"ilke evreryone wasnt bad."

Look up the "rape of Nanjing". A horrific sample of the large scale evil they inflicted on the world. South Korea still has deep cultural trauma from what Japan did to them when they took over for awhile. "everyone wasn't bad" you sarcastically say or something, not everyone was raping small children and loping heads off of prisoners and civilians to test swords or for fun. Why did they do this? In part because the soldiers of Nanking surrendered right away and the Japanese saw that as pathetic, A city at their mercy and they showed less than none. Even a card carrying nazi stationed there at the time thought it was way too much and actually worked to save lives.

They had a testing facility in Japan "Imperial Japan's Unit 731" back then where ostensibly it was to learn how to inflict disease on the enemy but in reality they were just flat out sadistic and insane with human experimentation and disease (male prisoners forced to rape other prisoners to spread disease, torture through pressure chambers, amputation etc) in a very unscientific manner that wasn't likely to even learn anything but killed alot of people. Even contaminating water supplies etc in the surrounding villages intentionally starting disease epidemics that killed hundreds of thousands of people!

When Americans took over islands the Japanese had been holding,the native people (not Japanese) flung themselves off cliffs etc. because the the Japanese had convinced them that Americans were even worse.

Most all of the surviving Japanese soldiers who did those things never saw justice, it was quietly swept under the rug.

'But like, wasn't everyone bad' -no not "typical", unless you were a Japanese soldier during WW2

"what are you saying and not reading"

What does this even mean?

""their" mage corps"

"their" being the hated Empire, not MC's allies and forces actually hold the line against the world ending.

Once again Reina was leaving anyway. Success or failure or even no attempt at all, in killing Reina wouldn't matter for Ash's forces long term.

Keep in mind that Japan was HORRIBLE back then, typical Japanese soldier so bloodthirsty, cruel, morally bankrupt. Maybe those bombs shouldn't have been dropped, but as a people it's not like they didn't have it coming. Though of course innocent people shouldn't be pushed for the terrible people within their own ranks.

Junior is a fellow victim. Reina was leaving anyway.

Didn't try to "fuck Ash over" and even accidentally this will have no effect on Ash's fighting forces.

"but the guy was willing to let the same shit he's pissed about happen to other people, including the MC."

How do you figure?

Also keep in mind that Reina was leaving, has not really ever been one of Ash's forces. In fact Reina was trying to head hunt/recruit Junior which would have weakened Ash's forces if it succeeded of course.

Also since Reina was leaving anyway, wouldn't be around to tempt revenge.

Also it's not just Reina, the Empire has been terrible to alot of people, including people in Ash's own forces. You talked about using em to increase morale without specifics about what you meant. But if Ash made it public this guy with a very VERY legitimate grudge was tortured and killed for a failed attempt to kill a mass murderer (probably many other victims of Reina around and possibly other survivors with grudges against Reina specifically if not the Empire in general) If this person with such a legitimate grudge, who represents a victim that many people might sympathize with, was say tortured or executed and people knew, I see a morale decrease resulting from that, not a morale increase, a pretty significant morale decrease at that.

If this person were killed Ash would have-
Destroy a SR recruit,
Risk Junior being emotionally crippled and unable to fight well for a long time,
Risk public morale problems,
Plus the pattern of MC being a smart person who really values good talent and has no love for the Empire.... Just not happening. I feel highly confident Ash will recruit em for real. Probably said no to the torture. Besides the whole story was given anyway and there is no reason to disbelieve it, there is nothing to learn.

True Junior wouldn't leave over Ash's torturing & or killing this fellow victim. But it would hurt Junior emotionally. Clearly Junior is shocked over realizing es been working with the direct murderer of Juniors family and even town and the cause of Juniors lethal condition as well, so probably dealing with alot of guilt. Now imagine of Ash decides to torture and kill this fellow survivor Junior already empathizes with and sees esself in, hell might be em if not for Jupiter.

Junior might not leave, but would not ever be able to look at Ash the same way again. There would be significant loyalty loss.

And Juniors already crumbling, add finding out that fellow survivor was tortured and who knows how long or how much even Junior could recover from such emotional wounds.

As far as "traitorous" It's not really betrayal.
Keep in mind es only a new recruit, wasn't specifically going against Ash's interests, had no initial plans to attack Reina because didn't even know the murderer was there.
So if es promised to give up the grudge, there is no reason to not believe em except that the murderer of your city and family for no good reason is a powerful reason to have a grudge. I've seen people in comments be full supportive of grudges taken much further for much less. So why couldn't MC convince em and that agreement be believable? It would give em new reason to live, protecting families like es own lost family.

ran out of characters, will reply to self to keep post order correct, reply to second post pls. Upvote to let me know you replied.

odds of one succeeding low? Then how about a hundred at range!

Where are you getting "traitorous" from? Besides, would you be good with losing Junior as well? A real possibility if he's tortured or killed.

How would you use him to raise the morale of affected troops, by giving him a medal?

Reina was directly responsible for his spouse and childrens death the direct killer along with Jupiter, he specifically said he gave up any other kind of fighting and just stumbled upon Reina

Where are you getting the idea Ash's companions are at risk? Reina isn't even a companion, not really. Was going back to not be involved in holding against the monsters anymore shortly before this happened

In fact Junior may be terribly shaken if this fellow victim of the exact same thing Junior went through, is tortured or killed.

Wait, was he "recruited"? Well still represents a potential powerful allie in the war.

A anti-magic sword coupled with a fighter trained specially to deal with mages + super useful in the future against mages but also seems skilled in general.

What ratio do you imagine?

https://i.postimg.cc/k4H24BS4/i.png
Just a child without a guardian for a MONTH Well I guess the 4 year old MC would eventually find out they'll be without anyone to take care of them, even food, for a entire month No biggy, thinks the assistant it seems

Also insane that they didn't just stay together and face the final boss together after absorbing the miniboss/

I've seen stories that had them eat mostly vegetation and stories where they survive on mana from the air.

That aside, you lose the bonus lives at the next stage onwards

Sure, but I've on and off and on again suspected Reina of using the treatment as a way to recruit Junior. Junior is a powerful mage and a good employee to recruit. "If you want the rest of the treatments, come work for me" seems to be the message. It seems to be a bit of both. How much is guilt and how much is recruitment effort ... not sure.

But when they "die" they don't leave bodies behind as far as I remember, instead more like they respawn video game style using spare lives.

Also I recall that spare lives things, every spare lives used set back your cultivation, and the next stage after fused those lives together leaving you with only one again.

The only person they have been able to recruit from the Lake city has been that Dwarf blacksmith, so pattern generally says no.

I thought for a moment Reina was trying to redeem emself just a little, bit but it seems like Reina was indeed doing all this to recruit a powerful mage.

Though I suppose it could be a bit of both

Let's say you were writing a Sesame Street story about Oscar the Grouch. Being someone who is endlessly upbeat and never grouchy once in your life you write Oscar the Grouch as though Oscar was just like you. All the characters just like you. Or do you imagine what it is like to be grouchy even if you might get it a bit wrong, you at least try. Believe it or not such effort improves story quality.