Yu Lian fell silent for a moment.
But behind the screen, Sylvester's face lit up with unmistakable relief.
"Finally, it's all settled. I can finally return to my beloved Amon! Hahahaha! Now I can even fry pizza in the commander's room, and no one can say a thing, right?"
Even an idiot missing a few screws in his head would have understood what he meant. But Yu Lian wasn't surprised in the slightest. What truly astonished him was the discovery that he felt no worry, sadness, or pain—in fact, he even felt a little relieved.
But whether that made him cruel or callous, even he couldn't say.
I'm becoming more and more of a hopeless monster.
Yu Lian sighed inwardly and tried to dissuade him. "Sir, we never planned on doing that."
He could hear that his own voice lacked conviction.
Admiral Sylvester replied as if it were obvious. "I know. I've changed my mind at the last minute."
Yu Lian tried to make out the look in his eyes, but perhaps interference had blurred the image on the screen.
Fortunately, the voice remained clear. Clear and full of strength.
"You'll lead the surviving forces out first. I'll leave with the second group. Now that we've decided to withdraw, we can't let it turn into a rout. We have to leave in stages. I'm the commander. Don't I have the right to make this decision on my own? Brother Yu Lian, you should understand that the troops here aren't all that elite. Who do you think gave them the will and morale they've shown today? You ought to have a little self-awareness."
Yu Lian shook his head, his voice firm. "They're defending their homes and their country. Whatever outside factors are involved, they're only bringing out the qualities they already