commoners more opportunities for advancement, but more importantly, compared to the alliances formed by the conservatives to protect their interests, the current reformists are supported by conviction."

"And it is this belief that has kept me convinced that we can go all the way in this party struggle!"

belief?

Ha ha!

Listening to John's confident words, Krauser couldn't help but chuckle, and secretly shook his head.

Before this, he had thought John had some profound insights, but he never expected it to be such a tactic used by nobles to fool the common people.

This made him, who came from an old aristocratic family, laugh out loud when he heard it.

The person had completely lost the will to continue the discussion with the other party.

However, out of politeness and respect for this legendary senior, he deliberately followed up on the topic with a light laugh:

"While I'm curious why you say that, John, do you really think that so-called conviction can reverse the current decline of the reformists?"

"..."

John didn't respond to these words, but instead looked at Krauser with a silent smile, leaving Krauser full of doubt.

Just as Krauser frowned and couldn't help but ask John what he meant, John slowly spoke up:

"Klaus, how do you view the word 'belief'?"

"!"

Upon hearing this, Krauser paused slightly, but after careful consideration, he still spoke slowly, following his own heart:

"It's just a way to fool the masses and make them submit to the rulers."

After saying that, as if remembering something, a mocking smile involuntarily appeared on his lips. He then elegantly took a sip of his coffee and slowly began to speak:

"Compared to beliefs, interests are more tangible and more tempting, aren't they, Senior John?"

"Indeed, even I cannot deny the stimulating and effective benefits that come with them."

John nodded slightly, but then changed the subject:
"But compared to these false beliefs that are based on greed, I always believe that true beliefs are more solid, firm, and have the potential for development!"

"?"

Seeing the slightly surprised look in Krauser's eyes, John paused for a moment, then uttered a sentence that made the other man's pupils shrink:
"Based on my past experiences, my exploration of human nature, and my self-reflection through continuous learning, I now have a certain understanding of true beliefs."

"And after taking into account human needs, it is divided into five levels: 'physiological,' 'safety,' 'belonging and love,' 'esteem,' and most importantly, 'self-actualization.'"

"In my opinion, all of these are essential needs for every human being throughout their life."

"And the final one, the collection of true beliefs, is self-actualization."

"It is also a result that I have finally come to through continuous thinking, practice and learning, and through all the life experiences I have had so far."

"Therefore, to commemorate this conclusion that encompasses all my experiences and encounters to date, I have named it after my own surname..."

Meeting Krause's surprised gaze, John silently apologized in his heart to Abraham Maslow, the professional psychology master he had learned about in books during his university years in his previous life.

But then, with a resounding voice, he slowly and deliberately recited the true name of this important psychological theory from another world within the interrogation room:

"Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory!"

……

(End of this chapter)