Chapter 1150: Chapter 10 Meeting

[Revodan]

[Garrison Headquarters Conference Room]

Although Andre restrained himself from being sarcastic in front of Aike, the moment he was back among his own people, he showed no mercy.

“If the officers and experts of the United Provinces are of similar caliber,” Andre said with a broad smile, “then we’ll never have to worry about their army again–they’re simply no match for us, not in the slightest!”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Andre remembered there were two officers from the United Provinces present. He hurriedly added, “Bard, I don’t mean you… Oh, oh, oh, and Senior Mason.”

Mason, long accustomed to such remarks, waved it off casually. He turned to the man sitting to his left, who wore an iron mask, and asked curiously, “How did you come up with the ambush at the dock? Did you anticipate in advance that Alpha and Botar would send a small unit to launch a surprise attack from there, Senior Moro?”

Captain Moro’s cold, detached voice emerged from beneath the iron mask. “I don’t have the ability to foretell the future. I simply followed standard doctrine: assigning part of the force as a reserve and guarding the rear.”

“I see,” Mason said, a bit disappointed.

“However, the opponents were indeed a bit foolish, deploying tactics as simple as a blank sheet of paper, utterly predictable.” Perhaps in a rare good mood after the victory, Captain Moro unexpectedly had a spark of interest in conversation. “The main force attacking head-on, with a small contingent circling around to support–it’s like they were following a textbook. There was no need to guess.”

Captain Moro shook his head lightly and remarked, half pitying, half amused, “They were… just so naive.”

As his words settled, Andre burst into hearty laughter, and Mason also cracked a faint smile in response.

At the far end of the conference table, Colonel Seber, who had remained reserved and silent until now, could no longer resist joining the conversation.

And once the “Sabre” Seber began to speak, he came out swinging aggressively: “Ha! Have any of you considered how many years it has been since the United Provinces last fought a real war? Apart from those old relics with one foot in the grave, how many from the younger generation among them have truly set foot on a battlefield?”

Colonel Seber cleared his throat, casting a commanding gaze over the junior officers in the room. “As for you lot, your years of service may not be that long, but at least you’ve clashed with those savages and gained some practical combat experience. And the United Provinces Army? Compared to the iron tide of Paratu, do they even qualify? Frankly, that little kid named Axel daring to launch an offensive is already commendable bravery on his part. Based on their usual style, he should’ve just holed up in a fort and stayed there until the end of time.”

Colonel Seber’s sharp and relentless critique left the other junior officers in the room speechless.

Realizing that no one was engaging with his remarks, Seber felt a mix of boredom… and a hint of disappointment. He snorted softly, folding his arms as he turned to glare coldly out the window.

“The Major has a point,” Winters broke the silence, first agreeing with Seber before throwing in a fair word for Aike. “Second Lieutenant Orange’s military acumen isn’t bad; he just lacks experience. His training of the militiamen under Botar was rather effective, which is why I plan to screen the prisoners from the Battle of Shovel Port. Those with clean backgrounds will be integrated into the infantry regiment.”

Colonel Seber, however, was unappreciative of Winters’ support. He curled his lips disdainfully and continued staring intently at the chirping birds outside the window.

“If I recall correctly,” Bard said, setting down the documents in his hands as he looked up at Winters, “Aike was supposed to remain at the academy or at least stay within the United Provinces. Why was he sent to Paratu?”

“No idea,” Winters replied, spreading his hands. “I didn’t ask.”

“You should ask,” Bard offered a gentle reminder. “We might be able to extract some important intel from Aike.”

Winters imitated Seber’s posture, folding his arms as he pretended to be absorbed by the chirping birds outside. “I doubt he’d talk voluntarily.”

“That’s easy to solve,” Colonel Seber commented with growing interest, dismissively. “If you lot can’t bring yourselves to do it, hand that little brat from the United Provinces over to me. Within three days, I’ll have him spilling every last secret–even the nonsense in his dreams.”

“He doesn’t talk in his sleep,” said Winters calmly.

Seber sneered. “And how would you know?”

“I slept in the bunk below his at the academy. For six years.”

Colonel Seber froze, his expression briefly stiffening. He adjusted his demeanor, sighed, and began tapping his fingers lightly against the table, his tone turning languid. “Well then, this might be trickier than I thought…”

Winters glanced at Bard. “How about you give it a try?”

Keenly aware that he was making an impossible request, Winters’ tone was noticeably less confident as he spoke.

But Bard followed up naturally, nodding graciously in agreement. “Alright, I’ll give it a shot–but no guarantees of success. After all, if even you couldn’t persuade Aike, my chances seem even slimmer.”

“Great!” Winters said cheerfully. “Give it a try.”

As they chatted, the sun climbed above the treetops. Sunlight streamed through the open windows, spilling across the conference room’s long table.

The reverberating chimes of the Revodan Cathedral’s bell tower reminded everyone that the most valuable part of the morning was swiftly slipping away.

“Let’s put that Axel kid’s business aside for now. I came here today for a serious matter!” Colonel Seber rapped the table, furrowing his brow as he asked Winters sharply, “The prisoners of war who returned with us from the wilderness–what’s the decision there? Are they staying, or are they being released? Can I get a clear answer?”

“The matter of resettling the returning POWs will be resolved today,” Winters replied as he simultaneously noted down the Major’s concerns.