Chapter 563: Divided Soldiers (1/2)
”My deepest apologies, Young Lord. I should've monitored the situation closely I - ”
”Don't sweat it.” Raven interrupted before she could even finish her words. ”I'm not mad or disappointed. What happened already happened. Instead of blaming them or yourself, we should just make do with what we have.”
”However, Young Lord. Allowing some people to leave will significantly weaken our forces. I'm afraid that the upcoming battles against the other candidates will become more challenging. Are we seriously letting them go?”
”Kyrie you have to understand something.” Raven stated as he continued walking at a brisk pace, touring the fortress. ”Forcing people to lay down their lives for the sake of something good or bad will never be a good idea.”
”Ancestor Zeus as well as his Brothers never forced anyone to fight alongside of them. They did so for the greater good. I would even venture that they couldn't care less whether they'll be sung as heroes or sinners. They just wanted to do what they think is right.”
”The army is an army, not a bunch of slaves.” Raven stated calmly. ”If they want to serve me as their lord and fight by my side even after knowing the risks, then they are free to do so. If they won't, then I don't like to be unnecessary cruel and force them to lay down their lives for the sake of the greater good. At most, these people will just become unnecessary casualties or Converted Devils when the battle comes.”
”I'd rather have warriors who will fight willingly even if their numbers aren't that great, rather than having an army of unwilling warriors who will end up being casualties or worse, Converted Devils that I'd have to deal with.”
”Like I said, we'll make do with what we have. Few or many, with an army or without, doesn't make a difference to me.”
Raven bold tone filled with absolute confidence about himself stunned Kyrie to speechlessness. She could help but feel her entire core shaken with this declaration. She was in awe and at the same time, Raven's pride was rubbing off to her.
Kyrie had no idea where his confidence comes from however for some unknown reason, she could feel that his confidence aren't entirely baseless.
In the end, Kyrie could only sigh and deal with the matters according to their order. At this point, she had placed her absolute faith in Raven and whatever comes out of this, she'll just face it as well.
There's no turning back.
---
Raven toured the entirety of the Fortress.
It was huge and very damaged yet even if such was the case, Raven didn't utter any kind of displeasure nor joy. He just looked at it impassively whilst his thoughts remain unclear. After his tour, Raven retreated to the personal quarters which was specifically designed for him.
Beside him, no one else was allowed to enter this place without his permission. And despite the run-down appearance of the Fortress, this room remained intact and clean.
The room was very simple. It has polished stone floor and walls. There is a large bed, a closet, a bed side table, a bathroom and a secret chamber where he could fit.
Raven nodded softly upon seeing this place. He decided to spend the night here since there are still somethings that they needed to do in this fortress.
When he woke up the next day, Raven did his morning rituals and ate a simple meal. By the time he exited his room, Kyrie was already waiting for him outside of his room.
They exchanged some pleasantries before they began walking towards the Central Hall once again to see who decided to remain and who decided to leave amongst the soldiers.
Way before he could even enter, he could already hear the sounds of argument going on, he could even feel the tense mood coming from the room. Raven's face remained stoic. They eventually arrived at the doors, Raven pushed it open using a hand.
The doors emitted a loud creaking sound since it's made out of thick Profound Wrought Iron. This caught the attention of the arguing soldiers inside. They shut their mouths once they saw Raven and Kyrie calmly strolling ahead.
To Raven's surprise, he saw that the moldy throne was now cleaned at least. And compared before, the disgusting smell of mixed body odors and ashes were now gone. Raven didn't show any changes on his face as he noticed all of this. He simply sat down on the throne and gazed at the soldiers who were visibly divided into two camps.