"The mission begins when the assault on Lechia starts," he said, his voice calm but firm enough to cut through whatever doubt they still held. "That is our window. While their attention and strength are pulled toward the front, we move into Rus."
The two men listened, their earlier arrogance still present, but now tempered slightly by the shift in tone.
"We are not going there to fight," Lucas continued. "We are going there to get in, retrieve the emperor, and get out. That means we avoid confrontation as much as possible. No unnecessary engagements. No showing off. If a fight can be avoided, we avoid it."
One of the celestials frowned slightly. "And if it cannot be avoided."
"Then it ends quickly," Lucas replied without hesitation. "But it does not escalate. The moment things drag, the mission is already compromised."
There was a brief silence as that settled.
