Transfer Station
Having successfully made an example of him, Hudson clearly sensed a change in how people looked at him. There was more awe, and less warmth.
A general must first establish prestige; this is an unavoidable step. If it weren't for the presence of numerous nobles within the army and the extremely complex situation, he wouldn't have waited more than half a year to launch his attack.
What appears to be merely a momentary lapse in judgment by the Duke Pias has actually been the subject of a plan targeting him for six months.
From the moment Hudson became the commander-in-chief of the Kingdom Army, he had been sending signals to Duke Pias that he intended to take revenge.
Waiting in the unknown is always the most anxiety-inducing. Having prepared for the arrival, yet with no news in sight, Duke Pias was already suffering greatly.
Even the most determined person would break down after being tormented for more than half a year. However, Duke Pias was unaware of this breakdown.
That's why he lost his composure.
Without the preceding groundwork, the Duke Pias, a seasoned politician, wouldn't have been foolish enough to turn against his commander in the army.
Frankly speaking, Duke Pias's performance was quite good. Hudson had originally planned to put pressure on him and force him to make the first move, but unfortunately, the guy didn't fall for it.
Without committing any fundamental error, the accusation of "colluding with Beastfolk" naturally cannot be leveled.
Apart from the grave crime of betraying one's race, the remaining minor incriminating evidence could not shake the foundation of a great noble family.
With a sigh, Hudson got back to work. Duke Pias had fallen into the trap, but the ultimate outcome remained uncertain.
As the commander-in-chief, Hudson was no longer the minor nobleman who led troops into battle. If he were to personally take to the front lines, it would be a recipe for utter defeat.
He genuinely hoped this military deployment would succeed. Even if it meant not Annihilation of the Orc Empire, simply driving them out of the prosperous Orc Great Plains would be a great strategic victory.
Having lost its fertile grasslands, even though the Orc Empire still possessed vast lands, it could not sustain an empire.
Even without the suppression of the Five Great Royal Families, if all the remaining powerful races were to rise up, they would still be limited by insufficient resources.
With the threat from the Northern Frontier gone, it's only meaningful to head north and reclaim our ancestral lands. What's the point of such rotten land if it's constantly harassed by Beastfolk?
Upon hearing the news of the allied forces' departure from the Emerald Palace, Caesar III experienced a mixture of joy and sorrow.
The war was started according to his will, but what happened at the Allied Conference made him feel deeply humiliated.
When did the Alpha Kingdom become so lowly that it could only transport supplies for the army?
However, he couldn't accuse anyone. Hudson didn't argue his case because he was forced by the kingdom's lack of power.
Trying to save face by pretending to be something you're not is just being stubborn and suffering for it. With the Alpha Kingdom's current military strength, it simply doesn't have the resources to compete for face.
If we were to compete with other major powers for the main attack mission, we might lose the last vestiges of the kingdom's wealth.
Are the supplies at the front lines adequate?
"I am concerned, "Caesar III asked.
Warfare hinges on logistics, and compared to the weakened Orc Empire, the Human Alliance holds an absolute advantage. The only weakness hindering the Human Alliance's effectiveness is the logistics of its large army.
"Your Majesty, please rest assured. For the past six months, we have been focusing on improving logistics."
We have stockpiled enough supplies for our army to use for half a year at Purple Thistle Pass alone, and supplies from the rear are still being sent to the front line.
As long as the pre-planned strategy is completed, even if the war is deadlocked in the heart of the Orc Great Plains, we can still guarantee logistical supplies.
If logistical problems do arise, it will only be after the Beastfolk have been driven out of the plains. If that can be achieved, the Beastfolk will be no threat!
"The Prime Minister Grand Duke Newfoundland, said with great confidence."
Since its founding, this is the first time the Human Alliance has been determined to give the Orc Empire a severe beating.
If the Alliance's plan goes smoothly, the operation against the Beastfolk is just the beginning. They will use similar methods to eliminate other alien races in the surrounding area one by one.
Having reigned as the dominant power on the continent for so many years, the major human forces are no longer content with being the nominal rulers of the continent, but are preparing to unify the Aslant Continent.
It was all out of necessity. After countless years of development, many regions of the human race were overcrowded. To avoid internal conflicts, the only option was to expand outwards and seize more resources for survival.
The addition of the legendary calamity that occurs every 100,000 years further spurred the determination of the human race's leadership to take action.
This top secret of humanity is known only to a few of the most powerful people on the continent; everyone else is just a pawn on the chessboard.
"In previous wars with the Beastfolk, we were forced to withdraw because of unsolvable logistical problems. I hope this time will be an exception."
From now on, all strategic resources of the kingdom will be prioritized for supplying the front lines; if that is not enough, they will be procured from overseas.
Let's all take the lead and endure a few tough days together, giving up essential supplies like sugar and meat products that we use every day.
I'll set an example first. Starting today, the palace will no longer supply sugar, wine, or cloth, and the supply of meat products will be reduced by 90%...
"I spoke with a heavy heart," Caesar III said.
It's easy to cut other people's food allowances, but it takes real ruthlessness to lead by example and cut your own living standards.
However, there are many precedents in the Alpha Kingdom for King and nobles to lead the way in enduring hardship. Whenever the war enters a critical moment, such a wave of hardship is carried out in order to ensure the supply of materials to the front lines.
Six months ago, Caesar III had tried this once before. The continuous vegetarian diet almost drove him crazy with cravings.
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Later, when the war zone eased and supplies became plentiful, normal life returned to normal.
This time, Caesar III was smarter; he didn't foolishly announce a complete halt to meat supplies, but merely reduced the quantity.
"Your Majesty, please rest assured. For the sake of the kingdom's future, a little hardship is nothing to us!"
As if they had rehearsed, everyone answered in almost unison.
There's nothing to object to; our ancestors all went through this. Since the outbreak of the war, apart from a few victory celebrations, banquets in the kingdom have disappeared.
It may seem like just a suggestion, but in reality, it's being enforced. However, this enforcement isn't through legal means, but rather through unspoken rules prevalent in the aristocratic world.
When frugality is valued in society, extravagance and waste are considered sins and should be despised by the world.
If even the nobles are leading the way in frugality, then other classes will naturally follow suit. Anyone who dares to defy this trend is simply asking for trouble.
Everything must serve the war effort, and any action that contradicts this principle will come at a terrible cost.
On the Snow Moon Lake, gazing at the clear waters, Hudson, revisiting this familiar place, felt a distinctly different emotion.
"Pass down the order to set up a temporary camp here, build granaries on the spot to store supplies, and then advance after the enemy ahead has been wiped out!"
With a million-strong army on the march, it's impossible to transport supplies all at once; such large-scale material transport is simply not economical.
The rational choice is to continuously build temporary transit stations along the route, stockpile strategic materials along the way, and constantly transfer materials according to actual needs.
Snow Moon Lake was one of the transit points chosen by Hudson.
There was no other reason than that the location was good, and there were three natural rivers available.
Although the water flow is not large, small boats of about ten tons can still navigate freely. It is insufficient to meet the needs of a large army, but every bit of reduction in transportation pressure is beneficial.
Everything was scouted in advance, and even the ships were brought along with the army. The only regret is that the army is now heading upstream.
Fortunately, the water flow was mostly gentle along the way, making it possible to paddle forward. The sections of the river that required manual pulling were not very long.
The once lush and verdant Snow Moon Lake were also a gathering area for Beastfolk tribes, boasting a unique grassland market. It was a rare bustling area in the Orc Empire, only to be visited by the Northern Expeditionary Army half a year ago.
Even if they managed to escape this calamity by sheer luck, they couldn't escape the fate of being forcibly conscripted by the Five Great Royal Families and used as cannon fodder.
The Beastfolk tribes currently living in this region were all relocated here by the Five Great Royal Families after the war.
Such fertile land is clearly not something everyone can possess. Those whose virtue does not match their position will surely suffer misfortune.
A group of unfortunate tribes who migrated from the north and west had just enjoyed a few good days when they were attacked by the human alliance.
Hudson never witnessed the actual battle. By the time he arrived with his troops, even the corpses on the ground had been fed to the wild beasts.