CH193 Grim Hypothetical
***
Alex frowned for a moment—but in the next, inspiration struck.
"Does anyone know what autotomous reptiles are?" he asked.
Most of the commanders looked confused, exchanging glances. One man, clad in robes that marked him as a mage, raised a hand slightly.
"They're reptiles capable of shedding and regrowing their tails," he answered.
"And when do they do this?" Alex pressed.
"When threatened, or when they gain some advantage by doing so."
The mage officer's eyes flickered as the realisation hit. "I see... you think the Kellermans pulled something similar."
"Exactly," Alex confirmed with a nod. "Whatever they're doing, they either want us to charge into the fray without suspecting anything, or they want to remove suspicion from themselves when things unfold—or both. And what better way to achieve that than by allowing a crippling loss to befall them—one bad enough that we'd naturally let our guard down?"
