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

Chapter 48: Warrant Officer John's Memorable Quotes
"...I understand, thank you, sir."

Siegfried was somewhat disappointed, but after witnessing the combat power of Wendy and her group of magic soldiers, he felt that it was only natural for John to refuse his application to join the army.

After all, although he possessed the power of the Wild Hunt, he was far too weak compared to Wendy and the others who could level an entire valley with a wave of their hand.

As expected, I still need to find a way to become stronger!

How could someone like me be qualified to follow such a powerful and upright Lord John?
At this moment, Siegfried, realizing his own weakness, was once again filled with a desire to become stronger.

"You're welcome. Protecting civilians is what we should do. Please give my regards to Mr. Ernest. Also, if Stone Village needs anything, please come to me and I will do my best to help you."

“I am very grateful, Lord John.”

Knowing that John would likely interrogate the damned Allied major next, Siegfried didn't disturb him. Instead, he gave John a less-than-perfect Imperial salute and then left with the group from Stone Village.

"Captain, are you sure you don't want to reconsider?"

Watching Siegfried leave dejectedly, Wendy couldn't help but plead with John on his behalf:
"Although Siegfried is a bit old and not as good as the Empire's magic soldiers, he is still a fairly strong fighter compared to ordinary soldiers."

"And most importantly, this guy not only mastered a unique magic formula, but also unleashed an attack comparable to a third of a magic soldier without any training or knowledge of the formula's theory. If he were properly trained, he might become an elite magic soldier."

"It would be such a waste to just let him leave like this!"

Nonsense, of course I know how high the potential of the Dragon Hunter is, but the key is that this guy is a hot potato.

If he really gets recruited into the army, will I still be able to retire?

You stupid pig, all you do is thwart my plans.

John gave Wendy a disapproving look, then dropped the excuse he had prepared beforehand:

“Sergeant Wendy, I know what you want to say, but recruiting soldiers is not within the scope of our magic squad’s responsibilities. Secondly, the Seventh Air Force is His Majesty the Emperor’s direct force. Therefore, the recruitment of soldiers requires strict screening at every level, especially regarding loyalty to the Empire. Only after passing the interview and having their political background verified can civilians apply.”

"Besides, have you forgotten that we are an air force unit? Although Siegfried possesses power, his power is only applicable to the army. In an air force composed entirely of magic soldiers, is it reasonable to insert an army soldier?"

"Finally, I must also give you a word of advice: as soldiers, especially as magic soldiers directly under the Seventh Air Force, we must never let personal feelings cloud our judgment under any circumstances."

"After all, once the door to favoritism and abuse of power is opened, it cannot be closed, because there are only zero or countless times when power is abused for personal reasons. This is undoubtedly a betrayal of His Majesty the Emperor and a betrayal of the Empire. I hope you remember this... Wait, what are you doing?"

"Captain, I'm recording your new spirit!"

Upon hearing John's question, Wendy, who was recording the new Maslow's hierarchy of needs, immediately stopped writing. Then, under John's silent gaze, she spoke with a solemn expression:

"As a loyal Maslow's advocate and serving as the ideological instructor of Squad 14, I have an obligation to record your every word and action. This is a brand new method that I recently learned under your guidance on how to study more deeply and improve my understanding of Maslow's philosophy. How about it, Captain? Not bad, right? Hehe!"

Not bad my ass, are you afraid that if the prison is too big, I won't be able to get burned at the stake?

Honestly, could it be that I stole you and then abandoned you in my past life or something, which is why God sent you here to torment me like this?

Wendy, can't you just give me a break?
John was filled with melancholy and sadness, but seeing Wendy's earnest gaze, he could only sigh and then offer a forced smile and praise:

“Very good, Sergeant Wendy, your learning spirit is commendable. However, I personally feel that there is no need to record my every word and action. After all, even I sometimes say meaningless things.”

"Learning to distinguish between the good and the bad, and learning the good from it, is also something we need to do." However, upon hearing this, John expected Wendy to apologize to him with a face full of remorse, but that did not happen. Instead, Sergeant Wendy showed a look of surprise upon hearing this reprimand.

Then, under his silent gaze, she pulled out that damned green notebook, picked up a pen, and quickly began to write:

"Warrant Lieutenant John uttered many insightful remarks in Stone Village, instructing his soldiers late at night: 'As soldiers of the Empire, we must improve our discernment, learn to distinguish between good and bad, and approach problems with dialectical thinking.'"

"Only in this way can we avoid being misled by the external appearances of things. This is an important spirit that all Maslow's followers must always keep in mind!"

No, how the hell do you still remember that?
And I didn't even go into that much detail, so why did you optimize it for me?

Wendy, you bastard, I'm begging you, please have some decency!

Looking at the quotes that Wendy had crafted, further deepening and elevating the Maslowian philosophy, John suddenly felt more exhausted than ever before.

But he also knew that if he continued to discuss the so-called Maslow's hierarchy of needs with this idiot Wendy, he would only become more and more 'great' under Wendy's influence, while getting closer and closer to the gallows.

So he suppressed the urge to snatch the green notebook from Wendy's hand and tear up that rubbish quote, and interrupted her the moment she finished writing down the new spirit, before she could even speak:
"Ahem, Sergeant Wendy, while your dedication to learning is commendable, I think it would be better if we interrogated the captured major first to ascertain his motives, wouldn't you say?"

At this point, John couldn't help but feel a little puzzled.

Because, in his mind, the Allied forces shouldn't be in this godforsaken place at all.

But the other party unexpectedly arrived here.

So, is the other party carrying out a secret mission, such as transporting funds?
After all, Redick was just transporting a truckload of gold!

Wait, gold?
Could it be that I'm about to make a fortune again?
Haha, I knew it! No child cries every day. All the bad luck in the past is for the good luck in the future.

The good luck I've been waiting for has finally arrived!

"Gold, gold, lovely gold!"

Looking at the tent in the distance where the Allied major was being held, John was filled with excitement and wished he could fly there immediately.

As for the potential dangers of intercepting two batches of Allied military funds, he had long since put that aside.

What kind of bullshit ally is that? Gold is the real ally of Warrant Officer John.

Besides, under Wendy's influence, he's almost on the Allied blacklist now, and switching sides is virtually hopeless.

Since you're already on the blacklist, why not make a killing before they try to assassinate you?

At this moment, the clear-headed Warrant Officer John already foresaw that, under his professional interrogation skills, that damned Allied major would burst into tears and reveal the true location of the gold's hiding place!

Thinking of this, John's smile deepened, and his heart was filled with unprecedented anticipation.

He even forgot about Wendy's need to report the details to him, and immediately strode towards the tent that held countless 'treasures'.

……

(End of this chapter)