Betrayed from the Shadows
Time flies when you're slacking off. In the blink of an eye, more than ten days had passed. To urge the allied forces to send troops, the envoys from the Warhammer Kingdom came to harass them every day.
On this issue, Hudson's position was consistent with that of the princes and nobles of the Moxi Duchy, who were all determined to wait for reinforcements to arrive before sending troops.
It's funny, really. After receiving news of the Alpha Kingdom's counterattack, the Warhammer Kingdom assumed the Beastfolk were going to run away, and as a result, Joseph II's army suffered another crushing defeat.
When the 700,000-strong army retreated all the way to the western part of the kingdom, the number of troops following them was less than 50,000, resulting in another epic defeat.
Unsurprisingly, Joseph II and Crown Prince Caesar, these two "hidden dragons and phoenix chicks," suddenly became the most dazzling figures in this war.
The Beastfolk army did indeed have to flee, but before they did, they could afford to weaken the human forces first.
After a fierce battle, everyone knows that the three northern kingdoms are the most steadfast "beast-exterminating faction" among humans. In the upcoming human counter-offensive, the three kingdoms will definitely go all out.
If we don't take advantage of the time we still have to the Warhammer Kingdom's army, our next encounter will be in the Orc Empire.
Even after pulling off a major heist, it still wasn't enough to satisfy the Beastfolk's appetites. The Warhammer Kingdom's army on the Iron Line was now just another piece of meat on their chopping block.
If time allows, they will likely press on and take over the western part of the Warhammer Kingdom in one fell swoop.
In fact, the Beastfolk army had already made its move. However, many places in the western mountains were easy to defend and difficult to attack, so Marshal Borg, who had retired to his hometown, was elected commander-in-chief by the local nobles to oversee the defense of the western provinces.
In addition, the number of Beastfolk infantrymen who had penetrated deep into the Warhammer Kingdom was limited, and they were unwilling to use their cavalry to attack cities. As a result, the western mountainous region of the Warhammer Kingdom, which was weakly defended, was instead held.
From this perspective, Joseph II wasn't entirely without merit. At the very least, he dealt a heavy blow to the Beastfolk infantry in the earlier battles, laying the foundation for the current defenses.
Unfortunately, the western nobles were ungrateful, and they didn't even welcome Joseph II when he moved there with his army. More than one noble refused to let the King into the castle.
It was all caused by self-interest. In this major battle, the eastern nobles, who had more say, deliberately arranged for the western nobles' private armies to cover their retreat in order to maintain their advantage.
If the army successfully completes its strategic transfer, the western nobles will have no choice but to accept it, given their superior strength.
Unfortunately, a major defeat wiped everything out. The eastern noble group, which was originally in a superior position, could no longer suppress the western nobles.
In this struggle between the Eastern and Western noble groups, King Joseph II appeared to remain neutral, but in reality, he was more inclined to side with the Eastern nobles.
There are no second chances in politics; if you make the wrong choice, you have to bear the consequences, and even King is no exception.
As long as the army at the front is still there, the balance of the Warhammer Kingdom has not yet been completely broken.
As long as these armies are preserved, the eastern nobles will still be able to maintain their military advantage over the western nobles.
Unfortunately, these reasons meant absolutely nothing to Hudson.
The infighting between the two factions in the Warhammer Kingdom, regardless of who wins or loses, will not affect his interests. There's no need to risk everything for a bunch of irrelevant people.
The Moxi people, needless to say, probably wish their old neighbor were in even worse shape. The more chaotic the Warhammer Kingdom became, the more advantageous it was for them.
At this stage of the war, it's no longer a time for everyone to work together to fight a powerful enemy; it's more about each person pursuing their own interests.
If they don't stab you in the back, then they're a good ally. Asking them to risk heavy losses to send troops to your aid is asking too much.
Looking at the thick list of gifts, Hudson sighed and said, "Tom, send someone to return these things."
Tell them they don't need to send anything anymore. This is beyond my capabilities; I can't handle it!
Accepting money to do something is a matter of principle. Since the matter cannot be done, the gift naturally cannot be accepted.
Hudson had been very restrained in this regard. During his time in the Moxi Duchy, everyone who had given him a gift had nothing but praise for him.
"Yes, Earl! I'll make the arrangements right away."
After speaking, Tom had already left the room. Hudson's decisive and efficient style directly influenced the work attitude of his subordinates.
All tasks assigned are carried out immediately, and the bad habits of delaying or shirking responsibility have not yet appeared in the small team.
Having dealt with a minor matter, Hudson was busy again. The era of the Great Counter-Offensive had begun, and the end of the war was not far off.
They've come all this way through thick and thin, they can't let it all be for nothing. Money, Hudson certainly doesn't lack now.
Putting aside the hundreds of thousands of gold coins and bonds given by the Moxi people, the spoils alone were not a small amount, not to mention the real bulk of the income came from shady, gray-area sources.
Many things are inconvenient to convert into cash, and the exact figures are difficult to quantify in a short time. In any case, Hudson accumulated wealth during this war that he could never have in a lifetime during peacetime.
What's truly valuable isn't the tangible income. It's more about intangible assets, especially various kinds of knowledge and resources.
Many things that are rarely seen in normal times have ended up on the market because of the war, and Hudson has indeed made quite a fortune.
Most importantly, he didn't have to pay for any of these things; he only needed to express a slight interest, and someone would collect them and send them over.
The benefits of power are fully demonstrated here.
These are only some examples. If someone were to go deep into the Expeditionary Force, they would find that those "engineering regiments" were not quite right.
They appeared to be laborers, but in reality, they were various kinds of craftsmen. In the chaos of war, these people were inconspicuous, but in the post-war reconstruction, they became rare talents.
Even if they are discovered, it doesn't matter. They were all carefully selected by Hudson, and he certainly won't let them go.
Given Hudson's current status and position, unless someone is completely out of their mind, they wouldn't come over and use their power to intimidate others.
Everything was proceeding discreetly. Knowing that the Moxi Duchy was short of manpower, Hudson acted prudently, directly incorporating the recruited talents into the expeditionary force, thus preventing others from poaching them.
"Your Excellency, the King's special envoy, Count Lauren, has come to pay a visit!"
Upon hearing this unexpected news, Hudson's expression changed slightly. It seemed nothing major had happened in the Moxi Duchy recently, so why send a special envoy? What did this mean?
Even if the two countries need to engage in in-depth exchanges and communication, they would first consult him, the commander-in-chief of the coalition, or directly authorize him to handle the matter.
Hudson was very unhappy with this sudden overstepping of boundaries. Even if he wanted to discard those who had crossed the river, he would wait until after the war was over.
At a time like this, let alone a King envoy, even if the King himself came, he couldn't kick Hudson away with a single kick.
It was such an obvious truth that Caesar III couldn't possibly be unaware of it. Yet, the King's envoy still appeared outside the door.
"Please!"
Hudson said expressionlessly.
Since they're already here, we should at least meet them. This is the Moxi Duchy, and it seems he doesn't have anything that can be coveted right now.
Even if someone wanted to gain experience and prestige, they would go to the front lines. Beastfolk were a rare sight here, so there was no way to earn any war merits.
After a few meaningless pleasantries, Hudson's attitude quickly turned cold. In his memory, there was no Count Lauren among the kingdom's top nobles.
If he is not a powerful nobleman, then this count is most likely Court Count, which is not valuable at all.
Although the Earl of Hudson was also a nominal title, it was earned through military achievements, and the two titles were not on the same level.
Upon seeing this, Lauren quickly realized it was a sign of impatience. Recognizing this, she immediately got to the point. "Your Excellency Count Hudson, this is a decree from His Majesty the King."
Five days ago, a roaming Behemoth Cavalry drove a large number of refugees into the southern part of the kingdom, causing great damage to the southern provinces.
The main force of the Kingdom Army is currently in the Northern Frontier, leaving the country severely vulnerable, with insufficient troops left to stabilize the region.
The King hopes that you can lead the expeditionary force back to quell this refugee crisis and stabilize the south of the kingdom.
Upon unfolding the edict, it was found to be almost identical to what Count Lauren had dictated, summarizing that a refugee crisis had erupted, and local nobles' private armies were locked in fierce battles with the Beastfolk on the front lines, urgently summoning the expeditionary force back to suppress the rebellion.
"Please convey to His King that once I have settled my affairs, I will immediately lead the expeditionary force back home."
Hudson said with a hint of helplessness.
Their plan to lead the allied forces to the Orc Empire to gain military merit has failed, and now they can only deal with the roaming Behemoth Cavalry.
He didn't believe that the vast Alpha Kingdom didn't even have enough troops to suppress a few thousand Behemoth Cavalry. It was most likely because his performance on the battlefield was too outstanding, and the higher-ups felt it necessary to suppress him.
Similar things have happened countless times throughout history. When it comes to the final division of the pie, suppressing competitors is just standard practice.
Given Hudson's lack of connections in the government, it's not surprising that such a turn of events occurred at this crucial moment.
This can be considered a side effect of the "halo of a famous general." No one knows what amazing results Hudson will achieve when he leads the allied forces on an expedition to the Orc Empire.
It's good that some people achieve great feats in the fight against the Beastfolk; but when it comes to dividing the spoils after the war, that's a different story.
The greater the contribution, the larger the share of the pie will be in the end. Some preferential treatment may be given, but the overall distribution principle cannot be changed.
For competitors, the best way to deal with a decorated veteran like Hudson is to sideline him in advance and prevent him from having the opportunity to continue making achievements.
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Originally, Hudson was appointed commander of the allied forces, and no one knew how to proceed. The sudden outbreak of the refugee crisis provided a convenient excuse.
This was an open conspiracy that Hudson could not refuse. Moreover, the refugee crisis was sweeping across the country like locusts and was about to reach the Southeast Province.
Hudson might not care about losses elsewhere, but he couldn't afford to neglect his own home turf.
He wouldn't trust anyone else to do this job. If someone deliberately sabotaged him Behemoth Cavalry into the Laite County, given the hatred Hudson had incurred among the Beastfolk, the Mountain Territory might become a wasteland.
Starting a business is no easy feat, Hudson was reluctant to give up the wealth he had painstakingly accumulated. If his foundation were destroyed, starting over would become significantly more difficult.
At that point, there was no need for him to return to the Southeast Province; his competitors wouldn't give him a chance to rise again. Developing directly in the Northern Frontier was a better option.
With the comfortable south to choose from, Hudson would never leave. The human race has been chanting the slogan of the Annihilation of the Orc Empire for countless years.
Before each event, everyone confidently declared: This time is different; we will definitely Annihilation of the Orc Empire.
However, the final result is always the same.
After much effort, unable to bear the enormous military expenditures and material transportation costs, it ultimately had to come to nothing.
The war has progressed rapidly, mainly due to the allure of the "Longevity Secret Method." Once it is proven to be unreliable, the enthusiasm of all parties to attack the Orc Empire will surely suffer a severe blow.
If the Annihilation of the Orc Empire, the Northern Frontier will forever remain a wasteland. Establishing a foothold there is easy, but maintaining it is incredibly difficult.
Even a severely weakened Orc Empire is not something a small lord can handle. Scattered Beastfolk attacks can render him unable to do anything.
After seeing off Count Lauren, Hudson immediately ordered, "Tom, arrange for carriages and horses. I'm going to visit Crown Prince George and inform the senior generals of the expeditionary force to come over for a meeting tonight."
Before leaving, there were many things to be handed over. Now the situation had reversed, and it was time for Chris IX, who had persisted in living, to meet the Lord of Dawn.
Given Chris IX's physical condition, he was only holding on by sheer willpower; once that last breath escaped, his life would come to an end.
His body is exhausted and nearing its end; it will only last a few months at most. Once the King meets the Lord of Dawn, the Moxi Duchy will naturally enter the George era.
In terms of personal ability, George might only be considered average; but in terms of being King, Hudson thought he was a good choice.
The Moxi Duchy, severely weakened by the war, now desperately needs to recuperate. Under these circumstances, the King simply needs to avoid reckless actions.
With a significant decrease in population and many social conflicts resolved through war, a period of rapid economic recovery followed.
The King doesn't have to do anything; he can effortlessly become a "king of a prosperous era." George, who isn't exactly a man of great talent and ambition, also benefited from this economic recovery, making him a true winner in life.
Being born into the right family is a skill; some people win at the starting line of life, which is something you can't envy.
Since he was leaving anyway, Hudson didn't mind doing the future King a favor. However, the favor couldn't be given for nothing; at the very least, he had to let the other party know that he had contributed.
Even without Hudson's help, these powers would eventually fall into George's hands. But getting military power sooner or later is a completely different matter.