21 The great General

As the sun rose high in the sky, a group of high-ranking officials gathered at the front of the MP HQ, eagerly waiting for the arrival of the Great General. Among them was Albert, readying himself for the momentous occasion. The air was thick with anticipation and a sense of nervousness, as it had been quite some time since the General had made an appearance. The officers couldn't help but feel wary, shivering on the hot morning, wondering what the day would bring.

Moments later, the main force of the Imperial Garrison's 18th Infantry Division arrived at the HQ. Fifteen trucks and jeeps rolled into the yard as hundreds of soldiers dismounted to lend a hand to the struggling Military Police. The officers of the Garrison immediately took over the preparation phase, setting up equipment and organizing the troops.

And then, at long last, the General arrived. He hopped off his jeep and quickly made his way over to the MP officers, his High Ranking attire of the Garrison Army adorned with numerous medals and ribbons. Though he appeared young and short, the officers knew better than to be fooled by his looks; for the man before them was the greatest General in the army.

The Military Police officers lined up and stood at attention, their ranks proudly displaying their status within the 5th Military Police Corp of the City of Landon. Albert stepped forward to greet the General. "General of the Imperial Garrison of Ingland," he said, "as the Lieutenant General and Head of the 5th Military Police Corp of the City of Landon, I welcome you back to the capital." All the officers saluted in unison.

"Alrighty then, 5th MP Corps, state Rank and Name, count off!" the General ordered.

"Senior Officer, Lieutenant General Albert Wilson."

"2nd Officer, Colonel Chester Cross."

"4th Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Aramis Payne!"

"5th Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Esmond Reed!"

The General looked around quizzically. "Hmm. You aren't a lot, that's all of them?"

"Yes General, this is all our highest-ranking Officers currently present."

"Hm. Alright, briefing of plan!"

Chester stepped forward to present the plan. "The plan is to overwhelm them with our numbers and use the element of surprise as an advantage to blitz through and arrest the head of the criminal organization Underground Pint, Ivan Hanzai!"

"Eh? Seriously? That's the plan??" the General asked incredulously.

"Yes sir, if all goes well sir," Albert replied confidently.

"Ah, well then… if the Kats did it, it'll probably work with us as well. Carry on with the preparations!"

The soldiers immediately armed themselves and prepared for a massive assault on the enemy base. Albert and the General went up to a terrace to oversee the preparations and also to catch up with each other. It was a rare moment for both busy officers to chat, as General Sho had been assigned as Garrison General of Ingland after the Katz invasion of the mainland, spending all his time plotting the defence of the kingdom. Meanwhile, Albert was still getting used to his new position as Head General of the Landon Military Police Corps. The reunion was somewhat awkward, but soon they were laughing and joking like old friends.

"Hey, Albert, long time no see mate!" Sho said with a grin.

"Hm… likewise," Albert replied, a hint of a smile on his face.

"Ehh?? I haven't seen you in just well over a year and that's how you answer me!? Come 'ere!" Sho playfully gave Albert a noogie, and the two men laughed, momentarily forgetting the tension of the mission ahead.

"Oh, you're more cheerful than I last remember," said the General, eyeing his colleague, Sho.

"Huh? Yeah, I guess so," replied Sho, his voice tinged with surprise.

"The therapy worked? You feel better?" The General's eyes were fixed on Sho, searching for signs of progress.

"Hm, yeah, thanks to you," said Sho, a hint of gratitude in his voice.

"I guess I have found a new job to distract me," said the General, trying to break the ice.

"That's nice," said Sho, although his mind was preoccupied with the task at hand.

"Well then, how many did you bring?" asked the General, referring to the troops Sho had promised to bring.

"Two Divisions," replied Sho matter-of-factly.

"What!? That much!?" exclaimed the General, his eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Well, you asked for help, so of course I'll do my best to help you in any way," said Sho, his tone confident.

"But preparations will take twice as long!" said the General, his mind already racing with the logistics of the situation.

"Don't worry, I trust your kid will hold up well," said Sho, with a reassuring smile.

"Eh… if you say so," said the General, still feeling uneasy about the situation.

"I'm sorry, Sho," said Sho's colleague, Albert, suddenly speaking up.

"Eh!? For what!?" asked Sho, startled by the sudden apology.

"An unauthorized crackdown operation on a dangerous criminal organization unapproved by the General Assembly would not be pleasing to hear in my record book," explained Albert, his voice serious.

"Ah, Don't worry about those matters mate! I gotchu, I'll cover for ya!" said Sho, his tone lighthearted as he brushed off the concern.

"I see… thanks!" said Albert, nodding in appreciation.

Both of them paused for a moment, as they watched the chaotic scene unfolding around them. Soldiers were scrambling to prepare for the worst, their faces tense with anticipation.

The General couldn't help but question Albert's plan. "Why did you even agree with that kid's plan? It's not like you to send a kid to danger, aren't you close to children?"

But Albert simply grinned at Sho with excitement. "Hmm… after Mr. Bon gave me the coordinates, we would've done it either way, but after hearing his plan, it was… strange… his eyes were filled with resolve, his voice was filled with confidence, it felt like he had shaken the room, if that kid went to a fight, I'd say he'll beat even the best of your top recruits!"

"Oh really?? I would like to meet this 'kid' that so amazes you," said the General, his curiosity piqued.

"Yeah, after this whole operation is over… so then I was like, this kid is serious! So, I had to see for myself if he'd back down after I've agreed, but he just celebrated, no fear in sight!"

"But why did you even let him go? Don't you know it's dangerous??" asked the General, still struggling to understand.

"I told you the plan earlier was to overwhelm them in a surprise attack, they'll distract them enough to shift their attention to them, lowering their guard even further. Besides, my team had already done some background checks on Mr. Bon, and he's not the guy you'd wanna fight. But I sense everything will be fine, as long as you're here, the blame will be thrown at you ha-ha!" said Albert, his voice tinged with amusement.

"You're so carefree as always. Clever mind you've got there, you've cornered a General of the Army!" the General remarked, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips.

"Hehe, it looks like I've outsmarted you, but it's just a joke," the other man responded a twinkle in his eye.

The General's smile faded, replaced by a more serious expression. "I'll remember this, I'll get you next time," he warned.

The other man's easy grin faltered, and he began to sweat nervously. "Hey seriously, it's just a joke, you've got the power to remove me…" he trailed off, his voice uncertain.

The General's expression softened, and he placed a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder. "Don't worry, you're my friend. Of course, I won't do that," he said, his tone kind and understanding.

Relieved, the other man let out a small laugh. "Ah, I see… t-that's, reassuring hehe…"

The second hand of the clock strikes 12, and the operations continue.

End of Chapter 19