[297 AC]
"So the Pentoshi decided to yield, so that they may prevent falling victim to the same fate that has befallen Qohor?", Phenex remarked with intrigue, as he sat in the council chamber.
Kinvara sat by his side, while the rest of the Bright Sun council were also present.
"Yes, the Prince has basically offered his and the magisters' loyalty and willingness to follow the Red Temple's orders and rule. Of course, he was not as direct in his words, but the meaning of his words remains unchanged.", Kinvara replied.
Looking on calmly, Phenex thought things over in his head, as silence spread through the chamber.
"Lord … ", Tolos, the elderly councilman, began, "I don't think the temple should accept the offer."
Giving off a subtle smile, Phenex only replied with a single-worded question, "Why?"
"The only reason they even came up with this proposal was that the Prince and the magisters want to save their own lives, as they know that the temple wouldn't spare them if we conquered Pentos the same way we did Lys or even Qohor.", Tolos explained, before he continued.
"We have more than enough reports from the Hidden Flame that they are as bad as the slavemasters that ruled Phoenix Bay, so they definitely do not deserve the temple's and your mercy, my Lord."
"The plan was always to slowly replace them and purge the city from those like them through the use of our agents from the Hidden Flame. And now that it has come to this, I think we should just go ahead and send out the temple's forces and conquer it. As I can only assume that the Prince and the magisters would most likely flee the Free City and settle somewhere in Westeros, if we do not accept their proposal.", the elderly councilman ended.
"I think he is right, Phenex.", Kinvara agreed calmly, causing Tolos to give her a grateful look and nod.
"Hmm.", Phenex hummed non-committedly, though his eyes wandered over to the other council members, making it clear that he wanted to hear their opinions too.
Most of them voiced out their agreement, sharing the same view as the elderly councilmen, while the rest even brought up a few more points to support Tolos' statement.
A middle-aged councilwoman named Sanara was the only one who had yet to speak her mind, though the small frown on her face hinted at the fact that she was of a different opinion than the other Bright Priests.
Bright Priest being the titular name of those that were part of the Bright Sun branch and had a seat in one of the councils that ruled over Phoenix Bay or the Blessed Cities, which the newly named city in the Dothraki Sea called Perzys belonged to as well.
"You disagree, Sanara?", Phenex questioned neutrally, obviously wanting her to voice her thoughts.
The men and women before him were the best and the brightest when it came to administrative duties that the Red Temple had to offer, so whatever it was that they had in mind, it wasn't to be dismissed.
"It's not that I disagree, my Lord.", the councilwoman answered with a light sigh, before she continued, "The Pentoshi rulers practically surrendered to the temple with a few conditions and if we attack them anyway, I am having reservations about the message this will send to other potential enemies."
"If neither victory nor surrender is an option, then we leave our enemies with nothing but despair, and desperate foes are the most dangerous. If we push our opponents to the edge, I can only imagine the things that they may do or try when it comes to a real conflict."
Phenex looked at the middle-aged woman appreciatively, as her insight and eye for consequences were definitely unique. Sanara also thought and analyzed things without including his and his Feather's strength in mind, as she and the rest of the council knew that he preferred not to act if it was not necessary or there were some special circumstances.
And she was also right with her statement, equally so than Tolos had been.
Phenex also had some considerations of his own, as Pentos was in a somewhat delicate relationship with Braavos, as they had waged six wars against each other in the last two centuries, four of which Pentos had lost.
This led to the Free City being forbidden to hire sellswords and even build up their own forces, as the Braavosi were clearly sick of fighting them in another war about the surrounding lands and Pentos' involvement in the slave trade.
If the Red Temple just took over the city, Braavos might see that as a possible attempt to restart the war for the surrounding land, which was a war they were bound to lose of course. Still, Phenex didn't want to make them desperate and hostile, as the Braavosi were mostly decent people, which meant that this issue also had to be addressed.
Ultimately though this complex and multi-layered problem had a simplicity to it, that was difficult to see for the councilmembers and even Kinvara. Phenex was sure though that Stannis, his other military commanders, and even most soldiers would have been able to come to a conclusion much easier.
"Your concerns are indeed on point, Sanara, as were your considerations Tolos, though both of you failed to see the obvious and most basic truth of the matter.", Phenex remarked calmly, his gaze wandering from one person to another as he continued, "The Red Temple doesn't have to negotiate and neither does it have to fear the consequences and possible aftermath of attacking Pentos, because it is strong."
"Politics and plans are not to be dismissed, but they are ultimately tools to be used for specific situations, and power is likewise a tool. The Red Temple's power is an unmatched tool and sometimes it is just more useful and will lead to more direct results by simply wielding it, instead of taking another path."
"Shying away from using our power is as bad as using it exclusively. It is a tool and therefore it has to be used at the right time and with a certain measure of skill.", he stated calmly and the surrounding council members were surprised and pondered upon his words, especially Sanara and Tolos who seemed to be deep in thought.
"The Red Temple will take control over Pentos and we do not need to concern ourselves with their conditions for surrender. The Prince and the magisters will have to face the consequences of their actions without fail. There is no mercy for the wicked under the Blessed Cities' rule, nor does the Red Temple need them to be willing to conquer Pentos.", Phenex continued.
"Kinvara, take a thousand members of the Fiery Hand and ten thousand soldiers with you and bring the city under the Red Temple's rule. Let Ruyu and Obara aid and accompany you.", Phenex instructed the beautiful priestess by his side first, his next words though were directed at the other council members.
"Ready a group of members from the Bright Sun branch to form a new council to rule over Pentos while coordinating with the Hidden Flame members already in place. The other branches shall lend their hand in logistics and restructuring. We have made plans for the city some years ago already, so try and have them implemented as soon as possible, but don't rush it and make sure everything is in order."
"Also, someone send word to Si La in Braavos and have her meet with the Sealord. She shall inform him of our intentions and reassure him that the Red Temple will respect the borders of the territory currently belonging to Braavos, though our soldiers will be permanently stationed in the Pentos from this point forward.", Phenex ended.