Dialla's men assisted in the boarding of the Nisaerian refugees and witnessed their departure before returning to their temporary base in the center of Nisaeria's capital city. Dialla ordered all his men to pack up their belongings and retreat from Nisaeria. The soldiers were joyful and cheered along their way back after their victorious battle. However, Dialla and Victor still had doubts about the three warriors.
"I still don't understand, Sir… Why would three of them want to help those people? What's their motive?"
"I don't get it as well, Victor. Perhaps they simply enjoy being hailed as heroes by the people. What do you think?"
"Maybe," Victor conceded.
"I don't believe they are as benevolent as the rumors suggest. Let's not forget they were Kothern's soldiers who took many lives on the battlefield like us."
"Could they be trying to redeem themselves?"
Dialla shook his head. "I highly doubt it. They aren't as noble as people make them out to be."
"But, Sir, why did you agree to help them? What if Mr. President or General inquire about this later?"
"I'm not foolish as you, Victor! I intend to make them shoulder the responsibility for their actions. But don't forget they have certain privileges given by the President... I suspect Mr. President and the General will just remain silent. As for my reasons for assisting them… Well… Hahahahaha!"
"What's so amusing, Sir? I don't understand."
"I'm not assisting them for free; we've struck a deal."
"A deal?"
"Yes. Just reach under your seat, and you'll understand…"
"Under my seat? What's there... Hmm? A suitcase... This one?"
"That's it. But, I'm afraid I can't reveal its contents to you yet."
"I see... It feels light. Is it something valuable?"
"To me, it's invaluable. It could change the fate of Kothern, perhaps even the world! Hahahahaha! Don't worry, Victor, your fate will also take a turn, and I can guarantee it. Hahahahaha!!!"
"Why does it sound ominous to me?"
"You're overthinking it, Victor. The change I'm talking about is for the better. You've misunderstood."
"I see. So, they are willing to entrust such important things to you, Sir?!"
"To be honest, I'm still wary of this. Those three warriors... I wonder how they acquired these items... But one thing is certain; they are not ordinary 'soldiers.' I'm not interested in delving deeper."
"Should we steer clear of their troubles then?"
"Yes, it's better to avoid them. That's another reason I agreed to help them. You must know your enemy well before you hold their fate in your hands... just like Captain Raynolds. So, we don't mess with them right now. Understood?"
"Yes, Sir... By the way, you mentioned these things would change our fate. How will they work, Sir?"
"I can't reveal that yet. I'll use them when the time is right."
"Understood, Sir. I'll always be on your side when you need my help!"
"I appreciate your loyalty, Sergeant. But you've made too many mistakes, which has left me very disappointed…"
"I swear, I won't mess up anymore," Victor vowed earnestly.
"Alright then, have you sent anyone to look for the corpse of our Captain?"
Victor hesitated and replied in a barely audible voice, "Ahrmmm… No."
"See! You've messed up again! Don't always wait for my orders to do what's necessary! Use your brain, will you?!!" Dialla's frustration boiled over and his reprimand was so vehement that his saliva landed on Victor's face.
"My apologies... I'll arrange it immediately," Victor said and wiped his face with his right arm.
"You don't have to find it anymore! It's been so long since he fell into the river; his body must have flowed into the ocean already."
"You're right, Sir! And I shot him as well; he must be dead."
"This is the only right thing you've done in this war..."
"I will improve myself, Sir! I assure you!"
"Well, remember your words, Victor."
"Yes, Sir!"
"Sir, I can see the skyscraper of our capital city already... and that ridiculously huge cannon... Do we really need to waste so many resources building that cannon in our capital city?"
"The cannon served as a warning to the entire world, showcasing our technological prowess! But, I must admit, I still believe it's a frivolous expenditure of funds... They should have built something like the ones in Luthernza instead of this massive one here..."
"Luthernza's cannons? Yeah, those are sufficient to defend our city already. What a waste."
After a long journey, they finally arrived at Kothern's capital city. As expected, many people lined the road, cheering for their victory in the war. The soldiers received a warm welcome from the people, and even children came out to watch the triumphant soldiers return.
"Sir, don't you want to wave back to the people?" Victor suggested.
"I'm not in the mood. I haven't had a good rest since the war…"
"I see... Hmm? I see a familiar silhouette in the crowd... What the…! It's him! Sir, it's him!"
"Don't be so noisy! Who the hell is that?"
"The assassin who shot your eye!"
"Really!? Damn it! Stop the car! Where is he?"
"Over there! Eh?! He's gone..."
"Are you sure you saw that cursed asshole?"
"Yes, Sir! I truly saw him just now among the crowd over there! He was even smiling at us!"
"He won't give up until he kills me, right? Victor, call our men tomorrow and arrange for them to secure the ministry building. Don't let him have a single chance to slip inside again!"
"Of course, Sir!"
"Playing mind games with me? Fine, I will make you deeply regret it!" Dialla's face was filled with anger.
They continued on to the headquarters, where the Minister of Defense awaited them at the entrance. As they reached the headquarters, the soldiers were reunited with their family members who had eagerly awaited their return. The joy of reunion filled the atmosphere, yet it was punctuated by the somber notes of grieving cries in the background, for some of them were still waiting for loved ones who would never return. Many had waited in vain, never seeing the ones they had hoped to meet again.
"Minister, it's great to see you." Dialla greeted and saluted.
"Welcome home, First Lieutenant Dialla! We were hoping to see you immediately after hearing the good news."
"It's my honor."
"By the way, Mr. President and the General have been waiting for you in their room. Please go meet them when you're ready. Unfortunately, I still have other duties and can't celebrate your victory with you."
"Understood, Sir. Please give me some time to prepare myself."
"No problem."
Dialla stood at the entrance, waiting for the Minister to disappear from his sight. He then returned to his vehicle and took the suitcase with him. After a quick scan of his surroundings, he proceeded to bring the suitcase back to his office, with Victor following closely behind, visibly anxious and sweating.
"Victor! You look suspicious and seem to be sweating profusely. Just act normal, will you?!"
"I'm sorry, Sir. Let me catch my breath..."
"Forget about it... Now you look like you've run a marathon."
"My apologies... Here we are, your office... Hmm? Sir, your office's ceiling and walls..."
"To hell with them... My office is still the same after the fire. No one really cares, do they? Is this how our superiors treat their honorable soldiers after winning a war?"
"I'll contact the renovation contractor right now!"
"Nevermind! I'll be moving to a new office. The Captain's office is much bigger than mine... Yes, his office will be mine... Hahahahaha! Let me put this suitcase into my safe first... Victor, turn around."
"Okay! ... Are you done, Sir?"
"Not yet... Now I am."
"Phew... So tired..."
"Well, Victor, you can rest in my office and keep an eye on the safe, just in case an uninvited guest pays us a visit... Anyway, I'll need to see you once I'm done meeting with Mr. President."
"Alright, Sir. I'll wait for your good news!"
"Hahaha! But before that, they're sure to ask me a lot of dumb questions... Guess what, I'm well-prepared."
Dialla walked confidently to the elevator. Many comrades congratulated him on his victory along the way, showing their respect, even if deep down, they were motivated by the expectation of his promotion. Nowadays, personal interests often took precedence over being an honorable soldier for many in Kothern's military.
Shortly, Dialla arrived at the General's office and knocked on the door.
"It must be First Lieutenant Dialla, right? Please come in," the President welcomed him.
"Yes, thank you. Good to see you, Mr. President."
"Good to see you as well. Please have a seat," Mr. President shook his hand and greeted Dialla.
"Thanks."
"First Lieutenant, we are very pleased that you led a victorious war under the toughest circumstances we've ever faced. We understand that we're currently short on manpower for field operations, but that's hardly an issue for a formidable commander like you."
"It's my honor."
"However, while we may have won the war, the cost was the loss of Kothern's greatest warrior, which neither I nor the General can believe..."
"I can hardly believe it myself..."
"The Nisaerian government had agreed to sign the peace treaties, but in the end, they betrayed us. Both you and Captain made the right decision to respond immediately. Could you please explain how it all started?"
"Of course. We received reports of riots spreading throughout Nisaeria, so I sent my men to the north point to prevent the unrest from spilling into our land. Unfortunately, shortly after their arrival at the north point, we received a distress call. Captain Raynolds promptly ordered us to retaliate. That's the summary of it."
"Dialla, could you also explain what happened to Captain Raynolds to us?" General inquired.
"Yes, but I don't have much information about it at the moment. According to the report from Sergeant Victor, Captain was sacrificed while leading the front line in their second-largest city. He was directly hit by a tank."
"Indeed... All of Nisaeria's elite units were in that city... But even our great Captain couldn't survive it? Ridiculous. I've been directly hit by a tank before, and there was absolutely nothing to it..." General boasted.
"I won't say we won this war easily, General. It was a hard-fought battle."
"I understand, Lieutenant. But we are Kothern, one of the world's top military nations. We possess the most advanced weapons in the world. How can a war with Nisaeria be so challenging? They're just a tiny nation above us, of no real significance!" The General's tone held a hint of displeasure.
"General! I sense there's something else you want to say. Please, speak your mind. I'm open to criticism." Dialla's tone shifted from polite to displeased.
"I just can't fathom it! What's the fuss about battling Nisaeria? If other nations find out that we struggled against them, it will seriously damage our reputation! So, what I want to say is that all of you are a bunch of idiots!!"
Dialla didn't respond to the General's comment, but he clenched his fist tightly, his heart brimming with anger. He didn't even blink, keeping his gaze fixed on the General.
"General, I believe you're being too harsh on our men. Perhaps they didn't perform exceptionally well on the battlefield, but they still secured a victory, and that's a commendable result. Regardless of what others may think of us, there's no other nation in the world that could take us on."
"Thank you, Mr. President. I truly appreciate your understanding," Dialla said.
"You're welcome, Lieutenant. I need you to submit a detailed report on the war to me."
"Rest assured, I will."
"Great! Alright, Lieutenant! Due to your brave and effective leadership that brought us victory, I would like to represent the Minister of Defense in promoting your rank to Captain. I believe you possess the qualities to lead our men, much like Captain Raynolds. Well done, and congratulations!"
"What wonderful news... Thanks, Mr. President!" Dialla saluted.
"Bastard..." The General's displeasure was becoming more evident.
"We'll hold the promotion ceremony two days from now. Please inform your men to attend," the President instructed.
"Understood, Mr. President. I'll relay the message."
"By the way, Captain Dialla..."
"Yes, what is it?"
"How potent are our latest developed K-2 missiles?"
"I believe they're ten times more powerful than the previous ones. The missile single-handedly leveled their entire capital city."
"That's incredible! We've finally succeeded! General, did you hear that? Our missiles have brought down the entire capital city of Nisaeria!"
"Yes, Mr. President. I'm delighted to hear that," the General responded.
"Thank you, Captain. You can now take some well-deserved rest, and we'll meet again in two days."
"Of course, I'll return to my office if there are no further matters..."
"Yes, you may."
"Alright, farewell, Mr. President... and General."