Too Clever for His Own Good
"Report!"
"Earl, a group that broke out of the encirclement has been spotted fifty miles ahead. It is suspected to be Noble Allied Forces from the Southeast Province and is currently being hunted down by the Beastfolk army."
Upon hearing this news, the air grew heavy. Everyone stared at Hudson, as if there was something on his face.
"Regardless of which army it is, send someone to inform them to hold their ground and await reinforcements."
The order was given that after resting in place for two hours, the army would break camp and set off.
"You all go and prepare; don't delay the rescue."
Hudson gave the order without changing his expression.
Everyone's mouths formed an "O" shape; the words were on the tip of their tongues, but they ultimately swallowed them back.
All the men left, but Nelson and Evola, as brothers, stayed behind. Clearly, they too were filled with questions.
"There are no outsiders here now, so just ask whatever you want! There's no need to hold back!"
Having received Hudson's signal, Evola, who was the first to lose her composure, couldn't help but ask, "Hudson, are we really going to rescue them?"
A pride of lions cannot contain two lion kings.
The Southeast Province was destined to have only one dominant power. As newcomers, the Coslo Family had two choices: either leave and establish their own independent business, or challenge the Dalton Family.
Compared to the difficulties of starting a business from scratch, the more developed Southeast Province are clearly more attractive.
Considering only the economic situation, the Southeast Province are equivalent to the combined total of three or four Northern Provinces, and this is based on the premise that they have been developed.
With the current strength of the Coslo Family, they simply don't have the capability to develop a northern province. Even if all branches invest at any cost, they can only develop a single prefecture in the north at most.
Only a fool would choose to develop the north if there were better options. The same investment would be better Hudson developing the swamps.
So many years have passed, and reclaiming the ancestral land has long become a slogan to unite the family. Apart from the older generation, almost none of the younger generation likes the North.
Now the opportunity has come. As long as they stand by and watch the Dalton Family suffer an accident, the Coslo Family can take advantage of the situation and rise to power.
The nobles within the province were simply unlucky. Moreover, as a new political faction, Hudson also needed places to house his underlings.
Being able to take advantage of the situation to kill someone else and complete the purge within the Southeast Province is simply perfect.
"Nonsense, I've already given the order, how can I go back on my word?"
Hudson retorted without holding back.
He seriously doubted Evola's brain, wondering if it was underdeveloped, since she could ask such pointless questions.
Many times, he wondered why there was such a big difference between people born to the same parents.
The eldest brother Nelson, is cunning and resourceful. Although his limited education from a young age restricted his perspective, his overall abilities are still quite good.
With Evola, things went to the other extreme. He could move anything, but he couldn't use his brain—a complete brute.
"Hudson, if we miss this great opportunity, we might not get another chance..."
Before Nelson could finish speaking, Hudson interrupted, "Opportunity and risk always go hand in hand."
The decline of the Dalton Family is something I do want to see, but not now, and certainly not under these circumstances.
This army contains not only our people, but also people from many other forces, including members of the Dalton Family.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, if I were to make excuses and refuse to send troops to rescue them, what do you think would happen?
Besides, even if the Dalton Family really goes out of business, we can still swallow up the benefits they leave behind.
Stop dreaming!
The Coslo Family's wealth was already at its limit, barely enough to support a middle-class noble family. Now, every step forward we take is fraught with obstacles.
Especially in situations like these, we must be extra careful and cautious. We must be particularly mindful of our responsibilities when faced with potential gains.
What other noble families can do doesn't mean we can do it too. As new members, before integrating into the circle and building our own network, the most important thing is to stay true to our place!
We must never touch anything that is not our responsibility! If we do, it will be the end of the Coslo Family.
It's important to understand that since the kingdom's founding, no great noble family has ever risen through the ranks from the lowest ranks. The power struggles and upheavals among the great noble families all occur within their own ranks.
Do you think they would welcome us to join?
The pie was big, but the Coslo Family's teeth weren't strong enough. Trying to swallow the Southeast Province whole was like a snake trying to swallow an elephant.
Even if the Noble Allied Forces of the Southeast Province were completely wiped out, the remaining forces in their stronghold would be enough to drag the Coslo Family down with them.
This "power" is not just military strength, but also includes political influence and personal connections.
As long as one is willing to pay the price, with the connections of the old aristocracy, it is easy to gather a large number of reinforcements.
These people could be from within the country or from abroad. The Alpha Kingdom's severe damage does not mean that all nobles from human-majority nations have suffered a major blow.
The influence of a behemoth like the Dalton Family extends far beyond the Alpha Kingdom; they also have considerable connections in other countries on the continent.
If your network of relationships isn't strong enough, cross-border maritime trade simply can't continue.
Hudson wouldn't dare act rashly without even knowing what others were up to. Even if he were to use underhanded tactics, it had to be done secretly.
Before integrating into the circles of the great nobility, Hudson had to be a highly respected and noble person, and could not leave any handle for outsiders to use against him.
On the Snow Moon Lake, the Noble Allied Forces from the Southeast Province, who had been on a long journey, were finally caught by the Beastfolk cavalry.
The distance between the two sides has been reduced to less than ten miles, meaning that the Beastfolk could catch up with a single charge.
Suddenly, two human cavalrymen galloped towards the army from afar. Their voices carried even before they arrived.
Honestly, I've been using Wildfruit Reading to read and follow my favorite books lately. It has great source switching and a variety of reading voice options.
Both Android and Apple devices are supported.
"Listen up, troops at the front: We are here on the orders of Count Hudson to hold your ground. Reinforcements will arrive soon!"
Upon hearing this news, Count Pierce felt no relief whatsoever; instead, he looked utterly disgusted.
The infantry in the allied forces could not outrun the cavalry, so "holding their ground and waiting for reinforcements" sounded perfectly reasonable.
The prerequisite is that both parties can trust each other.
Unfortunately, what both sides lack most right now is trust.
Who would be foolish enough to save their own enemy?
Even if they are forced to send troops to provide assistance, they will engage in various forms of passive resistance and shirking of duty.
"I am Count Pierce, Commander-in-Chief of the Southeast Province Army. Did the relief force depart before you did?"
After introducing himself, Count Pierce asked a probing question. The messenger, unaware of the hidden meaning, honestly replied, "The army is resting and will arrive in two hours."
Under normal circumstances, we can set off after a two-hour rest without any problems.
After all, people aren't machines; soldiers need time to recover before a major battle. It's not an extremely urgent situation; holding their positions and delaying the enemy for a few hours is perfectly acceptable.
"Go back and tell Count Hudson that we'll wait for him here and that he should hurry over."
Count Pierce said with a slight smile.
But the unnaturalness at the corners of his mouth gave his smile a mocking undertone. Unfortunately, the two messengers couldn't understand any of this.
"Your Excellency, we will certainly convey your message to Count Hudson truthfully."
After speaking, the two men didn't hesitate for a moment and immediately rode away, demonstrating their exceptional professionalism.
After watching the two disappear into the horizon, Count Pierce turned back to look at the group of noble officers behind him and said, "You all heard the conversation just now."
The reinforcements are still resting; they'll set off after another two hours of rest. Considering the distance between us, we should meet in as little as three hours.
To shorten the time it takes to meet them, we can't just wait here. Send the order down to the main force to speed up their advance and rendezvous with the reinforcements as soon as possible!
They said they would meet up, but if you look closely, you'll find that the road chosen by Count Pierce and the direction the messenger went are "slightly" different.
When it comes to direction, if the deviation is "a tiny bit" at the beginning, it becomes "a huge bit" after a certain distance.
Without a doubt, Pierce didn't trust Hudson's promised rescue. This wasn't the first time the Kingdom Army had betrayed its own comrades on the battlefield.
If they simply held their ground and waited for reinforcements, it would be understandable if Hudson did something underhanded and deliberately led the army slightly off course, failing to arrive at the designated location on time.
Getting lost in unfamiliar territory is perfectly normal. The worst consequence is simply blaming the "fallen" soldier who led the way.
Knowing that Hudson might lead the group astray, Count Pierce decided to turn a double whammy into a positive. After careful analysis, he decisively chose the route most likely to be encountered along the way.
There was no way around it; no matter how much they disliked Hudson, this force was their lifeline until they encountered other reinforcements from the kingdom.
Once the Beastfolk army is brought before the Border Defense Army, Hudson will have no choice but to watch the spectacle. As for the possibility of the two armies joining forces, Count Pierce remains opposed to it.
Everything is about interests. Now, Hudson's identity is that of the commander-in-chief at the front, controlling all the Kingdom Army on the front lines.
Although the Northern Expeditionary Army was not part of the Border Defense Army, Hudson, as the commander-in-chief at the front, could still forcibly order them to participate in the war.
Being shorter than others is nothing to laugh off; but being shorter than Hudson is a serious political incident.
This will directly impact the allegiance of the nobles in the Southeast Province. Apart from staunch supporters, others will become hesitant to take sides, rather than unconditionally siding with the Dalton Family as they are now.
If it were just these minor troubles, Count Pierce could still find a way to solve them; what worried him most was the security issue.
It's too easy for a manager to make things difficult for his subordinates. If his team's strength hasn't been damaged, he can ignore Hudson's authority and even openly oppose him.
Unfortunately, that's not possible now. With only the remnants of the Noble Allied Forces from the Southeast Province, it's difficult to gain much influence.
Time flies, and two hours passed in the blink of an eye. As agreed beforehand, the rescue team embarked on their journey in a grand procession.
As a commander whose word was law, Hudson naturally kept his promise. The only difference was that the army didn't gallop on horseback, but struggled on the backs of rickety horses.
Conserving the energy of warhorses is something that all cavalry units must face.
Even though many warhorses in the army have the bloodline of magical beasts, greatly improving their endurance and explosive power, most of them are still ordinary warhorses that drag the army down.
Ironically, it was precisely these ordinary warhorses, which slowed down the army, that determined its speed. Using slow horses for marching naturally became the best option.
The army's slow movement is not a problem. Being able to send troops to provide timely relief is already fulfilling our obligation.
"My lord, something terrible has happened! The Noble Allied Forces in the Southeast Province have disappeared without a trace."