The news Andrew brought was quite shocking. In the few days that everyone was fleeing in a panic, more than 10,000 human soldiers had gathered on the border of Donic, while more than 6,000 royal troops were poised to move on the border of the Lunlang family.

"So, we were the only ones kept in the dark, so embarrassed and ridiculous. And they were actually prepared from the beginning, weren't they?" Serena blurted out angrily.

The room was deathly quiet. Everyone there was a seasoned veteran, and even the straightforward Andrew had a vague idea of ​​what was going on the moment he saw Serena.

“Indeed, as Serena said, they are indeed prepared.” Blake frowned. He couldn’t understand what was going on, but the only thing he could figure out was that they were just insignificant people, and no one would care if they were sacrificed.

Like the lowest-ranking soldiers on the battlefield who are never informed of the overall military plan. Or like slaves used to fill in the gaps...

Clearly, everyone shared this sentiment, making the atmosphere in the room even more oppressive.

Andrew hesitated for a moment, "It can't be said that they were prepared in advance. At least when I fled to Bahrain, they were not prepared at all, but..." Andrew seemed to think of something that made him hesitate, and stopped halfway through his sentence.

“But there’s one thing, they seem to have prepared too quickly…” Yun Zhe voiced what Andrew was thinking.

Andrew glanced at Yun Zhe with surprise, then nodded.

"Sixteen thousand people, would that be considered a large-scale mobilization in our country?" Yun Zhe looked at Andrew and asked in a low voice.

Andrew thought for a moment, "In terms of numbers, 10,000 is indeed not a lot, but it is almost all the troops that Duke Salder can directly offer."

Yun Zhe fell silent and fell into deep thought.

Clearly, although Duke Salder did not know when the elves would attack, he had been on guard against it. So what was he waiting for?

Yun Zhe pondered various pieces of information in his mind: the elves crossing the river, Andrew's arrival, the gathering of human soldiers...

No, wait! We need to think further ahead, such as the timing of this sneak attack, the Lunlang family's attack, and... and that plague?

The school motto says that thinking should be comprehensive and thorough, and action should be decisive and swift. But this information is far more complex and subtle than the questions on the exam paper. I really can't figure it out.

"Andrew, how did you know we were here?!" Philby suddenly stood up and asked in a complicated voice.

Andrew shrugged. "I didn't know you were here. I came here because it's getting dark and I'm going to stay and rest."

“Are you a scout?” Arthas asked, “but what about your soldiers…”

Andrew looked at everyone, then sighed, "To be honest, the people of Bahrain haven't taken any action yet, and I heard you were besieged, so I came here first."

No one was satisfied with Andrew's answer, but given Andrew's consistent personality, no one dared to continue questioning him to his face.

Yun Zhe, however, knew that Andrew was telling the truth. Yun Zhe could sense that Andrew had not only come to rescue Serena, but also to seek revenge on the elves.

"Then, Serena's marriage?" Newrent asked, his voice trembling. Clearly, everyone's attention was no longer on this matter, but it was indeed the most pressing issue concerning his future, so he was extremely eager to know everyone's thoughts and, more importantly, the outcome.

Upon hearing this, Serena stood up abruptly. "I refuse this marriage. I will not marry the child of someone who is using me as a pawn. This is a blatant insult!"

Everyone looked at each other, clearly not expecting Serena to react this way.

Only Zade looked pleased; he felt that Serena's decision was absolutely right.

“Serena, don’t be impulsive. It’s not yet proven that they’re using us as pawns… Things aren’t clear yet, don’t be so impulsive! Listen to what everyone else thinks!” Blackra nudged Serena and made her sit back down.

Serena was about to argue when Blake's last words silenced her. She quickly glanced at Yun Zhe, who was resting his chin on his hands, staring blankly at the candles on the table. She couldn't help but pout, huff, and sit back down.

“This letter is very suspicious. When he arrived, it meant that Duke Sald was already planning to take action, but he didn’t mention these things at all in the letter, which is very unusual.” Philby was a staunch opponent of the marriage proposal, although he might not be so determined if he were given a clear future.

“Perhaps the Duke is afraid that this news will put pressure on Serena. After all, my soldiers are already prepared, and telling Serena would sound like blackmail. Moreover, from the Duke's perspective, if he tells Serena and she refuses, who can save face for the Duke?” Sind stared at Philby, his tone sharp and confrontational.

“Exactly, and this kind of military operation has nothing to do with marriage. It’s strange to include such a sentence in the letter,” Nurrent quickly added.

Philby got a little annoyed by the two men's constant barbs. He looked around and saw that no one seemed inclined to say anything, so he slammed his fist on the table and turned away to sulk.

“Whether she marries him or not, the Duke will take action,” Yun Zhe said softly. “Ten thousand people should just be the beginning. I think the Duke’s goal is definitely not as simple as just reclaiming the land of Donic.”

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