Petra's battle armor was badly warped, and several sections had folded inward and shattered. His expression was grim as he strode toward Andrew and said, "We were just one step away from breaking through the southern gate defenses. Retreating now feels like a waste, and everyone who died up there will have died for nothing."

Andrew held his greatsword, the tip planted in the ground, and replied calmly, "You did well, but I'm fully aware of the situation. Petra, you need to understand that our ultimate goal is to take over Throne City completely. That means the Ludendorff family needs to be wiped out as much as possible, or at least worn down completely.

"Sure, you could storm Throne City with heavy casualties. But let me ask you this: if we push the Ludendorff family into a corner and they fight us to the death, what happens then? In the end, they're destroyed, but we're left with hardly any troops and countless casualties. So tell me, how are we supposed to hold Throne City afterwa