"My Lord, what should I do next?" Astharel finally couldn't hold back and asked.
"Same as always. Watch and wait," Ethan said quietly, his eyes glinting. "But in the meantime, you might want to try turning a few of the other Five Sea Kingdoms to our side. Honestly, it's not just your Gemspire Kingdom—if the Holy Griffon Empire rises again and Greenwave Empire shifts its policies to match, the other four kingdoms are just going to end up as cannon fodder on the front lines."
"I understand…" Astharel nodded slowly.
"Tell me, Astharel—how many troops does Gemspire Kingdom actually have at its disposal right now?" Ethan asked, his tone deliberately heavier on that last part.
Astharel immediately caught the implication behind Ethan's words.
