After seeing the contents of the letter with their own eyes, everyone's faces darkened. Only then did they understand why the Foreign Minister had insisted that they read it themselves rather than simply relay it.
"Land exchange" was only one of the conditions. Besides that most intolerable demand, there was a whole series of additional terms.
They included war reparations, arms limitations, lifting the ban on weapons trade, and many other demands. Every single one was humiliating and ruinous to the nation.
Logically speaking, with the Elves demanding such outrageous terms, they should have rejected them outright.
Reality was precisely the opposite. The higher the enemy's asking price, the more hesitant everyone became. There was no helping it—the Elves had too much confidence.
If they refused, the Black Forest Kingdom would immediately face a war of annihilation. With the kingdom's survival and every family's fate at stake, no one dared make a decision lightly.
"If we became the Elves' primary target, how long could the kingdom hold out? Is there any chance we could last until the alliance's reinforcements arrive?"
Alexander V asked uncertainly.
The Elven army had been attacking all the nations of the Central Continent at once, yet even while bearing only a quarter of the pressure, their front lines had collapsed all the way back.
If the enemy adjusted its strategy from a general offensive to a focused one, pouring most of its forces into the Black Forest Kingdom, the situation would change immediately.
"Your Majesty, if the Stone People Race were not holding us back, we might be able to try.
But in our current dire situation, even if the enemy sends no additional troops, the kingdom probably will not hold out for much longer."
Count Nicholas's responsible answer shattered all of Alexander V's illusions. The