Lance fell silent at this point, leaving everyone who had been waiting for him to speak a little perplexed.

The entrances and exits were either guarded or blown up, but the Lord did not explicitly state the arrangements for this particular one.

"Sir, what about Target Number One?"

"Ignore it."

Upon hearing this, everyone showed a peculiar reaction. If the frontline troops crossed over, then Number One would effectively be behind them, threatening their rear, as well as their logistics security, and also pose a threat to the outpost.

"Why not blow it up?"

Someone suggested, but Lance smiled and explained.

"There must be heretics in the Beast Lair. If we don't leave them a way out, how would they dare to come out on their own?

Once we make a move, the evil cult will know the outpost is vulnerable. I want to see if they dare to come."

Wars have purposes; they're not fought just for the sake of fighting.

In this battle, Lance aims not only to reclaim the wilderness but also to kill as many of the enemy's living forces as possible and weaken their strength.

He knows that once the Ascension Sect retreats to the Old City Ruins, its massive ruin clusters will trap Hamlet's Army in horrific street fighting.

These three remaining points are bait. Number Three is said to be an intercept, but it's actually to lure reinforcements from the ruins, essentially a siege tactic.

Number Two is to attract heretics within the encirclement, making them gather voluntarily.

And Number One, closest to the outpost, is simply presenting an "empty city" before them to see if they dare to approach.

After all, once the outpost is taken, the current encirclement would turn into a counter-encirclement, with Hamlet's Army being severed as the Elder's midnight snack.

The heretics aren't afraid to die, but the Elder won't send them to death blindly. So, to lure them out, Lance refuses to believe that the old geezer can hold back...

"Alright, everything's fine now. Everyone, go ahead and prepare. This battle will determine whether Hamlet can break the stalemate or remain trapped in this small area."

No one is foolish; they understand the Lord's intention to defend here, and without further ado, they left to busy themselves with preparing for the upcoming war.

They must be crazy, knowing this operation has almost conscripted Hamlet's entire army. Once it begins, the outpost is left with only the logistics staff, who have limited combat power.

Only the Lord will defend the city.

If the outpost, their fallback route, were breached by heretics, they would become isolated forces without any supply.

That they agree to go mad with him suggests a considerable trust in Lance, the Lord.

No, they must all be mad.

At least, that's what Margaret thinks.

She originally thought Lance would have some good method for handling the deliberately exposed Target Number One, but it seems this is the plan?

Even someone inexperienced in war like her knew that this was unreliable.

However, looking at those leaving with slightly dazed expressions made her question whether these people were truly reliable?

Margaret, who had stood like a sidekick earlier, quickly approached Lance after the meeting, eager to persuade him to be rational.

"I'm not afraid, so what are you afraid of?" Lance smiled as he looked at her. "If you're scared, you can leave with the logistics convoy tomorrow morning."

"Who's afraid?" Margaret tried to rebut, but she immediately realized she wasn't being trapped, but rather caught onto the problem.

"What if the heretics do attack? Can these few people really defend? At least leave some people to defend."

She said this while trying to pull in allies to bolster her argument, and the person she was most familiar with here was Laura, who had just leaned against the wall without saying a word.

"Right, Laura?"

"I see no problem." Laura had no intention of wasting words, her cool voice coming from under her hood.

What a joke, this man feels like he can single-handedly defeat an Order of Knights; there's nothing safer than being by his side.

He's an army unto himself!

Laura's words made Margaret pause, her previously eager demeanor shrinking a bit.

She couldn't help but self-doubt: Why does no one else have any objections? Is the problem truly hers?

"Don't stress; you and Laura aren't headed for the battlefield directly, just defending the city, nothing difficult."

Lance didn't keep pressing her but instead offered reassurance.

"Ah? Aren't I moving with the Honor Guard?"

"I'm the Commander, and what I say goes." Lance had no intention of prolonging the conversation, with a few words he persuaded her back.

After everyone withdrew, Lance alone stared at the map, lost in thought.

This battle expends significantly; he's put everything on the line, so much so that organizing a second one anytime soon is nearly impossible, not to mention Tiffany's constant urging for funds as a reminder that Hamlet's economy is strained.

Not only are the preparations during the war costly, but the aftermath will also see how much loss?

Compensation, injuries, rewards... all of this burdens Lance heavily; such pressure might break anyone else.

Did they really think his confident and relaxed demeanor in front of those people was without any pressure whatsoever?

His ability to endure doesn't mean he's not feeling the strain.

But this battle must be fought, as recent events suggest the Elder's power is continuously growing.

Whether Bastia or the Empire's internal strife, once the war engulfs Hamlet, all his efforts will be in vain.

He must address the Elder's problem as much as possible before chaos descends on Hamlet, if not completely solve it, then significantly weaken him at least.

"Damn it!" Lance cursed lowly at the air, biting his teeth as though a gambler, the slightly ferocious appearance evident.

This battle I must win!

......

Hamlet.

Lance had mobilized almost all soldiers; now the safety of those farms and towns was arranged with militias and sheriffs for joint defense.

Under the guise of training exercises, numerous militias were gathered, using injured veterans to command defenses, even pulling in trained reserves like Joan to assist.

This configuration will certainly be effective, but the extent of its effectiveness depends on the circumstances.

Tonight, many are destined to miss sleep, including Grendel.

After dark, she personally patrolled to inspect whether measures were effective, ensuring any issues are promptly dealt with.

Lance had entrusted Hamlet to her; she understood the importance of this fight and knew the town absolutely couldn't afford to falter.

Luckily, Hamlet was just emerging; everyone was filled with enthusiasm, even the "temp workers" weren't slacking, and everything was running smoothly.

After a round of inspection, Grendel approached Amanda, whom Lance had left in Hamlet, not on the battlefield.

"Not asleep yet?"

"You're not either~" Amanda responded with a laugh.

"I wanted to divine if there'd be any issues in town."

"Oh~ Even Miss Dai'er believes in this?" Amanda teased with a smile. "Honestly, since meeting him, even I've been doubting these things."

Amanda said plenty, yet the divination process didn't halt.

Her words were playful but genuinely reflected her feelings.

Before coming to Hamlet, Amanda used divination for everything, and if the result was unfavorable, she postponed or avoided it.

She hadn't encountered serious issues for years and avoided numerous troubles this way.

Before heading to Hamlet, Amanda's divination had shown very positive signs; capturing Tamara, promotion, and prosperity were within grasp.

However, once here, she didn't capture her target; instead, she was beaten and imprisoned for days, only to somehow end up like this.

Nonetheless, this incident granted her clarity on her teacher, insight into the organization; could this perhaps be the divine result's favor?

She sometimes actually wondered if Lance possessed some kind of magic; his words seemed like spells, compelling people beyond control.

While Amanda jested, her hands flipped the tarot cards, but the moment she saw the card face, her words paused, and she slowly raised her eyes to meet Grendel's gaze.

Though no words were exchanged...

"I don't actually believe in it either." Grendel's expression slightly serious but she promptly smiled, pressing the card down with her hand.