Worry
"Are you sure you haven't led us the wrong way?"
Hudson asked, feigning sternness.
Everything was going according to plan. In the absence of air superiority, it would be extremely difficult to continuously monitor a force dozens of miles away.
Every message they delivered was earned with their lives. A single misstep could result in the scouts being killed by the eagle-men from the sky before they even reached their destination.
At a time like this, even the Magical Beast Knight wouldn't dare to come out and act recklessly.
The kingdom has a limited number of skilled soldiers stationed on its Border Defense Army, and each one is a figure of great importance. Hudson has no ability to use them as common soldiers.
The news of the loss of the Noble Allied Forces of the Southeast Province was entirely expected. This was bound to happen as long as Count Pierce hadn't held his ground.
Calculating the time, from the time the notice was issued until now, there have only been three or four hours in between. Even if they were fleeing, they would have only gone thirty or forty miles at most.
If we send people to search now, we can find them quickly. Instead of sending people out to search immediately, they asked their subordinates if they had led the wrong way.
Clearly, Hudson's desire to rescue the Noble Allied Forces in the Southeast Province was not as strong as it appeared.
"Earl, we are certain this is the place! Look at the footprints by the lake; they prove that a large army just stopped here."
"I just don't know why, even though we clearly notified them to hold their ground and await reinforcements, they've suddenly disappeared."
The reconnaissance captain who was leading the way hurriedly explained.
The grudges and feuds between the great nobles were often unclear even to many members of the noble groups, let alone to the common soldiers.
A quick glance at history books reveals numerous instances of total annihilation stemming from stubbornly holding out for reinforcements.
Whether reinforcements are reliable or not depends entirely on who has them.
Hoping that the enemy will bring reinforcements and provide timely assistance is far too idealistic. Following conventional wisdom, Count Pierce's approach was perfectly sound.
Unfortunately, reality is always full of surprises. Hudson led his troops to the designated location as agreed, but the Noble Allied Forces of the Southeast Province was nowhere to be found.
After giving the footprints a perfunctory look, Hudson waved his hand and said, "Alright, you've all had a long and tiring journey. Go and rest now!"
The order was given: the entire army should set up camp on the spot and continue the operation only after assessing the situation.
The orders were standard and unoriginal. Even a rescue operation required locating the target first.
Theoretically speaking, a large-scale military operation is bound to be impressive, and by following the footprints left behind, one can most likely catch up with them.
But that was only in theory. After a long march, the soldiers were exhausted. To preserve their fighting strength, they needed to rest.
The Noble Allied Forces of the Southeast Province went astray on their own; this wasn't Hudson abandoning them. Even if the news gets out, everyone will just say they deserved it.
This is the price of a misjudgment, and they themselves must bear the consequences.
Having made a wasted trip, Hudson said nothing, but the noble officers below couldn't stand it.
The complaints were endless. The higher-ranking nobles knew that this situation was a political game between the commanders, but the lower-ranking nobles couldn't understand that much.
Hudson chose to pretend he hadn't heard any of it. Let them make a scene, the more the merrier.
Judging others by one's own petty standards can severely damage one's reputation.
For a behemoth like the Dalton Family, the best way to bring them down is to slowly boil them like a frog in water, rather than directly confronting them and provoking hatred.
It would be better if the officers below complained; only when they harbored resentment would they be less diligent in their search for the Noble Allied Forces in the Southeast Province.
If we act a little slower and report a little later, today would be almost over, and the rescue would become a matter for tomorrow.
If other troops nearby are found to need rescue, the process could drag on even longer.
By now, Hudson has gathered more than 30,000 Northern Expeditionary Army soldiers, so it cannot be considered a failure.
With their forces growing larger, their movement became increasingly sluggish. Under these circumstances, an encounter with the Beastfolk force would certainly not end well.
To his surprise, the Beastfolk army not only didn't come looking for him, but was deliberately avoiding him.
While his reputation certainly played a part, the situation within the Orc Empire was far more complex than he had anticipated.
The reason for avoiding battle was not out of fear, but because the Five Great Royal Families wanted to preserve their strength and were unwilling or dared not expend too many troops on him.
Hudson was pleased that the enemy wasn't coming. This mission was a "rescue," not a final battle with the Beastfolk.
Even if he won a few brilliant battles, it would mean nothing to him. Rescuing more nobles who were trying to break through the siege was far more practically important.
With the added bond of "life-saving grace," making it easier to establish a relationship becomes much simpler.
This rescue mission was arguably Hudson's best opportunity to quickly build a network of connections and integrate into the kingdom's elite circles.
Within the Silvermoon Wolf Tribe army.
"You're saying the Behemoth Cavalry, closest to enemy reinforcements, are deliberately avoiding the enemy?"
"Duke Daniel asked in an icy tone. The chill emanating from him seemed to freeze the air," he said.
"Yes, Duke. The Behemoth Cavalry have encountered the enemy several times, but at the last moment they all changed course."
Upon hearing the werewolf officer's words, Duke Daniel arrogantly waved his hand and said, "Alright, I understand!"
His nonchalant tone couldn't mask the unease in his heart. The situation was becoming increasingly unfavorable for the Orc Empire, and Duke Daniel had already sensed the impending danger.
His allies' behavior, in particular, made him uneasy.
We underestimated the number of reinforcements under Hudson's command. With limited troops at our disposal, it's not surprising that we had to avoid the enemy's advance.
But now, everyone has gathered a considerable amount of mobile forces and is fully capable of fighting the enemy. The Behemoth Clan still choose to avoid battle reveals a serious problem.
Duke Daniel glanced at the group of werewolf officers and asked coldly, "What price do you think the Empire would have to pay to defeat or annihilate this human reinforcement force?"
The words had barely left his lips when they caused a huge uproar among the wolves. The usually autocratic Duke Daniel had actually asked for their opinions.
However, they would rather not have such an honor. If even their own war god wasn't sure, everyone else was even more panicked.
"Duke, judging from Count Hudson's past record, it would probably take the sacrifice of a full-strength Behemoth Legion to annihilate them."
However, if it were a battle, and you were in command, the losses should be significantly reduced.
Thomas's words immediately made the werewolf officers present uncomfortable. When did the Behemoth Legion become a unit of measurement?
"Don't flatter anyone. No matter who is in command, they will pay a heavy price if they want to defeat the enemy."
Don't forget that the forces under the command of Count Hudson now are no longer the original 30,000 cavalry, but also include the elite troops of the Alpha Kingdom that are constantly being gathered.
"It's possible that by the time the great battle breaks out, the enemy's forces will exceed 100,000. To be able to exchange a Behemoth Cavalry legion for so many enemies is already quite an achievement."
Arrogance may be his pride, but when faced with reality, Daniel is always very clear-headed.
Even among the main force of the Beastfolk, there are different levels. One Behemoth Cavalry legion is equivalent to two Silvermoon Wolf Tribe cavalry legions, their combat power is formidable.
If used properly, it can be more powerful on the battlefield than ten ordinary human cavalry legions.
Of course, these are just theoretical figures. In a direct confrontation, the Behemoth Cavalry still couldn't defeat ten human cavalry legions.
Ordinary Behemoth Cavalry might be able to take on ten opponents, but the human cavalry legions also have a large number of noble officers whose combat power is in no way weaker than theirs.
Even the guards around the nobles possess considerable combat strength, and their individual combat ability is no weaker than that of ordinary Behemoths.
Against this backdrop, even the usually decisive Duke Daniel hesitated when it came to whether to send troops to annihilate the enemy.
Is it really worth sacrificing two of your own main army corps, or even more, to annihilate the enemy's rescue force?
"Send someone to ask Marquis Usuhu and Prince Butzwig if they are interested in joining forces to pull off a big heist."
Annihilate the enemy reinforcements, seize their defensive lines, bypass their fortresses and strongholds, and march straight in to annihilate the Alpha Kingdom!
The words had barely left his mouth when they startled the werewolf officers behind him. Their commander's appetite was anything but ordinary.
The entire plan is interconnected, and any unexpected event in any link could result in heavy losses for the army.
If they lose this high-stakes gamble, the Orc Empire will be truly finished. Losing this highly mobile cavalry will leave them completely on the defensive in the battles to come.
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"Duke, this plan is far too complex. Should we report it to the Imperial Court first?"
Thomas said hesitantly.
"What are you afraid of? Even those two cowards, Ussuk and Butzwig, might not have the guts to agree. If it's reported to the Imperial Court, then there's no way it'll pass!"
The situation has deteriorated to this point. If we still don't dare to gamble, the Human Alliance's army will arrive soon, and we won't even have the chance to gamble anymore.
"You guys don't still think we can defeat the Humans in a conventional war, do you?"
"Duke Daniel said sarcastically."
In his view, the war was a mistake from the very beginning. Small-scale raids southward to plunder some things were fine. But a full-scale invasion southward to provoke humanity was the biggest blunder.
The human race became the "overlord of the continent" through countless battles and conquests, not by taking advantage of others as the history books of the Orc Empire claim.
If it were so easy to find cheap deals, why not take advantage of the many races on the continent instead of leaving the opportunity to humans?
Even if you really want to challenge the hegemon, you should at least bring along a few allies to fight together. What kind of talk is it to go it alone?
As night fell, the Beastfolk ceased their pursuit, giving the Noble Allied Forces of the Southeast Province a brief respite.
As a southern noble family that was the main target of the Beastfolk army's pursuit, they broke through the encirclement all the way to the present, and their army has decreased from the initial 80,000 to 70,000, 60,000, 50,000... until now, when it is only more than 5,000.
Keep in mind that in the morning, they had over nine thousand men. In just one day, the army lost more than four thousand men.
With so many troops, not all of them must have died in battle, but they were scattered across the vast grasslands and were still being pursued by the enemy. They couldn't bring them back!
The army of over five thousand men included more than a thousand noblemen. If they were to engage in a few more bloody battles with the enemy, they might end up as an officer corps composed entirely of nobles.
The remaining team is undoubtedly the elite of the elite. But don't get your hopes up that they can accomplish anything.
The entire army was exhausted, both physically and mentally. If they hadn't had no other choice, and being separated from the main force would have been even more dangerous, they probably would have collapsed long ago.
Count Pierce's face was very grim. He had just received news that Hudson's reinforcements had arrived on the battlefield a few hours earlier, as previously agreed.
Because of his order, the distance between the two sides widened again, and they missed the opportunity to rendezvous with reinforcements.
Fortunately, he was quick-witted and replaced the soldiers in charge of reconnaissance with his own men, thus temporarily concealing the news.
But secrets can't be kept forever, and sooner or later the nobles in the allied forces would find out about this "good news."
One can imagine how much criticism and condemnation he will face on the day when public emotions erupt.
The provincial nobles, who suffered heavy losses, will most likely hold him accountable. Late at night, Count Pierce was still considering the aftermath.
Hudson was meticulous in his work, and he had originally planned to use the "failure to rescue" accusation against him, but now he no longer had the opportunity.
This move not only failed to outmaneuver the enemy, but also put them in a "petty" position, a classic case of shooting themselves in the foot.
After this upheaval, the rise of the Coslo Family the war was almost a foregone conclusion. The Count Pierce cursed himself for his foolishness at the thought of a rival emerging in his own backyard.
At first, they only thought about suppressing the Northern Nobles and not giving those guys a chance to gain a foothold, but they overlooked the hidden dragon, Hudson.
The more he thought about it, the more regretful Count Pierce became.
Knowing full well that Hudson is highly capable and a potential threat, why not keep him under control and let him develop freely? Wouldn't that be asking for trouble?
With the convergence of favorable circumstances, it is now "soaring like a dragon in the sky," and suppressing it will not be as easy as before.
He racked his brains, going through all sorts of countermeasures in Count Pierce's mind, but couldn't find a good solution.
Although the Dalton Family, severely weakened, still possesses overwhelming overall strength compared to the emerging Coslo Family, it has lost its absolute advantage in military affairs.
If our fists aren't strong enough, many strategies that could escalate conflicts can't be used right now.
Unlike the Coslo Family, who were challenging the Dalton family, the defending Dalton Family faced far more enemies.
If a fight to the death between the Koslow family and the Coslo Family were to break each other, it would be easy for a third party to benefit from the conflict.
The only thing they can rely on is the lack of a strong family background in the Coslo Family. As a rising star who has just entered the circle, they must be extremely cautious. They must leave themselves an out and strive to earn a good reputation.
Thinking about this, Count Pierce cursed himself for being foolish. He had overlooked such an important point.
But there's nothing to be upset about; if he had to do it all over again, he would most likely do the same thing.
It's incredibly irrational to gamble on the other side's integrity at the risk of total annihilation.
The question now is: should we go and meet up with Hudson?
If you stand someone up, even if they refuse to help you in your time of need, public opinion won't be too harsh on you.
The current situation is no longer under Count Pierce's control.
Bringing troops over there would not only make us lose face, but also offend a lot of people.
Continuing to stubbornly persist is also not a good option.
Without reinforcements, it would be quite difficult for him to escape the Beastfolk's pursuit with only his remaining troops. If he was unlucky, he might even face the danger of total annihilation.