Annan acted like a commander, handling the battle reports and intelligence sent from the front lines.
The Black Reef Tavern had become his command post. Once inside, he rarely left.
Through Portals, Annan kept in contact with Open-Pit Coal Mountain, the Broken Mining District, Free City, and the frontline pass in the Dimon Kingdom.
The frontline pass in the Dimon Kingdom remained at a stalemate, so Annan did not need to worry about it for now.
Once Annan learned that the Grand Lord knew Open-Pit Coal Mountain was only a decoy, he stopped pretending otherwise and sent Captain Reyne and everyone with him to help Joan in the Broken Mining District.
He left Open-Pit Coal Mountain in the care of Volod and the other two.
The three Masters had mixed feelings about Annan's trust.
Weren't they still prisoners? Why had he suddenly handed authority back to them?
"I simply trust you to make the right choice," Annan said.
On one side stood the elusive President Phelan, on another the declining Grand Lord, and right in front of them was Annan, a powerful outsider. Was there really any choice about whom to follow?
In the Broken Mining District, Annan gave Captain Reyne a separate task: negotiate with the Oyster Gang.
The Oyster Gang had the Round Table Brotherhood behind it, and the Brotherhood had deep ties to the Templar Order. Even with the Lake of a Thousand Lakes torn by fighting and the Holy Knights at odds with one another, they could hardly ignore Captain Reyne.
"I'm giving you seven days. Can you settle things over there and come back?" Olmedo asked without looking up from the work on his desk.
"Seven days? Isn't that a little rushed?"
"How long did it take us to fight the Rikaner Kingdom?"
"Hmm... Less