"We will send people to verify the situation you reported," Dean Charlie said in a deep voice, his bright eyes fixed on Ang. "As long as it proves true, all honors and rights will be granted."
He paused slightly, and his tone suddenly grew more complicated. "I never expected that, among the many fronts across the Archipelago Plane, the greatest progress would come from you."
Ang bowed, his expression carrying a hint of humility. "This is merely the result of the Empire's sound strategy. I have only upheld my duty and carried out my orders."
Dean Charlie threw back his head and laughed. His laughter echoed through the vast council hall for a long while.
When he finished laughing, he looked at Ang with blazing eyes. "You are an ambitious man, Viscount Ange. I appreciate people like you. Are you interested in the Litchfield Plains? They are among the most fertile lands on the Archipelago Plane, and beneath them lie Mithril Ore deposits of tremendous reserves. Would you be willing to follow me and develop that truly prosperous land?"
Ang was slightly taken aback, then shook his head. "Thank you for your favor, Marquis. But at present, my troop deployment is not sufficient for development on that scale. The campaign in the Milaginbi Mountains has nearly drained all the resources under my command."
As he spoke, he briefly described the army's composition, its current losses, and its logistical difficulties. His tone was calm and without exaggeration.
Count Shuti Gelt, seated nearby, raised a brow and said mockingly, "If your military strength is truly so strained, how did you take the Milaginbi Mountains alone? That only gives us more reason to suspect that you are exaggerating."
Ang met his gaze directly, his tone firm. "If you have doubts, Count, feel free