Collision

Looking down at the cavalry converging below from the city tower, Hudson suddenly felt that the Behemoth Legion was worth a shot.

Unlike the mediocre infantry, the Moxi people cavalry were of good quality, especially the Knight Order, which he coveted.

The sudden change wasn't due to Hudson's impulsive decision, but rather because the situation had shifted.

With definite news from the Human Alliance that reinforcements would arrive within a specified timeframe, the previously passive response plan naturally needed to be changed to a more proactive one.

"Count Hudson, if you were to command these troops, could you annihilate the Behemoth Legion?"

Chancellor Herczeg's anticipated question completely baffled Hudson.

Entrusting all the cavalry to this guest general is a rather extravagant move.

After a brief moment of surprise, Hudson quickly understood what was going on. "Foreign missionaries are better at preaching," a saying that also applies to the Aslant Continent.

Compared to the Moxi Duchy, the Alpha Kingdom is undoubtedly a powerful nation. As a general of the Alpha Kingdom, one would naturally be held in higher esteem.

Even with Crown Prince Caesar's previous major defeats, Hudson's "glory as a renowned general" remains unaffected.

With established and renowned generals readily available, there's no need to risk employing commanders without outstanding achievements. The Moxi Duchy simply can't afford to gamble on a dubious figure like Crown Prince Caesar.

"Your Excellency, to annihilate a Behemoth Cavalry legion in open battle, they would have to make a grave mistake themselves."

Under normal circumstances, even if they had dozens of times more troops to besiege them, they could still escape in advance.

Therefore, the key to annihilating the Behemoth Legion lies not with us, but with whether the enemy generals are willing to cooperate.

Of course, if we can lower our expectations and simply defeat them, or rather, drive them out, there's still a good chance.

Hudson's composure was naturally due to the Beastfolk reinforcements slowing their march.

This time, it wasn't that they deliberately slowed down to sabotage their teammates; rather, the Moxi people followed the example of the expeditionary force and disrupted their path.

Without as much baggage to carry, the other Beastfolk reinforcements were less affected. Their exact arrival time is uncertain, but it will certainly be a few days later than their normal march.

A few days in normal times may seem insignificant, but in these few days, the fate of the Behemoth Legion can be changed.

"Then I'll leave this matter to Count Hudson!"

Chancellor Herczeg's decisive words left Hudson completely dumbfounded.

Is the Moxi people really that straightforward? He only did a little analysis. When did he say he would agree?

He scrutinized Chancellor Herczeg, trying to find a clue in his expression, but ultimately found nothing.

None of the nearby ministers raised any objections. It was clearly pre-arranged, and they were just waiting for him to fall into their trap.

Actually, there's nothing wrong with commanding a large army in battle; the key is to negotiate the "price" first!

The human alliance currently has three cavalry legions, four Knight Order, and one court Knight Order, making its overall strength far superior to that of the Behemoth Legion.

Moreover, they can now spare some noble knights from the army to participate in the battle, along with a number of experts from various families within the Moxi Duchy. As long as they don't give bad orders, there is almost no possibility of defeat.

If the Moxi people hadn't suffered too many defeats and lacked confidence in their own generals, Hudson would never have had such an easy opportunity to gain military merit.

As for the cost of defeating the Behemoth Legion, that is no longer an issue at this moment.

It's all for political reasons. The arrival time of the Human Alliance's reinforcements is clear, and the Moxi people have to make a show of themselves beforehand.

Ideally, the alliance should believe that as long as they send more reinforcements, they can immediately turn the tide and revitalize the entire battlefield.

After a moment's hesitation, Hudson ultimately decided to help. He figured it was just a contribution to humanity's fight against the Beastfolk, and wouldn't worry about the consequences.

"I have no problem commanding a large army, but during the mission, all participants must strictly abide by military orders."

Anyone who disobeys military orders will be executed on the spot; there is no need to wait for your country's Noble Council to go through the proper procedures!

This is an awkward topic. The question of whether nobles who violate military orders should be executed on the spot has always been a controversial issue in the Moxi Duchy.

There were both supporters and opponents; the proposal was submitted to the Noble Council for review several times, but was ultimately rejected each time.

In fact, this controversy mainly stemmed from the disagreement between the King and a few major noble families, while the lower and middle noble families were merely opportunists.

If a native noble of the Moxi Duchy dared to make this request, they would immediately be criticized to the point of questioning their existence.

Hudson is different; the Alpha Kingdom has long implemented special wartime laws. In peacetime, nobles who commit crimes need the approval of the Noble Council before they can be executed, but this is an exception on the battlefield.

Since there are precedents, bringing it up again isn't surprising. Besides, it has the support of the Human Alliance Code, so it doesn't lack a legal basis.

The awkward atmosphere didn't last long, as the representatives of the noble families of the Moxi Duchy nodded in agreement.

It's clear that everyone here is intelligent and fully aware of the current situation; they can't afford to act recklessly any longer.

Whether it's coaxing or deceiving, we have to get the Human Alliance's reinforcements over.

In such a situation, the three northern kingdoms are all competitors. Whichever country receives reinforcements first means that the situation in that country can be reversed more quickly, and the losses of the other country will be minimized.

"Relocating the capital and fighting again, resisting to the death..." These are just slogans. If things really develop to that point, the human tragedy of nine out of ten houses being empty will actually happen before our eyes.

The destruction of their foundations, the devastation of their vitality, and the fall from grace—all of which require a complete reshuffling of power—are not things that those who have already benefited are willing to see.

Having received authorization, Hudson didn't stand on ceremony and immediately began issuing orders. "Pass down the order, settle the troops and let them rest for a day, then set off early tomorrow morning to fight the Beastfolk!"

"Inform all officers of regimental rank and above that I will be holding a military meeting on this city wall in two hours."

The swift and decisive style of the leadership of the Moxi Duchy took them quite a surprise, but they were quickly relieved.

People weren't afraid of Hudson's decisiveness, but rather of his indecisiveness as the commander he had brought in. The more swift and efficient he appeared, the more convincing he became.

Of course, if Hudson looked older, preferably in his fifties or sixties, it would put everyone at ease.

Thirty miles away, in the Behemoth army camp.

Upon receiving news that reinforcements would be delayed, Prince Butzwig was furious. His already bad mood worsened.

The inability of reinforcements to arrive in time means that the Behemoth Legion will be fighting alone for the next few days.

He wasn't worried at all the first two days because the Moxi people army was still on its way, and he didn't take the expeditionary force's cavalry legion plus the court Knight Order seriously.

From this day forward, the situation has fundamentally changed. With the addition of two cavalry legions and four Knight Order, the human race now possesses the strength to threaten the Behemoth Legion.

Perhaps that's not all; among the Noble Allied Forces from the southern provinces that he had previously bullied, there was also a Knight Order.

In a cavalry-on-cavalry battle, relying on superior mobility to move freely on the battlefield becomes much more difficult.

"Satuk, send someone to urge all the reinforcements to come. Tell them that if they don't arrive soon, I'm taking my troops and leaving!"

These were words spoken in anger, but also his true feelings. Prince Butzwig, who had been used as bait, now genuinely didn't want to continue.

Even if we lose 300,000 cannon fodder, we can still offset our merits and demerits, and just consider our previous achievements as a waste.

If he loses his Behemoth Legion, he's truly doomed. Even if he's a descendant of the Behemoth Emperor, he won't escape the royal court's punishment.

Who made the Behemoth Clan so small?

Even if the entire population were mobilized for war, the army would still be so small that it simply could not withstand such losses.

The speaker may not have meant anything by it, but the listener may have taken it to heart.

Prince Butzwig's angry words prompted his men to actually start planning how to lead the group to safety and escape.

"Your Highness, it may not be easy for us to evacuate now."

Unless they can take a long detour and deliberately avoid the human forces in the Dapes region, they will definitely intercept them.

However, this would waste more time. And the extra distance might not be safe.

We don't have much food, and if we delay for too long, it could easily lead our army into danger.

Forcing their way through to join the imperial reinforcements would also be fraught with danger.

According to intelligence, the humans have destroyed the road to the Northern Frontier, and if we are not careful, we will be blocked by the human army.

They currently possess an absolute numerical advantage, and engaging them directly in a head-on confrontation would likely result in significant losses!

If Your Highness truly wishes to relocate, the best option is to avoid the main threat and instead turn around and enter the Duchy of Orton, then proceed to the Warhammer Kingdom.

The situation over there is also very tense right now. If we could go and help, it would be of great benefit to the Empire's strategy!

Clark offered his advice.

A strategist is one who is concerned about what his master is concerned about and worries about what his master worries about.

Given the sudden change in the situation, Prince Butzwig would naturally not refuse to have this backup plan.

He was quite effective as bait. Not only were a large number of the Moxi Duchy's troops drawn to him, but the Alpha Kingdom's expeditionary force also joined in.

Next comes the cleanup. Whether we can wipe out these human military forces depends on the performance of our teammates.

The road damage forced them to extend their march, which was no fault of their teammates. But to expect him to pay for the consequences would be to rip them off.

After glancing at his advisor, Prince Butzwig nodded slightly and said, "Let's keep this plan as an alternative for now!"

Let's observe the situation first. If it truly becomes irreparable, then we can return to discussing this issue. In any case, we cannot easily..."

Although he spoke toughly, deep down he was already considering whether or not to adopt this plan.

What you fear will come to pass.

At dawn, the first rays of sunlight shone down. The Behemoths were busy starting a fire and cooking when suddenly the earth began to tremble.

Any soldier with a little experience could easily tell that this was a sign that the cavalry was about to arrive.

The imperial reinforcements were still on their way, but the enemy came knocking first, leaving Prince Butzwig furious.

Although he received advance notice of the human army's deployment, the buffer time was still too short, and there was simply no time to make any military arrangements.

"Pass down the order: prepare for battle!"

Prince Butzwig immediately gave the order.

Whether or not to fight was a difficult question. However, this dilemma did not last long.

The human army appearing on the horizon is making a decision for Prince Butzwig. Leading them is none other than Lord Hudson.

I can't keep going until I've written four thousand words. I need to take a nap.