Charlotte and Lyon's Dispute
He struggled silently for a moment, his eyes shifting uncertainly, but ultimately, his desire for glory overcame his rational assessment of the risks.
He took a deep breath, his tone hardening. "I understand your concerns, Charlotte Knight, but this herd of cattle and sheep is too important for us, for the winter defense of the entire Northern Territory. We cannot simply abandon them!"
Seeing that the other party was blinded by greed, Charlotte became anxious and immediately proposed a compromise.
"If we must deprive the Sauron of their resources but are unwilling to risk being pursued, then we have another option: right here, execute all these livestock. We cannot have them, nor will we leave them to the enemy. Although it is wasteful, it will ensure our own safety."
"No!" Lyon refused without hesitation, his hands clenched into fists as if the cattle and sheep were his unquestionable private property. "These are precious supplies! They are spoils of war that our soldiers risked their lives for! How can we just destroy them?"
"Your Lord Lyon!" Charlotte's voice rose slightly, a sharp edge taking on its usual cool tone. "Please consider this carefully! We are currently more than two hundred kilometers away from a safe zone through the wilderness!"
"With these slow-moving animals, our speed will be reduced several times over! The column will also become stretched out, making it difficult to keep up with both ends! Being caught up and surrounded by the elite Sauron cavalry is almost inevitable! At that point, not only these cattle and sheep, but all of our lives may be lost here!"
"I know there are risks!" Lyon interrupted her abruptly, his face turning somewhat unpleasant from being repeatedly contradicted and his hidden desires being exposed.
His tone became unusually stern. "But I am the commander-in-chief of this operation! Sir Charlotte Rochfort, I now order you to obey my decision! Immediately organize your men to assist in driving the cattle and sheep away, and we must evacuate as soon as possible!"
He stared at Charlotte, his eyes filled with undeniable authority. "I am the commander of this operation. Even if you are the Count's daughter, you cannot disobey my orders here! Charlotte Knight!"
The cold command weighed on Charlotte's heart like a boulder.
Looking into Lyon's eyes, burning with the desire for achievement, she knew that no amount of rational analysis could persuade someone determined to take a gamble.
She clenched her fists, swallowing back all her subsequent words of advice. She simply gave Lyon a silent, deep look, her gaze sharp as ice, before abruptly pulling on the reins and turning her horse around.
"Yes, Commander." Charlotte's voice returned to its cold calm.
She said no more and rode off to her own group.
Charlotte silently rode back to the spot where the brief chase had taken place, where traces of the battle still lingered.
She deftly dismounted, her gaze falling on the hard bow that had been her companion for many years, which she had discarded on the ground.
She bent down to pick it up, her fingers brushing against the smooth bow arm, but her heart sank suddenly.
The bowstring had snapped due to previous vigorous use and the fall, and hung limply.
This seemed like an ominous sign, instantly reigniting the anger and helplessness that had been burning within Charlotte due to Lyon's stubbornness.
She gripped the broken bowstring tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force.
We left the fortified walls of Fran City and the nascent but reassuring fortress of Carnford.
More importantly, he was no longer under the distant yet ever-present protection of his father, nor with Karl's meticulous plans that always inexplicably brought him peace of mind...
For the first time, Charlotte felt how biting the winds of the Northern Wilderness were, and how real and heavy the burden of responsibility was, resting entirely on her shoulders.
Every decision concerns the lives of these twenty people behind them; every judgment could lead the team into an abyss of no return.
This kind of pressure is completely different from when you are under your father's command or discussing tactics with Karl.
At that time, regardless of success or failure, there would always be someone above her who would ultimately bear the responsibility.
And now, she is the one ultimately responsible.
And right now, there's a foolish commander whose reason has been clouded by greed, stubbornly dragging the entire team toward an obvious dead end.
This feeling of helplessness—knowing danger was imminent but unable to forcefully reverse the situation due to military orders and rank—almost suffocated her.
She felt as if she were watching a runaway carriage hurtling towards a cliff, and she was tied to it, desperately screaming but unable to control the reins.
"If only Karl were here," the thought popped into my head uncontrollably.
Karl was more assertive than her and less concerned with those tedious formalities and unspoken rules.
His almost obsessive desire for control became a huge advantage in this situation.
Given Karl's personality, if he were in charge of this team, he probably wouldn't waste his breath trying to persuade Lyon to give such a foolish order.
Charlotte could almost picture Karl looking like that.
He would glance at Lyon with his calm, emotionless eyes, and then bluntly point out the fatal flaw in the plan.
If Lyon remains stubborn, Karl might actually choose to disobey orders.
He has the courage and the ruthlessness to break with convention in order to achieve the right goal.
He likes to have everything under his control and will never allow fools to lead him and his men to their deaths.
But I can't do it myself.
Thinking of this, Charlotte couldn't help but give a helpless, bitter smile.
Karl was able to do it because he was Karl von Schmidt.
A pioneering Lord built his empire from scratch and gradually established himself in the Northern Territory.
He can prove himself with results, and even challenge the rules to some extent.
I can't do it myself.
He also carries the surname Rochfort.
Her every move not only represented herself, but also her father's reputation and the face of the entire family.
Openly disobeying orders from superiors, no matter how correct they may seem in hindsight, violates the most fundamental ironclad rule of the military.
She couldn't be as "willful" as Karl; her actions were guided by countless unseen threads.
It was an invisible shackle formed by her family, her social status, and all the education she received from childhood.
She can argue, debate, and fight to the point of near-insubordination, but she finds it difficult to actually take that decisive step.
This feeling of constraint feels especially heavy and frustrating at this moment.
Charlotte didn't answer, but took a deep breath, trying to suppress her surging emotions.
At this moment, Roland arrived, his tone becoming serious and loyal. "Charlotte Knight, we have completed the headcount, the wounded have been taken care of, and the brothers are all ready to await your next command."
He paused, then lowered his voice even further. "Whatever decision you make, my brothers in Carnford and I will follow you."
Roland's words and statement acted like a ballast, stabilizing Charlotte's wavering mind somewhat.
She no longer looked at the bow, but solemnly placed it beside the saddle and picked up a Skarn people horse bow instead.
She turned to her ranks, looking at the soldiers who, though they had been through battle, still gazed at her with trust.
Many of them were carefully selected and nurtured by Karl with significant resources.
Karl handed over command of the mission to himself.
An unprecedented sense of responsibility weighed heavily on Charlotte's heart, forcibly suppressing her chaotic anxieties.
Karl wasn't here, Charlotte was acutely aware of that.
But since I'm here, Karl trusts me, which is why he entrusted me with his life's work.
Then I must bring them back, without missing a single one.
This is being responsible to the soldiers who trusted me, and also to Karl.
Anger and anxiety will not solve anything; what is needed now is a clear mind and the fastest possible response.
She took a deep breath, her eyes regaining their sharpness and clarity. All wavering had been swept away, replaced by the resolute determination of a commander in adversity.
"Roland."
"Yes, Knight!"
Her voice was a little hoarse, but she had regained her composure. "Let's think about how to get as many of these fools, led astray by carrots, out of this quagmire as possible."