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

Sure enough, upon hearing the words "for the soldiers," Xavier's anger subsided slightly.

Because he himself could see the soldiers dying on the battlefield every moment, Zod's words were not entirely without reason.

He stared at Zod for a moment, then slowly released his grip on Zod's collar.

"Even if you knew, what could you do?"

His voice remained cold and hard, but the oppressive feeling had quietly subsided.

He knew this young man in front of him all too well.

He knew that Zod was the kind of person who was not afraid of death. From Clock Tower Town to Tono Village, and now, Zod had proven his courage and loyalty time and time again through his actions.

Such a person would stand up for his soldiers and defy his superiors. Far from being offended, he showed the sense of responsibility that a professional officer should have.

This is not the kind of aura that a cowardly, afraid-of-death person could exude.

Xavier turned around and looked at the troops still fighting fiercely in the square.

Every moment, soldiers of the empire are dying.

It wasn't just Zod who cared about the lives of his subordinates; Colonel Xavier also wanted everyone to return alive.

He wasn't the kind of commander who would just stare at the cold numbers on battle reports.

Xavier knew that behind every number was a life, a living person, a husband, father, or son waiting to come home.

However, Xavier has another identity: he is an Imperial soldier, an Imperial colonel, and the commander of the "Imperial Blade" legion trusted by His Majesty the Emperor.

He possesses the honor and dignity of an imperial soldier!

Humans are always contradictory.

No one can have all the benefits; you can't have your cake and eat it too.

To achieve a certain ultimate goal, one must make choices.

Xavier sighed softly, as if making an important decision.

He turned around and answered Zod's question with a firm tone:

"There are no reinforcements at the moment. But as long as the 'Imperial Blade' legion captures the city of Sarlom, Imperial reinforcements will naturally arrive in droves."

He looked at Zod, his gaze calm and profound: "Lieutenant Zod, are you satisfied with this answer?"

If Zod were still the naive college student he was before his time travel, he might actually have been deceived by such rhetoric.

Unfortunately, Zod is no longer that naive.

Xavier's rhetoric appeared flawless, but in reality, it was riddled with holes.

He didn't give Zod a direct answer as to what he should do in the moment.

Instead, they promise a beautiful future that may never be achieved, using this future to avoid the most realistic predicament at hand.

Zod was not satisfied with the answer.

If the Empire does not receive any reinforcements, then without a doubt, this war will become an extremely dangerous and uncertain military adventure.

Zod brought the issue back to the present: "I'm sorry, Colonel Xavier, you still haven't answered my question."

His tone remained calm, but his words were as sharp as a knife:

"Our biggest problem right now is that, as you said, we will not receive any support before we capture the city of Sarlom, in the face of the impending Holy Kingdom reinforcements."

"If we cannot achieve victory within an hour, are we confident we can withstand an army from the Holy Land that may outnumber us several times over?"

If he could, Zod would never want to ask his superior such a pointed question.

This is tantamount to embarrassing the other party.

What can they do in an hour?

To put it bluntly, just arguing here could waste an hour.

He didn't have time to act like a greasy bureaucrat, afraid of offending the other party, and say some roundabout polite words before getting to the point.

Zod knew that Colonel Xavier was a relatively open-minded person who could listen to dissenting opinions.

Otherwise, he would never have said so much and caused himself so much trouble.

Just as their conversation was becoming increasingly heated and the atmosphere tense, Captain Spente stepped forward.

His tone was gentle, yet carried undeniable weight: "Colonel Xavier, you are my superior, and Lieutenant Zod is my subordinate."

"To be honest, I don't have much reason to favor either side."

Spent paused, let out a long breath, and then said:

"But since Zod has raised this question, please allow me to say a few words as well."

"Zod's concerns are not unfounded. I have followed you for so many years and I know how difficult it is for you as the commander of the 'Imperial Blade' Legion."

"To be honest, I'm not sure if your next plan is guaranteed to succeed, or if it can lead us to final victory."

"But what I want to say is..."

His gaze met Xavier's: "If the 'Imperial Blade' legions achieve victory in the Battle of Sarlome at an extremely heavy cost, is that the outcome you desire?"

"At the current pace of the war, even if we win, the price we will have to pay will be immeasurable."

"Will the 'Imperial Blade' Legion be able to maintain its position among the seven elite legions by then?"

"And can your political ideals truly be realized without the strong support of the 'Imperial Blade' legion?"

At the end, Spente changed the subject, his tone becoming calm:

"Of course, you are the supreme commander of the 'Imperial Blade' Legion."

"Whatever decision you make, Zod and I, as members of the Legion, will unconditionally obey your orders."

Compared to Zod's superficial, purely tactical question of "whether this war can be won," this approach is far more challenging.

Captain Spinter clearly understood the workings of the Imperial bureaucracy better.

He elevated the simple matter of winning or losing a war to a political level, placing it in the halls of power.

Once you rise to this level, the issues become entirely different from those raised by Zod.

If Zod were to be mentioned, Xavier would still have room to refute or circumvent the argument.

Spinter's question left Xavier with absolutely no way out.

Even if Xavier wins the war, if the price he pays is so severe that the "Imperial Blade" legion is severely weakened and may even fall out of the ranks of the seven elite legions.

All of Xavier's victories will then be meaningless.

In the imperial court, the process is never considered; only the result matters.

Xavier's desired "outcome" is not merely the present city of Sallom, but a much more distant future.

Spent's words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Xavier's head.

Xavier's mind, which had been tense and even somewhat feverish for days, suddenly cooled down at this moment.

He remained silent, his gaze fixed on the smoke-filled square in the distance, and did not speak for a long time.

No sooner had Captain Spinter finished his analysis than Zod keenly noticed a change in Colonel Xavier's expression; his gaze shifted, and his initial resolve began to waver.