Black flames~

Hardest to love

No one had much luck sleeping. Even though Ozpin explicitly intended to rest after exerting himself in battle against Hazel and Lionheart, he found himself awake and contemplative. Oscar was already exhausted from the fight and his body was a bit sluggish as a result, but with Ozpin directing his actions Oscar's mind could rest a bit. He was catching on quickly, but he wasn't yet prepared to deal with all he political fallout that Ozpin now had to consider. There'd always been concerns more pertinent than that for him to consider; always problems more immediate and training more essential.

Now, however, Ozpin wondered what sort of mess he'd be leaving behind in taking the relic and departing for Atlas. Mistral was in shambles already with so many huntsmen dead and without a headmaster running their academy they'd be reliant on gifted but inexperienced warriors without any formal leadership. While his hand could easily remain undetected before he got to James to try and explain what had occurred, it was just as likely Atlas would find out who defenseless Mistral was and do something foolish to exploit the situation. He'd hoped that Ghira Belladonna would be a stabilizing element by installing a new White Fang high leader who could at the very least give Atlas pause before renewing their calls for war.

And Adam Taurus… Ozpin had never considered him a viable threat; merely another of Salem's pawns. Given how easily he'd been routed by the unskilled citizens from Menagerie, Ozpin expected him to run back to the queen alongside Hazel and the others, hoping to escape punishment for his failure and live to fight another day. It had never once occurred to him the boy might be so reckless as to strike back when alone and unsupported.

And worse, no matter how Ozpin might try and contain the situation, there were so many witnesses world would spread of Adam Taurus killing the former White Fang high leader, immediately after the fabricated story of Sienna Khan's death by a human huntsman reached Atlas. It wouldn't matter what was true and what wasn't: Atlas would see infighting in the White Fang as another destabilizing element in Mistral, especially considering one of the aspirants to High Leader was the wanted terrorist Adam Taurus.

James Ironwood may have had his better qualities, but unfortunately one of them was being a very competent soldier. He'd be all too keen on attacking Mistral while it was vulnerable, exploiting weaknesses and launching a preemptive attack. And when he could frame the offensive as removing a dangerous madman from a position of power…

Worse, if Salem acted on the opportunity… if Adam Taurus were still in her favor, if he had her backing and enough surviving loyalists, it wouldn't matter if his White Fang were struggling through internal strife. With what few huntsmen and soldiers Mistral had left, Adam Taurus could use his brutal strength and reign over vast swathes of territory through fear and become de facto ruler of at least part of Mistral. The fighting would provoke Ironwood, draw the Grimm, and further worsen relations between Faunus and humans.

A day earlier they'd won an enormous victory. One man's death had set them back so much further.

Ozpin could try and contact the Mistral council and inform them of the pressing danger, but that meant delaying his trip to Atlas further and he'd almost certainly need to reveal to someone the former headmaster of Beacon had returned if he were to have any hope of being taken seriously. And if he didn't contact anyone in the Mistral council, they'd almost certainly continue to lose ground.

Rush to Atlas and try to dissuade James from launching his offensive? Or stabilize the situation in Mistral by putting a stop to the rogue element in the White Fang? Ozpin had made enough mistakes. He needed what few resources were left available to him.

It'd be easy to simply abandon Mistral. It was the practical choice: take the relic and travel to the kingdom with the largest standing army and the best natural defenses against Salem and her Grimm.