Garius smiled faintly as he leaned back in his chair.
"This move… it creates an opportunity."
Alf tilted his head slightly.
"Do you refer to the first small town, my lord?"
Garius nodded.
"If my estimation is correct, Javier will secure the second town, establish a base there, and leave the first town behind. No soldiers. No puppet knights. Just his flag and banner planted in plain view."
He tapped his finger lightly on the desk.
"That means there's no true occupation—just symbolic claim."
Alf's gaze sharpened.
"Then it becomes neutral ground."
"More than that," Garius said, voice calm. "It becomes a doorway."
He looked toward the map again.
"With no troops defending it, and only a personal banner claiming ownership… it offers a narrative."
Alf blinked.
Realization hit.
"...An opening for the Beastkin Kingdom to enter the war—without being accused of interference."