Chapter 342: Chapter 342 - 242: Meeting in the Imperial Capital (Part 2)

"Your Majesty, regarding this disaster in the Northern Territory, I have a few points I'd like to discuss."The speaker stood up from the corner of the long table, a slender middle-aged noble dressed modestly yet neatly.He bore no emblem of the old nobility, nor the dragon-patterned epaulettes of military generals, only adorned with a newly minted gold rose insignia, the shared symbol among a batch of council nobles appointed in the Imperial Capital in the past decade.He was Marquis Collins, not of noble birth, yet he frequently surfaced in various affairs within the Empire, known for "reconciliation, compromise, rationality," regarded by many veteran councilors as a harmless newcomer.But now he stood at the most sensitive juncture.Sitting on the left side of the long table, Eleanor slowly bowed her head.This was actually an undercover seed planted by the Calvin Clan for years, and the words he was about to speak were a draft written by Duke Calvin.Of course, if Collins could not win the opening of this discourse, she would lose most of her means.The people in the hall looked towards the frail marquis, with expressions of inquiry, contempt, or indifference, seemingly unconcerned about the gravity of what he might say next.Yet Collins lightly bowed, his voice not loud but exceedingly clear due to the echo array in the Imperial Hall:"First point, I believe the nature of this war is no longer within the realm of a normal war. Neither the mutation of the Insect Tide nor the so-called 'Doomsday Nest' are things that mere mortals can predict or control."Marquis Collins' words pierced through what many had chosen to avoid discussing."To blame this disaster on a tactical error by a certain general would divert from the main point. We're using human flesh and blood to block an inhuman disaster; this isn't a mistake, it's a sacrifice, the limit of what can be done."He paused and continued: "Second point, although Duke Edmund couldn't hold the entire Northern Territory, he used his private army to steadfastly defend the Red Tide Defense Line, keeping the Nest contained within the Northern Territory to prevent the disaster from spilling into the interior.He suffered heavy losses but withstood the pressure.