Hudson's Machinations

Canglan City, Emerald Palace.

The ongoing war has placed immense pressure on the Alpha Kingdom. Although the fighting within the country has subsided, military expenditures remain stubbornly high.

Being a host isn't easy; the host has to provide for the reinforcements' every need, from food and drink to their basic needs. The aid from the Human Alliance doesn't even cover 20% of the actual expenses.

For more than half a year, millions of troops were busy on the front lines, doing only one thing: building defense lines. As a result, criticism from within the country gradually increased.

It's not that everyone is deliberately finding fault; it's just that the expenses at the front are too enormous, putting a heavy burden on the kingdom's finances.

Even though they raised a lot of money by issuing war bonds, it has now been almost entirely swallowed up by the war.

"What did the Count Hudson say?"

"I am concerned, "Caesar III asked.

Ending this war as soon as possible has become a consensus throughout the kingdom. However, when it comes to the specifics of implementation, it all depends on the performance of the commanders at the front.

"Your Majesty, Count Hudson believes that the reinforcements gathered at the front are ready to launch an attack on the Orc Empire."

However, communication at the front lines was not going smoothly, and the numerous conflicts between the various factions caused great trouble for the coordination work.

In particular, the coalition lacked a unified command structure, and each major power maintained a high degree of independence, making it difficult to persuade all the powers at the same time.

He suggested that the Foreign Affairs Department strengthen communication with the Human Alliance Council and establish a joint command to advance the war effort!

As soon as Grand Duke Affierro, the Minister of Minister of Military Affairs, finished speaking, it immediately sparked a great deal of discussion among the crowd.

Communication difficulties and command inconveniences are chronic problems for the Allied forces. Problems that couldn't be solved in previous wars are unlikely to be easily resolved now.

Caesar III was also in a dilemma. The Marquis James, who was in charge of communication at the front, was a trusted confidant whom he had personally promoted.

He has always been conscientious and responsible at work, but sometimes hard work doesn't guarantee success. He was powerless to change the fact that the major powers didn't support him.

Over the past six months, Caesar III has received many similar letters expressing his distress.

The boss doesn't like his underlings complaining when they encounter difficulties, but there is one exception: when they encounter insurmountable difficulties.

Complaining at least proves you're still trying. If you stop complaining altogether, then you're just giving up.

It is clearly unreasonable to expect the generals at the front lines to solve a historical problem that none of the kingdom's Royal Capital had been able to resolve.

The lack of unified command among the coalition forces is essentially a political problem. If the various parties cannot reach a political consensus, then maintaining military unity is even more difficult.

"Don't look at me like that. The Foreign Affairs Department has been working itself to the bone to coordinate relations with all parties."

We have exhausted all means to ensure that reinforcements arrive as quickly as possible. Now, the issue of military command is truly beyond the capabilities of the Foreign Affairs Department.

"Even if all sides were willing to put aside their prejudices, we wouldn't be the final commander-in-chief of the coalition. Sending an uncontrollable commander to lead this war might not necessarily improve the situation!"

Count Francis retorted without holding back.

Diplomacy is not a panacea; its essence lies in the interplay of interests. The lack of a unified command system among the coalition forces stemmed primarily from their inability to reach an agreement on their respective interests.

For most human nations, the threat posed by the Orc Empire was far too vague and unrealistic.

They're only offering help out of consideration for the greater good of humanity; as for taking command of the army, forget it!

"Your Majesty, Count Francis's words make sense. Even we ourselves are unwilling to hand over our armies to others to command, let alone other forces?"

"Let's stick to the old rules: all war plans should be discussed and approved by all parties before implementation. If there's a disagreement, we'll report it to the Human Alliance Council for a ruling!"

The Duke Newfoundland said with a troubled expression.

It's a terrible idea, but it's the only way to solve the problem right now. How can we get everyone to fight hard on the battlefield without first convincing them?

"If there's no better option, then let's do it this way! Keep an eye on things with Count Hudson."

"Young people are prone to acting impulsively; we can't afford to cause trouble at such a crucial moment!"

"I'm not very interested, "Caesar III said.

An uncontrollable situation is always what a monarch hates most. Now that it has come to this, it's truly not something he can be happy about.

Blood Moon Castle, the human's guardian castle that fell to the Beastfolk eighty years ago, has reappeared on the Northern Frontier.

The overall design and layout are almost identical to the original ancient castle, except that the new and old castles are located about four or five hundred miles apart.

As usual, Hudson played the role of supervisor, inspecting the construction site from time to time to prove to the outside world that he, as the head coach, was not just sitting idly by.

"Your Excellency, an urgent message has arrived from the Royal Capital!"

Hearing the guards panting, Hudson frowned. Things had been peaceful at the front lines lately.

If the Beastfolk hadn't calmed down, he wouldn't have had the time to go and inspect the construction site. Ostensibly, he was checking the speed of the defense line's construction, but in reality, he was sightseeing all the way.

When it comes to the importance attached to the quality of the project, the vice-head coach Duke Cavadia, is much more concerned than the head coach; he practically lives and works at the project site every day.

Not only Duke Cavadia, but all the Northern Aristocrats showed great enthusiasm.

If a work is found to be substandard, it must be reworked immediately without the slightest hesitation or delay. If the schedule falls behind, even having one's personal guards assist is preferable to sacrificing the quality of the project.

Hudson changed his previous prejudice against them because of their seriousness in serving the king.

Perhaps the Northern Aristocrats have various problems, but they are definitely not the Liaodong military families who are only interested in making money.

Hudson glanced at the urgent letter and paused, slightly taken aback. He wondered to himself: Had his plan to shift blame been exposed?

As of now, the second batch of reinforcements from the Human Alliance has arrived, totaling 500,000 men. Combined with the initial 300,000, the total has now reached 800,000.

Together with the 200,000-strong army of the Moxi Duchy, the 30,000-strong army assembled by the Warhammer Kingdom, and the 700,000-strong army of the Alpha Kingdom on the front lines.

The Blood Moon Castle front has already amassed an army of over 1.7 million. Even if we deduct the 600,000 troops from the three northern kingdoms, there are still 1.1 million elite soldiers, enough to launch a full-scale counterattack against the Orc Empire.

The biggest problem hindering action is the lack of coordination within the alliance. Simply put, each major power is worried about being taken advantage of while others are gaining an advantage.

They all wanted to wait until all the Alliance reinforcements arrived before setting out together to attack the Orc Empire. Otherwise, if their troops arrived first and sang the praises, the later reinforcements would just reap the benefits, which would be a huge disadvantage.

Having grasped the essence of the problem, Hudson did not rush to solve it, but instead left the trouble to the Royal Capital.

It's all because of his age. A commander-in-chief in his early twenties is already quite eye-catching. If he performs too well, he'll attract too much hatred.

Militarily, Hudson dared not falter, so he could only be somewhat slow to react when dealing with complex diplomatic relations.

After handing over all the communication work to the Marquis James, Hudson no longer interfered and let him do whatever he wanted.

As it turned out, Caesar III did have some discernment in choosing his men. Despite the efforts of the Marquis James, nothing particularly remarkable was achieved, nor were any major problems encountered.

It may seem unremarkable, but it's actually quite impressive. As a military commander, being able to coordinate relationships between hundreds of factions makes her a true social butterfly in the military.

Everything in excess is bad. In the Foreign Affairs Department, Marquis James's abilities would certainly have made him very successful, but it's a different story in the military.

While he is very sociable, he also makes people feel that he is too hypocritical, good at scheming and flattering.

Especially given his previous position, which required him to frequently report on others to Caesar III, his reputation within the army was naturally not high.

"Tom, send someone to invite Marquis James over for a meeting. Your Excellency, Royal Capital, please also take a look at the urgent letter from the capital!"

As they were talking, Hudson had already handed the letter to Duke Cavadia, who was standing to the side.

The head coach and vice-head coach check and balance each other, but that doesn't mean they have to fight to the death. Especially when dealing with a head coach like Hudson who is good at decentralizing power, it's hard to argue with him.

People are pragmatic. After entrusting the most important defensive task to Duke Cavadia, only the Locknerd Family remained among the Northern Nobles who were originally hostile to Hudson.

With hundreds of construction sites of all sizes underway simultaneously, Duke Cavadia was so busy every day that he had no time for internal strife.

The same tactics applied to Marquis James. He was already exhausted from constantly battling wits with various powerful factions, leaving him no time to focus on internal strife.

There's no way he'll be idle. Even if things are peaceful on the front lines, Hudson can still stir up trouble. For example, occasionally orchestrating a multinational joint operation for a deep raid on the Orc Empire.

The need for multinational cooperation meant that Marquis James, who was in charge of coordinating relations, would soon be very busy.

The Orc Empire is causing trouble, and you can't afford to be unfamiliar with the situation. Duke Cavadia's workload will also passively increase by 1.

Don't even think about refusing; those in positions of authority must fulfill their responsibilities. All the tasks assigned by Hudson are within their duties and cannot be shirked.

Everyone is busy, and the conflicts between them have decreased significantly without us even realizing it.

"Your Excellency, judging from the letter, the Royal Capital's patience has run out, and they are ready to launch a full-scale counterattack."

"The most crucial issue of command remains unresolved, and according to the Royal Capital's intentions, the upcoming battles will likely involve a lot of infighting."

Duke Cavadia said with a frown.

Those who are near the water get the moon first. The Northern Aristocrats are the most direct beneficiaries of the kingdom's northward shift.

Not only did they have the opportunity to expand their fiefdoms, but they also transformed their old stronghold from a dangerous battlefield into a safe haven within the kingdom.

Shared interests led the Northern Nobles to gradually shift from initially opposing Hudson to cooperating with him.

Of course, the good reputation earned from prioritizing personal gain over immediate action to rescue people also played a significant role.

"Let's discuss this further when Marquis James arrives, and then we can decide what to do!"

Hudson said without changing his expression.

To enhance his authority, he employed various tactics. The biggest change was that the previous joint meeting of high-ranking officers was transformed into a three-person meeting.

With fewer people attending the meeting, the potential conflicts of interest were greatly reduced. As long as their own interests were not involved, the three were generally able to handle the issues objectively and fairly.

If anyone dares to deliberately cause trouble or make a scene, they will be challenging the combined authority of the three and will naturally be subject to joint suppression.