"The Norman Empire was certainly strong militarily, and the Ulster also had its advantages. If the same group of people were allowed to rule the two countries, it would be difficult to say who would have the upper hand. "Alves Hawk Sedlintz, a young talent of the Sedlinz family, who had already risen to the rank of army general at a young age, shifted the conversation from the iron prison that no longer existed to the current situation. On the surface, the Norman army was at the end of the crossbow, and the Ulster army set off an unprecedented wave of powerful counterattacks with no way back, and the offensive and defensive momentum of both sides reversed, but it was obviously too early to conclude that the war had taken a turn. Today, the Norman Empire, with its domestic economy at full capacity for armament production, and the annexation of all of Fries, three-quarters of Wessex, and half of Ulster's resources, has reached an unprecedented peak militarily, and it is not so easy to stop this war machine running at full speed.

"If, I mean if...... If the Ulster government and army had been actually in charge of a man of the courage and dedication of Mr. Clumber-Haysen, the North-Fries crisis might not have gotten out of control, and the war would not have been fought at all. Alves's compliments are unbelievable on such an occasion, but Weiss knows that this kind of "praise" is to slowly dispel his resistance, and in the final analysis, he still wants to recruit himself for their use.

To be favored by the big men of the Norman Empire, if nothing else, at least the ability is recognized.

"I'm just an ordinary Lorraine defender, and the pros and cons at the national level are beyond my consideration." Weiss tactfully stated his position.

Alves unhurriedly cut the tender chops on the plate: "It seems that Mr. Clumber-Haysen does not have a clear enough understanding of himself...... In my opinion, both of you have an accurate grasp of the situation on the battlefield, which is a natural obstacle for ordinary people to become high-ranking commanders, and you seem to have an innate talent in this regard. Our sword-baron Alla Scala began to show his unparalleled military talent from North Fries, but he chose the right allegiance before he went to war. I dare say that no one in the Norman Empire, except His Highness, would give such unwavering trust to an outsider with doubtful positions. ”

When Alves said this, Weiss noticed a faint smile on Prince Barras's face, a gesture of acceptance of praise calmly, while at the same time, Ze stopped all movements and stared at Alves intently, the expression on his face seemed to be pure pride, but the glint in his eyes was perhaps difficult for him to explain.

"And you, little Clumber Haysen, not to mention the kung fu on the sand table, I have had the pleasure of reading your article published in the journal of the Bathton Military Academy, and you are very thoughtful and insightful, and you are a rare insight in the Ulster army. Although we lack knowledge of your performance in the early stages of the war, your actions in Lorraine alone are enough to make us look forward to you. Alves finally revealed the true intentions of the dinner.

If it weren't for Ze, Weiss would have flatly refused the enemy's solicitation, even if he was thrown out of the window by the Norman crew in the next second, and now, he not only had to estimate Ze's situation, but also had to consider the more than 2,000 hometown fathers who had just been captured by the Normans, and these heavy burdens made him have to take a more tactful way: bury his head in delicious food, and do not speak or express his position.

Seeing Weiss's silence, Prince Barras put down his dishes and said, "It seems that the recent performance of the Ulster army has made you doubt the prospects of the Norman Empire in this war, well, this is understandable. In fact, in recent times, even some people within us have been shaken and have begun to prepare for their own backroads...... How ridiculous! ”

The person with the highest position at the table put down the utensils and talked to himself, Weiss could not continue to pretend to be deaf and dumb, he raised his head and met the other party's gaze: "Throughout history, few wars have ended with the complete defeat of one side, and most wars have ended with a negotiated truce. When most people want the war to end, a truce in the form of peace talks may be the most decent outcome for both sides. ”

"You are right, wars that end with the defeat of one side only exist in distant history. Since modern times, there has not been a war aimed at the complete destruction of the other side. Regardless of the process, the outcome of this war must be the signing of an armistice agreement between the two sides, but the armistice talks require not only military opportunities, but also political factors. As far as the current conditions are concerned, neither military nor political can meet the requirements of an armistice, so this war should continue for a long time. Ballas gave his own analytical judgment.

In fact, whether the two belligerents can reach an armistice depends not only on the current situation, but also on whether the terms of the armistice can be agreed upon. If the Norman Empire were determined to claim large swaths of Ulster and Wessex, especially those natural barriers of great national importance, these two countries would of course prefer to die rather than accept them. Now, the Norman army has just switched from offensive to defensive, and the occupied area is still basically at the maximum, and the psychological expectation of a truce must be unbearable for the other side. Weiss knew this, and what he said just now was just a futile prayer, and unless a miracle happened, it would be impossible for the two sides to reach a truce at this point.

Weiss was silent again. For his cold reaction, these two big men of the Norman Empire were unexpectedly impatient, and this kind of calmness and patience beyond their years made Weiss feel more and more that they were truly terrible opponents.

Ballas lifted the glass bottle in front of him again: "After every battle, those who survive, should pay tribute to those who died!" Today, we pay tribute not only to the Norman soldiers who died in battle, but also to the brave partisan fighters! ”

Weiss couldn't refuse this glass of wine, and besides, when the big guys drank all the wine in the glass, he could only do it.

Two attendants quickly refilled their glasses of wine.

Ballas then raised his glass to Weiss and said, "This one, a salute to our stubborn opponent!" ”

The wine was strong, and Weiss still drank it all.

Baras's alcohol consumption did not look ordinarily good, and he immediately raised his glass to Ze and said, "This glass, to the valiant Sabre Baron Alla Scala, you ended this cruel battle at the lowest cost, and you did a very good job!" ”

Ze hurriedly raised his glass in response to Baras, and after the two drank each other, the third in line to the throne of the Norman Empire continued: "We have discussed, your suggestion is very good, but there is a problem, this group of laborers has a special status, and it is difficult to guarantee the technical quality without a suitable organizer and supervisor. Ignorance...... Will our little Mr. Clumber-Haysen be brave enough to take on this responsibility? ”

"What do you mean?" Weiss looked at the other man.

"Unless otherwise agreed at the end of the war, the partisans and supporters of the partisans who surrender to us today will be subjected to compulsory labor for at least three years in the labor battalions of the Norman army. Given that most of these people are residents of Somsonas and have worked at the Clumbor-Haisen plant, they are suitable for arms production, but the technical and quality requirements of arms production are very high and there is no room for negligence...... Mr. Clumber Hazen Jr., get straight to the point! I think you are the only one who is up to the role of commander-in-chief of this special labor battalion. If you refuse, then we will most likely consider other options. ”

Weiss thought for a moment: "That's all there is to it?" ”

Barras burst out laughing, a laugh that made Weiss feel uncomfortable.

At this time, Alves said: "A few days ago, I took the time to carefully read the internal journal of the Bathton Military Academy in recent years, and found that the person who defeated me in the wargame deduction was not only quite accomplished in military and political affairs, but also a rather gifted weapon designer. We've had it tested by professional engineers, and two of the technical solutions can be used to improve the existing armament of the Norman army, and the new Clumber-Heisen plant is up to the task. ”

Improving the weapons for the Norman army was no different from joining the Norman army directly, and Weiss certainly couldn't accept the role of a traitor, he gritted his teeth and said, "What if I refuse?" ”

Alves did not answer directly, but said calmly: "As far as I know, the supply of materials in some special labor camps is not so stable, if you want them to be able to ensure their living conditions, it is better to do it yourself, do you know what I mean?" ”

The helplessness and sorrow of the king and the defeat are like the liquor in this cup spilling over on the wound, which hurts the heart, but can only endure it.

After some difficult trade-offs, Weiss let out a long sigh: "I can accept it, but there is a request...... I hope to meet Nicolas Lebold, and if he wants, we can go to the labor camp together. ”

"Him?" Ballas keenly caught Weiss's use of pronouns, and he smiled at Alves.

"Don't underestimate our intelligence capabilities." Alves said, "We know all the dirty things about the military and political leadership of Ulster. ”

This made Weiss look confused.

Alves did not delve further into this topic, but said to Weiss: "Although your request is not excessive, for some special reasons, we cannot agree to it for the time being. ”

"What's wrong with him?" Weiss asked unrelentingly.

Alves didn't speak, and this time it was Barras who replied: "She's fine, she figured out a lot of things after returning from a tour of the Norman Empire. We're confident that it won't be long before she figures everything out and makes the right choice. ”

Although alcohol had a slight effect on emotional stability, it did not hinder Weiss's mental concentration, and he clearly captured a few key points in this sentence: the Norman Empire cruised, figured things out, and...... She!

Surprised, Weiss tentatively said: "I always thought that war was a war between men, and women should not participate in it. ”

"You thought so, but you didn't—there were quite a few women among the rebels we captured, right?" Alves threw the question to Ze.

Ze hesitated slightly: "About three or four out of ten." ”

Alves then turned to Weiss: "As far as we know, there are not a few female pilots in the Federal Army's flying units. Speaking of which, on our side, there have always been no women in front-line combat units, and there are not many women in auxiliary personnel. ”

Weiss was unable to recover from this topic, but through this, he felt that there were still weaknesses in the Norman Empire's war mobilization mechanism: there were few women in the front-line troops, which was not surprising, but there were also few women in the auxiliary staff, which meant that a large number of low-intensity positions used men, and the population base of the Norman Empire was already small, and once the war entered the stalemate stage, their "endurance" would definitely have problems first.