Golden Behemoth Royeya

Upon receiving the message from the scouts, Hudson immediately summoned his officers for a meeting. Although he didn't know who the Behemoth Cavalry were targeting, that didn't stop him from going to join the fun.

He had initially considered leading his cavalry to help, but after some hesitation, he decided against it. They were complete strangers; it wasn't worth risking his life for them.

The battle was still at a stalemate, and no clear victor was set in time. Most importantly, the temptation to annihilate an entire Behemoth Cavalry regiment was simply too great.

Leading only a cavalry regiment would at most help relieve the siege. It would be utterly impossible to capture the enemy.

Throughout the long war, Hudson had never heard of the Behemoth Cavalry Regiment being annihilated as a whole.

In a one-on-one open battle with comparable forces, his cavalry regiment would be no match for the Behemoth Cavalry.

"The scouts have reported that a Behemoth Cavalry has appeared ahead and is surrounding and killing a group of unidentified people."

Judging from their location, this human group is very likely a survivor who escaped from Bertley Fortress.

Everyone heard the explosion just now. It was the nobles of Bertley City using a special method to perish together with the Beastfolk.

They defended the dignity of our human race with their lives. Now their descendants are being hunted by Beastfolk, and we've just happened to run into them. How can we stand idly by!

Even if I was wrong, those being hunted were still members of my human race. Rescuing them from the Beastfolk was ultimately the right thing to do.

According to scouts, the fighting was extremely fierce, and there are about eight or nine hundred Behemoth Cavalry still alive.

To annihilate a thousand-strong Behemoth Cavalry regiment on the battlefield, our cavalry regiment alone is far from sufficient.

Therefore, I decided to select three thousand elite soldiers to accompany the cavalry regiment on the expedition.

Baron Keterai, Baron Calvo, Baron Reno, Knight Sean, Knight Paul, Knight Fide... led the elite guards to accompany me on the expedition.

Baron Berrio, Knight Guarente, Knight Nelson, Knight Adrian... you are responsible for staying behind.

Viscount Racquel, if any nobles are willing to participate, they may also lead their elite troops to join the Newly Formed 23rd Legion.

Speed is of the essence in war; those whose names are called must immediately go and count the troops.

Hudson said without a doubt.

The nobles he selected were all those with strong private armies and their own cavalry units.

Half of the cavalry regiments in the Laite County Legion were contributed by these men. It wouldn't be right to leave out such an opportunity to earn merit.

The figure of three thousand elite troops is just a figure of speech; it is a rough estimate based on the number of elite troops these guys have, plus the elite veterans of the Mountain Territory.

Whether there are more or fewer people, it won't have a significant impact on the final result. The only regret is that there aren't enough warhorses, so they have to make up for it with nags.

Fortunately, thanks to the selfless dedication of the bureaucrats in the Logistics Department, it would have been really difficult to gather three thousand nags.

Deep down, Hudson had already decided to expand his cavalry. This battle was the perfect opportunity; as long as he could encircle and annihilate the Behemoth Cavalry Regiment, he could simply report a higher casualty count later.

Such matters are impossible to investigate thoroughly. With impressive battle achievements to his name, even if he knows the battle losses are questionable, the Moxi people, wanting him to continue fighting, will feign ignorance and replenish his ranks.

Besides, he didn't keep everything for himself; the privileged kids of the Newly Formed 23rd Legion also got a share. As long as you have the guts to participate, you'll reap the rewards.

The Newly Formed 23rd Legion was weak because the overall quality of the soldiers was not up to par; however, the guards accompanying the second-generation soldiers were still quite capable fighters.

The loud noise from Bertley City not only alarmed the nearby Beastfolk army, but also the human garrison nearby.

The information gathered by the Griffon Cavalry from high above was quickly relayed to Marshal Hodge, the commander-in-chief at the front.

When he first received the battle report, he suspected that someone was playing a joke on him.

The Laibolong Family is no minor noble family. Even though they've been declining for decades, they're still a long-established noble family that ranks among the top five in the duchy. @Essence/Book Pavilion·Error-free first release~~

Over a hundred years of long-term management by more than ten generations, Bertley Fortress was complete. (To be continued!)

Chapter 41, The Golden Behemoth Royeya

It can be described as impregnable; in terms of defensive capabilities, it ranks among the best in the entire Moxi Duchy.

Marshal Hodge had never considered the possibility of such a fortified city falling. At the very least, it shouldn't have fallen to the Beastfolk army so early in the war.

Based on the experience of the Alpha Kingdom, as long as the established noble families don't do anything reckless, it would be impossible for the Beastfolk to breach their strongholds without several months of intensive attacks.

There was no point in disbelieving; the nearby garrison also gave similar battle reports, and personally dispatched Griffon Cavalry to investigate, which confirmed the fact that Bertley Fortress had been reduced to ruins.

As for how the Beastfolk breached Bertley Fortress, no one can say for sure for the time being. Some speculate that it was related to the deafening explosions and suspect that it was the Beastfolk's doing.

Fortunately, the Griffon Cavalry's reconnaissance was effective, discovering that the Beastfolk army had suffered heavy losses, which relieved Marshal Hodge.

It's good that it wasn't the Beastfolk's doing. If the Beastfolk had the power to easily destroy a fortress or giant city, the subsequent battles would be impossible to fight.

In fact, even Marshal Hodge doesn't know how to proceed with the next battle.

With the fall of Bertley Fortress, a huge vacuum gaped out of what was once a relatively solid defensive line.

From then on, the Beastfolk army could march straight in from here.

Although the defenders on both sides could also attack their supply lines from within the fortress.

The problem is that the Beastfolk army is not as reliant on logistics as the human army. Apart from a small amount of strategic resources, they can obtain most of their necessities, such as food, drink, and sanitation, from local sources.

"Harley, immediately send a message to the Royal Capital informing them of the fall of Bertley Fortress."

Tell King Majesty the King that we lack sufficient mobile forces and are unable to plug the gaps in our defenses in time.

The subsequent defensive lines are not yet complete and are insufficient to stop the Beastfolk army's unstoppable advance. It is recommended that King Majesty expand the scorched-earth policy.

It would be best to include all the northern provinces of the duchy, leaving no opportunity for the Beastfolk to exploit.

As he spoke, Marshal Hodge's expression gradually darkened. "Scorched earth" sounds simple, but putting it into practice is extremely difficult.

The most pressing question is: after the scorched earth policy, production is completely destroyed, so what will everyone eat?

Unlike the nobles on the front lines, they had experienced being robbed by Beastfolk tribes and possessed a strong sense of crisis.

Having stockpiled food in the castle long ago, and with subsidies from the duchy, they quickly completed their scorched-earth policy. First update @

Now that the scope of the "scorched earth" policy has been expanded, the situation has changed. First, it has become difficult for the duchy's subsidies to be implemented effectively.

Even if the government can grit its teeth and hold on, it cannot immediately produce enough food.

Even if there were provisions in the rear, there was no guarantee that they would reach the castles of the nobles before the Beastfolk army arrived.

Nobles who are wealthy, have a strong sense of crisis, and know to stockpile food in advance may be able to weather the storm.

However, most nobles never even considered this issue, or even if they did, they didn't have enough financial resources to make the necessary preparations.

In fact, after the outbreak of war, there was a wave of grain buying among the nobles in the northern region, but only the wealthy nobles were eligible to participate.

It's virtually impossible for a poor person to have enough food reserves for two or three years. After all, as lords, they not only have to feed themselves, but also their people.

The autumn harvest is not yet complete. If a complete scorched earth policy is implemented, cutting off grain production, some people may run out of food before next year.

Without addressing the food shortage caused by the scorched-earth policy, even if the King issues an order, it will be difficult to enforce.

Knowing this was one thing, but Marshal Hodge was powerless to do anything. Who could have predicted that the first to fall would be the seemingly most improbable Bertley Fortress?

Deep down, all he could do was curse Count Landon as a good-for-nothing and the Laibolong Family as a mere figurehead.

Even if one wanted to settle scores later, the other party would have to be alive first. Based on the information received so far, there is no evidence whatsoever that the Count Landon has fled.

As long as they haven't fled and have chosen to live or die with the territory, then... (To be continued!)

Chapter 41, The Golden Behemoth Royeya

Even major mistakes can only be forgiven.

Even when it comes to assigning blame, he, as the frontline commander, will most likely be the one to take the fall. The blame is already laid out—inadequate rescue efforts.

It's impossible to hold him accountable. As long as the King hasn't gone mad, he won't touch the commander-in-chief.

In any case, Marshal Hodge was appointed to take over this mess during a critical moment.

After taking office, although he did not achieve any outstanding results, he at least completed the construction of a new defensive line and held off the Beastfolk army for two months before they broke through.

Compared to the previous defenders of Augsburg's defense, this one seems like an excellent student.

If you want to replace someone, you need to find a more capable commander.

Faced with the crisis of national subjugation and racial extinction, all other conflicts had to take a backseat. Even his political enemies would at most utter a few words.

If he were to actually quit, the most anxious people would be the powerful and wealthy in the Royal Capital.

Everyone here is intelligent and fully aware of the current situation. If people could escape, the transnational migration movement would probably already be in full swing.

Unfortunately, while free citizens could flee, these nobles could not. Not only could they not escape, but their descendants were also trapped.

Failure to fulfill noble obligations will not only result in the loss of one's ancestral heritage, but will also lead to being hunted down by the entire Human Alliance.

It wasn't entirely impossible to escape. However, they would have to wait until the situation completely collapsed before they could embark on a strategic retreat with the King.

In theory, such a strategic shift usually involves moving to a more defensible province to continue fighting the Beastfolk.

Exile is possible, but no King has yet set a precedent for it in the face of Beastfolk invasion.

After all, the Empire of Light ruled the north three hundred years ago. Even if it wasn't overwhelming the Orc Empire, it was still a force to be reckoned with.

Next up is the Alpha Kingdom, another stubborn holdout. Many King have died in battle, but none have gone into King.

At most, it would just be one relocation of the capital after another. Even if he went abroad under special circumstances, he would quickly return to continue leading the resistance movement.

It was through this unwavering perseverance that the Alpha Kingdom earned the respect of the Human Alliance. With the support of various nations, it repeatedly rose from the ashes.

After a pause, as if remembering something, Marshal Hodge hurriedly gave the order:

"Captain of the Guard, immediately send word to the legions that are currently rotating troops about the fall of Bertley Fortress as quickly as possible."

After saying that, Marshal Hodge broke out in a cold sweat. He had almost overlooked the most crucial question.

If the troops on rotation were unprepared and encountered the Beastfolk army in the wild, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Even if a tremendous explosion occurred when Bertley Fortress fell, the nearby human armies should have been on high alert.

Marshal Hodge chose to remind them again. After all, in a large forest, there are all kinds of birds; similarly, in a large army, there are all sorts of commanders.

Don't be fooled by their usual shrewdness; that's only in politics. Some of them are genuinely lacking in military skills.

Even though these aristocratic officers had received military education from a young age, it still couldn't change the fact that some of them had appalling military skills.

Learning military knowledge only taught them to mechanically apply it, without enabling them to put it into practice.

It's purely a matter of talent, just like the difference between a top student and a mediocre student. The talented ones are truly talented, and the untalented ones are truly untalented.

Leading his troops on a grand expedition, just as they were about to reach their target, Hudson waved his hand and ordered, "Send down the order: everyone to wrap their horses' hooves with cloth."

Now we'll split up. The cavalry will follow me to outflank the enemy from the rear, Nag Horse Cavalry will split into three groups, and we'll combine into four groups to encircle the enemy.

Baron Keterai, Baron Calvo, and Baron Reno, you all have experience commanding cavalry in battle. These three units are now in your hands.

The Newly Formed 23rd Legion, along with the Nag Horse Cavalry led by Baron Kairait, launched a frontal attack.

This is a rare opportunity; it's rare for a lone Behemoth Cavalry regiment to have come to our doorstep. We must take them down. (To be continued!)

Chapter 41, The Golden Behemoth Royeya

Take them all.

For some reason, Hudson always felt something was off when giving orders.

"The lone Behemoth Cavalry regiment" suggests that the Behemoth Cavalry usually operate in regiment units.

In open field battles, a thousand- Behemoth Cavalry regiment can defeat a ten-thousand-strong ordinary human legion.

Newly Formed 23rd Legion, which is considered to have decent combat strength among new recruits, would most likely not be able to withstand a single charge from the Behemoth Cavalry Regiment.

Even if they encountered the main human army, they could escape even if they couldn't win. Opportunities to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat like this are rare.

Even though the horseshoes were covered, they were still discovered by both sides as the army approached.

There's no need to hide them; they're all in sight, so there's no way to hide them no matter what.

With the combined strength of the two families, nearly five thousand troops were deployed to encircle the area from all sides, and from a distance, the mountains and plains were covered with human cavalry.

"Reinforcements have arrived!"

Anthony, who was the first to discover all this, exclaimed in surprise.

The morale of the Laibolong Family were originally at a disadvantage and in dire straits, was instantly boosted!

No matter where the reinforcements come from, as long as they are human troops, when facing the Beastfolk army, everyone is on our side.

Realizing the situation was hopeless and having lost all will to fight, the Behemoth officer immediately broke free of his opponent and ordered, "Retreat!"

Unfortunately, it was all too late. The human cavalry appeared in their line of sight, and their figures were also exposed to Hudson and his group.

After fighting for so long, half of the guards of the Laibolong Family have fallen. Now that the opportunity for revenge has come, how can we let them leave?

"Hold them off! Don't let these Behemoths get away!"

Anthony shouted.

Two legs can't catch up with four legs, but there is another power in this world—magic.

The mages, who were replenishing their Magic Power with Magic Core, no longer cared about their own depletion and unleashed their most powerful abilities, casting slow spells on the Behemoth Cavalry.

Frankly, this spell isn't very effective. While it slows down the enemy, it often also slows down one's own troops, making it impossible to strike accurately.

However, there is no such thing as useless magic, only useless mages. In special circumstances, the Slow spell can also be very effective.

The brief delay reduced the distance between the two sides to only a few hundred meters, and the encirclement was complete.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh..."

Hudson's signature Arrow Feathers flew towards the Behemoth Cavalry. In an instant, four unlucky Behemoths were thrown from their beasts to the ground.

If you look closely, you'll see that some of the cavalry have already taken out their Magic Crossbow.

The fire was not fired because the distance was too great, and aiming was impossible while the cavalry was on the move.

The Behemoth Cavalry, attempting to break free and force their way out, became the first victims. Before they could even charge forward, they were riddled with bullets.

Watching the Behemoth Cavalry being hit by multiple crossbow bolts, Hudson cursed under his breath, "What a spendthrift!"

The most notable characteristic of Magic Crossbow is their high cost; even the Arrow Feathers must be specially made. Although the Moxi Duchy is responsible for this, they cannot be wasted.

During wartime, such scarce resources cannot be bought with money alone. Even with the wealthy Moxi Duchy, its reserves could not be too large.

If they can't be replenished, these magical items will become luxury toys.

Now is not the time to worry about these things. These hundreds of Behemoth Cavalry beasts, could inflict considerable losses on the allied forces if they fought with their lives on the line.

The Behemoth Cavalry were dead, and their war beasts went berserk. In the blink of an eye, Hudson saw several Nag Horse Cavalry being attacked by the beasts.

Without the slightest hesitation, Hudson hurriedly finished off the crazed, ownerless war beast with arrows, while simultaneously ordering his cavalry, "Kill them all, beast and all! Leave no survivors!"

Frankly speaking, he was also very envious of these Behemoth war beasts. Unfortunately, there was no precedent on the Aslant Continent for humans to have tamed Behemoth war beasts.

According to common parlance in mainland China, the Behemoth War Beast and the Behemoth share a life-and-death bond; if a Behemoth Knight is killed in battle, the War Beast will soon follow suit.

The truth cannot be verified, but Hudson accomplished something countless predecessors could not. (To be continued!)

Chapter 41, The Golden Behemoth Royeya

They also didn't think they could do it.

Perhaps because of their outstanding performance just now, or perhaps because they had ordered their commander's identity to be exposed, the Behemoth Cavalry chose to break free from their opponents and charge toward Hudson's location.

Encircled and entrenched, capturing the king was undoubtedly the best option to break the deadlock. Hudson expressed his sincere admiration for the exceptionally high military skills displayed by the Behemoth Cavalry.

Especially considering these guys chose him as their target, he deserves high praise. After all, he's the toughest opponent on the entire field.

Instead of fleeing from their weak points, they chose to come and kick the hardest iron plate; one can only say that this Behemoth Cavalry was extremely lucky.

Without needing to give an order, the archers had already taken aim at the charging Behemoth Cavalry.

Every step forward was paved with the lives of the Behemoth Knights. Closer and closer, the archers, who had been itching to keep up, began their performance.

After two rounds of mounted archery, the Behemoth Cavalry, who should have entered close combat, suddenly noticed something was wrong; it seemed that their war beasts had suddenly slowed down.

Under a hail of enemy arrows, suddenly slowing down the advance would have absolutely disastrous consequences.

In the blink of an eye, squads of cavalrymen, wielding long spears, appeared before Hudson.

As the encirclement tightened, the members of the Laibolong Family had been fighting fiercely against the Behemoth Cavalry, gradually withdrew from the battlefield, leaving the stage to the cavalry.

Perhaps sensing the dire situation, the middle-aged Behemoth officer's face turned ashen. His intuition told him that this attempt to "capture the king" was a mistake.

Retreat was impossible; a distress flare had been fired. However, the nearest Beastfolk army camp was still dozens of miles away. (First update @)

Aside from the Eaglemen Air Force having a chance to arrive and provide support, the rest of the army, even if they did arrive, would only be able to collect their corpses.

He glanced at the Magic Crossbow in the enemy's hand and knew that even if the Eagleman air force came, it wouldn't seem to make much of a difference.

As if he had made up his mind, the middle-aged Behemoth officer's eyes were filled with bloodlust, and his aura suddenly surged. Ignoring the rain of arrows, he raised his specially made knight's lance and leaped up to strike Hudson's vitals.

Closer, even closer!

Just as the lance was less than thirty centimeters from Hudson, it suddenly stopped, unable to thrust any further.

Before he could react, a huge bear paw appeared in front of him, and he was sent flying backward.

Spitting out a mouthful of blood, the middle-aged Behemoth was completely dumbfounded! The attack he had fought so hard, at the cost of severe damage to his vital energy, had ended in such a way.

Originally, he intended to trade his life for Hudson's, disrupting the human alliance and creating a chance for his men to break through.

Unfortunately, the end result was that he was riddled with Arrow Feathers, while Hudson on the other side was completely unharmed, looking at him as if he were sizing up a clown.

Suppressing the pain, the middle-aged Behemoth mustered his last strength and said unwillingly in the common language of the continent, "Behemoth Clan, Golden Royeyinia."

Human, say your name, so I can die knowing why!

"Sorry, I have no interest in wasting my breath on dead people."

While replying, Hudson didn't forget to deliver a final arrow to Royeyinia, sending the golden behemoth to meet the Beast God with a belly full of questions.

Chapter 41, The Golden Behemoth Royeya