Creating Opportunities

The army collapsed like a house of cards, and disaster began. War and fire swept towards the Duchy of Orton, and the ancient duchy wept under the sword.

"Quickly, send someone back with this message! Immediately..."

The Count Bernard said, his voice trembling.

As one of the frontline commanders, he truly didn't know how to explain this scene to the King.

Negligence and over-reliance on allies are only part of the reason. The fundamental reason is the weakness of the Duchy of Orton.

Nominally, there were 150,000 troops at the front, but it would be more accurate to describe it as "140,000 laborers + 10,000 garrison troops".

The conscripted laborers were not primarily tasked with military training, but rather with building fortifications.

It wasn't that they were stupid; quite the opposite, it was a sign of intelligence. Having serfs who had just laid down their hoes barely manage to defend the city, let alone take up arms to fight the Beastfolk, was simply unwise.

Ultimately, it was due to insufficient preparation beforehand; they had no idea that the Beastfolk army would come to attack.

It wasn't until the Augsburg defenses fell and the Duchy of Moxi Duchy asked for help that the high command of the Duchy of Orton realized the danger.

After much arguing, the resolution to build a defensive line was barely passed. When it came to implementation, the nobles and bureaucrats demonstrated what bureaucracy truly meant through their actions.

It wasn't until the Dachias Battle was lost, the Beastfolk army besieged Dapes, and the Moxi Duchy was on the verge of collapse, that the Duchy of Orton truly began to take action.

This is the first time a nationwide mobilization has been carried out, and if nothing unexpected happens, something unexpected is bound to happen.

Due to time constraints, the nobles of the Duchy of Orton did not have time to adapt to the new mode of warfare and continued to use the same strategies they had employed when fighting against human nations.

Due to internal power struggles, the frontline command of the Duchy of Orton was divided into three parts, each with its own defense zone.

If the troops at the front are all elite, this division is not a big problem; at most, it will just make coordination and command a little more complicated.

Unfortunately, the army of the Duchy of Orton was not an elite force at all. Apart from a small number of noble guards, the rest were just there to make up the numbers.

Without a proper defensive line, the army, upon reaching the front lines, intended to defend fortified cities, only to be surprised to find that there were no castles or fortresses capable of accommodating tens of thousands of troops.

Most noble castles can only accommodate a limited number of troops; a castle that can hold 10,000 or 20,000 soldiers is considered a large castle.

What's even more problematic is that these castles were mostly designed without considering the issue of water supply for long-term garrisoning.

After all, during civil wars among human nobles, everyone played by the rules and rarely went to extremes. Unless it was a matter of life and death, a prolonged siege was unlikely.

Human nobles need reputation, but Beastfolk don't. With a different enemy, these weaknesses must be addressed.

Using new recruits as laborers was a last resort. Without eliminating these obvious threats, the castle would be nothing more than a giant coffin.

Count Bernard's plan was doomed to fail; the Griffon Cavalry were intercepted by skilled eagle-men as soon as they took off. Since those flying in the sky couldn't escape, they had no choice but to run back down the ground to report.

They can run in any direction, Beastfolk certainly can't intercept them all. When the news will reach the Royal Capital depends on luck.

On the battlefield, speed is of the essence. Even a moment's delay can have serious consequences, let alone such an uncertain delay.

Disaster was destined for the Duchy of Orton; first, the army at the front collapsed, and then the poor suffered.

The Beastfolk soldiers, who had been slaughtering their way through, had been relentless since they raised their swords.

A living hell.

When news of the expeditionary force's great victory arrived at the Emerald Palace, the atmosphere inside became tense, even more so than when the Dachias Battle had ended in defeat.

The great Caesar III, though always smiling in public, could not help but sigh when alone.

Crown Prince Caesar's performance was even worse; wherever his icy face went, the temperature dropped by ten degrees.

Both men were in a bad mood, and the woman was even worse off. Ironically, her strict royal upbringing required her to maintain a certain image at all times.

Regret, remorse, and grievances were all present. That melancholy look in her eyes caused Caesar III to avoid the Queen.

"That's enough!"

"You've been back for so long, and you still haven't recovered. Did you waste all those years learning political maneuvering?"

Caesar III couldn't help but reprimand him.

To become a qualified ruler, one must experience trials and tribulations. From the very beginning, the intention of sending his son to the Moxi Duchy was to let him be tempered by hardship.

The original plan was for Little Caesar to lead the expeditionary force to follow in the footsteps of the Moxi Duchy, and together they would suffer defeats, thereby tempering their minds and learning how to cope with setbacks.

Unfortunately, plans can't keep up with changes. A seemingly perfect start ended up being a disaster.

Even more tragically, the mess left by the expeditionary force was immediately reversed in an instant.

The last fig leaf was gone, and it turned out that it wasn't that the expeditionary force lacked fighting power; the defeat was purely because his commander was utterly incompetent.

The successive blows have brought Crown Prince Caesar to the brink of collapse. His former confidence and arrogance have vanished without a trace, replaced by deep self-doubt.

Faced with his father's reprimand, Crown Prince Caesar's expression changed slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but for some reason, he swallowed back the words that were about to come out.

He had made a huge mess. He didn't feel anything when he was in the Moxi Duchy, but he immediately felt the pressure after returning home.

The families of the noble officers of the expeditionary force formed a group and went to the Royal Capital to demand an explanation from the royal family.

Fortunately, Caesar III handled the situation well, and given the complexity of the situation and the fact that the identities of the fallen were not yet confirmed, he was able to calm everyone down.

The fact that the family has been appeased does not mean the matter is over. The profound impact of this will accompany Little Caesar for the rest of his life.

No one is making a fuss about it now because he is only the Crown Prince. But once he becomes King in the future, this will be a ready-made bargaining chip in the hands of the great nobles.

Seeing this, Caesar III grew even angrier. However, reason made him restrain his temper and forcibly suppress the urge to beat someone up.

"Alright, Little Caesar. You're not a child anymore, and there are some things you have to learn to face."

It's not shameful to admit that you have shortcomings in some areas. No one in this world is perfect; everyone has their own weaknesses.

It's just that some people let these flaws come to light, while others manage to hide them very well.

No matter how you try to cover it up, what exists will always exist.

Compared to ordinary nobles, we have a greater advantage. A qualified monarch does not need to do everything personally; the task of leading troops into battle can be completely delegated to others.

Don't be misled by the traditions of the mainland. The way of life in the Alpha Kingdom is different from theirs. With the Beastfolk as our formidable enemy, survival is our top priority, and we cannot afford to be willful.

You're not the only Crown Prince unsuitable for the battlefield. More than half of the previous kings of my Alpha Kingdom voluntarily relinquished the power to personally command large armies.

Think about it carefully!

These are all the truths. Although the royal family has preserved a lot of military-related heritage, there are really very few King with the talent to lead troops.

Even Caesar III himself was utterly incompetent in commanding an army.

The only difference was that when he tried to command an army in battle, he didn't fall as badly as his own son.

It was a minor defeat, with few casualties and no major incidents. We just need to find a scapegoat to take the blame.

Having learned his lesson, Caesar III focused all his energy on politics. Through skillful political maneuvering, he again secured his throne.

With a sigh of relief, Caesar III's smile returned, as if he were immersed in the joy of victory.

Regardless of one's inner thoughts, what must be faced must be faced. A qualified ruler must show joy when his subordinates have won a battle.

Especially at this critical juncture, if we don't do a good job of saving face, it's easy for our subordinates to interpret it as jealousy and envy of our talents.

For a monarch, once labeled as "jealous of talent and ability," it becomes difficult to gain the support of the nobles.

"The expeditionary force achieved two great victories in a single day in the Moxi Duchy."

They ambushed a Beastfolk transport convoy, crippled four Orc Legion, including a main bear-man legion, captured 30,000 enemy heads, and seized Bearman Imperial Court battle flag.

The results were so substantial that they could be considered the greatest since the start of the war. Viscount Hudson deserves the primary credit for the expeditionary force's achievements.

The war is still ongoing, and we cannot conduct specific calculations of war merits for the time being. Everything will have to wait until after the war.

"Prime Minister, arrange for this battle report to be disseminated throughout the country as soon as possible to boost national morale."

Caesar III said with a smile.

Anyone who has read the battle reports will know that the battle results described by the King have changed slightly compared to those sent by the expeditionary force.

What was originally described as a "severe blow" became "crippled" in Caesar III's words.

As a King, it would be absolutely impossible for him to make such an outrageous slip of the tongue on such a formal occasion.

It was all for political propaganda. If he weren't worried that no one would believe him if he made too much of a boast, he wouldn't mind changing those two words to "total annihilation".

Although such a grand publicity campaign was very detrimental to his son, as a monarch, he was destined not to act on emotion.

"Your Majesty, we have already begun the propaganda campaign. It will spread to every corner of the kingdom within five days at the latest."

Besides the good news, the Moxi people also brought news that five days ago, the Beastfolk army split up and marched towards the Duchy of Orton, and the battle may have already begun.

The Moxi people sent an envoy, ostensibly to discuss the rewards for the great victory, but in reality, they wanted to gain more of our support.

According to the intelligence we've gathered, they are planning a campaign to lift the siege of Dapes, but they are hampered by insufficient resources.

The words of the Prime Minister Grand Duke Newfoundland drew the attention of all the ministers present to the map on the wall. After staring at the location of the Duchy of Orton for a long time, they finally reached a consensus: the Beastfolk's military operation had nothing to do with the Alpha Kingdom.

That's enough.

Although all the countries are allies now, it's better for an ally to suffer than for oneself. As long as the Beastfolk army doesn't turn its attention to them, everything will be fine.

As for whether the Beastfolk army would continue south to sweep across other countries after conquering the Duchy of Orton, or turn around and attack the neighboring Warhammer Kingdom, no one cared about that anymore.

There was no other way; they were forced into it. Shortly after the outbreak of war, the northern nations reached an agreement to join forces against the Orc Empire.

However, the final result was that the Alpha Kingdom and the Moxi Duchy were locked in a bitter battle, while other countries were just paying lip service and did not actually contribute.

Anyone would feel resentful in that situation.

Of course, saying this would be somewhat unfair to the Duchy of Orton and the County of Ruilin, as they also contributed their efforts.

Unfortunately, he was essentially delivering himself to the enemy's head, achieving nothing in the process. This contribution, difficult to quantify, is easily overlooked.

After observing the crowd's reactions, Caesar III's smile faded, and he asked hesitantly, "Do you think, given the current situation, it's still necessary for us to increase our investment in the Moshi battlefield?"

It's clear that he's conflicted deep down. On one hand, he hopes the Moxi Duchy can hold out longer, buying more time for the kingdom; on the other hand, he worries that spending too much of his resources on the Moxi battlefield will affect the kingdom's future plans.

Despite the current dire situation of the Moxi Duchy, the fighting intensity on the Northern Frontier Battlefield of the Alpha Kingdom is not much lower.

The once invincible five dukes of the North have been worn down by the Beastfolk, and their fiefdoms have been almost entirely lost.

The nearby Beastfolk tribes have even moved here en masse, taking over the territory that originally belonged to them.

Not only did the Northern Nobles suffer heavy losses, but every province that participated in the war also complained bitterly.

"Your Majesty, the international situation has changed. The Human Alliance has decided to clear the field, Beastfolk will find it difficult to escape unscathed this time."

From a diplomatic standpoint, providing some assistance to the Moxi Duchy now would enhance the kingdom's international image and greatly contribute to the post-war reconstruction of the political landscape of the northern region.

Count Francis suggested.

As Foreign Minister, he had to consider things from a broader perspective. While everyone else's attention was still on the war, Count Francis was already thinking about the post-war international landscape.

In the northern region of the human race, the Alpha Kingdom has always been the strongest power. However, this strongest kingdom has almost no presence on the international stage.

It's not that they don't understand international politics; the main problem is that with the Orc Empire dragging them down, the kingdom is forced to focus all its energy on resisting the Beastfolk invasion.

They are too busy taking care of themselves to get involved in the affairs of the countries in the northern region, so they should try to get as little involved as possible.

"Your Majesty, the situation in the Moxi Duchy is so dire that it is almost beyond saving. Even if the expeditionary force achieves a great victory, it will not change anything."

Once the Beastfolk make up their minds, the fall of Dapes is only a matter of time. Even if the kingdom sends troops again, it will be too late to solve the immediate problem.

As for their planned breakout strategy, from a military perspective, it's not very feasible. The Beastfolk aren't stupid; they might just be using Dapes as a huge bait.

The aim was to lure the Moxi people army out of the castle fortress in order to find an opportunity to annihilate them in open battle.

The kingdom's military strength is extremely valuable; there's no need to waste too much time on the Moxi people. If conditions permit, it would be best to find an opportunity to withdraw the expeditionary force.

As for the post-war political landscape, I think it's more appropriate to consider this issue after the Orc Empire has been crippled.

Regardless of how the international situation changes in the future, the core factor determining everything is still strength. As long as the kingdom is strong enough, no one will dare to ignore our existence.

Duke Affierro, the Minister of Military Affairs, decisively voted against it.

Opinions for and against arose simultaneously, and the courtiers quickly split into two factions, arguing incessantly.

No result was reached by the end of the meeting.

However, sometimes, no outcome is an outcome in itself. Caesar III's prolonged silence is, in itself, a political statement.

Isn't the act of "delaying" a peaceful yet elegant way of refusing?

Everything stems from self-interest. If the Beastfolk army hadn't headed for the Duchy of Orton, but instead chosen a country that bordered both the Alpha Kingdom and the Moxi Duchy, the situation would have been entirely different.

After the meeting, a disgruntled Caesar III frowned and ordered the Chancellor of the Palace, "Draft a document to confer the title of Earl upon Hudson."

Winning hearts and minds is always an essential skill for King. Even if he harbored resentment deep inside, Caesar III would never show it on his face.

In any case, judging from the current situation, as long as the expeditionary force does not encounter any major problems, it is highly likely that Hudson will become a duke after the war.

Others may not realize it, but Caesar III saw it very clearly: several great noble families in the kingdom had already fallen behind, and it was only a matter of time before they were replaced by those who came after them.

The replacement of powerful noble families is not necessarily a bad thing for the kingdom. As long as the noble families do not swallow each other up and become too powerful, the King has no need to play the villain.

The process of bestowing titles upon nobles at the earl level was extremely complex. It required not only sufficient military achievements but also the approval of the King and the Noble Council.

If a change of dynasty occurs, there will be even more problems involved. There simply won't be time to address these issues until the war is over.

In contrast, the Court Count, which could not be inherited, was not as valuable. It could be conferred directly by the King's consent.

Aside from the impressive-sounding title, the actual weight of the position depends entirely on the individual's role within the kingdom.

Caesar III was never stingy with offerings that were both beneficial and inexpensive to win people's hearts.

Since receiving the news from the Royal Capital, Baron Redman in the Mountain Territory has been in a state of turmoil. To be precise, the entire Coslo Family has been in an uproar.

Initially, everyone was worried about the expedition to the Moxi Duchy, but the series of victories changed everything. Their confidence in Hudson swelled to an unprecedented level.

The "crisis" certainly exists, but the "danger" belongs to others, while the "opportunity" belongs to the Coslo Family.

Given the current situation, Baron Redman couldn't help but imagine the grand occasion of the Coslo Family's ascension to the ranks of the great nobility.

Baron Redman warmly welcomed every visitor, even though he knew they all had ulterior motives.

Having more friends means having more options. Even if most of these friends aren't worth befriending, as long as even one can be of use, it's not a loss.

I don't expect anyone to help me in any way; as long as things don't go wrong at crucial moments, that's enough.

In Qiaomu County, Viscount Oran was both pleased and worried upon receiving the news. Making a decisive move and finding a promising son-in-law should have been a good thing.

The problem is that this son-in-law's abilities are too outstanding, and the original alliance may turn into a rivalry.

Having accumulated strength over many years, the Hollisir Family is plotting to seize the opportunity to return to the ranks of the great nobility. Meanwhile, thanks to Hudson's rise to prominence, the Coslo Family, lacking sufficient foundation, has also demonstrated the potential to challenge the great nobility.

In an era where everyone has their own role, a slight misstep can turn two families from relatives into competitors.

As for the possibility of simultaneously completing the leap and crossing into the ranks of the great nobles, that possibility is extremely slim.

Viscount Oran glanced lovingly at his daughter and could only console himself that the two families wouldn't run into each other.

"Father, is there a problem with this battle report?"

Melissa, sensing something was wrong, asked in confusion.

She clearly remembered that when she received the good news about Hudson twice before, her father had boasted about his good eye for choosing a son-in-law.

"It's nothing, it's just that Hudson's performance was too impressive. I was a little surprised and found it hard to accept!"

Viscount Oran offered a forced explanation.

Unfortunately, Melissa immediately saw through this pretense. Having lived together for so many years, she knew Viscount Oran very well.

If she were truly surprised, her brows wouldn't be furrowed so deeply. She seemed to have a vague idea, and asked uncertainly:

"But the rise of Hudson conflicted with the family's interests."

However, there are several counties between our two families, so even if a conflict occurs, it won't involve core interests.

Unless it is...

Suddenly, Melissa's expression darkened. This involved a core strategic conflict between two powerful families, something that couldn't be resolved in a few words.

If the two families were to clash in the future due to conflicting interests, her situation would be rather awkward. However, such things are commonplace in aristocratic circles, and if it happens, one can only accept their bad luck.

"Okay, Melissa. Things aren't as bad as you think. This is just the worst-case scenario, and it's not certain that it will happen."

No matter how the situation develops, your marriage will not be affected. The Coslo Family's foundation is too shallow, and Hudson is a smart man who would never allow his reputation to be seriously tarnished.

Moreover, anything is possible in war. The Liufeng Family has already been eliminated, and more families will follow suit.

As long as there are enough declining noble families, there will be enough opportunities for new ones to emerge, and our two families will not have to clash because of it.

After hearing Viscount Oran's explanation, Melissa said hesitantly, "Father, perhaps we should write to Hudson about this."

As the commander-in-chief of the expeditionary force, and having achieved victory after victory, he must have held a high position in the army.

Although they are currently far away in the Moxi Duchy, they will most likely join forces again during the future counterattack.

If it's done intentionally, creating multiple unexpected incidents...

Melissa swallowed the words back. Such a self-destructive act towards one's teammates was clearly inconsistent with noble principles.

Looking at his daughter, Viscount Oran said with a hint of relief, "Melissa, you've finally grown up."

The world of the nobility is cruel; naive and innocent girls are destined not to survive more than three episodes.

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