Yarra’s Adventure Notes
Chapter 961 - 78 No Right or Wrong

Chapter 961: Chapter 78 No Right or Wrong

"Therefore, for the imperial royal family and the Falar government, the more troops they dispatch to join the coalition forces, the more expenses they save," Pannis said. "And because of the recent agreements among all parties, the greater the combat power of the troops sent out, the higher the proportion of compensatory supplies provided by Neville they can obtain. With Falar Empire dispatching four hundred thousand people at once, it’s estimated that they would get at least ten million worth of supplies. Heh, when you think about it, the entire annual fiscal revenue of the Falar Empire is only about twenty million, so these ten million in supplies are not a small amount for them."

"But people will die," Ava’s confusion was not only not dispelled but became even denser: "You said just now when discussing the Neville Federation, that there’s a pension for the death of soldiers."

"Right, but that’s the Neville Federation, not the Falar Empire," Pannis said with a derisive smile. "The pensions of the Falar Empire, heh, how should I put it, for every soldier, whether a knight or a supporting soldier, the pension they receive upon death in battle is pitifully small compared to the Neville Federation. The Falar Empire has always promoted the death of a Warrior for the nation as an honor and a duty. When they truly die, they get more honor and some disguised compensation, with only a very small amount of substantial compensation. Therefore, even if this four hundred thousand strong military were to suffer heavy casualties, with the savings on logistic support and compensatory supplies received, they’ll have more than enough for pensions. That’s why this deal is guaranteed not to lose them money."

"It’s true they won’t lose money, but they might not necessarily make money either," Ava asked, "Isn’t that meaningless then?"

"Didn’t the Goblin Era have this kind of situation?" Pannis countered, "There must have been, right? I reckon that no matter the race, there are commonalities in certain aspects."

"There were, but very few," Ava shook her head and said, "And although I’ve seen similar matters in the archives, I cannot understand their reasons. I think such behavior might be related to human nature because it cannot be explained by logic."

"Heh, it’s actually quite easy to understand. As for the Falar Empire, it doesn’t matter if they don’t earn anything, even if they have to pay some, as long as it’s not too much, they would make the same choice," Pannis sighed and said. "They don’t actually care about that more than ten million in compensation, nor do they care about savings on logistical expenses. Those are just to cover expenses in the case of high casualty numbers. What they truly care about are the invisible benefits that come with their actions."

"Invisible benefits?" Ava repeated with confusion, "Are there other benefits besides confronting the Undead?"

"Of course there are," this time, Catherine, the Knight girl with seemingly downcast spirits, answered, "A better image among other powers, more say in future diplomacy, higher recognition for the imperial royal family, and potential future trades more favorable for the Falar Empire—these are all invisible benefits."

"I don’t see a problem with that," Vivian this time stood with Ava, asking in her place, "If we are not successful in stopping it, the war will inevitably proceed, and once it does, there will inevitably be casualties. They use these casualties to exchange for greater benefits; that should not be considered wrong, right? Why do you show dissatisfaction, big sister?"

"The problem lies in them exchanging casualties for greater benefits," Catherine sighed and shook her head. "What if they reduced their own troop numbers, sending only half, like the Beastmen, about two hundred thousand, what would the result be?"

"Hmm? So other forces would have to deploy more troops to fill the vacuum left by those hundred thousand soldiers, and then... Okay, I get your point." Vivian quickly grasped Catherine’s idea and said with a wry smile, "In this way, once the war breaks out, the Falar Empire’s military casualties will be greatly reduced, and instead, other forces will see an increase in their casualty numbers. That is to say, the same number of people will still die; it’s just that it will be different people who die."

"Exactly, and it’s because different people are dying that they can gain those intangible benefits." Pannis interrupted before Catherine could speak, "So, their decision is essentially sacrificing the lives of their own citizens in place of those from other forces, or to put it more harshly, they are trading the lives of their own citizens for those intangible benefits."

"For the whole of Falar, this is beneficial, and at least for the Yarran World, it’s not particularly harmful," Catherine said, "But for every individual that makes up the Falar Empire, this may not necessarily be the case, especially for those lives that are being used as the price. Of course, if Falar benefits, in the end, that will reflect on the surviving citizens and won’t be solely enjoyed by the imperial family."

"By comparison, the actions of the Neville Federation might cause them to lose many tangible or intangible benefits, but at least the citizens who make up the Federation don’t have to worry about their lives being used as a bargaining chip," Freya said with a plump face and a weird smile that made it seem like she was enjoying the spectacle, "Hehe, both sides have justifiable reasons for their actions, and there’s no clear right or wrong, which is why Big Sister is so troubled. But Big Sister, you’re just a bystander; do you really need to give yourself such a headache over their issues? If you really want to find a way that satisfies both sides, wouldn’t it be better to just focus on our own tasks?"

"Haha, that’s true," Catherine was taken aback and then chuckled, "My mind got all muddled, and I forgot the most crucial issue. As long as we complete our mission and prevent the Divine Servant from reopening Death’s Gate, then no one will need to be sacrificed, and there won’t be a need to agonize over which method is right or wrong."

"That’s why we need to make all the necessary preparations," Pannis nodded and said, "We must use these remaining days to get into the best condition, both physically and mentally, to maximize our chance of success."

"This is the first time you’ve talked about us preparing together," Catherine said, half-smiling, as she glanced at Pannis, "What’s the matter, no longer planning on trying to stop us from going with you?"

"Er, wasn’t it decided back in the City of Knowledge?" Pannis said with a forced laugh, "I already agreed back then."

"Yes, and then what?" Catherine teased, "First, you orchestrated various coincidences so I would chance upon Grandpa Snape, and then you subtly stirred up Lina’s memories, prompting her to resolve her issues before we set off, all to have her face Bishop Cain again. Heh, twice you’ve tried to use familial bonds to change our minds. Whose actions were those?"

"Ha, ha, what are you talking about? I have no idea what you mean," Pannis said, wiping the sweat from his forehead and stealthily getting up to slip away toward the back of the platform, "Suddenly remembered I have something to do, haha, I’ll take my leave now, see you tonight, ha, ha, ha."

"Pfft," the knight girl wrinkled her brows and nose in disdain at Pannis’ cowardice, then spoke to the girls, "Let’s go too. I really don’t want to keep watching the performance on this podium." (To be continued. If you like this work, we invite you to cast your recommendation tickets and monthly votes at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)