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

Chapter 117 The Leader

Zod stood at the front of the group, his gaze lingering on the direction of Seghna.

He didn't rush to answer Spent's question, but instead asked in return, "Captain Spent, according to Colonel Xavier's operational plan, approximately how long will it take for the troops retreating from Saarlom to arrive here?"

Spinter pondered for a moment and made a rough estimate.

"If we don't encounter any resistance, it will probably take about twenty minutes, even if we're quick."

Apart from Zod, his troops were the first to receive orders to reinforce the town of Segner, and they marched at full speed.

Although they encountered the Holy Kingdom's army along the way, Axel decisively withdrew from the unfavorable two-on-one situation, and the two sides did not fight to the death, so the time was not too much wasted.

But the subsequent troops were different.

They need to receive orders, assemble their troops, and set off; these processes alone take a lot of time.

If we don't encounter any resistance from the Holy Land, we should be able to reach Segna in about twenty minutes.

However, if they encounter Holy Kingdom reinforcements from the flanks along the way, the arrival time of subsequent troops will be greatly extended.

After listening to Captain Spent's words, Zod pondered for a moment, then looked directly at Spent: "Captain Spent, I know we are outnumbered, and Curtis on the other side is very strong. But my personal opinion is that we should launch an attack on Segner now."

Spinter raised an eyebrow slightly, but did not interrupt; he simply listened quietly.

"Even if we can't recapture Segna in one fell swoop, we should at least tear a hole in the Holy Kingdom's defenses."

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Zod continued, "Create a window for follow-up troops to break through, and when they arrive, they will naturally continue our offensive."

Spinter paused for a few seconds, then asked the question that had been bothering him: "Could you explain your reasoning?"

Since reinforcements will arrive sooner or later, why not wait for them to arrive and launch an offensive against the Holy Kingdom's army together?

That should give us a much better chance of success!

Zod shook his head: "It's simple. What was our first reaction when we saw Segner's current situation?"

"It's about stopping and observing."

"Segna has been completely occupied by the Holy Kingdom. Lieutenant Colonel Horton and his thousand defenders have most likely perished. The opposing commander is Curtis."

"Under these circumstances, how much fighting spirit can we expect the Imperial troops who arrived here first?"

"Troops that have just experienced a brutal war and have been withdrawn from the front lines are unlikely to have high morale."

He paused, his tone growing even more somber: "What will those retreating troops think if they find that even members of our 'Imperial Edge' legion are watching?"

"They will most likely follow suit and wait and see, waiting for others to react first, waiting for the arrival of the main force, and waiting for a high-ranking commander with enough prestige to lead the way."

"If everyone thinks like this and fights their own battles without unified command, the upcoming battles will turn into a disaster."

Spinter's self-illumination flickered slightly, as if he had begun to understand what Spinter meant.

Zod then stated an even more worrying fact: "Besides, can we afford to wait? For us, time is everything!"

"Currently, this is the weakest point in the defense of the Segner forces."

"The Holy Kingdom's reinforcements could arrive in Segna at any time."

"By then, what we've missed won't just be a window of opportunity, but our only chance."

"The biggest advantage of attacking now is that we can fight at our own pace without having to consult with other units or have any disagreements."

He turned around to look at the exhausted but still standing soldiers behind him, then turned back to look directly at Spinter: "As long as we take the first step, the troops that follow, even if they are a bunch of rabble with no will to fight, will join us without hesitation."

"Because everyone shares the same goal: to return to Goldberg and to leave this battlefield alive."

"When everyone is confused and hesitant, as long as one leader dares to take the most difficult first step, the whole flock will catch up."

"Especially when there is only one road ahead, they have no other choice but to follow in our footsteps."

He took a deep breath, a sharp edge appearing in his voice—a edge reserved only for moments like these: "We are soldiers of the 'Imperial Blade' Legion. If we don't lead the charge, who will?"

If you ask Zod why he understands the psychology of ordinary people so well, the answer is simple: because he himself is an ordinary person.

Not all soldiers and junior officers possessed as much information as Captain Zod and Captain Spent.

All they could see was the bloody reality before them: the town of Segner had been occupied by the Holy Kingdom, Lieutenant Colonel Horton and his thousand garrison soldiers were likely all dead, and standing opposite them was Captain Curtis of the "Black Sheep Holy Head" Division.

The first to arrive here were the members of the "Imperial Blade" legion.

Even the captain of the "Imperial Blade" was standing by and watching, not daring to charge at Segner.

Why should soldiers from other units be sent to their deaths?

Whose life is not life?

The "Imperial Blade" legion has weapons, and so do they.

In the military, unless he is directly under a superior, Spente, even with the rank of captain, cannot command soldiers in other units.

Once suspicion spreads within the Imperial Army, it will instantly fall apart and completely lose its fighting capacity.

Zod understood the herd mentality of ordinary soldiers.

He understood even more clearly that the more he wanted to survive, the less he could place his hopes on someone else's sudden courage, and even less he could count on luck falling from the sky.

Disasters can strike at any time, but good fortune doesn't always arrive in time.

He can't decide what others think or do; the only thing he can change is himself.

He will not stay here, nor will he die in Segner; he will live, and return to Goldberg alive.

If I could return to Goldberg.

This time, his goal was crystal clear: given the chance, he would ask Colonel Xavier to let him leave "Imperial Blade".

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Captain Spinner listened quietly, his gaze lingering on Zod's face for a long time.

The young face still bore unhealed scars, yet his eyes burned with a light that could not be ignored.

Although there was a hint of youthful sharpness in his eyes, what he revealed was an extremely clear-headed determination.

He was keenly aware of the danger and had carefully weighed the pros and cons, yet he still chose to move forward.

In that instant, Spinter seemed to see a different future for the "Imperial Blade" legion in that gaze.

He finally understood Colonel Xavier's expectations, that subtle feeling of looking at a sapling and hoping it would grow into a towering tree.

He had originally intended to ask, "What if the subsequent imperial troops fail to reach Segna? Wouldn't we be left isolated?"

But he dismissed the thought as soon as it crossed his mind.

With Colonel Xavier present, the "Imperial Blade" legion and the two subsequent legions will surely arrive in Segna in a steady stream.

Spinter was absolutely convinced of this.

He didn't ask any more questions, but nodded thoughtfully, his voice low but firm: "You're right."

"But your injuries—" Spinter turned to look at the numerous wounds on Zod's body and asked with concern.

"It's alright!" Zod's physical condition wasn't great, but he should be able to hold on. He couldn't afford to collapse now.

Spinter said gently, "If your body can't take it, be sure to tell me. You've already done enough. Don't push yourself too hard."

As a second lieutenant, Zod had done more than enough and contributed far beyond the scope of a second lieutenant's duties.

Spent couldn't ask for much more from Zod.

"Mmm!" Zod nodded gently.

Upon hearing Zod's reply, Captain Spente turned and had a soldier fetch a map of Segner and the surrounding area, which was then spread out on the spot.

On the map, the terrain of Segner is clear at a glance; the surrounding area is open and there are almost no hiding places.

An unknown number of artillery pieces are also deployed within the town; if one were to approach rashly, their firepower would inflict far more devastating damage than firearms.

Combining Zod's opinions and viewpoints, Spent stared at the map and quickly sketched out a preliminary battle plan in his mind.