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

Chapter 116 Zod, what do you think?

"Reporting to Captain Curtis, Imperial troops have been spotted to the west and are advancing towards us. Their numbers are initially estimated to be around five hundred."

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A soldier quickly climbed to the rooftop, stood at attention, and saluted.

Captain Curtis did not turn around.

He stood there on the edge of the rooftop, the sunlight shining through the layers of rooftops towards the city of Sallom.

A gentle breeze lifted the hem of his robe, but he remained motionless, like a statue overlooking his territory.

On the distant horizon, a thin black line is gradually becoming clear.

He narrowed his eyes slightly.

"It's finally here," he murmured to himself, his voice carried away by the wind.

It's unclear whether he was speaking to the soldiers behind him or to himself.

If given a choice, Captain Curtis would rather be on the main battlefield in Sallom, facing the main force of the "Imperial Blade" legion, than be stationed in this seemingly important town, far from the eye of the storm.

That's the real battlefield.

There, you'll find the clash of thousands of troops, the fierce battles that determine the course of the war, and a feast that will get any soldier's blood pumping.

Curtis, however, was trapped in this lifeless town, guarding a group of idle soldiers, waiting for the belated reinforcements.

It's incredibly boring.

If it weren't for Olgart's orders, he wouldn't want to stay here for even a second longer.

The only reason he was waiting was that from the moment he recaptured Segna, he knew the Empire would send reinforcements.

This town is too important. It guards the throat of Sarlöm City leading to the rear of the Empire, is a key node in the supply line, and is the only way to retreat in the event of a rout.

As long as Xavier hasn't gone mad, he won't just leave this place to its own devices.

Curtis had been waiting for this moment.

Although Lieutenant Colonel Horton's fight was satisfying, it was ultimately an unfair victory.

Before the veteran could even draw his sword, he was stabbed in the back by his most trusted subordinate.

Curtis never got to witness the true strength of that veteran lieutenant colonel from the "Imperial Blade."

This left him wanting more.

Therefore, he needs a real battle.

It requires the opponent to fight with all their might, it requires the clash of blood and blades, it requires the thrill of standing on the edge of a cliff.

The figures in the distance gradually became clearer, a dark mass, at least four or five hundred people.

He stood there on top of the clock tower, making no attempt to conceal his presence.

He had personally torn down the Empire's double-headed eagle banner and placed it over Horton's corpse.

Without a doubt, Horton was a respectable soldier.

Today, the flag of the Holy Kingdom, with its cross and iris, flies directly above Segna, fluttering and rustling in the wind.

At the same time, the marching troops suddenly stopped.

Zod lifted his head from Cassius's back, his gaze fixed on the town that was getting closer and closer.

In that instant, it felt as if all the blood in his body had frozen.

That flag—it wasn't the flag of the empire.

That is the flag of the Holy Kingdom.

"Captain Spent—" Zod's voice was hoarse; he could hardly believe his eyes. "Look at that flag—"

Captain Spent did not speak.

He stood there, frozen in place, like a stone statue that had suddenly come to life.

He stared intently at the flag fluttering in the wind above the town of Segna, a cross and iris, the symbol of the Holy Kingdom.

What should have been flying there was the empire's double-headed eagle.

Silence spread through the ranks like a plague.

The soldiers looked at each other, some instinctively gripping their guns tighter, others swallowing nervously.

No one spoke, no one dared to speak.

What about Lieutenant Colonel Horton?

What about the troops stationed in Segna?

That was a complete defensive force, with a senior lieutenant colonel like Horton in charge, well-constructed fortifications, and ample ammunition reserves.

How is that possible?

Captain Spent raised his hand to signal the column to halt, then had a soldier beside him hand him binoculars.

He took the binoculars and carefully scanned the direction of the town of Segna through them.

The camera slowly panned, and his brows furrowed more and more tightly.

It's not just the flag that's changed.

Soldiers on guard towers, firing positions, and figures swaying faintly behind fortifications.

Everything has now become the Holy Kingdom's army; the battlefields that once belonged to the Empire are now densely packed with enemies.

Among them, there was a building with the best view, and on its rooftop stood a person.

A captain, a military officer from the Holy Kingdom.

Spente knew that face all too well.

Captain Curtis of the "Black Sheep Saint" Division.

No, it should be said that it was former Major Curtis.

That man who was demoted for some reason, yet possessed strength comparable to a lieutenant colonel.

At that moment, Curtis stood there without any attempt to conceal his position, looking down directly at Spent's location.

He did not hide or conceal anything.

He stood there, like a beast entrenched in its lair, leisurely and calmly watching its prey come to it.

Spinter's heart sank, as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

Lieutenant Colonel Horton — may have already died in battle.

This thought struck him like a heavy hammer blow to the heart.

He couldn't understand how the town of Segner, which was personally guarded by Lieutenant Colonel Horton, could have been taken away by the Holy Kingdom.

The worst-case scenario he could imagine was that the Holy Kingdom would launch a massive attack, and Lieutenant Colonel Horton would struggle to hold out while waiting for reinforcements.

But it certainly didn't lead to defeat, much less to such a complete change of ownership.

But the reality before him silently told him that Lieutenant Colonel Horton and his thousand guards had been completely annihilated.

It was precisely because Spente understood Lieutenant Colonel Houghton, his prudence, his composure, and his decades-long loyalty and perseverance.

That's why he found it so hard to accept what he was seeing.

The more firmly you believe in something, the more unbearable it is when it suddenly collapses.

Spinter put down the binoculars, his fingers tightening slightly.

His face was terribly grim, but his gaze remained fixed on the town that had fallen into enemy hands.

After a few seconds of silence, he took a deep breath and handed the binoculars to Zod beside him: "Take a look too."

Zod took the binoculars and held them up to his eyes.

The camera slowly pans across every corner of the town of Segna.

The figures of those Holy Kingdom soldiers, those unfamiliar flags, those defensive fortifications that originally belonged to the Empire.

Finally, his gaze settled on the person standing on the rooftop.

The man remained standing there, motionless, arrogantly staring in the direction of the imperial army.

Zod put down his binoculars, his expression grave.

"Captain Spent—" Cassius suddenly spoke up, his voice low, "You mean, the one currently stationed in Segna is Captain Curtis?"

Spencer nodded absentmindedly: "Yes."

"That captain from the Holy Kingdom—" Cassius paused, as if recalling something: "very strong."

Cassius still vividly remembers the Holy Kingdom captain who almost killed him.

Zod paused for a moment, then looked up at Spent, his face full of worry, and asked, "Captain Spent, what should we do next?"

After the battle at Clock Tower, Zod had heard Xavier say that the opponent's strength was at least that of a major, and he might even have the ability to be promoted to lieutenant colonel.

That level of existence is definitely not something he can fake a confrontation with now.

Spinter did not give Zod a direct answer.

His gaze remained fixed on the direction of Segner, his voice so low it was almost carried away by the wind: "To completely annihilate the thousand-strong force led by Lieutenant Colonel Horton—the enemy must have at least a thousand men."

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"That means the number of enemies in the town right now is at least twice ours."

"Besides, the commander on the other side is Curtis."

The troop strength is twice theirs, or even three times, or even four times.

To be honest, Spente wasn't sure himself at that moment.

He turned his head and looked at Zod, his gaze carrying a hint of inquiry that he himself was unaware of.

"Zod, what do you think?" Spinter asked. "What do you think we should do now?"

For Spente, who is currently somewhat wavering, any viewpoint is extremely important.

Since Zod is a young man on whom Colonel Xavier has placed high hopes, perhaps he has a way to break the current deadlock.