“You have a knack for talking about simple things in circles!”
Jin Sung-Yeon exclaimed.
“The Terminator Guild has always lived by these principles— We’ll side with anyone who offers us fair pay.”
She slammed her hand down on the desk, while proudly asserting herself.
“Hire us as mercenaries, and we’ll gladly fight for you.”
That was a very mercenary guild-like response.
“Red Flames, too, will stand by the side of humanity and the government.”
“We will support the government as well.”
Aha, I see you’ve already begun to move your hands.
It seems that they’d already talked to the government about this beforehand.
With the three big guilds coming out like this, the other guilds had no choice but to follow suit.
‘Agreeing or disagreeing is just a form of formality anyways. If a real war breaks out, only the guilds that don’t intervene in it will be considered as fools.’
War makes money.
While it causes much tragedy and death, there are also those who would capitalize on it.
Normally, it would be those who sell military-grade weapons who would reap the greatest rewards, but in the battle against the Toluk, the weapons of war are the Hunters themselves.
Before the Regression happened, the Netherworld was named as war heroes alongside the likes of Blue Serpents and Red Flames.
War heroes are always born in times of crisis, and that’s what I was called before the regression.
God knows I couldn’t even count how many medals were put right in front of my chest!
“Thank you for your cooperation. So our next agenda will be about the direction of our military strategy.”
The man hesitated, looking back and forth between Jeon Seo-Ho and Yoon Kang-baek agonizingly.
I think I have a rough idea why.
Even before the regression, those two had snarled against each other countless times over their stance on military strategy.
“The Red Flame’s side thinks it’s better to end the war as quickly as possible by pushing forward with firepower in a short ranged battle formation.”
“Our position is different. We must minimize the casualties, even if it means holding the line from a further distance.”
The two men looked at each other.
I thought I saw sparks in their eyes.
“Yes… I understand your positions.”
The man tiredly interjected, as if this had happened more than once or twice before.
“Of course, you must understand that I cannot accept all of your opinions here. If a real war were to break out… You would be on the front lines, and I’d like to give you the chance to contribute your ideas as much as I can, but war is never easy.”
Of course it is not easy.
It’s not like we’re here to banter.
“If we go for a short-ranged firepower offensive, I promise you that we will fight with the best of our abilities and annihilate the enemy from the front.”
Yoon Kang-Baek spoke in a resolute tone.
The short-range damaged dealer-oriented Red Flames would be able to perform better than anyone else if they went for a short-ranged firefight.
“I think minimizing damage is the best priority, it’s easier to defend than to attack. If you take the high ground first, it makes the defense much easier and…”
“There’s also a saying that says the best defense is also offense.”
“That’s only something you can say when you’re not risking your life.”
From the Blue Serpent’s point of view, defense is much better.
It’s much easier to utilize rangers and mages from a higher ground to exterminate the enemy.
“If you go do an all-out war, you would tend to have a mix of allies and enemies, which makes them less useful.”
It’s just a matter of opinion.
Neither side is necessarily right.
In the past, I was also a close-range dealer, so I had a lot of arguments with Lee Eun-Woo on this issue, so it’s exactly the same situation.
“… Red Flames are also thinking of delegating some of their shares of the Holy Grail to the government during the exhibition.”
This was a tempting offer.
Jeon Seo-Ho frowned slightly.
The Holy Grail’s importance would skyrocket once the war begins.
After meeting domestic demands, the excess can be sold to foreign countries to help secure funding.
I’ve heard that the country is already making a handsome profit from selling holy water.
Once wartime starts, it will be even more lucrative, and demand would skyrocket which would give more money to their pockets.
“We don’t… Have to state our stances today, do we?”
“Of course not, it’s a very important decision, and we still need to plan about it even more. So there will be regular military meetings in the future. We will share our preparations for war and update information about Toluk, so it’s okay to voice your opinions during those times.”
The man added.
As the rest of the guilds remained silent, the meeting turned into a conflict of interest between the stalwart Blue Serpent and the Red Flames.
‘This is likely to lead to a factional fight between the guilds.’
‘If the positions are divided this clearly, then it is without a doubt.’
I’ve had enough of these people trying to drag me into a political game that doesn’t even exist before the regression.
“This meeting is now adjourned, and we ask that you take great care not to disclose the contents of this meeting. The next meeting will be announced in advance. Thank you.”
With those last words from the government representative, the meeting finally ended.
It was then that Toluk’s presence was finally revealed.
‘Unlike before the regression, we’ve had time to prepare, so… Hopefully things will be different this time.’
At least the war would not begin with the same carnage as before.