I look at the staff. They do not make eye contact. Whenever I feel their eyes are about to meet mine, they quickly turn their eyes away from me. Among them, there are two who make eye contact. Sarma and Holm.
Sarma has a troubled look on his face, and it is obvious that he is wondering what the hell he is going to do. Holm is standing back from the staff, but he is still staring at me. His eyes are filled with anticipation, wondering what is about to happen.
I look at Sarma again and move my chin a little. He seemed to sense it and came toward me with an expression of "I don't have a choice.
He sat down in one of the lined chairs. Right in front of me. It was the seat where he had originally been sitting.
As if prompted by him, the other members of the staff also went to their original seats, looking puzzled. The Commander-in-Chief remains standing there. I can feel the intense hatred he is directing toward me, but I decide to let it go.
"Now, what the Commander-in-Chief just said, do you all agree with it?"
The staff members look at each other with indescribable expressions. I look over and see Holm stretching his neck and blowing his nose.
"What is it? Do you have an opinion?"
When I spoke to Holm, he looked around with a surprised expression on his face. He seemed to be surprised to hear me talk to him.
"Okay, don't hesitate to tell me."
"Um, ...... I'm ......."
"You're a long way from home there, come here."
I told Sarma to get a chair, and he muttered something to the staff officer who was standing next to him. The staff officer got up and hurriedly went to get a chair and came back. I was the one who ordered Sarma to get a chair, but Sarma was also a very good man who ordered his subordinate to get a chair for him.
The man put the chair right in front of me. No, this would be like looking at the messenger. I am not sure of Holm's rank in the Seyfund Imperial Army, but seeing that he is sitting far away from the staff, he must not have a high rank. Well, it may be due to the fact that he is kept away from the commander-in-chief. The seat that has been prepared for him is right in front of me. It is unbearable to see a man of such ability being treated like this.
I got up and took the chair that was placed in front of me and placed it right next to the chair to the left of the one I was sitting in. In other words, I was facing Holm in a position opposite to Sarma. However, since Holm would be behind me, I shifted my chair back a little.
"Come here, please."
Holm sat down uncomfortably in the chair provided, his eyes black and white. He was encouraged to express his opinion.
"Do you agree with what the Commander-in-Chief says?
"U...... I disagree, sir."
"I see. What do you think we should do?
"I think we should just leave it at that."
"Well, leave it alone?"
"Yes. When some soldiers are already surrendering, I think it is safe to assume that the enemy has already been defeated. If we let time pass at this rate, more and more people will surrender. If that happens, the enemy will fall even if they are left alone.
At my words, Sarma glanced at his father, the commander-in-chief, and then opened his mouth as if he had given up.
"I agree with you, Mr. Holm.
"I see. Do you all agree with me?"
The staff members in the room cast down their eyes at my words. Anyone who can express an opinion in this situation is either very bold or a fool who cannot read the air. I dared to create such a situation where it is difficult to express one's opinion, but this is not the way it should be. I think he is a very unpleasant man who does such a thing in spite of such a situation.
I can see the Commander-in-Chief slowly approaching us. He is going to cut me. He is going to kill me, he is going to kill Sidi and the others, he is going to kill the prisoners, and he is going to kill all those who are holed up in the castle of Khaza. That's how strong his murderous intent is.
He puts his hand on the hilt of his sword. But he froze. I've put a ward on him.
His face flushes. Blue streaks appear at his temples. I grit my teeth and try desperately to move my body, but I just can't.
"I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to stay here. If you take command, many lives will be lost. Think about it! If you cut off the heads of 30 prisoners, the enemy will not surrender but will resist desperately. And moreover, they are suffering from dryness. They will attack us for water, even in fear of death. If that happens, the Safan army will not get away with it, and by extension, NONO and ELSMO will not remain silent. There will surely be an attack in retaliation. If that happens, this battle will become a quagmire. The empire will be at war for years to come. And the notoriety of killing prisoners of war will spread throughout the world. And then this country will be isolated.
The Commander-in-Chief's nose is getting ruffled. His face has gone from red to pale. He continues to speak to him.
"It is the emperor, some commanders, and the nobles who want to fight. The staff and soldiers here do not want to fight. Neither does the enemy. Who wants to kill people? If you want to kill people, do it with those who want to kill people as well. Don't bring people into it."
I look around and open my mouth a little louder, as if to declare.
"In Agartha's opinion, the strategy that the Commander-in-Chief has just decided is not the right one, but rather, a bad one. I would like to propose a plan to ask the enemy to surrender not through fear or intimidation, but through mercy.
All the staff members nodded in agreement to my words.
"Then, I have a proposal. We will send a messenger to Karza Castle to recommend surrender to the enemy. The condition is that both armies withdraw promptly. If this is acceptable, we can make way for their retreat.
"With all due respect..."
It was Sarma who opened his mouth. He glanced at his father and continued.
"We cannot let the armies of NONO and ELSMO return unscathed. Our country has been invaded. We will not be satisfied unless they pay a fair price, and above all, His Majesty will not be satisfied.
"I see. Then, when the enemy army surrenders, we will impose a little forced labor on them. Is that all right?
"Forced labor?"
"Yes. Let's get them to dig a hole. A big, big hole.
"A hole ...... would be nice."
Yes. You are to dig a large hole in front of the Castle of Khaza. Eventually, you will have to break down the wall you built upstream. Then all the stored water will flow downstream at once. For that case, I think that if we make a big hole in front of the castle, we can control the amount of water to some extent. Besides, that would make the castle's defense even stronger, killing two birds with one stone, wouldn't it?"
At my words, Sarma slowly bowed his head.
"Then I will be the one to stand as messenger of surrender!"