The defeat at the Battle of Smolensk cast a heavy shadow over the coalition forces, turning their swift-victory theory into a swift-defeat theory. They now believed that Roshan's current performance was merely designed to pin them down and lull them into a false sense of security, and that the enemy's firepower far surpassed their own. They concluded that they had no way of breaking through the city firmly held by the Rakshasa Army.
Since they could not win, once the war dragged on into winter and logistical issues arose, the hundreds of thousands of troops would freeze and starve to death without ever making it home. Rather than face that, they might as well take advantage of the still-permissive weather, pack up, and each go back to their respective homes to find their mothers.
Seeing no profit to be gained, the other generals within the coalition successively put forward the idea of making a quick haul and leaving during the high-level meetings.
Chapter 342