A small smile grew for both her lack of hesitation and the suggestion of how he could help. The Empire had been going through a lengthy period of chaos, and it was a point of pride that Arylle had kept some semblance of safety and order throughout. He gave a shrug, meant to convey that she was right, but it would not be modest for him to speak of it at length.

His opinions of war, on the other hand, were more neutral. Oh, certainly, it was better to avoid it or bring it to as swift and clean an end as possible. But being bosom friends with a dzur required an understanding of why someone might be eager for opponents. Glory for Aerich was found in serving, but that wasn't true for everyone.

"I should be glad to lend myself to a good cause. Only, as an old friend would say, cha! A tactician will surely be simpler to integrate. You perceive, a foreign perspective on tactics may shake a battlefield, while a foreign administrator may simply twist the normal work that keeps a supply of arms and soldiers flowing. Administration, I think, rarely benefits from renovations."