"The Barrier will disappear soon."
Looking at the 'Sky', Astaria spoke up.
"Mhm, the Mana has pretty much settled down as well. Maybe another week, and the Barrier separating your continent and the rest of the Yrniel would finally disappear." Erotica spoke up.
"So how do we face them?"
Evane questioned with a solemn look on her face.
Hearing her question, the others turned silent.
"Are you guys crazy, are you still thinking of fighting against them?"
Erotica questioned with a shocked look on her face.
"Our Continent is surrounded by water, and unlike you, we do not have the means to take out all our people outside of this continent.
There are people here that we wish to protect,
We do not have a choice, we can only fight."
Astaria spoke up.
"I told you, our ship has the capacity to carry 1000 more people! You can bring all your close ones with you!
Why are you trying to fight them?"
"We are not that selfish, Erotica. We cannot leave others to die."
"And as I already told you that it is foolish!
You stay and fight when there is even a slight chance of you winning, a lucky breakthrough that would give you enough strength to fight against your enemies, a trump card that you have been hiding all this while, or something else, anything that can give you an advantageous position, even if the chances of that happening are, close to zero.
However, in your case, it is completely hopeless, staying here and fighting is no different than suicide.
Trust me, let alone Sages, even if you could break through and could somehow become Great Sages, you would still be defeated.
Why are you foolishly throwing away your lives for people you don't even know?
How does that even make sense?"
"There are chances that they would send weaker opponents because they underestimated us," Ember spoke up.
"And? Then what? Let's say you did defeat them. You think they would let you live after you killed their men. Trust me, they would hunt you down to the end of the world. That is how petty they are. They would not let you live."
Erotica retorted.
"So what do you want us to do? Abandon our people like cowards? How can we sacrifice the very people we swore to protect?"
Astaria spoke up.
Erotica turned silent for a while, Astaria thought that Erotica finally understood her point, so she wanted to calm things down,
"Alright now, I get that y-"
However, before she could complete her sentence, Erotica interrupted.
"I will only ask you one thing,
Are you willing to see Nux die while trying to protect you?"
"Huh?"
Astaria's expression changed.
"If you stay here and fight, you will lose, however, this wouldn't be a battle you will just lose your life.
An entirely different world exists outside this little continent of yours, difference races, different people, even people with the mindset that would make you sick.
People like them would completely overpower you when it would come to battle power.
Do you think they would just get rid of you and then focus on ruling over this land?
Well, if you are lucky, then this might happen, but if you get unlucky, you will get a sick sadist as your enemy whose only joy in his life is to toy with his enemy.
He wouldn't just end things by killing you.
He would sense the strong bond between you 10 and then, he would make you do things you would never do in your life on your own.
Making Nux kneel on the ground, lick their shoes, while holding you as a Hostage.
Forcing you to strip your clothes in front of all the soldiers while holding Nux Hostage.
They would do anything in their power to tear away your pride, emotionally break you into pieces,
They would destroy you, both physically and mentally.
Are you ready to face that?
Or better, are you ready to see Nux go through all of that just because you wanted to be a hero and protect people you barely know?"
Erotica questioned and this time, Astaria turned silent.
Erotica's words were harsh, but Astaria knew perfectly well that they were true. The War was never a battle fought with Morals, heck, Morals were the last thing the people fighting War think about.
Rape, murder, torture, all of this was common in War.
What Erotica said… this could happen…
The question was…
Was she ready to face all that…?
Just the thought of seeing Nux breaking down and kneeling in front of his enemies because the Enemy held her hostage horrified her.
Before this, Astaria had no connection with anyone, her only weakness was herself since the worse that could happen was her death, which, as a warrior she was ready to face anytime, she had nothing to fear.
Now, however, things were different.
Now there was someone in her life who she actually valued far more than anyone, even herself.
"You may be labeled as a coward, and your people may blame you that you left them alone, but when everything ends, you would still be together with the person you love.
Those people never gave you anything.
They aren't the ones who allowed you to become what you are today.
You got where you are with your own strength, you choosing to help them is not because you have to repay them, it is because you are a good ruler who wants the best for her people.
However, by no means, you have to give up your and your loved ones' lives just because the people you rule over are liabilities.: owner of this content.
Also, it is not like staying here and fighting with them would have any results. You would only delay the inevitable. You will still lose your land anyways.
Rather than doing something foolish like that, isn't it a lot better to just, retreat and save your life? Get stronger, and when you are in a position to go against them, return and reclaim what was yours.
With your talent, something like that might be possible."
Erotica spoke and seeing that Astaria was listening to her words,
"Astaria, come with me.
That is the only way you can save your and Nux's life."