The Ultimate Sucker

"Our last chance has slipped away!"

Rejected by his allies, Duke Daniel couldn't help but sigh.

The chances of success even with several parties working together are not high. Without the help of allies, the Silvermoon Wolf Tribe's strength alone is not even worth trying.

Before he could dwell on his grief, an urgent report from the camp brought Duke Daniel back to reality.

"Your Highness, something terrible has happened! Enemy reinforcements... reinforcements have arrived..."

As the scout finished speaking, panting heavily, Daniel's already cold face became even more chilling.

There's no need to think about that anymore.

With the Human Alliance's 250,000-strong army and the Moxi Duchy's 200,000-strong army already at Purple Thistle Pass, it would be virtually impossible to break through the enemy's defenses.

Even if he had the opportunity to bypass the defenses, he wouldn't dare to do it. A general can take risks, but he cannot lead his troops out to their deaths.

Not only has their plan fallen apart, but they also don't have much time left to hunt down the Northern Expeditionary Army. In at most two days, the true elite of the human race will appear on the battlefield.

The Raptor Legion of the Iberian Kingdom, the Tyrannosaurus Rex Legion of the Frankish Kingdom, the Earth Dragon Legion of the Church, the Black Forest Kingdom ...

One after another, extraordinary military units renowned throughout the continent will appear on the battlefield.

The Behemoth Cavalry the best in the world, but that only applies to ordinary cavalry. Against these behemoth legions, they are no match.

The only saving grace is that these extraordinary units are limited in number, and the cost of raising monsters is high, so even the most productive human race cannot equip them on a large scale.

In fact, the Alpha Kingdom once had extraordinary units, but under the constant suppression of the Orc Empire, it eventually perished.

Successive Alphard King wanted to rebuild the superhuman army, but were ultimately forced to give up due to financial constraints.

There was nothing that could be done about it. From the very beginning of the Alpha Kingdom's existence, it had faced the threat of Beastfolk, and its treasury had never been full.

They had finally managed to accumulate some wealth, but before they could even do anything about it, the Beastfolk army came knocking on their door again.

The constant upheavals have left the Alpha Kingdom either paying off debts or borrowing money, leaving it with no resources to develop extraordinary units.

However, the number is relatively small. When the extraordinary units of multiple major human powers come together, the scale effect is created.

The Orc Empire also possessed extraordinary units, but that was during its peak. During their journey from the center of the continent to the borderlands, their extraordinary units suffered heavy casualties.

Only a handful of seeds remained. Limited by their own financial and material resources, they could no longer participate in this extravagant game.

With the cavalry advantage gone, the air force advantage couldn't be maintained either. Dragon Cavalry, Pterosaur Cavalry... these familiar names made Duke Daniel frown deeply.

"Pass down the order to have the Eaglemen keep a close eye on the movements at Purple Thistle Pass. Report back immediately if the enemy leaves the city."

Notify all units to accelerate the pursuit and elimination of the enemy. Also, instruct them to regroup; all military operations below the regimental level are cancelled, and troops should move as close as possible to the central command camp.

This was a contradictory order. It demanded both a faster pursuit of the Northern Expeditionary Army and the regrouping of the troops, clearly asking the wolf to do the impossible.

But there's no way around it; the best opportunity has already passed. If we stay here, the balance of power will be reversed.

Before splitting his forces, he might have thought of concentrating his superior forces to wipe out the human reinforcements, but the situation is clearly the opposite now.

The remaining cavalry from each tribe were only enough to wipe out the reinforcements from the Alpha Kingdom, which would require a joint effort, let alone the fact that the enemy had added 450,000 reinforcements.

With reinforcements from the Human Alliance arriving, it's likely that the Alpha Kingdom's infantry legions defending the city will dare to venture out now.

All of them combined, the total strength is estimated to be over a million, and their overall strength is definitely no less than that of the previous Northern Expeditionary Army.

If the Northern Expeditionary Army hadn't rushed to break out, and the two forces had joined forces to attack from both sides, the Orc Empire would probably have already been defeated.

After a moment of quiet relief, Daniel's expression turned serious again. Reason told him that he had to resolve the domestic problems as soon as possible.

Otherwise, if the humans and the Rebel Army collude and launch an attack from within, we'll be doomed.

Sowing discord and creating division are common tactics employed by the human race. Under the influence of human intrigue, it's not just one or two major factions that have split apart.

For example: the Elves.

Before the rise of humans, although there were racial divisions, everyone was united under the banner of the Elf Queen.

However, with the rise of the human race, the once harmonious elves were soon plagued by internal conflicts.

Forest Elves, Grassland Elves, Night Elves... one by one they rebelled and went independent, eventually forming a pattern of three major Elf Kingdom standing side by side.

Of course, the elves may have their share of playful banter, but it's mostly just venting their frustrations and exchanging a few sharp words when they meet. It's nowhere near as bloody as the internal strife within the Orc Empire.

Even the cohesive Elf Empire could split apart, let alone the Orc Empire. It was like a sieve with holes in every direction, ready to crumble at the slightest misstep.

Otherwise, the Five Great Royal Families would not have used the invasions to carry out ethnic Great Purge within their own borders so frequently.

Apart from the Five Great Royal Families, all other races are limited to a very low level of strength, and they have no resources to cause trouble. This is the core reason why the Orc Empire has been able to maintain itself.

Sunshine, grasslands, and shimmering lake waters. On this picturesque land, the two armies finally achieved a victorious rendezvous.

Seeing a group of familiar faces walking towards him, Hudson burst into great enthusiasm.

It wasn't that he wanted to gloat, but seeing his competitors in such a sorry state, he simply couldn't help himself.

"When fellow villagers meet, their eyes well up with tears."

From the tearful eyes of the crowd, Hudson understood homesickness. It was genuine homesickness, but the worry was—what would he do after returning home?

When they set out from the Southeast Province, they had assembled over 100,000 troops. By the time they joined forces, only a little over 1,000 remained, a truly tragic situation.

To be precise, there were only a little over three thousand men left. Along the way, Hudson also gradually gathered up many defeated soldiers from the Noble Allied Forces of the Southeast Province.

If this continues, I estimate we can pick up a few thousand more people. A classic example of a near-death experience.

If we hadn't made the previous misjudgment and joined forces with Hudson two days earlier, the total strength of the Southeast Province Noble Allied Forces might have exceeded ten thousand.

On the battlefield, the first to be eliminated are the serf soldiers who are physically weak and poorly trained. Those who can hold out until the end are the elite of each family. Losing even one is heartbreaking, let alone losing so many at once.

"Governor Excellency, you have traveled a long way and I imagine you haven't had a proper rest."

The barracks have been prepared by the military, and all supplies are inside the tents. Everyone, please go wash up and rest first!

Hudson said with a chuckle.

This is not a mockery; you can tell from the dark circles under their eyes that they have been suffering a lot these past few days.

Now that it's safe, a good night's sleep is a must. The thoughtful Hudson, of course, wouldn't spoil the mood by arranging a welcome banquet.

In fact, he never arranged a banquet, regardless of which Noble Allied Forces he was supporting.

The main problem is that I'm too busy with my work; I don't even have time to build relationships or host banquets.

If you encounter a high-ranking noble, you might become acquainted with them; but if you encounter a lower-ranking noble, you might not even be able to see Hudson.

There's no way around it; the military might lack anything these days, but it's never short of nobles.

There were a whole bunch of dukes, marquises, and earls, and even two princes from the royal family were in the military camp.

In reality, these royal princes are all talk and no action; they are not actually worth much. In terms of real power, they are not even comparable to a duke.

Their presence in the military had more political than military significance. It was quite a shock to ordinary soldiers, but nothing much to the great nobles.

A high rank only signifies a noble status; the one who truly represents the royal family and wields real power is Marshal Campbell died in battle earlier.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, Marshal Campbell will most likely be posthumously granted the title of Grand Duke or Prince by Caesar III after the war ends.

Frankly, Hudson genuinely admired Caesar III. At the beginning of his reign, Caesar was almost sidelined by powerful nobles, but Hudson managed to turn the tide.

The prime minister is a member of the royal family, the Minister of Military Affairs is a member of the royal family, and with the addition of the deceased military Marshal Campbell, members of the royal family make up one-third of the kingdom's core personnel.

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It was a perfect iron triangle; by controlling these three core positions, the court was essentially under the King's control.

Hudson vaguely sensed that he might have gone a bit too far. For those in positions of power, loyalty is more important than ability.

Not being a trusted confidant or a close associate, yet wanting to seize the position of the top leader in the army—isn't that just asking for trouble?

Fortunately, this is not an Eastern monarchical system; otherwise, as a military commander who committed a taboo, his fate after the war would most likely have been "the rabbit is killed after the hunt."

Knowing this is one thing, but I can't give up the benefits I'm entitled to. At worst, I'll resign and return to my fiefdom as soon as the war is over; staying in the Royal Capital is just getting in the way.

This is standard practice among the high-ranking nobles. If they are disliked by the King, they simply cut ties and never speak to each other again. Within the rules of the game, as long as they don't cause trouble, there is no such thing as failure.

The Five Great Families of the North are the best example. It's estimated that Caesar III wished he could get rid of them as soon as possible, and in the end, all he could do was suppress them politically.

In comparison, these families are still in a passive position, needing the kingdom's support to protect their own territories and having to get involved in domestic political activities.

Southern lords like Hudson were very dependent on the kingdom and could completely avoid getting involved in the affairs of the central government.

Deep down, after making the decision not to join the central government's development, Hudson felt a great sense of relief.

"Count Hudson, it's been a long time!"

With a simple greeting, Hudson noticed Viscount Oran's unease. Only a little over a year had passed, and their positions had been reversed; anyone would feel awkward about that.

If it were merely an honorary title, that would be fine; with the Hollisir Family's influence, they wouldn't be lacking in a ducal title. Even Caesar III had offered one, only to have it declined by Viscount Oran.

Everything stems from unspoken rules.

Pierce, the head of the Southeast Province, holds the title of Earl. If anyone below him dares to overstep their bounds, do they still want to live in the Southeast Province?

Accepting the title of Earl was tantamount to announcing to the world that he wanted to be on par with Count Pierce and would no longer be associated with the Dalton Family.

Without sufficient benefits, no one would risk offending their boss for a mere title.

Hudson dared to accept the position of Earl because he had accumulated enough military merits and his military strength had rapidly expanded. After the war, he would most likely be able to convert the honorary title into a real one.

It involves real interests, so even if it offends the Dalton Family, it's worth it.

"Your Excellency, what exactly happened on the battlefield? Why have you ended up in such a sorry state?"

Hudson asked, feigning confusion.

After all, he was his father-in-law, so he had to give him face. To cover up Viscount Oran's embarrassment, he decisively chose to change the subject.

"This matter is complicated. Although we were surrounded by the enemy, we were still able to maintain our position. Unless the enemy is willing to suffer heavy losses, they will not be able to take us down."

It was all those guys from the North, obsessed with breaking out. Everyone was swayed by them, and after making a series of preparations, they launched the breakout campaign.

We broke through the enemy's blockade. But the days of being hunted down by the enemy cavalry were just the beginning of a nightmare, and our army quickly suffered heavy losses.

You know what happened next. We could have met up sooner, but that guy Pierce thought you'd abandon us and insisted on running away with us!

Viscount Oran grew increasingly angry as he spoke.

This resentment was partly directed at the Five Great Families of the North, and partly at Count Pierce. With both groups causing trouble, the Hollisir Family's path to revival suffered another setback.

This wave not only resulted in heavy losses for his family's private army, but also severely damaged his forces within the kingdom's Standing Army.

Lacking sufficient strength, one cannot even speak with authority. The difficulty of further attempting to seize control of Fengyun Province has increased significantly.

Hearing the expected answer, Hudson wanted to laugh but dared not. The southern nobles in the kingdom had suffered heavy losses, while the Five Great Families of the north were in a much better situation.

When they joined forces with Hudson, each family had a private army of at least six or seven thousand men.

It should be noted that this was merely the private army of one family, not the private army of a provincial noble family like those in the south.

With the addition of the ability to gather some of the defeated soldiers, it is estimated that the number of surviving private armies of the Five Great Families in the North can easily exceed ten thousand.

Compared to these instigators, the Southern Aristocrats, whose strength was severely damaged, became the unjust victims.

Especially the nobles of the Southeast Province, after falling into the trap set by the Five Great Families, they themselves fell into the trap again, making them the kings of the unjustly killed.