Chapter 5: Never Afraid to Face Off

"Hello, Mr. Robin Rommel. I am a reporter from the Volsini Times."

"Greetings, I am a reporter from the Anzio Daily..."

"Hello, I am a reporter from the Volsini Weekly..."

The reporters introduced themselves one by one, their eyes fixed on Robin as if they were looking at a giant beckoning cat.

"Hello to you all." Robin was polite and greeted them naturally. "Could you please speak one at a time? It’s a bit chaotic with so many people."

"Certainly." The reporter from the Anzio Daily took a step forward, nearly shoving his microphone into Robin’s mouth. "Mr. Robin, are you a soldier under Grand Duke Benito?"

"That is correct."

"Grand Duke Benito’s actions are tantamount to treason. Why do you think he launched this war?" the reporter asked. "As his accomplice, don’t you feel you have betrayed your country?"

Robin: ...

These reporters were always the same, constantly fishing for sensationalism and provocative topics!

"May I ask, do you know why Grand Duke Benito launched this war?" Robin countered.

"This... I am not Grand Duke Benito; how would I know?" The reporter was taken aback.

"You are a journalist. Theoretically, you are more cultured and better educated than I am, and you have access to people at higher levels. If even you don't know, why would a soldier like me know? Are you suggesting my understanding is superior to yours?" Robin asked.

"Well..." The reporter actually paused to think, realizing his question was perhaps a bit unreasonable.

The reporter from the Volsini Times watched this exchange, recording audio while silently taking notes: The professional integrity of the Anzio Daily reporter is questionable; he actually asked a common soldier for the thoughts of Grand Duke Benito.

The recording devices here were anything but compact, resembling large, old-fashioned radio boxes. Steam hissed through countless pipes on the units, and there were numerous metal plates—the principle behind them was anyone's guess.

"But as his accomplice, don't you feel you have betrayed your country?" the reporter pressed on.

Robin did not admit to being a foreigner; that was a secret that could not be exposed yet!

If a local becomes a hero in a civil war, they gain the support of the people, for the masses worship heroes. But if he were a foreigner, the implications would change entirely; he would transform from a hero into an invader.

"I am a soldier. Before I joined the army, I was hungry and cold. I simply wanted to survive, nothing more," Robin said.

Robin was not lying. After being kicked out by the company, the original host had less than two thousand left, which he had only managed to keep by sewing it into his underwear.

"Are you saying you would betray your country just to put food on the table?" The reporter seemed to have seized on a key point.

"I have never betrayed my country," Robin replied. "As far as I know, many citizens support Grand Duke Benito. When we first entered the city, many civilians lined the streets to welcome us."

"Are you implying that everyone who welcomed Grand Duke Benito is a traitor?"

"And were the newspapers that hailed Grand Duke Benito as the savior of the nation also committing treason?"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the reporters shifted.

Robin knew that in his past life, he had seen countless unscrupulous self-media outlets operate without any bottom line just for traffic. Back then, Robin had engaged in countless online debates; his combat effectiveness was formidable!

Although these people were professionals, they lacked the impact of big data and, consequently, lacked real-world experience. Robin hadn't read the old reports, but Grand Duke Benito had indeed conquered half the city, and he remembered the civilians welcoming them. Unfortunately, Robin had been in a "brain-dead" state at the time and thought it was some kind of celebration. Judging by the crowds, there must have been plenty of journalists and newspapers singing the Grand Duke's praises back then. Robin knew the true faces of these people all too well.

"Mr. Robin..." Seeing the Anzio Daily reporter at a loss for words, the reporter from the Volsini Times stepped forward. "Are you a recipient of the First-Class Silver Wing Medal?"

"That is correct." Robin nodded. "The Silver Wing Medal has been with me the whole time."

Robin pulled his hand from under the covers, a small medal clutched in his palm.

*Click, click...*

Flashes erupted as the image of Robin holding the Silver Wing Medal was captured on film. This was the real deal—a genuine Silver Wing Medal! No matter what the Grand Duke had done, he adhered to the code of a soldier and would not bestow such a medal lightly. Those who earned it were, without exception, gods of war on the battlefield—true warriors!

"What exactly did you do on the battlefield?" the reporter pursued.

"I sniped nine second lieutenants, two first lieutenants, one captain, and I don't know how many soldiers," Robin said. "I also operated a mortar, blowing up three bunkers and six artillery pieces."

*Hiss...*

The reporters present gasped in unison, contributing their own small part to global warming. Their eyes toward Robin had changed. He had killed that many people?

"Mr. Robin, those people were your countrymen. Don't you feel any heartache?" The Anzio Daily reporter quickly interjected. His line of questioning consistently aimed to induce guilt on a moral level.

"When I was shooting them with my rifle, I felt heartache... but I am a soldier, and my duty is to obey orders! They were soldiers, too, and I believe that when they stepped onto the battlefield, they had the same resolve as I did," Robin said. "Or do you think a soldier’s job is to act based on his own whims rather than following orders?"

"When another country invades, should a soldier lay down his rifle just to avoid feeling guilty, letting the enemy's iron hooves trample our borders, ravage our land, humiliate our wives and daughters, and throw us into a prisoner-of-war camp to dig for potatoes?"

"Mr. Robin, I respect you, but please do not make personal attacks against me." The Anzio Daily reporter seemed angered.

"Ha, I'm just a soldier. I'm not well-educated. I only know that it is a soldier's duty to obey orders; I don't understand those convoluted arguments of yours," Robin sneered.

"You are shifting the goalposts." The Anzio Daily reporter realized this man had exceptional debating skills—nothing like the stammering soldiers who usually blurted out whatever they were asked—and he became more cautious. "You are talking about foreign invasion; I am talking about civil war!"

"Pointing a gun at your own people and pointing it at outsiders are two different things!"

"The Grand Duke launched this war because he likely had political disagreements with certain people, but the other side was unwilling to sit down at the negotiating table for a friendly discussion. The Grand Duke, out of desperation, had no choice but to use this method," Robin said. "Many have died in this war, but I believe the Grand Duke's goal is to make life better for everyone."

"If those people don't want to fight their own countrymen, they can put down their guns."

"By the way, Marquis Sid is in the city. You can go advise him—tell him exactly what you just told me."

The Anzio Daily reporter was choked into silence. *Advise him? He’d blow my head off with one shot!*