Unending Setbacks

The arrival of the uninvited Crown Prince suddenly enlivened the military camp, and Hudson's head began to ache.

An inspection is an inspection, but judging from Crown Prince Caesar's behavior, it's clear he intends to keep the camp here and has no plans to leave.

It can only be said that performing too well is also a sin. As the only unit in the expeditionary force that appears to have combat capability, it naturally attracts more attention from above.

With another leader watching over things, nothing becomes convenient. For example, the marching speed that was just reduced has to be restored again.

The armed march, which used to be 20 li a day, has evolved into an elite standard of 60 li a day.

Fortunately, since the kingdom ordered the mobilization six months ago, the soldiers' food rations have been improved. Their current physical condition is sufficient to handle this high-intensity march.

The arrival of the Crown Prince further boosted morale, and their performance along the way was quite commendable.

While his men were excited, Hudson was far from happy. The arrival of Crown Prince Caesar, though seemingly unaffected, had in fact weakened his control over the troops.

When the minor nobles under his command heard that the Crown Prince had arrived, they were all as excited as if it were a festival.

If it weren't for the strict hierarchy within the nobility that restrained their behavior, these guys probably wouldn't have been able to resist crowding around and trying to impress the Crown Prince.

"Commander, His Highness the Crown Prince requests your presence!"

The guard's words made Hudson frown. While others might host banquets every few days, he was receiving invitations almost daily.

The topics of discussion were varied; sometimes it was about the kingdom's situation, sometimes about the upcoming marching route and battle plans, and sometimes it was simply listening to the Crown Prince's complaints...

Most of the time, Hudson was relegated to the role of listener. It wasn't that he was deliberately hiding his abilities; it was simply that the questions Crown Prince Caesar raised were always very sensitive.

As the Crown Prince, he is already among the most powerful and influential figures on the mainland, so it doesn't matter what situation he comments on or what radical views he expresses.

But Hudson couldn't. His status and position dictated that he couldn't get too involved in sensitive issues, much less easily express his stance.

Hudson could only deal with the attempts to win over Crown Prince Caesar. Although he was the King's only legitimate son, he was ultimately not the King.

Even if he were to become King, Hudson wouldn't easily submit to him. Caesar III's strength stemmed from his political acumen, magnanimity, and ability to command respect.

A powerful father doesn't necessarily mean a powerful son. Most of the time, if a son has a domineering father, he's likely to be spoiled and ruined.

It's too early to tell whether Crown Prince Caesar has been spoiled, but his desire to achieve great things and surpass his father is evident.

A Crown Prince aspires to great things is destined to be disliked by the nobles. Having been suppressed by Caesar III for so long, no one wants to remain suppressed indefinitely.

When Crown Prince Caesar ascends to the throne, a backlash and struggle for political dominance is inevitable.

Hudson didn't want to get involved in this level of strategic maneuvering. If he chose the wrong side, his future would be miserable.

"Okay, I'll be right there."

Ultimately, it was the Crown Prince who invited him. After saying this, Hudson put down what he was doing and walked out of his tent.

"Your Highness, the difficulties faced by the various reinforcements are different. Without a thorough understanding, it is difficult to find the key to the problem."

Getting them to catch up will likely be difficult. It would be better to let each province conduct its own investigation, identify the problems, and resolve the slowdown as soon as possible.

It was another day of discussion revolving around the issue of his colleagues' slow pace. The tactful Hudson, of course, wouldn't say anything that would spoil the mood.

Asking each province to conduct its own investigation is clearly just for show. If it could truly solve the problem, things wouldn't have dragged on like this.

As for the Crown Prince's request to have reinforcements arrive as soon as possible, unless the Laite County Legion slows down and waits.

Otherwise, if they run at the current speed of sixty miles a day, unless the people behind them can fly, it will be impossible for them to catch up.

"Why!"

"The situation is difficult, why can't those guys consider the bigger picture?"

If everyone were as loyal and diligent as Hudson, why would the Beastfolk be unhappy?

..."

Hudson simply ignored the Crown Prince's indignant complaints. He wouldn't do something that would offend people unnecessarily.

In fact, judging from the publicly available information from the authorities, the performance of colleagues from all walks of life has been quite good.

All the reinforcements have already set off. Even the slowest marching troops are still covering forty li a day.

For a hastily assembled team to achieve this speed, it was clearly a sign of respect for Caesar, the crown prince.

For the Laite County Legion to march sixty miles a day was already a display of the kingdom's elite troops.

Of course, armies composed solely of cultivators do not count.

Those guys are equipped with a standard range of at least 80 li (approximately 40 kilometers) per day. If it weren't for logistical constraints, they could easily travel 100 li (approximately 50 kilometers) a day.

Perhaps sensing that Crown Prince Caesar's behavior was somewhat out of line, Count Jose changed the subject, saying:

"Your Highness, the special envoy from the Moxi Duchy will be joining us soon, what do you think?"

Upon hearing "the Moxi Duchy," Crown Prince Caesar, who had been complaining, instantly perked up.

"Now that it's wartime, the reception should be kept simple. I don't think the envoy from the Moxi Duchy will mind these details."

We don't know enough about the situation on the front lines in the Moxi Duchy. If we rush into battle, we will suffer a great loss.

It would be best to rest and recuperate in the Moxi Duchy for a while, and then take the next step after the reinforcements from various countries have gathered.

These things need to be explained to them clearly first. Otherwise, unnecessary misunderstandings could arise, which would be detrimental to diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Caesar's words gave Hudson a glimmer of hope.

Just by looking at this skill in "manipulating" the situation, you can tell that the Crown Prince in front of you is politically astute.

Even with aspirations to achieve great things, they haven't forgotten their place. As reinforcements, they're there to help, not to take the fall.

Helping with wars within one's capabilities is a given. But for matters beyond one's ability, one must decline.

By bringing the topic up beforehand, we can give the Moxi Duchy a heads-up and avoid any misallocation of tasks that could lead to unpleasantness for everyone.

After the initial elation, the deteriorating situation at the front quickly brought Chris IX back to reality in the Moxi Duchy.

In addition to the original Eaglemen Imperial Court, the armies of the other four royal courts also appeared in the territory of the Moxi Duchy, and the combined orc army exceeded 600,000.

The most direct reaction to the immense military pressure was the constant stream of urgent messages from the front lines.

The counter-offensive plan can be put aside for now; the most important thing is to take care of the immediate situation.

When will the reinforcements arrive?

Chris IX asked with concern.

The Moxi Duchy has begun a full mobilization, and the reserves prepared in advance have now been sent to the front lines.

Even so, they could only barely hold off the enemy's advance. As time went on, the defensive pressure increased.

With the strength of the Moxi Duchy alone, there is almost no hope of stopping the Beastfolk army.

"Your Majesty, the Foreign Affairs Department has already communicated with various countries. The Alpha Kingdom's reinforcements have been the fastest to arrive, with the vanguard of 20,000 elite troops already reaching the border region."

The follow-up troops are also en route, but their marching speed is slower.

The Foreign Affairs Department is actively lobbying Crown Prince Caesar.

If all goes well, we will receive our first reinforcements in ten days.

Renato replied, looking somewhat embarrassed.

The Foreign Affairs Department has really done its best, but it will still take time for reinforcements to arrive.

Plans never keep up with changes. We originally thought the Alpha Kingdom would send reinforcements from nearby, but they actually drew troops from the rear.

Although they didn't say anything, the Alpha Kingdom had already shown its lack of confidence in them through their actions.

Especially in the border areas, the constantly rising defensive fortifications clearly indicate preparations for the fall of the Moxi Duchy.

Knowing this is one thing, but Renato absolutely cannot reveal it, otherwise the people in the country will be thrown into chaos.

Not only was Alpha Kingdom's performance disappointing, but the performance of its neighbors was also unsatisfactory.

Reinforcements were indeed sent, but their quality was questionable.

According to intelligence gathered by the Foreign Affairs Department, of all the known reinforcements, only the "Laite County Legion" can be considered an elite force.

Adhering to the principle of only reporting good news and not bad, Renato could only mention the positive aspects.

The remaining troubles can be reported to the King privately; there's no need to make it known to the whole world.

"Send someone again to urge the nobles who come to the rescue to give a great reward to anyone who makes a great contribution in the defense of the Moxi Duchy."

Gold and silver jewels, fine clothes and sumptuous food, beautiful women and noble titles—everything imaginable is available, even fiefdoms!

Chris IX said with a hardened heart.

Nobles are pragmatic; it's impossible to get them to risk their lives without offering some benefits.

These practices were modeled after the Alpha Kingdom, where a large number of foreign nobles would receive rewards among the reinforcements from various countries after each major war.

Occasionally, foreign nobles would also settle in the Alpha Kingdom and establish their own branch.

But all of that is in the past. A country that is frequently attacked is not so attractive to nobles.

Especially the fiefdoms, which are mostly on the front lines. To defend their own fiefdoms, they have to fight the Beastfolk to the death.

Most of the nobles who received fiefdoms fell on the battlefield under wave after wave of Beastfolk armies.

With many failed cases, the nobles of various countries, having learned their lesson, gradually gave up the idea of establishing branches in the Alpha Kingdom.

The land that had once been granted as a reward eventually returned to the Alpha Kingdom after several changes of ownership.

With ready-made examples available, Chris IX naturally wanted to follow suit. Although the success rate of conning people was low, there was no harm in giving it a try.

In any case, as the war has progressed, a considerable amount of unclaimed land has emerged in the Moxi Duchy. If the fighting continues like this, there will only be more unclaimed land.

Fulfilling the promises of fiefdoms after the war was no problem at all. It was the gold, silver, and jewels that were truly difficult to redeem.

Joseph II was furious as the Beastfolk Warhammer Kingdom continued to probe his borders.

They had agreed to join forces for a counterattack, but just as they were preparing for the operation, the Moxi Duchy dropped the ball and insisted on waiting for reinforcements from other countries to arrive.

The neighboring country's reinforcements did not arrive, but the Beastfolk's reinforcements arrived first.

Although the Beastfolk's forces were far from sufficient for the war of annihilation, it still put immense pressure on the Warhammer Kingdom.

In order not to provoke the Beastfolk, Joseph II even ordered the troops at the front to refrain from taking the initiative to provoke them.

From a military perspective, this is a very ridiculous order.

The two countries have been at war for almost half a year, and the word "provocation" is still being used, which is truly laughable.

But there was no way around it; the Warhammer Kingdom was no match for the Beastfolk army. If they angered the Beastfolk, they risked annihilation.

"The Human Alliance Conference is about to begin. Does the Foreign Affairs Department have any strategies to persuade the various human nations to send troops to reinforce us as soon as possible?"

Joseph II asked expectantly.

Judging from the efficiency with which several neighboring countries rescued the Moxi Duchy, it's clear that getting the entire Human Alliance to mobilize will definitely take a considerable amount of time.

Historically, alliance meetings have lasted anywhere from one or two months to three to five years of wrangling.

Fortunately, we are ruling the world now. If we had played like this when we were conquering the world, the human race would probably have been wiped out long ago.

If they can drag out a meeting this long, then you can forget about their efficiency in actually carrying it out.

The alliance has achieved the highest efficiency in the past when Alpha Kingdom sought help, reaching an agreement within six months and sending reinforcements within a year.

In most cases, it would take more than two years for reinforcements from various countries to arrive.

While the long distance certainly plays a role, the more significant factor is the complex web of vested interests involved, making it difficult to resolve.

"Your Majesty, the Foreign Affairs Department has coordinated relations among eleven nations, and we will jointly propose a motion at the alliance meeting."

The Alpha Kingdom stated that they were very confident in persuading the Frankish Kingdom to support the proposal, but the problem was that the Church might interfere.

We have reached an agreement with eleven countries with shared interests to form a public relations team to garner support from as many countries as possible.

Cassidy said, exhausted.

These days, the Foreign Affairs Department is definitely the busiest department in the Warhammer Kingdom.

To persuade the Human Alliance to send troops, the entire Foreign Affairs Department has put in their utmost effort.

The joint proposal from eleven countries sounds good, in a way.

Apart from the Alpha Kingdom, the Warhammer Kingdom, and the Moxi Duchy, whose words carried some weight, the rest of the smaller nations were just echoing each other's opinions.

There's nothing wrong with having people cheering and encouraging others, but unfortunately, those who were persuaded were all the neighboring countries of the Three Kingdoms.

The main reason people were willing to get involved was because they were worried that if something went wrong in the Three Kingdoms, the flames of war would spread to their own country.

"It's the Church again! Can't they do anything right?"

Joseph II couldn't help but complain.

Of all the competent King, none liked the Church.

Several hundred years ago, everyone worked together to force the Church back to its homeland, and no one wanted to return to the era of white terror that had lasted for hundreds of years.

Perhaps feeling that his complaints weren't enough to vent his anger, Joseph II added, "If the Church dares to cause trouble on the issue of sending troops, then support the Franks proposal and humiliate the Church!"