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

Chapter 287 Conflict of Interests: William Enters the Fray, Institutional Expansion Causes Prime Minister's Anger
Looking in the direction of the sound, William, dressed in a black fitted suit and leather boots, appeared at the office door at some point.

He then ignored the tense guard beside him, as well as the gazes from Wolf and Ostan in the office, and walked to the sofa on his own. He then slowly spoke to Wolf with a blank expression:

"Prime Minister Wolf, I'd like to know what kind of topic could lead the Prime Minister of the Empire and my Grand Admiral to such a heated discussion that it even extends to the Crown Realm."

"To be honest, when I first sensed the Grand Rank domain, I wondered if I had come to the wrong place. It felt like this wasn't the Imperial Cabinet, but an extremely dangerous battlefield!"

"Your Majesty, these are merely some preventative measures taken in advance to prevent enemy agents from eavesdropping on my long-awaited reunion with Grand Marshal Ostan, which could lead to the leakage of classified information and cause losses to the Empire."

Wolf's expression remained unchanged as he looked at William's sudden visit, as if he had already sensed him the moment William arrived at the Cabinet entrance by car.

"Oh, really? In that case, Prime Minister Wolf is more cautious than I expected, which is a blessing for the Empire."

William scoffed at the annoying old man, then glanced out of the corner of his eye at Ostan, whose expression was normal but whose aura hinted at decay.

As if recalling the latest intelligence submitted by the surveillance force not long ago, a hint of helplessness and gloom flashed in his eyes, but he quickly concealed it and instead pressed his palm down towards his Uncle Driss Ostan, who was about to stand up and bow to him.

Then, with a forced smile, he addressed Prime Minister Wolff, whose outward expression remained respectful but whose glint in his eyes betrayed his inner scheming:

"However, considering that Prime Minister Wolf and Duke Ostan are old acquaintances, and that you two currently respectively hold the reins of the Empire's administration and navy, it is quite necessary to keep even casual conversations about catching up with old friends confidential. However..."

William paused slightly, then added:

"While it is regrettable to interrupt your meeting with Grand Marshal Ostan, rather than the two of you catching up, I have a detention incident that just occurred on 13th Street, Hertner Road, that I would like to 'discuss' with you, Prime Minister Wolf!"

"Do you have the time right now?"

"Since Your Majesty has asked this old minister about something, then this old minister naturally dares not refuse."

In an instant, Wolfe understood that William's visit to the cabinet was also for John Maslow.

But he wasn't surprised by this. In fact, Wolfe had already foreseen this scene when he was planning to falsely accuse John of treason and have the prosecutor's office forcibly detain him.

So he immediately gave the guard at the door a look, signaling him to activate the silencing barrier in the office.

"Crack!"

As the door closed and a beam of azure magical light swept across the area, all external sounds were completely blocked out by the activated barrier.

Knowing that this conversation would go unnoticed, William strode to the head seat and sat down. Once seated, he coldly and without hesitation addressed Wolf:

"My most respected Prime Minister, I need you to explain to me why you instructed the prosecutor's office to forcibly detain John Maslow without any reason!"

"Your Majesty, this old minister does not understand what you mean."

Despite William's pressure, Wolff maintained a calm and collected demeanor, then subtly reminded him not to try to use his monarchical authority to force him to release the prisoners directly.

"As Prime Minister, I only have executive power and am not qualified to instruct the Prosecutor's Office. Although it is surprising that Lieutenant General John Maslow was detained by the Prosecutor's Office right after he was conferred his title, there must be a reason for the Prosecutor's Office to do so."

"And I also believe that Lieutenant General John Maslow, whom Your Majesty so highly regards, will certainly withstand the prosecutor's investigation. I expect that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the truth will come to light in a few days."

You damned old man!
Seeing that Wolf didn't directly confront him but instead used the prosecutor's office as an excuse to shut him up, William immediately realized that the other party wasn't buying it at all.

If he wants to get John out of custody, then he will inevitably have to engage in a deal that involves exchanging favors according to John's wishes.

Given the current situation of the empire, it is something that can be noticed by the other side, and they may attempt to seize it or eliminate it directly.

Apart from the Imperial Navy currently held by the reformists, there is probably only the Winter Wolf Legion under the newly appointed Earl West!
Wolf was probably well aware that even if he seized some naval power, under the arrangements made by Ostan and the other eight Imperial Marshals, even if the conservatives got their hands on it, they would ultimately be unable to dismantle the reformists from within.

The personnel sent there would be isolated and confined within the navy, unable to play any role.

However, if they could gain command of the Winter Wolf Legion, then the significance would be different.

William knew very well that once he agreed to relinquish command of the Winter Wolf Legion, it would mean that the northwest border of the empire, which was under the control of the West family, would essentially be brought under the surveillance of the Conservatives.

Furthermore, under the actions of the commander appointed by the other side, the inexperienced new Earl of Winterwolf will most likely gradually lose control of the Winterwolf Legion.

In addition, there is the growing trend of cooperation between the 'loyal' Imperial Army Grand Marshal Isel Mosilis, who has always been eager to take the position, and the conservatives.

At that time, the empire's northern border will most likely be completely controlled by Wolf.

Moreover, Ostan, the current Grand Admiral of the Imperial Navy, is nearing the end of his life, and the designated successor of the Ostan family is wavering in his stance.

Even with rectification and efforts to win them over, it will still take at least a year.

Within a year, Wolf had already planted spies all over the Northwest Frontier, further weakening his already limited forces.

Therefore, William must not relinquish command of the Winter Wolf Legion!
However, if they do not agree to the other party's conditions and choose to forcibly order the prosecutor's office to release John,

Even if they succeed in getting through this time, if they don't get the benefits they want, Wolf will inevitably launch a second, third, or even more similar operations.

Furthermore, given that the formation of the 303rd Independent Division of the Third Army Group is not yet complete, and John will have to stay in Areno for at least a year, it means that it would only take Wolf a moment to devise a trap for John.

If things continue like this, no matter how loyal John is to himself, or how much he chooses to endure because of his elder sister's kindness, he will be in trouble.

But eventually, it will reach its own limit.

Once that limit is crossed, this loyalty to the empire will completely collapse.

He will also completely lose the loyalty of the young general who brought him countless surprises and miracles.

This is something he absolutely does not want to see.

William's mind raced, then he shifted his gaze to his side. There stood a figure leisurely sipping his tea, a confident smile playing on his lips—a smile that made William want to punch him and slap his face across the floor. Suppressing his anger, William said coldly:
"Let me put it another way, Prime Minister Wolf. What do you think is the best way to get the prosecutor's office to release Lieutenant General John ahead of schedule?"

"Your Majesty, the evidence has withstood the prosecutor's office's review. Once this process is completed and Viscount John Maslow's innocence is confirmed, the prosecutor's office will naturally release him."

Wolf spoke slowly and deliberately, setting down his teacup and then feigning contemplation:
"However, speaking of which, I am reminded of some things. Apart from Lieutenant General John Maslow being imprisoned for suspected treason, the West family in the North seems to have run into a lot of trouble recently."

"Due to the previous crushing defeat, there have been many discordant voices within the Winter Wolf Legion, and some people have even openly insulted the Empire."

"Although the person involved has been ordered to be hanged, this has shown some signs that the Winter Wolf Legion, having lost its leader after Earl West's death at the hands of the Shattered Star Sword Saint in the North, seems to be wavering in its loyalty to the Empire."

"This is not a good sign. Therefore, for the stability of the empire and the safety of the North, I personally strongly suggest that Your Majesty reclaim the West family's command over the Winter Wolf Legion. What is Your Majesty's opinion?"

"Prime Minister Wolf's concerns are not without merit, but I believe that as the heir of the West family, Earl Lothar should be able to adapt to all of this quickly and resolve the above issues completely, without disappointing me and the Empire, and without allowing the Winter Wolf Legion to betray the Empire."

Meeting Wolf's seemingly calm but actually slightly cold gaze, William's eyes remained unwavering. He then turned his gaze to the silent Ostan, and changed the subject:

"However, Prime Minister Wolf's mention of young generals has reminded me of something. Grand Marshal Ostan, if I remember correctly, during the recent Battle of Faoken Bay, Field Marshal Bob seemed to have discovered a particularly talented soldier within the Third Navy?"

"Your Majesty, this is indeed the case. The man's name is Ian Grant, the son of Kane Grant, the former lord of the Grant family of the 'Pearl Territory' of the Empire. However, since Baron Kane was assassinated by pirates, the real culprit has not yet been found, and it is impossible to rule out the possibility that it was done by someone within the Grant family."

"Therefore, Ian Grant has only nominally inherited the title of Baron and has no actual control over the fief. The current Pearl Territory is managed by a mayor appointed by the superior lord, Viscount Gamanra."

"The Grundt family? Is that the family that produces mermaid tears?"

Upon hearing Ian's family name, William's eyes lit up with interest, and he immediately asked with a puzzled look:
"If I remember correctly, the ancestors of the Grund family served as court musicians during the reign of Perus IX. According to records, the merman bloodline inherited by the Grund family has made great achievements in music. However, can this ability also be used on the battlefield?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. The merman magic of the Grand family can not only be used to play enchanting music with musical instruments, but also to control marine life."

Ostan nodded slightly, then revealed the inside story:

"During the Battle of Faoken, Baron Ian used merman magic to control an underage Kraken and had it assist our warships in attacking the enemy fleet."

"When the Third Navy was surrounded by warships that outnumbered its own by more than ten times, it was with the assistance of Baron Ian that the Third Navy was able to achieve a miraculous victory and minimize its losses."

"I see, that's amazing! It seems Marshal Bob really struck gold this time!"

William feigned surprise as he spoke, then glanced at Wolfe beside him out of the corner of his eye, noticing that the latter maintained his unhurried attitude as if he didn't care at all about the rising naval star he was discussing.

But William, who knew his teacher well, knew that the other party must have already taken this matter to heart, and that was exactly what he wanted to see:
"Since Baron Ian has made such outstanding contributions, why is he not on the list of those to be honored this time? Is it because someone in the Third Navy is suppressing him?"

"Your Majesty misunderstands. The reason why Baron Ian did not participate in the investiture was actually his own request. He wanted to use this merit to exchange for the inspection force to conduct a thorough investigation into the death of Baron Kane back then, and to find out the real culprit who ordered the pirates to attack Baron Kane back then."

"In addition, regarding the matter of Baron Ian's reward, this matter has been handed over to Lieutenant General John Maslow, who intends to promote Baron Ian to the position of head of the naval intelligence department of the Empire's newly established military intelligence agency called 'MI5'."

"The reason why Your Majesty is unaware of this is that MI5 is still under construction, and General John just attended the victory celebration banquet, so he probably hasn't had time to report this to you yet. It's not that you deliberately concealed it."

“I see. Since General John has made arrangements for Baron Ian, I will not interfere further. However, I am aware of the need for a thorough investigation and will assign a nearby surveillance force to investigate the matter.”

"Furthermore, although it was Baron Ian himself who applied for the cancellation of the title, the reward must still be given, and this is beyond question!"

"Then this old minister thanks Your Majesty on behalf of Baron Ian for your kindness."

"..."

Meanwhile, Wolf, sitting on the sofa, watched the two perform their back-and-forth act quietly, his face remaining unmoved.

He understood that William's mention of a minor baronial heir and the so-called MI5 was not truly to praise Ostan.

Instead, he deliberately threw out this bait, trying to divert his attention from the Winter Wolf Legion and thus lure him in.

To complete the next round of the game.

The goal was to destroy his own control of the Winter Wolf Legion and allow the conservatives to control the empire's northwestern border.

As William's teacher and the Prime Minister of the Empire, having witnessed countless power struggles and become a seasoned veteran in the game of human nature and interests, he was all too familiar with this kind of trickery.

However, he was also curious about what gave William the confidence to believe that he could easily destroy a unique intelligence agency that had just begun to show some talent.

They would rather give up the conservative party's control over the empire's northwestern border than not try to participate in it to gain an unknown benefit.

Is it arrogance?
Or is it that this so-called MI5 and the so-called Grant family really have long-term value?
Wolfe pondered silently, just as he was considering whether to send someone to investigate the Grant family and try to include Ian Grant in the list of Conservative Party members.

The next second, William's words caused his pupils to shrink, and an unprecedented rage surged within him:

"Oh, by the way, regarding the intelligence agency called 'Imperial Intelligence Section 5' that General Dormammu proposed last month, after careful consideration, taking into account the current state of the Empire's intelligence agencies, such as the infiltration of enemy spies, the large amount of intelligence leaks that have led to our army being preemptively attacked by well-prepared enemy forces during battles, the frequent accidents and wrongful convictions within the country that are difficult to investigate, and the numerous and cumbersome intelligence agencies that are difficult to unify."

"Therefore, after discussions with Dormammu, I decided to add four additional responsibilities to the agency’s original counterintelligence duties: domestic intelligence security, combating serious crimes, military separatism and terrorism investigations, for a total of five. This is also the final form of the agency that Dormammu envisioned when he coined the name MI5."

"After the establishment of this agency, in order to ensure the security and accuracy of intelligence, as well as to highlight the absolute nature of the agency, I decided to designate it as a national core intelligence agency. All other intelligence agencies and departments, except for the Eye of Truth, including the military intelligence agencies within the Army, Navy and Air Force, will be changed to Level 1 intelligence agencies, which will need to cooperate with its instructions and share intelligence."

"Furthermore, in order to ensure that intelligence agencies at all levels cooperate with the actions of MI5, I will assign the Royal Secret Surveillance Force to be stationed there and assist in the operation to verify the authenticity and accuracy of the intelligence submitted by other intelligence agencies at all levels, thereby completely eliminating the practice of obeying orders but not orders."

"In order to achieve the unification and coordination of the intelligence departments, and ultimately to ensure the security of domestic intelligence, as well as the elimination and eradication of enemy spies, and completely cut off the large-scale loss of intelligence that occurred during the defeat in the North, which led to the Empire's unexpected defeat."

Meeting Wolf's gloomy gaze, William's face was now full of smiles, but his voice was filled with undeniable authority:

"So, what are your thoughts on this, Prime Minister Wolf and Grand Marshal Ostan?"

……

(End of this chapter)