Chapter 83: The Buzz at the Morning Meeting
Once everyone had gathered, Hudeman wasted no time and spoke up immediately, “I’ve called you all here bright and early to discuss our upcoming actions. Although we achieved victory yesterday, we have not completely dealt with the Orcs raiding from the south. Many of them are still within the kingdom.”
After finishing his statement, Hudeman looked around at everyone, waiting for their opinions.
His meaning was already very clear.
“Your Excellency, I believe that the Orcs we faced yesterday were indeed their main force. Since we’ve defeated them, the remaining Orcs are no longer a significant threat. Therefore, I think our focus should shift to Mark Fortress!”
A knight seated at the end of the table chimed in without hesitation after Hudeman finished speaking.
His words garnered some nods of agreement from the crowd.
They thought the remaining Orcs were beneath notice, and the real battle awaited them at Mark Fortress.
Many were eager for the clash at Mark Fortress.
“But if we don’t eliminate all those Orcs, they will continue to pose a threat to the kingdom, still raiding from within!”
As soon as he said that, Powell rebutted.
The people from the south might not care if the northern lands were ravaged by Orcs, but he, as a northern noble, naturally wanted to eradicate these menaces from the north as efficiently as possible.
His statement drew further nods of approval, mostly from the northern folks.
Listening to the conflicting opinions among the group, Hudeman felt a headache coming on.
Although he had anticipated this outcome, the reality of it was still troublesome.
If he leaned towards the northern people’s argument, the southerners would think he’d betrayed them.
If he sided with his own people, the northerners would likely take issue with him.
At that moment, Hudeman did not respond to their opinions, leading both sides to devolve into a heated argument.
The southerners felt that pursuing the remaining Orcs was nothing but a waste of time; the most crucial task was to march northward, reach Mark Fortress, and assist the troops there in repelling the Beast King and his Orc army.
Once the Beast King retreated, the remaining Orcs would hardly be able to cause any more trouble within the kingdom.
While the northerners understood this logic as well, they also knew that driving away the Beast King and his Orc forces was no easy feat, and the time spent on that would be considerable.
During that time, if they went north to Mark Fortress, who knew what havoc those residual Orcs would wreak on their homes, which struck at their very interests.
The arguments among the factions only made Hudeman’s headache worse.
But he wasn’t without a strategy.
He turned his gaze towards Airael and Axi, who had been silent throughout.
From the beginning, Airael and Axi had stayed out of it, uninterested in getting involved.
For them, no matter what happened next, it wouldn’t be a big deal.
Ultimately, the disputes arose from differing interests.
It was perhaps best for them to avoid getting tangled in such matters.
But now, they were sure to be dragged in.
“Everyone quiet down!”
Hudeman addressed the crowd.
His voice, not fully recovered yet, wasn’t loud.
Even so, the people didn’t dare ignore his presence.
The room quickly hushed.
Everyone looked at him, waiting for his next words.
“Since we’re unable to reach a unified conclusion, let’s hear what Mr. Axi has to say. It was his decision that led to our victory yesterday,”
Hudeman said, fixing his gaze on Axi.
Even though they hadn’t initially included Axi in their discussions, they were eager to hear his thoughts now.
Along with that, Airael, sitting beside Axi, also enjoyed the attention.
Airael remained calm and composed.
After all, it wasn’t her they were after; it was the guy sitting next to her.
To put it bluntly, Airael was curious about this unfolding drama.
She wondered if Hudeman had intentionally brought Axi into the spotlight.
If that were the case, then his acting skills were truly top-notch.
Stealing a glance at Hudeman, Airael thought to herself.
“Mr. Axi, what’s your view on this matter?”
Hudeman asked cheerfully, having noticed that everyone supported his earlier suggestion.
His demeanor appeared warm and friendly, yet he was subtly pressuring Axi.
At such a moment, it would be hard for Axi to refuse.
On the surface, it looked as if he was simply asking for Axi’s opinion.
This gave Airael further insight into Axi.
Facing someone like Hudeman, being a lone mercenary truly had its perks.
However, Axi’s abilities destined him to be in the spotlight, bringing all sorts of attention his way.
Axi remained silent, merely staring at Hudeman.
The air suddenly felt tense and awkward.
“Mr. Axi, have you thought it over yet?”
Hudeman asked, still with a cordial attitude.
This lightened the mood considerably.
Just when everyone expected Axi to wrap up his answer, he suddenly replied, “I think it doesn’t matter what we decide. I’m just a mercenary who took the ‘Kill the Orc’ job. As long as I get to slay those Orcs, I’m fine.”
His response seemed logical, yet it left people exchanging puzzled glances.
Perhaps their cunning little minds were at work, sensing some unusual undertones in his words.
“In that case, I apologize for the intrusion.”
Hudeman nodded, still smiling.
He then shifted his gaze away from Axi.
The others followed suit and diverted their eyes as well.
While Axi was indeed a sight to behold, they still had matters to attend to.
Their argument was far from over.
Ultimately, they needed to reach a conclusion.
Disappointed that the spectacle had ended so abruptly, Airael felt a twinge of regret.
She was genuinely entertained by the unfolding drama.
