For a moment, no one spoke. Eyes wandered about in the room, suspicious and thinking. No one knew whom to trust anymore, and Henndar loved that. With this level of suspicion, they would get better results.
Good.
He stood from his seat with a slow, measured motion and extended a hand toward the ornate table.
The map shimmered to life. Projected midair by a flick of his finger, it rotated slowly—an intricate lattice of terrains, cities, and sectors. The red dots flickered like veins. Then, with a wave, Henndar drew glowing circles around certain seemingly random areas: a merchant bridge in the East, a mine deep in the western mountains, a village hidden beside a bamboo grove, so many places.
He said only one word-
"Vulnerable."
The room leaned in.
"These," Henndar began, "are sectors the enemy has not yet touched. It may seem random, but I can gain information if the need arises." He paused. "And your hesitance has pushed me to do just that."
