Chapter 94: At the Gates of the Highlands

　　The widespread support of the people in Skolo accelerated the pace of the Nor army and helped restore order to the region. King Moral dispatched silver-tongued diplomats to accompany his troops, charging them to persuade local garrisons to surrender whenever possible. He sought to spare the land and its people from the jagged scars of unnecessary bloodshed.　　When the army reached Moxida, the commandant Cadram had already prepared for a siege and flatly refused to meet the Nor envoys. Once a bustling hub of trade, the city now stood with its gates barred tight. With meticulous rationing, the city’s stores could last a year—more than enough time, Cadram believed, to wait for reinforcements.　　However, the city’s Prefect had no heart for a fight and secretly opened a channel to the envoys. Learning of the internal situation and Cadram’s troubled past, the envoys sought out two of the commandant's closest friends, hoping they could convince him to lay down his arms.　　Lesalis scoffed at the Nor proposal, but Feder took a different view, leading to a bitter argument between the two. Lesalis insisted that a soldier must fulfill his duty to the Duke at any cost; Feder, however, spoke with a pained heart for his friend’s past—Cadram had once served faithfully only to be met with slander and humiliation. To fight now, Feder argued, would only invite a second