Chapter 58: The Golden Eagle Among Elites

“Sunshine, beaches, coconuts! If only there were bikinis—then this would be a perfect holiday! Ah, paradise!” Sated and at ease, with a rare lull in the chaos of war, George sprawled out on a deck chair, thoroughly savoring this hard-won vacation.

The Thunder Squad had temporarily suspended all operations due to the laboratory’s need to study weaknesses in certain plants. For the first time since arriving in this world, the team found themselves with unprecedented leisure. “Bikinis, is it? Would you only be satisfied if we put a bikini on your head?” Wenxin, who was not with Mingchuan at the moment, had also come to the beach to rest, but was immediately met with George’s mischievous banter.

“I have no such peculiar inclinations. My ideal is to bask in the gentle breeze of spring! Ah, that wondrous Avalon!” Whether George’s mind was truly unhinged or his madness was simply flaring up, a sense of his unreliability flickered across the faces of those around him.

“This boy must be running a fever. Colt, isn’t George your friend? Take him to a doctor! I’ll even cover the medical expenses myself,” Thomson said, unable to bear watching any longer, even offering to pay out of his own pocket for George’s ‘treatment.’

“Save your pounds. His ‘illness’ is what you’d call adolescent delusion—it’s been with him since birth, and there’s no cure.”

“If mine is adolescent delusion, then what’s the explanation for those two?” George gestured toward Mingchuan and Winchester not far away. The two of them, rifles in hand, were firing shot after shot, and given their marksmanship, if they pulled the trigger, they always hit their mark.

“Look at them—on a perfectly good holiday, they leave the sun and sand behind to practice their shooting. That’s not just odd, it’s downright mad, isn’t it?” Even though the two had fitted suppressors on their sniper rifles, George seemed to hear the shots all the same.

“Well, that’s called diligence. Besides, I don’t think they see battle as battle anymore. It’s just a game to them,” Wenxin replied, her tone growing more vacant as she spoke.

“A game? Don’t tell me... they already see killing as a game?” Wenxin’s voice trembled with fear. If Mingchuan had truly become a war machine, was there any difference between him and Death itself?

“Wait a moment—look over there!” Bob, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke, prompting the team to glance at Mingchuan. They saw him lay out a sheet of paper, then retrieve a box from his pouch.

“What the hell! Is Mingchuan gay? Is he proposing to Winchester?” George blurted out, quick as ever with his jibes.

“Shut up and watch!” Wenxin smacked George on the head, forcing him to huddle, clutching his skull.

At that moment, Mingchuan took out from the box something resembling a medal and pinned it to Winchester’s uniform. The two then saluted each other.

“What’s going on? Are they handing out awards behind our backs?” Colt grumbled, annoyed—he was the vice-captain, after all; how could awards be given without his knowledge?

Noticing everyone’s stares, Mingchuan brought Winchester over. “You all saw, so there’s no point hiding it. Winchester accompanied me on a minor mission and was awarded the Royal George Cross for it. It’s this one right here.” He pointed to the silver medal on Winchester’s chest and smiled.

“Sorry for keeping it from you all. It was a small assignment, but it required a stealth expert and a sharpshooter, so I had to pick Winchester, whose mech has optical camouflage,” Mingchuan explained, taking a swig from an unopened drink before continuing. “You’re probably curious about the Golden Eagle medal, right? Look at this!”

Indeed, on Winchester’s chest, alongside the silver medal, was a golden eagle badge. Mingchuan tossed them an already-opened letter. Colt picked it up and read aloud:

“Respected Sergeant Winchester:
The Royal command has heard of your heroic deeds alongside your captain. Our unit greatly admires your abilities and hopes you will join the newly established Royal Golden Eagle Organization after your mission in India. This elite special force is composed of the best from all fronts, dedicated to researching ways to break through the Satanic Core that has so troubled Royal Command. We sincerely hope you will serve as our sniper instructor.
Please accept the Golden Eagle medal as a token of our respect!
Long live the Crown!
Royal Golden Eagle Organization, 2237-10-13”

“See? As captain, it’s my duty to train my team,” Mingchuan said with a smile. But Colt only grinned wryly. “And what of it? Winchester’s a sniper instructor now. What does that make you?”

Before he finished, a heavy envelope smacked him on the head. As Colt reeled, Wenxin picked up the envelope and read:

“Respected Lieutenant Lei Mingchuan:
We salute the holder of the Royal’s farthest and highest kill records. For your valor, the Royal Golden Eagle Organization cordially invites you to help form our first cadre of instructors and hereby awards you the Golden Eagle Twin Swords Medal, in recognition of your support in the alliance’s crusade against Satan. We wished to bestow upon you the Victoria Cross directly, but as you remain in India, this is not possible for the moment. We hope you may return to accept your knighthood and take up the post of Chief Instructor after your mission concludes.
With the highest respect! Long live the Crown!
Royal Golden Eagle Organization, 2237-10-10”

“Chief Instructor? WHAT?” The entire group gasped in shock. At that moment, Mingchuan shouted, “Assembly!”

Sensing the change, everyone immediately snapped to attention—even Colt, who had been feigning unconsciousness, leapt to his feet.

“These are your letters.” As they caught their envelopes and opened them, an identical exclamation burst from every mouth: “Golden Eagle Organization? A summons?!”

——End of Chapter——

10-1, the Time Knight returns, after three weeks’ forbearance. Here comes a massive update for you! I did start a few new threads during school, but those can wait until next year.