"What? Have Isabella come here? To the siege camp where plague has broken out?!"
The mountain wind blew the smoke aside, bringing the chill of early morning. King Fernando's expression changed, and his emotions flared. His gaze sharpened, fixing tightly on Grand Inquisitor Thomas, on that aged, withered face. The other man merely nodded calmly and answered frankly.
"Fernando, given the situation now, if we want to inspire the Crusader Army in the siege camp—especially the main force, the Castilian army—we can only rely on the devout Isabella! And once Isabella learns of the camp's current state, with her strong character, she will certainly come of her own accord!"
"Moreover, after I arrived in the camp, I spoke with the priests accompanying the army. Aside from the Crusader Armies of various countries making noise about withdrawing, the lords of the Kingdom of Castile have also begun to show an inclination to retreat. As commander-in-chief of the Crusader Army, it is impossible that you do not know this!"
At this point, Grand Inquisitor Thomas's eyes sharpened. He looked at King Fernando and asked in a deep voice.
"If Isabella does not come, can you hold down the various real-power great nobles of the Kingdom of Castile who command troops? Enrique, Duke of Medina Sidonia? Inigo, Duke of Infantado? Alvaro, Duke of Bejar? Beltran, Duke of Albuquerque? Fadrique, Duke of Alba?... And Luis de la Cerda, Duke of Medinaceli, the man of highest status and greatest influence!"
Hearing that string of great noble names, King Fernando's face darkened, and he pressed his lips together without speaking.
That string of dukes had fiefs spread across the west, center, and north of the Kingdom of Castile, and were in truth the greatest resistance to the royal family's centralization of power! And the foremost among