Her Graceful War Song novel Chapter 1298

The two military advisors noticed the shift in Oliver's expression, so Alec quickly interjected, "Have you seen the archery skills of the Elite Marksmanship Unit, Marshal Prince? Or the ballistaes we've improved? They're quite ingenious."

"I have seen them," Oliver replied curtly. When he first arrived at Southern Frontier, he had gone to oversee their training sessions.

Timothy recalled the visit as well. But at that time, they had just selected a new batch of archers and had been working on their accuracy. They hadn't even had the chance to use the new ballistaes either.

"We also have matchlocks," Louis added. "But when it comes to a direct confrontation between armies, we won't be relying on them. A sword is far more effective. Speed is the key."

Matchlocks were more useful in close-quarter combat, where there was cover to hide behind. After firing a shot, one could reload while staying out of sight. However, in a face-to-face battle, before one could even raise the weapon, their head might already be taken off.

Louis added a few more points, but Oliver seemed disinterested.

Timothy recalled that Oliver favored matchlocks. So, when he saw Oliver's reaction, he said, "I've heard that the Ministry of Defense is working on improving the matchlocks, and I believe they'll be sending some to Southern Frontier soon."

This was meant to be a morale booster for Oliver, who might feel at a disadvantage, with Sandoria using matchlocks while they wouldn't.

But instead of cheering him up, the remark only solidified Oliver's belief that his decision to flee had been the right one. The continuous shipment of weapons to Southern Frontier—even the matchlocks that had previously been underused—was proof of just how intense the impending conflict with Sandoria would be.

Everyone was frustrated by Oliver's reaction but did their best to suppress their emotions. At such a critical moment, it was wiser not to provoke him. As the marshal holding the military command emblem—and being so petty—offending him would only harm the greater cause.

Fortunately, after discussing various strategies for defense and counterattack, Oliver did approve of their plans, though he added only the most superficial input. His suggestions were shallow, uninspired, mere regurgitations from military textbooks, and entirely unsuited for the unique challenges posed by Sandoria.

By the time the discussion carried on into the late hours, fatigue had set in for everyone. Oliver finally instructed the servants to bring in some soup to sustain them.