The lights in the Upper House Conference Room were focused yet dim, casting a muted glow over the documents and maps spread across the table.
Duke Moretti took a deep breath.
"Wilford, you've gotten one thing wrong. Whether our enemy is the Honing Empire or the vampires, what we need to consider right now is the feasibility of fighting. Resistance is bound to fail. Continuing will only lead to the annihilation of our forces. Please analyze the situation rationally."
By comparison, Duke Moretti was calmer and more cautious, reminding everyone present to remain rational and realistic.
The other Upper House members present looked somewhat hesitant and uneasy amid the dispute.
They exchanged worried glances, sometimes looking toward the prime minister at the head of the table, and sometimes toward the duke.
The tense atmosphere was almost tangible.
"The strait in the north of the continent is our natural trench and rampart. It's the widest body of water those southern barbarians from the Honing Empire have ever seen. We have the advantage of experience and geography. The vampires wouldn't dare fight us at sea in person. On land, those creatures that cannot stand sunlight would no longer have absolute safety during the day."
Lanchi spoke slowly.
"Then men, women, and children alike will despise our wrong decision and dereliction of duty—because we failed to fulfill our responsibility to protect them, leaving them to face the vampires unarmed."
Duke Moretti pressed him relentlessly.
"Once the Fuklo Kingdom and Edith Kingdom on our eastern and western flanks fall, we'll be surrounded and slowly devoured on land. Even the Northern Snowy Plains behind us will be blockaded. Your naval battle will no longer be an option. What will we use to fight the Honing Empire? Do you think they won't wage a war of