Lily's Worries

The defensive plan Landen had laid out over lunch left Lily rather unsettled. In private, the girls had all been discussing whether Landen, now a count and a high-tier mage, only needed to hold command in Night-Kirin City, or at worst direct the fighting from behind the front lines. None of them had expected him to decide to lead troops straight out of the plains. Such pure Barbarian behavior would only utterly enrage the Beastmen tribes and draw even greater attacks from the enemy.

Lily wanted to try persuading Landen, but when she reached the Meditation Room, she discovered that Gleia, Redbird, Wendy, Firefly, and even Hark and Albert had all arrived. The Meditation Room, over a hundred square meters in size, looked packed to the brim.

"Landen, why don't you think it over a little more? The last time humans entered Hindukush was over a thousand years ago, and back then, His Majesty the God Emperor personally led the army there, but they didn't come away with any advantage, did they?" Hark said, his concern plain.

"That's right. If we go harass the Beastmen hinterland, we'll only push the whole war to the point where one hair is pulled and the whole body moves, beyond all control!" Albert also urged.

"Father, Uncle, let me ask you this. Isn't the Northwest Count's territory a fief prepared for war against the Barbarians? Yet after the Grey Goose Tribe harassed and invaded us like that last year, did the entire kingdom mobilize and declare war, or was it ready to pay some money and smooth things over?" The moment Landen said this, the two elders were suddenly at a loss for words. "First of all, I'm not going to fight them in an upright, proper battle. I'm going to harass them. Wherever