John Maslow's Selfless Devotion!

By the time John and his group reached the Whistling Plains, where their mission target was located, it was already five in the afternoon. They had remained in low-speed flight the entire way.

"Click!"

After exiting flight mode and returning to the ground, John immediately ordered the 14th Squad to regroup on the spot.

At the same time, he sent Wendy and four scouts from the squad to climb the surrounding slopes and use their Magic Eyes to scout the trenches ahead.

He had to make sure the mission target was correct. Otherwise, his plan to send the other members of the 14th Squad away and attempt negotiations with the Allied Forces' higher-ups would fall through.

That would undoubtedly be fatal to him.

Fortunately, the Empire's intelligence did not disappoint him. Less than three minutes later, Wendy's excited voice came through John's communicator.

"Reporting to the captain: confirmed. There is indeed an Anti-Magic Device at the target location. The enemy troops are cooking and have not noticed our presence at all. Shall we launch an assault immediately?"

"Not yet. Bring everyone back first."

"...Understood!"

Though she was somewhat puzzled as to why her captain would pass up such a perfect opportunity for a surprise attack, after yesterday's experience, his image as a man of unparalleled brilliance had already been deeply branded into Wendy's heart.

Thus, despite her confusion, Wendy suppressed her urge to ambush the enemy. After casting one regretful glance at the trenches ahead, she quietly led the four scouts back down the slope to the forest where the 14th Squad was gathered.

"Wendy, are you certain what you saw was an Anti-Magic Device?"

Inside the forest, as he watched Wendy return with her people, John—who had long since thought up his excuse—spoke before she could ask anything.

"You're sure it wasn't something else?"

"I once captured an Anti-Magic Device Core during a battle, so I know exactly what it looks like. Therefore, Warrant Officer John, I can guarantee it with my rank—I definitely did not see wrong. This Allied Forces trench camp has absolutely deployed an Anti-Magic Device Core!"

"And judging from the scale of these trenches, the enemy must have stationed multiple Device Cores here. Only then can we explain why our allies on the front line failed to find any trace of the Anti-Magic Spell Formation's activation despite all their searches."

"Because the enemy never deployed the cores on the battlefield at all. They used some special mana technology to achieve cross-space mana interference."

"This must be where the Allied Forces deployed the cores of their Anti-Magic Devices! As long as we destroy these trenches, our Seventh Legion will officially seize victory in this war!"

Wendy's face was full of excitement, and her voice brimmed with fervor.

At that moment, she had even ignored the fact that the 14th Squad was deep behind Allied Forces lines and could be wiped out at any moment if they were careless.

After all, as long as they could destroy this stronghold, once the Anti-Magic Device's interference was gone—

It would only be a matter of time before the Seventh Legion crushed the Allied Forces and captured the Lake of Magic Power in the Walden Region.

And as the people who had created the opportunity for this victory, they would surely receive the Empire's highest-grade military merits.

They might even be granted an audience with His Majesty the Emperor!

Before such a chance to soar into the sky in a single bound, what was a little danger to their lives worth?

"So please give the order to attack, Warrant Officer John! The Empire's victory is right before us!"

Give the order my ass. If I let you win this, how the hell am I supposed to switch sides?

You idiot, are you trying to make me walk farther and farther down the road to my own death?

John cursed inwardly, but beneath everyone's fervent gazes, he still stroked his chin and pretended to ponder for a while before shaking his head according to the plan he had devised on the way there.

"No. My instincts tell me that things are absolutely not that simple."

"But, Warrant Officer..."

"There is no but, Sergeant Wendy. Let me ask you one more thing—are you certain you saw all the Anti-Magic Devices?"

John looked seriously at the anxious Wendy, then said something that left every member of the 14th Squad rooted to the spot.

"Have you considered that perhaps these trenches are merely a trap?"

"A trap!?"

Wendy's pupils contracted. The restless excitement in her heart instantly vanished, replaced by a chill.

"That's right. You did use your Magic Eyes to see the Anti-Magic Devices, but Wendy, can you truly be certain that what you saw was real rather than magical projections created by the Allied Forces?"

"More importantly, under normal circumstances, if this truly were where the Allied Forces had established their Anti-Magic Devices, then if you were the commander of this front, would you make the idiotic decision to leave those devices exposed in plain sight?"

"How would that differ from handing intelligence to the enemy and inviting them to attack you?"

"Therefore, in my view, this is undoubtedly a trap! A trap intended to wipe out our surprise assault force!"

"!"

Amid everyone's incredulous stares, John spoke with a grave expression, his tone filled with conviction.

That confident display instantly persuaded everyone. The members of the 14th Squad, who had been brimming with fighting spirit, seemed as though someone had dumped a bucket of cold water over their heads, and they all became somewhat lost.

Of course, John's wise appearance was entirely an act, and the so-called trap had been something he made up on the spot.

After all, as a player in his previous life, he was intimately familiar with Anti-Magic Devices.

So he knew very well that at this point in time, the Allied Forces had not upgraded their Anti-Magic Special Attack Workshop to its second stage.

For the Anti-Magic Devices currently developed by the Allied Forces, once their framework was complete, the core devices had to be exposed to the air over a large area in order to activate them across space.

Otherwise, if the spell formation failed to activate, insufficient mana purity would cause the devices to explode on the spot.

It was much the same principle as a gun barrel bursting.

Therefore, the reason the Allied Forces had exposed their Anti-Magic Devices was simply that they had no other choice. There was no possibility of them deliberately exposing the devices to set an ambush for John's group.

And the only reason he said all that was to give himself an excuse to send the members of the 14th Squad away.

Otherwise, how could he avoid everyone's watchful eyes and attempt some job-switching negotiations with his dear friends in the Allied Forces?

Hehehe, being able to come up with such a perfect plan—sure enough, the wisdom of John Maslow is invincible under heaven!

John laughed smugly to himself, but he also knew that he absolutely could not reveal any flaw now. Otherwise, his plan would collapse completely.

So he forcibly suppressed his joy and smugness, then turned toward the somewhat dejected Wendy and spoke in a deep voice.

"However, the intelligence Wendy found is not entirely useless. As far as I know, Anti-Magic Device Cores require multiple cores to resonate in order to achieve a cross-space spell formation."

"Therefore, even if these trenches are only bait meant to ambush us, they are still enough to prove one thing."

"Warrant Officer, you mean... there is a real Anti-Magic Device deployment site nearby?"

Having caught the implication, Wendy's eyes widened. The flame of military merit that John's judgment had extinguished within her blazed fiercely once more.

"That's right. Therefore, Sergeant Wendy and everyone in the 14th Squad, I will now issue you the second order for this infiltration operation!"

Under everyone's gaze, John slowly rose from the ground. Then, he casually picked a hillside roughly five kilometers away and made up an explanation.

"Sergeant Wendy, I grant you temporary command of the 14th Squad. From this point onward, you will lead every member of the 14th Squad in conducting a search of that hill area."

"Your objective is to find the true Anti-Magic Device deployment site and destroy it, creating an opportunity for our allies on the front line to claim victory!"

"I hope none of you will disappoint me!"

Of course, there is absolutely no chance you'll find an Anti-Magic Device on that little mound five kilometers away.

After all, the Allied Forces had already set up their Anti-Magic Devices inside the trenches.

Unless they had something wrong with their brains, why would they waste time and effort hauling the devices into that troublesome mountain forest? And there was even less chance they would think to use trees to hide the Anti-Magic Devices.

After all, this was not the front line, but the Allied Forces' rear. No one would do such a thankless, exhausting thing unless their commander was a complete genius.

So go suffer your way over there, then slowly search that godforsaken little hill. I guarantee you won't find so much as a hair.

Of course, considering that screwing over his teammates like this was indeed somewhat immoral, and that it could easily make that foolish woman Wendy furious enough to die—

After this great prison boss finished discussing the conditions of his job switch with his Allied Forces friends, he would have those dear Allied Forces friends go a little easier on them when they captured them.

That could count as honoring the bond of comradeship they had shared over the past two days.

"Understood. But Captain, are you certain you won't act with us?"

After hearing John's order, Wendy could not help feeling somewhat puzzled amid her excitement.

Though commanders usually did not participate in attacks alongside their soldiers in order to ensure the safety of the unit's leader, that depended on the situation.

Given that they were currently behind enemy lines and had no idea when the enemy's patrols might come to investigate—

If John, as the commander, stayed here alone, his situation would undoubtedly become exceptionally difficult.

It would actually be better for him to move with them. At the very least, with the members of the 14th Squad protecting him, even if the enemy reacted, they would find it difficult to harm him in the slightest.

"Since we have confirmed that this place is bait left by the Allied Forces, that means these trenches must be hiding quite a few soldiers and special combat units. Someone has to remain behind to receive you and warn you."

"And since I am the commander of the 14th Mobile Magecraft Squad, that responsibility naturally has to fall upon me."

Of course, that's complete nonsense to fool you. If I didn't say that, how would I have a legitimate reason to probe this so-called 'bait,' contact the Allied Forces' higher-ups, and complete my grand plan of switching sides?

Ah, beautiful freedom! My dear Allied Forces friends, here I come!

John was wildly excited inside, but on the surface, he put on a noble expression as though he were marching fearlessly toward death.

Facing everyone's worshipful eyes, so intense they seemed almost tangible, John merely smiled faintly. Then he raised a hand slightly and pressed it down in a calming gesture.

"No matter what others may think, I, John Maslow, have always believed that as an officer, one must set an example for one's soldiers. Only an officer who leads from the front is worthy of his soldiers' love and loyalty. Therefore, staying behind to cover you is a duty I must fulfill."

"Furthermore, I have not mastered the Bombardment Spell Formation, so I cannot damage the Anti-Magic Devices effectively as you can."

"Therefore, both emotionally and logically, I need to remain here to receive you and draw more enemy fire."

"Of course, gentlemen of the 14th Squad, you need not worry over me, nor need you grieve for this. We are all part of the Empire. From the moment we answered the Empire's call and chose to step onto the battlefield, we soldiers should have been prepared to sacrifice ourselves for the Empire."

"Rather than stop and linger over such trifles, we should raise the guns in our hands and charge forward, adding an even more dazzling brilliance to the Empire's immortality. That is what we ought to do!"

"Everyone, cast aside the hesitation in your hearts and do what you must do!"

"To protect the families within the Empire, for dazzling military achievements, for victory in this war—the things that determine the fate of all this are now in our hands, at this very moment, right here and now!"

"So, for the Empire, advance without hesitation, soldiers!"

"Warrant Officer John!"

Upon hearing John's impassioned speech, the already excited members of the 14th Squad were instantly moved to tears by their captain's selfless devotion. Wendy, the vice-captain, cried so hard that even snot ran from her nose.

The respect and adoration in their eyes as they looked at John were so full they seemed ready to overflow.

What courage. What selflessness!

John Maslow was simply the most perfect commander in the world!

Was she really going to leave such a respected officer behind in danger?

Wendy's heart was full of hesitation, but as she felt John's resolute gaze, she soon found peace.

Because through Warrant Officer John's steadfast eyes, Wendy understood—

Even if she tried to knock Warrant Officer John unconscious and forcibly take him away, that upright warrant officer would certainly refuse. He might even rebuke her for her foolishness.

After all, he was just such a selfless person.

"Everyone, salute!"

Wendy drew a deep breath, then with unprecedented reverence, gave Captain John the most standard military salute of her life.

Then, forcibly suppressing the sorrow and reluctance in her heart, she lowered her head and respectfully spoke to John.

"Warrant Officer John, I will never let your sacrifice be in vain."

"Wendy Brown will follow your orders and lead the members of the 14th Squad onward until we claim victory in this war for the Empire!"

"In the name of the Brown Family, I swear this to you."

(End of chapter)