"Thank you for your assistance."
Then, looking at his soldiers, he said, "We retreat."
As he watched these rebels leave without hesitation, Alka turned his body to look at the members of the Holy Machine Church.
The one who had just spoken to Alka solemnly made a Holy Machine Church gesture to Alka and said a blessing.
"Was this island originally theirs?" Alka asked.
The church member nodded: "Indeed, it was theirs before, but after the oracle came down, we were tasked to temporarily control this place and informed them accordingly.
They soon relinquished it, and later became part of the rebel forces like those people. Now, perhaps under the demon's enticement, they want to reclaim their former home."
Alka contemplated and nodded, then asked, "Do you have a need to occupy this place?"
"Certainly not, sir. Later, we determined you only wanted the tower and had no interest in the place.
It turns out our actions and strategies at the time lacked consideration."
