The Third Prince Of Darkness

Ignoring Richard's attempts to silence me, I continued. My voice was harsher and more determined than ever.

"The Southern Empire is a threat, yes. But to underestimate this threat is nothing more than digging our own graves! Alpshar's intelligence, strategic brilliance, and ability to gather an army are too powerful to be taken lightly. If we split our forces, we will only give him an advantage. If we want to defeat him, we must move wisely and with a united strategy. Shouldn't we be discussing how to win this war first, rather than debating what we'll do after we win?"

My words intensified the already tense atmosphere in the room. Lutharion's smirk faded slightly, but he continued to regard me with a mocking gaze. Emperor Exdarth Matteon of Tamerid remained silent for a while, then spoke in a calm but cautionary tone.

"Young prince," he said, locking eyes with me. "Your courage is commendable. However, we do not have time to listen to one who shows his inexperience at this table. These decisions will be made by leaders, not by the anger of someone like you."

His words pierced my heart like a knife. But I wouldn't give up. I held back the rising anger inside me and responded in a more controlled manner.

"This war requires not just experience, but also innovation and vision, Your Majesty. Experience is certainly important on the battlefield, but throughout history, those who have used innovative strategies have won. If we remain fixated on the past, someone like Alpshar will easily defeat us. It's not just the leaders; everyone must do their part to win this war."

After my words, the tension in the room increased even further. Some leaders lowered their gaze, while others continued to look at me with suspicion. Richard sighed deeply, then stood up and spoke.

"My son, Prince Ethan's points are worth considering. We cannot underestimate Alpshar, because this is not just any war. If we split our forces or act without a plan, we risk losing everything."

Richard's support shifted the balance of the room slightly. Lutharion laughed mockingly and took another sip of his wine.

"Ah, how nice! Father and son, supporting each other," he said sarcastically. "But the truth is, we cannot move forward with such romantic ideas. Alpshar, no matter how clever he is, is a barbarian. Our power and resources are far superior to anything he could imagine."

Just then, the door to the room slammed open with a loud noise. The person who entered with a serious expression silenced everyone in the room for a moment. It was Erynn, the chief spy of the Tamerid Empire.

"Your Majesty," he said, bowing towards Exdarth. "I bring urgent news."

Exdarth furrowed his brows and turned to Erynn. "Speak," he said sharply.

Erynn stepped forward and continued, "Alpshar has gathered his army much faster than expected. It seems that he is advancing directly towards our borders with full force. A spy who risked his life to bring this information to you, unfortunately, could not return."

Emperor Exdarth Matteon, sensing the gravity of Erynn's news, remained calm. The faces of everyone at the table were filled with confusion and concern. Exdarth broke the silence and began speaking authoritatively.

"This is a move faster than we anticipated. Alpshar's intelligence has shown how quickly he can press our borders. But this does not mean we should succumb to fear. We need to make a plan and act. Immediately."

The leaders and generals at the table seemed ready to act upon Exdarth's words, but some still exchanged suspicious glances. Richard, noticing the brief hesitation, spoke in a calm but resolute tone.

"Your Majesty, the most sensible course of action in this situation would be to concentrate the coalition forces at a single point and slow down Alpshar's advance. If we focus on our borders now, we can both delay and weaken him. But this requires a united offensive strategy. Dividing our forces in any way would only give him an advantage."

Richard's words caused several generals to nod. However, Lutharion, impatient, slammed his hand on the table and spoke.

"Richard, Richard… Once again, we're wasting time with unnecessary caution. Yes, Alpshar is advancing towards our borders. But this just shows how desperate and afraid he is. After all, if he's as clever as you say, wouldn't he be using an defensive strategy in this war? With our resources, our soldiers, our strength, we've already won this war, and Alpshar knows it, which is why he's afraid. I'm sure he's too scared right now to satisfy his wife at night! I've heard his wives are quite beautiful—after the war, I'll have to show them what true pleasure really is!"

At these words, laughter erupted among some of the leaders at the table. The laughter filled the room. Lutharion, with a broader mocking smile, looked around at the other leaders and generals. After the laughter died down, there was a moment of silence, but some leaders still appeared uncomfortable with his demeanor. I gritted my teeth in anger, but under the influence of Lutharion's words, a sense of relief seemed to spread among the other members at the table.

Exdarth turned his gaze to Lutharion and spoke in a calm tone.

"Lutharion is right. These kinds of plans should not delay our victory. We must strike a balance between intelligence and strength. The rapid approach of war cannot leave us idle."

Lutharion nodded and said, "Now, that's the right approach, Your Majesty," his voice slightly more respectful.

"As for Alpshar, no matter how clever he is, he's still a barbarian, and eventually, he will be a slave to his own anger. He acts not with intelligence or strategy, but with animal instincts. The resources of our mighty coalition, the discipline of our soldiers, will always prevail against such a weak foe."

With Lutharion's words, some leaders seemed to begin to align with his confident stance. However, others still shook their heads, eyes cast downward in concern. Sensing the atmosphere in the room, Exdarth spoke thoughtfully.

"I accept that, Lutharion. However, let us not forget that we may need to take into account Alpshar's observations and strategies. Our task is to find the enemy's weakest point and act accordingly."

Lutharion, irritated, curled his lips, and a mocking smile appeared on his face again. "Your Majesty, finding Alpshar's weak point… That's already crystal clear to us. His weak point is that he will be forced to kneel before our power. Just like all the barbarians of the past, he won't be able to go beyond his own arrogance and intelligence. Every move he makes will only turn to our advantage. And rest assured, during the war, we won't just train him, but his soldiers and commanders too. We will show them what true power and victory mean. Alpshar has no chance other than losing his country and his wives," said Lutharion, wagging his tongue mockingly.

These words once again made the other leaders in the room laugh and continued to increase their confidence in Lutharion. Some had realized that discussing war strategies in such an outspoken and self-assured manner made them feel more secure.

Richard, though disturbed by Lutharion's demeanor, as if he didn't want to go against the mood of the room. "I agree with Lutharion's points, but we must still be cautious. Before celebrating victory, we must review every aspect of our strategies." He said

Lutharion turned to Richard with a laugh. "Of course, we must be cautious. But remember, part of war is seizing the right opportunity. And that opportunity will be ours once we see Alpshar's helplessness."

Exdarth remained silent for a while, collecting his thoughts. Then, with a firm voice, he spoke: "Then we must begin to move. As Lutharion said, we won't waste time to win this war quickly. We will stand against Alpshar in the strongest way and claim victory over him."

A sense of approval towards Lutharion's leadership, and strategy spread throughout the room. However, I still felt uneasy inside. Lutharion's arrogant and mocking demeanor had provoked me even more. But after this moment, Lutharion's jokes that diffused the tension and his self-assured stance had influenced most of the leaders at the table. They had no other choice but to follow Lutharion's suggestions to win this war. But it was clear that this path would likely lead us to defeat in the future… That's why, with a bittersweet feeling, I stood up. All eyes immediately turned to me, and the noise in the room gradually quieted.

"You are the ones making the decisions and bearing the responsibility. I hope you will continue to make such distasteful jokes when the day breaks and you face defeat… I have respect for many of the rulers here, and that's why I won't prolong this discussion any further. But I want at least a small army to launch an attack on the Southern Empire southwards through the Kingdom of Avarya and cut Alpshar's supply lines and I want all the authority of this little army for myself."

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I have been absent for a while due to some problems in my personal life and I apologise to my readers for this.