Reinforcements Arrive

"Walking in the dark for too long will eventually lead to encountering a ghost."

Seeing Maxim return in a disheveled state, clutching two magical beasts, Hudson knew that things had finally been exposed.

Going out to ambush and capture magical beasts in the beast horde every day, it's impossible not to leave some clues. Even if the low-level magical beasts aren't very bright, they will still attract the attention of the high-level magical beasts.

After committing numerous crimes, Maxim was captured by the well-prepared demon army. Hudson had felt the massive battle commotion outside even from within the city.

The final result was clear: even a powerful dragon couldn't withstand the onslaught of the beasts. Faced with a prepared horde, Maxim had no choice but to retreat.

Judging from the spoils, Maxim suffered a significant loss today. In the past, he would capture anywhere from seven or eight to more than a dozen prisoners, but today he only had a pitiful two.

Even more tragically, Maxim, in a bad mood, threw the monster out as soon as he arrived at the camp, accidentally killing another one.

Having only acquired a third-tier magical beast, Maxim had ended up in such a sorry state; his operation was undoubtedly a huge loss.

"Mr. Maxim, are you alright?"

The issues that Hudson was concerned about.

With their own bear unable to take action, the dragon, as the main force in combat, cannot afford to have any problems, otherwise the task of capturing monsters will be impossible.

Deep down, Hudson was secretly relieved. Luckily, he had been cautious enough not to use his magical beasts to cause trouble in the Black Stone Mountain Range.

Otherwise, the beast horde wouldn't have besieged Blood Moon County, but the Mountain Territory. Being ravaged by the monster army would have left them severely wounded, if not dead.

"Don't worry, the blood on my body is from those monsters outside. A bunch of despicable and shameless monsters, they actually dared to gang up on me."

Three wolf cubs, Grandpa Long will remember this...

Maxim continued his incessant rant, but Hudson pretended not to hear. As a nobleman with principles, he simply couldn't stand by and watch the Red Dragon fight.

Beldens' disdainful gaze pierced Red Dragon's heart. He wanted to step forward and argue, but swallowed the words back.

He went out to catch a few low-level magical beasts, but he ended up looking disheveled and embarrassed; it was truly shameful. If word got out, he would have completely disgraced the Giant Dragon race.

After glaring back, Maxim sulked inwardly. It was all due to carelessness; if he had been a little more vigilant, he wouldn't have suffered this loss.

With such a commotion outside, the news that Maxim went out to capture monsters probably can't be kept secret any longer.

With a little analysis, I reckon everyone knows why the Warcraft army is fighting to the death in Blood Moon County.

So what if they're exposed? Hudson isn't intimidated at all. His reasons are readily available: tie down the main force of the Warcraft army and prevent them from wreaking havoc.

The Blood Moon County could hold out against the siege of the monster army does not mean that the castles of rural nobles could also be so sturdy.

Although reinforcements are still on their way, the best experts in the province have been entering the city in recent days.

If there weren't so few high-ranking mages of the same school, I would have had to cast a Forbidden Spell.

While there are no Forbidden Spell, the combined power of magic is quite good. With the aid of Magic Array, it can inflict considerable damage on the beast horde.

Nightfall could not stop the advance of the monster army. Fueled by the Giant Dragon's interference, the monsters could only vent their anger on the siege.

To better command the battle, Hudson had to take turns on duty with Governor Pierce. Tonight happened to be his turn.

Judging by the timeline, the reinforcements should be arriving soon, and now we've reached the most critical moment.

With a deafening roar, a breach appeared in the city wall. Immediately afterward, a guard rushed in to report, "My lord, another Magic Crystal Cannon has exploded!"

Magical technology also has its limits. Continuous firing will eventually take its toll on the Magic Crystal Cannon.

Without asking, Hudson knew that the exploding Magic Crystal Cannon was most likely an original product of the Alpha Kingdom.

If the assembly is done using precision parts purchased from the Dwarves, it will only break down when it encounters a malfunction, and it will rarely explode directly.

Comparatively speaking, the Alpha Kingdom's Magic Crystal Cannon technology is quite good. After more than ten days of continuous fighting and over a thousand firings, it had long exceeded its limits.

Under normal circumstances, the Magic Crystal Cannon must be maintained and its parts replaced after firing a hundred times; after firing five hundred times, it must undergo a major overhaul.

During wartime, these are luxuries. To provide better fire support, they launch as many fires as possible.

"Understood. Send men to repair the breach in the city wall, so as not to give the enemy any opportunity to exploit the situation."

Hudson gave the order without changing his expression.

Fortunately, this wave of beasts consisted only of ground-dwelling magical beasts. If another enemy force had arrived from the sky, Blood Moon County would have collapsed long ago.

The bright moonlight bathed the earth, reflecting the blood on the ground and giving it a chilling glow.

Bathed in a luminous glow, Blood Moon County appeared exceptionally dazzling. Hudson vaguely sensed something amiss; the city seemed to have come alive.

However, that was all the unusual phenomenon he witnessed; there were no further signs of change. After summoning two local nobles for questioning and confirming that it was a normal occurrence, he finally calmed his unease.

"Blood Moon County".

"Blood Moon County".

Muttering the ancient term repeatedly, Hudson couldn't help but think of the "Blood Moon Horn." His intuition told him that there must be a connection between the two, whose auras were so similar.

However, the aura emanating from the Blood Moon Horn was far more intense, while Blood Moon County possessed only a faint twilight aura. The bloody slaughter was intensifying this aura, but the rate of increase was almost imperceptible.

Unfortunately, the "Blood Moon Horn" was too hot to handle, so he had to trade it away. As a result, he no longer has the opportunity to study it.

After a series of negotiations, Louis Vuitton III of the County of Corubia finally chose to yield and submitted a request for annexation to the Black Forest Kingdom.

With an extra fig leaf, the annexation proceeded smoothly. With the flag lowered, the County of Corubia became the Province of Corubia.

Louis Vuitton retained his title of Earl, but was demoted from a powerful King to a figurehead Governor, and relinquished most of the royal domains.

All the other noble fiefdoms remained untouched. Due to the changing situation, even the "July Association Rebellion" was temporarily halted, replaced by a conscription order.

"Marquis Relian, the recruitment numbers on this list are just too huge!"

Not only would all adult nobles have to lead troops into battle, but also 100,000 soldiers and 200,000 laborers would need to be conscripted—this was simply impossible!

The Count of Louis Vuitton refused outright.

Although I know that I will suffer a lot after joining the Black Forest Kingdom, it is too outrageous to make things so difficult for them.

The entire province of Corubia has a population of only about one million, and to conscript 300,000 young men at once is clearly a case of not even sparing the roots of leeks.

Even the slightest mishap on the battlefield can result in severe damage to their forces. If they are deliberately targeted, even fewer will be able to escape unscathed.

"Count Louis Vuitton, this is the first battle since the province of Corubia joined the kingdom. You must show your sincerity to prove your loyalty to the kingdom."

Three hundred thousand people seems difficult, but it's not impossible to gather. It's no secret that nobles in various regions underreport their populations; surely the vast province of Corubia could muster three hundred thousand able-bodied men?

Adult nobles going to war goes without saying. This is a tradition of the Black Forest Kingdom. As nobles of the Black Forest Kingdom, they must abide by the rules.

Don't worry, Your Excellency. You just need to gather everyone together, and I'll handle the rest by talking to them.

For the greater cause of humanity, I believe that apart from those scoundrels who colluded with the July Association, the remaining nobles of Corubia are all willing to make contributions.

Marquis Relian said with a grin.

But to Louis Vuitton, that smile was like the smile of a devil. It seemed ordinary, but in reality, it was full of threats.

"Those who refuse to cooperate are Heretical Cult members." This is the first time Louis Vuitton has ever seen such a shameless frame-up.

He was clearly eliminating dissidents, yet he insisted on claiming it was a contribution to the cause of humanity, not even giving him a chance to refute.

If 100,000 soldiers and 200,000 able-bodied men are lost on the battlefield, the future of Corubia will be like meat on a chopping board, at the mercy of the Black Forest Kingdom.

"Marquis Relian, this number is far too large. Let's reduce it!"

I think it would be better to mobilize 30,000 troops and 50,000 laborers instead. This would be acceptable to everyone and would be more conducive to the balance of power within the kingdom.

Louis Vuitton tried his best to persuade them.

If we can match the troop strength mobilized by each province, even if we suffer a slight loss, everyone will be able to accept it.

They were all his own men, and although the group was forced to disband due to the situation, the bond between them remained. Even after joining the Black Forest Kingdom, these people were still his foundation.

Unfortunately, Louis Vuitton could see it, and so could the Black Forest Kingdom. This whole charade was orchestrated to weaken the power of the local nobility.

Without first weakening their forces, the "July Association Rebellion" alone will make it difficult to complete the Great Purge.

"Your Excellency, the mobilization target of 300,000 cannot be lowered. If you are unable to achieve it, then the Kingdom Army will have to do it for you."

But at that point, it won't look good for anyone. Especially since the July Association case isn't over yet!

Marquis Relian's words thoroughly enraged Louis Vuitton. His temper flared, he once again resorted to his usual tactic of giving up, storming off in a huff.

Let them do whatever they want; if I can't stop them, I'll just ignore them. He's definitely not going to do something so self-destructive.

As the various human nations mobilized one after another, the Continental War drew ever closer. Such a large-scale commotion naturally could not be kept secret from the alien races.

In Ash Fortress, the Dwarf King, seated high on his throne, asked with a heart full of doubt, "Have the Oprus people gone mad? What good will it do them to wage war against us now?"

As the First Army, exporting to all sides, the Dwarf Kingdom has been able to remain unscathed until now, which naturally speaks to its extraordinary strength.

Despite the fact that Alien Race Alliance have mostly ended in defeat in previous Continental War, the Dwarf Kingdom has consistently held the upper hand against the Opulus Kingdom.

If it weren't for the threat from several human kingdoms in the central region that tied down a large number of their troops, the Opulus Kingdom would have been defeated long ago.

"Your Majesty, the Oprus have the support of the Church this time, and they just concluded a secret covenant two days ago."

The specific details are unknown, but the above content is most likely aimed at us.

All the human nations are preparing for war, and it is clear that they intend to launch a new round of Continental War.

The Opulus Kingdom is constantly provoking us at this time, probably trying to force us to strike first in order to gain moral justification.

Foreign Minister Moi said, his face flushed.

It's obvious at a glance that this person just came from a drinking party. In other factions, drinking during work hours would be a major taboo, but in the Dwarf Kingdom, it's just commonplace.

Even the Dwarf King himself reeked of alcohol. It was as if it were ingrained in their genes; all the dwarves couldn't live without it.

"Damn humans, can't they be a little less troublesome? We've only been at peace for a short while, and they're already trying to start Continental War again!"

Just wait and see, humanity will be destroyed by war sooner or later. Such a warlike race should be born in the Abyssal Hell, spending their days with Demons.

Why are you all silent?

How are you going to deal with human provocations?

Faced with the Dwarf King's roar, everyone was speechless. It wasn't that they didn't speak; they simply had no opportunity to speak.

When the boss is hurling insults and curses, how can the underlings possibly jump out and steal the spotlight?

However, while dwarves are straightforward, this doesn't apply to political bureaucrats like these. They can keep their complaints about their leader to themselves.

"Your Majesty, we will meet force with force. Since the human race is provoking war, we will fight back."

Anyway, it's not the first time. Ever since the human race became the dominant species on the continent, the frequency of Continental War has been increasing.

I thought that these terrible days would end after humanity split apart, but I never expected them to become more and more warlike.

If we can't stop it, then let's meet on the battlefield. The great dwarf race will never fear...

Chancellor Aaron filled with murderous intent.

However, their outward toughness couldn't mask the unease in their tone. It wasn't that the dwarves were cowards; they were also a warrior race, but unfortunately, the Alien Race Alliance in Continental War always lost.

After repeated defeats, the various ethnic groups on the mainland lost their confidence, and now they feel a headache whenever they think about Continental War.

Especially in the last two hundred years, apart from the Orc Empire daring to invade the human race, no other alien race has dared to take the initiative to cause trouble.

Unfortunately, the most warlike Orc Empire was recently defeated by the human race, which inadvertently reduced their support.

If they had known that the humans were going to launch Continental War, they should have joined in when the Beastfolk invaded the humans.

Of course, this is just wishful thinking. In every Continental War, the Orc Empire has always been a vocal taunt, but in the end, it always stopped at the Alpha Kingdom, never providing them with any real assistance.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have sold out their teammates so readily.

After all, the Orc Empire recovers quickly. Especially those cannon fodder races; no matter how many die, they'll be back to normal a few years later.

Even if they betray their allies, Beastfolk will still spontaneously join the war once it breaks out on the Continental War.

Without reclaiming the Orc Great Plains, the barren mountains in the north alone cannot support the Orc Empire's numerous tribes.

"Um!"

"Since humanity wants war, then prepare for war! Issue the order that from this moment on, no weapons shall fall into the hands of the human race, including all previous orders, which will now be postponed."

Moy, immediately send messengers to contact all the races on the continent and urge them to prepare for war. Pay special attention to the Elves, in particular.

We warned them not to slack off all the time, because if we couldn't hold on, they wouldn't be able to escape unscathed either.

The human race in the Northern Continent is the weakest. Not long ago, they were ravaged by the Beastfolk and are currently in a period of weakness. They cannot miss such a good opportunity.

This time, they must reach the central part of the mainland!

As he spoke, the Dwarf King couldn't help but reveal a hint of envy.

If the dwarves hadn't been in the war-torn lands, but rather in the Northern Continent where the human race was weak, they would definitely have been able to turn the tide this time.

If the alliance can wipe out all the human race's Northern Continent nations in one fell swoop, thus strategically threatening the human race's central nations, the strategic passivity of the Alien Race Alliance will be reversed.

"My lord, reinforcements have arrived!"

Having stayed up all night, Hudson had just fallen asleep when he was woken up, and he was furious. It took him a while to come to his senses.

With reinforcements arriving, it meant the start of a major counter-offensive. Governor Pierce, fully aware of his own military capabilities, naturally wouldn't overstep his bounds.

His misjudgment on the grasslands last time caused a major blow to the nobles in the province, which made people resent him.

If another accident were to occur, no matter how deep the Dalton Family's foundation is, it wouldn't be able to withstand such turmoil.

"Okay, I'll be right there."