Ansel looked down at the girl tightly gripping his hand, seeing unprecedented anxiety, worry, and frustration on her face.
Instinctively, he raised his hand to gently smooth her furrowed brow, saying softly, "It's alright. I have a plan."
In truth, he had no plan at all.
He needed help more than anyone else right now, yet he instinctively chose to comfort the girl by his side first.
If Ansel of Hydral wasn't this kind of person, if he were still as cruel as before, how could he possibly do such a thing? How could he... find himself in such a predicament?
Seri and Venna... they wouldn't accept me abandoning the Western Lands.
They would try to help me solve both problems simultaneously, but I can't let them do that.
Neither Seraphina nor Ravenna would be selfish enough to let Ansel protect the Western Kingdom's civilians while giving up on seizing Evora.