Chapter 1568: Chapter 58: Things Have Gotten Out of Hand
The situation did not develop as Hudson imagined. They were still waiting for a reply from Caesar IV, but the situation with the Black Forest People had stabilized first.
After a series of failures, the nobles of Gutland Province finally salvaged some pride by defeating the Centipede Army in the defense of the provincial capital.
The specific battle results were not disclosed, but the front line was stabilized. It proved that the defenses of the major nobles’ strongholds could still be trusted.
For a major country, as long as it stabilizes its position, everything afterward can be dealt with.
Many things have two sides; the continually worsening situation has, to a certain extent, also propelled the reforms of the Black Forest Kingdom.
Feeling the pressure for survival, the Black Forest Nobles have joined the ranks of military expansion and preparation.
Though last-minute efforts came a bit late, at least there was an effort.
Theoretically speaking, as long as they endure the initial awkwardness, what is lost now can be regained in the future.
Hudson despised such an approach of only taking actions at the last moment.
If the Black Forest Nobles had shown this enthusiasm a few years ago, the cult rebellion, the magic cataclysm, and the Earth Core race invasion wouldn’t have been issues.
By looking at their neighbors in the Moxi Duchy, it’s clear that on paper, their strength was only half that of the Black Forest Kingdom, facing enemies of similar strength, yet their battlefield performance was the opposite.
The Moxi Battlefield was indeed fierce, but aside from some losses due to lack of initial preparation, they generally held the upper hand thereafter.
During the second Earth Core race invasion, the Moxi People had just completed national mobilization, and overall, they handled it with ease.
Of course, the reinforcements sent by the Alpha Kingdom also played an important role.
According to the feedback from various regions, reinforcements sent by the kingdom halted intruders at each entrance for their allies.
No one found these results surprising. These reinforcements included not only the conscripted noble’s private army but also several standing army units.
The Moxi Duchy managed to hold on, and as for the Alpha Kingdom, there’s even more assurance. It could be said that things were looking great on the Northern Continent.
If nothing unexpected occurs, finishing the war before spring next year shouldn’t pose a big problem.
The situation in the Three Kingdoms in the Central Continent was slightly troubling, mainly due to excessive national defense pressure leading to tight troop resources.
In this aspect, the three kingdoms are inherently at a disadvantage!
On the surface, the different races in the Northern Continent appeared stronger, but the Orc Empire had suffered consecutive blows and was internally conflicted.
The Ancient Heritage Alliance, a group of small tribes, didn’t have substantial resources. Since the last continental war, each race had chosen to recuperate and almost ignored worldly affairs.
The Elf Race remained strong, but the Moxi Duchy’s shamelessness prompted them to withdraw half the troops stationed on the elf front line when feeling the troop shortage.
With the reduction of frontline forces, the garrison at the border became symbolic, mainly serving to capture the Slave Hunter Group.
Whether they caught anyone wasn’t important; the key was to maintain a posture, preventing the Slave Hunter Group from bringing captured elves into the duchy territory.
Feigning submission proved effective; perhaps the proud elves didn’t consider the Moxi People a concern, or perhaps they genuinely loved peace. Regardless, nothing major happened in the border regions.
…
In the Jade Palace, since receiving the joint inquiry from Hudson and Governor Piers, Caesar IV had been inwardly worried.
He also wanted to know the truth, but despite the royal family being part of the decision-making process, Alpha the First was the representative in the Alliance.
The backstage controllers of the Human Alliance were originally a group of old folks, so Alpha the First being among them wasn’t surprising; however, the ancestor belonged to another family.
The ancestors of other major powers had long renounced worldly affairs, and even if they held power in the Alliance, it was for the strategic needs of the Human Race.
Alpha the First was different; after failing to reclaim power upon returning, he just vanished into thin air.
The Continent of Aslante was so vast, if a Sanctuary Strongman didn’t want to show up, no one could find him.
If they couldn’t even locate him, it was even more uncertain what political stance Alpha the First, as the kingdom’s representative in the Alliance, had taken.
These issues were internal royal family conflicts, which fell under the category of family scandals not to be aired.
Reading through the inquiry letter repeatedly, Caesar IV fell into deep suspicion.
Because half of the speculations made by Hudson and Governor Piers had been confirmed: during the battle for a foothold overseas, Human Race ancestors indeed signed a treaty with powerful beings from different races.
However, the agreement’s scope wasn’t the entire Human Race, but rather themselves.
According to the covenant, if the Human Race unjustifiably launched a great war on different races, they would unilaterally maintain neutrality.
Undoubtedly, such a promise made unilaterally wouldn’t be willing. Wanting to renege afterward was also quite normal.
With their Peak Strongmen unable to act, the Human Race was undoubtedly placed in a strategically passive state.
To regain strategic initiative without violating the covenant, they had to make some moves.
Intentionally appearing weak to lure the enemy was entirely feasible.
The only inexplicable thing was: what made these old relics believe the Human Race could win?
If they achieved victory on the battlefield and thoroughly annihilated the Alien Coalition, then any loss would be worth it.
But should the battle situation turn unfavorable, or worse, result in defeat, the consequences would be severe.
The continent’s overlord had deep resources, and losing once wouldn’t be fatal, but during the Cataclysm of ten thousand years, they could encounter unpredictable dangers at any time.
If they suffered a major defeat, the Human Race could likely follow in the footsteps of the elves and orcs, losing their current continental hegemony.