From the west, the allied forces bearing the name of the Great Saints Church sounded a trumpet of a brave sortie, and a few days later, the joint forces of Monstrance and Gazalia also left their home base in Galuamaria. In other words, the heraldry stopped using the great wall of Garouamalia as its shield.

　This was an unexpected move not only for the Great Patriarchate but also for the people of Monstrance. After all, it is in defensive warfare that Galuamaria is most effective in war.

　The city of Garou Amalia will not fall so easily unless there is confusion or guidance from within, as was the case in the past when Mattia caused Garou Amalia to fall.

　For this reason, many people opposed the idea of abandoning their absolute advantage, and spoke loudly of the siege as the best way.

　However, even in the midst of these voices, the saintly Mattia of the heraldry and Erdis, the queen of the Hanging Gardens of Ghazalia, insisted on defeating the enemy in battle. There are several factors that lead to this choice, but the most important one is the number of soldiers in each side.

　The number of troops that the heraldry has on its own is at most 8,000, and when it joins forces with the army of Gazalia, it will be slightly more than 10,000. The rest is probably just a matter of how many mercenaries they can scrounge up to make up the numbers.

　Of course, if old men who can't even wield a spear or children who don't know anything are thrown out onto the battlefield, the number might increase a little more. But such a thing would no longer have the appearance of an army. There is no way to act in a disciplined manner.

　Therefore, the number that could maintain the minimum appearance as an army was this unreliable number of 10,000 or so for the heraldry.

　In contrast, the number of troops that the Great Patriarchate sent out a few days ago was less than 20,000. This is the first time I've ever seen such a thing.

　In addition, what is worse is that for the heraldry, 10,000 is undoubtedly the number of soldiers who have put in their best effort, but for the Daishongyou, 20,000 is just the number of advance troops. In the background, an army that could easily exceed 100,000 is looking at the heraldry with fearless eyes. They are probably watching the situation, wondering how they can make a move.

　That is why a siege is pointless, says Saint Mattia. If you only want to defeat the advance troops, you should certainly choose the siege strategy. But what about after that? If the main army shows up after that and surrounds Galuamaria... Then it's over. There's nothing left for us to do but to make Garouamalia our coffin.

　To be honest, when Mattia first said those words, I had a strange feeling. No, of course I understand what she means, and I'm not going to argue with her.

　At any rate, in the Gospel Wars of the past, the heraldic religion chose to stay in Garou Amalia and ended up on the path to destruction. The saint Mattia died in an underground temple as her coffin.

　That is, without a doubt, the result that the world has observed.

　That's why I thought that even in this Gospel War, Mattia should still take a siege strategy. I wonder if there was a change of heart this time, or if there was some reason for the siege in the past.

　In any case, it would be great if you never choose to siege. After all, we don't want to be foolish enough to retrace the path that once led to our destruction. If you're going to die anyway, it's more meaningful to reach out to at least a few possibilities before you die.

So what do you think, do you think you can win?

　So what do you think?

　I'm sure it's because the tent was originally used for generals and commanders to gather, but it's surprisingly spacious for a tent, and it even gives me a strange sense of comfort.

　Ann's cheeks fluttered as she responded to my words. The color in her eyes seemed to indicate that she was disgusted.

　Don't look at people that way, Ann. A little more kindness in your heart wouldn't go amiss.

Master Lugis was at the joint meeting. First of all, what if I tell you that there is no way to win?

　I'm sure you're not the only one who has a problem with that," he said, cowering slightly as he glared at me. I put the chewing tobacco on my teeth and inhaled the air.

　Even though I was attending a joint meeting, what was the point of attending such a perfunctory one?

　I'm not used to people saying things with so many layers of clothing on their teeth, so I couldn't understand what they meant. I had to frown and think several times before I could read a single word. I could still understand the cloak-and-dagger phrases of the taverns and back streets if I just listened.

　And what if Ann says you can't win?

"You're not the kind of person who loves futility, Anne, to pick a fight you can't win. If you can't win, I'd like to believe you're the kind of person who will make it at all costs.

　That was my understanding of Largd-Anne, after having known her for more than a short time.

　Her attitude is sincere and earnest, and she is always seeking the best way. That's the kind of person Anne is.

　It's true that she was once defeated by the Great Saints. That is an undeniable fact.

　With the saint Mattia's corpse exposed, her future as a close associate can be imagined to some extent. My eyelids hurt a little when I thought about it.

　But even in the midst of all this, I'm sure Anne was still hoping for the best. What would be the best result, what would be the best out of all the means at her disposal?

　I'm sure she was thinking about it right up until the moment her life ended. At least, that is what I believe Largd-Anne to be.

　That's why it's hard for me to believe that she's just blindly going to the battlefield without a single thought of winning. I'm sure she has some kind of agenda swirling in her heart.

　I'm hoping so," she said, her eyes flickering for a moment, then she broke her gaze and blinked her eyelids a few times.

　The expression on her face was as if she had just been told something unexpected. Anne's face hardened as she pondered for a moment, and after a few breaths, she opened her lips.

I'm not sure what you mean by that.　I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one who's a fan of your work.

　I don't know what it is, but isn't this guy hitting me hard lately? I think he was treated a little more politely a while ago.

　I'm not sure if she likes the way I open my eyes as if I'm embarrassed, but she lets her cheeks relax a little and smiles, her lips rippling.

I'm just kidding. Of course, I don't want to fight a battle I can't win. I'm sure you'll be able to do that, and if you can't, you can rewrite the script to make it work for you.

　I'm not sure what to make of these sudden words. I'm not sure what to make of that.

　In the grand tent, the generals of the heraldry and Gazalia were beginning to show their appearance to attend the military council.