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

Chapter 40 Warrant Officer John is a strange guy
When John and his men arrived at Stone Village, the villagers were already waiting in the square in the center of the village.

John glanced at the crowd and found that there were only about two hundred people, and they were mostly middle-aged men and women and some elderly people. He didn't see any young women or children among them.

Judging from the unease and tension in everyone's eyes, he naturally understood what was going on.

He couldn't help but sigh again, but soon a warm smile appeared on his face.

Turning to the village head at the forefront of Shidong Village, an old man with a cane, a white beard, and clearly the village chief, he smiled and said:

"Sir, you must be the village chief of Stone Village. What is your name? Also, you don't need to be so nervous. We are here to inspect Stone Village on behalf of the Empire's high command. We are the Empire's regular army."

"Now that the Allied forces have been driven back by the Empire, Walden Territory will be incorporated into the Empire's territory in a short time. We will all be one family from now on, so you don't need to make everyone so wary. You can let everyone relax a bit."

"Sir, my name is Ernest, and as you can see, I am the village chief of Stone Village."

Upon hearing this, the village chief Ernest dared not be negligent. He quickly put down his cane, bowed, and humbly revealed his name.

However, while bowing, he took the opportunity to secretly glance at the Imperial soldiers around him.

After seeing that the soldiers were neatly dressed and had solemn expressions.

He also realized that these imperial soldiers did not seem to have suffered a defeat, nor did they seem to have come to their small mountain village to plunder.

Therefore, I was relieved.

Ernest dared not let his guard down, after all, just this morning, the Allied troops who came to their village said something similar to the Imperial dogs in front of him.

But in the end, they ignored their pleas and forcibly requisitioned all the food from their village. The Allied officers in charge even raped the women in the village.

In Ernest's view, it was astonishing that even allied soldiers, allies of the Golden Rose Kingdom, could do such a thing to their own people.

If it were those rumored ruthless imperial dogs, they would probably be even more cruel after discovering there was no food or women.

Fortunately, after what happened that morning, he quickly notified the villagers to hide the young women and children in the empty cellar after spotting the Imperial dogs approaching from afar.

Only a group of older people, or those who had been injured during the robbery that morning, were allowed to stay.

In that case, even if these imperial dogs really want to massacre the village to make a name for themselves, at least those children will still be able to survive.

But with food shortages and the Imperial army attacking, could the village children really survive?

This damn world, this damn Allied forces, this damn empire!

Old village chief Ernest was filled with despair and resentment, but feeling the gaze of the Imperial soldier before him, he dared not reveal the slightest emotion. Instead, he forced himself to step forward and fawn over John:
"Sir, you can give me any instructions you have. I promise to tell the great Imperial Army everything I know!"

“No need to be so tense, Chief Ernest. Like I said, we’re here to inspect, not to rob. You can tell everyone to relax and go about their business. There’s no need to make it so formal, like a military parade. After all, everyone’s time is precious, don’t you think?”

John rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on, indicating that the other person didn't need to be so subservient to him.

The old man looked to be at least eighty years old. Making such an old man bow and scrape to him made him feel as if his lifespan had been hit by an invisible blow.

Knowing the other person's fear at that moment, he didn't wait for them to speak further before forcefully giving the order:
"Alright, listen to me. Let the villagers go about their business. Don't just stand here and get in my way. Also, if you need anything, just tell me and I can send someone to help you."

"No, really no, sir!"

Upon hearing this, Ernest was so frightened that he almost knelt down and kowtowed to John on the spot.

But seeing the impatience in the eyes of the unknown imperial officer, he knew that the other party was not joking. So, although he was suspicious, he quickly dispersed the crowd and told the villagers to continue searching for edible wild fruits and vegetables nearby, just like before.

At the same time, he secretly glanced at the distinguished imperial officer in front of him. If the officer showed the slightest displeasure, he would immediately stop the crowd and kneel down to apologize without hesitation. But to Ernest's surprise, after seeing the villagers, who were considered 'meritorious', leave, the officer did not show the slightest dissatisfaction or malice. Instead, he seemed to have released his pent-up frustration and let out a long sigh of relief.

Then, with a smile, she asked him if she could come to his house for a talk. To this end, she had a soldier take a can of meat from the truck and give it to him, saying it was a courtesy for a first visit.

To be honest, Ernest, who has lived for almost seventy years, had never heard of such etiquette before.

Normally, he definitely wouldn't dare accept the other party's gift.

However, considering that the whole village was starving to death, and that what they brought was canned meat, a full twelve cans.

If we could take it to the town, this canned food could be exchanged for at least a thousand kilograms of rye. If we eat it sparingly, it should be enough to help the villagers get through this period.

After the war subsided, they only needed to mortgage the young men in the village to the Hardman family as servants in order to borrow seeds and food, and the village would then have hope of survival.

Therefore, even knowing the risk of being shot, Ernest mustered the courage to accept the gift.

At the same time, he was also prepared to be beheaded by the other party.

To Ernest's astonishment, the other side did nothing but order the soldiers to set up camp in a wasteland outside the village, patrol the surrounding area, and not to damage farmland or harass the villagers of Stone Village.

Then the other person led him to his mud house. Even though he walked slowly because of his limp, the other person did not urge him. Instead, they kindly asked if he needed any help.

However, Ernest dared not let this imperial official help him, so he had to endure the pain and use all his strength to quicken his pace, trying to avoid angering the other party and bringing disaster to the village.

But before they had gone far, the other party stopped them, saying they wanted to see the surrounding scenery.

So what should have been a 20-minute journey was stretched into an hour, as the other party deliberately waited for them and slowed down their pace.

To be honest, the enemy's behavior was completely different from what Ernest knew of the Imperial Army, which was known for its penchant for killing innocent people and claiming credit for their achievements.

Even in the army of his own Golden Rose Kingdom, he had never seen an officer like this.

No, there weren't any officers, not even soldiers.

Those damned soldiers and bandits wouldn't care about a wretched old man like him. They'd be lucky if they didn't find him a nuisance and just shot him dead.

Compared to ordinary soldiers, this unknown imperial officer was quite an odd character.

Therefore, all of this can probably only be attributed to the fact that this imperial officer may have only recently joined the army.

And is it because he is a descendant of the Immortal Qin and admires the chivalrous spirit of the Immortal Qin?
It's a pity that such a fine descendant of the Immortal Qin has entered the gates of the empire. I'm afraid it won't be long before he is assimilated by the terrifying empire.

Inside the courtyard with its earthen walls, Ernest, holding a teapot, couldn't help but sigh inwardly as he sat at a wooden table.

But he quickly snapped out of his daze under John's questioning gaze, and cursed himself for being so stupid as to secretly speculate that a commanding officer was probably asking for trouble.

He then hurriedly and diligently wiped the chipped teacup in his hand several times, making sure there was no dust left before placing it on the table.

Feeling somewhat guilty, he poured a glass of warm water for the Imperial officer who had suddenly shown kindness and brought a way out to their village, then smiled at him, half-genuinely and half-insincerely, and said:

"Sir, you must be tired from your long journey. If you don't mind, please have a glass of water."

……

(End of this chapter)