Her Graceful War Song by Summer's Blaze

In Simonton City, Oliver was growing increasingly impatient. After four rounds of negotiations, Victor refused to budge. He insisted that he would only release Septimus in exchange for Simonton City.

The other prisoners had already been exchanged long ago. In fact, Starhaven had been on the losing side of the deal. The number of Sandorian captives they had was twice more than the Sinclair Army soldiers in Victor's hands. The numbers didn't add up, revealing how many prisoners Sandoria had killed. Now, they were demanding an entire city in exchange for Septimus' life.

It was absurd.

If it hadn't been for Rafael arriving a couple of days ago and urging him to delay the negotiations, Oliver would have flatly rejected Victor's demands.

Timothy and Louis had repeatedly stressed that Septimus had been an important figure in recovering the Southern Frontier, but Oliver didn't agree. He had reviewed the list of people in the Sinclair Army, and Septimus wasn't even on it. Even if his nnot being on the list had been an oversight, how could one man alone provide critical intelligence? So, Oliver believed that the intelligence Septimus delivered was something scouts could accomplish and wasn't of paramount importance.

The negotiations had already dragged on for too long. He was unwilling to delay any further. After all, the prisoners had been exchanged. If Septimus were a loyal and righteous man, he wouldn't want to see the kingdom sacrifice an entire city for his release.

The problem was that the king had sent Rafael to participate in the negotiations. After the prince's arrival, he issued an order to delay the negotiations, then disappeared. Oliver was fully aware of what this implied- sacrificing Septimus would bring disgrace, so Rafael had hidden away.

With the Hell Monarch out of sight, the responsibility for the negotiations fell solely on Oliver. Whether he chose to sacrifice Septimus or an entire city, the blfrom the public would be directed at him, not Rafael.

Therefore, Oliver decided to send people to search for Rafael while reporting to the court that the prince had vanished upon arriving in Simonton City. That way, Rafael would be held accountable for his own disappearance. With the report dispatched, any decision Oliver made from this point on would implicate Rafael as well-it was his own fault for hiding away.

Once that was done, Oliver called for Louis and Timothy to discuss the situation.

Oliver sat in the command tent, which was now far superior to the makeshift setup of the past. The spacious and brightly lit hall had comfortable couches and even a tunnel leading to a heated underground chamber for the winter.

He sipped a cup of coffee made from beans that had been brought from the capital, finding the fragrant aroma soothing and alleviating sof his irritation.

He spoke slowly, "Currently, the Hell Monarch's whereabouts are unknown. However, the negotiations can't be delayed any further. We must report back to the court. In your opinion, when should we terminate the negotiations?" Timothy and Louis exchanged glances. They both understood that Rafael hadn't gone missing or hidden away. Instead, he was leading a team to Sandoria's border city to rescue Septimus.

the Rafael had instructed them not to inform Oliver about his whereabouts, as the latter was too impulsive. If I learned Rafael's mission, he might becarrogant or careless during the negotiations, which would easily be noticed by Victor, who was no simple opponent.

After spending such a long ton the Southern Frontier battlefield, he was both brave and cautious, with a keen sense of suspicion. Oliver would find it difficult to outmaneuver him. "Why are you dawdling?" Oliver frowned. "In such a tense situation, why are you all spacing out?" Louis was silent. Why was this considered a tense situation? How many such situations had they faced during battles? But he didn't dare voice his thoughts. Although he wasn't fond of Oliver, he had to respect his position as the appointed marshal.

"Marshal Prince, I think we should drag this out for another ten days or so, and hold a few more rounds of negotiations. At least it will show that we've done everything possible," Louis suggested. Oliver shook his head. "Ten days or more is too long. Marshal Crow is already impatient. You saw the last negotiation-he's pressing hard for an answer now." Timothy interjected, "Marshal Prince, regardless of his impatience, we should hold off for now. The king's order was for you to negotiate, but the final decision rests with the mar- the prince. We need to find him first. "Once we locate him, he can decide whether to reject Marshal Crow's demands outright or to offer a city in exchange for Septimus. Of course, I'm saying this with your best interest in mind to avoid public criticism." Louis added, "He's right, Marshal Prince. No matter what decision is made, the people will criticize it once they find out. If things get out of control, the king will have no choice but to use you to calm the unrest."

Though Oliver was not particularly capable, he wasn't a fool. He knew these two had served under the Duke of Northwatch and the Hell Monarch for years. He found it hard to believe they would sacrifice Rafael for his sake. His eyes narrowed. "Are you hiding something from me? Do you know the Hell Monarch's whereabouts?" Timothy clasped his hands together.

"Marshal Prince, I don't know where Prince Rafael is, and I have no intention of harming him. However since the prince is not here at camp and is the king's younger brother, the king will undoubtedly protect him. But you are not in the sposition. I am well aware that we follow you, not the prince, and thus am considering your interests." Oliver pondered for a moment, his gaze growing colder.

Eventually, he announced, "Five days. In five days, I will tell Marshal Crow that the Hell Monarch advocates for abandoning the negotiations. You will act as witnesses." Timothy and Louis were taken aback. Five days? And he planned to tell Victor that Rafael advocated for abandoning the negotiations? Wouldn't that reveal the prince's presence in Simonton City? Five days-would Rafael be able to rescue Septimus in that time? X