Section XXVIII speculation

"That's the way it is, dear nephew. I'm afraid that the chances of being a king are slim...... Unless you're sure to beat Thomas. Otherwise, if you put a crown on yourself, you will pave the way for yourself to the gallows. But marrying a princess, our hopes are still very high. ”

"Wait a minute...... Uncle...... Why can't we beat Thomas?" suddenly flashed in Ryan's mind. Yes, he couldn't beat Thomas, but what about Rook? Truth be told, after all this time, he admired even more than Thomas. Everything that was previously difficult in the imagination seemed to be nothing difficult in front of Luke. Rook can grasp something that is almost non-existent, fleeting, and hold it in his hands. Rook could construct a plan out of nothing, and find opportunities in a myriad of seemingly unconnected things to get him to where he is today.

If this force can be applied to military command...... It is true that Rook does not seem to like commanding troops, but ......

"Uncle, you...... You've said in the past that you're no match for Thomas, and you've fought against him?" Ryan asked.

"Fighting?...... If it was chess, I played a few games against Thomas, and of course I was the winner, in fact I won them all. But I'm sure our General Thomas has long forgotten about this little thing. This time, when he saw me, he didn't even recognize who I was. ”

Luke smiled slightly, and he casually picked up a chess piece from the cupboard and played with it in his hand.

"Ryan. If Thomas and I get together face to face and play a tactical exercise with the spirit of play and fairness, I will most likely be the one who wins! But if we each command an army and fight it out on the battlefield, Thomas can send me to hell in three or two blows. ”

"What are you ...... for?"

"Man must be self-aware. When I was a child, I loved to read military books and war history, and when I was younger, I fantasized that I could command a large army and dominate the world, but I finally decided that I could not be a general. Because I'm a coward. It's a shame to admit it, but my intellect tells me that people who admit reality live long. Rook said, still smiling, but his fingers were trying to break the piece. His hands were so hard that their joints turned white.

"But you don't need to go to the battlefield, let me be the commander, you can command through me......"

"No, Ryan, you don't understand......" Rook replied, with a low sigh. "If I had to compare myself, then I am the kind of knight who can pierce a ring with a spear on a horse in a jousting arena, but he doesn't even dare to drive a horse forward on the battlefield. War is not a game, the loser must have the consciousness of death, and every move of the commander, every order, is related to the lives of countless subordinates...... I can't handle that kind of pressure. ”

He looked at his nephew. Ryan was looking at him stupidly, not seeming to understand what he meant. He threw the piece in his hand to Ryan, who instinctively caught it.

"It's the same as playing chess. Ryan, your chess skills stink. If you have an entertaining competition with those chess masters, you don't have to think about it to know that you will definitely lose. But if you change the conditions...... For example, if you play chess with a master chess player, but your subordinate rests a sharp sword on his neck, do you think that in this case, even if you are not very good at chess, you have a good chance of winning? In extreme fear, under strong external pressure, people cannot wield freely and give full play to their abilities. A lot of smart people are under pressure to do a lot of stupid tricks that seem stupid in hindsight. You get it? Thomas is the kind of person who can think calmly under any pressure, and I'm not. That's why I know why I can't be the commander. No one calculates every change in advance, and there are always a lot of surprises. As I said, no matter how you calculate, there will be at least three surprises that you didn't expect, and at least one of them is something you don't want to see. ”

When Rook said this, he was staring at the mirror on the wall. Facing the person in the mirror, an expression of extreme disgust and sadness appeared on his face.

"The world realm called 'Battlefield' is a realm that a coward like me shouldn't set foot in. In fact, on the battlefield, it's not so much a 'who is better' contest as 'who makes fewer mistakes'. In my opinion, Thomas is not a true master strategist, but he can maintain his true colors in any situation, and exert more than ninety percent of his abilities. This is the true secret of his invincibility. ”

Ryan finally understood what his uncle meant.

"Alright then, uncle. Tell me, why can't I be a king and still marry a princess?"

"It's just 'promising' right now. As for what to do, your army is all knights of Cassilos. Thomas can defeat us, but our princess Irina will not be willing to destroy this army that is supposed to be her own. This leaves the cost and basis for negotiations. As long as you don't start with Thomas, you can go into negotiation instead...... Dear nephew, I am 100% sure that Princess Irina will admit that it will become a reality, and that you will become a duke! As for marrying the princess...... I'm also 60% sure. That's pretty good already. ”

"But Thomas...... Thomas...... I ......"

"What's wrong, nephew, what are you hiding from me?" Rook finally realized that something was wrong with Ryan.

Ryan slurred and told his uncle about the stabbing of Thomas before.

"Oops...... Worst...... Why didn't you say it sooner, nephew?" Rook finally lost his composure, and sat down in a luxurious gilt armchair, pondering over it.

"Wait a minute, you say...... You stabbed Thomas in the abdomen?

"Probably here......" Ryan gestured.

"How deep did you stab?"

"Probably...... Probably...... I think I'm going to impale him......"

"You said he came alone, with no one else around. With Thomas's character, it is impossible for him to hide a subordinate next to him! If he did bring someone with him, then he would definitely appear together! Based on this, I judged that Thomas was indeed alone at that time. When his injuries are discovered, the earliest time you get on the boat...... Remember, at that time, Ashrufat came out and threatened us......" Rook frowned. "If I'm right, Thomas was discovered at daybreak. Although he was seriously injured and bled a lot, he did not die after the last death!"

"There are prophetesses, and they can heal Thomas. Ryan said with annoyance.

"No, dear nephew, I'm afraid there's something wrong with it. There are some elements that I'm afraid no one has noticed...... Thomas was wounded, and definitely his internal organs. Not only was he wounded, but he also bled a lot! so much blood would make people weak...... In addition, the internal organs were injured...... At this level, even a prophetess can't be easily cured!"

Rook's tightly furrowed brow slowly loosened, and a smile returned to the corner of his mouth again.

"But the 'myrrh' on the ship was not unloaded in time and sent to the castle...... Say...... There is a high probability that the wound will become inflamed and will not heal. No, let's just assume that Thomas wasn't so unlucky, that his wounds weren't inflamed...... And a quick recovery under the healing magic of the prophetess. But even so, Thomas's body was weak. It's impossible for such a Thomas to suddenly go out and fight the enemy on the first day and win!"

"Thomas is a man of great honor, and if the Paro were to make such a heads-up invitation, he would have fought even if he was unwell!" replied Ryan.

"That's right, even if there is nothing wrong with this one-on-one fight, after this battle, our Lord Thomas will have to lie back in bed! So, who will command the next siege? And I don't really believe that Thomas can win...... Rudolph, the commander of the Paro people, was a man who believed that 'victory is everything, and the means are chosen at will'. It's impossible for him to go head-to-head with Thomas...... There must be a ghost among them!"

"But these things were asked by the Paro deserters, and they shouldn't be faked. Ryan replied. The main source of these messages comes from mercenaries fleeing the battlefield – they often desert when the situation is unfavorable. After all, they didn't have the consciousness to die for Palo.

"That's right...... First, before the arrival of the Paro army, the commander was already seriously wounded...... At this time, the army will definitely waver. But nothing happened. Dear nephew, it is undoubtedly your three comrades who have concealed everything! Since Thomas is too seriously wounded to command the battle, it is still your three colleagues who are responsible for defending the city! Think about it...... Think about it...... I see!"

Rook suddenly burst out laughing. "Ha Lu Ha...... Ha Lu Ha ...... So that's it...... I see!"

"Uncle, what do you want to understand?"

"I figured out the truth!Ryan, if the general is injured and can't continue to command, who do you think will take his place? ”

"His lieutenant. ”

"That's right, Thomas is injured, who will be in charge? William Daley? That guy has more muscles than brains, and it's okay if it's just a charge...... He's pretty good, but I don't think that kid can make the decision to abandon Drake and pursue and retreat the Paro...... By the way, it's Ashrufat! It must be him!"

"Uncle...... You say Thomas is dead, and now it's Ashrufat who is in charge?"

"No, Thomas is certainly not dead! Even if he is dead, he can only be regarded as alive at present! I understand! Everything is clear when I think about it! My dear nephew, I am now ninety percent sure that Thomas has only one breath left! Now in charge of commanding the army, it is Ashrufat who pursues the Paro. He was indeed an ambitious man, and if he succeeded in defeating the Paros at the end of the day, it would be enough for him to climb the ranks, to be promoted to the rank of Marquis or even Duke! Dead people don't argue. It's perfect......" Luke smiled. "It seems that your dream of becoming a king is still somewhat certain, dear nephew. ”

"I've said it all, uncle, I have no interest in the king, I want to be Irina's husband......"

"Okay, well, I know. Ryan, are you sure you can defeat Aethrufat with similar military strength? According to my calculations, although it was actually Ishrufat who was in control of the army, on the surface, the commander was still Thomas. ”