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

Captain Spinner led Zod to the platform.

As Captain Spinter led Zod onto the platform, Xavier's gaze swept over them.

Upon seeing Zod, his tense face relaxed slightly, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

"Zod," ​​his voice was steady, yet tinged with a hint of relief, "it seems you've returned having successfully completed your mission."

"Yes, sir!" Zod and Spinter stood at attention simultaneously, giving Colonel Xavier a standard military salute.

Xavier nodded, his gaze lingering on the two men's faces for a moment.

Spinter frowned slightly, and Zod looked serious; both of them clearly had something on their minds.

As a commander for many years, he was all too familiar with that expression.

"You need to talk to me?" Xavier cut to the chase: "Speak, Lieutenant Zod, Captain Spent."

Zod paused, took a half-step forward, took a deep breath, and raised his head to look directly at Colonel Xavier:

"Yes, Colonel Xavier. I discovered something important on my way back and must report to you immediately."

Zod then recounted the information he had previously reported to Captain Spinner to Colonel Xavier in detail.

Colonel Xavier listened quietly, his face showing no emotion.

He stroked his chin, his gaze fixed on the distant, smoke-filled battlefield. After a moment of contemplation, he turned to Zod: "Are you sure at least one division is assembling towards Sarlöm?"

"I'm sure." Zod looked Xavier straight in the eye, his tone resolute.

Xavier nodded, his expression remaining calm.

He waved his hand, his tone as calm as if he were assigning a perfectly ordinary task:

"I understand. You can go now. Lead your troops to where they are most needed on the battlefield, as Captain Spente has ordered."

Of course, although the existing intelligence indicates that only one division from the Holy Kingdom is coming to reinforce, the exact number of divisions that actually arrived to reinforce the city of Sallom is still unknown.

Colonel Xavier dared not make an optimistic estimate either.

The situation on the battlefield can change in an instant, and no one can predict what will happen in the next second.

After all, the current war has been going on for quite some time.

But he needs some time to think, to weigh the options and make plans.

As a commander, it's impossible to make a decision immediately after hearing a report from a second lieutenant.

But Zod knew they didn't have much time left.

He may not have come here to "go to the place on the battlefield where he is most needed".

If that's the case, Zod won't come back.

"Colonel Xavier, please forgive my rudeness." He stopped in his tracks, his voice turning serious:

"At their marching speed, the Holy Kingdom's army will arrive at the battlefield in about an hour. The advance troops, which are not carrying supplies, may arrive even faster, perhaps in less than an hour."

He showed no intention of backing down.

If this war had nothing to do with him, he could simply plug his ears, blindfold himself, hang on high, and patiently wait for the moment the stone falls.

In any case, the outcome of this war has nothing to do with him.

But the course of this war was now inextricably linked to his personal fate.

He traveled so far, took so many detours, and risked his life to send the intelligence back. What was he after?

Isn't it just a way to get on board the "Imperial Blade" ship and increase their chances of survival?

If he ends up being used as cannon fodder on the front lines, then what's the point of him coming back?

Since death is inevitable no matter where you are, you might as well risk crossing the Holy Kingdom's border alone from the start and die a clean death.

Why bother taking off your pants to fart?

"You already reported that." Xavier's voice turned cold, a hint of anger in his tone.

That's the kind of displeasure a superior feels when their subordinates contradict them.

Zod seemed completely oblivious to Xavier's impending rage, and calmly asked, "Colonel Xavier, I'd like to know if we have any reinforcements?"

"If the Holy Kingdom sends three or more divisions to reinforce Sallom, completely surrounding us here, do you have a backup plan to lead us to final victory?"

The moment he finished speaking, Xavier grabbed him by the collar and pulled him in front of him.

His eyes burned with rage, and he practically spat out each word through clenched teeth: "This is not something a lieutenant like you should be concerned with. I'll repeat myself, go back to your post."

Zod did not struggle or retreat.

He didn't even avoid Xavier's gaze, and continued in that calm, almost indifferent tone:

No, I have the right to know.

"This intelligence was delivered to you at the risk of my and my soldiers' lives. I promised them I would bring them home safely, and I cannot break my promise."

Of course, these high-sounding words were all made up by Zod along the way.

He didn't even make any promises to his soldiers.

He had only one thought in his mind: how to survive.

Although he himself wanted to live, didn't want to go to the front line, and didn't want to be surrounded and killed by the Holy Kingdom's army that might come to reinforce.

But thinking about it is one thing, and saying it is another. The reasons given must be valid and preferably backed by a greater cause.

His current reason is perfectly valid; it's all for the sake of his soldiers' survival, not for Zod's own survival.

If his soldiers can survive, he, as the commander, will also have a high probability of surviving.

To be honest, Zod is also scared now, extremely scared. He is also afraid of being labeled as disobeying military orders.

But compared to being sent to the battlefield as cannon fodder, he had to be a little tougher.

Because he knew all too well that in Colonel Xavier's mind, Zod was already a fearless and ruthless figure.

On such a tense battlefield, Zod certainly cannot afford to have any reaction that would cause his public image to crumble.

Otherwise, given Colonel Xavier's character, he would never listen to an officer who fears death.

It would be the same with any other commander; who would listen to the advice of a coward who is afraid to fight?

Because once a person has a selfish fear of death, even if their words are completely selfless, others will still perceive them as having selfish motives.

Selfishness is simply wanting to survive for oneself.

Therefore, Zod had to appear fearless, even suicidal, only because he couldn't bear to watch his soldiers sacrifice themselves in vain, and thus had to stand up and defy his superiors.

This is probably the only way to get Xavier to listen to him.

Even a blind person could see from the current battlefield situation that people are dying every moment.

Zod's force of less than two hundred men could be wiped out in no time if a real fight broke out, along with Zod himself.

If sacrifice can bring about final victory, then those in power might say that sacrifice is inevitable for a great victory.

But now, anyone with even a basic understanding of the war, including Colonel Xavier, sees no sign of victory in the near future.

Zod desperately needs a clear answer!