Strategy
Lostro took the cigar Candiris offered, thanked him, took a puff of the grey cigar, nodded in satisfaction, and took a bite. But when he checked his pockets, he froze – he had no lighter. 69ᔕᕼᑌ᙭.ᑕOᗰ
Just as Lostro was holding a cigar but couldn't find a light, he suddenly felt smoke rising from the cigar in his mouth. He inhaled the smoke along with his breath, took the cigar off, and examined it closely with the smoke he exhaled. The cigar tip had indeed lit up.
Lostro immediately wanted to look at Candiris beside him, but when he inadvertently turned his head, he saw Zul'ra sitting on his other side, staring at him intently.
"..." Lostro looked at Zul'ra's piercing gaze, his big head involuntarily shrinking back. He subconsciously tried to hide the cigar in his hand, but there was no way to hide it here.
Zul'ra looked at the embarrassed Lostro, not knowing when he had become a chain smoker, but there was nothing she could say here. However, upon closer inspection, she noticed that the conference room was filled with smoke, and most of the seated Sin'dorei were probably using cigars to relieve their anxiety.
In the smoke-filled conference room, everyone's eyes were fixed on the man standing in front of the map, who recounted the operation to retake Silvermoon City in a deathly voice. He divided the entire Quel'Thalas into three operational zones: the Darkwood, which included Deatholme; Eversong Woods, which included the main body of Silvermoon City; and finally, Quel'Danas in the north.
Lirath's operational plan involved dividing the entire battlefield into three sections, with the Amani, the Forsaken, and the Sin'dorei each responsible for one area, leveraging their intelligence and troop strength to conduct a decisive cleanup.
"I have a suggestion." After Lirath explained the division of the war zones, Zul'ra raised her hand, attracting everyone's attention. The young man Lirath also stopped speaking.
"I have no objection to the division of war zones, but this method of splitting forces for combat is absolutely unacceptable." Zul'ra glanced sideways at Sylvanas beside her, amidst the gazes of Lirath and the others.
"So what kind of fighting method do you want to use?" Sylvanas placed her hands on the edge of the table, leaned forward, and looked at Zul'ra with her silvery-white eyes.
"Concentrate our superior forces to recapture Silvermoon City first. This campaign is about recapture of Silvermoon City, not about solving the the Scourge. Our current strength is insufficient to deal with the the Scourge on a large strategic level." Zul'ra was not afraid of Sylvanas's gaze. Needless to say, he knew that this tactic was Sylvanas's idea.
With the three war zones separated and each side fighting independently, regardless of the final outcome, the casualty rate will certainly increase significantly. This is a loss for the Amani and Sin'dorei, but for the Forsaken, it's nothing short of a recruitment drive, as they will resurrect the dead as members.
"Are you scared?" Sylvanas narrowed her eyes as she looked at Zul'ra, her aura becoming imposing, even containing a hint of provocation.
"This is an insult." Bakaji looked at the imposing Sylvanas and couldn't help but stand up, showing signs of getting angry. As Witch Doctor and Warrior, he could not accept that Zul'ra had been insulted. It was also because the Defias Brotherhood had avoided fighting the regular army at Zul'ra's request that he had returned from the south.
Sylvanas's oppressive words and Bakaji's sudden rise to his feet instantly created a tense atmosphere in the conference room, especially among Lor'themar, Candiris, Rommath, and the other Sin'dorei, whose faces tightened.
"Sit down." Zul'ra looked at Bakaji, who had impulsively stood up, and couldn't help but shout.
"Sylvanas, I don't take your words to heart, but the Amani fear no opponent. However, you'd better think carefully about how your people will cope with the aftermath of such a large-scale battle."
"If we successfully clear out the the Scourge's Undead on a large scale here, it will create a vacuum in the situation. Once the entire the Scourge's attention is drawn, our Zul'Aman can withstand it. But can Silvermoon City, after being recaptured, withstand the massive influx of Undead from Lordaeron in the south and Northrend in the north?"
Faced with Zul'ra's words, Lor'themar, Rommath, Candiris, and the other Sin'dorei exchanged bewildered glances, their expressions revealing some surprise. They truly could not guarantee that after the success of this operation, the the Scourge would not launch a counterattack against the recaptured Silvermoon City, and the scale of such a counterattack was no laughing matter!
"The Scourge formed by those Undead are like a centipede; even if cut into pieces, they won't stiffen and decay like ordinary corpses. Therefore, strategically, if we don't have the strength to fight all the the Scourge, then we absolutely cannot launch a full-scale war. I think you all have witnessed the tenacity of the the Scourge."
Zul'ra stared intently at Sylvanas, speaking with great seriousness. The Sin'dorei listened with interest, knowing that the Forsaken also Undead. While the living would constantly die and be wounded, for the Forsaken, war and death were practically their recruitment drive.
"Zul'ra Jin, what are your thoughts on this war?" Lor'themar looked at Sylvanas opposite him. After Rommath nudged him with his elbow, he immediately stood up, leaned forward, and asked Zul'ra in a low posture.
"As I just said, we will concentrate our superior forces to achieve our strategic objectives and recapture your capital, Silvermoon City. As for the Darkwood, including Deatholme, we can put that aside for now. Amani is not in a hurry."
Zul'ra looked at Lor'themar, who had stood up to ask a question, and spoke slowly, while also subtly reminding Lor'themar and the Sin'dorei that the Darkwood, including Deatholme, already belonged to the Amani.
"Lady Sylvanas, do you still hold your opinion?" Rommath followed Zul'ra's words and looked at Sylvanas, who was resting her hands on the table. The meaning in his words was clear: the Sin'dorei were considering things from their own perspective and supported Zul'ra's statement. They needed to guard against a possible counterattack from the the Scourge.
"If that's the case, Silvermoon City will still face a counterattack." Sylvanas looked at Rommath, who had made his statement, and spoke coldly. The Scourge's counterattack was inevitable.
"In that case, let's decide by vote!" Lor'themar said, looking at Sylvanas who was unwilling to back down.
"How are the votes calculated?" Zul'ra asked.
"We have one vote for each of the three parties, and we support your view." Lor'themar immediately expressed the Sin'dorei's support for concentrating their forces to retake Silvermoon City.
"And what about you, Lady Sylvanas?" Zul'ra looked at Sylvanas beside her. The Undead queen did not reply, but simply got up, pushed open the door, and left, her attitude as clear as could be.
Faced with Sylvanas's silent departure, the Sin'dorei fell into a speechless state. They could tell that Sylvanas was angry. They held their former ranger-general in high esteem, but they had to consider the fate of all their surviving people.
"It seems Lady Sylvanas hasn't made a decision yet, and I'm tired too. Let's adjourn for now!" Zul'ra watched Sylvanas leave, not making a decision immediately, but ending the meeting instead.