Stepping over the threshold, Richard entered the War Command Room, where the atmosphere was grave.
By then, he had learned that the highest military intelligence meeting the white-robed staff officer had invited him to attend was, in the end, simply a meeting between two people: himself and the army's commander.
Hearing him enter, the young God of War Soren Bonaparte, who had celebrated his thirty-ninth birthday not long ago, turned around. He had a square, imposing face. His features were well-proportioned, his cheeks sharply angular as if carved by blades and axes, and his gray eyes resembled two pieces of amber, glinting with profound light. His expression was heavy, utterly devoid of a smile, like an iceberg.
However, he was not excessively cold, much less discourteous. Their gazes met briefly, and he immediately gave a slight nod in greeting before saying, "You are Richard, correct?"
"That's me," Richard replied. "Then you must be General Soren Bonaparte."
"Yes, I am Soren Bonaparte, commander of this war. You may call me Soren. By Your Majesty's decree, this war requires the two of us to command it together. I hope our efforts will bring good results."
After exchanging a few polite words, Soren changed the subject without waiting for Richard to respond. "All right, Richard. Time is limited, and the situation is urgent. Before you arrived, I learned something of your character from the Imperial Palace's intelligence division. You are someone who values time, and so am I. Then let us not waste time on meaningless formalities. We should attend to military affairs instead.
"You have only just arrived at Reef Rock Fortress, so you may not fully understand the situation on the front lines. Let me give you a general overview. At present, we face two problems. First, a force of more