Lobe steps forward, his expression troubled.
"O-Of course, General. To be brief, the leader of the S-rank party, Mizuki, unexpectedly appeared to me outside a tavern last night. He said that his party will arrive at the imperial palace thirteen days from now, and wishes to meet with the Empire's 'remaining leadership' for 'negotiations'." (Lobe)
Tenzin watches expectantly as everyone's eyes widen in surprise, even the normally disinterested Rey. He clears his throat, drawing their attention.
"Ehem. You should also know that this Mizuki asked Major Lobe to inform us that our attempt to have Elmesia apprehend them was...I believe he said 'ill-advised and futile'. I trust that the serious implications of all this are now clear." (General Tenzin)
Nemo, used to talking strategy with him, immediately returns a grim look.
"So, their party is capable of freely operating right under our noses, and either their information network or travel capabilities far exceed anything we could imagine. Combined with their strength, it makes further hostility from them a strategical nightmare." (Admiral Nemo)
Krandel snorts derisively.
"Don't be ridiculous...if they weren't scared, they wouldn't be asking for these negotiations now. They're obviously just trying to bluff their way out of us hunting them down like the dogs they are. And you – just how useless do you plan on being? Their magic-less leader came to see you alone, and you didn't even try to apprehend him! If that isn't treason, I don't know what is." (Krandel)
Lobe pales, but before he can respond, Torin leans forward in his chair seriously, causing its wood to creak.
"Regardless of their party's capabilities or future intentions, our first priority is bringing them to justice, and I agree with Duke Krandel's sentiments. I excused your inaction last time, Major Lobe, but I only see cowardice in your actions last night. And General Tenzin, how incompetent is our military that this party has been operating without notice or fear within Rodsgard?" (Torin)
Rey, suddenly more energetic than before, waves at the other two dismissively as he fixes Lobe with a giddy grin.
"Ah, don't listen to them Lobe – I'm personally glad we didn't kill you like I suggested, with all this exciting news you're bringing us. As for this Mizuki guy, it sounds like he's got style...smarts, and you probably never stood a chance of catching him anyway.
"What I want to know more about is these negotiations he mentioned. Did he tell you who all from their party is coming? Like, word is, he's got a sexy little elf tagging along with him. I've never been with an elf girl before, and I'm kind of hoping we can hit it off. Do you think this Mizuki guy's willing to part with her for the right price?" (Rey)
Tenzin notes that, for some strange reason, Rey's comment specifically causes Lobe to break out into a cold sweat, twisting his expression into one of pure terror.
BANG!
The sound of a fist slamming into wood echoes in the room, a shudder running through the table, and everyone directs surprised looks at its source. Admiral Nemo, normally so relaxed and affable, is standing from his chair, his face red with anger.
"Has our Empire's nobility fallen to the hands of complete idiots, or are you all just so loyal that you're desperate to follow Belmod to the grave? Because make no mistake, anyone sane should already realize that this group is dangerous, and appreciate the wariness with which we need to handle them." (Admiral Nemo)
Without even taking a breath, Nemo's furious gaze moves to Krandel.
"You obviously haven't been listening – have you already forgotten Major Lobe's account of Mizuki's servile behavior towards Belmod, right up until they slaughtered everyone? It's absurd to interpret him proposing negotiations as cowardice or even docility." (Admiral Nemo)
He looks at Rey.
"That goes double for you. Need I remind you that lusting after that elf is what allegedly sealed our Emperor's fate? If there were to be negotiations, and if this elf was to be present, I can't think of a faster way to get everyone killed, yourself included, than acting on such impulses." (Admiral Nemo)
Finally, his eyes slide to Torin, narrowing slightly, and his voice softens fractionally.
"But I have to say, Duke Torin, I'm most disappointed in you. The Ironwill family is descended from one of our Empire's greatest Generals, and has a long history of military service. Yet, you'd rather blame Tenzin than appropriately recognize the unprecedented threat that this S-rank party poses. Clearly, that anomalous dual-class woman has stealth skills, maybe even invisibility...normal soldiers are not equipped to locate or apprehend them. And given how brazenly Mizuki reached out to Major Lobe, it's unlikely he was truly alone last night." (Admiral Nemo)
After finishing his rant, Nemo lets out a deep sigh, falling back into his seat heavily, and the room descends into a brief, tense silence. The three Dukes each direct expressions with varying levels of dissatisfaction at Nemo, Krandel giving him a particularly venomous glare. Venom that quickly spills from his mouth as well.
"Well, I don't know when our military fell into the hands of such spineless cowards, Admiral Nemo. You've been entrusted, by us nobles, with the most powerful military force in the world. Yet, you're telling us you can't deal with a single party of Adventurers' Guild rabble?" (Krandel)
Rey scoffs.
"Candle's got a point...this isn't a complicated issue. If they're powerful, and you can't track them down, then just use the negotiations to lay a trap with our full might. Then, you can subdue them and leave the elf to me. Everyone's happy, right?" (Rey)
Torin nods, his expression calmer now.
"I'm in favor of this approach as well. It does not matter what else they may want to negotiate, or how dangerous they are, we can't let regicide go unpunished. For the honor of our Empire, and our reputation within and outside our country, we must apprehend this party, and even by your own account, these negotiations seem like the best opportunity to do so. Or perhaps, Admiral, you think we should make peace with with those who murder our Emperor in his own imperial palace?" (Torin)
Hearing Torin's point especially, Nemo's expression becomes conflicted.
"I agree that something must be done, but...we lack information to act appropriately. This group has already walked in and out of a heavily armed palace with impunity once, so who's to say a trap would work? Even if it would, they'd still need to reveal themselves for us to try, which would likely involve cooperating with these negotiations.
"Don't forget, the Nina woman can apparently detect lies, and they obviously have a good information network, so they'd know if we don't all show up as they asked. That means that, to even attempt subduing them, we'd need to all congregate in the palace throne room, and if they wanted to launch an ambush of their own, our deaths would be all but guaranteed then." (Admiral Nemo)
Realization dawns on the nobles' faces, and for the first time, everyone seems to realize the nuance surrounding how to respond to these negotiations. Torin hums thoughtfully, sounding every bit like a rumbling lion.
"Hmm...I suppose that you are right about the risk of being ambushed ourselves, but our Emperor still demands justice. General Tenzin, you have been awfully silent since the beginning of this meeting you called. Do you have an opinion on how the situation should be handled?" (Torin)
Everyone turns towards him expectantly, and Tenzin purses his lips, falling into deep contemplation. All things considered, he's of the same opinion as Nemo on pretty much every front.
'Without more information, it'd be foolish to take any major actions against the party. At the same time, we can't risk falling into an ambush ourselves.'
Quickly making up his mind, he casts a stern look at Lobe, who is sticking to the corner of the room, nervous and silent.
"Major Lobe...you are dismissed. Return to your holding quarters." (General Tenzin)
Lobe blinks, stunned and confused, but only hesitates a moment before saluting him and hurrying out of the room. Tenzin turns his attention to the remaining leadership, their eyebrows raised expectantly.
"I propose a more...cautious, approach. Three of us should show up for negotiations initially, leaving one noble and one military leader tucked away safely in the event of an ambush. If the party shows up, we should use the opportunity to gather intel and gauge their strength. Then, only attempt to subdue them if we deem our success likely." (General Tenzin)
Nemo's eyes widen, a small smile coming to his face.
"And when you say gauge their strength..." (Admiral Nemo)
He nods.
"Correct...I will use Battle Prediction." (General Tenzin)
Battle Prediction...the name of a rare, dark class spell that he has an affinity for. A spell that is a large part of the reason he has managed to rise to the rank of General in the Empire's military, despite his lack of combat affinities in a society that values fighting strength above almost all else.
Battle Prediction allows him to infer the outcome of a battle between any two groups in his vicinity. The spell is not future sight, but an assessment of relative combat power, which gives him a qualitative prediction. When he uses it, he can intuitively sense one of three situations. Equality, where the victor is rather uncertain. Advantage, where there's a distinct enough power gap that very special circumstances are required to undermine the predicted victor. Then, Dominance...where nothing short of divine intervention would prevent a complete massacre.
Rey claps his hands together enthusiastically.
"Great! So, we surround the palace with our best little expendables, wait for the Belmod Butchers to come for tea, use your party trick to confirm they can be killed this time, then...I get a cute elf maid. I think that plan earns us a lunch break, yeah?" (Rey)
Torin casts a long, disapproving glare at him, then returns his attention to Tenzin.
"What kind of military force are you planning to have on standby, and what will be our plan of action if mobilizing them proves futile at the time?" (Torin)
Tenzin nods slowly, his gaze fixed thoughtfully on the wall.
"I think...twenty thousand elite soldiers and five hundred archers lining the palace grounds, then a hundred imperial guard and ten archers inside the throne room with us. Depending on what my spell determines about their party's strength, we'll either dispatch them immediately with the throne room forces, or play along with 'negotiations' until the larger army finds an opportunity to safely subdue them." (General Tenzin)
As eyes widen all around, Rey lets out a long whistle. Nemo speaks up, his voice cautiously skeptical.
"I am all for being thorough, and I understand the archers, but...don't you think the number of outside soldiers is overdoing it? Past a certain point, more numbers do little to increase our odds of victory. There are only so many soldiers that can fight a small party at once. Not to mention, a force like that will be incredibly conspicuous – something that clearly conveys our readiness to turn hostile, and may prevent them from showing up at all." (Admiral Nemo)
Torin nods.
"That is my concern as well." (Torin)
He sighs, making a conciliatory gesture.
"Those are valid concerns, but they'd remain valid even if we only stationed a few hundred soldiers. Based on their last...visit, we can safely conclude we'd need at least that many to subdue them. We have every reason to be wary of this party, and they should know that. So, it's better to just have an excessive force at hand and accept that they'll be conspicuous.
"It makes a nice show of force, and don't forget that I said we'd spread them out over the palace grounds. The extra numbers provide us greater coverage, control, and flexibility, and will hopefully let us overwhelm whatever area of effect spell they used last time." (General Tenzin)
The room falls to silence, those around the table wearing contemplative expressions.