The Unlucky One
The Governor's Mansion in Beda City.
By the time the news reached Count Pierce, the great battle had already ended, leaving only a series of cold, hard numbers.
"Pass down the order to have all naval officers and soldiers on leave return to their posts and be ready to strike at any time."
He ordered all naval forces along the Southeast Province to closely monitor the whereabouts of this foreign pirate fleet and to report any findings immediately.
I've also sent out the Griffon Cavalry from my territory to search the sea. I refuse to believe that a fleet can fly away!
Count Pierce gave the order in annoyance.
On their own doorstep, they fought a chaotic battle with the enemy, losing hundreds of naval officers and soldiers, without even figuring out the enemy's identity.
Having suffered such a great loss, if we don't find the enemy and make an example of them, how can the Dalton Family continue to operate at sea?
As for the cause of the conflict, it is no longer important; there is no need for a reason to fight pirates.
"Uncle, trade is underdeveloped in the northern seas, and the pirates who occupy them are mostly of limited strength. These pirates who don't know the rules should come from the central and southern seas."
Pirates rely on a deep understanding of the sea area to carry out raids, and generally stay within their own territory, rarely venturing beyond their borders.
It's understandable that our people didn't detect the pirates' sudden northward migration beforehand.
Although the fleet suffered considerable losses in the battle, it also proved our control over the southeastern coast.
The fact that they were able to detect the enemy's presence the moment they broke in proves that their subordinates had put in the effort.
"If this naval battle hadn't exposed the enemy, they would have posed a much greater threat if they had attacked our ports or overseas islands!"
Viscount Cayou began to offer his advice.
As Hudson rose to prominence, he, the Whitton County, no longer stayed in his fiefdom but returned to assist Count Pierce in handling family affairs.
Half of it was necessary for the family's development, and the other half was forced upon them.
Governor Pierce was worried that his hot-blooded nephew might do something foolish if instigated by outsiders, so he decided to keep him by his side to mentor him.
As it turned out, this decision was absolutely correct. After handling government affairs for two years, Viscount Cayou's abilities underwent a dramatic transformation.
"Alas, the situation is difficult!"
The outbreak of the full-scale Continental War was already very unfavorable to the family, and now a mysterious group of pirates has emerged, threatening our maritime interests.
Never mind, let's deal with this pirate group first. The course of the Continental War is not something we can decide.
There aren't many places for pirates to hide along the southeast coast, so as long as they don't leave, they'll definitely be able to find them.
Send someone to prepare a generous gift and ask Count Hudson to help.
"Fine, you might as well go yourself. Lower your stance; even if you can't get someone to help, at least send the Giant Dragon to patrol the seas."
"The Count Pierce said with a solemn expression."
In peacetime, the Dalton Family was the dominant family in the Southeast Province, and their overall strength was enough to firmly suppress the Coslo Family.
The advantage of farming in a methodical manner can last for decades or even centuries.
But once war breaks out, the situation changes.
The Coslo Family, which was originally at a disadvantage, suddenly gained a special status because of the presence of Hudson, a famous general of the continent.
The changing situation forced Count Pierce to handle the relationship between the two families with care. At the very least, he had to ensure that he didn't give the other side any reason to target him.
"Uncle, they're just a bunch of pirates. It's not worth owing them a favor, is it?"
"I can't understand it," Cayo asked, puzzled.
Despite suffering considerable losses at sea previously, the Dalton Family's naval power was not severely damaged.
Asking for help from a rival to wipe out a pirate group is a bad deal, as it involves giving away a favor for nothing.
"Cayyo, you're still not mature enough!"
Count Hudson is not only Dragon Knight, but also the kingdom's strategic mobilization commander-in-chief. He will become the Kingdom Army commander-in-chief and may even command the armies of the various countries in the Northern Continent.
Such a status is beyond what the family can suppress. Even if they wanted to suppress it, they couldn't find a suitable entry point, and even our allies wouldn't support us taking action now.
The more difficult the situation in the Northern Continent, the more special Hudson's position becomes. All the major powers in the kingdom are now waiting for him to command his armies and turn the tide at this critical moment.
We cannot go against the tide and try to stop a chariot with our bare hands. Since we can't suppress them, we should try to build good relations with them.
The Coslo Family was, after all, a newly emerging noble family, and Count Hudson was a smart man, not a nouveau riche who became arrogant after gaining power.
Neither the royal family nor the major domestic powers would stand by and watch him dominate the Southeast Province.
If someone crosses the line, even during wartime when people need him, they might tolerate it and not retaliate, but they will be held accountable after the war.
In a sense, the more successful Hudson is now, the more likely he is to fall out of favor after the war.
History is full of similar negative examples. Many legendary heroes were persecuted, which was essentially due to their political immaturity, which put them in dangerous situations.
You've seen the Count Hudson's political acumen. There's no way he wouldn't see something so obvious.
Maintaining the balance of power between the two strongest powers in the Southeast Province was the best option for him. If he took another step forward, the King would lose sleep.
Even if the Coslo Family gains something from the war, their expansion cannot be directed towards the Southeast Province. In this respect, all the major families in the country are the same.
If the kingdom had no restrictions on the great nobles, there would probably be large families spanning provinces and counties everywhere, leaving no room for the small and medium nobles to survive.
The reason for asking Hudson to intervene at this moment, besides deliberately doing him a favor, was that the pirates' origins were unknown.
In case this is a scheme orchestrated by a powerful force, it would at least provide another scapegoat to share the hatred. After all, the Dragon Knight have a much stronger presence than we do.
Upon hearing Count Pierce's explanation, Viscount Cayou blushed. He never imagined that such a seemingly ordinary invitation would conceal so much.
No wonder the Coslo Family and Dalton Family, both located in the Southeast Province, sometimes compete and sometimes cooperate, leaving people puzzled.
After this analysis, everything makes sense. When neither of the two major powers has the ability to completely subdue the other, compromise becomes the inevitable choice in the struggle.
The Omega Duchy, one of the Seven Grassland Nations, unfortunately stood in the way of the Beastfolk army's advance, becoming the first country to launch a defense of its Royal Capital since the outbreak of the Continental War.
The rapid fall of territory wasn't due to the incompetence of the nobles of the Omega Duchy. In fact, those nobles who were able to establish a foothold were the elite of this era.
The combination of a small country and a newly emerging immigrant nation determined the tragic fate of the Omega Duchy.
The reason for starting the defense of the Royal Capital so early is that the country is flat and the only city that can be considered a strong fortress Royal Capital.
The development period was far too short; the entire duchy had only a few cities, and the noble castles were all under construction, so it simply did not have the conditions to hold its ground.
There were absolutely no warning signs beforehand; no one knew that the Continental War would break out so suddenly.
Caught off guard, they were drawn into the war, putting immense pressure on the Omega Duchy.
After personally inspecting the defenses on the city walls, a weary Baird I sighed inwardly.
He has not had a single good day since he took the throne.
First, he was busy setting up a government and organizing immigration, and then he worked day and night to lead the people in pioneering and starting businesses. Unexpectedly, just as the principality was on the right track, the Beastfolk army attacked again.
If he had known that King would be so miserable, he would have stayed in his hometown and been a parasite.
There's no going back now; this is a time of racial war, and there's no room for him to back down.
When will the reinforcements from various countries arrive?
"I asked with concern," said Baird I.
The Omega Duchy has mobilized its entire population to serve in the military; any citizen capable of wielding a sword has been incorporated into the army.
However, it was still a pipe dream to think that such a small force could stop the Beastfolk army's advance.
"The Seven Kingdoms Alliance's army has begun mobilization, but considering that the Beastfolk might intercept them along the way, they will have to wait for reinforcements from various countries on the continent to gather before they can act together."
The Foreign Affairs Department, together with six other nations, has submitted a proposal to the Alliance, which is currently being discussed in the Human Alliance Council.
The G7 alliance had also communicated privately with the various countries, with the Frankish Kingdom promising to send 40,000 troops and the Iberian Kingdom promising to send 35,000 troops...
The Alpha Kingdom has pledged the largest number of troops, planning to send a 10,000-strong legion to each of our seven nations.
The reinforcements pledged by the various continental nations totaled over 400,000 troops. Combined with the military strength of the Seven Kingdoms Alliance, theoretically, they should be able to fight the Beastfolk.
However, these are all in theory. In practice, all countries are slow to react, including the usually efficient Alpha Kingdom, whose reaction speed is unusually slow.
Apart from the Alpha Kingdom, all the major human nations on the continent have been drawn into the war, and even if they were willing to send reinforcements, they probably wouldn't be elite troops.
Overall, the situation is not optimistic for the duchy!
Foreign Minister Batori said in a deep voice.
Such diplomatic results are not satisfactory. But there's nothing we can do; everyone has their own selfish motives.
Everyone promised to send troops, for the greater good of humanity, but the prerequisite was that they must take care of themselves first.
"It's not just not optimistic, it's clearly leaving us no way out!"
Without reinforcements, the fall of the Royal Capital is only a matter of time.
The reason they've managed to hold out is because the Beastfolk haven't launched a full-scale attack; they want to achieve victory with minimal losses.
We are under lockdown, and the city's food reserves can only last for three months at most.
Once our food supplies run out, we will collapse even if the enemy doesn't attack.
Other countries are one thing, but it's only natural that they would abandon us for the sake of their own hegemony.
What's wrong with the Alpha Kingdom? They've been dragging their feet and not moving an inch. Don't they understand that after the seven kingdoms are destroyed, they'll be the next unlucky ones?
"The Minister of Military Affairs Yeferson, said angrily."
In order to defend the Royal Capital, they were forced to adopt a scorched-earth policy, concentrating all the country's troops there. The influx of a large population directly led to the rapid depletion of food supplies.
With supplies cut off, the city's food supplies dwindled with every grain consumed.
The reason they hadn't considered this issue earlier was because they simply didn't believe they could withstand the full force of the Beastfolk army's attack for three months.
The Beastfolk slowed their offensive, and the food problem, which was not a concern before, has now become the source of crisis.
"I can answer this question for you. It can be summed up in two words: money and supplies!"
The Alpha Kingdom has not yet recovered from the last war, and even if they wanted to launch a large-scale military expedition, they would not have the funds and supplies to send troops to the grasslands.
Anyway, the fate of the Seven Grassland Nations is none of their business. Their efforts to rescue them might just be creating enemies for them. It would be better to let us wear down the Beastfolk.
Moreover, the enemies they need to consider are not only Beastfolk, but also Ancient Remnants and Elves.
From their perspective, perhaps letting the Beastfolk annihilate us and then fighting Beastfolk on our own doorstep is the best option!
"Chancellor Cameron said coldly."
Only those in charge know the cost of daily necessities. The Omega Duchy was already running out of food just two months after the outbreak of the Continental War.
After years of fighting, the economic situation of the Alpha Kingdom is predictable. Decades of savings have been wiped out, and they are now heavily in debt.
If another million-strong army were to launch an expedition, the Alpha Kingdom would likely be dragged down by the enormous logistical burden before even defeating the Beastfolk.
Knowing this is useless; the Seven Grassland Nations are currently struggling to be self-sufficient and have no capacity to provide logistical support for the army.
When other countries send troops to reinforce their troops, they must bring their own food and supplies; the other countries can at most organize manpower to help with transportation.
"There's no need to be too pessimistic. Given the special circumstances we face, the Human Alliance Council has granted special permission for us to evacuate in an orderly manner and resist step by step."
Of course, an orderly evacuation only exists in theory. Once you leave the protection of the city, you're essentially handing yourself over to the Beastfolk army for slaughter.
"First, defend the city. After holding out for two or three months, we can organize a breakout under the pretext of running out of food. This will be a satisfactory explanation to all parties."
Batori said, feigning composure.
Newly formed coalitions lack sufficient cohesion. But it is still a country, and only within this country can they occupy high positions.
Once the decision to evacuate is made, no one knows when they will be able to reclaim their homeland. Perhaps it will be after the end of this Continental War, or perhaps it will be sometime in their lifetime.
Watching his ministers' heated discussion, Baird I could only sigh repeatedly.
Despite its seemingly well-established system, the Omega Duchy is essentially a newly formed makeshift organization.
Everyone present came from a distinguished family; even if the duchy fell, they could still go back to being parasites.
The power invested in the duchy is only a small part of the family behind it, so even if they fail, it won't damage their strength.
If the family had passed down the business for generations, locking their interests into the duchy, the situation would be entirely different.
"Foreign Affairs Department, send someone to communicate with the Alpha Kingdom and try to secure reinforcements as much as possible."
The Seven Nations Alliance should also urge them on; even if they dare not send troops to rescue us, they could at least make some noise to cover our breakout!
After saying this, Baird I turned and left with a flick of his sleeve.
His intuition told him that once he left the Omega Duchy, his King would be over.
Even if there is a restoration in the future, it will have nothing to do with him.
The attitudes of the courtiers revealed that the relationship between the ruler and his subjects was merely a patchwork of different people, devoid of any loyalty whatsoever.
The monarch's prestige, painstakingly cultivated, had long since vanished with each defeat in war.