The Vortex of Power

After a series of screams, Hudson took the full amount of supplies, leaving only the quartermaster, who was missing an arm and a leg, groaning in pain.

The price of being short-sighted. Hudson, newly arrived, needed someone to establish his authority, and this guy delivered himself right to his doorstep. Who can he blame but himself?

The quartermaster's miserable state was, of course, deliberately arranged by Hudson. Otherwise, given Beldens' style, a single bear paw would have turned him into mincemeat.

The person isn't completely mangled, but their limbs are. Even if they are rescued, their life force will be severely depleted, and they won't have many days left to live.

To prevent the quartermaster from dying prematurely, Hudson even used magic to stop his bleeding.

Negative examples, especially those involving living people, are often more educational than those involving the dead.

Besides, when traveling, one should always give the host face. If someone is killed, everyone will lose face.

This approach was just right.

Even if word gets out, it's the quartermaster's own responsibility. Substituting inferior supplies for superior ones only warrants a beating, which seems perfectly reasonable.

Although the beating was quite severe, it's not a big deal. It's normal for the Earth Bear to misjudge its strength when it makes a move.

Humans can discuss things slowly, but that doesn't mean monsters need to be discussed too. Daring to withhold monster rations, this unknown quartermaster deserves his bad luck.

It's embarrassing to think about it now. I acted too quickly and forgot to ask the unlucky guy's name.

Hudson packed up the supplies and left, but the logistics bureaucrats were in an uproar.

I haven't seen anyone so arrogant in years. They simply don't respect their Logistics Department at all.

You won't believe it until you check, and once you do, you'll be shocked.

The "guest troops" are there to help, and they are not bound by the military law of the Moxi Duchy at all.

It's just a quartermaster getting beaten up. Such a small matter, even if it gets taken to higher authorities, will most likely be downplayed and forgotten.

Most importantly, they broke a taboo by distributing moldy grain as military rations, which was something that couldn't be discussed openly.

If things really escalate, it's hard to say whether Hudson, who has made a significant contribution, will suffer, but a whole bunch of people in the Logistics Department will definitely be the first to suffer.

Count Sanford, who was in charge of frontline logistics, now looked very worried.

Those who dare to cause trouble are clearly not to be trifled with.

The issue now isn't whether their Logistics Department will cause trouble for others, but whether Hudson will continue to escalate the situation.

Distributing moldy grain to visiting troops as military supplies would, if it were publicized, become a major diplomatic incident.

In the eyes of the Alpha Kingdom, this was a sign of disrespect towards them.

The Moxi Duchy is currently counting on reinforcements from various countries to save its life. This whole mess demands an explanation!

Although many powerful figures in the principality benefited from the military supplies, when the blame was lifted, it was he, the person in charge, who took the fall.

"Gio, is that idiot dead yet?"

Count Sanford asked irritably.

Deep down, he had cursed that bastard's entire family countless times.

It's one thing to try and profit during normal times, but you need to keep your eyes open!

Others might be concerned about the network of connections within the Logistics Department, worrying about offending the wrong people.

They're just visiting foreign troops, they don't even have a presence in the Moxi Duchy, so what's there to be afraid of?

If you want to make things difficult for someone, you have to see if they'll even listen.

If you push them too far, they might just quit on the battlefield.

They created a mess, and the Moxi Duchy has to clean it up themselves.

"Your Excellency, the poor Viscount Gio has just been rescued, and his condition is very bad."

According to the pastor, the bear had gone too far, damaging his vital energy and depleting his life force.

Unless we find a treasure that can restore life, our Viscount Gio probably doesn't have many years left to live.

Upon hearing the chief guard's words, Count Sanford slammed his hand on the table and coldly shouted:

"Snort!"

"Having committed such a monstrous act at this critical juncture, and yet this fool is still alive, is a disgrace to the duchy's nobility!"

These are all the truths; Sanford now genuinely wishes this subordinate were dead.

If Viscount Gio had died on the spot, things would have been easier to resolve.

The killing of a nobleman is also a major event. Both sides have leverage over each other, so they can simply cover it up and be done with it.

Unfortunately, Viscount Gio survived, and then everything changed.

Beating up a corrupt nobleman isn't even a crime. To shift the blame, the Alpha Kingdom would have to accept it first.

Although the two countries need each other now, the Alpha Kingdom is clearly in a stronger position and has more say.

Count Sanford had considered killing him to silence him, but he dared not carry it out.

Assassinating nobles is a highly taboo matter.

Too many people knew that Viscount Gio was still alive, and silencing them all would have had a huge impact.

Once the news leaks out, he'll be finished too; no matter how powerful his backing is, it won't protect him.

Upon seeing this, the head guard immediately realized that things were in serious trouble.

In the past, when Logistics Department officials clashed with front-line officers over the distribution of military supplies, the Count Sanford always sided with his own people.

He had never been this panicked, not even when facing high-ranking frontline officers. This outburst of rage clearly indicated that something serious had happened.

Realizing this, the captain of the guard immediately offered a moment of silence on behalf of Viscount Gio.

Just when they were about to make a big profit, they ran into the toughest obstacle.

Not only is revenge hopeless, but even the possibility of living out the rest of his life in peace is uncertain.

In an instant, he made a decision to sever ties with the soon-to-be-finished Viscount Gio.

It's a pity that the generous gift I just received has to be returned before I even had a chance to open it and see what it was.

"Your Excellency, now that the deed is done, there's no point in assigning blame."

The key issue lies with the Count Hudson. If we can silence him, this whole affair can be treated as if nothing ever happened.

The trouble was caused by Viscount Gio, so naturally he should be responsible for cleaning up the mess.

If he can't handle this, we'll use our connections to ask Viscount Racquel and his men to mediate.

It wasn't a sudden pang of conscience; the main issue was that once a gift was accepted, the obligation to perform a service was imposed, which was a matter of principle.

Even if it doesn't work out and the gift is returned in the end, it's still worth a try.

Viscount Gio could bribe him, the head of the guard, he could also bribe others.

There are never any secrets in the Logistics Department. If Viscount Gio finds out that he didn't do his job, he might just blurt it out and expose him too, which would be a huge problem.

Anyway, he's already given the idea, and whether Viscount Gio can seize the opportunity is none of his business.

In the command camp, Marshal Hodge was working late into the night.

As a frontline commander, it's common to have endless tasks to handle every day.

After reviewing the last document, Marshal Hodge slowly raised his head and asked his adjutant beside him:

"I heard that the rising Count Hudson has clashed with the Logistics Department. What's the current situation?"

It must be admitted that the speed of information transmission in the military camp is indeed fast.

Before a day had even passed, not only the Logistics Department officials received the news, but even the frontline commander-in-chief knew about it.

It was clear from Marshal Hodge's questions that he hoped to create a big news story.

The problem of logistical corruption in the Moxi Duchy has plagued the military for many years.

However, the interests involved are too complex, and even as the commander-in-chief on the front lines, Hodge does not have the confidence to remove this cancer.

Just because you don't dare to do something yourself doesn't mean you don't want others to do it.

As a guest force, the Laite County Legion had no connection with these interest groups and was undoubtedly a good pawn.

If the logistics of reinforcements are involved, and things escalate, the Alpha Kingdom will inevitably get involved.

It will then become a matter between two countries, and may even attract the attention of more countries, making it impossible to cover it up anymore.

Faced with the overwhelming trend, no single interest group can withstand it.

Removing this malignant tumor is definitely a great thing for the Moxi Duchy.

"Marshal, since the incident during the day, Count Hudson has returned to his camp as if he didn't take it seriously at all."

Viscount Gio, who was injured, was rescued by a priest. However, his condition is quite poor, and it seems he will have to retire early.

The situation in the Logistics Department is a bit complicated. Some officials are clamoring for revenge, but they are only given a severe dressing-down by Count Sanford.

They probably want to let things cool down and then retaliate after the storm has passed.

After hearing his adjutant's words, Marshal Hodge laughed heartily, then shook his head and said:

"Harley, you've guessed wrong this time."

With their weakness in someone else's hands, that old fox Sanford didn't dare to retaliate.

Besides, even if he wanted revenge, what could he possibly do?

Do you think you can refuse to supply the Laite County Legion?

Let alone not distributing supplies, even if the supplies are only delayed by a few days, the Alpha Kingdom will protest to the Royal Capital.

If the fate of the kingdom is at stake, and the King investigates, the blame will fall on him.

If I'm not mistaken, he's probably busy trying to figure out a way to make a big problem small and a small problem disappear.

After all, losing face is better than losing your life.

The logistics involved are indeed a large interest group, but these vested interests only want to reap benefits and have no intention of dragging the Moxi Duchy down with them.

Even when taking advantage of others during peacetime, they mostly use inferior goods instead of the best. No one is foolish enough to take everything and leave the soldiers on the front lines hungry.

They haven't driven people to the brink of despair, which is why they've been able to make a fortune all this time.

In addition, the ability to tailor one's approach to different people is also an essential skill.

Generally speaking, the main army of the duchy can receive 80% to 90% of the logistical supplies, and it is not surprising that some powerful generals can get the whole share.

The truly unfortunate ones are the numerous cannon fodder legions, who are weak, have little say in the military, and have no capital to cause trouble.

Withholding supplies from their own people is one thing.

The Laite County Legion, a reinforcement force that looked like a formidable foe, was clearly not among those whose supplies could be withheld.

Judging from the situation along the way, no official responsible for providing supplies dared to skimp on the supplies.

The fact that this was possible clearly indicates that the interest groups behind the scenes didn't have their eyes on these supplies. The fact that this problem arose at the front lines clearly shows that someone acted on their own initiative.

The interest groups behind it, who don't benefit from it, naturally won't stand up for them.

The mess they made meant that all the Logistics Department bureaucrats, including Count Sanford, had to bear the consequences themselves.

Having understood all this, Marshal Hodge soon became worried again.

The Laite County Legion is a fine sword, but he is not the one wielding it.

He lacks sufficient leverage to incite Hudson to make a scene.

Although the title of frontline commander-in-chief was prestigious, under numerous checks and balances, his actual power did not reach the point of absolute authority.

Hudson, enjoying a lavish meal in the camp, was completely unaware that he had unwittingly fallen into a vortex of power struggle.

What happened during the day was just a minor incident in his life. If he weren't trying to establish his authority, he could have resolved the issue in a much more civilized way.

For example, citing the distribution of moldy grain by the quartermaster, they announced to the public that the Laite County Legion had been neglected at the front and simply resigned and left.

Forcing out reinforcements from the front lines was a major political event that the bureaucrats of the Logistics Department could not handle.

As long as we state our position, I guarantee we'll scare those greedy bureaucrats to death.

For example, by using diplomatic language agreed upon by the two countries and accusing the quartermaster of breaking the alliance, the quartermaster could be made to comply obediently.

So many civilized methods were not employed; instead, the most violent means were used to solve the problem. It's no wonder that quartermaster was unlucky.

"Commander, Viscount Gio has come to visit."

After listening to the captain of the guard, Hudson kept recalling the events, but still couldn't find any memories of Viscount Gio.

If I don't remember you, it means we're not friends.

He had no time to greet strangers who had come unannounced, and simply waved his hand, saying:

"Tell Viscount Gio that I am currently unavailable and that I will speak directly to you if I have any issues."

From now on, this is how you should deal with any unfamiliar visitors.

Of course, some prominent figures, or nobles of earldom or higher, are exceptions.

In the Alpha Kingdom, Hudson certainly wouldn't be so snobbish, but this is the Moxi Duchy.

Making friends with a group of minor nobles is purely meaningless socializing and has no benefit for future development.

The prerequisite for showing respect and humility to the virtuous and talented is still based on values.

Hudson would rather spend his free time catching up with his knights than befriending a stranger, a viscount.

"Commander, the Viscount Gio outside is the quartermaster from earlier in the day. Judging from the large pile of gifts he's carrying, he seems to be here to apologize."

Hudson was somewhat bewildered by this unexpected answer.

Remembering how tough Viscount Gio had been during the day, he'd assumed he was someone important. How come he softened so quickly after getting beaten up?

By convention, those who can serve as quartermasters are all people with connections.

When a conflict occurs, it usually involves beating up the younger ones, provoking the older ones, and then gaining experience points to establish authority.

Hudson had even prepared a way to deal with the difficulties and conflicts that were going to happen later, but the result was this scene of apologizing, which was really unexpected.

"Bring him in!"