Socially anxious people transmigrate to another world; living in seclusion is too difficult.

It was a foregone conclusion that they would not be able to capture the Eight Passes City. Dakrons was far from being as brainless as people said. On the contrary, he was the most clear-headed among the commanders of the allied forces. Perhaps he was far inferior in strategy compared to the heads of state or the power centers of other countries, but he was, after all, the ruler of a country, and he saw things more clearly.

After the final attack failed, Darrens did not allow a large-scale offensive, but only sent small groups of troops to harass the enemy in batches, creating the illusion that the allied forces had not given up, and waited patiently for his brother Lati to arrive.

Almost every hour, a battle report from the front lines was sent to the Demon King's palace. Since the invasion of the Demon Kingdom's homeland, those reports were like death warrants, each one describing the allied forces' invincibility. After enduring nearly a month of torment, Vera finally saw hope in the first battle report of the day.

The battle report stated that the enemy's assault on Baguan City lasted for seven days but was repelled each time, and Baguan City remained in the hands of the Demon Kingdom. This news reassured Verla considerably. Soon, another battle report arrived, and when she opened it, the gloom on her face lessened even further. That report stated that reinforcements from the eastern front, led by Cai Ran, had arrived near Baguan City and were ready to provide support at any time.

After circulating the battle report, Verra looked into the hall and saw that most of the people in the hall were demons wearing armor. Although she knew that it would be pointless to ask these not-so-bright demons, she still asked, "Gentlemen, we have managed to hold onto Eight Passes City for now, and even the Beast King Darkrens failed to capture it seven days ago when he personally attacked it. Now that General Cai has arrived with reinforcements, what should we do?"

As soon as the words were spoken, a demon general immediately said, "Of course we should set out immediately and restore the Demon Kingdom!" The others echoed his sentiments. Although Vera herself was also willing to take the initiative, she felt uncertain. Therefore, she looked at Harold, who had stepped down as the chief councilor, and Reics, who was still in office, hoping they could give her some advice.

"Chief Councilor Harold, what's your opinion?"

"Your Majesty, this old minister has already stepped down from his post."

Upon hearing this, Vera paused for a moment, then asked, "What do you think?"

Harold pondered for a moment and said, "Why not take this opportunity to cede territory and negotiate peace?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than voices of opposition rang out in the hall: "Peace talks?! How could that be! Absolutely not!" The voices of opposition rose and fell, giving Harold no chance to defend himself. Even Vera, a member of the fierce generals, felt a headache coming on. In the end, it was Lei Cixin who stopped the generals: "No disrespect is allowed before His Majesty!"

A furious shout finally silenced the crowd. Vera asked, "Why negotiate peace? Isn't the current situation in our favor?"

Harold laughed and countered, “Your Majesty, how is the situation favorable to us? Do you mean that the continued siege of the Eight Passes City is favorable to us, or that losing nearly half of our territory is favorable to us? Or is it that Cai Ran’s reinforcements have arrived, and we are certain to turn the tide?”

The series of questions left Vera speechless, and she began to doubt herself. In her opinion, with the Eight Gates City secured and reinforcements arriving, defeating the allied forces was only a matter of time. Therefore, she couldn't understand why Harold wanted to negotiate peace. So she turned to Lei Cixin and asked, "Prefect Lei, what do you think?"

Lei Cixin glanced at Verra, then at Harold, and hesitated before saying, "Perhaps... peace talks are a better option..."

Seeing that even her aunt supported the peace talks, Vera became increasingly depressed, but she couldn't hide her emotions, which were all written on her face. When Harold saw this, he became even more determined not to explain the reason directly.

After a while, Vera clapped her hands, stood up and said, "My mind is made up, let's launch a counterattack immediately!" Her decision immediately drew cheers from the generals, who all supported the Demon King Vera. After Vera finished speaking, she kept an eye on Harold's expression. She saw Harold shaking his head helplessly, which made her even more frustrated. She insisted on going against Harold, just like a child.

Thinking this, she ordered someone to bring paper and pen, intending to immediately order a counterattack, seemingly to show Harold. But Harold neither explained nor stopped her, simply waiting quietly. Just as Vera finished writing the order and was about to issue it, a guard entered the hall, holding the latest battle report, and said, "Your Majesty, the latest battle report from Commander Cai Ran."

"Bring it here quickly."

Verra took the battle report and immediately unfolded it to read it carefully. The report read:

"Your Majesty, I have led reinforcements to Baguan City and fought several battles with the enemy, hoping to alleviate the siege of Baguan City, but without success. The enemy's numbers are many times greater than ours. To prevent the enemy from splitting their forces, we have to disperse our defenses, but this is not a long-term solution. The power of the nobles within the country is not yet fully understood, and the soldiers from noble territories in the army are not united and there have been desertions. For the sake of the Demon Kingdom, I implore Your Majesty to negotiate peace. The most urgent task is to preserve the Demon Kingdom, eliminate the nobles, and prevent the destruction of the Spirit Realm. I urge Your Majesty to consider this carefully."

After reading the battle report sent by Cai Ran, Verra couldn't help but look at Harold and ask, "Is it because the nobles in the country have not been completely eradicated, and the two major threats in the western Spirit Realm are the reasons for proposing peace talks?"

Seeing Vera's question, Harold knew that Cai Ran's battle report must have mentioned the peace talks. He thought to himself, "With a pillar like Cai Ran, the little girl's path will be smoother." He then slowly nodded. Vera, seeing this, only vaguely understood. She understood why Harold had suggested she negotiate peace, but still didn't understand why he hadn't said it explicitly. Just as she was about to press for an answer, Harold interrupted her, whispering:

"Your Majesty, the most important matter now may not be discussing peace."

Having said that, he glanced at the many generals standing before His Highness. Verra understood immediately and dismissed them all, ordering them to return to their respective armies and await further orders. These generals hadn't been actively sought out by Verra; they had volunteered for the battle.

After everyone had left, Vera asked again, "Grandpa Harold, why didn't you just tell me these reasons earlier?"

"Hehe." Harold smiled kindly, as if looking at his own child. "Girl, your grandfather and father have no one by their side to give you advice. Your grandfather is getting old and will have to leave one day." After saying that, Harold got up and took his leave.

“This…” Vera looked at Rachel again: “Aunt…”

Lei Cixin had long understood Harold's good intentions and smiled, "Girl, you have to make your own decisions on many things. It may be a good thing to have someone to give you advice, but ultimately you are the Demon King of the Demon Kingdom. A king must have the right judgment to protect the Demon Kingdom."

"I understand, but how do we negotiate peace?"

"Why don't we ask Coach Cai?"