Karl tilted his head slightly, the shadow beneath his hood hiding his expression. Only a calm, unruffled voice emerged:
"His Excellency the Special Envoy is worried over affairs of state. Naturally, I understand. But war is not child's play—my troops have only just finished being reorganized, and the long march has already worn them out. If we force the pace again, before we even reach Eagle's Nest, half our edge will be gone.
"And then there are the provisions and baggage. How could we possibly gather everything in such haste? Earl Rochefort's twenty-thousand-strong army has already gone on ahead, enough to overawe the Sauron and pin them down.
"Though I have only three thousand men here, we are still part of the king's forces, after all. We must preserve our strength and act according to the situation. If we rush in recklessly and happen to fall into an ambush, not only will we fail to lift the siege, we will instead lose the royal family's face, bringing pain to those close to us and delight to our enemies."
His speech was reasonable and flawless, without a drop leaking through, making him seem instead mature and prudent, deeply versed in the art of war.
The special envoy was choked into silence for a long while—he knew perfectly well that Karl was stalling, but every word the other man said made sense. If he tried to use the Royal Decree to pressure him, he would only appear impatient and reckless instead.
"But... my lord earl, the Empress Dowager and His Majesty..." He still wanted to struggle.
"The Empress Dowager and His Majesty understand righteousness deeply. Naturally, they know that the most precious thing in the use of troops is steadiness," Karl said in an indifferent tone that brooked no doubt. "If you