The Missing Beastfolk Army

In this life-or-death crisis, the nobles of the Moxi Duchy still possessed a certain sense of the bigger picture. Upon receiving the order from the Royal Capital, all the garrison troops on the Terence Defense Line sprang into action.

Regardless of the outcome, as long as the defending troops are mobilized, they will serve as a check on the Beastfolk army.

To ensure the safety of the logistical routes, the Beastfolk had to send out more troops to escort them. Some of the more active generals even ended up on the Orc Empire's wanted list.

However, this serves no purpose other than venting hatred. The two sides are mortal enemies; who cares about the Orc Empire's wanted poster?

As the garrison commander of Flying Bear Fortress, Hudson was still on the list despite not having accomplished anything particularly significant.

There was no way around it; his men were just too professional. These noble scions from the North all possessed ancestral skills.

Their skillful craftsmanship played a significant role in enabling them to obtain titles, in addition to the legacy of their ancestors.

When they came south from the north a few years ago, the private armies they brought with them were supported by Beastfolk.

He's doing the same old job now, except that his original business was capturing slaves in the Orc Empire, and now he's just causing trouble for the Beastfolk.

The Beastfolk army may seem large, but it is actually composed of individual tribes, and its internal organization and coordination capabilities are far inferior to those of the human race.

Hatred still lingers between many neighboring tribes. There are even more conflicts between different races. Their ability to come together is purely due to the immense pressure from the Five Great Imperial Courts.

Conflicts create opportunities.

Hudson didn't know what exactly happened, nor was he interested in finding out. He had simply ordered his Beastfolk to cause some trouble for the orcs, and then he was put at the top of the wanted list.

The Beastfolk' exasperated behavior did not frighten Hudson; instead, it aroused his even greater interest.

The fact that they didn't bring a large army to attack him was a clear indication that they were short-handed and couldn't spare the time to retaliate.

If you don't take advantage of an opportunity, it will automatically expire. The strain of fighting on multiple fronts would be unbearable for anyone.

The Beastfolk's core strategy is to besiege Dapes City. If they were to mobilize 200,000 to 300,000 troops to besiege Flying Bear Fortress, it would inevitably affect their overall strategic layout.

With the Human Alliance potentially launching an attack at any time, the Orc Empire's leadership had to consider the time factor.

It is perfectly clear which is more important, removing a nail or destroying a country.

The Beastfolk' only way to avoid being brutally beaten was to drag more other races into the fray and share the burden.

What they need now is not to strengthen local control, but to make as much noise as possible and prove to the outside world that the human race, the dominant power, is corrupt.

"Count, we just received news from our scouts that a large Beastfolk caravan has returned from the front lines."

The scouts checked the rear of the convoy and found deep tire tracks on the ground, indicating it was fully loaded with goods.

Hearing "returning from the front lines," Hudson's interest was immediately piqued. The Beastfolk army had wreaked havoc, committing not only mass killings but also frequent burglaries.

Compared to the convoys transporting provisions to the front lines, these convoys laden with spoils of war were the real cutthroat competition.

However, such caravans were rare. Knowing they were outmatched, and to avoid benefiting the Beastfolk, human nobles would usually destroy their own possessions.

Most of the time, Beastfolk army could loot was either too much to destroy or too much to destroy.

Persistence pays off. After instructing his men to keep watch for so long, Hudson finally got his wish.

"Tom, notify the expeditionary force to assemble, and instruct the Griffon Cavalry to circle in the sky and scout out any enemy ambushes in the vicinity from a distance."

Fat meat is tempting, but vigilance is still essential. The supply line is frequently harassed, and the Beastfolk have become cunning.

Many of the garrison soldiers were clearly out raiding the Beastfolk for supplies, but because their actions were not well-planned, they ended up becoming supplies for the Beastfolk army themselves.

Those who were able to successfully withdraw their troops were all seasoned veterans of the battlefield. Many more troops paid a heavy price for this.

Of course, despite the failure of the operation, Hudson had never heard of a case of total annihilation.

Clearly, these noble generals who had dealt with the Beastfolk for some time had matured.

They were all very vigilant and, sensing something was wrong, immediately led their troops away.

Everyone knows their own limitations; a newly formed legion with such poor combat capabilities simply wouldn't be sent out to be slaughtered.

The troops that could participate in the operation, even if they were not elite forces, were mostly semi-elite veterans.

In addition, the main force of the Beastfolk was limited in strength at the moment, and there were too many things to take care of. A large part of the troops responsible for carrying out the ambush mission were miscellaneous soldiers, whose actual combat strength was not very strong, so everyone did not suffer much loss.

Hudson's operation was no exception; he only took the most capable troops with him. The weakened city defense corps and the Newly Formed 23rd Legion were left in the city, not because they wanted to hog the spoils.

As for the Second and Third Army, whose combat capabilities are a mystery and which have just been reorganized, only a portion of their officers and soldiers were drawn to participate in the battle.

Ultimately, it was just a simple robbery, requiring far too many troops. The mission with tens of thousands of soldiers wasn't to rob, but rather to prepare to intercept reinforcements.

Despite the large total force of the Beastfolk stationed nearby, when it comes to a specific point, the number of mobile forces that can be immediately mobilized to reinforce them is not large.

During wartime, the best way to stand out is through military achievements.

The more military achievements one possesses, the more assertive one's words become. This is the only opportunity for lower-ranking nobles to transcend status limitations and participate in the struggle for power.

The Moxi Duchy is currently in a time of war and chaos, and it would be a great waste not to make use of his position as the commander-in-chief of the expeditionary force.

Hudson wasn't that naive to go and fight the Beastfolk. Leading a team to plunder the Beastfolk for wealth while simultaneously racking up war merits from their Beastfolk was a viable option.

The development of a great general is a long-term process of accumulation. Apart from a few battles that make him famous, most of his battles are small ones; the key is to fight a lot.

Every battle is a stepping stone in one's experience.

When someone suddenly achieves a great feat and rises to a high position, it will attract the envy of countless people; but when someone has been through many battles and then achieves another great feat and rises to a high position, everyone will only admire them.

A gradual and subtle rise is the kind of rise that the general public can accept, because it aligns with everyone's understanding, and everyone is working hard on this path.

The fact that some people succeed proves that they are on the right path. This kind of success serves as a role model for everyone to learn from.

Such a sudden emergence and leap in status, which does not conform to the rules of the game, will naturally be attacked and suppressed by all parties.

From this perspective, Hudson was fortunate. His two previous major victories were both spearheaded by Crown Prince Caesar, and this coordinated political propaganda prevented those harboring jealousy from launching any attacks.

After Hudson took over the expeditionary force, although he did not achieve any great feats, he continued to make small contributions.

He would go out and kill a hundred or so Beastfolk every now and then, which was embarrassing to publicize, but it would be very impressive on a resume.

The Orc Empire's wanted poster was a godsend. To become the enemy's most hated being—who dares say his achievements were insignificant?

If the number of enemies killed is small, it doesn't matter; just add a zero to the end. In a battlefield between humans and Beastfolk, killing a hundred or eighty enemies is the same as killing a thousand or eighty enemies—it's practically the same as killing none.

Even if they wanted to approve it, they couldn't. On this issue, both the high-ranking and low-ranking nobles in the military were all beneficiaries.

Hudson never claimed credit for beheadings; aside from the credit for overall command, all the remaining credit went to the nobles below him.

If a crackdown were to be launched on those who falsely claimed military merits, the first to suffer would actually be those listed below. This is because the merit of a decapitation can be quantified, while the merit of command is difficult to standardize.

Upon investigation, the most direct charge is actually negligence, rather than fraudulently claiming military merits.

Such a minor offense is not worth mentioning to any noble general with a distinguished military record.

Not only did Hudson absolve himself of responsibility, but more importantly, he successfully cultivated an image of a "good leader who doesn't seek credit" and, incidentally, bound the expeditionary force together with shared interests.

They were forced into this situation. Without resorting to these methods, it would have been virtually impossible to integrate a diverse army in a short period of time.

The raiding party was gathering, and more than 200 miles away in Dapes City, a quiet troop movement was slowly unfolding.

The number of Beastfolk camps continued to increase, but the number of elite legions appearing less and less often, with large numbers of cannon fodder charging into battle in each siege.

The Beastfolk elites who served as the Supervision Team were reduced from tens of thousands to several thousand, with a large number of their main forces suddenly disappearing.

The strange changes in the Beastfolk camp quickly attracted the attention of the city's garrison. The report was relayed up the chain of command, eventually reaching Chancellor Herczeg.

Thanks to everyone's joint efforts, King Chris IX was finally rescued, but he was still too weak to take charge of the situation.

Whether it was real or fake didn't matter; in any case, Chris IX handed over the entire Dapes Defense War to a group of princes and ministers, while he stayed behind the scenes to focus on recuperating.

"Several Beastfolk orc legions outside the city have vanished as if into thin air. Didn't you notice?"

Chancellor Herczeg asked incredulously.

It should be noted that there are as many as eight Beastfolk legions gathered around the Dapes City. Wherever these elite legions point their troops, they are capable of stirring up a storm.

"Your Excellency, the number of Eaglemen is dozens of times that of us, and the Beastfolk army trapped us inside the city before they could even mobilize."

Our Griffon Cavalry Regiment sent out scouts several times, but they never returned.

What we can confirm now is that the Beastfolk Behemoth Legion has not been mobilized, and the Eagle Legion has also left behind approximately two to three thousand men.

Approximately six thousand eagle-men soldiers and the main forces of the other three royal courts temporarily disappeared from our sight. Four ordinary Werewolf Cavalry regiments also left with them.

Fewer than fifty Griffon Cavalry remain in the city. Breaking through the enemy's blockade during the day is too risky; it would be best to wait until nightfall.

To receive intelligence, the earliest we can do so is tomorrow night. If we want it to be faster, perhaps we could use some special methods to contact the powerful nobles in the surrounding area.

The Beastfolk army's movement will inevitably pass through their territory. By verifying their location, we can roughly determine the enemy's intentions.

Kampers said with a helpless expression.

As the commander of the Griffon Cavalry Regiment, he has faced the most severe tests every day since the outbreak of the war.

Limited by the number of Griffon Cavalry, the Moxi Duchy had always used them as scouts. Even so, this could not change the fact that the Griffon Cavalry suffered heavy losses.

The moment they opened their eyes, devastating news arrived. The number of Griffon Cavalry killed in each battle was small, usually only one or two, which seemed insignificant in terms of numbers, but the problem was that replacements were difficult to find.

It's true that the Moxi Duchy raises griffins, but griffins aren't hens that lay eggs every day. Their pitiful fertility means they lay eggs in quantities measured in years.

After a difficult clutch of eggs, only one or two out of a dozen or so will hatch. And even then, there's no guarantee that all the baby griffins will survive to adulthood.

We have tried other methods to improve the hatching rate, but unfortunately, we are limited by the law of the jungle in nature.

Artificially bred griffins have degenerated in many ways. If they are hatched again using magical means after laying eggs a second time, the resulting griffins will continue to degenerate.

Originally a low-level magical beast, it degenerated several times and was reduced to a wild animal.

Regardless of the griffin's combat prowess, its strength is truly lacking; it simply cannot carry an adult male in flight.

Even if artificial incubation were to be attempted, only wild Griffon Egg could be found. These social flying magical beasts typically build their homes on cliffs deep within the Monster Mountain Range.

If you want to steal their eggs, you first have to ask the monsters along the way if they are willing to let you pass.

Unless you're incredibly lucky, you won't even see Griffon Egg; it will simply turn into monster droppings.

The long breeding process and the pitiful hatching rate limited the growth of the Griffon Cavalry.

As a result, even though the individual combat strength of the Griffon Cavalry was clearly superior to that of the eaglemen, they were still constantly suppressed by the enemy. Eagles often killed griffins, and there was nothing that could be done about it.

"Your Excellency Prime Minister, judging from the current situation, the situation in the Duchy has actually deteriorated to the extreme."

Regardless of where the Beastfolk army's target is, it will not make a fundamental difference to our situation.

Turning back to besiege the Terence Defense Line would be a waste of time and serve no real purpose; the Beastfolk are unlikely to engage in such a futile effort.

Continuing south to occupy more of our territory would be less effective than besieging Dapes, which would have a far greater impact. Once we capture our Royal Capital, most of the remaining territory of the principality will fall.

That leaves only a few neighbors as options. Whether the Beastfolk choose to attack the Warhammer Kingdom or the Alpha Kingdom makes little difference to the duchy.

Martins said nonchalantly.

The immense pressure caused the Minister of Military Affairs to lose confidence and embark on a path of stagnation.

After changing his perspective, Martins, who was originally anxious, became more at peace.

If we can't stop the Beastfolk army's advance, then we might as well not bother trying; we just need to defend Dapes.

Even the sudden disappearance of the Beastfolk main force couldn't move him. With a calm mind, his analysis of problems became even more incisive.

"Your Excellency, it's not entirely without impact. If we discover the movements of the Beastfolk army, we'll at least inform our allies."

If the war spreads from our side to their doorstep without timely notification, it won't look good when we meet again in the future.

Foreign Minister Renato said dejectedly.

A passive response would be easy, but it would create much more trouble for their Foreign Affairs Department. Compared to their two neighbors, the Principality of Moxi Duchy was still a tiny bit weaker.

If you really offend someone, you'll suffer for it in the future. Especially now that your two allies are still strong, while they've already been crippled by the Beastfolk.

In this context, unless you can kill your teammates, it's best not to take action to avoid creating potential problems for yourself.