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

Chapter 289 A Wavering Figure Seeks to Take the Steering Wheel

Seeing that John had successfully returned, the group immediately abandoned their plan to snatch him from the prosecutor's office. Instead, they inquired about John's experience in the interrogation room. After John gave a brief explanation and stated that he had not been tortured or framed, the group was relieved.

John then thanked Irias and the others who had come overnight, saying that he would personally visit them when he had time. Irias and Leia then returned by their respective cars.

However, Dormammu did not leave. Instead, he waited until Irias left before giving John a wink, indicating that he had something to discuss with John.

"Squeak!"

As the door to the secret room slowly closed, before John could even exchange pleasantries, Dormammu dropped a bombshell on him:
“John, just now, His Majesty William and Prime Minister Wolf reached an agreement in the Cabinet that relates to MI5, which you mentioned.”

Recalling the information that had just reached his ears, Dormammu's expression instantly became extremely solemn. However, he did not immediately reveal the truth. Instead, he turned his Mystic Eyes, which had somehow activated, to a corner of the room and slowly began to speak:

“Team Leader Vittorio Osiris, there are no outsiders here. You may show yourself now.”

"..."

As Dormammu's voice rang out, the next second, after a series of ripples resembling those created by wind blowing across a lake, a lean and wiry figure of medium height, wearing a pure white mask, appeared in the previously empty corner.

The other party was wearing a plain black uniform of a high-ranking surveillance force, without any wrinkles or insignia, over which was a matching stand-up collar robe.

Then, the other party slowly removed the mask from his face, revealing a face that would be unremarkable in a crowd. However, at this moment, this super-ranked mage, known as the 'Nightcrawler,' had his location revealed by Dormammu, and his expression immediately became somewhat helpless.

But then he apologized to John, who looked bewildered:
"I'm sorry, Lieutenant General John. Although I was ordered to protect your safety, I really couldn't interfere with the prosecutor's office. It was unavoidable that you had to undergo interrogation. Please understand."

“I understand, you don’t need to apologize to me, Team Leader Vittorio.”

Looking at Vittorio in front of him, John immediately realized that this famous Nightcrawler was the super-ranked mage whom William had assigned to the surveillance team to secretly protect him.

In fact, John had already sensed the presence of the other party through his magic eye when he went to the Hope Beacon Orphanage.

However, considering that the other party was assigned by William to provide covert protection, and that the members of the surveillance unit had sensitive identities, rashly communicating could easily lead to some unnecessary trouble.

That's why he didn't take the initiative to contact the other party. The reason he left the obsidian heart, which was given to him by Queen Diana, at the orphanage was to use this Emperor William's eyes and ears to show his unwavering royalist stance.

"However, since I was arrested by Krauser, the other party's presence has completely disappeared. This is in conjunction with what Dormammu just said about the agreement reached between William and Wolf in the cabinet."

"It is highly likely that after witnessing his arrest, the other party immediately went to the palace to report to William in person, which led to the cabinet negotiations."

While the feeling of being monitored was indeed somewhat unpleasant, considering that he was, after all, at the heart of the factional struggle in Elena, having such a bodyguard protecting him around the clock wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

Based on the available intelligence, John quickly pieced everything together. Then, without waiting for Vittorio to continue the pleasantries, he turned serious and asked:

"Team Leader Vittorio, could you please explain the details of the agreement reached between His Majesty William and Prime Minister Wolf to General Dormammu and me?"

"Ok."

Seeing that John did not intend to pursue the matter of his inadequate protection, Vittorio immediately breathed a sigh of relief. After inviting the two to sit down, he then told them the details of the three-way talks that had taken place in the cabinet, based on the instructions he had received from William.

"John, what do you think?"

After Vittorio finished his detailed report, Dormammu immediately looked at John beside him, trying to find a target for the division of power at tomorrow's court meeting from this young man who had given him countless surprises.

However, John did not speak immediately, but lit a cigarette and fell into deep thought.

The room was silent except for the faint sound of John occasionally sipping his cigarette.

Only after finishing the cigarette did he slowly reveal his opinion under Dormammu's expectant gaze:
"Reporting to the Marshal, in my opinion, we must secure the position of Director of the Intelligence Analysis and Strategic Assessment Bureau!"

John's voice was firm and carried an undeniable power.

After hearing about the reforms of MI5, he naturally understood that the intelligence agency he had originally established, modeled after MI5 in his previous life, had now been transformed from a centralized system to a system of separation of powers with Wolf's involvement.

The so-called Executive Directorate, as the name suggests, is responsible for intelligence gathering, counter-espionage, covert operations, assassination, sabotage, and other related tasks, possessing most of the functions he originally proposed for MI5.

If it were given to members of the conservative party or the faction of Duke Mosilis, they would gain some intelligence, but would not be able to control the overall situation.

Equivalent to human limbs, they are primarily responsible for action, but not for planning.

The Compliance and Oversight Bureau is responsible for internal security and legality reviews of operations. It has independent investigative powers and is responsible for monitoring internal personnel, auditing operational funds, and assessing operational risks and legal basis.

Although obtaining this position would allow one's side to veto the actions of the Executive Directorate under the guise of oversight, and to identify traitors within MI5 through investigations, thereby ensuring the secrecy of intelligence.

But once a traitor is caught and executed, the conservative party can simply send in a new member to fill the position, thus making the internal purge never-ending.

Moreover, regarding the veto power, our side can also raise such an application during the court assembly, requesting William's opinion. Only if William approves can the other side exercise the veto power, thereby limiting this power.

Equivalent to the human torso, it is responsible for supporting the movement of the limbs.

The final Intelligence Analysis and Strategic Assessment Directorate is responsible for not participating in specific operations, but for analyzing, assessing, and archiving intelligence, making strategic predictions based on massive amounts of information, and formulating long-term intelligence policies.

It is equivalent to holding the core of intelligence, and it is also the most critical lifeline of the intelligence agency. If this position is given up, it would be tantamount to revealing all the intelligence information of MI5 to the conservative party.

Under the actions of the conservatives, MI5 will eventually become a wall full of holes, thus losing the true meaning of establishing this organization.

Equivalent to the human brain, it bears the responsibility of decision-making.

It will also be the entity that truly controls the core lifeline of MI5 after its establishment.

"It seems your judgment is the same as mine."

Upon hearing John's answer, Dormammu immediately revealed a slightly horrified smile, and his gaze towards John was filled with unprecedented admiration.

At first glance, the General Directorate of Intelligence Analysis and Strategic Assessment may seem to be the least useful of MI5’s functions, as it has neither the power to take action nor the power to oversee.

But it is precisely because of its absolute control over intelligence that MI5 is able to maintain its existence.

Moreover, all actions need to be reviewed and evaluated by this department, which means that if the conservative party wants to do anything underhanded, it must get their consent.

Once you get this position, even if the other party is willing to leak information, they can only leak information obtained by the other party's spies through investigation, not the core secrets obtained by your own faction.

In this way, they can gain an absolute advantage and no longer need to worry about being betrayed by friendly forces or having their secret operations leaked in advance, which could lead to espionage activities or even unexpected ambushes during troop marches.

It's no wonder he was the top graduate of the 59th class; besides his command and political abilities, he was also exceptionally outstanding in espionage matters.

This level of composure and quick wit is truly astonishing!

Dormammu silently sighed to himself, but he quickly put that feeling behind him and turned to discuss with John in detail how to further improve the organizational structure of MI5 and try to further limit the authority of future members of the Conservative Party.

The secret conversation lasted for a full three hours before it ended. By the time a radiant Dormammu walked out of the chamber and left, it was already six in the morning.

After a quick breakfast, John planned to go straight back to his room for a nap, but after learning that Wendy was about to leave for her hometown, and after glancing at the continuous autumn rain outside, he abandoned the idea of ​​resting and instead personally drove the Pighead Squad Leader to the civilian train station in northern Eleanor.

"Wow!"

"I told you not to buy so much stuff, you idiot, but you wouldn't listen. With all these bags and packages, how are you going to carry them all by yourself when you get off the bus?"

John was carrying a huge package twice his size on his back and a bunch of local specialties in each hand. The weight made him feel like he was carrying a mountain, and sweat was even beading on his forehead.

He immediately adopted the expression of an old man on the subway looking at his phone, and looked at Wendy, the pig-headed squad leader who was standing on the platform grinning foolishly while holding an umbrella for him. Seeing Wendy's smirking face, his expression immediately turned even uglier.

Feeling the oppressive pressure on his body, John couldn't help but curse himself inwardly for being incredibly stupid.

Knowing full well that sending Wendy, that idiot, would inevitably end up like this, I still stubbornly refused to believe it. Honestly, this guy must have been my nemesis in a past life.

Just outrageous!
"It's okay, my family will pick me up when I get there, hehe!"

Looking at John, who always had a sour face, Wendy had a big smile on her face and her eyes were bright as she looked at John in front of her, like a clear spring, making it hard to look away.

"What are you laughing at? Stop messing around like that. Besides, treating your superiors like cattle, only a pig-headed idiot like you, Wendy, would do something like that. You're a complete bastard!"

"...Captain, are you not going to pass out?"

Seeing John's stiff face, Wendy immediately pretended to suddenly realize something.

He then sighed helplessly, and then, as if trying to convince himself, seeing John's red-faced expression, he immediately began to mutter to himself:

"That makes sense. Although the captain is very intelligent, his physical strength has always been poor, so it's normal that he couldn't hold on."

"After all, your near-drowning during the Battle of Faoken Bay already demonstrates this."

"But it's alright, I understand, so Captain, you should still give the package to..."

"Bullshit! Who the hell said I'm no good?"

"Huh? But, Captain, isn't your forehead already sweating?"

"What sweat? It's clearly rainwater. Do you even know what rainwater is?"

Meeting Wendy's amused gaze, John immediately became enraged:
"It's because you, you pig-headed idiot, didn't hold your umbrella properly, letting the rain soak my head and leaving these marks. A mere 160 pounds, you think you can make John Maslow sweat? This is clearly rainwater!"

Then, Lieutenant General John, drenched in the rain and steaming hot, didn't wait for the aggrieved Major Wendy to continue her explanation. He immediately gave her a death stare:
"And you idiot, stop your baseless suspicions right now. As your superior, if I say it's rainwater, then it's rainwater. Is that clear?"

"Roger that, Captain John~"

Looking at his skin, which had turned the same color as a red duck without him even realizing it, he was flushed to the extreme, as if if he said another word, the other party would give him a live-action performance of John exploding on the spot.

Wendy immediately abandoned the idea of ​​teasing the stingy captain. After nodding seriously, she then smiled and moved closer to him with her umbrella.

Although John, whose head was practically steaming from the heat, really wanted to chase the annoying pig-headed squad leader away, he suppressed his emotions and didn't spoil the squad leader's fun when he saw the bright smile on the other's face.

Instead, they started chatting casually.

It was only after asking John that Wendy learned that her hometown in the Empire was Apple Town, a remote territory in the Stella Territory in the northeast of the Empire. It was a relatively underdeveloped territory with only three trains running per week.

Therefore, this train station, which is often used to transport goods and occasionally to carry passengers, is an open-air platform, and at this time there are fewer than ten passengers who need to board the train.

In addition, soldiers and officers from the same or nearby areas had already departed for home yesterday with their respective bonuses after John granted them leave, so this waiting trip was not accompanied by any military personnel.

"Clap!"

At this moment, the fine autumn rain pattered against the white umbrella. After Wendy stopped teasing him, the quiet atmosphere and fresh air gradually calmed John down from his daily bickering with the pig-headed squad leader.

"..."

After briefly inquiring about Wendy's family situation and asking Captain Pighead about his plans for returning home, John stopped asking questions and fell silent, gazing at the scene at the station in front of him, lost in thought.

As John watched the raindrops splashing against the black rails ahead, and listened to Wendy humming an unknown tune, his gaze gradually became complicated as he pondered.

In fact, the intensity of the current factional strife within the Empire has somewhat exceeded his expectations.

The Slevin family's plan to build the Phantom Legion failed, coupled with his inexplicable entanglement with the Rose Witch, as well as the loss of a large number of memories and changes in his body.

All of this gradually made John realize that he was being pushed into a huge vortex by fate.

If one is not careful, one and one's companions will be crushed to pieces by an overwhelming force that one cannot resist.

Even if he succeeded in reforming the empire's status quo, successfully dividing the power of the nobility, and helping the empire's citizens rise up and escape oppression.

At that time, there will be nearly ten million Allied troops that he will need to defend against, and as time goes by, the enemy's strength will only increase rapidly.

Even if he used his advantage as a player to intercept members of the Allied Special Operations Department in advance, find powerful geniuses in the game to enhance his own combat power, or undermine the Allied unity from within through some means, and successfully complete the defense battle to preserve the empire's territory.

But at that time, after the merger of the regimes was completed and they had their own military forces.

Faced with the favors bestowed upon him by the Perus royal family, led by Princess Anora, would his future self truly be able to ruthlessly strip the Perus royal family of their power, or even purge them?
"..."

A mix of troubles weighed heavily on John's heart like never before.

Just as he was about to habitually take out a cigarette from his pocket and light it, trying to suppress his troubles with the stimulation of nicotine.

Upon catching a glimpse of Wendy's innocent and carefree smile, his right hand, which was reaching into his pocket, paused, and he abandoned the idea.

Instead, he took a deep breath, looked up at the gray sky outside the umbrella, and sighed to himself:

"This autumn in the Empire is unusually cold, Wendy."

"Really? I think it's fine!"

Wendy reached out and touched the raindrops outside the umbrella, somewhat puzzled. She was about to say that nothing had changed, but when her gaze fell on John's furrowed brows, she seemed to understand something. A hint of worry flashed in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a smile, and she said in a carefree manner:

"But the captain is so strong, he definitely won't be blown down by the autumn wind, right?"

"...Hmph, that goes without saying, after all, I am John Maslow!"

Upon hearing Wendy's long-awaited flattery, John immediately raised his head with a smug look, and the pent-up emotions in his heart instantly vanished.

Just as John was about to continue bragging to the pig-headed squad leader who was staring at him with adoration, he caught sight of a train approaching in the distance and abandoned the idea, instead urging Wendy to check if anything had been forgotten.

After the train stopped, he used all his strength to help Wendy carry the huge pile of things into the carriage.

He then wiped the sweat from his brow and returned to the platform.

At the same time, the train gradually started moving and headed away from the station. Just as John was about to leave, Wendy's little head suddenly popped out of the window and then shouted loudly at him:
"Thank you, Captain, for giving me a ride home. Also, Captain, please don't look so long. Frowning all the time can cause wrinkles. Smile more!"

Wendy grinned at John, then waved her right hand vigorously at him from the moving train:

"Alright, I'm off! See you in a month, Captain!"

"...Okay, have a safe trip."

Watching the train disappear into the distance, John withdrew his arm and silently murmured a sentence to himself. Only after the train had completely vanished from his sight did he turn around after standing there for a long time.

But the worry and confusion in their eyes were gone, replaced by an unprecedented tranquility.

After nodding slightly to Bruno, who had been waiting outside the station, he walked towards the black car in front of him.

The crisp sound of imperial military boots stepping on the stone slabs echoed all around, as hard and indestructible as steel.

"despair!"

……

(End of this chapter)