Her Graceful War Song novel Chapter 1278

Salvador knew Rafael had endured a long journey, but he still kept him in the palace and summoned the Defense Minister, his deputy minister, and Thomas to discuss matters.

It was essential to consider all possible scenarios, make multiple predictions based on the current situation, and then organize their forces accordingly.

Above all else, Salvador's greatest fear remained the Southern Frontier, but when Rafael mentioned Leroy from Westhaven, Salvador's expression faltered.

"It's impossible for someone to have the capability to collude with both Sandoria and Westhaven," he said, his unease evident.

Starhaven's relationship with Westhaven had always been delicate, and their negotiations hadn't fully concluded. There was still a debt to settle with Westhaven that loomed over them.

But that wasn't the greatest concern.

The real issue was that if the true mastermind behind the rebellion truly had the skill to forge such alliances, then how long had they been biding their time? How long had they been plotting?

Davis' eyes widened as he repeatedly looked at the maps. He was very familiar with these terrains in his mind. If private armies or bandits were hiding in these areas, rooting them out would be no easy task.

He turned to Rafael. "What's the plan for dealing with these bandits?"

"We deal with them as they come," Rafael simply replied.

Davis blinked, incredulous. He couldn't believe Rafael had given such an unsophisticated answer.

Who didn't know that they should deal with them as they came? The problem was that there needed to be a strategy!

"Your Highness, is that all you have? Are there more private armies we should know about?"

"There are," Rafael replied. "We haven't discovered where the private army from Stonebridge County has moved for now. I suspect they're waiting for a signal to reunite, so we shouldn't waste time looking for them. When the rebellion starts, the private army will make itself known."

The Ministry of Defense officials studied the maps and compared them with the distribution of the troops. The forces stationed at the Southern Frontier and Victory Pass couldn't be moved. The garrisons outside the capital were also off-limits.

That left only the troops at Brightport and Ebonflow available for deployment.

Salvador listened intently, but his mind wasn't focused on Yuvan's rebellion. What truly worried him was the possible threat to Victory Pass and the Southern Frontier.

Suddenly, he realized that while he had been obsessively guarding against Rafael, the true rebels had been quietly plotting and scheming. It struck him that he had done everything, yet had still missed the mark.

A sense of resignation settled within him, and for a moment, he felt utterly defeated.