Karl's Persuasion

Meanwhile, the lights were still on in the castle's Lord's Hall.

Karl did not rest.

He knew full well that although the resolution to accept the surrendered soldiers of Sauron had been forcibly passed at the meeting, the underlying issues among key figures such as Lyon, Morr, and Richter had not been truly resolved.

If their inner resistance and hatred cannot be completely resolved, future integration efforts will be fraught with difficulties and may even trigger internal conflicts.

At that moment, he was sitting and talking with these three people.

The light from the oil lamp illuminated their faces, each with a different expression but all equally serious.

"I know that the decision made during the day was hard for you to accept," Karl said bluntly, his voice calm yet understanding. "I fully understand your hatred for the Sauron."

"Lyon, your family's territory fell, and your father died in despair; Morr, you personally witnessed the fall of Old Carnford, became a slave, and suffered endless misery; Richter, you fought alongside the Sauron squad for years, seeing too many of your compatriots die tragically at their hands..."

"I feel the pain of these blood debts firsthand, and I have never forgotten them."

His words directly touched the deepest wounds in the hearts of the three.

All three lowered their heads and remained silent, but their silence actually reflected their current mood.

"But," Karl's tone shifted, his gaze sharpening and gaining strength, "We must see clearly: what is our ultimate goal in gathering here, fighting bloody battles, and enduring so desperately? Is it merely to kill a few Sauron and vent our hatred? No!"

He stood up, walked to the wall where the map of the Northern Territory hung, and pointed heavily at Carnford's spot. "Our goal has always been to drive the Sauron out of the Northern Territory completely! To reclaim all the homes that have been invaded! To let the banner of the Broomflower fly over this land once more! To ensure that our descendants no longer live under the threat of barbarians!"

His gaze was fixed intently on Lyon: "Lyon, this is what you want to do, isn't it? Not just revenge, but to personally reclaim the Hawk Family's castle and glory!"

He then looked at Richter: "Richter, isn't your desire for military glory also so that one day you can obtain a territory that truly belongs to you, one that you can manage in peace, without constantly worrying about the hooves of barbarian horses?"

Finally, he looked at Morr: "Morr, you poured your heart and soul into designing and building this fortress, wasn't it all to create a home that could never be breached again, so that the tragedies of the past would never be repeated?"

The three were deeply moved by Karl's words, their eyes shining with agreement.

This is their deepest, most genuine desire, transcending mere revenge.

"To achieve this grand and arduous goal," Karl's voice was deep and persuasive, "Our current strength is far from sufficient!"

"We are like a lone boat in a storm, needing to grab onto any ballast that can add weight, even if it was once a reef that bruised us."

"We need to unite all forces that can be united, even those that were once our enemies! As the saying goes, we should make as many friends as possible and as few enemies as possible."

He returned to his seat, his gaze sweeping sincerely over the three men. "Thorsten and his men are now like stray dogs, with nowhere to turn. They've come to us for survival, and we've taken them in to use them!"

"Utilize their fighting strength, their labor, and even... their understanding of Sauron's inner workings! Assimilate them, control them, and make them part of our power, not push them to the opposite side and turn them into yet another enemy!"

"This is not compromise, nor is it forgetting the hatred!" Karl said firmly. "This is a smarter and stronger strategy for a more thorough revenge and a more secure victory in the end!"

"I hope you can understand the difference, put aside your grudges for now, and prioritize the greater good of Carnford."

A long silence fell over the hall, the crackling of the oil lamp reflecting the intense inner turmoil of the three men.

Finally, Lyon took a deep breath and was the first to raise his head.

His eyes, though still filled with complex emotions, now held a clarity and resolve. "My lord, you are right. I was blinded by hatred. To restore Hawke's Territory, I... I am willing to try to accept them, but I will keep a close watch on them! If they make the slightest move, I will be the first to cut off their heads!"

Morr slowly raised his head, his voice slightly hoarse. "For... for the sake of preventing a second Carnford tragedy... I... am willing to obey the adults' decision, and I will...'properly' arrange their positions when designing the fortifications."

Richter slammed his fist on the table and muttered, "Fine! Since it's all about ultimately crushing all the Sauron mongrels, I'll put up with it! But count me in for managing them! I want to see just how tough these barbarians really are!"

Seeing that the three of them had finally accepted this difficult decision emotionally, Karl breathed a sigh of relief.

He knew this was just the beginning, and the road to integration would inevitably be full of challenges, but at least, a unified stance had been initially achieved within the core team.

"Very good!" Karl smiled with satisfaction. "Thank you all for your understanding. We will discuss the specific details of the surrender and reorganization tomorrow, making sure everything goes smoothly!"