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

Chapter 93 Dawn: Noisy Yet Quiet

As a member of the Silver Hook Gang in the town of Bahamut, Carl felt a sense of unprecedented confusion.

His daily routine consisted of collecting protection money from merchants in the gang's territory under the boss's instructions, and occasionally being encouraged by his companions to flirt with girls on the street.

However, like all the members who joined the Silver Hook Gang, Carl had fantasized that one day he would be noticed by the boss because of his outstanding fighting skills, and then become a small leader in the gang, and then live a new life of power and influence.

He thought his daily routine would continue like this until the night before last, when he went to the Silver Hook Gang as usual, he was shocked to find that the gang's stronghold was inexplicably surrounded by a group of terrifying imperial soldiers.

The gang leaders, who used to be incredibly powerful and whose reputation was so great that all merchants had to smile and fawn over them, were now surrounded by soldiers. They were all huddled in a corner with their hands behind their heads, like a flock of lambs waiting to be slaughtered.

The boss, who regarded this as his life goal, was ruthless in killing people, to the point that even the town's guard captain had to politely offer him a cigarette.

For some unknown reason, his body was covered in horrifying bloody holes, and he lay on the ground like a dead dog, with blood still gushing from his mouth.

Under Karl's horrified gaze, the other person's chest rose and fell slightly a few times before turning into a cold corpse.

Carl was terrified by what he saw; all his thoughts went blank for a moment.

In particular, when he noticed a disheveled, extraordinary-looking man among the imperial soldiers instinctively looking towards the fence where he was, he was terrified out of his wits.

He dared not linger, fearing that these terrifying imperial soldiers would come after him, and immediately used all his strength to escape from his gang's stronghold.

He didn't even dare to go home.

Instead, he hid in the garbage dump on the west side of the town and stayed there until nightfall. Only after confirming that no one was looking for him did he return home in fear.

He only found out after listening to his neighbors' conversation overnight.

It turned out that not only his gang had been attacked by the Imperial Army the day before yesterday, but all the gangs in the entire town, regardless of size, were wiped out under the terrifying suppression of the Imperial Army.

Those gang members who possessed force and attempted to resist were either beaten or killed on the spot, just like their boss.

The bodies, along with the corpses, were dumped that night in a mass grave outside the town by the group of soldiers in black uniforms.

The hundred imperial soldiers accomplished all of this in less than three hours from start to finish.

If it were the old Karl, he certainly wouldn't have believed it after hearing such a thing.

After all, any organization that can form a gang in a small town has more or less wielded considerable power.

For example, the leader of their Silver Hook Gang is a retired soldier from the Golden Rose Kingdom.

Not only is he an expert marksman, but he also possesses magical powers, allowing him to easily kill many people even without weapons.

It is precisely because of their terrifying strength that the Silver Hook Gang is able to control the territory of more than ten wealthy shops in the town.

Moreover, during the last gang gathering, Carl overheard a drunken gang leader saying that although the Silver Hook Gang was ostensibly a criminal organization, they actually served Baron Micah.

At that time, their gang had just robbed a batch of priceless goods for the Baron, and their leader was therefore valued even more by the Baron. He even had the hope of learning more advanced magical techniques through the Baron's introduction.

When the leader becomes a magician, their Silver Hook Gang will become an even more powerful gang as the leader grows stronger.

But even such a powerful leader was completely powerless against the Imperial Army soldiers in black uniforms and was riddled with bullets.

Even now, no one knows where the body was dumped.

As for the situation of the other major gangs, Carl didn't know because he hadn't witnessed it firsthand.

However, he exchanged information with several gang fringe members who, like him, had been lucky enough to escape from the Imperial Army yesterday due to different unexpected circumstances.

They discovered that their respective gangs were all in the same boat: their leaders were either shot dead by the Imperial Army or beaten black and blue and then taken away like dogs without any dignity.

Carl then realized that the rumors his neighbors were talking about might be true.

This shocking fact left Carl feeling not only unprecedentedly stunned, but also filled him with fear.

In the past, he was always proud of his identity as a member of the Silver Hook Gang, because as soon as he showed off his Silver Hook Gang tattoos, people who used to look down on him would hide from him in fear.

This feeling made him think it was cool.

But now he wishes he could just rip off the tattoo on his arm.

He was terrified that this damn tattoo would attract the attention of those black-clad demons.

Therefore, after learning the truth, he immediately retreated to his home, curled up on the bed covered with a blanket, staring intently at the door, and listening intently to every sound.

I spent the whole day in a state of fear, like a frightened bird.

It's unclear whether he was just lucky or if the Imperial Army simply didn't take a nobody like him seriously.

Yesterday, apart from his mother's annoying voice constantly echoing in his ears, he didn't have the nightmare he had the night before, where a group of imperial monsters in military uniforms kicked open his door and shot him to death.

Perhaps it was because they knew that although he had joined the Silver Hook Gang, he hadn't done anything bad, and only occasionally showed off his hateful tattoos to scare people and show off.

Out of respect for his kind mother, none of the neighbors went to the town government to expose this scoundrel.

Instead, everyone remained silent about his past identity as a member of the Silver Hook Gang.

This morning at breakfast, his mother bluntly told him to find a way to cover up that damn tattoo, or he shouldn't come back.

But the shame of having his inner thoughts exposed made him furious, so he threw down the food in his hands and ran away in a huff.

But now, walking down the street, Carl felt an unprecedented sense of regret.

Just as he was hesitating about whether to abandon his pride and go home to avoid running into the terrifying Imperial Army, being discovered as a gang member, and being shot dead on the spot.

As he walked cautiously down the street, he unexpectedly spotted a familiar figure in the crowd.

That was his arch-nemesis, Jordan. Like Carl, Jordan was also a gang member, but he was a member of the Red Snake Gang, which was at odds with their Silver Hook Gang.

What surprised Carl even more was that Jordan, who was originally a gang member, was dressed in worker's clothes today and was carrying a large sledgehammer on his shoulder.

He was chatting and laughing with several of his coworkers beside him.

Judging from the direction they were heading, they seemed to be heading towards the town government.

Carl found this somewhat unbelievable.

After all, in his memory, Jordan had always looked down on workers. Carl clearly remembered that after one of their duels, when the bruised and battered Jordan was talking to him, Jordan had made it clear that even if he died, he would never become a spineless coward like his worker father, serving others servilely.

But what's the situation now?
Carl was utterly bewildered, but watching Jordan and his group walk further and further away, he finally suppressed his confusion and fear, mustered his courage, and went forward to call out to them:

"Hey, Jordan, wait a minute!"

"Karl? You're alright? Thank goodness!"

Upon turning around and seeing his arch-rival, Jordan, contrary to his usual behavior, did not utter a sarcastic remark. Instead, he spoke with a look of surprise.

This demeanor, which seemed more like that of a close friend than an enemy, left Karl somewhat confused.

However, despite his intense doubts and the curious gazes of those around him, he remained silent and instead looked at his nemesis ahead as if pleading for help.

Seemingly sensing his tension and unease, Jordan immediately understood. He quickly said a few words to the workers beside him, and then led Carl directly into a quiet alley by the roadside.

But before Carl could even ask, Jordan spoke directly to him:

"Karl, come to work with me later. The new government is still hiring, and if we wait a few more days, there might not be any openings left." "Jorden, are you crazy? What nonsense are you talking about?"

Carl looked on incredulously.

"I'm not crazy, or rather, I've never been as clear-headed as I am now."

Jordan understood Carl's mindset perfectly, since he had shared the same thoughts as Carl just yesterday.

He thought the Imperial Army were all terrifying demons, and the officer who led the Imperial Army to occupy the town of Bahamut was an even more detestable bastard than Baron Micah.

The so-called recruitment is nothing more than an attempt to deceive a group of ignorant commoners, make them work for him for free, or even sell them as slaves.

But after seeing with his own eyes the 23 workers receiving their wages from the town government, an amount that previous workers could never have imagined, even Jordan couldn't help but feel tempted.

Then, gritting my teeth, I signed up with everyone else, and then nervously boarded the bumpy little car.

But after personally doing the job and actually receiving the same wages earned through one's own hard work as everyone else...

Jordan then realized just how absurd and ridiculous his original views had been.

They also understood that the new big shot was a completely different person from Baron Micah, who had bullied them in the past.

If a metaphor had to be used, then in Jordan's mind, the other person could probably be described as an angel sent to earth by the gods.

Moreover, among the jobs the town government is currently recruiting, the road clearing workers he is currently recruiting are offered the highest salaries.

And Carl was the only person he didn't dislike among the gang members.

Furthermore, given that the other person's family background was roughly the same as his, he naturally didn't want to see this guy, who could be considered a friend, continue down the wrong path he had taken before.

"Listen to me, Karl. The Silver Hook Gang and the Red Serpent Party are things of the past after Lord John and the great Imperial Army arrive. Don't let those bastards' gangs blind you anymore."

Jordan tried to persuade him earnestly, but Carl automatically interpreted his words as an insult to him, a traitor who had failed to fulfill his duties and abandoned his gang when it faced a crisis.

He pushed the other person away, somewhat embarrassed and angry, and said angrily:

"What right do you have to humiliate me? You've run away just like me now, haven't you? And what kind of bullshit worker are you? You can't even earn 90 Penny a day working yourself to the bone. Only an idiot like you would do that kind of job!"

Just as Carl was about to bring up Jordan's past remarks, mocking him for only being a fool to become a laborer, to humiliate him, Jordan's next words caused his brain to freeze instantly:

"I can earn 300 pennies a day at my current job. It's just that we're all Imperials now, and the currency has changed to Imperial Coins, which is equivalent to 285 C. It's not much of a difference!"

"Most importantly, my current job provides meals, three meals a day, and there's always meat in them, really, I'm not kidding!"

"If I weren't worried that you'd run into the Silver Hook Gang's territory and get caught by the Imperial Army on patrol and thrown in jail, I'd be having breakfast with my coworkers right now!"

"But we're good friends, and I'm in good shape, so missing a meal won't bother me. But if you really feel bad about it, treat me to a drink at the pub when you get your paycheck!"

Jordan explained to Carl with great interest.

But his words made Carl stare wide-eyed in disbelief, his expression full of astonishment.

What did he hear?
300 Penny a day?

And they even provide meals?
Even the former captain of the guard team wouldn't have received this kind of treatment, right?

Is Jordan sure he hasn't joined some kind of cult?
Just as Karl was wondering whether he should report someone to the terrifying Imperial Army for cult activities, hoping to pull his mortal enemy back from the abyss.

A piercing bell suddenly rang out from the town hall in the distance, and when Jordan heard the bell, it was as if he heard an echo from hell, and his face changed instantly.

Without even bothering to continue catching up with him, I immediately wanted to run towards the town government as fast as I could.

But seeing Karl's bewildered and confused face, he couldn't help but offer another word of advice:
“Everything I said is true. If you don’t believe me, come back and try it yourself. In short, Carl, think about it carefully. Think about your mother. We are men now, so don’t let her worry and cry for you anymore.”

"I'm already late, and the class monitor will definitely deduct my attendance. I have to get to work quickly, so I'll stop chatting now. I'll talk to you again when you come over tomorrow!"

See you tomorrow, Carl.

Without waiting for Carl's response, Jordan hurriedly shouldered his sledgehammer and ran towards the town hall, which was shrouded in the morning light.

"..."

Watching Jordan's departing figure, Carl stood there, momentarily at a loss.

After a long while, he came to his senses and returned home somewhat bewildered. When he returned, his mother, as always, did not give him a kind look, but instead continued to weave the cheap cloth for the shop on the sewing machine.

However, perhaps because of Jordan's reminder, he was much more attentive than before and vaguely noticed that his mother's eyes were a little red.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but seeing his mother so busy with work that she had no interest in him, Carl finally returned to his room in silence.

He lay in bed, looking at the ceiling with peeling paint, listening to the vendors' cries coming from outside the window where the glue had dried and cracked, and the ringing of bicycle bells from passing bicycles.

My heart is filled with struggle and hesitation.

Time passes minute by minute.

As night fell, his mother knocked on his door as usual and coldly told him to come out for dinner. Only then did he step out of his room, but instead of going to the dining table, he went up and hugged his mother, who looked bewildered.

After telling the other party that he had to go out for a while, he ran all the way to the town government amidst his mother's exasperated voice. After seeing the trucks carrying countless workers driving in from a distance, and seeing Jordan, his face covered in sweat, happily counting the Imperial Coins he had just received, he was overjoyed.

Karl's initial doubts vanished completely at that moment, and his previously confused gaze was replaced by determination.

Then he ran towards his home without looking back.

……

"jingle!"

The next day, early in the morning.

Accompanied by the sound of his dilapidated bicycle passing through the street, a yawning Jordan stumbled upon the town hall. After parking his rickety bicycle, just as Jordan was about to greet the Imperial soldier standing guard at the entrance...

To his surprise, in the courtyard ahead, where all the workers were waiting to board the bus, there was an unexpected figure in the center.

It's Karl! He really did come!

Jordan was somewhat pleased; he had intended to greet the other person.

But after hearing the devilish bell ringing in the courtyard...

He instinctively jolted awake, and then hurriedly ran towards the bus stop with his coworkers who hadn't even put on their socks properly and were rushing towards the town government.

Finally, before the expressionless foreman wrote "absent" on the attendance sheet, he boarded his assigned truck amidst the mocking gazes of his laughing coworkers.

"Buzz!"

With the roar of engines starting, trucks loaded with workers slowly drove across the smooth streets in the faint light of dawn.

Amidst the hopeful gazes of the crowd, in the noisy yet silent dawn, they set off on the road called the future.

……

Still writing, will post when finished.

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(End of this chapter)