Route

It wasn't just the three "rotten brothers" who were disliked; the entire Duchy of Orton was also sent over to take on the task of escorting grain supplies.

There was no other way; the reinforcements sent by other forces were all elite troops, while the troops sent by these few were the least capable.

War is not simply about having more people; fighting the enemy with incompetent allies is worse than going it alone.

Hudson was not at all surprised by the reactions of his allies.

They were all full of confidence, ready to make a fortune, as if the Beastfolk could be wiped out with a snap of their fingers.

For the sake of their own fame and fortune, they naturally had to delegate the arduous task of transporting grain and fodder to others.

As expected, Hudson was appointed Commander-in-Chief of Allied Logistics. This time there was no controversy; while troop command could be independent, logistics had to be unified.

This is a matter of principle. If a person in charge is not appointed, who will we ask for supplies from later?

"On the wall is a map of the Orc Empire that we have drawn. It is not very complete, but it is the limit of our understanding of the Orc Empire."

We can't control how the army fights after setting out, but we must plan the supply routes carefully.

"Now, please have Duke Cavadia, who is familiar with the Orc Empire, introduce us to the specific situation of the Orc Empire."

At an internal meeting of the Allied Logistics Department, Hudson said with a half-smile.

It's funny to think about it now. With the coalition forces lacking unified command, the Logistics Department, which seemed to have little power, actually became the only legitimate authority.

Is it really impossible for the Logistics Department to intervene in the front-line battle?

Hudson didn't believe the Allied forces would dare to disregard logistics and fight recklessly. At most, they would stray a couple hundred miles; any further and they wouldn't be able to keep up.

If the enemy were to cut off the supply lines, the troops at the front would go hungry. No commander would dare to take such a risk.

Once the supply routes were determined, the direction of the army's attack was essentially also determined.

"Everyone knows that the Orc Empire has many races and is jointly ruled by Five Great Royal Families, but in reality, their situation is far more complicated than that."

From a topographical perspective, the Orc Empire can be roughly divided into five parts.

These are: the Orc Great Plains in the south, the Ula Mountains in the center, the Nikola Plateau in the north, the Salal Hills in the west, and the eastern coastal areas, which are mostly undeveloped swamps and saline-alkali lands.

The complex terrain provided the Orc Empire with excellent protection. All the wars waged by the Alliance against the Beastfolk ultimately ended on the Orc Great Plains.

Most of the time, the destination is where we are now. It's not that our predecessors didn't consider going deeper; the main problem was logistics.

The biggest reason we were able to continue fighting this time was that the Betelune Port was opened up, adding a sea transport route in addition to land transport.

It took ten years of effort to build this artificial port kingdom, clearing thousands of reefs and creating a sea passage.

"To deceive the Beastfolk and preserve this hard-won port, we didn't use it even at the height of the war, only resuming navigation when the counter-offensive began!"

At this point, Cavadia couldn't help but smile smugly. He was the one who personally took charge of defending the Betelune Port during this war.

He also played a significant role in the previous port development. The greater the role that Betelune Port plays, the more it proves his achievements.

It was precisely these solid achievements that established his position in the kingdom, and his prestige surpassed that of the other four dukes of the North.

"Does His Excellency the Duke mean to find a way to seize the Beastfolk's Fengyue Port and use the sea route to transport supplies?"

Marshal Borg asked tentatively.

He was forced to lead the troops into this war himself. The Warhammer Kingdom, severely weakened, was a complete mess after the war.

King Joseph II's prestige plummeted, rendering him unable to maintain the balance of the kingdom. With the western faction of nobles gaining the upper hand, they urgently needed to establish their prestige within the kingdom.

For a kingdom ravaged by Beastfolk, nothing could boost morale and the people's spirits more than fighting the Beastfolk.

In addition, they also need to make their presence felt internationally, proving that they also made contributions in this war against the Beastfolk invasion.

The venerable Marshal Borg was persuaded to come out of seclusion. With a meager force of 30,000 men, they appeared on the battlefield.

"Good!"

Duke Cavadia replied with a smile.

This was planned in advance. Before the army set off, the trio discussed the route for troop deployment and the transportation route for logistical supplies.

The original plan was that a portion of the Kingdom Army and its allies would jointly undertake the task of transporting supplies, while another portion of the Kingdom Army would participate in the purge of the Beastfolk.

Unexpectedly, plans changed quickly. In an effort to undermine the prestige of the Alpha Kingdom, the Church proposed at the Alliance Conference that the Kingdom's entire army be incorporated into the Logistics Department, a proposal that was endorsed by various nations.

This arrangement would have been met with a furious outburst from an arrogant person. Unfortunately, it came from Hudson, who had been hardened by life's harsh realities and readily accepted the task.

Regardless of any insults, the most important thing for the Alpha Kingdom right now is to preserve its strength.

Being in charge of escorting grain supplies is great!

Whether allies would come to the rescue when other troops were in danger was uncertain, but when a supply convoy was in danger, no one dared to stand idly by.

Throughout history, there have been countless instances of betraying teammates; but only a traitor would dare to betray their own grain transport team.

At most, some people in the coalition might do some small business with Beastfolk in secret, but no major power would be so foolish as to betray humanity for the Orc Empire.

"Our Northern Continent has always lacked good ports, especially the eastern coast, which is full of reefs, and the situation gets worse the further north you go."

Fengyue Port opened to traffic three years ago. It is said that the Behemoth Clan invested heavily in its development. Could it also be the work of your country?

Marshal Borg asked in surprise.

It's no wonder he thought that way; the coincidence was just too much. It was somewhat plausible that the Alpha Kingdom would forcibly establish a port in the Northern Frontier border region.

Without external forces, Behemoth, who has always been a landlubber, is now bored and wants to open up a port.

As it turned out, the development of Fengyue Port was a failure. The port did exist, but the anticipated trade did not flourish.

On one hand, the Orc Empire lacked knowledge of navigation, and their shipbuilding skills were only slightly better than that of canoes. Building small boats of about ten tons was the limit of their technology.

On the other hand, the Orc Empire's harsh business environment deterred countless merchants with its sheer strength.

Unless one is extremely powerful, ordinary merchants dare not do business in the Orc Empire, which is why Fengyue Port has been in a state of depression since its opening.

"Marshal, this is just a coincidence. The opening of Fengyue Port was entirely the old Behemoth Emperor's wild idea, attempting to seize wealth from the sea."

"Judging from the current state of Fengyue Port, it's clear that the Beastfolk lack knowledge in port construction. Otherwise, as the empire's largest port for foreign trade, it couldn't possibly be failing to prosper!"

Hudson immediately denied it.

It's fine to open a port on our own territory; no one will say anything no matter what the Alpha Kingdom does.

Helping the Orc Empire open ports was something he absolutely couldn't get involved in. Even deep down, Hudson believed it was his own King's doing.

Perhaps realizing his slip of the tongue, Marshal Borg smiled apologetically. Such things should be done in secret; to publicly acknowledge them, one must at least wait until after the destruction of the Orc Empire before publicizing them as achievements.

It's not a matter of whether or not it stirs up hatred; rather, politics has always been two-sided, and everyone only focuses on the final result.

Destroying the Orc Empire would be an achievement; if they failed to the Annihilation of the Orc Empire to develop Fengyue Port into a major financial center, that would be a political disaster.

The news of the Orc Empire and the human alliance's departure from the pass reached the Five Great Royal Families. Alarmed, the five rulers quickly gathered to discuss countermeasures.

It's here!

The darkest hour for the Orc Empire is coming!

Faced with the bloody retaliation of the continent's overlord, no Orc Emperor dared to be careless.

"The relocation work is not going smoothly. Many mountain tribes are unwilling to move to the grasslands to settle down, possibly because the news leaked out in advance."

Too many Beastfolk know about the failed invasion of the south; even if we wanted to silence them, we couldn't.

"The human alliance is advancing aggressively, and the tribes currently providing cover are insufficient. We must relocate more orcs to slow their advance as much as possible, preparing for the tribes' evacuation!"

"The Silver Moon Wolf Emperor said with a worried expression."

The most prosperous Orc Empire is the vast, flat Orc Great Plains, which is rich in water and grass and abundant in resources, making it very suitable for developing animal husbandry and engaging in agricultural production.

In contrast, the land in other regions is much more barren. The mountains in the central region are particularly poor, and people rely entirely on hunting and gathering wild fruits for survival, which can only support a small number of small and medium-sized tribes.

The northern plateau is covered with loess, arid and with little rainfall year-round, and bitterly cold in winter. Only a few cold-resistant species can survive there for extended periods.

The hilly land in the west is barren and, due to the limited productivity of the Orc Empire, its development and utilization are currently at a very low level.

The eastern coast is full of swamps and saline-alkali land, which the Orc Empire's productivity has naturally not developed.

Against this backdrop, the major tribes of the Orc Empire were mostly concentrated on the southern grasslands.

Agricultural production also developed in the river and lake regions. Although the output could not compare with that of humans, it marked the beginning of an agricultural civilization.

It is thanks to these crops that the Orc Empire is able to support its large population. If they were to abandon the fertile grasslands and migrate to other barren regions, their good days would be over.

In order to make room for their own survival and to stop the advance of the human army, the Five Great Royal Families launched a great migration.