Enemy and ally forces?
A vast disparity!
Enemy and ally deployment?
A chasm!
The enemy's conduct?
Savage!
"...This city is surely doomed. Given the bandits' ways, if we provoke them, they'll unleash a bloodbath..." The adviser pondered for a long time, but still couldn't think of a way to defeat the enemy. It wasn't that he was useless; their predecessors had already tried every method available. That included feigning surrender and launching a sneak attack, luring the enemy inside before setting fires, and fortifying the city while fighting them to the death.
There had been plenty of forces along the way who'd fought to the bitter end.
But those past attempts had failed to achieve the desired results. Instead, they'd roused the bandits' savagery and brought down disaster upon themselves. The ball the children were kicking around might well have been one of those people's heads. They didn't have many strategies left.
They were also worried the butcher's knife would fall on their own necks.
"...We can't hold the city? If we can't hold it, can't we think of a way to defend it?"
The commander was deeply dissatisfied with this answer.
Everyone kept their faces still, but inwardly, they all wanted to roll their eyes.
Could a vast disparity in strength be overcome just by thinking of a way? The difference between the two sides was in force, not brains! The most important thing now was to preserve their lives in the bandits' hands, not to figure out how to court death! The people below exchanged glances. They'd all realized that the commander wasn't very willing to surrender. But from their many years of knowing him, he wasn't exactly the sort of man with iron bones who'd rather die than submit.
Silence filled the hall, but the commander grew