System: Build My Own Territory Chapter 928 - 281: Unyielding Judgment

The questioning murmurs of two former comrades reached his ears. He observed the anger clouding their gazes. Yet, Tyrone remained composed, leaning back against the straw pile, his eyes fixed on a distant point. 'Indeed.' The guards observing them exchanged uncertain glances, only relaxing when they realized it was merely a conversation. Tyrone noted that their supervision was far more lenient than anticipated, not treating them like captives or slaves, but rather like individuals deserving protection. His gaze shifted towards the two burly men, and he began to inquire, "Swearing allegiance to this young lord, is it considered a betrayal to the Portlands Empire?" One of the burly men glanced at his companion before firmly replying, "Of course!" The other nodded in agreement. Tyrone continued, "If this is considered betrayal... when the soldiers under His Highness Cronos breached Pan Yan City and we chose to surrender, had we not already betrayed them? We betrayed His Highness Weituo, allowing His Highness Cronos’s forces to enter the city. Furthermore, to prevent further needless deaths, we opted to surrender, thus betraying our soldier’s oath..." One burly man's expression flickered. He interjected hastily, "How can that possibly be the same?" "By the end of the Battle of Pan Yan City, we were reduced to only eight hundred men, clearly no match for His Highness Cronos’s remaining force of over ten thousand. Our surrender was merely to temporarily evade peril." "Besides, even if we had surrendered and become captives of His Highness Cronos." "Cronos is also a highness of Portlands; we would still be loyal to the Portlands Empire!" Tyrone maintained his calm demeanor. He looked directly at the burly man who had spoken and asked, "Is that so?" "Have you ever considered why we, captives of His Highness Cronos, were sold off to this place?" "Does His Highness Cronos truly desire your allegiance?" "Or does he primarily seek to trade us, captives, for cash with slave traders?" The burly man who had just questioned faltered, his expression stiffening. Tyrone’s four pointed questions left him unable to respond. The other burly man also fell silent, seemingly lost in thought. A circle of captives nearby had been quietly observing their discussion. Upon hearing Tyrone’s questions, their faces too registered a complex mix of emotions. Seeing the two men remain silent, Tyrone pressed on, "There's another matter, perhaps something you soldiers never considered." "Why did our comrades in Pan Yan City hold out for seven days before contemplating surrender?" The two burly men shook their heads in bewilderment. They were ordinary soldiers, skilled in combat but lacking strategic insight. Tyrone explained, "Pan Yan City was vital to His Highness Weituo’s territory and his subsequent strategic plans!" "Yet, we endured for seven days without receiving a single reinforcement from His Highness Weituo!" "The nearest Red Stone Castle is merely a three to four-day march from Pan Yan City." Noticing the continued confusion on the burly men’s faces, Tyrone sighed softly, "Simply put, when His Highness Cronos’s soldiers attacked Pan Yan City, our Highness Weituo had already made the decision to abandon it." At this revelation, the two burly men finally comprehended. Their eyes widened in disbelief as they stammered, "This... this is impossible?" "We all know, His Highness Weituo simply lacked sufficient troops, he couldn’t... couldn’t..." Under Tyrone’s steady gaze, the burly man’s voice trailed off and eventually faded into silence. Tyrone then stated, "As the defending soldiers of Pan Yan City, facing the current reality, there's no need to deceive ourselves, is there?" The burly men promptly fell silent, their expressions somber. Tyrone remained unfazed. "For our allegiance to His Highness Weituo, and for Pan Yan City, we held our ground for seven days." "Although Pan Yan City ultimately fell, as one of its commanders, I believe we gave our utmost effort." "I hold no shame in my service to His Highness Weituo!" "Therefore, when Pan Yan City was left with only eight hundred soldiers, as the last surviving commander, I ordered you to surrender." "Why?" "Because I wanted you to live!" "Because I did not wish for all soldiers to perish to the last man for a city that had been abandoned." "If, in the end, you face ridicule and contempt, or if you feel you have wronged the Portlands Empire..." "You can place all the blame on me, Tyrone Ramirez." "I am willing to bear it all!" His voice, though not loud, resonated clearly in the Lord’s Square, where only the dying embers of the campfire remained. "Just as in Pan Yan City, we now find ourselves in this territory, confronting this young lord."