The NTR Knight Commander has Decided to Desert

Chapter 21

At General Gates' command to get to the point, Cromwell calmly opened his mouth.

Though he didn't show it, Gates couldn't help but listen closely, curious what words would come from the mouth of the famed general.

However,

"Are you truly okay with this?"

"...What?"

A question from Cromwell's lips.

At that, General Gates frowned and replied.

"What do you mean, 'okay with this'? Are you saying you too disapprove of my plan? I may have heard of your reputation, but if you're going to oppose me, I won't let it slide."

General Gates spoke in a sharp tone.

In response to that, Cromwell spoke more clearly.

"No, what I'm asking is whether you're really going to let this golden opportunity slip away... the very opportunity you've always longed for."

"Wha... What? What do you mean? That I'd miss a chance I've been waiting for... What opportunity are you talking about?"

Cromwell spoke with a hint of deeper meaning.

Feeling something was off, General Gates asked him a question.

To this, Cromwell replied with a piercing gaze and a resolute voice.

"The opportunity to achieve your goal. To become the leader of the rebels and the head of the new nation that will rise in this colony."

"!!"

Cromwell voiced something Gates had never spoken aloud—something buried deep in his heart.

At that, General Gates' face stiffened instantly.

"You... How do you know that..."

"I may look like this, but I was once a general of the Imperial Army. Gathering intel on capable enemy commanders is only natural."

"Hmm... I... I see? In any case, your intelligence network is terrifying. As expected of a general the Empire once boasted of..."

Slightly pleased by Cromwell's words, which included a bit of praise, General Gates let out a small exclamation of admiration.

Watching his reaction, Cromwell continued speaking.

"As you know, the enemy forces gathered here number over 13,000. Essentially, the entire Eastern main force is assembled. If we could defeat such a force in one blow, it would go down in rebel history as an unprecedented achievement."

"W-Well... that would certainly be an incredible feat. But such a thing isn't possible. The enemy outnumbers us two to one. You know we can't win a head-on battle..."

Though slightly swayed by Cromwell's words, General Gates tried to stay calm and composed.

However.

Cromwell responded to him in a firm voice.

"It's possible. More than possible."

"W-What?"

Cromwell answered with unwavering certainty.

At that, General Gates' expression began to waver slightly.

And Cromwell continued to speak in a clear voice.

"Though our training may be lacking, as you've said, our soldiers' bravery surpasses the enemy's. Moreover, most of the locals in this area support the rebels. With these conditions, I can overcome the difference in numbers with my ability."

"Hmm..."

"And if we do win, the credit naturally won't go to a mere defector like me, but to you, Supreme Commander Gates. With an achievement like that... if luck is on your side, you could rise to the top of the rebel ranks in one stroke."

"Gulp..."

Hearing Cromwell's words, General Gates found himself salivating without realizing it.

Even if it were anyone else, it would be hard to argue against the words of Cromwell, a general acknowledged by all.

Above all, when Cromwell quoted Gates' own words and spoke of the potential gains from success, Gates' heart was deeply shaken.

'Leader of the rebels... If I really win this battle against an army of over ten thousand, the glory would be blinding. Just like Cromwell said, I might really rise to the top instantly...'

Overcome by a powerful desire that pushed aside his usual timid and self-preserving nature, General Gates was swayed.

Sensing this shift in him, Cromwell calmly added one more line.

"A clash between two massive armies of unprecedented scale—such an opportunity may come once in a lifetime, if ever. If you miss it, you may never again have the chance to become number one."

"..."

Cromwell's subtle pressure—that failing to seize this moment would mean losing his dream forever—shook General Gates' heart once more.

But,

Even in such a moment, General Gates mustered a bit of composure and asked Cromwell in a cautious voice.

"But tell me... Cromwell, why are you saying all this to me? Even if you've surrendered, you're still in no position to claim any achievements. So why?"

"...That's because..."

Something Gates himself would never do—something pointless that brought no benefit.

Naturally, he questioned Cromwell's actions.

And in response,

Cromwell paused slightly, then answered in a cold voice.

"My sole purpose now is to take revenge with my own hands on those who took everything from me."

"!...Ah..."

Suddenly recalling Franklin's earlier report, General Gates finally understood the situation.

Watching his reaction, Cromwell continued with an icy expression.

"I don't care about achievements or anything else. All I want is to see the despair on the faces of those filthy traitors who stabbed me in the back. Nothing else matters."

"I see... I understand."

Given what had happened to him, Gates found it only natural that someone would be driven to such extremes.

And then.

Cromwell looked at him and asked in a clear voice.

"Then please give me your answer, General. So that I may achieve the revenge I've longed for and bring you victory, will you grant my direct superior, General Franklin, independent command authority?"

"..."

Cromwell was asking him to completely reverse a decision he had already made.

General Gates fell into silent contemplation.

'I can't allow this... No matter what, it's too risky. If something goes wrong, how will I deal with the fallout...'

The old him would never have made such a choice.

He lacked both the confidence to face such a large force head-on and the courage to take on such a heavy responsibility.

However,

'But... hmm...'

Even so, in that moment, an unbearable desire surged within him.

The temptation that, with just one bold step, he might achieve his life's ambition—

It began to ignite the long-held desire within his heart.

'It's true that George's position has weakened due to recent defeats. If I achieve a feat like this now... I might actually take the position of Grand Marshal. No, just like this man said, this might truly be my only chance.'

Above all, the one saying this was none other than the famous Cromwell.

The famed undefeated general.

The man hailed as the greatest commander in the entire Britannian Empire.

Now that Franklin had personally vouched that such a man had become a trustworthy ally,

General Gates couldn't stop thinking that this might be the turning point in achieving his life's goal.

'Yes... This is it... The opportunity I've always dreamed of... A golden chance to seize the seat George is occupying. I can finally turn the tables and grasp everything!'

And so, at some point, the anxiety that had filled his heart turned into a thrilling anticipation of seizing power.

General Gates looked at Cromwell and asked in a cautious voice.

"Gulp... Wh-What must I do?"

*

Changing someone's mind was like inserting a key into a lock.

It usually didn't turn easily, but with the right key, it could open effortlessly.

In that sense,

Turning the mind of General Gates, who already knew the overall situation, was surprisingly easy if you just said the right things.

'The only variable was that this world's General Gates might not be as much of a loser as in the original... but judging by what he's done so far, the original looked like a saint in comparison.'

In the original, perhaps due to difficulty-balancing buffs, he had set up a base and fought in a tough spot. But here, he just wanted to hide somewhere safe and not fight at all.

'On top of that, he's even more full of useless ambition than in the original. Seriously... Even if the rebels lack talent, how is someone like this ranked number two?'

Regardless of how pathetic the situation was, thanks to hitting the exact nerve of his desire, I succeeded in gaining command authority through my direct superior, Franklin.

'Well, if closing your eyes just once could help you achieve your life's goal, it'd be hard not to give in...'

Humans are simple creatures. If you dangle the perfect bait, they can't help but bite.

Especially someone like Gates, who lacks ability but is overflowing with greed.

And so, by exploiting Gates' simple nature and his irresistible urge to gamble, I succeeded in achieving my goal and quietly exited the command room with a sigh of relief.

And right after that——

[General Gates, having succumbed to his own ambition, has decided to hand over command authority.

The minimum conditions necessary to move forward for victory have been met.

Lead the rebels and secure a definitive victory against the Imperial Army.

The divine now begins to take notice of you.

He blesses your path.

Divine Blessing (buff) applied – Recovery speed of divine energy increases by 200%. Duration: one week.

Hidden Skill. acquired!]

As soon as the quest was completed, a notification window began to rise.

While checking it, my gaze naturally drifted to the final line at the bottom.

'Divine Agent on Earth?... What even is this?'

A skill name I had never seen even once in the game.

With curiosity and anticipation, I cautiously opened the information window for the skill.

And immediately after, a sentence appeared in my mind.

It was...

'What kind of stat-flation is this now?...'