Oasis explained,
"If we attack one of these camps, what happens to the slaves?"
"They'll likely return to the towns, and Belvan will become overcrowded with refugees."
"We don't know how they'll act, and it could tip off the Crimson Hand."
He then pointed to Riffridge, a town nearby.
"City lord, what's your relationship with Riffridge?"
Lord Valen frowned. "It's neutral. We don't have much contact with their city lord."
"Then we need to investigate Riffridge."
"Two of these camps are near that town, and it would make sense for the refugees to head there instead of Belvan."
"We need to find out if their city lord is involved or if he's trustworthy."
Oasis continued, "I'll personally investigate Riffridge. If their city lord is honorable, he'll allow the refugees to take shelter in his town."
"That will confuse the Crimson Hand a bit about who attacked their camps."
"You'll investigate Riffridge?" Lord Valen asked, surprised.
"Yes," Oasis affirmed. "We'll send a small convoy to Riffridge while I scout ahead with six members of the Shadow unit."
"Once we have the information, we'll split our forces into seven groups weakest to strongest and attack the camps simultaneously."
Captain Garven, skeptical, asked,
"But how can we divide our forces, why not evenly? Our weakest group would be annihilated."
Oasis smiled confidently.
"Don't worry. I'll oversee the three camps near Mistvalley. I'll take the weakest groups and ensure their safety. The other groups will handle the rest."
The city lord and Captain Garven were taken aback.
This kid…! they thought again, unable to shake their disbelief at the depth of Oasis's strategy.
The boy's confidence and calm planning surpassed anything they had expected.
Oasis continued, expanding on the brilliance of his plan.
"And this strategy will kill two birds with one stone, if everything goes my way," he began, his voice steady and certain.
"Think about it: after we attack the camps, it'll take time for the higher-ups to become aware of the situation."
"If we ensure no one escapes, that delay will work to our advantage. It could take them a day, maybe two, before they realize something is wrong."
Lord Valen and Captain Garven exchanged glances as Oasis spoke. He was clearly thinking several steps ahead.
"In that window of time," Oasis continued, "the leaders of the Crimson Hand, particularly the executives, will likely be sent to investigate."
"Since their organization is decentralized and the Council of Three are probably in different places,"
"there's a slim chance they'll communicate with each other before they receive reports. They'll instinctively send a superior to check each camp."
Oasis tapped the map, pointing at the scattered camps.
"No single person can investigate all the camps alone because they're so spread out."
"So it's more likely they'll send one executive to each camp, meaning seven more will be dispatched."
The city lord nodded, finally seeing the brilliance in Oasis's thinking.
"If we take out the first seven executives assuming that they are at the camps, and then ambush the ones sent to investigate"
"we'll eliminate fourteen of their top members," Oasis said, his gaze sharpening.
"This will significantly weaken the Crimson Hand's influence in Dawnhail."
Captain Garven and Lord Valen exchanged a quick glance.
The plan was incredibly ambitious, and the calculated ruthlessness behind it didn't match the appearance of the boy standing before them.
But it was hard to deny the logic and precision of Oasis's thinking.
Captain Garven couldn't help but feel a surge of admiration for the young strategist.
Oasis was already thinking about the next step, about pushing the advantage once the initial phase of the plan was complete.
"And," Oasis added with a slight sigh,
"since it'll take time for the Crimson Hand to react, we'll have a small window to rest and prepare before they make their move to investigate. We need to be ready for that."
The room fell silent for a moment, and the weight of Oasis's plan settled over them.
Is this even a kid? they both thought once more, marveling at the sheer depth of his insight and tactical brilliance.
The realization was dawning on both of them that they were not simply dealing with a prodigy—Oasis was thinking on a level they hadn't even considered.
As they wrapped up the meeting, the realization hit even harder for both the city lord and Captain Garven:
Oasis was not just a talented young warrior but a strategic genius who thought far beyond his years.
"Once we know more about Riffridge's city lord, we'll begin the attacks," Oasis concluded, his voice calm but full of authority.
"Until then, we must move our men subtly to avoid suspicion."
He paused briefly before continuing, "I'd advise we start planning as soon as possible. How long will it take to gather everyone?"
Captain Garven replied promptly, "About a day, young master."
Oasis nodded thoughtfully.
"Good. That means by tomorrow late, everyone will be ready. We need to hold a meeting then to finalize the first phase of our plan."
Both the city lord and Captain Garven nodded in agreement, though a subtle tension hung in the air.
It was becoming increasingly clear who the real commander of this operation was.
Despite the fact that they had led their forces for years, Oasis's presence and strategic insight had positioned him as the unspoken leader.
"I suppose we're done here," Oasis said with a slight smile, as if to ease the tension in the room.
"Ah, yes, young master Oasis," Lord Valen replied, a hint of admiration in his voice.
"We can prepare a room for you here as our guest if you'd like."
"Thank you, but I'm already staying at the inn," Oasis politely declined, his humble demeanor shining through.
Lord Valen accepted the refusal graciously. "Very well. Teves, escort Oasis out."
"Yes, Father!" Teves responded, nervously jumping up from his seat.
He had been silent the entire time, quietly absorbing the gravity of the meeting.
The plump young boy, whom Oasis had rescued, now saw the calm and composed warrior with a mixture of awe and respect.