Azrael sneered and said, "You're thinking about this all wrong. How many times have we marched against Holtrien throughout history, and how many times have we actually won? Not once.

"The situation looks favorable right now, but Holtrien is the kind of nation that gets stronger the harder you hit it. The more pressure you apply, the more united they become. So we don't rush. We grind it out, step by step. One day from now, I'll go meet Andrew myself."

Edmond bowed and stepped back. "Understoo