Traveling through time, I'm making pancakes in Warhammer

Chapter 537 Getting on the Right Path

“Oh, right.” Howard remembered something else and said to Cecil, “Before I was about to leave, Ms. Liavid said something to me, but I think her intention was to have me relay it to you.”

Cecil sat up straight: "Please speak."

“Ms. Liavid said that sometimes your actions outpace your thoughts, which is a strength, but sometimes if you can be more patient, you might find a better way.”

After hearing Howard's account, Cecil remained silent for a moment, then finished his drink and leaned back in his chair.

“Mr. Howard,” Cecil said, his gaze fixed on the luxurious ceiling of the banquet hall, “you should understand that many times when things are over and we’re reviewing the whole picture, we can always find a better solution. But when we’re actually in the thick of it, we often don’t have that many options in front of us.”

Howard: "I understand."

“If I always planned everything before acting, I probably would have died on some planet long ago… Just like when I had my men bring back the two children from the Lyon family, I could have added a nanny to the team, but that would have created new variables. I can only choose the option that isn’t the worst, and then take it one step at a time.”

“So you’re at the executive level,” Howard said.

"Hmm?" Cecil sat up again and poured Howard some more wine. "Tell me more about it?"

Howard looked uncomfortable with the newly added wine, but after pouring the wine for Howard this time, Cecil added a third of ice water, some fine salt, and finally a slice of green mandarin orange.

After much hesitation, Howard picked up the glass and took a small sip.

It was still pungent, and Howard, being such a country bumpkin, still couldn't appreciate its subtleties, but after being diluted, it was at least not so unbearable.

"To put it simply, the executive level is responsible for solving specific problems, while the decision-making level is responsible for formulating policies." Howard thought for a moment and then said, "For example, in war, soldiers need to consider how to take down a target, while generals need to consider why they should take down the target."

Howard: "Obviously, as the patriarch, Ms. Liavid is the one who makes the decisions. Generally speaking, it's difficult for the decision-making level to understand the difficulties faced by the execution level, but a good decision-maker will also tolerate the shortcomings of the execution level. As long as the main goal is achieved, some side issues are permissible. I think Ms. Liavid is a good decision-maker. For example, as you said, you accidentally killed a very Leon family child, but you accomplished the main objective of suppressing the rebellion, so she didn't mention your mistake."

“But this time she chose to personally stop your assassination plan.” Howard continued, “Based on my guess, it’s very likely because there is an information gap between you. Maybe you think killing the other party can solve the problem, but is this person still useful to Liavid? Of course, it’s also possible that Ms. Liavid doesn’t have a specific understanding of the danger this person poses, which is why she stopped you today. But in any case, it’s never a good thing that there is a difference in thinking between the decision-making level and the execution level.”

Finally, Howard said, "So, find an opportunity to talk to Ms. Liavid and get your information aligned. You're mother and son, so it shouldn't be too difficult to do that."

Cecil sighed and said, "You're right, I'll talk to Mother."

However, there is another speculation that Howard did not tell Cecil: if the decision-making level finds that the executive level is at risk of acting without authorization, it usually only needs to issue a reprimand and give more specific orders and restrictions. They generally do not actively point out the shortcomings of the executive level. In fact, some decision-makers even rely on the shortcomings of the executive level to control the other party.

Unless Liavid wants Cecil to also grow into the decision-making body.

But it's not his place to say such things; saying them might even have the opposite effect.

But in any case, the assassination attempt has finally come to an end.

Cecil then turned his gaze to Christina: "Sister."

Christina was clearly still processing what had just happened, and was only jolted out of her reverie by Cecil calling her twice: "Huh? Brother?"

Cecil: "Did you hear what Mr. Howard and I just said?"

Christina hesitated for a moment before finally replying, "I'm sorry, brother, I was distracted just now."

Cecil, however, was not angry. Instead, he said gently to Christina, "Sister, you are of Hellvinson blood. In the past, you have only done simple jobs, but you will not do simple jobs forever. This is a waste of your identity and an insult to your abilities. So, you should try to be a little more attentive in the future."

Christina nodded very solemnly to Cecil and said, "Brother, I will be more careful in the future."

“No need for later,” Cecil laughed. “Right now, I have a question I need to ask your clever little brain.”

Cecil's teasing made Christina blush slightly, and then she said, "Brother, please just say what's wrong."

"Regarding the cleanup work with Ossarino, although your assassination failed, you still promised Ossarino something, something from Agatha Christie, but you and I both know that this thing doesn't exist." Cecil spread his hands and said, "So, what do you think we should prepare so that Ossarino won't suspect anything, or rather, what is the most appropriate thing to prepare?"

Although Howard and Cecil had finalized the specific item long before, since preparing anything might arouse Osarino's suspicion, it would be better to prepare something overly suspicious so that he could ponder it slowly and exhaust himself. However, it was clear that Cecil also wanted to hear his sister's opinion.

Christina then showed signs of falling into thought again, and seeing this, Cecil tapped the table:

"Sister, explain your thought process."

Howard deduced that Liavid intended to groom Cecil, and now, Cecil was also grooming Christina to become his ally.

“What I told Ossalino was that five years ago, when Agatha and I were changing clothes, she gave me something, so it couldn't be too new or too big. And five years ago, Agatha certainly wouldn't have predicted things would turn out this way, so…”

Cecil: "So what?"

“No, brother,” Christina said, “that’s too presumptuous. Let’s imagine, if Agatha had foreseen this five years ago, what would she have left behind?”

Howard, who was listening in, raised an eyebrow slightly. This young girl was really quick to pick things up.