But it seemed that right after taking care of Nineveh, New Eridu's massive headache, he had immediately done another huge thing. He straight up beat up their Major General on their own turf.
Not just him, but his entire escort squad as well—he had sent every single one of them to the hospital with his iron fists. Who knew if this would affect the reward the Defense Force was giving him.
What's done was done. Andrew chose to first see exactly what the Defense Force had given him before saying anything else.
Whether it had an effect or not, he would easily be able to tell from the sincerity of this reward.
Without dwelling on it, after hanging up the phone with The Mayor, Andrew directly turned his head to look at Von Lycaon, who had been waiting respectfully to the side the entire time he was conversing with that old fox.
Tilting his head to signal that it was time for the other party to show the goods, he said,
"Since that's the case, Von Lycaon, could I trouble you to explain exactly what good stuff the Defense Force has given?"
Hearing this, Von Lycaon immediately nodded and said,
"As you wish, Esteemed Manager."
With that, Von Lycaon pulled out a rather small but exquisitely crafted red velvet box from the inside of his suit, which he had prepared beforehand, and solemnly handed it to Andrew.
Looking at the package in his hand, Andrew noted that it clearly wasn't big enough to hold anything large.
At most, it could probably only hold some medals or cards.
However, as Andrew casually weighed it in his hand, the heavy sensation felt nothing like a card.
Could it be a medal?
Was the Defense Force really this stingy? After such a massive incident, were they planning to just brush him off with a Medal of Honor?
However, Andrew, who had only considered this a bonus to begin with, didn't really care enough to get hung up on it. Instead, he simply chose to open the package to see what was inside.
But to his surprise, it wasn't the medal he had expected.
Or rather, while it was a badge of sorts, compared to an expected merit medal, these two small rectangular objects actually looked more like shoulder epaulets worn on a uniform.
It would be even more fitting if there was a Defense Force uniform to go with it.
Moreover, the design of this thing gave Andrew a slight sense of familiarity.
It made him subconsciously voice his surprise:
"Is this thing... a military rank??"
Looking at the epaulets in his hand, Andrew absentmindedly picked them up and toyed with them a bit, scratching his head in confusion as he said,
"Two bars and three stars... a Colonel? Does this mean I'm officially part of the Defense Force's system? But the question is... when did I even join the Defense Force?"
Could someone who wasn't even in the Defense Force be directly awarded a military rank by them?
Meanwhile, Von Lycaon—who had known from the very beginning that Andrew was the one who destroyed the Umbrella Research Institute, and thus had some guesses about the hidden circumstances—noticed Andrew's confusion and aptly spoke up to remind him:
"I wonder if you remember, but previously, you did indeed take over as the commander of the Silver Squad with the rank of Major.
"And according to the Defense Force high-ranker who commissioned me, the rank of Colonel is actually the highest military rank that can be bestowed upon you without drawing massive attention from within the army. They hope you won't find it lacking."
Hearing Von Lycaon's reminder, Andrew finally remembered.
Back then, in order to trick his way into getting command of the Silver Squad, he had indeed pretended to agree to the terms of that Institute Director—the one he had thoroughly 'Ora-Ora'ed' evenly all over his body.
As for that guy's name... Andrew had honestly forgotten it completely.
And after seeing him agree, the guy had indeed tapped away on his tablet for a while before announcing that the authority transfer was successful.
Who would have thought that those operations were actually him busily creating a profile for Andrew in the Defense Force?!
Andrew truly hadn't expected that a guy who looked like he was full of schemes would actually legitimately set up a Defense Force identity for him.
But then again...
His military record had only existed for a short month or so, yet the identity on his file had skipped several ranks directly from Major to Colonel.
With such a massive leap in promotion, wouldn't that be highly conspicuous too?
Setting that aside for a moment.
Seeing how generous the Defense Force was in granting this military rank, almost without the slightest hesitation...
Could it be that that guy Lorenz had truly been completely abandoned?
Otherwise, even if his military identity made the excuse he used back then somewhat less of a blatant fabrication, with the people backing Lorenz interfering, they shouldn't have been this forthcoming with their rewards.
At the thought of this possibility, the corners of Andrew's mouth couldn't help but curl up into a smirk.
Evil getting its just desserts was truly a satisfying feeling for both body and mind.
With Lorenz completely abandoned, not only would Isolde face one less obstacle in her promotion, but she also wouldn't have to worry about subsequent retaliation from his faction.
This also made Andrew feel much more at ease regarding the situation with Isolde and the Obols Squad when he left.
Although Andrew's thoughts had wandered slightly off track, the oblivious Von Lycaon beside him wasn't finished explaining this military rank.
He immediately continued:
"The moment you received the epaulets, your profile in the database was synchronously updated.
"From now on, you are thoroughly a Colonel in the Defense Force, and you may normally exercise all the rights a Colonel is entitled to."
Now that the things everyone had were out of the way, next came the exclusive privileges opened solely for Andrew—the reason Von Lycaon had made a special trip.
Von Lycaon continued:
"From the moment your Colonel rank becomes effective, as long as you encounter what you deem to be a highly critical emergency, you possess the unconditional right to temporarily take over and command the cooperation of any frontline squads in the current area whose commander is below the rank of General."
His opening words were a massive bombshell.
No responsibilities, no obligations. The very first point he stated could be considered absolute power.
And this could be said to be the reward and trust earned from Meow-Da flawlessly executing the no-damage requirement Andrew set, as well as Andrew's proactive assault during the intercept battle against Nineveh.
But the most intriguing part of that statement was actually the first phrase: 'what you deem to be a highly critical emergency'.
The boundaries drawn by this brief restriction were far too vague. If this power were given to someone harboring malicious intent or prone to running amok...
The ultimate consequences would inevitably be unimaginable.
And such a right, with a massive amount of discretionary power, was absolutely not something a normal Colonel could possess.
Regardless of whether Andrew would or could use it in the future, at the very least, the sincerity contained within it was undoubtedly maxed out.
Without a doubt, this was an olive branch from the Defense Force.
Or at least, an olive branch from one of its factions.
It was just that the other party's sincerity was so overwhelming that Andrew was somewhat stunned for a moment.
But Von Lycaon's words didn't stop there.
"However..."
After relaying this seemingly unimaginably immense power, a trace of worry inevitably appeared on his face.
He then spoke up earnestly, offering a word of advice:
"With a privilege of this magnitude, if you do not wish to join the Defense Force's faction, speaking purely on a personal level, I advise you to use it sparingly."
Although Von Lycaon didn't explain further, after his brief moment of shock, Andrew had similarly keenly realized the hidden little scheme the Defense Force had embedded when granting this power.
Although this power was incredibly vast.
Every time this power was used, it meant his stance in the eyes of others would lean one step closer to the Defense Force.
Compared to his original identity as a Hunter entirely independent of New Eridu's three major powers, with every subsequent exercise of this right, he would become increasingly closer to being a Defense Force Colonel.
The shift in stance always happened imperceptibly.
Once enough time passed and it was used enough times, even if he wasn't part of the Defense Force, he would essentially become one of them.
As for how many squads were sacrificed due to Andrew's command during this period, those were all sacrifices within their acceptable margins.
And it was stated very clearly within this right.
The authority Andrew possessed did not extend to the personal elite troops under the command of Generals.
After all, within the Defense Force, only upon reaching the rank of General did one truly become a power holder. And the elite troops in their hands were their most precious and powerful armed forces.
It could also be called their bottom line.
The rest, even a Colonel acting as a commander, were ultimately nothing more than high-ranking frontline soldiers.
Delegating some authority and sacrificing some non-elite soldiers in exchange for a Void Hunter-level powerhouse joining their faction was simply a highly lucrative, zero-risk deal.
Especially considering his previous performance, Andrew was still a good person who wouldn't abuse his power.
They might not even have to pay the price of any necessary sacrifices.
But no matter what calculations they were running in their minds or what hidden depths lay within, this power and trust were genuinely real.
If he truly ran into a highly critical emergency, Andrew certainly wouldn't be stingy about using it.
Knowing that Andrew had fully grasped the intricacies without needing his reminder, Von Lycaon couldn't help but subconsciously nod slightly.
Then, he continued:
"At the same time, the operational funds for the Silver Squad have been directly deposited into your account. If it's not enough, you may apply for more at any time.
"Furthermore, as a Colonel, you now possess the right to form or incorporate multiple squads under your name. The specific amount of operational funds and equipment required can similarly be requested at any time."
Subsequently, Von Lycaon solemnly uttered the most important sentence regarding this privilege:
"There is no specific upper limit set on the amount."
As he said this, Von Lycaon handed over a card, while also bringing out a stack of blank printed paper meant for fund application forms.
And this form Von Lycaon handed over had everything, except for the 'reason for application' column, which had simply vanished.
The moment he saw this, Andrew understood. This was purely a gesture of goodwill.
Funds that didn't ask for a reason for application? How the hell were these operational funds? This was literally giving him a limitless credit card to spend however he pleased.
In any case, it was issued to him as 'funds'; exactly how he spent it, no one would ever care.
However, compared to these limitless funds, Andrew actually cared more about the seemingly inconspicuous rule allowing him to form or incorporate multiple squads under his name.
This was something Andrew genuinely needed.
Earlier, he had been considering whether just the Silver Squad alone would be enough to keep watch over things once the cultivation area for the special Monster Hunter plants he brought over was further expanded in the near future.
Looking at it now, didn't this mean he could just find a few new squads?
As for the candidates...
For this errand, if he were to request a bunch of young soldiers who joined the army after the fall of the Old Capital from other generals, Andrew actually wouldn't feel comfortable leaving it to them.
After all, as the saying goes, young soldiers always crave glory and merit in their hearts.
Guarding fields was a job that clearly had no prospects at first glance. It'd be a miracle if young soldiers were willing to accept it with peace of mind.
As for their enthusiasm and diligence, that would be even more concerning.
Suddenly.
The old face of Li Long from outside the Umbrella Research Institute—wearing a fawning, honest-looking smile, yet running like the wind while carrying his two subordinates, one in each hand—instantly popped into Andrew's mind.
After thinking it over carefully, Andrew realized something.
That regiment commander, who had been forced to defect from the Defense Force and only had two companies left under his command, was an incredibly suitable candidate.
That old geezer looked honest, but he was actually sharp as a tack.
It was just that as a forced defector with nowhere to turn, his only thought right now was to find a stable and safe place for his remaining brothers-in-arms.
Otherwise, given his personality, he wouldn't have played deaf and dumb for so long in a place that clearly had major issues at first glance.
Although, in the end, it was all for naught because of his own intervention, so it didn't succeed anyway.
At the same time, the logs he had reviewed back then to verify that Li Long truly hadn't participated in any of it also made it clear to Andrew that there were no issues with his character.
Having them help watch over his vegetable garden—wasn't that exactly the most perfect job in the minds of those guys who, after the fall of the Old Capital, only wanted peace and stability?
Moreover, considering that all of their current soldiers were veterans who had survived the purgatory that was the fall of the Old Capital.
Their true combat strength was certainly not lacking.
For these guys who resembled armored troops more than pure infantry, if they swapped out the equipment they'd been carrying around for the past seven years for new gear, while also having plenty of Autonomous Mechs for support...
With infantry-tank coordination, having their strength multiply several times over shouldn't be a problem at all.
Taking all these circumstances into consideration, Li Long and his soldiers really were highly suitable candidates.
He just didn't know where exactly in the Outer Ring they had scurried off to hide after breaking away from the Umbrella Research Institute.
After all, with the Umbrella Research Institute incident exposed and their identities still being rebels, they must be terrified of being purged by the Defense Force and would definitely need to find a place to lay low and weather the storm.
But Andrew knew very well.
Around New Eridu, the only place capable of hiding over three hundred people was the Outer Ring—a lawless, chaotic mix of all sorts of people.
As for other places...
The wild couldn't provide enough supplies to sustain three hundred people, and other places were gathering grounds for countless rebel factions.
Having previously accepted amnesty, it was simply impossible for them to go back.
Only the Outer Ring had the channels necessary to exchange precious materials gathered from Hollows for the massive amounts of daily supplies, weapons, and ammunition they needed.
Therefore, they were definitely still hiding in some unknown corner of the Outer Ring right now.
Before heading back, he'd just commission Caesar to help look for them.
____
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