After a moment of contemplation, Elysian spoke again, his voice measured and thoughtful. "Commander, if I may ask, what do we know about these increased attacks? Is there any pattern or indication of who or what might be behind them?"

Cedric raised an eyebrow, seemingly impressed by the young noble's astute question. "That's precisely what's troubling us, young master. The attacks seem coordinated, but we've been unable to identify a single faction behind them. It's as if multiple groups have suddenly decided to test our defenses simultaneously."

Elysian nodded, his brow furrowed in concentration. "And the city? How will we maintain order here with reduced forces?"

The commander's face darkened. "That, young master, is the crux of our dilemma. We're stretched thin as it is, but we have no choice. We must protect our borders."

Elysian leaned forward, his voice low but intense. "What if we could find a way to do both? To reinforce the frontier without leaving the city vulnerable?"

Cedric's eyes narrowed, a mix of curiosity and skepticism in his gaze. "I'm listening, young master. What do you have in mind?"

As Elysian began to outline his thoughts, he felt the weight of responsibility settling on his shoulders. This feeling, however, was brief as he leaned back, donning his usual mask of cool composure.

"First," Elysian began, his voice even, "have you considered unconventional resources? Are there retired soldiers in the city who might be willing to take up temporary posts? What about accelerating the training of new recruits?"

"Done," Cedric answered, his voice tinged with irritation. "That's the first thing we did," he raised a brow. "Do you think the military consists of idiots who couldn't think of something so simple? Of course we did that. It's always the protocol in this kind of situation. However, at this time, the recalled retired soldiers and trainees are not enough. We need an immediate supply of able-bodied men to augment our grievously depleted forces to protect the peace in the city."

Instead of offering a defensive retort, Elysian maintained his calm, listening attentively to the man. He fully understood that Cedric was likely stressed from the seemingly insurmountable pressure of problems coming at him from all sides like a perfect storm.

"Well, if you've already considered and implemented all that," Elysian said, his eyes locked on the commander's, carefully observing his response. "What about the Iron Claw?"

"Iron Claw?" Cedric repeated deliberately, trying to discern the young noble's point. "Iron Claw as in one of the local gangs that ruled the underworld of Ironspire?"

"Yes," Elysian smiled, his gaze unwavering. "But let me correct that. They are not just one of the gangs. They are the only local gang in town. They now rule Ironspire's underground," he paused, before amending his statement. "Actually, let me rephrase that. They now control all the local gangs in Ironspire."

"How do you know that?" the commander asked, his curiosity piqued. His eyes narrowed as he remembered something. "I've heard you've gotten close to that woman," his voice grew serious. "What was her name again? Hmm..." he continued, racking his brain. "Amara. Yes, Amara, the owner of that brothel." He looked at the young noble, scowling. "I don't know how much you're involved in Ironspire's underground, but I'm asking you to stop it. It's not fitting for a baron's son of noble blood to associate with such people."

"Are you my father now, commander?" Elysian chuckled, but his eyes betrayed a lack of humor.

Cedric didn't respond immediately, meeting the young noble's stare with his own, not backing down from the challenge. "I'm not, young master..."

"But," Elysian interjected, smirking as he earned a scowl from the officer.

"But," Cedric continued, visibly irked by the boy's smug expression, "I strongly advise you to refrain from such associations. It not only endangers you but also tarnishes your family's noble name." Seeing that his advice didn't elicit a substantial response, he sighed and added, "I don't want you to be played for a fool and scammed by those criminals, young master. I hope you heed my advice."

Elysian smiled genuinely this time, noting the man's concern. "I'm thankful for your advice, commander..."

"But," Cedric interjected in retaliation, grinning at him.

Elysian chuckled at the commander's playful retort, shaking his head in good humor. "But," he emphasized, "I've proven myself with my actions this month, haven't I?" When he saw the senior officer about to argue, he continued, "I know it's not enough, but considering my recent changes, do you really think those people can manage to scam or take advantage of me?"

Cedric leaned back, studying the young noble with a mix of exasperation and grudging respect. "You've shown a certain... cunning, I'll grant you that. But the underworld is a different beast entirely, Elysian. These people have spent their lives perfecting the art of deception and manipulation."

When he saw the boy's expression remain unchanged, brimming with determination, Cedric sighed in resignation. "Well, as you've said, I'm not your father or your uncle. It's not my duty, and I have enough problems on my plate right now. Whatever happens, you must take responsibility."

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"Of course," Elysian nodded, maintaining his smile. "And if later you're proven correct, you can tell me to my face, 'I told you so.'"

Cedric sighed even deeper this time, shaking his head before suddenly growing serious, his brow furrowing. "And how exactly do you propose we involve a criminal organization in maintaining city security? That seems... unorthodox, to say the least."

Elysian's eyes glinted with determination. "Which is precisely why they're valuable, commander. Think about it—who better to help us bring order in these desperate times than those who dwell in the city's shadows? Those who would have been causing chaos and criminality will now be the ones to bring order to the very streets of Ironspire." The young noble smirked at the contemplating eyes of the officer. "We'll make them a militia force. By giving them a piece of power, it would give them a sense of legitimacy. We don't even need to pay them. We'll appeal to their sense of duty to the city to urge them to offer their services free of charge. Seeing Ironspire's current state, I bet they will agree," he said with palpable confidence. "What do you say, commander?"

The senior officer was quiet for a moment, assessing him and his idea. However, as his mind turned, doubt slowly showed on his face. "Are you sure that would be enough?" Cedric asked, skepticism in his tone.

'Of course it would not be enough. It's only possible because of my relationship with them. And you don't need to know that.'

"Maybe not," Elysian kept his confident smile while his voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "Maybe we need to turn a blind eye to some of their illegal activities."

Cedric's eyes narrowed at that suggestion, not looking too happy.

Elysian leaned forward, his voice low but intense. "Desperate times call for desperate measures, commander. We're not just fighting crime here; we're fighting for the very soul of Ironspire. Sometimes, to save the body, you have to let a little poison in."

The commander's face was a storm of conflicting emotions—disgust at the idea of compromising with criminals and begrudging admiration for the young noble's audacity that this unconventional plan might actually work.

"And what's to stop them from taking advantage of this arrangement?" Cedric asked, his voice gruff. "How do we ensure they don't use this newfound legitimacy to expand their criminal empire?"

'Because I have influence and say in this group.'

"I can't guarantee that what you fear won't happen. Just as I can't guarantee with absolute certainty that you and I will be alive tomorrow," Elysian said, looking straight into the commander's eyes, striving for sincerity. "But we're in a dire situation at the moment. We don't have the luxury to choose our allies. What we can do is cooperate with people or organizations that align with our interests. And at the moment, that's the Iron Claw."

He held Cedric's gaze for a moment. When the old soldier finally sighed in acquiescence, he continued, "In your own words, this is an 'unorthodox' or unconventional solution to our problem, but with limited options, what do we have to lose? If we don't partner with them, they would only expand their criminal activity regardless, since we lack the soldiers to rein them in. By partnering with them, however, we can build a relationship that's cooperative rather than adversarial, which will help maintain balance." He smiled at Cedric when he saw he was finally getting through to him. "What do you think?"

The commander rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. "You're playing a dangerous game, young master. But I can't deny your logic has... merit." He sighed heavily. "Very well, tell me more about this Iron Claw and how you propose we use them."

Elysian leaned forward, his voice low and intense. "As I told you earlier, we will use them as a militia force to augment your depleted forces. And the Iron Claw isn't just a gang, commander. They're a network, with eyes and ears in every corner of Ironspire. They know things we could never hope to learn through official channels. And right now, they're just as invested in maintaining order as we are."

"How so?" Cedric asked, his interest genuinely piqued despite his reservations.

"Chaos is bad for business," Elysian explained. "The Iron Claw thrives on a delicate balance—enough disorder to necessitate their 'services', but not so much that it disrupts their operations. This current crisis threatens that balance. By aligning with us temporarily, they protect their interests while gaining a degree of legitimacy."

Cedric nodded slowly, the wheels in his mind turning. "It's risky, but... it could work. How do you suggest we proceed?"

"First," Elysian began, his eyes gleaming with strategic intensity, "we need to establish clear boundaries. We offer them limited immunity in certain areas of their operation in exchange for their cooperation in maintaining order. We create a system of checks and balances—they help us, we turn a blind eye to some of their less desirable activities."

"We keep talking about this, but how do we know that the leadership of Iron Claw will agree?" Cedric raised a brow in question. "We might just be wasting our time here, which I could have used to better prepare my troops for the challenges ahead."

Elysian smiled, a hint of mischief in his expression. "They will agree, don't worry about that."

"You seem quite sure, young master," Cedric replied with searching eyes. When Elysian just smiled instead of responding, the commander sighed in defeat. "Fine. I won't ask how you'll do it. But just do it," he looked at the boy straight in the eyes, who simply nodded. "It's your responsibility. If it fails, it will fall on your shoulders."

"Consider it done," Elysian grinned, as the senior officer nodded at his confident affirmation, deciding to trust the boy with this important responsibility.

As both of them continued drafting and outlining their plan, the tension in the room gave way to a spark of hope. It was clear that this unconventional alliance, born from a noble's unlikely connection to the underworld, might just be the key to saving Ironspire from the brink of chaos. But as the commander listened, nodding slowly, a new question formed in his mind: just how deep did Elysian's connections to the underworld go, and what would be the true cost of this audacious plan?

The fate of Ironspire now hung in the balance, teetering between order and chaos, with a young noble's daring strategy as its fulcrum. As the sun began to set outside the window, casting long shadows across the room, Elysian and Cedric were unaware that their actions would set in motion events that would reshape the very fabric of their city—for better or for worse.

After finalizing their plans, both Elysian and Cedric leaned back, trying to give themselves some room to relax their minds from such an exhaustive discussion.

The commander noticed the boy reluctantly eyeing him. "Spit it out. I hope it isn't money," he jokingly smirked. "What do you want?"

"Money? I know how poor we are at the moment, I'm not that shameless," Elysian chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, it's nothing really. As a favor for the services I'm providing to you, the military, and Ironspire itself,” he suddenly grew serious, staring the man straight in the eye. “I want you to allow me to accompany the soldiers to the frontier."