At the long table in the Imperial Council chamber, Tales exhaled softly amid the silence.
No war was ever isolated.
Suriel's atrocities twenty years ago had led to the resistance Exeter faced twenty years later.
The victory of twenty years ago had led to the defeat twenty years later.
The Second Prince recalled Old Crow's words once more:
[Before you make up your minds to start a war, I think you should first consider this carefully: Can doing so truly achieve your objective? How many unexpected things might happen as a result? What additional consequences might there be? What would it signify for the more distant future? How should its impact on both sides be calculated?]
In the Imperial Council chamber, Sodow Red gave a soft snort, breaking the silence:
"Things stand as they are. Supplies are failing to arrive, and the troops collecting grain are making slow progress."
"The siege is going badly, and the efficiency of the assault has been delayed again and again."
"And the Archduchess of Dragoncloud City remains neither confirmed alive nor dead. All that returned with the Dragonlance banners were the remnants of a defeated army, along with rumors filling the skies."
Neither confirmed alive nor dead.
Tales struggled to steady his breathing.
After hearing of the blood feud between Prince Suriel and the Free Alliance, he suddenly realized that if Thelma fell into the Free Alliance's hands...
No.
Tales forced himself not to think about the worst possibility.
Sodow paused, signaling for the Secret Section man standing nearby to continue.
The latter nodded.
"After that, we gathered some information and made some guesses. There should have been an argument among the Northlanders' upper ranks."
The ministers attending the Imperial Council exchanged glances.
"The nobles of Guard City began considering retreat, but the Grand