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

After saying that, he continued walking forward without lingering.

Cassius and Hitis followed closely behind, leading their troops, who had just emerged from a bloody battle, as they filed past Lancel.

Zod's soldiers, still covered in gunpowder and blood, marched in unison with firm steps and piercing eyes.

No one spoke during the march, and no one showed any joy on their faces, as if such a victory was not worth mentioning at all.

But this army possessed a strong and resilient spirit, which inspired Lieutenant Lancer to feel genuine admiration for them.

Lieutenant Lancel suddenly straightened up and saluted Zod and the troops following closely behind him.

He remembered the name "Zod".

Despite both being second lieutenants, Zod exuded a subtly oppressive aura.

He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but the way he looked at this man had a kind of reverent feeling, like a subordinate looking at a superior.

Until a soldier who recognized Zod whispered in Lieutenant Lancel's ear, "That lieutenant, if I remember correctly, should be Lieutenant Zod of the 'Imperial Blade' Legion, known as the 'Emperor's Eagle'."

"He...he's the 'Eagle of the Empire'?" Lieutenant Lancel looked somewhat surprised, but quickly accepted the fact: "No wonder he gives off such a special feeling, this man is very strong."

Or perhaps, he was just too weak!

Lieutenant Lancel clenched his fists tightly, the image of himself curled up behind the cold wall flashing uncontrollably through his mind.

His voice trembled as he ordered his soldiers to charge forward, but he himself didn't even have the courage to stick his head out.

That disheveled state, that cowering, was like a thorn, piercing his heart.

Comparing this to Zod, both being second lieutenants, the difference in rank shouldn't be that significant.

An indescribable sense of shame spread through Lancel's chest.

That wasn't an accusation from anyone, but rather a self-examination that welled up from the depths of a soldier's soul when facing that figure.

To him, Zod was the ideal soldier in his mind: strong, confident, calm, and composed in the face of danger.

Unbeknownst to him, he had already been infected by Zod's pure imperial soldier temperament.

The confusion and cowardice in Lancel's eyes quietly faded the moment Zod's silhouette was reflected in them.

His gaze changed; it was no longer lost or wandering, but fixed intently on the charging figure, as if trying to etch that posture into his very bones.

Instead, a resolute determination was revealed.

One day, he might... no, not maybe! He will definitely become a soldier like Zod.

He will stand on equal footing with "Empire's Eagle" Zod, becoming an existence that this man cannot ignore!

It wasn't an officer hiding behind a wall issuing orders, but a figure who could rush to the front and uphold everyone's beliefs.

His fists clenched even tighter.

……

Hitis glanced at Lancel behind her, quickly caught up with Zod, and whispered, "Lieutenant Zod, that Lieutenant Lancel is saluting you from behind."

"They have their mission, we have ours. Focus on the task at hand. Trust me, Warrant Officer Hitis, you don't have time to worry about what others are doing."

The closer Zod got to the core war zone, the stronger his sense of crisis became. Recalling the intelligence he had previously received, his terrible premonition was like a Damocles' sword hanging over his head.

To be honest, he now doubts whether he can leave this battlefield alive.

"I understand! Lieutenant Zod!"

Hitis gazed intently at Zod, then followed closely in his footsteps.

Zod led his troops to break into Watchtower Square from the south side of Sarlom.

Sunlight slanted into the ruins repeatedly ravaged by war, smoke billowed in the beams of light, and the air was filled with the stench of blood and gunpowder.

The square was littered with dilapidated fortifications, overturned cannons, and uncollected corpses—imperial and holy—layered upon layer among the rubble.

Gunshots and explosions came from all directions, like a never-ending tide.

The most striking feature is still the two terrifyingly large pits in the square, each at least tens of meters in diameter.

Zod knew it was a crater caused by a cannonball, but it was definitely not an ordinary cannonball. It was probably caused by the Holy Kingdom's giant cannon, the Gustav Cannon.

Zod couldn't imagine what would happen if he were hit by such a shell; the mere thought was enough to send chills down his spine.

"Maintain formation, follow me," Zod commanded in a low voice, his steps never faltering.

He pointed his long sword diagonally forward, his gaze quickly sweeping across the square.

The main battlefield was concentrated on the west side of the square, where artillery fire and gunfire were most intense, and the Empire's attacking echelons were advancing wave after wave.

Judging from the situation, the Empire is still maintaining its offensive momentum.

But the Holy Kingdom did not simply defend itself to the death.

On local fronts, it was not uncommon to see Holy Kingdom soldiers suddenly leaping out from behind cover and launching fierce counter-attacks against the Empire.

The battle lines were intertwined, and soldiers from both sides repeatedly clashed amidst the ruins.

Zod didn't look around much. He led his team to cut in from the east side of the square, which was located behind the Imperial battle line and could avoid the Holy Kingdom's direct fire as much as possible.

He didn't have time to get involved in a direct confrontation; he had to find Captain Spent as soon as possible, or report directly to Colonel Xavier.

The troops behind him remained silent, their steps quick yet orderly.

Zod's eyes darted through the smoke, trying to make out any familiar faces.

Just then, a small team was moving quickly towards him from the other side of the square.

The leading officer was thin, but his steps were unusually firm. The insignia of a captain was faintly visible in the flashes of gunfire: Captain Spent.

He was also heading in the direction of Zod.

"Zod!" Spinter's voice cut through the gunshot, tinged with obvious surprise and disbelief: "You fucking came back!"

Captain Spent heard from a soldier that a group of Imperial soldiers seemed to be arriving as reinforcements from the south side of Saallom and were engaged in fierce fighting with the Holy Kingdom's forces.

Captain Spinner immediately thought of Zod.

He was certain that Zod's troops had returned after completing their mission.

Without considering any other possibility, he immediately led several soldiers toward Zod.

For no other reason than to hear Zod's report in person and confirm that Zod was safe and sound.

In addition, Zod was assigned new combat missions.

Zod's lips curled into a slight smile as he quickened his pace to meet him.

The two met in the smoke-filled square.

Spent strode forward, grabbed Zod's shoulder, patted him hard, and his face was full of joy: "You're all safe and sound, that's great! How's the situation in Tono Village?"

"Mission accomplished. The artillery positions in Tono Village have been destroyed," Zod briefly reported.