441: An Unexpected Declaration

"But I can't avoid it!" Arthas clenched his fist tightly: "The regent, leaves the decision to me at critical moments. There are many things I simply don't know. By the time I do know, I have to choose the lesser of two evils. I don't understand, fundamentally, how is my choice different from yours as a commander?"

The room fell silent.

Although this side hall was empty, who knows if someone next door might be eavesdropping.

No, Duke was certain someone was eavesdropping. Even without a system prompt, he had already heard the heavy breathing. Duke didn't know who it was, he just knew he had to be careful with his words.

Duke stroked his cheek: "Can I ask you a somewhat cruel series of questions?"

"You ask." Arthas made a gesture of invitation.

"You're adrift at sea with a ship full of refugees, with no hope of rescue, and suddenly you find that a third of the people are infected with the plague. What do you do?"

"I..." Arthas's face showed a painful expression: "I would have that third jump into the sea."

Isolation, then leaving the infected to fend for themselves, this is the most common way to deal with the plague in this era.

Duke neither agreed nor disagreed: "What if you find out that half of the remaining people are also infected with the plague?"

"Have them jump into the sea too." Arthas's voice had lowered.

"After a while, you find out that among the remaining people, another half..."

"Enough! You're torturing my conscience and soul!" Arthas's eyes were bloodshot as he slammed the table and stood up.

"No, I'm not torturing your conscience and soul." Duke coldly met Arthas's gaze: "I'm just telling you not to use your shallow common sense to judge every issue, and then foolishly force yourself into a dilemma of having to choose between two bad options. The biggest difference between you and a commander is the comprehensiveness of considering issues!"

"Comprehensive!?"

"Yes! I just asked you what to do? I didn't force you to follow the rules of this era."

Arthas was stunned: "Then what to do?"

Duke's voice sharpened:

"Have you studied medical knowledge?"

"Have you asked if there are doctors among the refugees?"

"Are there priests?"

"Have you confirmed the type of plague?"

"Is there hope for a cure?"

Five consecutive 'have yous' left Arthas dazed. He defended himself: "But I don't understand those common senses..."

"That's why I asked you to seek if there are doctors among the refugees. As a commander, it's okay if you don't understand, you just delegate it to the experts. You must appoint the most reliable person to advise you in this area. If you can't choose, let the people in that area elect one. If you can't judge, let the experts judge for you."

Arthas was first shocked, and after the shock was a deep admiration from the heart. So the deputy commander who was famous in the Alliance and the Horde, the Duke Marcus who won so many great battles, had a reason for his success.

Is this the difference between him and a top commander?

Yes! After receiving the deputy commander's warning, since the regent was incompetent, he should take up this responsibility, arrange everything as much as possible, instead of doing nothing, waiting for the situation to worsen, and then making a painful choice.

Arthas bowed deeply to Duke.

"I've learned a lot.

Duke, I have only one final question."

"Ask."

Arthas asked solemnly: "What if, in the end, I have no one to rely on, no knowledge in this area, and I have to make the decision myself?"

"Avoid the worst situation while also increasing your choices. A lack of better choices itself proves that your perspective is too narrow. If your wisdom and insight are not enough to create better choices for you, then choose the one that you feel least guilty about. If you've truly done your best, you'll feel better about it, at least you can console yourself."

"Console myself... huh?" Arthas was a bit stunned, as if sleepwalking, he thanked Duke again and then left.

Duke watched Arthas, who was supposed to become the Lich King in history, leave like this, and he also sighed. He was quite sorry for Arthas's fall in history. This couldn't blame the historical Arthas, it was a plot by the demon who was the most proficient in human nature and the most despicable and shameless.

Duke didn't know if he could reverse this 'future' segment of Arthas's fall. Maybe he could change the fate of tragic death like Llane, Lyras, the VanCleef's father and daughter, or maybe not, but at least he tried.

"Rather than regretting doing nothing, it's better to regret after doing it, huh?" Duke seemed to be talking to himself mockingly.

"Right! Well said!" A crisp female voice suddenly entered Duke's ears, and Duke instinctively felt that this voice was a bit familiar.

The next second, he found out who the voice belonged to - Princess Calia Menethil.

Duke was dumbfounded.

"Princess..."

The girl in a pure white floor-length low-cut dress stood alone at the entrance of the side hall.

Seeing the girl seemingly trying to suppress her excited emotions, crossing her fingers in front of her chest, Duke suddenly felt a sense of [purity].

He didn't know if his breath was mixed with a slight sigh.

Obviously, at this moment all the noise disappeared because of the girl's focus.

Any other element would be degraded as impure, the pure, focused, and even a bit fanatical light in the girl's eyes was overwhelming.

Almost tangible love, like a prayer piercing the soul, Duke almost instantly felt the admiration coming from the girl's eyes.

Princess Calia... is infatuated with me?

It must be said that Princess Calia is indeed a stunning beauty, her exposed skin is crystal clear, her body is as delicate as porcelain that seems to break at a touch, her whole person exudes a mesmerizing beauty.

The problem is, Duke has never had any ideas about Princess Calia!

In Duke's eyes, the royal family of Lordaeron is a pit. He has no intention of getting along with the royal family of Lordaeron. When he met Princess Calia's eyes, Duke was stunned.

Her breathing was getting heavier, the girl was obviously very, very nervous, she seemed to have forgotten what she was supposed to say.

The princess's voice was full of tremors, a bit incoherent: "That day, thank you for the rose... I, but I... what moved me the most was when Lordaeron was about to be destroyed, you saved the whole city, and you saved me."

"Uh, it's my duty."

"I... I... I... can I be your follower?"

"Huh!?" Duke was once again dumbfounded!