Looking North, Signal Smoke Rises

Whether it was a curse or not, Hudson seemed to be cursed with food shortages. From the moment he became lord, he had to worry about food shortages every year.

In an effort to solve the food problem, Hudson embarked on a massive land reclamation campaign at great expense. However, this land reclamation exacerbated the food crisis in his territory.

The Mountain Territory's grain production capacity is hitting new highs every year; similarly, the Mountain Territory's grain deficit is also hitting new highs every year.

It's as if they've been given the wrong script, and they've fallen into a vicious cycle of "the more food they lack, the more land they reclaim, and the more land they reclaim, the more food they lack."

The solution is quite simple: slow down the development of the territory, reduce the number of employees, and get rid of the excess slaves.

With the uncultivated sinkholes reduced food consumption, the Mountain Territory was immediately able to reverse its predicament of insufficient food supply.

"The first batch of supplies collected from the county will arrive soon. We'll intercept all the grain and replace it with lumps of iron to make up the difference."

If the inventory is insufficient, use some well-forged weapons as a substitute. Remember, all weapons taken out this time must be of good quality.

Even if borrowed temporarily from the active military, there must be no problems with quality.

This will be the procedure from now on. I will coordinate with the Governor's Mansion. With this grain, filling the grain gap in the territory shouldn't be a problem.

I'll figure out a way to procure some grain from outside to increase the territory's grain reserves.

Hudson said with a hint of helplessness.

As someone who actively stores grain, I always prepare millions of pounds of extra grain each time, yet we still face food shortages every year.

These are all consequences of rapid population growth. The number of mouths to feed is growing at a rate far exceeding the growth rate of the territory's food production capacity.

With tens of thousands more mouths to feed added at once, the pressure on the nobles in the county was reduced, but the pressure on the Mountain Territory suddenly increased.

Especially since the mining capacity had not yet been fully realized in the early stages, and the territory's expenditures far exceeded its income, this pressure was even greater.

However, as a noble lord with a conscience, Hudson couldn't bring himself to use inferior goods and harm the army at the front.

We're all in the same boat; essentially, the core strategy for the Alpha Kingdom to resist the Beastfolk invasion is—delaying tactics.

The counterattack will only begin when the human nations have reacted and reinforcements from the continental countries arrive.

Before this, whether defending the city or launching an offensive, the goal was to slow down the Beastfolk army's advance and buy time for the kingdom.

The longer the frontline troops hold out, the later Hudson will be called up, the more time he will have to prepare, and the greater his chances of surviving on the battlefield.

This is a simple calculation.

Of course, even if one wanted to pass off inferior goods as superior ones, it would be difficult to get away with it.

The Governor's Mansion will conduct inspections, the kingdom's officials will conduct inspections, and the generals at the front will also conduct inspections.

Any problems discovered at any stage will be investigated and those responsible will be held accountable.

According to regulations, every qualified weapon is engraved with information including the place of origin, the craftsman responsible for its creation, the date of creation, and the person in charge of supervision.

To investigate, simply follow the information marked on the weapon to trace its origin.

This is also a way for Mountain Territory to distinguish between good and bad weapons. In order to make money quickly, the primary task of producing inferior goods is to reduce production costs, so the engraving process is naturally omitted.

As soon as a sliver of red appeared on the horizon, Crown Prince Alex appeared before the Beastfolk army.

"Warriors of the Orc Empire, a thousand years ago, the human race betrayed us, colluding with other races on the continent to seize our territory and kill our people through despicable means."

They drove the great Beastfolk race from the rich heart of the continent to the desolate frontier.

The hatred here is higher than mountains and deeper than the sea!

But the wicked humans, instead of repenting for their sins, have intensified their efforts by sending out slave-hunting teams to wreak havoc throughout my Orc Empire, causing immense suffering to all the tribes.

They attempted to use such despicable means to force the great descendants of the beast god to submit and be their slaves for eternity.

The great people of the Beast God will never submit to these despicable fellows.

Shame can only be washed away with blood.

The time for revenge has come! Warriors, take up your weapons...

On January 11 Sacred Calendar Year 99988, Crown Prince Alex issued the "Declaration of Revenge" in the army, thus beginning the 136th Continental War.

As the speech concluded, the army of the Behemoth Imperial Court launched its first attack on the Alpha Kingdom. Almost simultaneously, the other four royal courts also broke out into war.

The three unfortunate kingdoms of the Warhammer Kingdom, Moxi Duchy, and Alpha Kingdom were all invaded by the Beastfolk army.

"Kill!"

"Kill!"

Shouts of battle echoed continuously throughout every corner of the North.

The experienced people of the North fled to fortresses and strongholds in various places.

Even the high-ranking nobles humbled themselves and went up to the city walls to command their armies in battle.

The smoke from the beacon towers soared into the sky, rising one after another like a relay race, carrying the flames from the north into the Royal Capital.

Emerald Palace, gazing at the rising smoke signals, Caesar III sighed to himself, "It's finally here!"

For some reason, when the war actually broke out, his anxiety disappeared all at once.

A surge of fighting spirit suddenly rose in his chest, and without hesitation, Caesar III walked directly toward the council hall.

At this critical moment, the Alpha Kingdom needs King. War has broken out, and there are countless other troubles waiting for him to deal with; Caesar III cannot afford to be complacent.

"So, have you determined the main direction of the Beastfolk army's attack?"

Faced with the invasion of the Beastfolk army, the Alpha Kingdom, which was well prepared, had already formulated multiple countermeasures in advance.

However, the core of implementing these plans is to first determine the enemy's direction of attack.

"Your Majesty, according to the scouts of the Griffon Cavalry, the Beastfolk army is too large."

They launched a full-scale attack right from the start, without a clear main direction of attack, as if they were testing the waters to find weaknesses in our defenses!

Duke Affierro answered with a forced smile.

It wasn't that the Military Affairs Department was incompetent and failed to scout the Beastfolk army's movements in advance; it was simply that the enemy's attack was far too fierce.

Unlike the clearly organized human armies, the Orc Empire's armies still followed a traditional tribal and racial model. Their control over their armies was significantly weaker.

The Beastfolk did attempt to change this situation. However, the combined fighting strength of different races was too pathetic, and infighting frequently broke out, forcing them to retreat in the end.

The most prominent characteristic of armies organized by tribes is chaos.

The combat power of different Beastfolk races varies greatly.

Judging the main direction of the Beastfolk army's attack solely by the number of its members is unlikely to yield an accurate answer.

After all, the fighting power of Pigmen Boarmen, and the gap is even greater compared to the Monbe army.

The real main attack target is not necessarily the one with the largest number of troops, but it must be the one with the most elite troops.

Unfortunately, the order in which Beastfolk armies invade is usually that cannon fodder go first, while the elite troops come later to supervise the battle.

When there are clear signs indicating the main direction of the attack, that's roughly when the main attack will begin. It's virtually impossible to set traps in advance and wait for them to take the bait.

"Execute the original plan. Have each province carry out mobilization in an orderly manner according to the previous plan."

In particular, the supply of strategic materials to the kingdom must be guaranteed in the provinces in the rear, and no omissions are allowed.

The Foreign Affairs Department has sent a note to all human nations, informing them that a new Continental War has begun. We now need support—comprehensive support in terms of manpower, resources, and finances!

"By the way, a reminder to the Warhammer Kingdom and the Moxi Duchy: tell them to keep more reserves."

"That's what Caesar III said calmly."

Similar solutions were found throughout the royal Library Tower, which was almost full of valuable experience left by their ancestors.

As long-time rivals, the Alpha Kingdom has been studying Beastfolk for quite some time, and they are fairly familiar with each other.

In contrast, the other two neighbors were different. Although they had been entangled with the Beastfolk for decades, this was the first time they had encountered a full-scale war.

Lacking sufficient experience in dealing with such situations, neither their operational planning nor their mobilization system was as robust as that of the Alpha Kingdom.

As allies, the three kingdoms are now in the same trench. If the Beastfolk army were to breach any direction, it would pose a challenge to the entire defensive line.

It was not convenient for the Alpha Kingdom to interfere in the internal affairs of its allies; Caesar III could do was remind them to keep more reserves.

If a section of the defense line breaks down, it can be quickly reinforced and the gaps plugged.

"Your Majesty, the Beastfolk launched their war a month earlier than we anticipated."

The mobilization speed of various provinces was actually lagging behind. Although the first batch of reinforcements had already set off, it would take some time for them to arrive at the front lines for training and adaptation.

The Immortal Wood Romance

Fortunately, the Beastfolk's preparations were also not very thorough.

Some Beastfolk tribes in remote areas are still en route. The Beastfolk's forces are not abundant in the short term, so the pressure on the front lines shouldn't be too great.

The key issue is strategic materials, which the provinces probably haven't collected yet, and in the short term they can only consume the reserves at the front.

The frontline supplies are still sufficient to support the army for a year. Some important military fortresses have enough supplies to support the garrison for three years.

All five lines of defense that were originally in place have now been repaired to ensure that there will be no major oversights.

As for the subsequent defenses, lords in various regions are also organizing manpower to work hard to repair them.

Overall, the kingdom's preparations for war are proceeding smoothly, without any major disruptions.

The Duke Newfoundland gave a calm report.

With the outbreak of war, his workload as prime minister increased dramatically. Fortunately, his subordinates knew what was important and did not cause any trouble at this time.

In particular, the noble lords in the north, who were originally the biggest unstable elements in the kingdom, have all become active in preparing for war.

Without the kingdom issuing any orders, everyone spontaneously organized their own people to repair the fortifications in their own territories.

Years of war have turned the kingdom's northern provinces into a war machine.

Over the years, the Alpha Kingdom has built fortresses and strongholds in the Northern Frontier every year. The defensive lines being constructed have become increasingly numerous.

The lords of the northern fiefdoms were not idle either. During the off-season, besides organizing military training for the serfs, they led people to maintain and fortify castles and fortresses.

They may not care about national defense, but they are extremely concerned about the security of their own territory.

Under the pressure of survival, the subsidies issued by the kingdom, within the feudal bureaucratic system, miraculously came into effect.

The ancient feudal system shone brightest in the Alpha Kingdom.

"Snort!"

After letting out a cold shout, Caesar III couldn't help but mock, "I'm afraid it's not that the Beastfolk want to attack prematurely, but that they have no choice but to attack. With their pitiful logistical capabilities, supporting a million-strong army is simply a pipe dream."

If they don't launch an attack in advance, they'll probably start fighting amongst themselves before their army is fully assembled.

Their hasty attack is most likely because those beasts want a taste of meat and have their eyes on their comrade's corpse!

The "beast" is in front, and the "human" is behind.

As a hybrid species, Beastfolk naturally inherited the wildness of beasts.

Driven by the instinct of survival of the fittest, the internal struggles among Beastfolk have always been fierce. The winners have everything, and the losers are food.

Even though the Five Great Royal Families tried to suppress it, they couldn't change this barbaric side.

Every so often, they would lead their vassal tribes to invade the south. Whether they could achieve any results was secondary; the key was to deplete the unstable elements within the country.

In particular, some races that were exceptionally prolific were feared by the Five Great Royal Families and became major casualties in every war.

News of the outbreak of a major battle at the front lines reached the Mountain Territory, and urgent documents from the Governor's Mansion followed one after another.

Under increasing pressure, Hudson had no choice but to urge his lords to speed up the collection of supplies.

Compared to procuring supplies, the real challenge was getting them to the front lines. The Southeast Province was supposed to transport tens of thousands of tons of supplies to the front lines each month.

The sheer volume of transport tasks was clearly beyond the capacity of a single horse caravan. Each county had to organize its own teams to transport supplies.

The Governor's Mansion was responsible for coordination and supervision, but in terms of specific implementation, it was the noble lords below who were in charge.

Laite County was fortunate; Hudson exchanged a large amount of grain for ironware to complete the mission. Transporting iron was clearly simpler than transporting grain, even though both were transport missions.

One pound of iron can be exchanged for twenty-five pounds of grains. Not only are the volume and weight reduced, but there's also no need to worry about losses during transportation.

Even if something unexpected happens along the way, and the metal gets exposed to wind, sun, and rain, it will only add a layer of rust, which can be scraped off before handing in the mission.

If it were grain, several truckloads might have been scrapped due to mold.

Generally, when transporting supplies such as grain and salt, it is necessary to prepare extra for losses during transportation.

In Dadir City, looking at the mountains of supplies, Hudson took the initiative and said:

"Gentlemen, this month's supplies have been prepared and are ready. The next step is to transport them to the front lines."

I won't waste any more time on small talk. To be fair, let's all draw lots.

These wooden sticks are numbered, and the three people who draw number 1 will be responsible for carrying out the first transportation task.

The three people who draw number 2 will be responsible for the transportation tasks for the following month, and so on.

Leave everything to fate. If you're unlucky and draw a lot with a number that's already high up, just accept your bad luck!

A change is possible, but it must be done voluntarily by the person involved. Any underhanded methods are not permitted here.

The drawing of lots will now begin. May the Lord of Dawn bless you!

This is a decision, not a discussion.

He presented the plan directly without consulting anyone's opinions. Hudson's sudden role change left many people unaccustomed to it.

Anyone with a modicum of political acumen knows that this is a preliminary test in preparation for the reorganization of the army and the issuance of orders.

Despite feeling uncomfortable, there was no way to object. The lottery system for determining the order of transporting supplies seemed fair indeed.

Rejecting this proposal would not only offend people, but more importantly, it would be difficult to come up with a better solution.

"I'll go first!"

Viscount Ciss said with a gloomy expression.

It's clear that his dissatisfaction with Hudson is growing stronger.

Such a big matter, and they didn't even inform him; it's clear they're ignoring him, the prefect.

To make matters worse, Hudson was waving the banner of fighting the Beastfolk. No matter how dissatisfied he was, he could only suppress his anger.

"Lottery number 1!"

When you're down on your luck, even drinking cold water can cause problems. Ciss never expected his luck to be so good, as he drew the worst possible lot right from the start.

It seems that everyone has to perform transportation tasks, and the order doesn't really matter. But in reality, if they rotate according to the sequence number, it's a full three years in a month.

The occupation of Northern Frontier was indeed protracted, but most of the time it only lasted two or three years. If it dragged on for three or four years with intermittent fighting, that was considered quite resilient.

If they're lucky, the war will end within two years. Nobles with lower serial numbers won't even have to undertake a single transport mission.

If you're unlucky and the game goes on for exactly three years, then the person who signed number 1 will win the jackpot and will have to undertake two transport missions.

In front of everyone, Viscount Ciss was too embarrassed to go back on his word and could only grit his teeth and accept his bad luck.

"Hudson, it's your turn!"

Looking at the bucket of divination sticks that Ciss reluctantly handed over, Hudson smiled slightly and said:

"Viscount Ciss, you're too kind. Drawing lots was my suggestion, and to be fair, everyone should draw first. The last one left is mine!"

He's not a professional at putting on a show, but he's seen it all before.

Since it's all about luck anyway, there's no need to rush when there's an opportunity to show good manners.

Rather than being the first to take the risk and gambling on your luck, it's better to stay put and hope that there are enough unlucky people in the crowd who will draw the wooden stick with the previous number.

It's not that Hudson looks down on people, it's just that none of the poor nobles in Laite County seem to have any good luck.

He also experienced a life filled with the Rebel Army, infighting among nobles, locust plagues, and a full-scale invasion by Beastfolk. His life experiences in just two or three years were richer than most people's entire lives.

It's a miracle that someone with such incredible luck has survived this long.

If there were any other options, Hudson wouldn't want to hang out with this bunch of unlucky teammates.

Viscount Ciss is a prime example of what not to do. He had absolutely no idea how bad his luck was.

It's no surprise that he was the first to jump out and draw lots, and won the grand prize.