"By the way, Captain John, what exactly is our mission this time?"
In the river valley southeast of the Walden Front, Wendy, flying behind John, could not help asking. Her gaze swept over the surrounding cliffs as she subconsciously tightened her grip on her Magic Rifle.
Though she had not checked the map, her experience as a veteran told Wendy that the 14th Squad seemed to have already left the area occupied by the main force.
And whether it was just her imagination or not, Wendy felt a chill down her back.
It was as if countless figures were silently watching her every move from places she could not see.
Thinking of that, Wendy could not help feeling anxious. Then, seeing her captain leisurely flying ahead as if they were out on a spring outing, using only the first flight speed, she urged him:
"Also, Captain John, won't flying this slowly affect the mission?"
"Sergeant Wendy, as a soldier, you talk too much."
John was channeling magic power into his Mage Pack. Relying on the body's muscle memory, he was barely managing to stabilize its Level 1 assisted flight mode. Hearing her question, he immediately reprimanded her expressionlessly.
Nonsense. Of course he wanted to fly faster!
But the problem was that, as a first-time pilot, he was already exerting every ounce of strength he had just to keep himself steady.
If he went any faster, he was afraid he would crash on the spot.
Come to think of it, the researchers in the Empire's magic engineering department were all idiots.
They had clearly designed a Mage Pack capable of assisted flight, so why could they not make it smarter? Would it have killed them to add an autopilot function?
Instead, they had created this foot-controlled contraption that required both legs to control speed and direction. It was a complete piece of crap!
If he had not had experience riding a self-balancing scooter in his previous life, he probably would have face-planted during takeoff!
What garbage design. It was absolute trash!
John cursed endlessly in his heart, but feeling Wendy's aggrieved yet suspicious gaze from beside him, he understood that he had to give her a convincing explanation.
Otherwise, before he even reached the location where the intelligence suggested the Allied Forces' Anti-Magic Device had been deployed and completed his job-hopping negotiations with the Allied Forces' higher-ups—
The thirty soldiers under his command would start to suspect him.
So, after running through the mission intelligence in his mind, an idea suddenly struck John. He immediately explained to Wendy, who was currently sulking:
"This time, we are carrying out a covert infiltration operation. We need to conceal our movements as much as possible. Flying at full speed may shorten the operation time, but it would also make the Allied Forces wary due to magical fluctuations. Therefore, flying at full speed would only cause the mission to fail."
"As for the next stage of the operation, I will explain it in detail once we reach the target location. Sergeant Wendy, do you have any other questions about my orders?"
"No, Captain."
Hearing that, Wendy suddenly understood and hurriedly nodded to show that she got it.
At the same time, she looked at John with a little more embarrassment.
After all, soldiers only needed to operate their weapons and kill targets, while commanders had far more things to consider.
Not to mention someone like John, an outstanding graduate of the Imperial Military Academy with exceptional wisdom.
It was perfectly normal that he would not bother explaining mission arrangements to a Mage Soldier like her who only knew how to fight.
Yet Warrant Officer John had still spent his precious thinking time explaining the rough details of this mission to her.
Warrant Officer John must have done that because he appreciated her, right?
Though the captain looked like an aloof person, was he actually unexpectedly gentle?
As expected of an outstanding graduate sent by the academy. Wendy, you have to learn from the captain properly!
Wendy gazed at John with admiration, growing ever more respectful of this intelligent and "gentle" superior.
Why is this idiot staring at me? Could she have figured out that I want to switch sides?
Feeling Wendy's "icy" gaze, John felt his limbs turn cold and panic rise in his heart. But after carefully reviewing what he had said and finding no flaws, John still forced himself to raise a hand at Wendy, signaling for her to move farther away.
Only after seeing that she had stopped flying alongside him and obediently pulled back by a body length as ordered did he finally sigh in relief.
But feeling her gaze prick against his back, John understood that he had to change his grand plan of switching sides!
After all, judging from Wendy's nearly fanatical "loyalty" to the Empire, the chance of persuading her to switch sides with him and join the Allied Forces was practically zero.
So, I cannot let the members of the 14th Squad meet the Allied Forces' higher-ups. At the very least, it would be best not to let them meet before I finish discussing my defection with our "friendly forces."
Otherwise, the harmonious switching-sides scene he dreamed of would definitely turn into a bloody battle.
I cannot let them meet, but I still need to contact the Allied Forces' higher-ups... Damn it...
John furrowed his brow as the scene of Dormammu speaking with him in the command post before departure kept resurfacing in his mind.
In fact, while explaining the mission details, Dormammu had also given him detailed coordinates for what was suspected to be an Allied Forces Anti-Magic Device deployment site.
According to Dormammu, those coordinates had been determined by the reconnaissance department after nearly a month of analyzing anti-Magic Factor data from the Walden Region campaign, combining it with the other coordinates obtained by interrogating the captain of that Allied Forces squad from last night. The head of the reconnaissance department had then used magical amplification instruments to conduct multiple rounds of overnight screening and assessment before arriving at the final coordinates.
And those coordinates were precisely John's ultimate destination on this mission.
As a player, John was naturally well acquainted with the power of the Empire's magical detection methods and the terrifying analytical abilities required of its commanders.
Therefore, he did not doubt that the coordinates were real.
Rather, it was precisely because he knew those coordinates might be the exact location where the Allied Forces had deployed their Anti-Magic Device that he felt uneasy.
After all, if he really led Wendy and the others to the location of the Allied Forces' core weapon on the front line, John did not need to think with anything more than his ass to know what the Allied Forces' first reaction would be upon seeing them.
They would absolutely assume that the Empire had sent troops to attack.
At that point, his plan to leave the Empire and join the Allied Forces would naturally collapse completely.
And that was a result he absolutely did not want to see.
Damn it, John Maslow, use that smart brain of yours and think of something!
"...I've got it!"
As John's meager brain spun at full speed, a devious idea quickly took shape in his mind:
Could he not just make up some excuse to have Wendy lead the other idiots somewhere else?
Then he could go alone to the Allied Forces' headquarters and discuss switching sides with them. Once he had settled his compensation and conditions with his friendly forces, he could bring Allied Forces soldiers and the Anti-Magic Device to block Wendy and the others' retreat, then persuade them into obediently surrendering.
That way, he could keep Wendy and those poor little workhorses from losing their lives while also earning the appreciation of his new superiors. Wouldn't that be perfect?
Genius. Anyone who could come up with a plan like this was simply a genius!
The more John thought about it, the more feasible the plan seemed. He could not help marveling inwardly at his own World-Shaking Wisdom.
His previously tense expression relaxed into a relieved smile because of his ingenious plan, and excitement began rising in his heart.
This time, he had everything under control. He had no idea how he could possibly lose!
Come, my dear Allied Forces friends. Let us have a frank and proper talk, hehehe!
John chuckled softly in his heart. As he looked toward the distant exit of the river valley, his eyes were full of anticipation.
At the same time, outside the river valley, in a temporary command post at the edge of the Allied Forces' Fifth Battle Group, a figure carrying documents slowly pulled open the command post's canvas flap and stepped inside.
(End of Chapter)
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