Alternative Thinking

"Count Hudson, when will the army's logistical supplies arrive?"

Hudson, who had been in charge of the army's logistics for many days, was questioned for the first time at the Allied Conference about logistical supplies.

"I'm sorry, Commander Blake!"

The issue of logistical supplies depends on many factors. I cannot give a precise answer right now, but I can tell you that the Logistics Department has done its best.

Even the nearest Fengyue Port, is more than 1,500 li away from the front line. If it were all plains, it wouldn't be so bad, but now we've entered the mountains.

The harsh natural environment and muddy roads, coupled with the destruction caused by the Beastfolk, were all significant factors affecting logistical transportation.

The current continuous rain has exacerbated transportation difficulties. Once the weather improves, transportation speed should be able to increase somewhat.

Hudson replied calmly.

From the moment the terrain changed dramatically, the coalition forces began to experience logistical problems. Delays in the distribution of strategic materials became commonplace.

The original bi-weekly distribution has now become monthly. Even the requisition of supplies has changed from door-to-door delivery to each unit having to send personnel to the transit station to collect them.

As the war has progressed, the Alpha Kingdom has mobilized all that it can.

However, Hudson was still short of manpower. In order to ensure the timely supply of logistical materials, he even proposed to the kingdom to outsource some of the work to caravans.

The merchant guilds now active in the Orc Empire arrive laden with strategic supplies, yet this still cannot meet the needs of the front lines.

"Count Hudson, the supply transport is slow, don't you know how to fix it?"

Blake pressed on with the question.

Although there was no deliberate targeting, the Church still suffered considerable losses in the distribution of logistical supplies.

The logistics transfer station is always relatively far from their location. Each time they pick up supplies, they have to travel at least a hundred miles.

There's not much controversy; it's purely luck. Who told the Church to distrust the Logistics Department and be unwilling to provide the army's attack route in advance?

Since the Church refused to provide it, Hudson could only pretend he didn't know.

Other troops were usually only a few dozen miles away from the transit station, and at most no more than two hundred miles away. The Church was the exception, often transporting troops over long distances.

When logistical support is running smoothly, this distance is nothing. But now that logistics are gradually falling behind the speed of the army's march, it's a real disadvantage.

Unexpected events often occur during transportation, and it cannot be guaranteed that all supplies will arrive according to the quota. Some supplies suffer significant damage, while others suffer only minor damage; these factors are beyond human control.

The nearby troops took the supplies first. What the Church would have to do with what was left in the warehouses would depend on the situation.

If you're lucky, you'll eat meat; if you're unlucky, you'll eat bran.

Unfortunately, they dug the pit for themselves. Instead of sharing the marching route, Blake could only criticize the poor logistical support.

"There are solutions, of course, but they are quite costly. Commander Blake, as you know, the kingdom is already exhausted by now that the war has progressed to this point."

If the Church can provide more support, we will immediately increase the number of mercenaries to ensure the supply of materials to the front lines.

In fact, the kingdom was well prepared, and the army would not lack supplies in the short term.

On the Orc Great Plains, we have stockpiled enough supplies to last our army for six months.

The problem now is that we can't get the supplies here. Even though we're only a few hundred miles from the Orc Great Plains, just this short distance alone consumes 35% of the food we're transporting.

This is just the beginning. As the battle lines advance, the amount of supplies consumed along the way will continue to increase.

The Logistics Department are severely lacking in manpower. The kingdom in the rear is already employing men, women, and children alike, and cannot provide more laborers for the front lines. We can only entrust this task to you all!

As he spoke, Hudson solemnly bowed to everyone.

Deep down, Hudson was conflicted. He wanted to eliminate the Beastfolk threat once and for all, but he also wanted to end this endless war as soon as possible.

The kingdom has held on until now, only now bringing its predicament to the forefront, because it doesn't want to miss this opportunity to severely damage, or even destroy, the Orc Empire.

The best option now is to drag the Human Alliance into this mess completely. Mobilize the entire human race to wipe the Beastfolk off the continent.

Unfortunately, Hudson's persuasive skills weren't up to par, and he couldn't fool the old foxes. Mainly, the remaining lands of the Orc Empire were mostly rotten and unattractive.

Even the relatively fertile Orc Great Plains are difficult to sell at auction, let alone these rotten lands.

Since conquering the Orc Great Plains and entering the Northwest region, the Allied Forces' fighting spirit has declined sharply.

Unlike the prosperity of the grasslands, the Beastfolk tribes in the northwest were all extremely poor.

Limited by insufficient resources, local tribes will automatically split up once they reach a certain size. Most exist as small tribes, with very few having more than three thousand people.

The enemy is so poor that there's no hope of loot. If they want to get rich now, they can only fight the Beastfolk forces of the Five Great Royal Families head-on.

On the vast grasslands, the human alliance easily chased and fought the Beastfolk. But the situation changed once they entered the mountains.

With the natural cover provided by nature, aerial reconnaissance is no longer omnipotent, and the Beastfolk have gained the ability to fight back.

They didn't get much loot, and in some local battles, the human alliance was ambushed several times by the Beastfolk using the terrain to their advantage, suffering considerable losses.

With the war having progressed this far, the Human Alliance could easily declare a resounding victory to the outside world. After all, they've already lost all their gains, and they've at least regained face.

The current battle, to put it nicely, is because everyone is using their troops cautiously; to put it bluntly, everyone is slacking off.

If it weren't for the fact that everyone still had a large number of Beastfolk cannon fodder troops that hadn't been used up, I reckon some people would have already suggested withdrawing the troops.

There was no other way; everyone had made too many promises to lure Beastfolk naive orcs into joining their ranks.

Besides Hudson's proposal to support the various Beastfolk races in establishing their own independent countries, he added several other questionable practices during the actual implementation process.

If we can't keep our promises, and we can't openly breach the contract, then we can only send them to their deaths.

Those who are not of our kind will surely have different hearts!

Hudson decisively chose not to see this unscrupulous behavior and let everyone do whatever they wanted.

"Everyone has seen the contributions of the Alpha Kingdom. Being able to send so many supplies to the front lines has indeed reached its limit."

I think we can consider Count Hudson's suggestion. Either we send more men, or we hire more mercenaries.

Nowadays, most Beastfolk tribes are entrenched in the mountains and forests, which is not suitable for large-scale military operations. Instead, mercenaries are more suitable for them.

Not only in terms of logistics, we can utilize more mercenaries; we can also bring mercenaries into the battlefield.

Marquis Sunil said with a smile.

Although the Beastfolk initiated the invasion, it was Charles III who spearheaded the full-scale counterattack within the Alliance.

As a politically astute commander, Marquis Sunil was well aware that this was the first war launched by his leader since taking power, and he had to win it decisively.

From the outcome, we can now choose to end this. But from the process, it's far from meeting our leader's expectations.

Despite their seemingly overwhelming victory, the allied forces had not achieved a single significant triumph.

What everyone can do naturally doesn't highlight the might of the continent's number one kingdom. But if they want a great victory, the enemy is unwilling to cooperate, leaving Marquis Sunil helpless.

He couldn't boast about the kingdom's military might, but showing off the command abilities of its generals would be a passable achievement. Having finally snatched this job from among a host of competitors, he couldn't possibly let it go to waste.

"Marquis Sunil's suggestion is very pertinent. In the jungle, mercenaries are the professionals."

Mercenary groups that have been active in areas such as the Monster Mountain Range and the Elf Forest for a long time are the best among them.

Mercenaries also made significant contributions in this war. I think the Alliance could raise funds to offer a bounty for the heads of the Beastfolk royalty.

For mercenaries who have made significant contributions, we may also consider granting them appropriate titles as a reward!

Hudson immediately echoed.

He would support any method that could severely damage the Orc Empire.

Since Marquis Sunil could propose involving mercenaries in the war, Hudson naturally wanted to make it a reality. After all, the Alpha Kingdom was currently short of funds, so the Human Alliance would have to foot the bill.

Granting titles and fiefdoms is even easier. The land beneath their feet is a ready-made fiefdom, enough to settle countless newly emerging nobles.

"Count Hudson, you make it sound so easy! The increased military expenditure due to the extensive use of mercenary groups is not insignificant."

Moreover, mercenaries vary greatly in quality; they're fine for doing odd jobs, but expecting them to be the main fighting force is simply a joke.

The league's money doesn't grow on trees; we can't afford to squander it like this!

No sooner had Commander Blake finished speaking than he felt a murderous aura emanating from behind him.

After realizing what had happened, he cursed himself for being so stupid. He had been so focused on refuting Hudson that he had forgotten about the Mercenary Guild members present.

Unfortunately, the words had already been spoken, and it was too late to take them back. As a representative of the Church, even if he had said something wrong, he was not allowed to apologize in this setting.

A mere mercenary guild, in terms of overall strength, can only rank in the middle among the many major human powers, and is not worth his bowing down.

"The Marquis Sunil and the Count Hudson's proposal is excellent. In the upcoming war, we can make full use of the role of mercenaries."

There's no need to worry about funding. This concerns the greater good of humanity, and I believe that mercenary groups across the continent wouldn't be so morally depraved as to take advantage of a crisis like this.

"As long as everyone agrees, our mercenary guild can post this information for free, without taking any commission."

Adolf said seriously.

The reputation of the entire mercenary world was at stake, so he, as their representative, had no choice but to step forward. Unfortunately, the power of the Church was too great, and he ultimately dared not offend Church too deeply, resulting in a severely insufficient counterattack.

"Commander Blake, you're being too nitpicky. There are indeed some bad apples among mercenaries, but they are only a very small minority. Most mercenary groups are still commendable."

For example, when Commander Adolf was in crisis, he immediately led his troops to provide support, which is enough to prove their enthusiasm.

I think we should discuss this as soon as possible and come up with a concrete implementation plan to submit for approval by the Human Race Council.

Hudson retorted without holding back.

Having long since fallen out with the Church, Hudson naturally wouldn't hesitate to strike at any opportunity to damage their reputation.

This act of violence cemented the deep-seated animosity between the Church and the Mercenary Guild.

They might not openly turn against each other, but the resentment behind the scenes is inevitable. Who knows, at some point, they might inflict a major loss on the Church.

"Your Excellency Maxim, this is the reward we have prepared. When will we be able to make contact with the Sea Tribe?"

"The Elder Eagleman asked expectantly."

Seeking help from the Sea Tribe is uncertain, but we have to give it a try.

As they retreated, the human alliance relentlessly pursued them. Judging by their posture, they had no intention of a peaceful retreat.

The message from the Church is that as long as the human race wins a major victory, satisfying the desire of the various human powers to flaunt their military might, the allied forces will return home.

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But the Five Great Emperors simply didn't believe this unreliable intelligence. Humans were always cunning; what if they invested heavily in cooperating with them in a fight, only to have them turn their backs on them later?

Similar things have happened before in history. It's better to take control of your own destiny than to leave it in the hands of others.

"Don't worry, Little Eagle. What's there to worry about when I'm handling things? It's just contacting the Sea Tribe, what's the big deal!"

"You wait here. I'll pack my things and then take you to see the Sea Tribe people."

As they spoke, the dragon flicked its tail, sweeping up all the treasures in the cave and sending them into its giant mouth.

Heads may be severed, blood may flow, but treasures cannot be lost. Every gold coin in the Giant Dragon's hand represents their life.

No matter where it is placed, it is not safe to leave; only by swallowing it into its belly can the dragon feel at ease.

Let's go!

As soon as they entered the cave, Maxim, finding the Elder Eagleman's flight speed too slow, grabbed him with one talon and sped away.

Free rides are hard to come by. The lightning speed caused the Elder Eagleman to faint mid-air. Clearly, even flying races couldn't withstand such super speed.

Flying all the way to the surface of the sea, gazing at the surging waves, Maxim suddenly stopped. "Damn it! It seems I robbed them too badly last time; these fish-men actually moved away before the great Maxim could even arrive!"

Upon hearing Maxim's words, the Eagle-Eyed Elder, who had just woken up, fainted again.

He was initially dizzy from the dragon's breath, but now he's just dizzy from anger. How could someone so wise in his life believe the nonsense of a Red Dragon?

Maxim boasted of having connections with the Sea Tribe and that he could act as a go-between. Little did he know that their so-called connections turned out to be nothing more than robbing each other.