Hudson's Efforts

At the Allied Command Headquarters, Count Pierce received the news without flying into a rage.

If nobles behaved themselves, could they still be called nobles?

After suffering such a huge loss, it would have been a real problem if the Fifth Army had shown no reaction.

Going out to loot seemed serious to Hudson, but in Count Pierce's eyes, it was no big deal at all.

What army did not loot?

All the noble lords brought their own provisions to the battlefield. If they were not allowed to loot, how were they supposed to recoup their costs?

Losing money once or twice did not matter, but if they suffered massive losses ten times or eight times in a row, no matter how wealthy they were, they would be driven into bankruptcy.

In Count Pierce's view, as long as supplies arrived on time, everything else was a minor problem.

The gap in their values was not something that could be changed overnight, even though Hudson had worked hard to fit into this world.

After all, he had only been in this world for a few months. Compared with the several decades of his previous life, that was practically nothing.

His behavior could change, but his thinking was still influenced by his past. That was both an advantage and a disadvantage.

The main issue was his social circle. After crossing over, the people Hudson had come into contact with were all minor nobles, and those he imitated and learned from were minor nobles as well.

Without reaching a certain height, it was difficult to understand how the big shots thought.

"James, send someone to notify the Fifth Army and order them to speed up their march. Also let them know that I already know what happened, so they can deal with it themselves!"

Pierce said with a cold sneer.

Now was not the time to settle accounts. The Rebel Army was even craftier than expected, having set numerous traps along the way and making the Allied forces suffer bitterly.

If not for the Griffon Cavalry's reconnaissance and their early discovery of the enemy's schemes, they might have suffered a major loss.

Against a group of enemies with no morals, reaching Dadir City within three days was clearly an impossible task.

Hudson, dragged out of his sleep, stared at Count Pierce's military order and was completely speechless.

What was the point of warning him? Who knew where the looting army had gone?

If they really wanted to find them, sending the Griffon Cavalry to scout from the air would be far more efficient than searching slowly on the ground.

But since they were doing something so shameful, his unreliable allies had probably covered their tracks as well. Even the Griffon Cavalry would likely struggle to find them without observing from close range.

"Knight Shiludi, I'm also looking for the commander and the others, but I have not found a single clue.

"Nearly all the officers of the Fifth Army have vanished. Look at this chaotic mess of a force—it could collapse at any moment. How can we possibly increase our marching speed?

"Why don't you go back and speak to His Excellency the Count? Have him send a hundred knights over to serve as officers, and our marching speed will immediately improve."

Hudson said with a face full of grievance.

He did not know. He did not know. He still did not know.

As a qualified noble, how could he betray his companions?

So long as he was not tortured for a confession, Hudson would be the most tight-lipped ally imaginable. No one could hope to learn from him that the Fifth Army had gone out looting.

Even though Count Pierce had already discovered it, Hudson would play dumb to the end. If they dared hold him accountable, he would simply give up.

The current grain transport force was a complete mess, and a major battle at the front could break out at any time. Hudson did not believe Count Pierce could truly spare more than a hundred knights to clean up this disaster.

Without anyone else to take over, he, the "patcher," could only keep at it for now. No matter how slow their marching speed was, at least the logistics were being preserved.

If they rashly replaced him and caused the force to collapse, this expedition could only end in failure.

"Knight Hudson, are you threatening the Count?"

Knight Shiludi, having caught the implication behind his words, demanded angrily.

"No, Knight Shiludi. I am merely stating a fact.

"Many officers of the Fifth Army have disappeared without a trace, leaving this unlucky fellow to clean up the mess.

"You can take a look around the camp. It is full of serf soldiers; you cannot find a single qualified warrior.

"What I am commanding now is a group of serfs who have only just put down their hoes, not an army. Holding them to military standards is simply too harsh.

"To guarantee twenty li a day, I have already done everything in my power. If you want to increase the pace, then His Excellency the Count can only send officers here to restore discipline."

Hudson argued desperately.

Increasing their marching speed was not impossible, even if it meant betraying his allies, but they had to pay more.

Without sufficient benefits, he would not become a traitor. Clearly, however, that was not something Knight Shiludi had the authority to decide.

"Hmph!"

"I will report today's events to His Excellency the Count exactly as they happened. I hope Knight Hudson will not regret this!"

Knight Shiludi said in angry embarrassment.

However, his anger did not last long before a small box filled with gold coins soothed it away. At last, a smile appeared on his formerly stormy face.

It was as though he were saying, if you had done this from the start, would there have been any trouble? Was all that acting really necessary?

After hesitating for a moment, Knight Shiludi slowly said, "The Fifth Army's matter is too serious. His Excellency the Count is very angry. But that was their mistake.

"Knight Hudson, you stepped forward in difficult circumstances and turned the tide. I believe His Excellency the Count will be very pleased once he learns of it."

Seeing that his goal had been achieved, Hudson suppressed his heartache and said, "That will depend on Knight Shiludi's support. Once this is done, the Coslo Family will certainly reward you generously!"

Although he could only represent himself for now, that did not stop Hudson from writing a promissory note. As for how he would fulfill the promise afterward, he would deal with that when the time came. Who could blame him for not carrying enough weight?

The word "official" had two mouths. The same matter, spoken by different people, could take on an entirely different nature.

Hudson had read history extensively and understood very well the consequences of offending a messenger. Even if he had the capital to give up, who would truly be willing to do so unless forced into a corner?

To show his respect for Count Pierce, Hudson decided that starting tomorrow, he would increase their daily marching distance by half a li.

No more than that. Without extra payment, he truly had no motivation.

Right in front of Knight Shiludi, before dawn had even broken, Hudson ordered the soldiers to get up, light fires, and prepare food, proving through his actions that he had done his utmost.

At the prompting of someone with ulterior motives, the soldiers gave a performance true to their nature. The chaotic scene was as lively as a marketplace, leaving Knight Shiludi speechless.

Transporting provisions with a force like this without it collapsing already required talent. Maintaining twenty li a day was truly not easy.

When Knight Shiludi looked at Hudson again, his gaze had become much more eager. Unlike their previous purely profit-driven transaction, he now genuinely wanted to befriend him.

Rule number n of noble survival: Befriending capable people allowed one to improve oneself.

The two hit it off immediately, and in no time, they went from complete strangers to uncle and nephew.

Thinking of this, Hudson was speechless. It seemed that since setting out on this expedition, he had gained a double-digit number of uncles.