I'll use RRU to get back to the base faster. I prepared a uniform for myself earlier, and my soldiers had it waiting for me. When I saw my uniform, I grinned a little. It represented everything I had created, everything I was in control of, and everyone I trusted.

This uniform is more than just a piece of clothing; perhaps I can use it to create effective propaganda in the future. In addition, because of it, and because of my nation, "The Empire", people will sacrifice their lives for it, and for me. I believed that the people I had called would always be loyal to me. But now that Erica and Maria were involved in incident earlier, I'm not so sure anymore.

Sincere to say, this incident has disturbed me. Not just because the two people who were supposed to be my closest supporters and who should have obeyed my orders without questioning did so instead, but also they objected it. The most unsettling aspect is that my they may not be the only ones who will hesitate when I give them orders.

Remarkably problematic. I absolutely despise problematic situations.

"Hello, GeneralMajor"

"Greetings, DL1. Did you have any troubles?"

"No GeneralMajor, we encountered no one, and the day passed peacefully."

"Good to hear that. Ready the people to depart shortly, we're leaving to the base."

"Understood, I'll give the order shortly."

I've been in this damn world long enough to notice a peculiar fact. I don't talk to my people all that much. In fact, I suppose I could say that I never speak with them. Erica Maria and Heintz are the only people with whom I occasionally speak, hardly ever with anyone else.

My only interaction with them is to issue commands. Perhaps that is better? It should spare me problems, rationally speaking, since I have no emotional connection to the individuals who may ultimately perish on the battlefield. However, won't that make me appear cold and heartless?

DL1, whose rank and unit were all I knew about him, but not his name, interrupted my train of thought. However, it appears to me that I've been able to get along with him, or perhaps he is acting that manner to avoid getting on my bad side? In any case, everything ought to be fine as long as he doesn't cause any trouble.

"We're ready to leave, GeneralMajor."

"Great, let's leave."

At the center of the convoy, I entered a half-track this time. Being at the beginning, in my estimation, was daft. After all, one of the rules of disabling a convoy is to destroy the "leading" unit first, when this is done, the entire convoy must halt and pass it, granting the attackers plenty of time. When I used to travel this way, it was ludicrous and dangerous.

The convoy departed as I stepped onto the half-track. Naturally not by road, as it was far too dangerous. We simply could not afford to be discovered and have our technology discovered without a plan first. Speaking of which, it was foolish to travel to the city without one. Problematic.

In any case, we were traveling on a very obtrusive "road," if you could call it that. It was less of a road and more of a muddy path. Of course, it was nothing to tracked and half-tracked vehicles. We had a decent pace going.

"D1 to L1, Civilian up ahead. Stopping the convoy, awaiting orders."

Whatever could have gone wrong has already occurred. A civilian noticed us. Within seconds, the entire convoy came to a stop, and all of the soldiers exited their halt-track vehicles to secure the area around them.

When I emerged, I saw that the civilian who spotted us was a child. Possibly between the ages of 15 and 16, I'm not sure what to do right now. I should either get rid of him or arrest him, rationally speaking. Fuck. Damn Lucifer, I'm sure he had it all planned.

"Orders, GeneralMajor!"

"Fucking hell.."

"This is L1, arrest the civilian and bring him to me."

I was unwilling to kill the child. I was simply unable. Fuck everything, fuck this shit! When the soldiers finally brought the kiddo they had just arrested, it screamed and thrashed.

"What are you doing? You vile thugs!"

"Thugs?"

"How old are you?", I asked in a slow and steady voice.

"FUCK YOU!"

"GeneralMajor asked you a question! Answer!", a soldier holding him shouted, it looked like he was about to hit him.

"Calm yourself soldier. I'll ask you this again, how old are you?"

"General.... major? Are you some... soldiers?"

"You could call us that. Now please, stay on-topic and answer my question."

"I'm... 16."

"Just as I thought, a kid."

"What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for mushrooms to make soup for the family."

"How big is your family?"

"There's just me and my mother..."

"Could you take us to where you live?"

"Why...?"

"Don't worry, just take us there."

If I don't search the area and arrest his entire family, they might start looking for him and find our base.

I followed the child with 10 soldiers by my side, who formed two columns of five soldiers each. We traveled about three minutes on foot before arriving at a nice home. The home was constructed of stone, and it had a neat garden, lovely surroundings, and a small river that ran nearby.

"This is where I live."

"Wait here for me.", I signaled to the soldiers.

"Take me to your mother."

"What for?"

"Don't worry, just take me to her."

We entered the house, the interior was neat, and smelled slightly of some kind of herbs. The house itself consisted of roughly 5 rooms.

"Mom! We have a guest!"

"Honey, are you home? Guest? Who did you bring with you?"

The sound came from the kitchen in the house. We went inside.

"Hello, ma'am."

"And who are you?"

"My name is Heryd, and I come from The Empire. Me and your son had run into each other in the middle of woods."

"What did I tell you about going to woods alone?", she scolds him.

"Now, ma'am."

"Yes...?"

"You, and your son will have to go with us to our base."

"What do you mean?"

"Your son saw something he shouldn't have, and now you have to go with us for questioning and documentation."

"How long will it take?"

"I'm not sure."

"What if I don't want to go?"

"We'll have to take you by force, ma'am. I want to avoid doing that in front of your child."

When you have kids, mentioning them in a sentence like that, will guarantee that you've successfully manipulated their emotions. I can avoid physically confronting her by using this strategy.

"Can you give me a moment?"

"Sorry, ma'am. We must go now."

"Sigh, okay."

Surprisingly the kid was quiet. If I'm being completely honest, things are going oddly well for me. That is, up to now at least. Could it be that this woman and this teenager concur with everything I say because they do know something that I don't?

The woman was obviously shocked to see ten of my men when we left the house. Perhaps she had something planned if I were by myself? In any case, it is irrelevant right now. For the sake of Heintz and the others, I must take them into custody. We set out on foot in the direction that the RRU had come to a stop. When suddenly I notice a military patrol of several soldiers approaching the RRU.

"D1, be aware a patrol of soldiers is near you."

"Copy, how should we proceed?"

"..."

It was a lucifer fawn from the very beginning. Luring me to the child's and woman's home so I can arrest them, then causing me trouble after I leave. Problematic.

"Leave immediately."

"But GeneralMajor! We can't just leave you there!"

"Leave, that's an order damn it! We cannot let them see us!"

".... Copy."

My soldiers can be heard leaving the area. I only have ten men and two civilians with me, and I don't have a vehicle. With these civilians around, it will be difficult for me to try and walk to the base. Perhaps I should simply let them go; after all, who is going to believe a child and a woman in the middle of nowhere about some strange soldiers on strange horses?

"You two."

"Yes..?", the woman answers.

"You may leave to your home, do not tell anyone about us, do you understand?"

"Y-yes!"

The woman and her child ran home and slammed the door. Not surprisingly, they were almost "kidnapped" in their eyes. I hope this is not a bad decision. In any case, the patrol arrived at the location of the RRU. They left fewer traces than expected, which is fortunate. The soldiers on the patrol investigated these traces but took another route. Perhaps they will ignore them? If they didn't become interested in something like this, it would be very helpful; perhaps they would dismiss it as just a strange, large carriage.

Anyway, I started out toward the base with my men. And in this "chaos" I broke the radio, no communication with the base. Problematic.

The RRU reached the base several minutes later.

"GeneralMajor, where are you!", Erica shouted.

"GeneralMajor told us to leave since an enemy patrol was near."

"WHAT, ARE YOU INSANE LEAVING YOUR LEADER THERE?"

"He ordered us to do so! Furthermore ten of our boys are with him!"

She appeared to be both flustered and worried at the same time as a result of the circumstance I was in, and her face showed it. She sprinted to HQ as the RRU started to restock.

"Heintz!"

"What do you want, Erica?"

"It's about GeneralMajor!"

"What about him?"

"Well, he told his escort to leave! And he has only ten people with him! We need to send rescue mission!"

"Erica, if GeneralMajor ordered that, then he had a good reason to. Do you not believe in his competence in decision taking and leadership?"

"It's not like that Heintz! I'm worried about him! What if something happens.."

"Be calm Erica, if he won't show up in, let's say, two hours we'll send rescue mission."

"Two hours??! He can be long dead by that mark!"

"Erica, please, calm yourself down. Think rationally like GeneralMajor would. If he told his escort to leave, he has a way to make it to the base safe."

".... Okay."

"Did you try to contact him with radio?"

"No..."

"... Erica, this is one of the first thigs we should do. You should've told me you didn't even try to contact him via radio."

"I didn't had time! I immediately ran here..."

He sighs, "Okay."

"GeneralMajor, this is Heintz are you okay?"

.

.

.

"GeneralMajor? Can you hear us? Hello?"

"See! Something must've happen!", Erica once again claimed.

"If something happen to him it would be disaster, to say the least. Instead of two hours, we'll wait one. He shouldn't be that away considering how fast RRU got to the place."

Meanwhile...

"Anyone knows where are we?", I asked and took my map out.

"No, GeneralMajor."

"We have no idea, sir."

"That means... Fuck! I'm lost in this fucking godforsaken forest! GO BACK TO HELL LUCIFER!"