A Backup Plan

Emerald Palace the changes at the front lines had been circulating for several days, but Caesar III still hadn't found a solution.

The battlefield is in the Orc Empire, and the kingdom has lost its geographical advantage. It's virtually impossible to withdraw the army unscathed right under the Beastfolk's noses.

With allies unreliable, the Warhammer Kingdom is utterly ruined and will not recover for decades.

The Moxi Duchy also suffered heavy losses, and they can hardly be expected to play a significant role until they join forces with reinforcements from the Human Alliance.

Organizing reinforcements would be difficult, as the battle would likely end before a full force could be assembled. The Alpha Kingdom simply doesn't have the capacity to gather hundreds of thousands of elite troops for such a short time.

"Military Affairs Department, how do you plan to deal with the current complex situation?"

The issues that Caesar III was concerned with.

If they can't solve it themselves, they just dump the trouble on professionals. Compared to this incompetent King, the bureaucrats in the Military Affairs Department at least came from the battlefield.

"Your Majesty, given the current complex situation, it is not appropriate for us to do too much. We can only hope that the troops on the front lines will respond proactively."

As the war dragged on, it wasn't just the kingdoms that suffered heavy losses; the Beastfolk were also in dire straits.

Even if a major war breaks out, we may not necessarily lose. Even if we cannot achieve a great victory, we can still inflict heavy damage on the enemy.

Marshal Campbell a highly experienced combat officer who is also on the front lines. He has a much deeper understanding of the situation than we do, and I am confident that he will be able to handle it properly.

"I am the Minister of Military Affairs," said Duke Affierro, forcing himself to speak.

This was to boost his morale; the true situation on the front lines couldn't be clearly explained by the few words sent back by the Griffon Cavalry every day.

There are too many variables on the battlefield, and for safety reasons, the detailed military deployments at the front line were not allowed to be relayed back by the Griffon Cavalry.

If the enemy intercepts our intelligence halfway through the journey, it would be a disaster.

Experience has taught Duke Affierro that it is best not to interfere without knowing the specific situation on the front lines.

Caesar III glared at the Minister of Military Affairs, but ultimately swallowed his curse. What's done is done; a few angry words wouldn't solve the problem.

They were all screwed over by those old bastards. The more exhilarating the initial charge was, the more difficult the return journey will be now.

Pure force majeure is something the Military Affairs Department cannot resolve.

"Your Majesty, the alliance's reinforcements have entered the Moxi Duchy and are expected to join forces with the Moxi Army in seven days."

The Foreign Affairs Department has already urged them; if all goes smoothly, the army should be able to reach the front lines in about a month.

"Foreign Minister Count Francis said slowly."

Changing the subject eased the awkwardness. However, the problem still needed to be addressed.

After much deliberation, Caesar III awkwardly realized that not causing trouble was the greatest help he could offer to the front lines.

"I trust Marshal Campbell to oversee the situation at the front!"

The Foreign Affairs Department continues to follow up on the matter of reinforcements.

The order was issued: the expeditionary force was renamed the Southeast Front Army, and Count Hudson was instructed to quell the rebellion as quickly as possible and lead the army north.

Caesar III said with a slightly solemn expression.

Clearly, his words of reassurance did not match his true feelings. If he weren't unsure, he wouldn't have been in such a hurry to move Hudson north.

In the event of unforeseen circumstances at the front, the Southeast Front Army would form the basis for reorganizing the defense line.

For a qualified ruler, preparing multiple backup plans is standard practice.

"Your Majesty, the Southeast Front Army still holds a large number of prisoners of war. What do you think should be done with them?"

The Prime Minister Grand Duke Newfoundland, asked tentatively.

The kingdom nearly came to blows over this large workforce. Had it not been for the unexpected turn of events at the front that drew everyone's attention, the partitioning might have already begun.

As the commander-in-chief, Hudson had some decision-making power over the distribution of prisoners of war, but that could only be done in secret; the official leader was still Caesar III.

Private granting of shares isn't a major problem, but there needs to be a limit. While secretly dividing the spoils, one must also leave enough for the leader.

"These prisoners of war are different; most of them were forced to join the rebel army by the Beastfolk. Only the ringleaders will be punished, and those who were coerced will be treated leniently."

Send a prisoner-of-war resettlement team to take over the prisoners from the Southeast Front Army and deal with them after the war.

Considering the kingdom's heavy losses and the labor shortage in many areas, these spoils should be distributed among the meritorious officials after the war.

"I said with a touch of melancholy, "Caesar III said.

Cutting the cake is often the most complicated step, even more difficult than making it. Deciding who gets more and who gets less requires careful consideration from all angles.

Most importantly, the royal family is also short of people!

Of the reclaimed Northern Frontier territories, royal domains comprised a significant portion. Without a population of over a million to fill them, production simply couldn't be restored.

Although a large number of prisoners of war were captured, it was still not enough to meet the demand.

However, the leader cannot keep everything to himself; the limited "prisoner of war" labor force must also be shared with the kingdom's nobles.

In the Orc Empire, Marshal Campbell led his army slowly forward. The already dire road ahead had become even more treacherous due to the Beastfolk's sabotage.

The time spent repairing roads each day was three times the time spent marching. Even with manpower arranged to work through the night, it couldn't change the fact that the army was advancing at a snail's pace.

Without a sufficient number of strong warriors leading the way, the kingdom's Northern Expeditionary Army was just an ordinary elite army, and it still needed to work hard to overcome the various difficulties encountered along the way.

"Enemy attack!"

Marshal Campbell did not react at all to the shouts from the camp.

This kind of scene happens several times a day. The more often you see it, the stronger your immune system becomes.

As expected, it was another attack that was all bark and no bite.

Dozens of Beastfolk, who had been lying in ambush on both sides, used simple tools to set traps and launched a surprise attack on the army.

They attacked and left without a trace. However, the Northern Expeditionary Army, experienced in being attacked, was not to be trifled with and immediately launched a counterattack.

Except for a lucky few Beastfolk who are still fleeing, the rest have been sent to meet the Beast God.

"Cease the pursuit!"

With the officer's order given, the attack came to an end.

There's no point in assigning blame; it's far too easy for a small team of dozens of people to hide.

The army was in a hurry to get on its way and didn't have time to waste here with them.

"Marshal, our army has suffered 17 dead and 36 wounded."

The injured have already received medical treatment from a priest and are expected to need several days of rest to fully recover.

After listening to the middle-aged officer's words, Marshal Campbell nodded slightly and said, "Do it the old way, don't delay the army's advance."

The worry in his eyes betrayed his inner panic. At their current marching speed, being blocked by the returning Beastfolk army was almost inevitable.

If it were a different battlefield, Marshal Campbell wouldn't mind setting up his forces and having a good fight with the Beastfolk, but this is the Orc Empire.

In the previous battles, they swept through countless Beastfolk tribes, killing millions of Beastfolk.

If this deep-seated hatred is contained by the enemy, it will inevitably attract countless Beastfolk to participate.

It can be said that the longer the conflict drags on, the more disadvantageous it will be for the Northern Expeditionary Army. Even the slightest slip-up could result in heavy losses.

Unfortunately, there's no use in being anxious. These "old-timer knights" are capricious; they can just quit whenever they want without giving you any face.

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Without that overwhelming force of magicians, the roads, now completely destroyed, became the biggest obstacle preventing the army from returning.

In contrast, the small attacks by Beastfolk along the way were not a concern for Marshal Campbell.

Adhering to the principle of not dividing their forces no matter how the enemy tries to cause trouble, the Northern Expeditionary Army always advanced as a group.

The advantages are very obvious: it leaves no opportunity for the enemy to take advantage; the disadvantages are equally prominent: the army's advance speed is slower.

The main problem was that the cities of the Orc Empire were simply too wretched to behold. Along the way, they couldn't find a single fortified city strong enough to accommodate the Northern Expeditionary Army. Otherwise, Marshal Campbell would definitely have led his troops there to become "holdouts" and wait for reinforcements from the Human Alliance to arrive.

Along the way, Marshal Campbell kept stopping and looking around, searching for terrain that would be advantageous for the army to hold its ground.

"Marshal, the griffon scouts have just reported that the Beastfolk army that withdrew from the Warhammer Kingdom has now appeared 150 miles away."

Looking at the wild geese flying north in the sky, Hudson, who had once again stepped into his homeland, touched the Elf Bow in his hand, but ultimately gave up the idea of hunting.

Winter has passed and spring has arrived. In this season of burgeoning life, it is truly not a time for killing.

This return to the Southeast Province was clearly a case of using public office for private gain. Although there were also rioters here, their pitiful numbers were not enough to deal with the local nobles' remaining forces.

"Tom, prepare the car, I'm going to visit the Hollisir Family!"

Hudson said expressionlessly.

Having arrived in Qiaomu County, it would be inexcusable not to visit my father-in-law's home.

As for the Mountain Territory, it was genuinely inconvenient to return. Even using public office for private gain has its limits, and Hudson, with his unstable foundation, had to consider the rumors and gossip.

A few rumors may seem insignificant, but they can cause trouble at crucial moments.

"Earl, the King's special envoy, Count Lauren, has arrived."

The guard's words immediately dashed Hudson's hopes of leaving. He still had to give face to his boss; since an envoy had been sent, he would definitely have to meet him.

I don't know if he's cursed, but every time the King's special envoy comes, it seems there are never any good results.

The first one suffered the worst fate, being mistakenly killed by the Church on his return journey; the second, Count Jose, survived but was blamed for the defeat at the Dachias Battle; it remains to be seen whether the third, Count Lauren, can escape this calamity.

Hudson genuinely hoped that nothing would happen to him, otherwise the title of "King's Envoy's Nemesis" would easily be bestowed upon him.

Who told him to be "superior" now? A whole bunch of people are looking for his flaws with magnifying glasses.

"Please summon Count Lauren."