I only wanted to retire, but I ended up becoming an extremely popular character.

Chapter 104 Doubts and Hopes

Meanwhile, on Zod's side...

The Holy Kingdom's army stretched out in a dark mass at the edge of the horizon, its numerical superiority immediately apparent.

Zod's forces had already suffered losses in the previous battles, and now they had only a little over a hundred men left, less than half the number of the enemy.

Zod's command remained the same: maintain the original speed.

Faced with this almost insane order, Cassius finally couldn't hold back any longer. He rushed to Zod's side and said urgently in a low voice, "Lieutenant Zod, isn't this too risky? We've just been through a fierce battle, and we've suffered heavy casualties."

"The opposing force is at least four hundred men, and the commander who can lead more than four hundred men must be at least a lieutenant of the Holy Kingdom."

He took a deep breath, trying to make his analysis sound calmer: "Perhaps—we should request reinforcements from Captain Spinter or Colonel Xavier, or temporarily retreat towards Saallom to avoid the Holy Kingdom's army."

"With our current troop strength, even if we win, it will inevitably be a pyrrhic victory, regardless of whether we can actually win!"

Cassius did not doubt Zod's strength.

But no matter how strong a person's power is, it is ultimately limited.

Moreover, Zod had just escaped a fierce battle with Patrick, and the bloodstains on his body had not yet dried, and his complexion was far from normal.

In such a physical condition, to face an enemy force several times larger than oneself.

He was far from optimistic about the outcome of this battle.

Hitis quickly caught up and stood beside Zod, side by side with Cassius.

Her gaze swept over the densely packed Holy Kingdom soldiers in the distance, her brow furrowed, and her tone was filled with obvious worry: "Yes, Warrant Officer Cassius is right. The troops have just gone through a battle, and neither their strength, physical condition, nor morale are at their best—"

Hitis was not optimistic about the war either.

While the two sides haven't gone to war yet, there's still time.

Zod was well aware that their current forces were at a significant disadvantage.

His body has not yet recovered to its best condition.

The soldiers under his command also showed signs of fatigue in many battles. Even the so-called elite "Imperial Blade" legion could not exhaust its strength indefinitely.

Fighting the Holy Kingdom's army now would be absolutely disadvantageous for them.

But did Zod have a choice?

In the direction of Sallom, Colonel Xavier was already prepared to fight the "Black Sheep Chief" division to the death and would never provide him with any more support.

As for retreating back to Sallom?

That's an absolute joke.

He had finally managed to secure the opportunity to go to Segna, and finally escaped that meat grinder-like battlefield.

How could I possibly go back?

Even if Colonel Xavier personally sent a message ordering him to withdraw, he would only reply: "A general in the field may disobey the emperor's orders!"

There is absolutely no way I will ever go back to Sarlom!

Even when facing a Holy Kingdom army that is slightly stronger than themselves, there is still a sliver of a chance of victory here.

And once he returned to Sarlom, he didn't think he would survive on such a battlefield.

The current situation is crystal clear: the armies surrounding the Holy Kingdom are all reinforcing the city of Sallom.

As long as Zod isn't insane, he will never turn back.

But he couldn't tell Cassius and Hitis openly these real reasons.

He could only rely on his verbal skills once again to give the two of them a spectacular sermon.

Zod didn't stop, his gaze fixed on the dark mass of enemy troops ahead, his expression as firm as iron: "The situation on the battlefield changes in an instant. Do you expect every battle to go as we wish?"

"Should we only launch an attack on the enemy after we are fully prepared and have an overwhelming numerical advantage?"

"No, disasters always strike unexpectedly. A true soldier will never back down in battle just because the enemy is strong."

"Sometimes, even when at a disadvantage, soldiers must launch an attack on the enemy for the honor and dignity of soldiers."

Even knowing there will be bloodshed, even knowing someone will fall.

"We must forge ahead!"

"Victory lies only on the edge of our swords, within the range of our rifles! It should never lie in the mercy of the enemy!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zod himself was somewhat surprised.

These words came out in a coherent and natural manner, as if they had been rehearsed beforehand.

This feeling was very similar to when he first entered the workforce after graduating from university. His supervisor made grand promises and used a set of persuasive tactics to completely fool Zod.

For a time, I even felt incredibly lucky to have such a leader.

Until he mustered up the courage to ask for a promotion and a raise —

Of course, Colonel Xavier and Lieutenant Wesley also deserve some credit for this.

When they were advising him in Hessen, they had a whole set of advice to give him. Now, looking back, he realized he was just putting what he had learned into practice.

At this moment, his words and expressions were exactly like those of a top-notch CPU expert in the workplace.

Although he himself does not possess any of the qualities he claims to possess.

But this is something that can't be helped.

He had to give Cassius and Hitis a clear and tangible goal, or something as intangible as hope and belief.

A firm belief is a fundamental prerequisite for survival on the battlefield.

On the battlefield, soldiers who harbor doubts not only fail to exert their original combat effectiveness, but may also find themselves in a fatal situation.

Zod's goal was to survive; survival was more important than anything else.

To some extent, his interests were aligned with those of all the soldiers; everyone wanted to return alive from this battlefield.

Zod, however, had none of those so-called honors and missions; he was just an ordinary little man desperately trying to survive.

He led them down the path he believed offered the best chance of survival.

If Cassius and Hitis didn't believe this rhetoric, Zod had already prepared another set of arguments.

He was confident he could persuade them.

But in reality, things progressed exceptionally smoothly, to the point that even he himself was somewhat surprised.

"I understand, Lieutenant Zod!" After hearing Zod's words, Hitis's gaze suddenly became firm.

Both she and Cassius were relatively pure soldiers, having joined the army after reaching adulthood, and still retaining the purest military qualities in their bones.

And Zod happened to be the person they respected most.

Those words, spoken by Zod, carried a different weight.

"Lieutenant Zod, I am willing to follow you to the death no matter what!" Cassius was in the prime of his life, and after hearing these words, his blood seemed to be ignited.

He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, his eyes fixed intently on the enemy troops ahead.

Zod looked at them, a complex sense of relief welling up inside him.

"Cassius, Hitis." He paused, his tone turning serious. "I don't want you to die. You must live. I will deal with the Holy Kingdom commander next. The rest are yours."

This is his honest opinion.

His only wish was that he and his soldiers could return alive.

Once you're dead, nothing matters anymore.

Unbeknownst to him, Zod also deeply wished that Heidis and Cassius would not die.

They were all so young, and hadn't even experienced the beauty of life. They shouldn't have perished in such a meaningless war.

As for the commander of the Holy Kingdom on the other side, it's estimated that only he himself can handle him.

This was his own choice.

In order to survive, he had to cross this hurdle himself.