Happiness Comes Knocking!

"So, sir, you're here to surrender?" Bolt asked instinctively as soon as he recovered, though his eyes remained uncertain as he watched John ahead of him.

There was no other reason. In his understanding, those who could join the Imperial Air Force and become Mage Soldier commanders were mostly graduates of the Empire's Military Academy.

Such people had received the Empire's harsh education from childhood. Loyalty had practically been carved into their bones.

For the Empire, they could resort to any means necessary, and they did not fear death.

Otherwise, the Mage Soldier Corps would not have been called the Demon Corps by the outside world.

And the Seventh Air Force commanded by the Empire's White-Haired Demon General, Dormammu, was unquestionably an elite force within the Imperial Air Force. Its standards for selecting commanders were even more demanding.

Therefore, even after hearing John's apparent intention to defect, Bolt showed little excitement. Instead, he could not help suspecting that the man before him had other motives.

"Surrender? Heh, you think far too highly of yourself. If I hadn't been set up, how could I, John Maslow, have ended up like this? With me and the thirty Mage Soldiers under my command, forget a tiny trench like this. Even on the front lines, without an Anti-Magic Device, you Allied Forces would be nothing but moving targets!"

John sneered disdainfully as he looked at Bolt, whose brows were tightly furrowed in apparent anger.

He knew his words had successfully caught the other man's attention and left a fairly profound impression of him as a tough guy. If he continued belittling the Allied Forces, though, things might backfire.

So the crafty Warrant Officer John immediately stopped while he was ahead. He let out a sigh and put on a helpless expression as he lamented:

"Still, even someone as gifted as me has to admit that blades from friendly forces often hurt more than enemy bullets. As you can see, Colonel Bolt, from the moment I received the Empire's mission to infiltrate behind Allied lines, I deeply understood that my foolish superiors had no intention of leaving me a way out."

"That made me begin to wonder what meaning there was in the education I had received throughout the first half of my life, and in the vow I once made to study for the revival of the Empire."

"Was an Empire this rotten truly worth staking my life on?"

"Before setting out, I pondered and struggled over that question more than once."

"Until I glimpsed the confused looks in the soldiers' eyes, and saw them repeatedly open their pocket watches and family photographs to give them one final kiss."

"Then I realized that all of this was wrong."

"They should not sacrifice their lives on meaningless missions for the infighting of those damned politicians. Nor should they die in pain and despair for the lie called glory, fabricated by those damned nobles."

"So, at the moment I became a sinner dragging these pitiful soldiers into the swamp called death, I finally woke up."

"They should not die for the lies of those despicable politicians, much less be dragged by me toward empty death."

"Compared to the Empire, which had now become rotten and decayed under the corruption of filthy nobles, the Allied Forces, devoted to justice and peace, might be the more correct choice for these confused soldiers."

"Therefore, driven by that belief, I stopped them from carrying out that foolish suicide plan."

"Therefore, I laid down my weapons and defenses and came alone to this battlefield."

"Therefore, I had that captain find you. And the purpose of doing so was to seek an answer from you."

Of course, every single word John had just said was bullshit.

After all, counting from the moment John had transmigrated until now, it had not even been two full days. He had not even left two butt prints on the barracks benches. Where the hell would he have gotten so many feelings about the Empire?

The reason he had spewed so much nonsense was simply to build up his righteous image.

That way, his coworkers would feel more recognition and respect for him, raising his value so he could get a better price when he switched jobs.

As for whether it worked? Heh. Didn't the Allied soldiers in front of him, all staring at him with admiration and respect, already prove it perfectly?

"So, if you fat bastard have any sense, hurry up and recruit me. As long as your terms aren't too outrageous, I guarantee I'll hand over every piece of classified information related to the Empire, brother!"

"Enough nonsense. Just slap the employment contract in my face. Slap it hard, and don't be polite!"

Feeling Bolt's scrutinizing gaze, John urged wildly in his heart.

Yet on the surface, he still maintained a solemn and sincere expression as he met the man's eyes, as though the status and power he could gain after changing sides were nothing more than clouds drifting by.

As though he truly was a good superior worried about the future of a bunch of little grunts, and that was why he was doing this.

"So this guy really came to surrender?"

Although Bolt's expression remained calm after hearing John's speech, a towering wave had risen in his heart and would not settle for a long time.

It was not as though he had never suspected this was a trap.

But whether it was the magic equipment detection report his adjutant had just delivered or the results of the reconnaissance spell, every indication showed that there were no Mage Soldiers above them.

As everyone knew, Mage Soldiers' Explosive Magic was terrifying. Once activated, its mysterious explosive power could flatten an entire hill in an instant.

But Mage Soldiers were not omnipotent either. Explosive power had to penetrate deep into the earth and connect with the Stellar Core deep within the planet before it could be extracted and transformed into an annihilating form, creating lava explosions powerful enough to destroy everything.

Thus, when casting their magic, Mage Soldiers generally needed to be above the target location, usually no more than fifty meters off. If Mage Soldiers truly intended to attack, they would inevitably expose their presence.

But Bolt had detected no Mage Soldiers now. Therefore, his initial suspicion—that the other side was stalling with words to give the Mage Soldiers time to cast Explosive Magic and wipe them all out—could not be true.

So this guy really was defecting?

And he had brought thirty Imperial Mage Soldiers with him?

"!"

Upon realizing this, Bolt's breathing became heavy, and his beady eyes widened to their limit.

The way he looked at John was like he was looking at a breathtaking beauty in revealing gauze, waving at him incessantly while calling out in a seductive voice.

His whole body began to tremble with uncontrollable excitement.

There was no helping it. These were Imperial Mage Soldiers!

They were the strongest troop type recognized by every nation in the world, one whose precise training methods the major kingdoms had spent centuries trying and failing to uncover!

It was precisely because of this unreasonable force that the Norman Empire had gone from being a tiny nation to the colossal power it was today.

Even the Western Federation feared its terrifying military strength, forcing the nations to band together in an alliance for self-preservation.

They had united the strength of sixteen whole nations in an attempt to stop the Norman Empire's advance.

And all of it stemmed from the Empire's Mage Soldiers, known as the Demon Corps!

Yet this troop type, enough to drive any nation in the world mad, had now fallen into his hands by sheer chance?

And through this Mage Soldier commander who called himself John Maslow, he might even be able to obtain the correct method for cultivating Mage Soldiers?!

What did that mean?

It meant the day Bolt would become a marquis or minister had arrived.

If he were bold enough, even the king's throne would not be impossible for him to sit on!

"!"

The more Bolt thought about it, the more hurried his breathing became.

The overwhelming excitement and agitation made him feel as though electricity were flowing through his entire body, raising goosebumps all over his skin.

Even the erectile dysfunction that had plagued him for years seemed to have miraculously recovered at that moment.

At that instant, Bolt deeply realized something.

The young man before him was no prisoner. He was Bolt's godsend!

And one who had delivered himself right to Bolt's doorstep!

He had to accept him. He absolutely had to!

Of course, Bolt had not been completely dazzled by this sudden happiness.

Because he knew that before obtaining the exact method of cultivating Mage Soldiers from the other side, all of this was empty talk.

After all, although the man did indeed seem like someone who had seen the world, it was still possible that he was merely a down-and-out commoner in disguise.

If Bolt gave him benefits right away, only for the intelligence department to discover later that he was just a commoner, then Bolt would lose all face in the Allied Forces.

"Still, there's no harm in giving him a way out first. Set this guy up in the trench, then slowly interrogate him about the details afterward."

"After all, I'm not really here to guard this lousy trench. I'm here to deal with the Empire's Black Eagle Special Forces."

"Since evening has already arrived and the Empire still hasn't attacked this bait, they'll probably act tonight if nothing unexpected happens."

"By then, I should have gathered the necessary information from this self-proclaimed Mage Soldier captain. Whether he lives or dies will be entirely up to me."

"Still, considering that he's the captain of those Mage Soldiers, killing him outright might cause a mutiny among them. It would be best to spare the kid's life."

"As long as I obtain the core cultivation information, no matter which path I take, my future will be bright!"

Within a few breaths, countless thoughts passed through Bolt's mind. Then his gaze returned to John.

But unlike before, his face was now full of an enthusiastic smile. He even spread his arms wide in an exaggerated gesture and called out sincerely to John:

"Ah, my dear Warrant Officer John, your sense of justice truly moves me. I never expected those damned Imperial bastards to persecute such an upright commander. It truly pains my heart."

"But the Allied Forces are different from the Empire. Whether generals or soldiers, we are united from top to bottom and share a common goal: to liberate all those still suffering oppression within the Empire. That is our eternal faith."

"So, Warrant Officer John, I can tell you clearly that you made the right choice. The Allied Forces will always welcome righteous people like you."

"If you do not mind, please accompany me to the camp so we may discuss things in detail. It would be best if you could bring your thirty subordinates along as well."

As though imagining the moment he would soon bring those thirty Mage Soldiers under his command, Bolt excitedly licked his dry lips. His eyes remained fixed on John, his voice filled with unprecedented eagerness and anticipation.

"I believe we will have a great many things to discuss, won't we, my dear John?"

(End of Chapter)