The Saintly Mother's Heart That Suddenly Died

The principle of "making a big fuss over small matters and a small fuss over big matters" also applies to the Aslant Continent.

If hundreds of nobles were to discuss countermeasures together, it might not yield results even after a month.

This point was already evident in the Kingdom's noble council. Even trivial matters could be debated for three to five months.

After appeasing the populace, the nobles, including Hudson, were kept in the hall for dinner. Only a few noble representatives left with Count Pierce.

Aside from Chers representing the Alliance, the rest were powerful figures within the province, where the law of the jungle was clearly displayed.

Hudson no longer held any expectations for the discussion's outcome. From Chers' previous performance, it was clear he lacked the confidence to argue his case.

Of course, having representatives was better than not having any. At the very least, they could represent everyone and articulate the basic demands.

After all, they were nobles, and their public demeanor couldn't be too unsightly. The influence of over a hundred minor nobles in the Alliance also needed to be considered.

Regardless of any discounts, there would definitely be a share of war merit. How it would be assessed depended on the magnanimity of those involved.

If they wanted people to continue fighting bravely, they had to act justly and objectively. This aspect shouldn't be a major issue; the key was the upcoming battle arrangements.

To avoid being cannon fodder, Hudson, disregarding his meal, transformed into a diligent little bee, constantly shuttling through the hall.

This was the time to test a family's soft power. Holding Baron Redman's letter, Hudson continuously visited friends and acquaintances.

Although such occasions were not suitable for deepening relationships, making a familiar face was very necessary. It might save his life on the battlefield, relying on these connections.

One had to admit that having a large family was an advantage. Setting aside other things, at least he had enough relatives.

Hudson encountered three people who were his kin under the Coslo Family banner alone, one of whom was serving under Count Pierce.

The number of other relatives, both close and distant, was even greater. If he were to forcefully attach himself, an estimated one-third of those present could be considered his own people.

Of course, these resources were reciprocal. In the absence of conflicting interests, everyone was happy to use this opportunity to expand their network.

After all, judging by the current situation, they might be marching out tomorrow. Having witnessed the might of the rebels, no one dared to be careless now.

Making more connections was always a good idea. Even if it meant clinging to the Lord of Dawn at the last minute, it was better than not doing so.

After making a full circuit, Hudson had met almost all the nobles present. How much effect it would have depended on the unfolding situation.

Overall, Hudson was satisfied. Regardless of how the noble factions might act behind the scenes, they were gentlemen in public.

Offering help and returning a favor within their capabilities was quite common in noble circles. While there were instances of repaying kindness with enmity, they were extremely rare.

Once such a thing was done, one would be ostracized from the circle, and decline would only be a matter of time. Especially for favors done openly, they had to be repaid.

Without waiting for the discussion's outcome, Hudson shoved a few pieces of roasted meat into his mouth, drank a glass of juice, and followed the crowd in taking his leave.

It wasn't that they were being disrespectful, but rather that the heavy losses incurred during the day had caused the army's morale to waver, making it unsuitable for the commander to be away for an extended period.

As soon as he stepped out of the fortress, a strong, pungent smell assaulted his senses, making him feel nauseous. Gazing at the flickering flames in the distance, Hudson almost vomited.

"Burning corpses" was also an unavoidable part of warfare. No one knew how many people had died in the day's battle, but it was certainly not a small number.

The reason for burning them on the spot instead of burying them was not due to scientific or hygienic knowledge, but primarily because, in the world of the extraordinary, corpses could become deadly weapons.

Especially when the enemy was a cult organization like the Skull Society, if they had Necromancers, these corpses would pose the greatest threat.

Whether it was an illusion or not, Hudson vaguely heard screams, and there seemed to be figures moving within the flames.

His intuition told Hudson that he was not mistaken; they were indeed burning people alive. The anger that just rose from the depths of his heart was extinguished by reason.

If he wasn't mistaken, it was likely that the soldiers responsible for burning the corpses had been careless and mistaken stunned rebel soldiers for the dead, sending them to be burned without finishing them off.

In such a situation, what else could Hudson say?

"Should I go over and say hello, and ask them to make sure to finish off everyone before burning the corpses?"

Saving them was impossible anyway.

Those contaminated by evil artifacts, even if they survived, would gradually lose themselves and slowly turn into killing machines. To save them, a high-ranking priest would have to perform purification.

There was indeed a high-ranking priest in the fortress, but he was already too busy treating the injured nobles. Even the wounded of the Crimson Knights were only attended to by ordinary priests.

Severely injured allied soldiers could only rely on their comrades to help finish them off; who would care about the rebels?

Aside from lamenting the cruelty of the world, Hudson could do nothing. Even though a voice deep within him kept telling him to change this world, reason firmly held sway.

He himself was struggling to survive; if he harbored a saintly heart, he probably wouldn't live past three episodes.

As a man who feared death, Hudson decisively chose to avert his gaze and returned to the camp as quickly as possible.

As the victor, even if it was a Pyrrhic victory, one still had to enjoy the fruits of victory. After inventorying the spoils of war, Hudson was ultimately disappointed.

He didn't see a single magic core or Magic Crystal Stone, which he had fantasized about. Clearly, these seemingly impressive items that ordinary people couldn't use were not brought to the battlefield.

There wasn't much in terms of monetary gain either: a little over a hundred gold coins, eight hundred silver coins, and a pile of copper coins, which were unfortunately not worth much.

Fortunately, Hudson didn't have to pay out death benefits or military pay; otherwise, this small amount of money would probably only be enough for funeral expenses.

There were two dead horses, the mounts of some unknown ally, which the soldiers had already taken to supplement their meal.

There were some gains in terms of weapons and equipment, but due to the fierce competition, not much was salvaged.

"Thirteen suits of armor, thirty-five sabers, twenty-eight great axes, ninety-six spears, sixteen crossbows, five knight swords..."

Looking at these pathetic figures, Hudson briefly wondered if heaven wanted him to learn from Nurhaci and emulate the spirit of "rising with thirteen suits of armor."

He thought about it and decided against it. Playing the game of "Are kings and generals born, or made?" on the Aslant Continent, the rebel soldiers being burned in the flames were a testament to that.