At the Military Conference

King Ferdinand was young and vigorous, and he handled affairs with decisive efficiency. After briefly explaining what had happened, he began issuing orders to everyone present.

With the addition of the elite force led by Hamilton, the original plan was slightly adjusted.

His order to the Gannan Province garrison was simple: patrol the southwestern part of Palm County and eliminate any rebels they encountered.

The order was extremely vague, without any specific instructions.

Hamilton was puzzled at first, but then he understood. The king wasn't really asking him to eliminate the rebels; the real goal was to hold back the demon army.

But Hamilton didn't refuse. He agreed readily.

Unlike the people of the north, who feared demons like tigers, those southerners who had fought them for years knew perfectly well that demons were nowhere near as frightening as humans.

Humans at least had the ability to manufacture fine equipment, capable generals, strict discipline, and the ability to coordinate in battle.

What did demons have? Other than numbers so vast they were maddening, they had no advantages at all.

They fought without any sense of order, and their coordination was painful to watch.

Compared to storming cities and seizing strongholds, Hamilton would much rather bully those creatures, so he nodded and accepted the task.

King Ferdinand smiled sincerely, thinking to himself, At last, I've passed off this tough problem.

Little did he know that, in Hamilton's eyes, this tough problem was no more difficult than a soft, fluffy cake.

King Ferdinand continued, "I know this mission will be difficult, so I'll assign Earl Marion, Earl Joyce, Earl Roger, Earl Richard, and several other lords to carry it out with you."

The lords he had named were among the more powerful nobles in the Kingdom of Arthur, each with substantial authority.