Eliot stared into the night beyond the window, his fingers constantly rubbing the wooden stock of his short gun. Suddenly, a look of resolve flashed through his eyes, and he sent someone to summon several of his core subordinates.
"Gather everyone at once. We'll launch a night raid on the orcs' lodgings and 'help' Grand Duke Hassan make up his mind."
The moment he said this, every subordinate present was stunned. One subordinate with a full beard hurried forward. "My lord, this is too risky! We only have thirty-seven men. If things get too loud, not only will we alert the entire city, but we may completely enrage Grand Duke Hassan. When that happens, we won't even have a way out!"
"Risky? From the moment we set foot in this city-state, we've had no way out."
Eliot spread out the map and pressed his finger firmly onto the Duchy of Roland. "Have you thought about it? The Duchy of Roland is the first stop for our army's entry into the Crimson Stone Desert. It has water sources and granaries, making it crucial to the Watchers Legion's subsequent military operations. As long as we take this city, the legion will have a secure foothold to support our advance into the depths of the desert and completely cut off the orcs' Supply Line along its edge."
"If Grand Duke Hassan resists to the bitter end, we'll have no choice but to pay a huge price to force our way in."
His tone grew increasingly resolute. "There are only a couple dozen orcs in the city right now. They haven't realized the danger, much less had time to request aid from the grasslands. If we wait until they react and send an army to defend the city, taking the Duchy of Roland will