Major Ron really understood the "art" of speaking. Though the man was usually all smiles and jokes around Colonel Fraser, when something came up, he could still come up with some pretty crooked reasoning.
That speech about "courage and dignity" had effectively put an end to the officers' plans to make excuses and avoid the fight. Unless they were willing to tear off their own faces, throw them in the mud, and stomp on them.
They were all born into military families. Their fathers had raised them to value a man's pride more than his life. Who the hell would want to be called a coward to their face in this stinking swamp?
But this provocation was a desperate measure.
Although Colonel Fraser and Major Ron were both certain that most of their team were fine young men, they had to admit that there were genuine cowards in the military observation group who had come here just to pad their résumés.
If those people were given room to act, the cowardice of just two or three of them could affect the Pioneer Legion's operations—and might even bring disgrace upon the entire army on the Black Calamity battlefield.
What had happened in Marlowe Town had already left Marshal Loren furious and frustrated. If anything else went wrong with the vanguard, Fraser and Ron would be punished severely!
So Major Ron's seemingly over-the-top measures had actually been discussed with Fraser in advance.
Since Fraser was still in Marlowe Town dealing with the final loose ends, Ron, as the military observation group's acting commander, had to hold up its image and authority.
As for the students' somewhat arrogant skepticism—
That hadn't really factored into Ron's thinking. Though he was born a noble, he'd spent his time in the barracks from a young age,