Marshal Sudiman stared at Xu Yi and said gravely, "President Xu, do you know what I was most famous for back when I swept across the battlefield?"
Xu Yi slowly shook his head, his unease growing stronger.
Marshal Sudiman's sudden summons today was probably nothing good.
As though he had not noticed Xu Yi's expression at all, Marshal Sudiman continued.
"Back when I swept across the battlefield, what I relied on most wasn't overwhelming military strength, logistics, or anything tangible. It was this."
Marshal Sudiman pointed at his head.
"Strategy has always been what I consider the most important and reliable weapon, far more useful than the number of troops at my command. But President Xu, do you know what matters most when it comes to strategy?"
Xu Yi remained silent, but quietly began circulating the mana within his body.
"Strategy, when you get down to it, is nothing more than an accurate assessment of the situation. And to make an accurate assessment, you must understand and control every relevant factor in the entire situation. Only then can you make the most appropriate choices and arrangements. I've always preferred bringing everything under my control before a battle begins. That is the only way to maintain complete control over the situation. So what I've hated most throughout my life is anything unpredictable, because it can lead my judgment astray."
Xu Yi frowned slightly.
Did he mean the Xinfei Merchant Guild by those unpredictable factors?
"President Xu, you and your Xinfei Merchant Guild-or, more precisely, the Military Magic Machinery your Xinfei Merchant Guild produces-are currently the unpredictable factor I detest most, and the one with the greatest impact on our Candel Empire."
"So? What do you intend to do, Marshal?" Now that Marshal Sudiman had finally said it, Xu Yi actually calmed