Brimming with Confidence

"So, did you get in touch with them?"

Chancellor Herczeg asked nervously.

Although the Beastfolk's sudden action did not completely sever Dapes' connection with the outside world, normal communication was still affected.

Faced with the blockade by the Eagleman Air Force, the Griffon Cavalry could only look for opportunities to break through in the narrow gaps.

If communications in the air are disrupted, communications on the ground will be affected even more.

To slip away from the Beastfolk army, you need not only strength but also luck.

It's not that there aren't more advanced methods of communication, such as Magic Array.

But this thing is not only troublesome to set up, but also incredibly expensive, and it can't be moved.

From its inception, it was a useless product. Unless alchemical technology is further improved, it has no possibility of widespread adoption.

For a city besieged, losing contact with the outside world is undoubtedly extremely dangerous.

Upon realizing something was amiss, the principality's high command immediately dispatched people to sneak out of the city and contact troops in various regions.

"We got in touch, but the situation is a bit bad."

The allied forces of the southern provinces, led by Count Fedris, have been attacked by the Behemoth Legion and are currently holding out in Allentburg.

The other armies didn't encounter any trouble, but we received bad news from the Alpha Kingdom's expeditionary force: the Beastfolk were launching a full-scale attack on the Terence Defense Line.

The specifics are unknown, but the Count Hudson advised us to prepare for the worst.

The expeditionary force has accelerated its pace and is expected to arrive the day after tomorrow, where it will work with us from within and without to break the Beastfolk's encirclement of Dapes.

Count Martins said with a slightly apprehensive expression.

The more you know, the more troubles you have.

While others were still unaware of the gravity of the situation, he, the Minister of Military Affairs, was acutely aware that the duchy would face an increasingly difficult future.

The three major northern powers are facing trouble almost simultaneously, and they can't find anyone to ask for help from. The collapse of any one of them would be a major blow to the other two.

It's fine to ask neighboring countries for some supplies, but we shouldn't make things difficult for them if they send troops to fight.

Even if various countries were to send reinforcements, Count Martins didn't know how to utilize them. If they were accidentally wiped out, he would incur a huge debt of gratitude.

The only way to turn the tide is for reinforcements from the Human Alliance to arrive. But that depends on whether they can hold out for that long.

"Can the expeditionary force and the defenders of Dapes defeat the enemy besieging us?"

Chancellor Herczeg asked rather nervously.

This was a consequence of repeated defeats; a series of major battles had led to a lack of confidence in their own army.

"It shouldn't be a big problem. Count Hudson is not a reckless man. He must have some confidence to propose this plan."

Although the Beastfolk army outside the city numbered 300,000, they were all cannon fodder troops of the Orc Empire, with very average combat strength.

The expeditionary force now has a total strength of over 120,000. They may not even need us to take action; they will be able to defeat the Beastfolk army outside the city.

However, just to be on the safe side, it would be best to send some more troops. Infantry might not be able to catch up, but a cavalry raid shouldn't be a problem.

The only question is whether the Beastfolk Behemoth Legion will return to their aid.

However, we have two cavalry legions, plus the newly formed cavalry legions of the expeditionary force, and several Knight Order. Holding them off for a while shouldn't be a problem.

Count Martins offered a rational analysis.

It's ironic that they lack confidence in their own people but have unwavering confidence in outsiders.

However, reality is staring them in the face: in the previous battles, the army of the Moxi Duchy had indeed performed poorly.

After surviving the most difficult early stages of the war, the situation improved somewhat, but under Marshal Hodge's conservative strategy, they still failed to achieve any notable victories.

Simply holding the line or engaging in skirmishes in the wild is clearly not enough to reverse the negative impact caused in the early stages.

This deep lack of self-confidence directly impacted the strategic planning of the Moxi Duchy.

If they were commanded by a group of confident commanders, the Behemoth Cavalry would have taken military action as soon as they left.

Even if they didn't directly lead the garrison out to attack, they would have sent troops to raid the camp instead of sitting idly by and watching the situation change.

"If no one has any other objections, then let's do it this way!"

The Foreign Affairs Department should urge the alliance to act. I have a feeling that something is amiss with the current situation.

The old geezer, the Behemoth Emperor, personally went to the front lines and immediately tore through two lines of defense. The Alpha Kingdom is now in a state of panic.

The situation was even worse in the Warhammer Kingdom, where Joseph II, leading an army of a million, was unable to defeat a Beastfolk expeditionary force.

Even if their actual troop strength is only half of what they claim, that's still half a million troops. With so many troops tied down and unable to move, a major problem is bound to arise sooner or later.

Everyone is aware of the situation in the Duchy. If we don't break the enemy's siege of Dapes soon, the next thing we'll likely be...

The words were on the tip of his tongue, but Chancellor Herczeg swallowed them back. Morale was already low; a few more blows and it would be completely extinguished.

Pessimism is spreading among the duchy's high-ranking officials, partly due to the deteriorating situation and partly due to changes in the duchy's leadership.

Without the King as a pillar of support, and with Chancellor Herczeg not being a particularly powerful minister, all decisions were made through discussion and voting.

This approach, while steady, always gives people a very forced feeling.

The Moxi Duchy desperately needs a major victory to stabilize the unrest within its borders.

Lifting the siege of Dapes may not be the best decision at present, but it is certainly the most effective option in the short term.

Since the expeditionary force withdrew, Flying Bear Fortress has been subjected to the fiercest attack by the Bearman Imperial Court.

Crossbow bolts, catapults, Magic Crystal Cannon, and magic projectiles filled the air as all the firepower was directed at the defenders on the city walls.

It's clear that the Bearman Emperor is preparing to vent all the grievances he's suffered on this castle.

This all-out offensive put immense psychological pressure on the defending troops from the very beginning.

The Magic Crystal Cannon on the city walls kept firing, and ballistae and catapults kept firing downwards, but Flying Bear Fortress was ultimately just a fortress.

Compared to the entire Bearman Imperial Court, the total firepower it possessed on the Moxi battlefield was still at a disadvantage.

After all, before the war broke out, who could have imagined that the Beastfolk Royal Court would spend so much to launch a strong attack on a military fortress?

Even if the offensive were to be this fierce, it should be aimed at the defensive hub of Terence City, not the strategically less important Flying Bear Fortress.

Bearing pressure that it should not have had to bear, the ancient Flying Bear Fortress wept amidst the flames of war.

Faced with the overwhelming offensive of the Beastfolk army, if they hadn't been trapped in an isolated city with no way out, the defending army would probably have collapsed long ago.

However, this is just an appetizer; the real bloody battle will take place after the city falls.

"Boom, boom..."

Loud explosions rang out continuously, and each explosion caused a section of the city wall to collapse.

"What's going on? Why haven't they breached the enemy's walls yet?"

The Bearman Emperor was watching the battle, asked with a puzzled look on his face.

"Your Majesty, the enemy has reinforced the city walls. Even if we plant specialized breaching magic missiles beneath them, we can't tear them all apart at once!"

Perhaps seeing the Bearman Emperor's grim expression, the middle-aged officer hurriedly added, "However, even if the enemy thickens the city walls, they cannot stop the valiant Beastfolk soldiers."

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The collapsed city walls served as natural ladders, allowing soldiers to scale the enemy walls along the ruins.

..."

As they spoke, Beastfolk soldiers began their charge along the collapsed ruins of the city wall.

Unfortunately, the road that was blasted open was not a smooth one; even walking on it was difficult, let alone launching an attack.

On the battlefield, any delay can cost lives. Even the slightest slowdown in the movement of the charging Beastfolk soldiers made them easy targets for archers.

This sacrifice was not in vain. The corpses of a large number of Beastfolk soldiers gradually filled the ruins, and a road was built out of the beasts' lives.

Upon seeing this, the overjoyed Bearman Emperor hurriedly ordered, "Send the Bearman Heavy Infantry forward! Tear open the enemy's turtle shell!"

The appearance of the bear-men soldiers immediately drew the attention of the city's defending general.

Without the slightest hesitation, Rackel immediately ordered, "Quickly pour oil on them, and set them on fire as soon as the enemy comes up!"

From a spoiled rich kid to a general defending a city, Rackel had his own untold hardships.

He had originally decided to follow the expeditionary force and ride on Hudson's coattails to gain military merit.

Unfortunately, plans change quickly. For some reason, his father thought it was too dangerous to go with the expeditionary force to relieve the siege of Dapes, so he left him to guard Flying Bear Fortress.

Rackel didn't know how risky the expeditionary force was, but he had personally experienced the danger of guarding Flying Bear Fortress.

In the siege just now, the Beastfolk army suffered at least several thousand casualties. With such heavy losses, there should be a pause or two.

However, the Bearman Emperor outside, who commanded the entire army, was clearly somewhat out of control and completely ignored the casualties of his soldiers.

Facing an enemy that is willing to disregard its own casualties in order to forcibly take Flying Bear Fortress is definitely not a good thing for the defending forces.

Deep down, Rackel couldn't help but curse his father, who had really let his son down.

Past successes are not necessarily applicable indefinitely.

While venturing out of the city to confront the Beastfolk army head-on is certainly dangerous, even a fortress like Flying Bear Fortress, a symbol of the Beastfolk royal court's shame, is not necessarily much safer.

Adversity is the best way to grow, and having followed Hudson all the way, Rackel learned a lot.

His current command is to deploy troops according to the prior rehearsals to prepare for the Beastfolk army's attack.

Although it was a bit mechanical, Rackel had plenty of reserves. He could send troops to reinforce wherever problems arose.

After several days of fighting, Flying Bear Fortress was defended flawlessly, and the Beastfolk army was unable to find an opportunity.

Bear raging flames not only halted the Beastfolk army's advance but also took away dozens of the first Bearman Heavy Infantry who charged forward.

Perhaps the previous failed sieges had toughened the Bearman Emperor's mental fortitude, as yet another defeat did not cause a change in his expression.

"Your Majesty, we have already wasted too much time at Flying Bear Fortress. If we continue to delay, it may affect our subsequent plans."

If this leads to unforeseen circumstances on the front lines, it will be difficult to explain to our allies.

It would be better to send a portion of the army to pursue the expeditionary force along their route, thus both blocking their retreat and fulfilling the agreement with our allies.

An elderly Ritual stepped forward to offer his reminder.

As the most unique group in the Orc Empire, Ritual not only bear the heavy responsibility of Ritual the gods, but also play the role of sages.

Faced with the somewhat impulsive Bearman Emperor, others dared not try to persuade him, but the highly respected old Ritual was not afraid.

After a slight hesitation, the Bearman Emperor nodded and said, "Bruno, you have dealt with the expeditionary force before and know them best. This mission will be entrusted to you."

With the Third Army and Seventh Legions at their core, plus two Minotaur Legions, two Panther Legions, two Boarmen, and one Centaur Legion, form an army group.

"I don't care about anything else, we absolutely cannot let this expeditionary force from the Alpha Kingdom escape."

As a loser in the last war, Bruno would normally be sidelined or sidelined, even if he wasn't held accountable. However, in the military, loyalty is just as important as battle record.

Although Bruno suffered a great loss in the last great battle, he indirectly saved the Bearman Imperial Court, proving his loyalty.

The Bearman Emperor was always lenient with his loyal subordinates. Considering the circumstances, he decided to give Bruno's army another chance.

Judging from the troop deployment, the newly formed army group is definitely not some weak or ineffective legion. Even among Beastfolk, the difference in internal combat strength is enormous.

This newly formed army group not only has two main bear-man legions, but the remaining legions are also composed of powerful races, at the very least capable of being placed in the upper-middle ranks of the Orc Empire.

While their combat strength might not match that of the main force, it surpasses most cannon fodder legions. On the battlefield, as long as they don't encounter elite human legions, they are capable of wreaking havoc.

Having to resort to such substantial resources, the Bearman Emperor had no other choice. Shame could only be washed away with blood; unless the expeditionary force was wiped out, the stain on his reputation would remain.

"Your Majesty, rest assured! This time, I will make sure the expeditionary force knows that the dignity of our Bearman Imperial Court cannot be insulted! I will make that Count Hudson die in regret!"

Bruno assured him with complete confidence.

He was already resentful about his loss last time, and now that he has such strong resources, he has even less reason to be afraid.

As for the expeditionary force's great reputation in the Orc Empire, it was just something they spread themselves, and it can't be taken seriously at all.

If the occasion hadn't been inappropriate, Bruno would have been overjoyed. Leading these troops to cut off the expeditionary force's retreat—wasn't that a golden opportunity delivered to his doorstep?

The only thing to worry about is the enemy running away.

However, this is not a problem, as long as the expeditionary force did not escape in the direction he was in charge of, he can shift the blame to his allies.

Even if he can't eliminate the enemy, defeating them is just as good. As long as he breaks the myth of the expeditionary force's invincibility, he will be a hero of the bear-man race.

Of course, deep down Bruno still longed to strike decisively and completely annihilate Hudson's expeditionary force, thus solidifying his status as a renowned general in the Orc Empire.

Looking at his subordinates, who were bursting with confidence, Bearman Emperor said with satisfaction, "It's good that you have this kind of confidence!"

Bruno, once you take Hudson's head, I'll personally throw you a victory celebration!