Knights of Tezoth

-- I see too many conditions here, and that's not even counting the threats. For that reason alone, we cannot agree... -- Ambrose, taking the document, jabbed the point of his dagger at the lines "by the court of Lord Albus", "no fewer than five", "shall enter into marriage" -- But this would already be a fourth front, and that is quite untimely for us right now. Let us try to find a compromise here, and if not -- then so much the worse for them.

...

"The Knights of Canamia send greetings to Lord Ferlutz

On behalf of us all, we are glad that the thirst for justice and noble resolve to stand for it remain within you.

However, the conditions you have put forward for preserving what is eternal and self-evident cannot help but surprise us.

We are grieved to note that you have doubts that the first point requires any reminder of itself. We assure you that a proper investigation has already begun and will be pursued until its full success.

In light of the multitude of our enemies, we find the second point just, but we are compelled to strike out the amendment regarding "no fewer than five" so that our other loyal vassals are not unjustly deprived.

Financial aid will be directed to you as needed for military expenditures during the conflict; upon its conclusion, we take upon ourselves the procedure of restoring the region in financial, administrative, and organizational aspects in full measure.

Regarding the third point, we must remind you that such proposals, by all law and custom, are appropriate either from equal to equal, or from superior to inferior, but not the other way around.

Two of our knights have already suffered for Albus. Our commitment to our duties as suzerain, which consist of the fairness of justice, protection from enemies, and avenging wrongs done to our vassals, is unconditional.

As unconditional must be your fulfillment of vassal duties.

In the name of your father's memory and the future of your region, humble your pride.

Better to gain less than desired than to lose what one has.

Understanding the grief that has befallen you and your just thirst for vengeance, we forgive your careless words.

But we also assure you that any forms of betrayal will not be forgiven."

The Knights, having drafted a reply, await the opinions of Axel and Lester on what to add and what to cut.

-- I see too many conditions here, and that's not even counting the threats. For that reason alone, we cannot agree... -- Ambrose, taking the document, jabbed the tip of his dagger at the lines "by the court of Lord Albus", "no fewer than five", "shall enter into marriage" -- But this would already be a fourth front, and that is quite untimely for us right now. Let us try to find a compromise here, and if not -- let it be the worse for them.

...

"The Knights of Canamia send greetings to Lord Ferlutz

On behalf of all of us, we are glad that the thirst for justice and the noble resolve to stand for it remain within you.

However, the conditions you have put forward for preserving that which is eternal and self-evident cannot but surprise us.

We regret to note that you have doubts that the first point requires any reminder of itself. We assure you that a proper investigation has already begun and will be conducted until its full success.

In light of the multitude of our enemies, we find the second point just, but we are compelled to strike out the amendment regarding "no fewer than five" so that our other loyal vassals are not unjustly deprived.

Financial aid will be directed to you as necessary for military expenditures during the conflict; upon its conclusion, we take upon ourselves the procedure of restoring the region in financial, administrative, and organizational aspects in full measure.

Regarding the third point, we are compelled to remind you that such proposals, by any law and custom, are appropriate either from equal to equal, or from superior to inferior, but not the other way around.

Two of our knights have already suffered for Albus. Our commitment to our duties as suzerain, which consist of the fairness of the court, protection from enemies, and avenging those who wrong our vassals, is unconditional.

Just as unconditional should be your fulfillment of the duties of a vassal.

In the name of the memory of your father and the future of your region, humble your pride.

Better to gain less than desired than to lose what you have.

Understanding the grief that has befallen you and your just thirst for vengeance, we forgive your careless words.

But we also assure you that any form of betrayal will not be forgiven."

The Knights, having drafted a reply, await the opinions of Axel and Lester on what to add and what to cut.

-- Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh, hmm... -- having read Ambrose's reply, Axel turned to Yin before adding his edits. - What do you know about the character of Lord Ferlutz? Judging by the letter, one gets the impression that he is a rather capricious young man. Or the text was deliberately composed on the principle of demanding more than you need in order to get what you need.

-- I see far too many conditions here, and that alone is enough to call it a threat. For that reason alone, we cannot agree... -- Ambrose, taking the document, jabbed the tip of his dagger at the lines "by the court of Lord Albus," "no fewer than five," "shall enter into marriage" -- But this would already be a fourth front, and that is quite untimely for us right now. Let us try to find a compromise here, and if not -- let it be worse for them.

...

"The Knights of Canamia send greetings to Lord Ferlutz

On behalf of us all, we are glad that the thirst for justice and the noble resolve to stand for it remain within you.

However, the conditions you have put forward for preserving that which is eternal and self-evident cannot but surprise us.

We regret to note that you have doubts as to whether the first point requires any reminder. We assure you that a proper investigation has already begun and will be conducted until its full success.

In light of the multitude of our enemies, we find the second point just, but we are compelled to strike out the amendment regarding "no fewer than five" so that our other loyal vassals are not unjustly deprived.

Financial assistance will be directed to you as necessary for military expenditures during the conflict; upon its conclusion, we take upon ourselves the procedure of restoring the region in financial, administrative, and organizational aspects in full measure.

Regarding the third point, we must remind you that such proposals, by every law and custom, are appropriate either from equal to equal, or from superior to inferior, but not the other way around.

Two of our knights have already suffered for Albus. Our commitment to our duties as suzerain, which consist of the fairness of the court, protection from enemies, and avenging those who wrong our vassals, is unconditional.

Just as unconditional should be your fulfillment of the duties of a vassal.

In the name of the memory of your father and the future of your region, humble your pride.

Better to gain less than desired than to lose what you have.

Understanding the grief that has befallen you and your just thirst for vengeance, we forgive your careless words.

But we also assure you that any form of betrayal will not be forgiven."

The Knights, having drafted the reply, await the opinions of Axel and Lester on what to add and what to cut.

-- Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh, hmm... -- having read Ambrose's reply, Axel turned to Yin before adding his edits. - What do you know about Lord Ferlutz's character? Judging by the letter, one gets the impression that he is a rather capricious young man. Or the text was deliberately composed on the principle of demanding more than you need in order to get what you need.

- In my view, Lord Ambrose correctly noted that he possesses great pride, which has only grown through taking on the current burden of his region. This man is endowed with intelligence and can be bargained with, but I fear the condescending tones in our reply will work against us.

So what do my experienced experts advise? If we go back, it's an absolute total disaster.

Going back means returning to camp with a madman, sacrificing the rest of the team. Then recruiting new ones and going back, immediately sacrificing half of them...
Going forward is 50/50, as they say. Either you make it, or you don't...

- Halt. - On the next tile, Eugene commanded. - It's unwise to go further; we've strayed too far from camp, and along this entire path we've encountered nothing worthy of attention. There's no reason to believe the road ahead will be any different.
- My lord! - Rgoktes was angered by what he heard. - If we turn back now, it will mean we wasted all those supplies on the way here! And that we wasted... Committed such an inhumane deed for nothing.
- Will I get to hear reasonable arguments, or is that all you have?
- Besides... Besides, perhaps just a few steps ahead, food and a place to rest await us! That would solve nearly all of our squad's problems.
- Your fantasies won't quell hunger. Anything else?
Rgoktes looks at Stefania with a pleading gaze.

*This image is not a recommendation when choosing your next move

— If we're going back, we have two scenarios. In the first one, we kill the redfaces, process them into provisions, and move on. In the second — we kill them again, then resurrect them, or immediately wound them non-lethally to take them prisoner and use them to get through that zone where we need to kill half the squad. The conditions didn't say we can't sacrifice slaves, so there shouldn't be any problems.

— If we're going back, we have two scenarios. In the first one, we kill the redfaces, process them into rations, and move on. In the second — we kill them again, then resurrect them, or immediately wound them non-lethally to take them prisoner and use them to get through that zone where we need to kill half the squad. The conditions didn't say we can't sacrifice captives, so there shouldn't be any problems.

Interesting plan, but there are two nuances:

1) It's not a fact that the resurrection items won't be needed for our own

2) Even if no one in the squad needs them, there will be at most four imps here. There are five of you. If the pegasus counts too, then six. So extra sacrifices may be needed.

— If we're going back, we have two scenarios. In the first, we kill the redfaces, process them into rations, and move on. In the second, we kill them again and then resurrect them, or alternatively wound them non-lethally right away to take them prisoner and use them to get through that zone where half the party needs to be killed. The terms didn't say we can't sacrifice slaves, so there shouldn't be any problems.

The plan is interesting, but there are two nuances:

1) It's not a given that the resurrection charges won't be needed for our own.

2) Even if no one in the party needs them, there will be at most four imps here. There are five of you. If the pegasus counts too, then six. So additional sacrifices may be needed.

A new imp spawns after every turn while the fight is ongoing. Last time we killed 6, went through 6, the pegasus wasn't part of the deal. But it's better to confirm with Reven. Not to mention he might shut the plan down right now.

- In my opinion, Lord Ambrose rightly noted his great pride, which only grew as he took on the current burden of his region. This man is endowed with intelligence and can be bargained with, but I fear that condescending notes in our response will work against us.

"The Knights of Canamia send greetings to Lord Ferlutz

On behalf of all of us, we are glad that you retain a thirst for justice and a noble resolve to stand up for it.

However, the conditions you have put forward for preserving what is eternal and self-evident cannot but surprise us we do not consider fully acceptable.

We regret to note that you have doubts that the first point requires reminding. Furthermore, we assure you that a proper investigation will begin shortly has already begun and will be conducted until its full success.

In light of the multitude of our enemies, we find the second point fair, but we are compelled to strike out the amendment of "no fewer than five" so that our other loyal vassals are not unjustly deprived.

Financial assistance will be directed to you as needed for military expenditures during the conflict; upon its conclusion, we undertake the procedure of restoring the region in financial, administrative, and organizational aspects in full.

Regarding the third point, we must remind you that such proposals, by all law and custom, are appropriate either from equal to equal, or from superior to inferior, but not the reverse. However, we are ready to consider options for dynastic marriages between our knights and yours, in order to strengthen existing ties and create new ones.

Two of our knights have already suffered for Albus. Our commitment to our duties as suzerain, which consist of the fairness of judgment, protection from enemies, and avenging wrongs done to our vassals, is unconditional.

Just as your fulfillment of vassal duties must be unconditional.

In the name of your father's memory and the future of your region, humble your pride.

Better to gain less than desired than to lose what you have.

Understanding the grief that has befallen you and your just thirst for vengeance, we forgive your careless words.

But we also assure you that any form of betrayal will not be forgiven.

Just as your fulfillment of vassal duties must be unconditional.

We understand the grief that has befallen you and your just thirst for vengeance.

But in the name of your father's memory and the future of our relations, we urge you to be more prudent.

- Halt. - At the next tile, Eugene commanded. - There's no point in going further; we've strayed too far from camp, and along this entire path we've encountered nothing worth noting. There's no reason to believe the road ahead will be any different.
- My lord! - Rgoktes was angered by what he heard. - If we turn back now, it will mean we wasted all those supplies on the way here! And that we... committed such an inhumane deed for nothing.
- Will I get to hear reasonable arguments, or is that all you have?
- Besides... Besides, perhaps just a few steps ahead, food and a place to rest await us! That would solve almost all of our squad's problems.
- Your fantasies won't satisfy hunger. Anything else?
Rgoktes looks at Stefania with a pleading gaze.

— There is a grain of truth in each of your words, — Stefania, who had been indifferent until now, interjected. — On one hand, our supplies are dwindling rather quickly, there are no new ones along the way, and ahead lies uncertainty that could end in a dead end and an expansion of the cannibalistic diet. On the other — behind us is literally a void that devours people, where someone will have to die again. Two chairs, and both are extremely unpleasant.

Stefania took a short pause. In truth, she had already been thinking about the path back herself, considering that her supplies had thinned the most, and a few more such marches would essentially lead to her demise. So she was mulling over scenarios for retreat. And it seemed her thoughts had now ripened into something worthwhile:

— If we go back, we have two scenarios. In the first, we kill the redfaces, process them into provisions, and continue on. In the second — we kill them again, then resurrect them, or immediately wound them non-lethally to take them prisoner and use them to get through that zone where half the squad must be killed. The conditions didn't say we can't sacrifice captives, so there shouldn't be any problems.

Stefania's voice did not waver, but she didn't look emotionless either. She simply no longer wanted to suffer losses among her own people. Despite really wanting to see her colleagues and Lord Adalard, overall she would have preferred the first scenario, as bringing Eugene to camp right now seemed very dangerous to her. The second problem — in light of recent events, she wasn't at all sure the camp was still intact and its inhabitants alive. Anything could happen in this damned Ikazkan. Even now, a sword could fall on them from above at any second and crush her or Eugene, which would mean inevitable defeat for the rest.

— Naturally, along the way these redfaces will have to be not exploded, but actually struck, because without their bodies they're useless. Unless, of course, Lord Eugene can selectively blow up the extras, but those are subtleties I'm not so well-versed in. Also, if the meat turns out to be edible, the idea with the captive freaks can be used for the scenario of further exploration of the area as well. Nothing stops us from killing them along the way, cooking them, and eating them. That's probably even better than returning to camp empty-handed, where the only valuable information we could report is the zone our army must not cross, and the demise of Dalias Galiot's squad along with its commander.

- Stop. - At the next tile Eugene commanded. - Going further is unreasonable, we've strayed too far from the camp and along this entire path we haven't encountered anything worthy of attention. There's no reason to believe the road ahead will be any different.
- My lord! - Rgoktes grew angry at what he heard. - If we turn back now, it will mean we wasted all those supplies on the way here! And that we wasted... Committed such an inhuman deed for nothing.
- Will I get to hear reasonable arguments, or is that all you've got?
- Besides... Besides, perhaps just a few steps ahead food and a place to rest await us! That would solve almost all of our squad's problems.
- Your fantasies won't satisfy hunger. Anything else?
Rgoktes looks at Stefania with a pleading gaze.

— There's a grain of truth in each of your words, — Stefania, who had been indifferent until now, intervened. — On one hand, our supplies are dwindling rather quickly, there are no new ones along the way, and ahead lies uncertainty that could end in a dead end and an expansion of the cannibal diet. On the other — behind us is literally a void that devours people, where someone will have to die again. Two chairs, and both are extremely unpleasant.

Stefania took a short pause. In truth, she had already been thinking about the way back herself, considering that her supplies had thinned out the most, and a few more such routes would essentially lead to her demise. So she was pondering scenarios for retreat. And it seems her thoughts had now ripened into something worthwhile:

— If we go back, we have two scenarios. In the first, we kill the red-faced ones, process them into provisions and continue on. In the second — we kill them again, then resurrect them, or immediately wound them non-lethally to take them prisoner and use them to traverse that zone where half the squad needs to be killed. The conditions didn't say we can't sacrifice captives, so there shouldn't be any problems.

Stefania's voice didn't tremble, but she didn't look emotionless either. She simply no longer wanted to suffer losses among her own people. Despite really wanting to see her colleagues and Lord Adalard, overall she would have preferred the first scenario, since bringing Eugene to the camp right now seemed very dangerous to her. The second problem — in light of recent events, she isn't even sure the camp is still intact and its inhabitants alive. In this damned Ikazkan, anything can happen. And even now, at any second, a sword could fall from above and crush her or Eugene, which would mean inevitable defeat for the rest.

— Naturally, along the way these red-faced ones will have to be not blown up, but specifically beaten, because without their bodies they're useless. Unless, my lord Eugene can selectively blow up the extras, but those are subtleties I don't understand so well. Also, if the meat is edible after all, the idea with the captive freaks can be used for the scenario of further exploration of the area. Nothing stops us from killing them along the way, cooking and eating them. That's probably even better than returning to camp empty-handed, where the only valuable information we could name is the zone our army must not cross, and the demise of Dalias Galiot's squad along with its commander.

Damn, Neir's villain is really playing the role. And Yashchur's character was still wondering why my character didn't like people. They literally came with the goal of genocide.