Besil was the patriarch of Sefira, the Masters of Archery. He had a duty to protect his family from downfall, and he chose defense as his strategy. He ignored the provocations of his enemies and focused on securing the family’s territory.0

Thanks to this approach, the nobles weren’t able to bring Sefira down easily. Peace had also lasted a long time; however, Besil didn’t know how long this peace could continue for. He simply hoped that the situation would improve if they held out long enough. Perhaps the nobles would tire and stop their attacks, or maybe a new war would erupt, restoring the value of archers.3

Of course, Besil knew there was another option—offense. This was exactly what Panir advocated for: attacking instead of merely defending. However, Besil couldn’t run the family in an offensive way. It was an uncertain path, bound to result in casualties. While defense was also uncertain, at least it avoided sacrifice. 0

Besil feared sacrifice, so avoiding it was crucial. At his command, thousands of soldiers and hundreds of knights would mobilize. This was no child’s play with toy soldiers.0

If there are any casualties, Sefira will inevitably be trapped in a cycle of hatred under the guise of honor and revenge.0

Throughout its five-hundred-year history, Sefira had not fought with anyone. The family even declined the title of marquis to avoid power struggles, and it had long maintained its status as an earl’s family out of tradition.0

Though no one...0