The Rapidly Deteriorating Situation

A sharp, cold wind swept by, and Count Fedris frowned as he looked at the soldiers, their faces flushed and shivering.

A winter morning is undoubtedly a considerable challenge for soldiers dressed in thin clothing.

There was no other way; time was just too tight.

This large army was cobbled together from the private armies of nobles from various regions. It was a temporary, emergency mobilization, and there was no prior preparation of so many cotton-padded clothes.

In theory, nobles should provide clothing for their private armies. However, the southern provinces of the duchy have tropical climates, so winter clothing is unnecessary.

Things that are not needed will naturally not be stockpiled. Even after receiving the mobilization order and everyone making efforts to raise funds, it's still a drop in the ocean.

In the face of insufficient supplies, priority must be given to the main force, and ordinary soldiers can only keep warm by shivering.

Unable to conjure up a cotton coat, Count Fedris could only sigh helplessly. Just as he was about to mount his horse, his expression suddenly changed, and he abruptly raised his head to look at the sky.

Between the blue sky and white clouds, a gray shadow spread its wings and circled, looking like an eagle.

However, judging from its appearance, it was slightly larger than an ordinary eagle, and its circling movements seemed a bit strange. After circling several times directly above the army, it turned and danced a few times.

Count Fedris's already grim face darkened further, and the young officer beside him cried out in panic, "Father, it's the Eagleman..."

Before the young man could finish speaking, Count Fedris slapped him on the back of the head and scolded, "Shut up! I saw it too. They're just eagle-man scouts, what's the big deal!"

He spoke lightly, but deep down he was anything but at ease. After a slight hesitation, Count Fedris immediately gave the order:

"Pass down the order to send the Griffon Cavalry into the air to scout, but do not engage the enemy."

It was all out of necessity; the number of Griffon Cavalry was severely insufficient, so they had to use them sparingly.

If another aerial battle breaks out with the Eaglemen, they might wipe out even their last remaining seed.

The Beastfolk scouts have appeared, so the two sides must be close. He turned to the officer beside him and asked, "How long has it been since our scouts sent back any news?"

"The last time I received a message was last night."

The officer replied.

"Bring me the map!"

As soon as Count Fedris finished speaking, his adjutant immediately took a map from behind his back, unfolded it, and presented it to him.

Upon locating the army's position on the map, Count Fedris's expression suddenly changed drastically. He said with a grim face, "Oh no..."

Before they could finish speaking, the Griffon Cavalry, who had just taken off, encountered trouble. It turned out that the eagle-men's aerial performance was actually a signal, calling for their companions to come to them.

The unexpected encounter laid the foundation for a skirmish. The few Griffon Cavalry dared not engage the enemy in the air and hurriedly shook off the pursuing eaglemen.

However, this also ruined the reconnaissance mission. Faced with a large number of eaglemen, the Griffon Cavalry had no choice but to retreat.

Seeing this, Count Fedris, who was panicking, pretended to be calm and said, "Send down the order to triple the number of scouts sent out to investigate."

In the distance, across the fields, a Behemoth Cavalry was galloping wildly, and a terrifying aura could be felt from afar.

Jorge was a veteran scout who had followed his commander in many battles and had seen his share of big scenes, but he was still stunned by what he saw.

Seeing the enemy closing in, Jorge, realizing what was happening, slapped his forehead, lit a signal flare, threw it on the ground, and hurriedly turned and ran.

This was a veteran's emergency response. There was no time to go back and report; given the speed of the Behemoth Cavalry, everyone would be there in the blink of an eye.

Accurate intelligence couldn't be transmitted back, so the only option was to light a specially made beacon fire to warn the commander behind them to be careful.

Even though Jorge reacted quickly, that brief delay Behemoth Cavalry to spot him. He had barely escaped a mile when the Behemoth warriors caught up with him and killed him.

Jorge's sacrifice was not in vain. Although the Behemoth Cavalry quickly took measures to extinguish the smoke, the smoke that rose for a moment still attracted the attention of his colleagues more than ten miles away.

One smoke signal after another, distributed in a grid pattern, eventually reached the army.

Count Fedris, realizing the danger, inwardly groaned. The surrounding area was flat for dozens of miles, with the only fortification being a Baron's Castle a mile away.

Regardless of the castle's defensive capabilities, a small Baron's Castle couldn't possibly hold that many troops.

Without the slightest hesitation, Count Fedris immediately ordered, "Pass down the order to turn towards Allentburg."

Having fortifications is better than having none. By setting up camp near a castle, at least supplies can be stored inside, ensuring that logistics are not disrupted by the enemy.

Deep down, Count Fedris was already praying that he hadn't encountered the Behemoth Cavalry.

Encountering Behemoth Cavalry in the open field was every general's nightmare. Even with a numerical advantage, Count Fedris lacked the confidence to win.

The best outcome would be to force back the Behemoth Cavalry military formation. A direct confrontation was out of the question; his family had worked hard to build a Knight Order, and he couldn't afford to waste it here.

Just as the army arrived at Allentburg, a scout reported, "Your Excellency, a large force of Behemoth Cavalry has appeared ahead, their numbers are enormous, they are everywhere."

Gui's limited vocabulary left Tanma unable to find a more suitable adjective! He could only resort to the phrase "it's everywhere."

What is the exact number of troops?

Unfortunately, the scouts didn't have time to take a count. The Behemoths, running at full speed, are incredibly fast; even the slightest delay would mean they wouldn't have the chance to return and report.

In fact, when the scouts sent back the specific information, the earth had already begun to tremble, and faint black dots appeared on the distant horizon.

"Form ranks to meet the enemy!"

As Count Fedris issued his orders, he secretly rejoiced that he had been cautious enough to take immediate action after receiving the signal fire.

If one were to encounter the Behemoth Cavalry in the wild without any preparation, it would likely result in a disastrous defeat at the first touch.

In the blink of an eye, the bloody slaughter began. There was no dialogue, and neither side's generals showed themselves before the battle erupted.

"A volley of crossbow bolts!"

"Archers, prepare to fire!"

"Spear throwers, prepare! Fire!"

Despite their organized command, Behemoth Cavalry could not halt their advance. Their full-body armor shielded the charging Behemoths from a hail of Arrow Feathers.

The idea of "Behemoth Heavy Cavalry" had barely formed when the enemy had already torn apart the army's formation on the periphery.

The scene before him caused Count Fedris to frown deeply. With limited elite troops at his disposal, it was impossible to cover all positions simultaneously, and it was inevitable that the enemy would find an opening.

"Pass down the order: no one is allowed to retreat. The Supervision Team is responsible for monitoring; anyone who disrupts the formation will be executed without exception!"

The orders were timely, but faced with the collapsing situation, they were futile. No matter how capable the Supervision Team was, they couldn't stop the troops from collapsing at such a rapid pace.

He once considered ordering his Knight Order to attack and stop the Behemoth Cavalry, but Count Fedris ultimately gave up.

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They managed to salvage the collapsing situation, but their own Knight Order was gone. Besides, they could stop the Behemoth Cavalry once, but not a second time.

The harsh reality told him that taking a large number of new recruits with him was the biggest mistake he could have made.

However, the battle must continue; a mere local battlefield collapse is not enough to make Count Fedris give up.

"The battle here won't end anytime soon. Kevin, find a chance to break out and send a message back to the Royal Capital. Tell them to seize the opportunity and launch a major offensive immediately to force the Behemoth Cavalry to return to their aid!"

Though he spoke lightly, Count Fedris had absolutely no confidence whatsoever. Armies from all over were on their way, and reinforcements simply couldn't arrive in time.

The only solution is for the cavalry to launch a surprise attack, coordinating with the defenders in Dapes City to launch a combined assault on the Beastfolk Royal Capital, forcing the Behemoth Cavalry to return to their aid.

This is a race against time, a race against death. Whoever ends the battle first will be the victor in this great battle.

"Father, but..."

Before Kevin could voice his concerns, Count Fedris interrupted, "There are no 'buts,' this is an order!"

What you need to do now is—execute! Everything else is none of your concern.

At the same time that the great war broke out, Beastfolk Five Great Imperial Courts also launched their own battles on the borders. The original strategic westward shift turned out to be just a pretext.

Caught off guard, several border fortresses fell in a single battle, and the struggling Terence City was on the verge of collapse.

Faced with the suddenly deteriorating situation, Marshal Hodge could only look up at the sky in silence.

It wasn't that the defending troops were incompetent; the enemy had simply gone too far. They had just withdrawn troops from the front lines to relieve the siege of Dapes when they encountered Beastfolk orc attack, clearly indicating that the enemy was well-prepared.

Under normal circumstances, even if the Beastfolk were using the army besieging Dapes City as bait, they should have sent a large army across the defenses to reinforce them by now.

To ensure the successful implementation of the strategy to relieve the siege of Dapes, Marshal Hodge also specially arranged troops to intercept the Beastfolk army on the way.

Unfortunately, plans can't keep up with changes, Beastfolk never play by the rules.

The plan to launch a coordinated attack on the Warhammer Kingdom from within and without was temporarily cancelled. The army, already in dire straits, disregarded the danger and focused solely on eliminating these "holdouts."

With a large number of troops being diverted, the Terence Defense Line was now at its weakest. Marshal Hodge found himself powerless to do anything but watch helplessly as fortress after fortress fell.

Suddenly, he realized. From beginning to end, the Beastfolk's target was the hundreds of thousands of troops defending the front lines.

Without these troops, the Moxi Duchy was essentially finished. Even the lifting of the siege of Dapes could not prevent its decline.

Even if we uncover the conspiracy, it will be useless. If we don't seize this opportunity to launch a siege relief campaign, then the plan to storm Dapes City will become a reality.

If Dapes City falls, the Moxi Duchy will lose not only its capital, but also its hope and faith.

Most importantly, the army at the front line would be left isolated, suffering a severe blow to morale and all logistical supplies would be cut off.

Although a large amount of food and fodder had been stored in the city beforehand, it would eventually run out if we just sat around and did nothing.

Compared to food supplies, the more troublesome issue is the supplies needed for defending the city. Daily battles consume a large amount of resources, and the city's reserves alone cannot sustain this for long.

Faced with overwhelming power, scheming alone cannot turn the tide. The reality facing the Moxi people is that no matter what choices they make, the final outcome will be a tragedy.

Looking back towards the Royal Capital, Marshal Hodge made a silent decision. Even if he couldn't reverse the duchy's decline, he had to buy as much time as possible for the country.

Every extra day the Terence Defense Line hold, the Beastfolk's main force is tied down for another day. Having paid such a heavy price, if the siege of Dapes cannot be lifted, the Moxi Duchy will be utterly doomed.

The Warhammer Kingdom was also suffering. The unusual movements of the Beastfolk army at the front line had forced the defending forces to refrain from making any rash moves.

Even after seeing the main force of the Beastfolk army turn back, they still dared not send troops back to reinforce the battlefield of Atalus, for fear that it was just a feint by the enemy.

In fact, the battlefield of Adolus is not short of men; what they lack is an elite Knight Order capable of fighting against the Beastfolk cavalry.

As a kingdom, the Warhammer Kingdom has a more substantial foundation than the Moxi Duchy, but this foundation is still quite limited.

Despite their large populations and vast territories, the Warhammer Kingdom's lands are largely mountainous, and its plains are not as fertile as those of the Moxi Duchy. In terms of financial resources, the two kingdoms are not far apart.

Poverty breeds strong soldiers, but it doesn't produce knights. Limited by financial resources, they didn't even have many cavalry legions.

Even with their greater resilience, the soldiers could only watch helplessly as the Beastfolk cavalry charged from all sides.

With each unexpected loss of supplies, Joseph II's temper grew increasingly volatile.

The granaries of the nearby nobles are almost empty from the army's consumption; if this continues, everyone will go hungry sooner or later.

Evacuation is out of the question; even if Joseph II were willing, the surrounding Beastfolk army would not allow it.

It's unbelievable that an army of 700,000 was held back by an army of 90,000 Beastfolk.

Faced with the heavily fortified camp, the Beastfolk army was powerless. But once they set off, the Beastfolk cavalry would immediately charge in.

Unless they march in formation. Obviously, that's impossible. What kind of formation could possibly accommodate 700,000 troops?

Even if they formed a battle formation, they couldn't move forward in an orderly manner. A plain doesn't mean all the land is on the same horizon; it also has ups and downs, just relatively gentler.

"Have you located the Beastfolk infantry?"

Joseph II asked with a solemn expression.

If he had a choice, he would never personally command the army again. This constant passive fighting was incredibly frustrating.

From the moment the army gathered in the Artrus Province, they were led by the nose by the enemy, as if they were walking a dog.

Several proactive attacks not only failed to thwart the enemy's plot, but also resulted in the loss of two cavalry legions and the heavy damage to four Knight Order.

However, the results they achieved were only reported as good by their subordinates. Whenever they were asked to launch another attack, everyone made excuses and hesitated, as if going on an attack was like going to their execution.

"Your Majesty, it's confirmed. A large force of bear-men infantry has been discovered stationed in Yakronburg, fifty miles from us."

The middle-aged general hurriedly replied.

They put in a lot of effort to obtain this intelligence. Nearly a hundred reconnaissance soldiers paid the ultimate price.

However, human life is cheap on the battlefield, with casualties averaging over four figures every day, and people have long since become numb to numbers.

"Fifty li is still quite far. But given the current situation, we can't worry about that now."

Guard, summon the high-ranking officers to come and discuss the battle plan.

Joseph II said with a slightly solemn expression.

The Beastfolk cavalry had seized the initiative on the battlefield, and the longer the battle dragged on, the more disadvantageous the situation became for them.

If we don't actively seek out opportunities to engage in a decisive battle, and drag things out until our main force runs out of supplies, we won't even have the capacity to fight.

In fact, even if the Beastfolk cavalry didn't harass their supply lines, they wouldn't be able to hold out for long.

Mobilizing 700,000 troops at once may seem impressive, but the logistical pressure it brings is unimaginable.

The Artrus Province, located in the central part of the kingdom, was not the intended battlefield, and no supplies had been stockpiled beforehand. All the army's expenses were collected on the spot.

In addition to the logistics of its large army, the Warhammer Kingdom also faces the problem of a large number of refugees brought about by the war.

For some reason, the Beastfolk army suddenly changed its ways this time. Instead of carrying out a horrific massacre, they drove the serfs away.

The Warhammer Kingdom can accommodate refugees from a single city or region. But when the people of several southern provinces are reduced to refugees, it becomes an unsolvable problem.

If relief couldn't be provided, then suppression was the only option. Many regions of the Warhammer Kingdom became hell on earth.

In a sense, Joseph II was also in a dilemma. The outcome of the Battle of Adolus would directly determine the future fate of the Warhammer Kingdom.

Retreat would not only risk total defeat, but also the complete collapse of the central provinces; fighting would not only fail to annihilate the Beastfolk army, but would also allow them to be led by the nose by the enemy.

The best option is to focus on the Beastfolk infantry and beat them mercilessly, luring the enemy cavalry to come to their aid, and then seize the opportunity to severely damage the enemy forces.

Two wars simultaneously brought about a fateful choice. Unaware of the consequences, Hudson led his army towards Dapes City.

What troubled him was that there were suddenly more eagle-men in the sky, making it impossible for his own Griffon Cavalry to go out for normal reconnaissance.

Beldens has already taken action several times to drive away these pesky creatures, leaving the Young Bear looking at him with resentment, as if complaining about his abuse of child labor.

Reason told Hudson that the more the enemy didn't want them to do something, the more they should do it.

The large-scale deployment of eaglemen, solely to blockade airspace and prevent Griffon Cavalry from conducting reconnaissance, must indicate that something significant is about to happen.

Just as he was hesitating, a cloud of smoke suddenly rose from behind him, causing Hudson's expression to change drastically.

"Black smoke billows out! The Beastfolk are attacking Terence Defense Line!"

In an instant, Hudson understood. The Beastfolk' deliberate breach wasn't an attempt to encircle and annihilate the enemy forces outside Dapes City, but rather a direct attack on the Terence frontline garrison.

For the Orc Empire, annihilating the Moxi Duchy's manpower was clearly of greater strategic value than conquering Dapes City.

Knowing this, Hudson still gave up the idea of returning to reinforce Terence Defense Line. It wasn't a matter of whether he wanted to or not; it was simply impossible.

On the way here, fearing Beastfolk army would ambush their rear, the expeditionary force sabotaged the route. Now, the main roads are riddled with potholes and are completely unsuitable for large-scale military operations.

To get back, the road must first be repaired. Everyone knows that destruction is easier than construction, and the extent of the destruction caused by the soldiers acting on their own is a question only the Lord of Dawn can answer.

"Pass down the order to speed up the march! We must reach the Dapes City within two days."

Reason told Hudson that now was not the time to preserve their strength. If they couldn't take advantage of the Behemoth Cavalry's departure to lift the siege of Dapes first, the situation would only get worse.