The General's Groveling Desperation
Neto General was suddenly dragged by the soldiers and forced to his knees inside the tent.
In front of him, with a cold expression, General John Burgoyne stared at him.
“Well… General! What exactly is this all about? What… what crime have I committed that you are treating me this way?”
“Do you really not know what you’re asking?”
Burgoyne the Grand General asked in a chilling voice.
At those words, Neto General began shouting in a tone full of deep injustice.
“I am truly innocent! It is true that I could not capture that fortress, but that does not mean I have suffered a decisive defeat, right? How can you treat me like this!”
“Shut your mouth! I already know about the animal-like deeds you have committed!”
“W-what are you talking about?! You have been insulting me from the start, but I have never done anything like that!”
Those words felt like ice, yet Neto General countered with his mouth while a ominous feeling began to seep into his heart.
Although he was claiming innocence, the numerous wrongs he had accumulated in his mind were now undeniable.
“No way… Did he already figure out that I have been inflating my achievements? Or did he discover that I have been embezzling military supplies all this time…?”
The many secrets he had hidden until now left him unable to pinpoint exactly which one had been exposed.
At that moment, Burgoyne the Grand General turned to him and said with a voice heavy with cold anger.
“Edward Cromwell… You wouldn’t know what you have done to him, would you?”
“!”
The name that flew from his mouth.
Neto General’s face immediately stiffened.
Continuing to pour out his fury, Burgoyne the Grand General went on.
“You envied Cromwell’s achievements and framed him, didn’t you? A superior officer plotting such despicable acts against his subordinate? And you have the audacity to do so even after dragging the Empire’s honor down to the level of a gutter?”
“T-that is a misunderstanding! I… I only wanted to eliminate that dirty traitor who showed signs of betraying the Empire! As evidence, Cromwell did not join the rebel army out of fear that his crimes would be revealed!”
Of course, in reality he had fled to survive after realizing his own plot, but the fact that he had deserted was undeniable.
Using this point, Neto General tried to shift the blame onto himself however he could.
However.
—Thud!
“Cough!”
Burgoyne the Grand General delivered a rough kick to his abdomen.
Neto General, struck hard in the stomach by the solid boot, rolled on the floor in excruciating pain.
Looking at him, Burgoyne the Grand General said in a cold voice.
“Yes… One might think that. But if that is the case, how do you explain taking Cromwell’s fiancée?”
“!!”
The Grand General revealing a secret never thought to be mentioned.
Neto General lying on the floor had his face harden instantly.
“You filthy trash… After committing such a dirty act of stealing another man’s fiancée, what do you mean? As a man, how can I possibly trust what you say?”
“G-General… that… that is…”
This fatal moral flaw blocked the loophole he had been using.
Neto General had no choice but to fall silent.
Then Burgoyne the Grand General said sharply.
“Because of your filthy greed, you have driven one of the Empire’s greatest talents to desertion. This matter cannot be left as is. After this battle ends, I will report everything to Her Majesty the Emperor!”
“!! Well… General!”
Actually, Burgoyne the Grand General was declaring to end Neto’s life here.
If the deeds he had committed reached the Emperor and the Imperial Congress, Neto General would not only lose his rank as General, but in the worst case, could face execution under military law.
“That cannot happen! How did I get to this point! I cannot fall because of some lowly civilian now! I absolutely… absolutely cannot!”
For someone who had done every despicable act to reach this position, this future was simply unacceptable.
So Neto General immediately began to lower his head to the person in front of him and plead desperately to avoid the crisis.
“Well… General! Please clear up the misunderstanding! I am innocent! I only wanted to deal with that dirty traitor in advance! I have done nothing out of personal interest!”
Neto General repeated his claims of innocence over and over.
However, watching his pitiful state, Burgoyne the Grand General ordered the soldiers around him.
“What are you all doing?! A criminal who has shamed the Empire’s reputation! Take him away immediately!”
“Yes, Grand General!”
“We will obey the order!”
Following the command, the soldiers dragged the bound Neto to the prison.
Neto General resisted roughly and began shouting with a desperate voice.
“L-leave me! General! Grand General! I am innocent! General! General!!!”
Dragged by the soldiers while still struggling, Neto howled.
Feeling a deep sense of disgust at this entire wretched incident that made him even more nauseous the more he thought about it,
Burgoyne the Grand General sat down and began to seriously examine the damages caused by this matter.
“Cromwell deserting… That idiot has caused an enormous loss… The tremendous reputation Cromwell had built until now.
Although his position was still under Neto General, Cromwell had been raising his name loudly outside both the rebel army and the Imperial army.
The fact that such a man had deserted in this disgraceful manner would not only cause a massive strategic loss,
but if this information leaked, it would deal a great blow to the morale of the entire Imperial army.
“No choice… For now, I can only lock him away and ignore this matter. Officially punishing Neto is after the battle ends. And if possible, I must capture Cromwell and try to persuade him…”
Thinking this way, Burgoyne the Grand General turned his gaze toward the upcoming battle again.
Anyway, the urgent matter was to turn around this ominous atmosphere by securing a victory, so as a commander, he began to coldly plan the strategy.
*
In my situation, with that incompetent superior Gates, I have to win the battle.
Responding to that, as I looked at the quest notification window that had popped up, I began to seriously think.
[Hidden Quest: Persuasion and Coercion]
📍 Location: [Northern Command Camp]
🎁 Reward: God’s Blessing, Hidden Skill
**Objective:** Secure independent command authority over subordinate troops.
**Notes:** Gates is incompetent. Victory is impossible without bypassing him.
The quest notification window, which clearly told me that fighting as it is would lead to failure, was right in front of me.
As I examined the contents, I clearly realized that no matter what, I had to “roast and boil” that Gates bastard to find a solution.
“Securing command authority… It is certainly not easy, but it is not impossible for me right now.”
I already knew very well what kind of personality and motives General Gates possessed from my game knowledge.
And knowing someone that well meant I could manipulate him to some extent.
With that in mind, the quest itself had a fairly high chance of success…
However, my attention was drawn more to the reward that would follow.
“God’s Blessing is probably meant to be given for the battle anyway… but what is this hidden skill?”
Although my own combat power was slightly lacking, I was now a level 10 Paladin who had mastered all skills in the game.
As a Paladin in the game, I had learned everything I could.
In that sense, I could not even guess what this hidden skill was.
“As a quest reward, it probably isn’t bad… but somehow, following this new route feels like the scale is getting bigger…”