Cold-Faced Duke

In Chapter 55 of the main text of The King, after a brief conversation with the Cold-Faced Duke, Hudson understood Harley's purpose.

As expected, the situation in Dapes Pest is critical, and they need to make some noise.

Cutting off the Beastfolk army's logistics is a grand goal that you can't come up with without drinking a few pounds of alcohol.

I doubt those guys in the Royal Capital have such illusions. The main goal is to get them moving, to prevent the Beastfolk from continuously reinforcing their troops.

Although there are no specific figures, based on the troop movements of the Bearman Imperial Court, Hudson can deduce that the Beastfolk army besieging Dapes is no less than 300,000.

This number is still increasing. Although the elite troops were only the initial ones, the number of cannon fodder seems to have no upper limit.

The reason for all this is clear to Hudson without even studying it. It's simply that the nobles in the inland provinces are easier to bully and have less difficulty obtaining food supplies.

Conquering any castle will yield considerable rewards.

Even if the garrison burned down the granary, it wouldn't matter. The Beastfolk's stomachs were strong enough that they could still eat the charred grain.

As long as the city is breached quickly enough, the food supplies will never run out.

With meat and grain readily available, the logistical burden was reduced, allowing for a continuous reinforcement of troops to the front lines.

Ants can kill an elephant.

As the besieging Beastfolk army grew larger and larger, one can imagine the immense pressure the isolated and helpless defenders faced.

"Understood, Harley. Please convey this to Marshal Hodge, and we will look for an opportunity to strike."

The expeditionary force will plan a major operation by the end of this month at the latest; let him wait for our good news.

Hudson made his promise with great enthusiasm.

There will be action, but when exactly depends on when the Beastfolk give them the opportunity.

Elite troops are forged in battle, and Hudson needed to find a suitable opportunity to let the two newly formed legions see blood.

The Dachias Battle doesn't count; the routed soldiers were being chased and were of no training value whatsoever.

"Thank you for your understanding, Count Hudson. Your Excellency is under great pressure right now. To be honest, we have launched several attacks but have all failed."

You are aware of the situation in Dapes. The Human Alliance has decided to wage war against the Beastfolk, but the issue of troop quotas is still under dispute.

Baron Harley said with a worried expression.

Unlike outsiders like Hudson, the native nobles of the Moxi Duchy held high hopes for the Dapes Defense War, or rather, saw it as their last hope.

Once Dapes falls, the Moxi Duchy will essentially be finished. The idea of moving the capital and fighting again is just wishful thinking; having lost the most fertile plains, the remaining barren land simply cannot sustain any further warfare.

As for restoring the kingdom after the war, that depends on the situation. If it's just about driving away the Beastfolk army, with this hostile neighbor around, I doubt many people would covet the lands of the Moxi Duchy.

This time, however, the Human Alliance was determined to teach the Beastfolk a lesson. If they really dealt a heavy blow to the Orc Empire and helped the Alpha Kingdom reclaim its lost territory, the Moxi Duchy would once again become a safe rear area.

Wealth and security made it inevitable that the country would be plundered. Nobles who had joined the war came to grab a share, and the Moxi Duchy, relying on their support for its restoration, lacked any real authority.

The best way is for our own family to hold on, so that we don't all end up as exiled nobles with no capital left and can only let outsiders take a slice of the pie.

"Baron Harley, please rest assured, our two countries are facing similar problems. If your country encounters problems, we will not fare much better."

Judging from the Beastfolk's actions, it was clearly their final madness.

They were probably frightened by the alliance's resolution and attempted to quickly sweep across the northern lands before the allied forces arrived, in order to attract other alien races to join the war.

However, this evil approach is destined to fail. The great Lord of Dawn will not stand by and watch his people be slaughtered by the Beastfolk.

This is the last darkness before dawn; the light will soon come.

Given the delayed arrival of reinforcements from various countries, I believe your country could first seek assistance from the Alliance that can be delivered as soon as possible.

For example, the lack of strategic materials, weapons and equipment, or high-end force support, especially air power.

The eagle-men fly over our heads all day long, exposing many secrets, making it impossible to guard against them.

The coordination between our various units still needs to be strengthened. If we had sufficient air power to link the troops along the entire defensive line, the combat effectiveness we could unleash would definitely increase many times over.

Hudson tried to persuade him.

It's free money to take what belongs to the Human Alliance. If we really get funding from various countries, the expeditionary force representing the Alpha Kingdom will definitely be able to get a share of the profits.

As for the debt issues involved, that's a matter for the Moxi Duchy, and has nothing to do with him, the guest general.

The petty calculations are not important; the key is that these suggestions genuinely address the problem.

Hudson hesitated to take any action while holed up in Flying Bear Fortress, not because the Beastfolk army was powerful, nor because Hudson was cowardly, but mainly because every move he made was exposed to the enemy's watchful eyes, making it impossible for him to act.

Lately, Hudson has been studying the habits of the Eaglemen scouts, looking for an opportunity to give them a good beating, and also planning a hunting expedition.

However, there is still a high degree of uncertainty involved. If the Eagleman scouts are cautious enough to observe from a distance and not enter firing range, Hudson will be powerless.

Even if they succeed the first time, if the scouts don't return for a long time, it will attract the enemy to send people over a second and third time, and it will only be a matter of time before they are exposed.

Even if Beldens intervened, they couldn't guarantee that all the eaglemen would be captured. After all, flying in the air provides a wide field of vision.

The adjacent Eagleman scouts can maintain a sufficient distance from each other. It would be difficult to eliminate them simultaneously.

If action is to be taken, the army will only have a few hours to maneuver. The battle must be ended quickly, and the troops must be withdrawn.

"Your Excellency, I will report the issues you raised to the relevant authorities. I will inform you of the results as soon as possible."

However, regarding strengthening liaison, I can request two Griffon Cavalry to be stationed permanently at Flying Bear Fortress; we can contact each other immediately if needed.

Baron Harley replied seriously.

These issues were far beyond his authority, even beyond Marshal Hodge's authority; all he could do was report them.

Ultimately, the decisions were made by the powerful and influential figures in the Royal Capital. Even two Griffon Cavalry needed to apply to Marshal Hodge.

"All right!"

Hudson nodded in agreement.

Something is better than nothing. Even though we've only managed to lure two Griffon Cavalry over so far, it's still a good start.

Its main responsibility is to strengthen communication, and occasionally going out to scout out enemy positions is also feasible.

Since we have a shortage of aerial reconnaissance personnel, we should use them sparingly. We don't expect to obtain detailed intelligence on the enemy; we just need to determine the enemy's movements at crucial moments.

Deep down, Hudson's desire to form an air force grew ever stronger.

Unfortunately, this isn't something that can be achieved simply by wanting to. Let alone an individual, even a country faces immense difficulties in building an air force.

The biggest problem is the scarcity of flying magical beasts. They all fly in the sky, so the probability of capturing them alive is already very low; those that can be tamed are even fewer.

Under normal circumstances, one can only covet the eggs of monsters, take them back, and find a way to hatch them.

Currently, the most widely used type of human is the Griffon Cavalry. It's not that Griffon Cavalry are the strongest in combat, but rather that Griffon Egg have a higher hatching success rate compared to other magical beasts.

On the contrary, even if you obtain the eggs of high-level flying magical beasts, it is very difficult to hatch them, let alone mass-produce them.

Frankly speaking, this is a long road that requires a lot of experience and preparation. Even if you manage to hatch a magical beast, it will be difficult to put it to use in the short term.

The formation of an air force often requires the efforts of several generations. To expand and grow it, the financial, human, and material resources required are astronomical figures.

Distant water cannot quench immediate thirst, so Hudson could only temporarily abandon any further thoughts and pin his hopes on the power of the Human Alliance to resolve the threat from the sky.

The eastern defenses of the Warhammer Kingdom have been relatively calm recently, except for the initial probing by a large Beastfolk army during the early stages of the collapse of the Augsburg defenses.

It was unbelievably quiet. If it weren't for the Warhammer Kingdom's diplomats constantly on the move, one would almost forget that they were also one of the main protagonists of the war.

With the Beastfolk army not invading, the Warhammer Kingdom dared not cause trouble. Apart from constantly expanding its army, it could only focus on strengthening its defenses.

In a sense, it is precisely the Warhammer Kingdom's absurdly low profile that has led to the current tragedy of the Moxi Duchy.

If they had followed the Alpha Kingdom and stirred up trouble on the border every now and then after the Beastfolk army turned towards the Moxi Duchy, the situation would be completely different now.

Of course, if they actually did that, the Moxi Duchy might indeed be saved, but they might become the ones who get hammered.

On one hand, their allies are getting attacked, and on the other hand, they themselves are getting attacked. This choice is easy to make.

Although it may seem unethical, one cannot simply rely on morality to survive between nations.

The peaceful years were not meant to be; they were soon disrupted. Duke Daniel's command tent appeared out of nowhere in the border region between the Moxi Duchy and the Warhammer Kingdom.

Accompanied by a few guards, he strolled discreetly along the border, measuring the mountains, the water, and the land with his own two feet, like a low-ranking Beastfolk officer on patrol.

This was a common sight, and the soldiers of the Warhammer Kingdom did not come out to stop it. It wasn't that the soldiers on the front lines weren't bloodthirsty; it was mainly because the kingdom had recently issued a sudden order forbidding them from provoking border conflicts.

Counting the days, it was right after the Human Alliance made the decision to wage war against the Orc Empire.

Prior to this, although the Warhammer Kingdom had also kept a low profile, it still occasionally went out to kill a few Beastfolk under pressure from its allies.

The sudden halt is naturally because the danger is about to pass, and the original three-kingdom alliance has become meaningless.

From the Warhammer Kingdom's perspective, this was undoubtedly the most correct choice. Only by preserving their strength in the early stages of the war could they potentially reap sufficient benefits for the kingdom later.

Of course, for the high-ranking officials of the Warhammer Kingdom, it didn't matter if they gained nothing, as long as they didn't continue to be neighbors with the Beastfolk.

The Alpha Kingdom has no problem reclaiming its lost territory. As its best ally, they will absolutely support it with their full force.

For no other reason than that their daily military expenditures have tripled since they became neighbors with the Beastfolk.

This was not the end. Under the harassment of the Beastfolk, much land in the border regions was forced to be abandoned, and several provinces in the north were not at peace.

While the Warhammer Kingdom may appear to have suffered few losses in the current war, in reality, the kingdom's nobles have rarely been able to get a good night's sleep since the day the war began.

The most agonizing time is when the enemy could come at any moment, yet there is no end in sight.

They needed to be vigilant at all times. After a long period of suppression, coupled with witnessing the tragic state of the Moxi Duchy, the high command of the Warhammer Kingdom became increasingly conservative.

Unfortunately, this restraint and attempt to curry favor were perceived as cowardice by the Beastfolk high command. In the Orc Empire, only the weak needed to be subservient; the strong disdained such behavior.

With some distance between them on the defensive line, Duke Daniel suddenly stopped and said coldly, "No need to continue. Those cowards from the Warhammer Kingdom are well prepared."

Although the defense line is not yet fully constructed, it is difficult to break through what we see now in the short term.

The Human Alliance has intervened, and we don't have much time left. We can't afford to waste time here with them.

Send a message to the Royal Court: I support the attack on the Warhammer Kingdom. However, the location of the breakthrough must be chosen by me personally.

The contradictory statements completely baffled the Silver Moon Wolf Emperor's envoy. However, due to Duke Daniel's imposing presence, he could only suppress his doubts.

The title "Cold-Faced Duke" isn't given lightly. Unless he so chooses to, he won't offer any explanations, no matter who he's facing.

Originally, such an arrogant person should not have been able to survive in the royal court, but the final result of each time proved that Duke Daniel's judgment was correct.

In the Silver Moon Imperial Court, which worships the strong, the exceptionally capable Duke Daniel quickly distinguished himself from his peers.

When a person continues to succeed, an unruly personality is no longer a flaw, but rather seen as a unique quality of the strong.

Don't ask why, just say it's in their nature. Even in this vast Orc Empire, you can't find many strong individuals with good tempers.

Although Duke Daniel was exceptionally aloof and unwilling to listen to anyone, he was simply too formidable in combat.

Looking back on past achievements, no one in the Silver Moon Imperial Court can compare, and even in the entire Orc Empire, there is no one who can rival them.

Having earned his title as a "war god" through countless battles, he naturally received the utmost respect and worship from the people. His status within the Silver Moon Imperial Court also rose accordingly.

Of course, in addition to his personal abilities, Duke Daniel's background is also a plus.

As the beloved son of the current Silver Moon Wolf Emperor, he has been a prodigy since childhood. Others who wanted to suppress him lacked the courage to take action.

Being one minute late is no big deal