#432When there is a difference of opinion, it is better to strike firstAI Model: gemini-2.5-flashChapter 432: Differences in Opinion, Strike First"We eagerly await your return, My Lord." A mouse hopped in front of Peter, bowing respectfully. "We are entirely devoted to you.""Oh my goodness, he's so cute," Lucy couldn't help but blurt out."Who said that?" The mouse angrily drew his sword, seemingly offended by the word 'cute'."I'm sorry," Lucy apologized sheepishly.Upon seeing that it was the Queen of Narnia, the mouse's attitude immediately shifted. He bowed politely. "Your Majesty, please hear me out.I believe 'brave,' 'polite,' or 'chivalrous' would be more fitting for a Narnian Knight.""At least we know some of you are skilled swordsmen," Peter said, half-jokingly."Yes, I've recently become more adept at using my skills to acquire weapons for your army.""Good, because we need every sword.""Then you might want your own back," Caspian said, handing Peter his sword."May I ask, are those the weapons you were referring to?" Aaron pointed to a Centaur who had a large sack of iron swords slung on each side of him."Those are them," the mouse said proudly. "Just last night, I led a few brothers to secretly take enough weapons and armor for two legions from the Telmarines, and we even left a greeting.""Two legions?" Aaron frowned slightly. "Not all of them?""A thousand sets of equipment are enough for us.""Right!" Aaron gave him a gentle smile. "If Miraz's head could just turn a little, he could roughly calculate the number of Narnians—no, to be precise, Narnian warriors."Hearing this, the mouse was shocked. "This… I'm sorry, Your Majesty, I truly didn't consider that.""It's alright," Peter gently shook his head, comforting him. "Whether they know our numbers or not, they will still march on us. This tough battle must be fought.Besides, our numbers are more than just two legions."...With weapons and equipment, the Narnian army was barely formed.Caspian led everyone to a bunker, serving as a temporary defensive fortification.Centaurs raised their long swords, forming two lines to welcome the King and Queen, with the others following closely behind.The Narnian Centaurs ceaselessly re-melted the stolen standard weapons and armor, forging them into equipment that fit their own sizes to prepare for the upcoming war."This place might not be like it used to be, but it's still good for defense," Caspian said."Not bad. How did you know about this place?" Aaron asked curiously."This isn't a forest; there's nothing that prevents one from coming here.My tutor was fascinated by Narnian culture and stumbled upon this ruin by chance.""Peter, you might want to see this," Susan said, pointing at the wall.Peter walked over, picked up a torch, and used its light to examine the murals on the wall.These murals depicted their story, from their arrival in Narnia, to riding a magnificent lion into battle, and finally, their coronation in the Castle of Cair Paravel."Is this Aslan?" Aaron asked, pointing at the lion on the wall. "He doesn't seem much different from an ordinary lion.""He's bigger," Lucy said. "We grew a year older, and he also grew quite a bit.""What is this place?" Susan asked Caspian."You don't know?" Caspian asked in surprise, but then realized it was normal. After all, centuries had passed, and this bunker might have been built after they left Narnia.He led the way with the torch, through a tunnel, and stopped in a grand hall.He extended the torch to a groove in the wall, and the flame ignited the lamp oil, illuminating the entire hall.Only then did the group see the hall's environment: there were no grand decorations, a broken stone platform stood in the center, and on the front wall was a mural of a magnificent lion.Lucy touched the stone platform, as if understanding something, and turned to look at the others. "He must know all of this.""Aslan?" Aaron mused. "He doesn't intend to help us actively, does he?""The same thing won't happen a second time," Lucy murmured, a hint of disappointment in her tone."That's not necessarily true," Aaron shrugged. "There's a saying in the Bible: 'What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again.'""You know about that?" Susan asked."I don't know much about the Bible, but my ancestors highly agreed with that saying.What they agree with is usually a profound truth."Peter looked at the mural of the magnificent lion, pondering for a few seconds before saying earnestly, "I think everything is up to us."The Faun on guard outside spotted patrolling Telmarine soldiers. He immediately reported the situation to the Kings.Peter called representatives from all Narnian races to the hall: Fauns, Centaurs, Minotaurs, Dwarves, and talking animals all sat around the steps, forming a temporary council."Soon, Miraz's army and weapons will arrive, which means these people cannot defend their Castle," Peter said."What do you intend to do, Your Majesty?" the mouse asked."Strike first," Aaron snapped his fingers. "I support that.""That's ridiculous; no one has ever taken that Castle," Caspian quickly said."There's always a first time for everything," Peter said."They'll never expect it," Trumpkin agreed. "We can take them by surprise.""But we have an advantage here.""If we're well prepared, we might be able to hold this place," Susansupported Caspian's opinion."Might?" Aaron clicked his tongue. "That's a good word, very apt.But if I may be so bold, we might hold it once, but can we hold it twice, or three times?The Telmarine soldiers outnumber the Narnians by several times, and with a kingdom as a supply base, they can lose many times, but the Narnians cannot afford to lose even once.Of course, this is just my personal opinion; just listen to it, don't take it too seriously.""I appreciate everything you've done," Peter said to Caspian. "But this isn't a bunker; it's a tomb.""Exactly," Edmund said. "If they're smart enough, the Telmarines can trap us here and starve us out.""We can store nuts," the squirrel said without thinking."And throw Telmarines," the mouse said, exasperated. "Your Majesty, I think you know I'm on your side.""Shut up, you two cuties," Aaron rolled his eyes. "Let's not say such absurd things.""Who are you calling cute?" The mouse immediately drew his sword, pointing it fiercely at Aaron.Aaron raised an eyebrow and slowly moved his feet, standing behind Lucy.The mouse's breathing immediately quickened. "If you're so capable, don't hide behind our Queen; step out and duel me.""Give it up, Reepicheep," the badger shook his head. "You can't beat him; he subdued Nikabrik in two moves.""Trufflehunter, I'm not a Dwarf.""But you're only as good as I am," Nikabrik said disdainfully. "You're no match for him in a duel either."Peter looked at the Centaur leader. "If I help you get in, can your men deal with the guards?""We will complete the mission, even if it means death, Your Majesty.""People who say things like that are usually prepared to die," Aaron sighed. "A narrow escape from death, isn't it?"The Centaur leader slowly lowered his head, tacitly agreeing with Aaron's words."That's exactly what I'm worried about," Lucy said softly. "You act as if there are only two choices: die here, or die there.""You might not have heard clearly, Lulu," Peter said patiently. "We have no other choice; staying here is certain death.""No, your sister is smarter than you.We still have a third way," Aaron said meaningfully. "The best plan is to retreat, or rather, a strategic retreat.Actually, I also thought of this path, but I believe most Narnians wouldn't want to take it, as they've been hiding for centuries.Moreover, Miraz won't stop until he achieves some battle results; at the very least, he needs to clear the obstacles for his son, which means the premise of running away is to hand over Caspian."Caspian:... "Even so, Miraz might not spare the Narnians," Trumpkin said gravely. "When I was captured, he promised the Telmarine council elders that he would slaughter all of us Narnians, fulfilling his ancestors' dying wish.For that, he wouldn't mind cutting down the entire forest.""My point is to retreat first; we can wait for Aslan," Lucy said anxiously. "He knows all of this; he will definitely appear.""We've waited long enough for him, for centuries!Now we must take on the responsibility of Kings," Peter said seriously, then led the others to formulate a battle plan."Peter still doesn't want to believe me," Lucy said, her eyes red and a bit wronged. "But I really did see Aslan, and I dreamt of him too.""I believe you, believe me, I believe you more than anyone," Aaron said very seriously."Thank you!" Lucy's mood lightened a bit. "Oh, Aslan also told me to remind you not to play too rough."Aaron:... Is that a reminder?That's clearly a warning, isn't it? A warning from a suspected Archmage-level big shot.Aaron forced a smile. "Alright! His warning—no, his reminder—I've received it.You go find a place to get some good sleep first!""No, I am the Queen of Narnia; I must participate in the battle plan too.""Heh heh!" Aaron secretly grumbled that children shouldn't join the fun, but a serious expression appeared on his face. "You have a more important mission.Sleep, and find Aslan's hiding place in your dreams.""But didn't we try that this morning?""Let's try everything we can. If it fails, Aslan is our last hope.As for Peter and the others, I'll try my best to look after them."Lucy seemed to feel a strong sense of mission, nodded vigorously, and found a random spot to lie down and count sheep.When Aaron walked out of the temporary meeting room, he furtively touched his pocket; inside was a bottle of red Potion. "Kids nowadays are really not easy to fool."
