Although he didn't know what Gerald said after he went back, he was still somewhat surprised when he saw Ellie and Black appear in front of him together.
Blake cut to the chase, "I've heard that the elves have a method for peace talks. What do you think, Yun Zhe? Do you think it's reliable?"
Yun Zhe grinned, "We still need to talk. A lot has happened recently, and I feel that our bargaining chips have become even smaller."
"Oh? What do you mean?" Blake frowned. Although he was prepared for tough negotiations or even a breakdown in negotiations, he was still a little uncomfortable to be told that the situation was even worse as soon as he met Yun Zhe.
"The elves have won another victory, defeating the Duke's forces in the west. The good news is that if the negotiations are successful, the elves can provide us with equipment for more than three thousand men. The bad news is that if the Duke and the royal family stop here, then we have no hope left."
Blake was stunned for a moment, "Losing so badly?"
"The losses were far worse than imagined. The elves suffered fewer than three hundred casualties, but they killed, wounded, and captured over three thousand. I reckon the Duke won't have any desire to attack for the time being."
"Three thousand out of ten thousand men were lost, which is indeed a high ratio. If that's the case, there is indeed a good reason to acknowledge the elves' victory and then redefine the borders."
"Actually, the Duke's troops should number less than ten thousand, probably about the same as the Royal Army. Of course, this information was given to me by an elf, so it's not certain yet. And," Yun Zhe suddenly laughed, "you think that's bad enough? It's said that the Royal Legion lost half its fighting strength in one battle, which is also three thousand men..."
After hearing Yun Zhe's words, Blake was completely stunned and remained speechless for a long time.
Just then, the poet and Gidding returned with firewood. Upon seeing Ellie, the poet's eyes lit up even more, and he hurriedly dropped the firewood and ran over.
Who are these two?
“Our manpower,” Yun Zhe said meaningfully to Blake. Blake suddenly understood, and his expression turned serious as he looked at the two Aruru.
"We're going to talk tonight. Does Serena have any requests?"
Hearing Yun Zhe's question, Blake smiled helplessly, "I don't have any requirements, as long as we can all get back safely. As for whether we can reach an agreement, she didn't have any hope at all." After saying that, Blake spread his hands and shrugged.
Yun Zhe didn't say anything more; this reaction was entirely expected.
"Go and talk to Ellie. She's really worried about you not coming back. Oh, by the way, Jelock and those elven prisoners are on their way too. They should arrive by tomorrow morning."
Yun Zhe's eyes lit up. He looked at Blake in front of him and, upon learning that the idea was proposed by Blake, he couldn't help but think more highly of him.
"Then there's only one question left: whether the elves really intend to reclaim this land."
Meanwhile, at Donic Castle, the prince's generals were divided into two factions and arguing fiercely.
One side believed that humanity was utterly vulnerable, and there was no need for negotiation, let alone establishing a puppet regime to act as a buffer between elves and humans. Moreover, the humans' high regard for this place must have ulterior motives. Having provoked the elves, they certainly couldn't let it go so easily. Furthermore, the regime they were supporting seemed incapable of resisting an attack from the duke or the royal family.
The other faction insisted that this buffer zone should be established to shift the risk of war from between elves and humans to between humans themselves. This was in line with the consistent practices and principles of the elves. Moreover, both victories were based on equal numbers and surprise attacks. A protracted war of attrition would be entirely detrimental to the elven kingdom.
Both sides have valid points. The core issue boils down to the extent that the elves should support this human regime in the buffer zone to maximize their own benefit. Excessive support, even to the point of requiring them to send troops to continue the fight, would clearly be unprofitable. However, insufficient support suggests that other parties might not allow such a regime to exist.
Tandras coughed heavily twice, and the hall quickly fell silent.
“This buffer zone is essential; there’s no need for further debate on that.” Tandras looked at the generals who advocated for the elves to guard this land. “But we will not get too involved, nor will we let the sacrificed elves be in vain.”
The generals looked at each other, all dissatisfied, and were about to speak when they heard Tandras speak again.
"I'm sure you all know how much effort I expended on this campaign. There are always some people around my father who clamor for peace. Is peace what they really want? No. It's just that I insisted on fighting. So it's not that we can't continue fighting here, but that we can't just focus on this land. War is a continuation of politics, not the entirety of politics. I hope you can understand my predicament, and I also hope you can view this war calmly. Everyone will receive military merit and rewards, and this time I certainly won't let you down."
The prince's words completely silenced the generals who had been furious and eager to attack. They followed Tandras because they recognized the prince's character and abilities, and naturally hoped to advance further under his leadership. Therefore, if their own petty ambitions conflicted with the prince's overall strategy, they would naturally want to quickly change course and redefine their positions.
The generals unanimously agreed with Tandras's decision, and all felt that the prince's ideas were far more ambitious and far-reaching than their own. Of course, they also emphasized that they must not let these humans ruin things; they needed to put pressure on them and make them do this even better.
The prince smiled bitterly to himself, recalling the words his teacher had written in his letter. However, on the surface, he maintained a satisfied smile and expressed his gratitude to the generals for understanding his good intentions.
“Then my dear sister, I’ll leave the rest of this to you. The war isn’t over yet, and the front lines still need me. But there’s one thing I want you to know,” Tandras stood up and whispered to Gina Nasti, “This is my decision, and any problems are my problems.” With that, Tandras patted his sister’s shoulder encouragingly. “I believe in you,” he concluded.
Gina Nasti glanced at her brother and frowned slightly. "What do you mean by 'my dear sister'? That's disgusting. Don't call me that again!" With that, she left the hall without looking back, not caring at all about the complicated looks others were giving Tandras.
Tandras could not hide the embarrassment on his face, but he was even more uneasy inside.
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