Chapter 164: Sitras report (1/2)
”A powerhouse we won't be able to control,” Arto concluded Sitra's report before rubbing his chin. ”Do we know what he wants? How long will it take for him to become too strong for us to deal with him? How many men can he mobilize if we end up fighting?” He asked several questions, clearly not intent on giving up this insane opportunity because someone already claimed it.
”Sir...” Sitra muttered, looking at the man with surprise. Her eyes wandered to standing near the rubble that used to be the doors to the place.
But rather than encouraging the girl to change the general line of thinking, Castor only shook his head before lowering his eyes.
”Child, I know that you already met with that man. I know that you don't like the idea of going against him,” Arto said, proving that he was perfectly aware of what was going on in Sitra's head. ”But we cannot let ourselves be driven by such things,” the old general shook his head. ”Right now, our nation is at the crossroads. And unless we find a place where we can rebuild our might, we will perish.” The lenient look in the old man's eyes vanished without a trace, replaced with an insane determination.
General Arto was a man who only the corrupted wave of officers didn't respect. He was a man who braved through the battles that would earn the name of cullings or massacres. He turned around the battles that any sane person would judge to be lost even before it would start. He singlehandedly managed to restore the quality to the third army he was in charge of.
But all those achievements had to come at a cost. And this time, he was clearly willing to go against the man that Sitra saved just because he deemed that the best chance for his people.
”Sir, from what I know, he doesn't mind allowing more people to enter the area.” Sitra finally figured out a way to approach the topic after a short while. ”The man himself only wants to build an academy and is open to the idea of settling the land with many others...” Sitra continued, but from how her expression soured, everyone could tell that it wasn't the end of the story.
”But...?” Arto raised his eyebrow as he suggested the girl move on to the next part of her speech, one that everyone could already see coming.
”I'm not so sure whether his people will accept us. But let me start from scratch,” Sitra just teased the potential problems before suddenly shaking her head. She then looked straight into the eyes of the elder general. ”You asked what does this man want, sir. And I can tell that he just wants to live in peace and prosper. What's more, he is more than interested in our magic. Why is that, though? I can't tell,” Sitra answered the first of the detailed questions that Arto posed earlier.
”How long will it take for him to become too strong for us to be able to challenge him?” Arto repeated the second question from before while resting both of his hands on top of his cane.
”That question, I can't answer,” Sitra said as she lowered her head. ”The magic he uses is starkly different to what I know. Without the knowledge about his magic, I'm in no way capable of judging how long it will take him to restore his former level of power... But I'm worried that it might be already too late for us,” she concluded her answer while looking straight into the general's eyes.
”And why is that?” Arto pushed even deeper, unwilling to let the girl have any breathing room during this quasi-interrogation.
”Because he dared to go against the neighboring Overlord while I was still by his side,” Sitra revealed the important bit, one that Layn himself didn't spare much mind.
Yet, the effects of her words on the people in the room were enormous.
”What did you say?” Even Castor couldn't help himself and spoke up, only to violently shake his head and look at his superior before lowering his face in apology and backing off.
”Do continue,” Arto ordered while squinting his eyes.
”The situation was like that,” Sitra started before explaining everything that she could recall from those events. From their frantic rush to reconnect with Layn's subordinates, through the fight with the monsters... Even all the way to how Layn was set on using the strange abilities of those weird monsters!
”What a madman,” Castor muttered under his nose in a voice that just barely reached Sitra's ears. 'He doesn't sound shocked but more like... awed?' she thought, knowing her direct superior for long enough to be able to catch on clues like that.