Bad Luck
When news of the dispatch of troops to reinforce the Moxi Duchy spread, the provinces involved were instantly thrown into an uproar.
From a broader perspective, everyone supports sending troops. However, when the task of sending troops falls on their own shoulders, it's a different story.
Nobles are pragmatic; they must weigh the risks and rewards before taking any action. This mission is clearly a classic example of high risk and low reward.
Cross-border operations in unfamiliar territory present a challenge for both aristocratic officers and rank-and-file soldiers.
In case of unforeseen circumstances and the need to coordinate reinforcements, the party to deal with is the Moxi Duchy.
The fact that reinforcements failed to arrive at the Augsburg defense line, such a crucial strategic location, in such a timely manner is enough to demonstrate the level of internal coordination and mobilization capabilities of the Moxi Duchy.
In the event of a sudden change on the battlefield, allies are unlikely to be reliable, and the risks of trying to resolve the situation on one's own are self-evident.
High risk, yet no high reward. Fighting for someone else, the assessment of military merit is also a major problem.
Don't be fooled by the nice-sounding rhetoric now; the statistics for military achievements are the same as in China. If someone truly made a contribution, their performance will inevitably be significantly diminished during the final evaluation.
The only thing that remains the same is the military merit gained from killing the enemy; the strategic significance and value increase brought by the campaign are basically negligible.
In military merit assessments, these strategic values account for a significant proportion. A single strategic victory requires the slaying of countless enemies to equal its merit.
Despite the numerous drawbacks, it's not entirely without advantages. As guest troops, they don't need to fight to the death with the Moxi Duchy; if they can't win, they can seize the opportunity to make a "strategic retreat."
The prerequisite is that you have to be able to slip away.
This not only tests reaction speed, but also depends on who the enemy is. At the very least, escaping from the Eaglemen Imperial Court's army would be extremely difficult.
When no one wants to do a job, it means trouble is coming.
The kingdom assigned the task, Count Pierce encountered this problem. He tried everything, but still no one volunteered.
Forcibly assigning tasks is out of the question. Everyone present is a powerhouse; if we're talking about pushovers, then Viscount Ciss.
Even the softest persimmon has a powerful father behind it. As important ministers of the kingdom, even if you don't give them face, you can't go too far.
Most importantly, Viscount Ciss had no one under his command. Apart from his few hundred elite troops and a group of serf soldiers, he had no way to command the nobles in the county.
The task was assigned to him, but he couldn't carry it out. Forcing an army to deal with it wouldn't be acceptable to the kingdom.
It would be unreasonable to fail to complete the task if the military forces of only one prefecture were drawn from the province, without the entire Southeast Province being involved.
Of course, if the Southeast Province were to bear the entire burden, Count Pierce himself would be the first to protest.
When it comes to matters of vital interest, being unrealistic is unacceptable. This kind of rescue mission is not a mandatory obligation for noble lords, so it's normal for them to have some emotional outbursts.
After scanning the entire room, Governor Pierce said to the crowd with a gloomy expression, "Since no one is willing to volunteer, let's leave this to the Lord of Dawn to decide."
Guards, prepare fifteen wooden slips; carve words on one of them.
It's understandable that they're in a bad mood. There were fifteen county magistrates present, and quite a few of them were from the Dalton Family.
The chances of this unfortunate task falling to them are quite high, as it is decided by lottery.
However, if fairness cannot be achieved in such matters, any forced allocation to someone will be met with strong opposition.
We can't force people to go to war by force, can we?
Such a violation of the rules, once committed, is bound to provoke a strong backlash from the minor nobles within the province.
Nobody wants to be the next unlucky one. If the minor and middle-ranking nobles in the province all rebel, not only will no one be able to carry out the mission, but it might also ignite internal strife first.
A Governor who has reached that level should be kicked out as soon as possible; staying would only bring disaster to the country and its people.
The addition of a lottery element completely changes the nature of the game. Everyone has an equal chance, a one-in-fifteen probability; if everyone manages to draw a lot, they're just unlucky.
The guards were swift, bringing in a bamboo tube containing fifteen wooden skewers in no time. Seeing this, Hudson strongly suspected that Governor Pierce had prepared this beforehand.
He'd already used similar tactics before. The only difference was that Hudson could pull off underhanded maneuvers, which were only effective against easily manipulated minor nobles within the county.
The people sitting around this large table are all formidable figures. Even if it were a lottery, no one would easily believe that Governor Pierce would be fair and impartial.
"Here are fifteen wooden slips. Fifteen prefects will draw slips representing their respective prefectures, with each person drawing one slip."
Whoever draws the wooden slip with the inscription will lead the army of their county to participate in this rescue mission.
We will continue to discuss the specific details after the county responsible for sending troops is determined.
To avoid any appearance of impropriety, members of the Dalton Family are requested to stand back and draw lots after everyone else has finished.
The wooden slips are all here. After the draws are completed, anyone with questions can check them in front of everyone. Now, I invite all the prefects to come forward and draw their slips.
After hearing Governor Pierce's words, Hudson realized he was being subtly insulted. The repeated emphasis on "the sheriff" was practically a warning not to come.
Everyone else is a representative, but he's the only one who didn't participate in the lottery. It's blatant discrimination!
In an instant, Hudson realized something was wrong. This wasn't just discrimination; it was clearly an attempt to exclude him, the lucky knight.
Even if luck doesn't work, you can cheat. Since all the wooden skewer is exactly the same, there will be a slight weight difference between the engraved and unengraved skewer.
With Beldens, who plays with gravity, avoiding the unusual wooden sticks is a piece of cake.
It would be fine if he didn't participate, but the key point is that the unlucky knight, who is the counterpart to this lucky knight, also happens to be in Laite County.
Watching Viscount Ciss step forward to draw lots, Hudson immediately closed his eyes. That guy was usually fine, but his luck always seemed to run out at crucial moments.
A review of his tragic fate will make it clear. Both were sons of dukes, but Ciss was an illegitimate child, losing the very first wave of misfortune at the moment of his birth.
Hudson wasn't entirely sure how things were going in the North. Anyway, when he arrived in the Southeast Province, he happened to run into this time traveler again when he had to choose between two counties.
Even setting up a trade center for an event can lead to tragic incidents like noble brawls and people being beaten to death.
Even when he was on a previous mission to transport supplies, he always managed to draw the worst possible lot when more than a hundred nobles were drawn.
This kind of bad luck, comparable to being possessed by the god of misfortune, made it difficult for Hudson to have any confidence in him.
"Please place your wooden slips on the table so that everyone can witness this. If the prefect who drew the slip with the inscription has any doubts, he may come up and inspect it now."
Governor Pierce said with a smile.
His expression revealed that this unfortunate task had not fallen to the Dalton Family.
Such blatant joy is not something a mature politician should exhibit, unless they simply cannot contain themselves.
Watching Viscount Ciss pick up the wooden skewers and examine them one by one, Hudson inwardly exclaimed: Holy crap!
Although I had a bad feeling beforehand, it was far too accurate. There was a one in fifteen chance, and I still managed to run into it. I don't know what to say.
Hudson glared fiercely at Viscount Ciss before turning his head away. The Governor had ordered an inspection, and he had actually gone forward to check.
I don't know if they were just stunned by their bad luck or if they've lost their mind. Even if there was some behind-the-scenes manipulation, they can only grit their teeth and accept it.
After all, he drew the lot himself. Even if someone marked it, Viscount Ciss wouldn't have drawn it if he hadn't been so unlucky.
One lottery not only saved their own family from the mission, but also ruined the spy that the Northern Nobles had planted behind the Dalton Family.
Given Viscount Ciss's current luck, the chances of him surviving the battlefield are indeed slim.
Without doing anything, they were able to remove the nail and leave Grand Duke Cavadia speechless—a truly multifaceted achievement.
"Since Viscount Ciss has not discovered any problems, the task of supporting the Moxi Duchy will be carried out by Laite County."
If anyone has any further comments, please feel free to voice them now.
Governor Pierce readily agreed.
It was as if they were genuinely seeking everyone's opinions.
Upon seeing this, Hudson decisively spoke up, "Governor Excellency, as everyone knows, Viscount Ciss is frail and sickly and lacks the ability to lead troops."
To better accomplish the mission, I propose Laite County a more capable nobleman be appointed to lead the county's army in this operation.
As soon as the words were spoken, everyone's eyes were drawn to Viscount Ciss. His imposing figure did not resemble that of a frail and sickly person at all.
Even though everyone knew Hudson was lying through his teeth, they all nodded in agreement, as if Viscount Ciss really was frail and sickly and incapable of leading troops.
One's position is determined by one's own status. Being a fellow native aristocrat means that on this issue, everyone must support "their own people".
Viscount Ciss gritted his teeth in fury at the sight before him. In all his years, he had never suffered such humiliation.
Even if the goal was to seize military power, at least find a suitable excuse. Directly slandering him as weak and sickly and incapable of leading troops is clearly a distortion of the truth.
"Shut up! Hudson, you, you, you..."
The words were on the tip of his tongue, Ciss suddenly found himself unable to speak. Arguing on someone else's turf, he, as an outsider, was destined to lose from the start.
Even if he wins the argument, it won't matter. He's been a figurehead prefect for a long time now.
Even when the task was assigned to him, he couldn't get it implemented. In the end, he had to relinquish control.
The most crucial point is that he might fall out with everyone here, and for the sake of everyone's reputation, he might actually become "frail and sickly".
In the Aslant Continent, there are countless secret techniques for assassinating people. Ciss doesn't believe that the group of people present who twist the truth can have much moral integrity.
"Viscount Ciss, there's no need to get agitated. We understand what you mean."
Rest assured, everything is done with the greater good of the kingdom in mind.
It is rare to find such a noble and virtuous Viscount Ciss. Therefore, Hudson will serve as the legion commander for this expeditionary force supporting the Moxi Duchy, and will be responsible for leading the expedition.
According to the kingdom's regulations, the number of troops that my Southeast Province can send this time must not be less than 15,000.
Hudson, is there no problem?
Governor Pierce's words left Ciss utterly speechless. Struggling was pointless; even if he won, he couldn't muster an army of fifteen thousand.
"Governor Excellency, it is not difficult to assemble an army according to the kingdom's regulations. However, the military obligations transferred from my Coslo Family must also be included in this.
During the army's campaign, the kingdom's conscription tasks can no longer involve Laite County.
Given the practicalities, all the noble lords have led their troops into battle, leaving no one to oversee the overall situation. Now, even the monthly supply transport tasks need to be handled by someone arranged by the Governor's Mansion.
Adjustments to the supply of materials to the front lines will need to be discussed after our return. Until then, the obligations of Laite County can only be reduced, not increased.
During the army's expedition, the safety of the county also needs everyone's attention, so as not to give Heretical Cult organizations an opportunity to take advantage.
Regarding specific matters concerning the county, it would be best to wait until we return so that we can sit down and discuss them at our leisure.
Hudson bluntly laid out his conditions. Although the unfortunate assignment had been revoked by Viscount Ciss, they couldn't just go on this campaign without any explanation.
Essentially, Laite County is still representing the Southeast Province in this campaign. They still need to fight for some essential rights.
"Hudson, rest assured. This is all as it should be."
During the army's campaign, the Governor's Mansion would not stand idly by and ignore any trouble that Laite County encountered.
Everyone present can supervise; if the Governor's Mansion does anything wrong, you can all impeach it to the Royal Capital.
Count Pierce assured him with a smile.
Helping to stabilize the rear is essential. If this cannot be done, how can we expect the noble lords to feel at ease leading their troops into battle?
Anyone who dares to cause trouble while the army is on campaign will face the kingdom's most severe punishment. Even the highest nobles dare not break the law.
In such matters, once the punishment is handed down, the charges will be: colluding with Beastfolk, betraying the human race, and intending to wreak havoc on the rear of the kingdom.
Not only can't they survive in the Alpha Kingdom, they can't survive in the entire human world either.
It's not that the kingdom is making a mountain out of a molehill; it's something that happened in history and once caused the Alpha Kingdom heavy losses.
Afterwards, everyone learned a lesson.
It's hard to determine whether or not they accepted bribes from the Beastfolk, so let's just make a clean sweep and label all those who cause trouble as traitors to the human race.
Bearing this charge, he was immediately subjected to the Human Alliance's manhunt. In every human kingdom, he was treated as a top wanted criminal.
The strict, almost obsessive, punishments established rules for the kingdom's nobles, allowing them to lead their troops into battle with peace of mind.
Big shots have large families and businesses, so they are reluctant to break the law, but it's hard to say whether the lower-level people responsible for carrying it out will Fishing in troubled waters.
Hudson's raising of this point might seem like making a mountain out of a molehill, but it's actually a way to get everyone's attention. If a high-ranking official shows even a little interest, the staff below will behave exceptionally well.
Watching helplessly as Hudson finalized the decision with a few words, the ignored Viscount Ciss said angrily:
"Since you don't need me, you can handle everything yourself. My presence here as governor is just an eyesore, so I might as well suggest to the kingdom that I be dismissed!"
It seemed like he was acting out of spite, but in reality, he was forced into it. He was about to embark on a campaign against the Moxi Duchy, and Ciss didn't want to die young.
Despite holding the title of county governor, he not only lacked command authority over the army, but also had to accept Hudson's command.
Blocking someone's path and then fighting under their command—that would be a real problem if something unexpected happened on the battlefield.
In the past, Viscount Ciss didn't need to worry because he had a Grand Duke father, and no one dared to lay a hand on him.
But the situation is different now. Since the outbreak of the war, the Northern Nobles have received a large amount of supplies from the Southern Aristocrats.
Having accepted bribes, the Northern Nobles couldn't muster any backbone when faced with the logistical support provided by the "nannies" who supplied them with money, food, and supplies.
The fact that the nobles of the Southeast Province dared to treat him this way clearly showed that the power of his Grand Duke father was no longer enough to keep them in line.
If he didn't take advantage of his father's remaining influence to find a way to step down from the hot potato of a prefectural governor position, he might end up dying on the battlefield at any time.
Governor Pierce glared at Viscount Ciss and replied irritably, "Fine, very well!"
Since Viscount Ciss feels his abilities are limited and he is unfit for the position of governor, he should submit his resignation!
It's true that they want to drive out the Northern Nobles, but according to Count Pierce's plan, now is not the time.
With Viscount Ciss stepping down, Hudson will inevitably take his place. For the Dalton Family, the best option is for the two to continue their infighting and undermining each other.
If it weren't for the outbreak of war, there would have been no time to instigate internal strife. Pierce would have already been fanning the flames between the two, keeping them fighting indefinitely.
As for Viscount Ciss's resignation, it was impossible to approve it. For his own benefit, Count Pierce would not allow the resignation to appear before the King.
From the Dalton Family's perspective, the best outcome for Ciss would be to die on the battlefield.
Then they could take advantage of the situation and fan the flames from behind, so that the Coslo Family and Grand Duke Cavadia would become blood enemies.
It all came down to interests. Hudson's rise was too rapid, which aroused the Dalton Family's suspicion.
Due to the pressure of war, Count Pierce couldn't do much. However, secretly guiding the situation and then igniting it after the war to create a few enemies for Hudson was still feasible.
Doing favors on one hand, stabbing in the back on the other—this is all too common in the world of the aristocracy.
Hudson, sensing a conspiracy, shook his head inwardly.
Anything, once over-calculated, will inevitably backfire.
His public resignation, seemingly a fit of pique, was also a political signal from the Ciss to seek peace, as they sensed danger.
He foolishly drew an unlucky lot, causing all the nobles in the county to be sent on a perilous mission. Even if no one says it aloud, everyone will definitely hold a grudge against Ciss.
Having offended so many people at once, it would be extremely dangerous on the battlefield.