Chapter 69

Chapter 69: Chapter 69

Marshal Ashford raised a hand for silence. "Enough. Fighting amongst ourselves helps no one." He turned to a figure who’d been sitting quietly in the corner, observing the debate without participating.

"Master Lysander," the Marshal said. "You’ve been silent. As our chief military strategist, what’s your assessment?"

Master Lysander stood slowly. He was an older man, perhaps seventy, with silver hair and a neatly trimmed beard. His eyes were sharp despite his age, missing nothing. He wore simple robes rather than military uniform, his position as strategist being civilian rather than military, though his word carried as much weight as any general’s.

"I’ve been listening to this debate with great interest," Lysander said, his voice cultured and precise. "And I must say, you’re all missing the forest for the trees."

He walked to the map and placed several markers on it as he spoke. "Let me outline what we know for certain, stripping away emotion and assumption. First, we have a goblin leader with exceptional intelligence and strategic capability. This is proven by the tactics used in the cave engagement and the successful rebuilding of a destroyed settlement."

Another marker went down. "Second, we have confirmed that this goblin has some form of power amplification ability that can allow him to fight and defeat heroes. The mechanism is unclear, but the result is proven."

A third marker. "Third, we have an alliance between goblins and orcs, two species that have never cooperated at this scale before. This suggests diplomatic skills as well as military ones."

He stepped back from the map. "Now, what don’t we know? We don’t know the full extent of Satou’s capabilities. We don’t know his long-term goals. We don’t know how many warriors he commands or how well trained they are. We don’t know if he has other abilities beyond what we’ve seen. And most critically, we don’t know if he’s seeking conflict with Clover City or simply trying to establish his own territory."

"Are you suggesting we just leave him alone?" General Markus asked incredulously.

"I’m suggesting we gather more intelligence before committing to a course of action that could backfire spectacularly," Lysander replied calmly. "Consider the scenarios. If we attack with conventional forces and fail, we show weakness. Every monster settlement in the region will see that Clover City can be defeated. If we wait for our heroes to return and then attack, we give Satou two months to prepare defenses, recruit allies, and potentially disappear into territories we can’t easily reach."

"Then what do you propose?" Marshal Ashford asked.

Lysander smiled slightly. "We do what any competent military does when facing an unknown threat. We conduct reconnaissance. We send scouts, spies, infiltrators. We map the settlement’s defenses, identify key figures, understand their supply lines and resources. We learn everything we can about Satou, his abilities, his weaknesses, his goals."

He walked back to his seat. "And while we’re gathering intelligence, we prepare multiple contingency plans. Plans that don’t rely solely on heroes or conventional forces. Plans that exploit whatever weaknesses we discover. Plans that ensure victory regardless of how powerful Satou proves to be."

The council was silent, considering his words.

"How long would this intelligence gathering take?" General Helena asked.

"Four to six weeks for comprehensive information," Lysander replied. "Which coincidentally aligns with when our heroes will be returning from their expedition. By the time they’re back, we’ll have detailed intelligence on the threat and multiple strategic options for dealing with it."

"And if Satou attacks us during that time?" Colonel Thrace asked.

"Then we respond defensively," Lysander said. "But I don’t believe he will. Everything we know about his behavior suggests he’s focused on building and defending his own territory, not expanding aggressively. He didn’t attack human settlements before we raided his cave. He didn’t pursue Commander Aldric’s forces when they retreated. Even after killing Vegeta, there’s been no indication of offensive action against Clover City."

"He’s consolidating," Aldric realized. "Building strength, establishing his position. He’s not ready for open conflict with us yet."

"Precisely," Lysander agreed. "Which gives us time. Time we should use wisely rather than squandering on hasty, emotion-driven decisions."

Marshal Ashford nodded slowly. "Your reasoning is sound. Very well. Master Lysander, you will oversee the intelligence operation. Commander Aldric, since you’ve been dealing with this situation from the beginning, you’ll coordinate with Lysander. I want comprehensive reports on this settlement, weekly updates at minimum."

"Yes, sir," both men replied.

"General Markus, General Helena," the Marshal continued, "begin preparing contingency forces. I want battle plans drawn up for various scenarios, conventional assault, siege operations, targeted strike teams. Have them ready for when our heroes return."

"Understood, sir," they said.

"Colonel Thrace, you’ll handle military readiness. Make sure our defenses are solid in case Lysander’s assessment is wrong and Satou does decide to attack. Increase patrols in the southern territories, but keep them observational rather than provocative. We don’t want to trigger a conflict prematurely."

"I’ll see to it, sir."

Marshal Ashford looked around the table at each officer in turn. "Let me be clear. This is a serious threat, potentially the most serious we’ve faced since the Demon King’s attempted invasion fifteen years ago. A monster that can kill heroes cannot be taken lightly. But neither can we afford to act rashly and create an even bigger problem."

He placed both hands on the table, leaning forward. "We will handle this methodically, intelligently, and decisively. We will gather information, prepare our forces, and when the time comes, we will eliminate this threat completely. No mistakes, no failures, no second chances for Satou or his settlement. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir!" the council responded in unison.

"Then you have your orders. Dismissed. Commander Aldric and Master Lysander, remain behind. We need to discuss the intelligence operation in more detail."

The other officers filed out, leaving just the three of them. Once the door closed, Marshal Ashford’s formal bearing relaxed slightly.

"Aldric," he said quietly, "there’s something you’re not telling us. I can see it in your face. What else did your source reveal?"