Yarra’s Adventure Notes
Chapter 1225 - 11: Reasons to Stop the War

Chapter 1225: Chapter 11: Reasons to Stop the War

"Indeed, there is this risk, a substantial one, but..." Pannis’s voice suddenly halted, and alongside Flare, his gaze swept over the room’s door, plunging the room into silence. Moments later, the door was gently knocked, and Muir pushed it open to reenter. He quickly walked over to Flare, handed her a letter, nodded to the others, and then silently exited the room once more.

Flare paid no attention to Muir’s departure, opened the letter, quickly read through it, sighed, and then carefully stored the letter away again. She spoke in a low voice, "Several pieces of news. First, the Undead are indeed constructing a fortress. The Bone Wall is already taking shape, and from outside the wall, it is now impossible to see any trace of the Undead’s movements within. All that can be seen above the wall are groups of Undead patrolling back and forth as though it were a true fortress and army."

"How could it be so fast?" Catherine covered her mouth, exclaiming in surprise, "They only just started building. At most, it’s been four to five days, and the wall is already taking shape?"

"You’re overlooking one thing—they are Undead," Flare sighed. "Inside Death’s Gate, they can access endless high-quality bones as building materials. These materials are lightweight, tough, and sufficiently sturdy, making them the best for fortification. With their vast numbers, the Undead never tire or need rest. In these few days, every second was spent working by every craftsman. How could it not be fast?"

"What about the other news?" Pannis asked, neither confirming nor denying, "It’s not just about the Undead, right?"

"Yes, the second piece of news is that the first batch of main forces from all factions has approached to within fifty kilometers of Death’s Gate. All the troops together number nearly two hundred thousand," Flare spoke calmly, her face showing no sign of joy, "But due to defensive fortifications and the presence of many Upper Rank Undead, they dare not hastily launch an attack. They have completely sealed off the area, waiting for commands from the rear. Yet, according to the frontline commander’s assessment, if the Undead are given another twenty days to complete their walls and defensive tools, then initiating an attack would probably require waiting for the arrival of the second or even third main forces; otherwise, it would be tantamount to suicide. Of course, if the Mountain Country’s goblin artillery or one of Butte’s Floating Islands were involved, that many soldiers wouldn’t be necessary."

"So, what you’re saying is, there’s not much time left for hesitation," Pannis noted, nodding, "All factions must make a decision quickly, or they will lose the opportunity in hesitation. But even if the first batch of troops were to launch an attack now, the chance of victory would not be high, right? They would at most delay the enemy’s construction, otherwise they wouldn’t start blockading from so far away."

"The first batch of main forces primarily consists of the Falar Empire’s Knight Corps and a ten thousand-man array from the Mountain Country," Flare said, "The ten thousand-man array is an Axe-Throwing Array, mainly for remote support."

"The Knight Corps, I see," Pannis nodded, "Even if the chances of victory are low, their commanders would probably say, ’For the glory of His Majesty the Emperor, we are willing to die for the country and delay the Undead’s construction,’ something like that."

"You guessed right," Flare said with a bitter smile, "That’s exactly what their commanders said, and everyone was indeed planning to do so. Thankfully, Prince Nicholas was calm enough to understand that dying in batches like that would just needlessly deplete our forces. He promptly issued an order to prevent the frontline commanders’ impulsive actions. However, due to the changing situation, including our forces, the second and third echelons have already started to advance. The originally planned tactic of steadily blocking the Undead must now be changed, and it’s very likely that a decisive battle will be fought deep within the Sighing Desert. So, as I said, there’s not much time left for everyone, or more precisely, not much time left for you, Pannis."

"Why stress that time is running out for Pannis in particular?" Catherine frowned, slightly displeased, "It’s not just his issue. Everyone is running out of time."

"No, this is about him alone, or rather, a few individuals, and you aren’t fully aware of the situation." Flare glanced at Catherine with a serene authority born from long leadership, her voice carrying a compelling blend of reason, which forced Catherine’s dissatisfaction back, "You simply don’t understand what he’s trying to do. He, or rather, we, don’t wish to see Nellie’s efforts go in vain, understand? The unique changes in the Undead already explain a lot—it means Nellie spent a hundred years, perhaps exhausting all her strength, including that used to fend off Danacus’s corruption, aiming to fundamentally resolve the stand-off between the two sides, creating an opportunity for coexistence. And it seems to have had some success. However, once both sides start the official battle, once masses of warriors fall, there will no longer be any chance for coexistence. Whether living beings or the Undead, neither side will believe the other will stop fighting. The battle will continue until one side completely falls. Do you understand now? For the sake of Nellie’s last wish, Pannis is trying to prevent this war, trying to preserve the possibility of peace, which is why he speculated as he did earlier. Having heard his thoughts, as Nellie’s enemy, I also want to achieve her wish, I also want to stop this war."

"I’m sorry, I didn’t consider everything," Catherine said, biting her lip and bowing her head, "I didn’t think it through that deeply."

"I know, you think this is the responsibility of the entire Yarran World, that it’s unfair to put all the burden on Pannis alone. I think so too," Flare’s voice softened again, speaking gently, "But to stop the war, we can’t gamble with the entire world’s solace as the stake. The outcome of coexistence shouldn’t end with one side being destroyed. Moreover, to persuade other forces’ leaders, we need sufficiently solid reasons, which is why I say time is running short for us. We must find convincing enough reasons, first to persuade me, so I am confident using those to convince other forces. Otherwise, the war is absolutely unstoppable."

"The reasons are there," Pannis spoke unhurriedly, as if unconcerned, "Remember what I said earlier? I will explain why I believe the reopening of Death’s Gate is not necessarily a bad thing."

"You..." Flare’s expression suddenly changed, hastily she said, "Have you gone mad?"