Louis’s speech was exceedingly steady, but every sentence was like a nail, "By then, it won’t be us going to subdue it, instead it will proactively cross the dense forest to devour us."
"We must destroy it before it fully expands and takes the initiative to attack."
Duke Edmund knitted his brows deeply, "You want to lead a raid on the nest?"
"Yes." Louis did not hesitate, "We have the elite, understand coordination, and I will oversee it personally. We are not going to die, but to intercept and kill. Once it spreads out the insect swarm, that’s when the real corpse tide will get out of control."
Listening to these words, Emily couldn’t help but feel her heartbeat quicken.
She was proud of him, admiring his calm, stable, clear, and decisive judgment.
Yet, she was equally worried about his resolve to risk himself personally.
"You are too impatient, Louis." Edmond spoke slowly, without a hint of anger in his tone, "It’s not that I underestimate you, but you’ve also heard... twenty elite knights were completely wiped out, do you have enough troops to gamble with?"
"I am not going to gamble." Louis’s voice remained firm, "I will lead a lightly armed unit to first observe the periphery and confirm whether there is a possibility of annihilation.
If possible, we will kill it in one strike. If not, we will come back alive and bring back more specific intelligence."
He paused briefly, his gaze steady, "And you can start mobilizing troops, we are conducting dual operations, not putting all eggs in one basket."
The council hall fell silent once again.
A few moments later, Edmond finally nodded slowly, his voice deep, "Alright. You may go, but only take those you trust."
He stood up, his cloak slightly moved, and his eyes darkened.
"I will also go with you."
The hall subtly trembled.
Louis was taken aback, frowning slightly, "Sir, you..."
"I am not mad." Edmond said faintly, "I don’t believe anyone would willingly let their daughter become a widow just after getting married."
Emily blushed upon hearing this.
"With me there, in the worst situation... at least one life can be saved."
Edmond’s tone was still cold, yet carried a touch of appreciation.
His gaze lingered on Louis for a half second, as if assessing, or perhaps as a kind of warning, before slowly moving away.
"Besides, I also want to see how much capability you truly have."
Upon finishing, he slightly tilted his head, instructing the adjutant guard behind him, "The thirty elite knights I brought will also be at his full disposal."
Louis showed a delighted expression and said, "Thank you, Sir."
The Duke did not acknowledge him but continued speaking to the guard, "Immediately ride swiftly to inform Gibson to gather a contingent on site. Reinforce at any sign of change."
The adjutant responded and left, while Edmond did not look at Louis again, merely reclining slightly in the chair, the rhythm of his fingers tapping on the armrest never ceasing.
He did not truly believe Louis could resolve this matter.
No matter how sharp a small lord is, it’s impossible to easily clear that bizarre nest.
But he acknowledged that the analysis was indeed irrefutable.
Yet sending someone to probe and scout was a strategic move.
It could clarify the situation and suppress it in time.
At this moment, Louis stood silently, a string of judgments flashed rapidly in his mind:
Thirty elite knights under the Duke, plus the thirty I can mobilize from my own troops... a total of sixty elite knights in my hand.
Add in eighty official knights who can also operate on the periphery.
Not to mention the Duke, a peak knight, overseeing everything.
There’s also the Red Soul Demon Explosion Bullet, a means specifically aimed at large creatures like the nest...
Even the nest has a ninety percent chance of being eliminated.