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

Chapter 44 My Lord, we have discovered the enemy!

Half an hour ago, outside Stone Village, at the Imperial Army's encampment, outside John's tent.

At this moment, Wendy, who was guarding the gate for John, was holding the 'Holy Scripture' in her arms. Her eyes were wide open like copper bells as she seriously and earnestly scanned her surroundings. With her eyesight enhanced by magic, which was at an abnormally high level, she was truly remarkable.

There was no doubt that not even a mosquito could bypass this loyal squad leader and sneak into the tent behind her, thus affecting Warrant Officer John's sacred thoughts.

However, the captain seems a bit down today.

Is it because you're not used to the army's food since you just arrived at the front?

After all, when I first joined the army, my cheeks ached from eating every day, and it took me a whole month to get used to it.

If Captain John were a graduate of the Imperial First Military Academy, accustomed to the academy's refined cuisine, it would be understandable that he would find it difficult to adapt.

But Warrant Officer John was so loyal that he would certainly be embarrassed to tell Battalion Commander Olaf about such a trivial matter.

However, as the vice-captain, he couldn't pretend not to see it, because only when a commander is in a good mood can he make the most correct decisions.

Okay, it's decided. I'll personally cook for the captain later, so he can see my culinary skills.

Who knows, after enjoying the local specialties from his hometown, Captain John might praise him highly, and even become more convinced of his status as his number one follower!

But how exactly did Mom teach me to be a stargazing fan?

Since it's a baked pie, the fish head shouldn't need to be marinated, right?

And if I remember correctly, to preserve the flavor, you shouldn't wash it too clean?

Wendy was frowning and thinking about how to perfectly recreate her hometown's famous specialty dish to give the brilliant captain a surprise.

This would solidify her status as 'Colonel John's number one follower' so that the newly arrived lieutenant, Leia, would realize the difference between herself and her 'loyal subordinate'.

Upon hearing the faint footsteps approaching, Wendy immediately twitched her ears, then her gaze instantly sharpened, locking onto the two figures walking towards her.

After recognizing the two men as soldiers from an unorganized unit, Wendy's coldness gradually faded, but she did not lower her guard. Instead, she spoke to the two soldiers in a deep voice:

"Halt, soldiers! Warrant Officer John is currently on official duty and no one is allowed to disturb him. If you have any questions, you can speak directly to me, and I will report to Warrant Officer John shortly!"

"Sir, several people claiming to be villagers from Shidong Village have come to our camp, saying they have important intelligence."

Important information?

Ok?
Normally, ordinary villagers would avoid the army, but these people not only didn't retreat, they actually approached us.
Suspicious, highly suspicious!
So, could these people be spies sent by the Allies?

Were they planning to use a report as a pretext to get close to Warrant Officer John and carry out the assassination?
"That's right, that's definitely it!"

Wendy understood, and a cold smile immediately appeared on her lips.

Hmph, what a foolish Allied spy! You dare to show off such a paltry trick in front of someone like me who has grasped the Maslowian principle?
I think you guys are completely ignorant and arrogant, you don't take me, the sergeant, seriously at all!
Having figured everything out on her own, Wendy immediately concluded that there was definitely something wrong with these villagers, but she didn't point it out. Instead, she nodded to the two soldiers to indicate that she understood.

She had intended to have the two soldiers lead the way to meet these 'Allied spies,' but then she thought that if she left her post, someone might take the opportunity to ambush Warrant Officer John.

So Wendy thought for a moment and, under the pretext of going to carry out the mission assigned by Warrant Officer John, summoned two army soldiers and asked them to stand guard in her place.

Finally, feeling that things were still a bit unsafe, Wendy called Hawke, the strongest fighter in the 14th Squad besides herself, to keep watch in the dark. She gave Hawke the order to shoot anyone who tried to approach Warrant Officer John's tent.

Feeling completely safe, Wendy, led by two soldiers, arrived at the outskirts of the camp and met the nine 'Allied spies'.

They were nine robust middle-aged men, a stark contrast to the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled they had previously seen in Stone Village.

Therefore, upon seeing this group of people for the first time, Wendy was certain that her guess was correct.

Before she could even order the arrest and interrogation of these 'spies,' the words of the middle-aged man in the lead—dressed in a short robe, carrying a longbow on his back, and dressed like a hunter—made her pupils shrink instantly:

"Your Majesty, we have discovered traces of the enemy. Please lead your troops to attack them!"

Directly in front of the nine villagers of Shidong Village, Siegfried, with his flowing blond hair, unshaven beard, and resolute face, silently scanned the seemingly ordinary young imperial female soldier in front of him, yet inexplicably gave him a strong sense of crisis.

A hint of seriousness and vigilance flashed in his sharp eyes, and his hands, calloused from years of training, unconsciously clenched into fists under this sense of crisis.

As someone who learned archery from hunters in his youth and accidentally drank the original water of Walden Pond, he survived the magical corruption and assimilated his blood and magic, becoming the only lucky one among tens of thousands to obtain the 'Power of the Wild Hunt'.

Siegfried realized he was different from the other villagers from a very young age. He faced a black bear weighing 800 pounds, which required several hunters to work together to barely kill it through a trap.

At the young age of thirteen, he could not only easily draw a 150-pound bow, but also imbue his arrows with the power of the Wild Hunt, causing them to shatter the opponent's head.

Therefore, at the age of 16, when he was still at a rebellious age, he had a disagreement with his father about how to treat nobles. In a fit of pique, he resolutely left the village and embarked on the path of pursuing strength.

However, unlike his expectations that he could become a legendary figure like those in the poems of wandering poets, relying on his own bravery to overcome all obstacles and become a person above all others, he was not the same.

During his travels, he did not encounter any important figures who appreciated him, nor did he meet any princesses in distress. All he was left with was the exploitation of merchants from various places and a life of poverty and begging.

It wasn't until he killed a group of thieves and saved a caravan of merchants while traveling that he thought he would be rewarded by the local nobles and loved by the people, thus officially becoming famous and embarking on his own path of glory.

But Siegfried never expected that he would be charged with intentional homicide, which would land him in prison and brand him as a slave.

He was determined to prove his innocence, but when questioned by the nobleman, the caravan he had rescued denied being robbed and instead framed him as a murderer.

Siegfried didn't understand this result and was also very confused.

Just before he was branded and thrown into the mine, he learned from the guards watching him that the so-called thief was actually one of the local baron's men, and that the baron was also aware of the thief's robbery of merchants, because most of the wealth obtained by the thief would end up in the baron's own pocket.

It was at this moment that Siegfried understood the wisdom behind those "cowardly acts" that his father had told him about, which he had previously despised.

So, taking advantage of the guards' hangover one night, Siegfried broke into the prison and escaped.

However, due to his pride and the fear that being wanted would cause trouble for Shi Dong Village, he changed his name and became a beggar, no longer daring to reveal his difference from ordinary people.

He eventually met his wife, who helped him transform from a beggar into a worker. She eventually proposed to him, and they had a child.

Then war broke out between the Empire and the Allied forces. The baron of the kingdom who had persecuted him was slaughtered by the Imperial army, and the town where he and his wife lived was looted by the defeated noble soldiers of the kingdom. His father-in-law and mother-in-law were also killed by the soldiers before he could return.

To protect his wife and son, he used the 'Wild Hunt Power' for the first time in a long time, slaughtering hundreds of soldiers and bandits who had invaded the town. Then he took his shocked wife back to the Golden Rose Kingdom.

Twelve years later, he reunites with his father, whom he once despised and scorned as a coward in his youth.

Under the other party's silent arrangement, he reverted to his original name, Siegfried, and became a prodigal son who had worked in the Kingdom of Victoria for twelve years and was now returning to his hometown to settle down again.

Although he still disagrees with his father on various issues, the passage of time has taught Siegfried to remain silent and accept different opinions.

But his own experience also made him realize that blind tolerance cannot protect his homeland.

Only power could allow him to protect his family, so despite his father's objections, he secretly ventured into the Magic Lake, a place filled with deadly poisonous mist that would kill an ordinary person with just a single breath, and began to swallow the primordial water of the Magic Lake.

He also poached in the mountains and forests of other territories to obtain food for the village while continuously training his archery skills and strength.

I only hope that next time I encounter a similar situation, I can avoid a tragedy like that of my father-in-law and mother-in-law.

Through years of practice and continuous consumption of the Primal Magic Water, he has been enhanced.

Siegfried knew perfectly well that he had become a monster far beyond human comprehension.

Even the legendary orcs would probably have a hard time lasting a single round against his terrifying power of the Wild Hunt, which can pierce through twenty ancient trees in a single arrow.

This power was indeed enough to make him feel complacent, even arrogant.

Even now, when he is like a monster, he still can't help but feel a sense of crisis when facing this female soldier of the Empire who is only half his height, as if he were being stared at by a prehistoric monster.

It was as if if he dared to show even the slightest hostility, the other party would instantly bar their fangs and devour them all!
Indeed, there are always people more capable than you, and there's always something beyond your understanding.

But, Father, can you really guarantee that we won't be devoured by these monsters if we cooperate with an empire teeming with them?
Siegfried was filled with complex emotions, but he recalled the words his father had just told him.

Feeling the cold, scrutinizing gaze of the Imperial female soldier ahead, Siegfried sighed inwardly, then lowered his head, displaying his humility to this terrifying Imperial army.

"Your Majesty, before the arrival of the great Imperial Army, those damned Allied troops plundered our village, stealing not only the food we depended on for survival but also defiling the women of the village."

"But just now, we discovered their hiding place in the valley in the center of Horseshoe Mountain."

"Therefore, for the sake of revenge, we are willing to lead the way for the great Imperial Army. In addition, if the members of the Imperial Army need us, we can also join the battle and kill those damned enemies together with the great Imperial Army!"

……

(End of this chapter)