Chapter 197: Coercion and Inducement

Chapter 197: Coercion and Inducement

Arthur felt a bit awkward for a moment.

Komit’s gaze flitted between the two before finally settling on Airael.

From what Arthur implied, this mysteriously dressed girl seemed to have a solution for dealing with Mork.

If that’s the case, then that would be fantastic!

Komit held onto that expectation with fervor.

After the awkwardness passed, Arthur spoke up, “Ailia, didn’t you fight Mork alongside Cain at Mils Fortress before? Although you didn’t defeat him, Mork was certainly pushed back by you two.”

“That wasn’t us forcing him back; he retreated on his own. Back at Mils Fortress, their situation was dire. Continuing the battle would mean they might win, but it would be a Pyrrhic victory—the rewards wouldn’t justify the costs.”

“Mils Fortress was saved thanks to your efforts!”

Before Arthur could say anything, Komit looked at Airael with gratitude shining in his eyes.

Previously, he knew it was Arthur’s people, but he didn’t know who precisely or recognize them.

“I can’t take all the credit; I only did what little I could.”

Airael humbly responded.

“No matter what, I’ve noted this kindness, and if you ever need anything, just let me know. I’ll certainly do my best to fulfill your wish,” Komit assured, clearly not buying her modesty.

He had witnessed Mork’s power firsthand.

Airael and her group must have struggled intensely.

Unexpectedly, Komit’s generous offer left Airael momentarily stunned.

This temptation was quite significant!

As Airael pondered over whether to reluctantly accept, Arthur swooped in to assist her: “Ailia, since Lord Komit wishes to repay his favor, why not just say yes?”

“Well… okay then!”

Ultimately, Airael somewhat hesitantly agreed.

All three were quite pleased.

While Komit had a huge task ahead to assist Airael, it was only right.

As Mils Fortress was his territory, if it fell to the Dark Elves, his losses would be unimaginable.

Next, they shifted the conversation back to the seemingly invincible Dark Elf, Mork.

Repaying a favor was a future concern; the immediate issue was how to deal with the formidable Mork.

Airael looked at Komit and stated, “Actually, I believe dealing with Mork isn’t about confronting him directly.”

Komit frowned, lost in thought.

Arthur was taken aback by this comment and immediately asked, “Ailia, what do you mean by that?”

“In truth, this started as just a guess, but my experience back at Mils Fortress confirmed it. Remember what I just said? The reason Mork chose to abandon the assault on Mils Fortress was that continuing would yield a victory but at a cost far outweighing any gains.”

Arthur and Komit nodded in understanding.

This was quite clear, and they both comprehended.

“Thus, as long as we can make Mork feel that continuing to fight us isn’t in the best interest of the Dark Elves, they will likely act for their own sake, not for the Orcs.”

Arthur and Komit’s eyes lit up as realization dawned on them.

Though that was just a rough idea, they agreed that they had to flesh out the specific plan to implement it properly.

“Miss Ailia, what do you think we should do next?” Komit inquired, looking at Airael.

He was eager to continue discussing, but Arthur interjected, “Lord Komit, you’ve been busy for quite a while now; we’ve already troubled you earlier. The upcoming details are quite tedious, so it’s better to wait until you’ve rested before we discuss it further! In the meantime, let me and Ailia brainstorm first.”

Hearing this, Komit hesitated for a moment before smiling, “No need! I may have been tired earlier, but I’m fully energized now.”

Turning to Airael, he continued, “Miss Ailia, you must have some ideas by now, right?”

Noticing Arthur’s pointed look, Airael obliged, saying, “I have some ideas, but they’re not well-formed yet and need proper organizing. Also, what Axus mentioned earlier is valid; given Lord Komit’s current state, it wouldn’t hurt to rest a bit first. We can discuss this later. For now, it’s best if I and Arthur explore this more thoroughly.”

Komit’s expression shifted from eager anticipation to a stiff façade, then he conceded, “Alright, I’ll go rest for now.”

Once Komit left, Airael perplexedly turned to Arthur, “Arthur, why are we deliberately avoiding Lord Komit?”

Even if they worked out their plan, wouldn’t they eventually have to tell Komit?

What was the point? It only left him displeased.

“I’m not! I simply think Komit truly needs a proper rest.”

Arthur insisted, “Just because he looked peppy earlier doesn’t mean he really is; he’s actually quite fatigued.”

After giving him a glance, Airael had no choice but to accept this reasoning.

Having resolved Airael’s issue, Arthur then turned to Ailia and asked, “Ailia, what’s your take on this?”

Rolling her eyes, Airael chimed in, “What else could it be but coercion and inducement?”

“Coercion and inducement? How do we carry that out?” Arthur continued probing.

“I have some ideas for coercion, but inducement is tricky since it requires humans to set the conditions, and I can’t manage that,” Airael replied.

Arthur nodded.

Indeed, it was unrealistic for Ailia to tempt Mork with her capabilities.

Unless…

As a thought crossed his mind, Arthur quickly shook his head.

There was absolutely no way he would allow such a thing to happen.

As for coercion, it could go two ways: one is through negotiation, which only requires good rhetoric; you can just make things up as long as it sounds believable;

The other method is far more challenging, requiring actual action and thus is not easily achievable.

However, once executed, it would practically guarantee success.

For instance, if humans amassed a million troops here to pressure the Orcs and Dark Elves, under such strong coercion, the Dark Elves would definitely not choose to fight alongside the Orcs.

If they had that kind of power before, they wouldn’t have been struggling with how to deal with Mork!