>>5724817“Lord Leopold!” The man cries out. Emil recognizes him. Lord Ludwig. A veteran Knight of Seiros, albeit a recently turned craven one. Ludwig had always been someone held in high regard amongst the knights. He’d even been present in many of the decision-making councils alongside Lady Byleth and Lord Seteth. But when the monastery had received word of an impending attack from the Orthodox Church, Ludwig had seemingly made it his mission to second guess and undermine any possible defensive effort. But as a result of his recent conduct, Leopold had sent him away and given him the task of scouting out the enemy’s numbers. Emil had come to understand it as both a punishment, and an order for Ludwig not to show his face around command again. But suddenly, here he was.
“I have returned from my mission!” Ludwig shouts, taking a knee. The dozens of knights that had been hard at work have ceased their efforts to hear what he has to say. “The enemy’s army numbers…at over 3000 soldiers! At their current pace they will arrive at Garreg Mach in five days!”
The room suddenly erupts into chaos.
“Five days?! We can’t prepare the defenses in that amount of time!”
“We must send a messenger to Lady Byleth! She needs to turn the army around!”
“Damn the Patriarch!”
In an instant, everyone seemed to have forgotten what their job was. Emil could hardly blame them. With only a few notable exceptions, it wasn’t as if the soldiers that were left behind were amongst the Knights’ best. It was mostly those who were either too old, injured or green to effectively aid in the effort to take Fort Merceus. The last thing they’d have ever expected was to have to suddenly hold out against such overwhelming odds. The rabble continues to bicker amongst themselves until Leopold stands. The screeching of his chair against the floor ceases the several ongoing conversations, until suddenly all eyes are once more upon him.
“Lord Leopold!” Ludwig pleads. “We must…surrender the monastery! It is the only way! Ask Patriarch Bennett for mercy. He is your cousin; he will surely listen to your words! If we stay here and foolishly fight against this tide, it will result in every man, woman and child currently seeking refuge in the monastery to be slaughtered!”
Leopold says nothing. He walks along the length of the table, down the room and towards Lord Ludwig. All eyes in the room follow along, watching their commander’s every move.
“Ludwig.” Leopold says. “You and I have known each other for many years. Been in many battles together. I believe this suggestion of yours to be rather...unbecoming. But I will ask anyway, seeing as how I once held some measure of respect for you. Do you, truly and whole-heartedly, believe that the best thing we can do right now is surrender to Bennett?”
