After a long period of repression, Duke Cullen was the first to sigh.
"I think, dividing their forces, that was their second mistake?"
Solder Ryder's expression was tense and he remained silent.
At the head of the long table, King Kessel sat up straight and revealed his cold face in the darkness for the first time.
"Gilbert?"
The Foreign Affairs Minister, 'Cunning Fox' Gilbert, who had not spoken for a long time, nodded with a solemn expression.
"Perhaps in their minds, the Eckstedtians understand the pros and cons of this matter, but in their actions … they cannot do it."
Thales' teacher's gaze was sharp as he began to analyze the situation.
"The City of Faraway Prayers has the most immediate interests and the most motivation, so they seek to advance.
"Defense City is not involved in this matter, so they are cautious and of course seeking stability."
Gilbert snorted softly.
"As for Dragon Clouds City, firstly, Heroic Spirit Palace has a deep foundation and is feared. Secondly, Lady Walton is on the throne and is looked down upon.
"Their most awkward position is that they are in a dilemma."
Thales' heart sank.
"It is normal for them to prefer winning by surprise to gain prestige."
Gilbert sighed slowly.
"I think the considerations behind this choice are not military, but political."
"A hundred stubborn wise men are not as good as a hundred united fools."
Thales looked at the white chess pieces on the map, his emotions in turmoil.
'No.
'Saroma, what were you thinking at that time?'
"Speaking of politics …"
Kirkirk Mann broke the small moment of solemnity, and heard the Controller of Finance ask doubtfully:
"This war was instigated by the kinslayer. The war is in full swing, but Lampard didn't do anything behind the scenes? For example, prices and rations, intelligence and public opinion? To provoke the archdukes of the three cities? "
Solder looked at the scar-faced man from the Secret Intelligence Department.
The latter put away the intelligence report in his hand and nodded.
"Since Chapman's coronation, Black Sand Region has been making things difficult for the archdukes who do not respect the king's orders. This is the norm."
But the scar-faced man's tone changed.
"But this time, it is very strange. From declaring war to conscription, from setting out to engaging in battle, from spies to officials, Black Sand Region has stopped all internal and external means of harassment and obstruction. They have not interfered in the war between the three cities, and only focused on their own internal affairs."
All the officials at the Imperial Conference were stunned.
The king looked at the Foreign Affairs Minister.
Gilbert nodded, but he was filled with worry.
"Yes. Diplomatically, King Chapman even sent out a notice to show his support, denounce the Alliance of Freedom, and fully support the expedition of the three cities to the west to seek justice."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was stunned.
Thales was the only one who bit his lower lip.
"So this time …" Prime Minister Cullen rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Not only did Lampard not play any tricks, he even behaved more like a generous and selfless king than ever before?"
Everyone looked at each other in confusion.
Until the King's words broke the doubt, as if a block of ice had been thrown into a lake.
"He moved."
King Kessel clenched his fists, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
"By not moving."
Many people still didn't understand what he said.
"He moved? Tampering? In a motionless manner? "
Viscount Kenney was puzzled.
"Your Majesty, I don't understand."
"Are you saying that Lampard has an undisclosed private deal with them?"
The King did not answer. He only raised his eyes.
"Thales."
At the long table, the only youth subconsciously clenched his knees.
But King Kessel's voice still rang coldly and drilled into his ears without any hindrance.
"Tell me, why did King Chapman move?
And how did he move? "
Thales felt a chill in his heart.
'Why did Chapman move?'
Everyone's eyes were on him. He raised his head with difficulty.
Thales met the King's gaze in a daze.
On the other side, even though Gilbert was filled with worry, he still coughed softly and encouraged him with his eyes.
And so, for the first time in the Imperial Conference, Thales, the Duke of Star Lake's words rang out.
"After Nuven's death, the only thing that could unite the Walton, Roknee and Lecco families was King Chapman's unruly and merciless methods. That made them feel threatened."
The second prince took a deep breath and tried not to think about anything else.
"But when King Chapman made it clear that he was backing down and did not want to get involved in their affairs …"
Thales didn't continue.
The ministers looked at each other and seemed to have understood something.
But the King's words rang out again, with a tone of scrutiny and even interrogation.
"What else?"
Thales' knees tightened.
With great effort, he loosened his grip on his knees.
"Originally, Dragon Clouds City, Faraway Prayers City and Defense City joining forces to attack the Alliance of Freedom was a move against the king."
The Duke of Star Lake spoke again. This time, everyone listened to his analysis seriously.
"But after the day of the council hearing, Lampard's sudden visit to Dragon Clouds City, everyone in Eckstedt knew that the king had won the political battle."
The day of the council hearing.
Thales tried to get rid of the shadow of that day.
"There was no point in the three cities using this war to fight against King Chapman anymore.
"They lost their biggest motivation to fight against the king, but they couldn't take back the promise they made. To fulfill the alliance, they had no choice but to mobilize and go to war."
The ministers in the conference whispered and nodded at each other.
Thales let out a sigh.
"What else?"
The King's words rang out again, as if unwilling to let him go.
Thales was silent for a moment.
At that moment, he vaguely knew what King Kessel wanted him to say.
'But …'
Thales was expressionless. His emotions were chaotic, but he instinctively spoke.
"On the day of the alliance, the Prince of Constellation, who was a hostage of Dragon Clouds City, secretly colluded with King Chapman …"
The ministers looked back and forth. At that moment, their meaning was unclear.
Thales breathed absentmindedly.
"Then he was suddenly kidnapped, and his disappearance is unknown.
"That not only messed up the situation, but also caused the three cities to lose trust in each other … and suspect each other."
As he said this, Thales felt empty.
Yes.
Everything was connected.
It was his choice on the day of the council hearing that affected the war situation in Fort Liberté, thousands of miles away.
Perhaps this was what King Kessel wanted him to say.
Among the factors that caused the three cities to be at odds, and caused Little Rascal's failure …
Him.
Thales felt a pain in his heart.
"And so, in this expedition, Dragon Clouds City sought fame, the City of Faraway Prayers sought profit, and Defense City wavered in the middle, seeking profit."
Thales tried hard to open and close his lips, as if he was talking about something that had nothing to do with him.
"They lost the biggest foundation of sincere cooperation, and only appeared to be united, but actually divided.
"Whether they diverged or divided, it was all destined."
Yes.
Appeared to be united, but actually divided.
Wasn't this the biggest experience he had in the past few years in Northland?
Wasn't it the strongest weapon he used to counter Lampard on the night of Dragon's Blood?
The prince's expression stiffened after he finished speaking, and he remained silent for a long time at the long table.
After a while, Kessel snorted softly.
He praised his son, which was a rare sight (perhaps the first time in his life).
"Very good."
On the other side, Gilbert sighed.
"The sky is high, the throne is far away, and the enemy is gone."
The Foreign Affairs Minister's words were full of emotion.
"In the distant western border of the country, King Chapman deliberately did not make a move, and allowed the previous events to slowly ferment, causing the Northlanders to forget why they stood together, and why they fought side by side."
In Ballard Room, everyone was immersed in the indescribable atmosphere of this moment.
Until Solder let out a long sigh.
"His Highness is right, and Count Caso is also right.
"This is not war, not military affairs, not a game of chess." The military advisor's eyes were weary.
"It's politics.
"Perhaps at the negotiating table and in the banquet hall, in the face of the king's relentless pressure, with a common goal, the alliance of the three cities can be as close as brothers.
"But under these circumstances, when it comes to commanding the army on the battlefield, when it comes to actual life and death, the three cities each have their own plans, are not unified, and do not have a strong person like King Nuven to suppress them …"
Solder's expression was pained.
"So it is inevitable that discord will arise, it will be difficult to work together, and even diverge in ideologies, and they will fight for themselves."
Thales closed his eyes gently.
At that moment, a memory fragment from a long time ago flashed across his mind. It seemed to be a few lines from an ancient poem:
"The army is not united, and hesitates while the wild geese move."
Viscount Kenney coughed.
"When I was traveling in Northland, I had a feeling … When to be aggressive and take risks, when to show weakness and retreat, the kinslayer king's every move is clear. He sees everything clearly, and there must be an expert under him to decide the strategy."
On the other side, the scar-faced man from the Secret Intelligence Department nodded.
"'Night Owl' Lhasa Kentvida has entered the Secret Intelligence Department's priority list," he replied cautiously.
"We are paying full attention to his every move, whether it is an audience with the king or returning to his hometown for a vacation."
Viscount Kenney nodded in satisfaction.
The king knocked on the table.
"Continue."
After the sentimental and lamenting moments earlier, the Imperial Conference returned to its previous atmosphere. Solder Ryder's voice rang out again.
"After splitting up, Dragon Clouds City's Karkogel personally led the troops and attacked day and night along the Good Flow River, keeping the Alliance of Freedom's only elite force at bay."
He picked out a few of the three white chess pieces and placed them next to the black knight.
Thales, who was in a bad mood, looked at the war simulation on the long table and suddenly remembered his first meeting with Asda in Red Street Market many years ago.
It was also a chess room.
The Air Mystic was similarly strategizing and moving his chess pieces.
But as time passed, things remained the same, but people had changed.
"It was smooth at first, but as the war progressed …"
The next moment, Solder's pupils contracted and the white chess pieces in his hands fell to the ground.
"One-arm was captured."
Everyone was stunned for a moment.
Including Thales.
The next second, there was an uproar in the conference room.
"How did he do it?"
"That's Karkogel we're talking about!"
"The elite soldiers of Dragon Clouds City …"
"Even without the help of the other two cities, they shouldn't have lost to such an opponent, right?"
Faced with a tidal wave of doubts, Solder's expression was equally solemn. He shook his head.
"There's no intelligence. We only know that whether it's coincidence or luck, it just happened."
The scar-faced man from the Secret Intelligence Department nodded, agreeing with the military advisor's answer.
Thales' expression was uncertain. He recalled that Karkogel.
That 'King Nuven's best fighter'.
It was hard to believe that he would lose to an unknown lone army from a small country in a head-on confrontation, and even get captured.
The scar-faced man flipped through the information.
"We only know that after the commander-in-chief was captured, the morale of the Dragon Clouds City army was disrupted.
"Under the enemy's nimble assault, they were forced to retreat step by step. At one point, they even lost command and could not look out for each other.
"Even the Archduchess herself was lost in the chaos, her whereabouts unknown.
"Without a leader, they were practically walking corpses."
'Lost in the chaos.
'Little Rascal.'
The prince took a deep breath and tried to keep his expression unchanged.
Thales could feel Gilbert's hand pressing on his palm, signaling him to calm down.
Solder's words rang out again, replaying the battle situation thousands of miles away.
"At the same time, on the main battlefield, the troops of the City of Faraway Prayers were at the frontline. They wanted to take advantage of the enemy's emptiness to go all out and storm the city."
But in the next moment, Solder's expression darkened. His fingers kept tapping on the side of Fort Liberté on the map, vibrating the black and white chess pieces with great disparity.
"The Eckstedtians suffered more damage than expected — this time, the soldiers and civilians of the Alliance of Freedom risked their lives, were determined, and put up a very tenacious resistance.
"The City of Faraway Prayers repeatedly attacked to no avail."
His words were solemn, and the meaning behind them was even more heart-wrenching.
"Repeatedly attacked to no avail …"
Gilbert repeated these words silently, as if he had some sort of feeling in his heart.
Amidst the confusion of the ministers, Solder coughed and moved the second batch of white chess pieces to the flank.
"As for the lords of Defense City, they went to the periphery to consolidate the frontlines, collect rations, and maintain law and order.
"But not only did they not gain anything, they were also met with the desperate resistance of countless Troubled Citizens. The morale of the army was low, as if they had fallen into a quagmire."
At the end of the long table, the king frowned and looked at the Foreign Affairs Minister.
"Troubled Citizens?"
Gilbert raised his spectacles and flipped open a record beside him.
"Most of the Alliance of Freedom, the eastern part of the Northern Sea Kingdom, and the western part of the City of Faraway Prayers' territory. These areas were originally part of the Empire's West Billow Province. The natives of these areas are called the 'Troubled Citizens' of West Billow.
"Although they are at the end of the Golden Passage, most of them live in poverty and are of low status. Over the past few centuries, whether it was the successions of Eckstedt and Camians, or the Senate of the Alliance of Freedom established by the high officials and nobles in a compromise, they have all been rather harsh on them."
Thales recalled the story of the Troubled Citizens of West Billow that the heir of the City of Faraway Prayers, the 'Annoying' Ian had told him.
"I don't understand."
The Minister of Trade, Viscount Kenney voiced everyone's doubts.
"When I visited the Golden Passage, the army and citizens of the Alliance of Freedom … shouldn't be so tough? Not to mention the Northlanders? "
Solder shook his head.
"No, it's precisely because they are facing the Northlanders."
This time, Solder looked at the Cunning Fox of Constellation.
Gilbert sighed. He flipped open the record again.
"Twenty years ago, Nuven's son, Soria Walton, led an army to attack Fort Liberté.
"After the city was breached, in order to avenge his dead subordinates, he massacred the city for three days and looted without limit. Nine out of ten houses were emptied, and the people starved and ate each other."
Thales frowned.
This information …
In Eckstedt's records …
Nothing.
The Chief of Finance, Kirkirk Mann nodded gloomily.
"I remember that incident. It was said that the Northlanders wanted to keep the news under wraps at first — some busybodies even compared that inhuman beast to Prince Horace. What a joke."
Gilbert continued with a frown.
"The Alliance's governor-general had all ten fingers chopped off and was dragged around the city for twenty miles before he died. His corpse was hung in public as a warning to others. It was a tragic sight that intimidated the surrounding areas."
The Foreign Affairs Minister put down his spectacles and closed his notebook.
"And the current governor-general of the Alliance is the grandson of the previous governor-general."
Thales looked at Gilbert's notebook.
The history on paper was understated, but the past in reality was heavy and oppressive.
"That's why they rebelled."
Hearing this, Prime Minister Cullen sighed deeply.
"In the face of tyranny, no people are born cowardly and wait to be slaughtered."
Perhaps this sentence struck a chord, the Imperial Conference fell silent for a moment. No one responded.
Only Gilbert nodded and said with emotion, "You reap what you sow.
"You reap what you sow. The current state of this war was already decided twenty years ago."
"Now, the Northlanders are only taking revenge for their previous cruelty and violence …"
"Just repaying their debts."
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