Trust
Fortunately for Hugh, the commander did not seem to be trusty angry. He seemed to be intrigued at the reason for Hugh's answer.
"A conqueror is someone who dominates. A king is a title. There's a difference," the commander said as he looked at Hugh with a sharp look.
Hugh gulped. It was indeed the right decision to get the commander's respect by challenging him. This was a way of earning the concern that not most people would dare to try.
Challenging the commander like this was like balancing on a steel wire thousands of feet up in the air. It was a delicate way, and one wrong move could send him spiraling down to the pits of hell.
The rest of the upper ranks could not help but commend the platoon leader's bravery. They would not have done this. Instead, they would have tried to apologize to the commander.