A New Plan

Along the way, with frequent stops and starts, Bruno was seething with anger, or rather, the entire Beastfolk army was seething with anger.

Traps are everywhere. It's fair to say they've fallen into more pitfalls in the past few days than they have in the first half of their lives.

What's most infuriating is that, according to intelligence gathered by the Eagle People, there's another team ahead that's still causing trouble.

Although the expeditionary force went to the front lines to fight, several engineering regiments were left behind to carry out sabotage. The more difficult the terrain, the more severe the damage.

Especially some sections of the road near water sources are not only full of potholes, but have also been turned into muddy roads by the introduction of water.

If it weren't for the Eagle People's reconnaissance, they probably would have been tasked with building dams and flooding the seven armies.

The flood that supposedly submerged the seven armies did not occur, but the floodwaters still reached the roads, and they could not escape it.

The terrible roads greatly slowed down the Beastfolk army's advance. What used to take the expedition five and a half days, they covered less than a third of the distance in four days.

The main reason for the slow speed is road construction.

They had no choice but to repair it, as the closest reinforcements were also responsible for escorting logistical supplies.

As the war has progressed, the Moxi Duchy, whether passively or actively, completed a scorched-earth policy in the war zone.

Even the noble castles along the way were deserted, with people either going to participate in the defense of Dapes City or joining various armies.

A lord's duty to defend his territory does not mean he is inflexible. When the King issues a decree of conscription, the original constraints of duty cease to be an issue.

The Moxi people's flexible approach directly caused immense suffering for the Beastfolk army. During their retreat, the nobles carried out devastating destruction of any supplies they couldn't take with them.

They either poisoned the supplies or burned them to the ground. Even if some escaped, the troops at the front would loot them all.

In order to obtain more supplies, the Beastfolk army had to plunder from even more distant places.

The Beastfolk army besieging Dapes numbered over 300,000, and one can only imagine the amount of food and supplies consumed by such a large army.

The surrounding area has long been ravaged. Within a hundred miles of Dapes, you won't find a soul.

Even if the area were expanded to three hundred li, only some military fortresses would remain. Ordinary serfs and free people had either perished at the hands of the executioners or had already fled.

In occupied territories, where sufficient supplies cannot be obtained, the only option is to procure food from the rear.

After all, not all Beastfolk can survive by gnawing on leaves and eating grass. Without sufficient nutrition, they simply cannot sustain high-intensity combat.

They thought the Bearman Imperial Court was closest to Dapes, so they sent them to deliver a batch of supplies as an emergency measure. However, the team that should have arrived first ended up at the very back.

Bruno considered ordering his army to detour several times, but ultimately abandoned the idea due to practical considerations.

Humans can take detours, but war beasts and caravans cannot. Besides, the time added by taking detours may not be much less than that added by repairing roads.

Why can't they be considered outsiders?

People have been wiped out, and there's not even a guide. It's fine to follow the main road, but if you get lost on the side streets, that would be really embarrassing.

As Bruno watched the strange eagle-man descend from the sky, his mood worsened. His intuition told him that this was another attempt to urge him to speed up.

He also wanted to get there quickly to avenge the expeditionary force, but the problem was that he had to repair the road first!

As the army marched forward, about thirty miles from Dapes, the Behemoth Cavalry finally encountered the fleeing Beastfolk soldiers.

The Behemoth officer at the head of the procession was a shrewd fellow who knew exactly what his prince wanted. Without a word, he seized the fleeing soldiers and brought them before Prince Butzwig.

"Tell me, what happened in Dapes?"

Faced with Prince Butzwig's sharp gaze, the unfortunate defeated soldiers stood frozen in place for a moment.

"Idiot, didn't you hear me asking you a question?"

Prince Butzwig grabbed one of the unfortunate souls and angrily berated him.

As a high and mighty Behemoth prince, being able to speak to these lowly races is already an immense blessing. For these creatures to dare to be stunned is utterly unforgivable.

"Your Highness... Your Highness... I... we know nothing!"

It was pitch black, and then the army collapsed. We really don't know what happened.

Having received a baffling answer, Prince Butzwig simply threw the idiot away and launched himself into the air.

With a "thud," it landed seven or eight meters away, its body instinctively struggled for a moment, and then fell completely silent.

There's no hope of treatment; nobody dares to provoke the enraged Prince Butzwig right now. He's just a lowly Boarmen, not worth mentioning.

"And you? Just like this stupid pig, you know nothing?"

From Prince Butzwig's murderous gaze, several Boarmen sensed danger. One of them, who was being targeted, could only stammer, "No... Your Highness."

I remember that the expeditionary force appeared on the battlefield at dusk yesterday and then launched an attack.

The commander ordered half of the army to intercept the expeditionary force, and then the city's garrison also came out to attack us from both sides.

Then it got dark, and the enemy set up a large light on the city wall, illuminating the battlefield as if it were daytime.

Then came the Magic Crystal Cannon, the fighting, the cavalry...

The Boarmen recalled all his memories, but perhaps due to excessive tension, the content was somewhat incoherent and disjointed.

However, with his exceptional intelligence, Prince Butzwig managed to roughly figure out the situation—the expeditionary force and the city's garrison had joined forces to defeat the besieging army.

And that was it. Of the 300,000 Beastfolk, some died and some fled; the tide had already turned completely.

"Pass down the order: the entire army shall halt its advance and set up camp to rest."

Prince Butzwig gave the order decisively.

With the rescue target gone, continuing the long-distance journey to get there would be meaningless.

No matter how "useless" the besieging army was, it was still an army of 300,000. Without this army, Prince Butzwig would not dare to go to war with the humans with only a Behemoth Legion.

The Prince Butzwig didn't send troops to gather the defeated soldiers wasn't because he wasn't interested in increasing troop strength; he simply couldn't do it.

The Beastfolk army comprises numerous races, making internal coordination extremely difficult. They are typically organized into tribes and races, and restoring their organization would require first locating their tribal leaders.

"Straightforward Beastfolk" are stubborn and only recognize their own tribal chiefs, or they might not remember strangers they have just met.

After all, the lower-class Beastfolk lacked cultural heritage. In the Orc Empire, it was not uncommon for an entire race to be illiterate.

In order to maintain their own rule, the Five Great Imperial Courts not only blocked the spread of knowledge but also deliberately suppressed the cultural development of their vassal races.

Many races have developed for countless years, yet remain at the most primitive stage of production. At the very least, in areas related to the military, they haven't made any progress for many years.

With their civilizations stagnating and relying solely on the Beastfolk population of the Five Great Royal Families, it's no wonder that their productivity lags behind that of the humans.

Now is the time to pay the price. In the most primitive mobilization system, nothing can be done without the tribal chief.

Soldiers of the same race might be somewhat manageable to be commanded.

With such scattered and defeated soldiers everywhere, even if they were gathered and reorganized, their original structure could not be restored. The only way to reorganize them into an army is through a multi-ethnic mix.

Putting conflicting ethnic groups into one army is like putting sheep and wolves in the same pen. What will happen next is obvious.

At the Duchy of Moxi Duchy, Hudson learned of Chris IX's illness during his first high-level meeting.

Whether intentionally or genuinely in a good mood, Chris IX attended the military conference despite being ill.

With his keen perception, Hudson immediately realized that this was not an illness, but rather a sign that his body was being drained and he was about to reach the end of his life.

To have survived until now, besides having extraordinary willpower, one must probably have used many life-nourishing treasures to prolong their life.

As an ally, Hudson genuinely hoped that Chris IX could live a few more years, at least until the end of the war.

The Moxi Duchy cannot withstand any turmoil. Even if the change of Royal Authority proceeds smoothly, it will still inevitably lead to internal unrest.

This is not something that can be avoided by individual will.

Chris IX clearly saw this, which is why he gritted his teeth and persevered. His appearance at the military conference was also a gesture of goodwill towards Hudson, or rather, a declaration of his stance to the Alpha Kingdom.

If all goes well, the marriage between the two countries is already underway. Hudson is well aware of how infatuated his Crown Prince is with Princess Anne.

Judging from the current situation, this marriage is the best choice for both sides; a common enemy has brought the two countries together.

The Moxi Duchy is in a critical situation and needs the support of a powerful force; the Alpha Kingdom also needs to stabilize its western front, and supporting the Moxi Duchy is supporting itself.

Moreover, Crown Prince Caesar's performance in the Moxi Duchy was a major disappointment, causing his reputation on the continent to plummet.

A tarnished reputation will inevitably have a significant impact on marriage alliances. Not everyone is willing to choose a future King's son-in-law with little real power for a marriage alliance.

Struggling is pointless; the prevailing view is that after the strong-willed King Caesar III, Caesar IV will inevitably be a weak King.

Unless Crown Prince Caesar turns the tide and proves his abilities again, he will not be able to wash away the shame of his previous defeats.

Without a doubt, this is impossible. No one would feel comfortable letting him command the army again.

It's difficult to achieve much militarily, and it's even more difficult to make a name for oneself politically.

The princes and ministers below are all cunning old foxes; how could a mere Crown Prince possibly control them?

If he plays by the rules and behaves himself, people will give him some face; but if he crosses the line, he'll definitely suffer the consequences.

"Prime Minister, you shall preside over this meeting!"

Chris IX said, his voice trembling slightly.

Judging from his expression, it was as if he might meet the Lord of Dawn at any moment.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Chancellor Herczeg answered cautiously, fearing that his voice might be too loud and inadvertently lead the King away.

"We have preliminary statistics on the results of last night's battle. We routed over 300,000 Beastfolk and killed more than 60,000..."

The one who deserves the most credit is naturally our Count Hudson.

In last night's battle, the expeditionary force commanded by Count Hudson seized the opportunity and tore through the Beastfolk's formation, laying the foundation for victory in the great battle.

Please accept my highest respect on behalf of the Moxi Duchy, Your Excellency! May the friendship between our two nations last forever!

As he spoke, Chancellor Herczeg bowed directly to Hudson.

This time, Hudson did not back down. If it were only directed at him, he could have been modest, but since the Alpha Kingdom was involved, he could not refuse.

The courtesy shown may seem very high-level, but it is ultimately just an empty gesture.

Aside from being something to brag about, it's actually nothing special.

Since Hudson doesn't work in the Moxi Duchy, no matter how many honorary titles he receives, they won't involve any real benefits, so people naturally don't mind praising him a bit.

"Your Excellency is too kind. Our two countries are allies, and the friendship between us is evident to Lord of Dawn. I was merely fulfilling my duty."

Last night's battle was a resounding victory largely due to the close cooperation between the two countries.

Hudson replied seriously.

Since he was going to put on an act, he didn't mind playing along to the end. What's illusory is ultimately illusory; those promises that haven't been fulfilled yet will eventually have to be honored.

"Last night's glorious victory is now in the past. The Duchy faces even more severe challenges ahead, and we must look forward."

Count Hudson, the Behemoth Cavalry halted about thirty miles from us. The reinforcements from the five great Beastfolk Five Great Royal Families were now halfway there.

Faced with this complex situation, I wonder what your plan is?

Hearing the Prime Minister's words, Hudson was secretly startled. Even within the seemingly united leadership of the Moxi Duchy, internal strife was brewing.

They kept praising him, clearly wanting to use his influence as the key contributor to overshadow Count Martins.

However, this struggle, so far, is not intense. It's all done through overt tactics, and the motivation isn't necessarily to harm Count Martins, but rather to maintain the current political balance.

"The Beastfolk army is coming in a fierce manner, but they are coming in separate groups, which gives us an opportunity to make our move."

Concentrate superior forces to eliminate one of the enemy's routes first, thus damaging the enemy's morale, and then slowly wear down the Beastfolk army.

However, before that, it would be best to deal with the Behemoth Cavalry thirty miles away first, lest they ambush us from behind during the main battle.

The most suitable plan can only be formulated based on the speed at which your country's reinforcements arrive.

Hudson said with a chuckle.