Chapter 364 The Plan To End The Vandorian Army
After the battle, Mani did not wake up from his slumber until a few hours later. He woke up to the sight of a faintly lit room. It was only now that he woke up that he remembered that the mirror egg was supposed to be in his posession.
Instantly, he searched his person for it but did not find it.
The realization that he might have lost it made the adrenaline pump in his body. Immediately, he hurried to his feet. But this action of his made him groan in pain.
He could literally hear his bones aching and revolting in response to his movements. However, Mani was a warrior, he could not afford to remain in this place. Groaning his way out of the bed, he rose to his feet.
He used the wall as support, and then slowly, he walked forward.
His eyes had already searched around the dilapidated room for the mirror egg but it was unfortunately nowhere to be found. He could hear voices coming from another room.
Pushing himself through the semi-dark corridor, he advanced until he stopped in front of a room. Although the entrance to this room was covered by a curtain, he could still see light seeping from its edges and some from the torn holes in it. From within the room, he could hear voices that he recognized.
Immediately, he pulled the curtain open and entered inside. The moment he did, all eyes in the room turned to him. In this room were Barbara, three commanders of the Highlanders that he very much recognized, and lastly, Chiron.
From the looks of things, this was obviously a strategic war meeting.
On seeing him, Barbara chuckled a bit. "Finally, the man of the hour joins us!" As she said this, she walked up to him and pulled him into an embrace. "You did very well yesterday! If you continue like this, I might even consider vacating my position for you." The moment she said this, those in the room chuckled lightly.
This included the commander that Mani had an encounter with the first time he had come to the Union. "We were able to send those assholes back with their tails in between their legs. We wouldn't have been able to do all that without you."
Mani had a puzzled look on his face, "Me!? but it was the Priestess that..." Barbara immediately interrupted his words, "That's nonsense. Its easy to hide behind a powerful temple and use its power. What is truly difficult is striking a blow in the heart of the enemy like you did. Trust me, you did good!" Those words warmed up Mani's heart, and on the other side, Chiron gave him a thumbs up and a smile.
However, he suddenly remembered something: "The mirror egg. I..."?However, Chiron interrupted his words, "Do you mean this?" He pointed to the mirror egg that was on the table. Chiron chuckled lightly. "Don't worry, it is safe!"
Barbara guided Mani to the war table, where a large, intricately detailed map of the Highlands was spread out. The map was a riot of colors, with paths winding through accurately depicted mountains and every division and detail meticulously marked. It wasn't just a map; it was a masterful representation of their land.
A section of the map was marked to show the Vandorian army's camp, positioned menacingly at the border between the Highlands and the Vandorian kingdom. Even as a representation, the size of their forces was intimidating.
"Are we going to—" Mani began, his eyes scanning the detailed landscape.
"Of course, we are!" Barbara interjected with a fierce determination in her eyes. "We're going to strike right at the heart of the enemy and make them bleed. We're planning a forward attack into the very core of their base, to render them powerless from within."
Mani's brows furrowed as he absorbed the gravity of her words. "You want to use the Mirror Egg at the center of their army? But that area is so heavily fortified — not even a dragon could breach it without getting obliterated by their spirit energy cannons. How can we possibly get through?"
Barbara's chuckle was confident, almost sly. "Don't worry, leave that to us. Besides, they'll be too preoccupied with something else." She moved a yellow piece on the map, representing the Yellow Aura Tribe, to a specific mountain. Mani's eyes followed the piece to the mountain, a notorious and daunting place avoided by all due to the high-ranking Core beasts that resided there, thirsty for blood.
Barbara continued, "We're going to flush them out."
Realization dawned on Mani as he understood her plan. The Yellow Aura Tribe, known for their ability to instill fear, would use their aura to drive the horde of Core beasts towards the Vandorian army. It was a bold strategy, but as Mani pondered it, he quickly identified several flaws.
"The creatures in that forest are fierce. Our Yellow Aura Tribe, even with all its members, might not generate enough fear to drive them all out," he pointed out, his voice laced with concern.
"The Priestess will bolster our efforts with additional fear aura from the temple," Barbara countered confidently.
Mani nodded, understanding the addition, but another glaring issue presented itself. "But the distance from that mountain to the Vandorian army is several tens of kilometers. And between them and the mountain are Aura tribe villages. What about the people living there?"
Barbara's expression hardened, her eyes turning steely. "You're not a fool, Mani. You know what will happen. Any village in that range, especially those close to the Vandorian border, has already been assimilated by them. This is war, Mani. Collateral damage is inevitable."
Those words struck Mani like a physical blow. The room, once filled with strategic chatter, fell silent, the weight of Barbara's statement hanging heavily in the air. The commanders exchanged uneasy glances, their faces a mix of resolve and discomfort. Chiron's eyes lingered on Mani, a hint of sympathy flickering in his gaze.
Unable to contain his anger and disbelief, Mani's hands clenched into fists at his sides. "I can't be part of this. I won't let so many innocent lives be sacrificed!" With those words, he turned sharply, his cloak swirling behind him as he stormed out of the room. His departure left a palpable tension behind, a clear divide between the harsh realities of war planning and the moral lines Mani was unwilling to cross.
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