Encountering the Enemy

The decision to send troops was made, but it was still delayed for three days.

It wasn't that Hudson was deliberately delaying; the main problem was that the army of the Moxi Duchy, who was traveling with him, was not ready.

Judging by the efficiency, it has nothing to do with speed in warfare.

Fighting in a foreign land without the support of the home army is very difficult to carry out.

The Moxi people weren't in a hurry, so Hudson naturally wouldn't worry about them.

After this incident, he finally understood why the Augsburg defenses had fallen so quickly.

It wasn't that the officers and soldiers on the front lines were incompetent; it was purely the sluggish bureaucratic system that ruined everything.

Judging from their reaction speed, it's clear that the bureaucrats of the Moxi Duchy still have a limited understanding of civil wars among human nations.

The problem is that Beastfolk never have any sense of martial ethics; they never give them time to prepare before slowly launching their attack.

Bathed in the morning light, the army finally embarked on its journey.

All the high-ranking officials of the Moxi Duchy personally came to see him off, and their etiquette was impeccable.

Crown Prince Caesar also appeared in the group, and compared to the unpleasant parting a few days ago, his mental state has now improved.

Judging from his radiant expression, Hudson knew he had been having a great time these past few days.

Of course, Hudson was also very happy. Before the army set off, the Moxi people also presented them with a generous gift.

From this perspective, there's nothing wrong with bureaucrats. At least they're adept at navigating interpersonal relationships.

He was obliged to accept bribes, Hudson was very cooperative during the march.

The army of the Moxi Duchy marched as many miles Laite County Legion, never slacking off or wasting time.

At the Beastfolk camp, a large army had gathered, with banners fluttering in the air, creating a spectacular scene.

With more people comes more problems. An empire jointly ruled by Five Great Royal Families has never been associated with unity.

When dealing with humans, the Five Great Royal Families are allies. In ordinary times, however, they are competitors.

Only under the threat of the human race, the dominant power on the continent, were the Five Great Royal Families of the Beastfolk able to sit down and discuss the issue.

If there is no external threat, they can take action on their own.

The end of the Beastfolk' dominance over the continent was partly due to the efforts of the humans, and partly due to their internal strife.

The Five Great Royal Families have been arguing for a month over the choice of their main attack strategy, and the matter remains deadlocked.

The Lion Tribe and Silvermoon Wolf Tribe advocated continuing the attack on the Moxi Duchy, Behemoth Tribe and Eagle Tribe proposed changing direction to attack the Warhammer Kingdom, and the Bear Tribe said that both sides were acceptable.

Both sides had their own reasons, and neither could convince the other.

As the army continued to gather, and the direction of the attack was still uncertain, the Five Great Royal Families began to get anxious.

"We can't delay any longer!"

According to the intelligence we have gathered, reinforcements from the Alpha Kingdom have entered the Moxi Duchy and are about to arrive at the front lines.

Reinforcements from other human nations are also gradually departing. Within the next month, the Moxi Duchy will receive reinforcements from at least five other countries.

The Human Alliance meeting is imminent. If we don't quickly achieve a breakthrough on the battlefield and attract other races across the continent to join this war, we'll be driven back in disgrace once again!

"The Eagle Emperor said coldly."

Beastfolk believe in the supremacy of the strong.

He achieved a breakthrough in the Moxi Duchy, securing his greatest victory since the start of the war, which undoubtedly greatly enhanced his influence.

Seeing the hard-won strategic advantage disappear amidst the arguments, the Eagle Emperor's temper flared up.

"Eagle Emperor, there's no need to worry. We all know how inefficient the Human Alliance meeting is; it won't be a result for at least a year or two."

Without the full intervention of the Human Alliance, the few human nations in the North are no match for us.

Don't be fooled by the fact that various countries are sending reinforcements to the Moxi Duchy; they are actually a bunch of scoundrels.

Just look at the reaction of the Alpha Kingdom; they themselves don't believe their ally can withstand our military might.

While it appears that reinforcements were dispatched immediately, a significant amount of energy was still focused on building a new defensive line.

Countless past wars have proven that it is unrealistic to dethrone humanity from its position as the dominant force on the continent in one fell swoop; the best approach is to gradually erode their territory.

The Moxi Duchy is flat and easy to take, but it is also easy for the humans to reclaim it.

Located between the Alpha Kingdom and the Warhammer Kingdom, this strategic location is one that the human race will not tolerate losing.

In contrast, the neighboring Warhammer Kingdom is quite different.

To the north lies Ice and Snow World, inhabited only by a few declining races, posing no real threat.

There are only a few small human kingdoms to the west. I reckon the elves will take them down before we even get there.

After conquering the Warhammer Kingdom, the flat and open Moxi Duchy remains ours for the taking.

At that time, we can simply wait and see how the situation on the continent changes before making our next decision, while engaging the human race in the Moxi Duchy.

If other races join us, we will continue the war; if the situation deteriorates, we will abandon the Moxi Duchy and hold onto the territory of the Warhammer Kingdom.

After we've digested the spoils of war, we'll continue our reckoning with the human race in the next great battle.

Crown Prince Alex calmly analyzed.

In the last great war, the Orc Empire captured some of the northern provinces of the Alpha Kingdom, and everyone benefited from the war.

After so many years of development, the true strength of the Orc Empire has increased by 10-20% compared to before the last great war.

This number may seem small, but for a race struggling to survive in the cracks, any increase in strength is of great significance.

Realizing the benefits of gradual encroachment, the Behemoth Clan's mindset changed. They no longer pursued the complete annihilation of humanity in a single war for hegemony, but instead embraced a strategy of gradual encroachment.

"Alex, you're thinking too highly of yourself. Humans aren't stupid; do you think they'll just stand by and watch us encroach on their territory?"

The last time was an accident, but such accidents will definitely not happen often.

If we take over Warhammer Kingdom, the Human Alliance will definitely launch a counterattack at all costs.

I'm afraid that not only will we lose the Warhammer Kingdom, but we'll also lose a lot of the land we currently occupy.

To protect our spoils, we must severely damage the human race, leaving them no time to attend to us.

The immediate priority is to destroy the Moxi Duchy as soon as possible, sweep away the bunch of smaller countries behind them, and then turn around and destroy the Alpha Kingdom and the Warhammer Kingdom.

If we are fast enough, it is entirely possible to complete most of the strategy before the human reinforcements arrive.

Moreover, the human race has enemies all over the continent. Even if there is a major change in the north, the various races will not be idle.

"The entire continent will be in chaos, and the Human Alliance might not even have the resources to send reinforcements!"

"Silver Moon Wolf Emperor retorted."

As a radical among the Beastfolk, he had no intention of giving up halfway.

Having finally gained the strategic initiative, if we don't ruthlessly crush the human race, who knows when the next opportunity will come.

In his view, the Eagle Emperor's nature was to act in secret. He was used to using underhanded tactics and dared not confront the human race head-on.

Alex's choice was even simpler. The last great war had been carried out Behemoth Emperor's plan of gradual encroachment.

As the crown prince, if he were to overturn his own father's strategy, wouldn't that be a sign that he felt his position was too secure and wanted to seek excitement?

"Gentlemen, whatever the strategy, we have to get out there first."

In my opinion, it would be better to first break through the defenses of the Moxi Duchy and annihilate their main force.

"Once this part of the enemy is dealt with, both destroying the Moxi Duchy and turning our attention to attacking the Warhammer Kingdom will become much easier."

"That's what the Bearman Emperor said casually."

Judging from his lazy appearance, he doesn't look like a king at all; he looks more like a lazy bear.

He lacks the ability to mediate the conflict between the two sides. He also lacks the ability to devise a better strategy.

His only skill is mediating, stepping in at crucial moments to ease tensions between the two sides.

"Although the Terence Defense Line of the Moxi Duchy is not as good as the Augsburg defense line, they are now heavily fortified, and it will not be easy to take it down."

Unless we risk everything, bypass their fortresses and fortresses, and lead a large army in a surprise attack on Dapes City, forcing them to deploy their main forces for a decisive battle!

The Lion Emperor, standing to the side, sneered.

The border defenses of the Moxi Duchy also stretch for hundreds of miles. Such a long distance naturally cannot be entirely comprised of fortresses and strongholds.

In most areas, only city walls were built. Only important passes and strategic locations were fortified with strong fortresses.

As for other areas, a castle was set up only every five to ten miles.

Its defensive capabilities are only average; it can hold off small Beastfolk, but it's only a matter of time before it falls to a large army.

In theory, the Beastfolk army could break through the defenses at any time if it wanted to.

The problem is that the fortresses and strongholds on the main road that are the only way to get through have not been captured, and the supply lines could be cut off at any time.

The idea of using war to sustain war is just something to listen to. If a real war breaks out, you'll find that the spoils of war can't keep up with the costs.

Even if the Beastfolk weren't picky eaters, the consumption of an army of over 600,000 would not be easily satisfied.

Even without considering food, some essential supplies are still indispensable.

A surprise attack is based on the premise that the enemy is unprepared.

The Moxi Army along the way weren't dead; news of the Beastfolk army breaking through the pass would definitely be relayed back immediately.

A well-prepared city cannot be taken in just a few days.

When faced with life and death, nobles and officials are capable of fighting to the death. Even seemingly pot-bellied noblemen are capable of taking up arms and killing.

With its well-developed city defenses and various magical technologies, a direct assault on Dapes City would come at a considerable cost.

The idea of a quick and decisive victory is a complete joke.

Forcing the main force of the Moxi Duchy to come out of the fortress for a decisive battle is entirely a gamble.

It's not just about betting that the duchy's leadership will make the wrong decisions, but also that the noble generals on the front lines are all obedient children who will follow the duchy's orders completely.

With no one to hold him back, Hudson felt completely relaxed as he led his army across the lands of the Moxi Duchy.

Unfortunately, a bunch of tagalongs followed him.

Now he finally understood why Chancellor Herczeg had tried to curry favor with him; it turned out that the one leading the Moxi Army this time was his son.

Judging from the performance of the Moxi Army, it is clear that this is yet another hastily assembled private army of nobles.

Apart from a small number of elite soldiers, the majority are a ragtag bunch. Judging by their appearance, the training period is no more than three months.

Soldiers who hadn't even completed basic military training were sent to the battlefield.

The fact that the quality of the troops has declined to this extent is enough to prove how difficult the resistance of the Moxi Duchy is.

Defending the city alone doesn't seem like a big problem. It's simply a matter of trading lives; the three northern kingdoms are currently playing a life-or-death game with the Beastfolk.

Smart people are different; knowing the dangers on the front lines, they arranged for their children to be placed in safe areas early on.

Compared to the local army, which is responsible for defending the territory, the visiting army undoubtedly has much more freedom and can leave if it encounters danger.

Especially when following a "master" like Hudson, their survivability on the battlefield is much higher.

Leading a group of second-generation rich kids into battle, Hudson could only lament that having too much fame wasn't always a good thing.

With so many people watching, it's inconvenient to do anything. If we suffer a major defeat, resulting in the deaths of many second-generation descendants, even the visiting army would be overwhelmed.

The only advantage is that the possibility of becoming cannon fodder is greatly reduced.

With so many privileged children involved, when assigning tasks, even if they don't receive special treatment, they at least won't be given tasks with a certain death sentence.

Of course, the most important thing was that Hudson's actions implied to the Moxi people that they would not undertake a mission to their deaths.

The argument with Crown Prince Caesar was no joke. In the territory of the Moxi people, the quarrel naturally reached the ears of these nobles.

A formidable but somewhat unruly visiting team. While this frustrates everyone, it also presents a unique opportunity for some astute individuals.

Children who need special arrangements from their parents are unlikely to have exceptional personal abilities. The truly elite children have long since joined the military and are fighting to defend their country.

The remaining young men were a mixed bag; they were unfit for the battlefield, but adept at all sorts of vices like drinking, gambling, and whoring. Yet, they were bound by military service and had to go to the battlefield.

Having been relegated to the role of a nanny, Hudson became increasingly cautious. Glancing into the distance, he immediately gave the order:

"Pass down the order: half of the heavy infantry will don their armor and advance. Scouts will be sent out thirty li to gather intelligence and closely monitor any unusual movements in the surrounding area."

Better safe than sorry. While the possibility of a large Beastfolk army crossing the defenses and advancing undetected is low, it's not impossible.

If you encounter this situation, you'll suffer a great loss if you're unprepared.

No sooner had he finished speaking than a familiar voice came from behind him.

"Hudson, you are too cautious. This is the heart of the duchy, a hundred miles from the front lines. Even if we encounter Beastfolk army, it will only be a small group of miscellaneous soldiers who have accidentally wandered in."

If a large force were to break through the pass, the defending troops at the front would surely send back intelligence. With your army's strength, there's absolutely nothing to worry about!

Hudson rolled his eyes at the fat man behind him and replied irritably, "Viscount Racquel, we're going to war, not on a picnic."

Any negligence could lead to huge losses for the troops. Other actions can be sacrificed, but we must not forget that we only have one life.

"What would happen if you fell into the hands of Beastfolk? I'm sure you don't want to experience that!"

As he spoke, Hudson envisioned a scene in his mind: a fat man falling into the hands of Beastfolk, tied to a barbecue grill, and two soldiers unable to lift him no matter what they tried.

Weighing over 500 pounds, with nothing but fat everywhere you look, he would be the perfect food for Beastfolk.

"Report!"

The sound suddenly rang out, and the marching troops silently parted to make way, allowing the scouts to gallop wildly along the road.

"Reporting to the Legion Commander, traces of Beastfolk army have been discovered thirty miles ahead. The exact number is still being determined."

Hudson was nearly stunned by the bad news. That jinx, Rackel, had just said they wouldn't run into the Beastfolk army, and they'd already done it.