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

The Imperial Blade Legion achieved a major victory in Segna, but the high morale of the entire army did little to ease the tension on Colonel Xavier's face.

His gaze passed over the cheering soldiers and was fixed on the distant city of Sallom.

He knew better than anyone that the next battle would be the real test.

If the battle to capture Sarlom fails, all previous victories will vanish in an instant.

Xavier, his expression grave, slowly walked to his most trusted deputy, patted Lieutenant Colonel Horton firmly on the shoulder, and spoke each word with unusual solemnity:

"From now on, I'm leaving everything in your hands, Horton."

The town of Segner is open and easy to attack but difficult to defend, yet its strategic location is of paramount importance.

It served as both a springboard for the corps' westward advance into the city of Sarlom and a vital supply route for maintaining the front lines.

It is also a lifeline that allows the entire army to safely retreat to Goldberg should the offensive falter.

This small town is a crucial hub that cannot be lost.

For this reason, even though he already had a shortage of experienced generals and troops, Xavier still had to make this difficult decision.

He left his most trusted and reliable Lieutenant Colonel Horton and a thousand soldiers there.

All of this was so that he could focus wholeheartedly on commanding the decisive siege at the front lines.

"Rest assured, Colonel." Lieutenant Colonel Horton straightened his back, met Xavier's gaze, and made the most solemn promise of his military career: "As long as I am here, the town of Segner will never fall into the hands of the Holy Kingdom."

Within the entire "Imperial Blade" legion, perhaps only Horton truly understood the immense pressure Xavier carried on his shoulders.

He didn't want to, and couldn't, let his old boss worry about things back home any longer.

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"All personnel, proceed according to the established plan!"

Xavier said no more, turned around and gave the order in a deep voice.

To maintain maximum secrecy and prevent the Holy Kingdom from planting spies, the complete battle plan was kept entirely under his control.

Besides, only Lieutenant Colonel Horton would know more, because Xavier had shown him the preliminary battle plan, but not the whole one.

All the other officers were only clear about their own local tasks, and were not clear about the overall battle plan.

Once the order was given, the main force of the army, like a giant beast awakened, began to surge towards the city of Sarlom.

The troops that received different missions were then dispersed and headed to their respective battlefields.

Captain Spent's mission is to follow Colonel Xavier and attack the city of Saallom alongside the main force of the "Imperial Blade" legion.

Zod did not travel with the main force of the army; instead, he had another mission.

Before parting ways, Captain Spent called Zod back, his expression unusually serious: "Zod, do you still remember what your mission was?"

"I remember!" Zod replied immediately.

"Reiterate your task!"

Given the importance of this mission, and out of professional habit, Captain Spent had Zod repeat the specific mission details.

He had informed Zod of the mission's requirements before the operation, following Colonel Xavier's orders.

Zod precisely repeated the mission details that he already knew by heart:

"Annihilate the Holy Kingdom's artillery positions in Tono Village, southeast of the city of Sarlom, to ensure that the main force will not be harassed from the flanks when attacking the city of Sarlom."

"After completing this mission, immediately head towards the city of Sarlom to rendezvous with the main force of the 'Imperial Blade' legion."

After listening to Zod's accurate retelling, Spinter nodded slightly and looked directly into Zod's eyes:

"Zod, this war will determine the future of the 'Imperial Blade' Legion. Even if it costs you everything, even your heart, you must complete this mission."

This captain, who was known for his pragmatism, rarely spoke in such a serious tone or with such seriousness.

At this moment, he was also prepared to give everything for victory. He wanted to win a great victory for the future of the "Imperial Blade" legion.

Zod snapped to attention and gave a flawless military salute.

"Yes!" he replied resolutely. "For the glory of the Empire, for the victory of the 'Imperial Blade' Legion, I will offer my heart and loyalty to ensure the successful completion of this mission!"

The atmosphere had been built up to this point, and faced with such a solemn entrustment and expectation from his superiors, Zod could only utter this standard and passionate slogan.

"Remember your words. Go, Lieutenant! Complete the mission, and return alive to report back to me!"

After Spinter finished speaking, he gave Zod one last deep look, then turned and strode after the main force.

"yes!"

Zod watched him leave, then led his men in a different direction, heading towards Tono Village.

Warrant Officer Cassius and Warrant Officer Hitis followed closely behind Zod.

Before carrying out this mission, Captain Spent had already successfully obtained permission from the regiment to promote Cassius to warrant officer.

Therefore, Cassius was no longer a sergeant major, but a warrant officer in all but name.

But back to the present, although Zod confidently assured Captain Spinter that he would complete the mission successfully.

But Zod will probably only be able to complete half of this mission.

If the task is too difficult, he probably won't be able to complete even half of it.

Even though Zod felt a slight sense of guilt, akin to apologizing for the way he had mentored Colonel Xavier and for the trust he now placed in Captain Spent, Zod's heart was filled with gratitude.

But the feeling was like ripples on the surface of water, and it quickly subsided.

Compared to all these things, his precious life comes first.

A simple "sorry" is all it takes to make up for it.

Throughout the entire western front, Zod's role and strength were not significant enough to determine the course of the battle.

To say that this war was lost because Zod fled would be something no one would believe.

To say that this war was won because Zod fought hard and sacrificed his life would be unbelievable.

In the context of this war, Zod was an insignificant figure; whether he sacrificed himself or not was negligible and had no impact on the course of the war.

But Zod's life was far more important to him than anything else; it was everything to him!

If he loses his life, how can he enjoy the prosperity of this world, how can he appreciate the beauty of life?

Therefore, he had to live for himself.

As for how to survive, he kept thinking about how to live while writing his will.

He could almost perfectly visualize the terrain, roads, villages, and rivers of the entire area surrounding "Goldberg-Saarlom" in his mind, like a map.

As the saying goes, "Heaven helps those who help themselves," and a near-perfect "evacuation plan" has taken shape in his mind.

This time, he absolutely cannot fail again!