336: Chapter 19, Expedition Meeting_3 336: Chapter 19, Expedition Meeting_3 If they were so unhelpful when it came to rescuing their own people, who would dare to hope that the reinforcements from the Moxi Duchy should arrive immediately whenever the guest army finds itself in a similar situation?
Having reassured everyone, Hudson began to delegate their respective tasks directly.
With Viscount West less around, everyone had to shoulder more responsibilities.
No doubt, the hostility everyone bore towards Viscount West deep in their hearts increased a bit more.
Fortunately, that misfortunate one knew the gravity of the situation and took off on his own.
Otherwise, if an accident happened on the battlefield, Hudson wouldn’t know how to wrap things up.
It might be satisfying to get rid of West, but it would set a dangerous precedent if infighting broke within their ranks; it would be an endless trouble.
There were quite a few nobles with grudges within the ranks of the troops from Layton County.
If they started fighting among themselves on the battlefield, this army would fall apart.
After dismissing these underlings, Hudson sprung into action.
As a Legion Commander, he too couldn’t avoid his military duties.
The military duties that each branch of the Koslow family from the Mountain Domain needed to undertake this time were significant.
Even if Hudson used his authority for personal gains to reduce his family’s task quota as much as possible, it would still require deploying more than 5,000 soldiers.
It was crucial to plan which members of the family’s private army would go to the battlefield and who would stay behind.
For the nobles who had their own fiefdoms within each branch, there was hardly anything to discuss.
They just needed to pack their belongings and join the main army for the expedition.
They wouldn’t be able to avoid their explicit military obligations.
Since it involved more than seventy people, Hudson couldn’t risk being lenient.
…
“Father, there’s no need for you to join the expedition to the Moxi Duchy this time.
A huge pile of family affairs requires supervision.
With issues involving major branches, there will be too many affairs to coordinate.
I fear Nelson and Evola can’t handle them.”
Staying behind was just an excuse.
The familial bond was far more reliable than any normal alliance.
Especially during these crucial times of survival, everyone knew the importance of unity.
Even if someone wanted to stir up trouble, they would be thwarted by other members.
After all, nobody was better at checking Hudson’s power than himself.
The members of the family who had pledged allegiance to him seemed to have been used heavily, but in reality, each one of them had their power restrained.
Everyone has selfish motives, and Hudson was no exception.
The future of this expedition to the Moxi Duchy was uncertain, so naturally, he was unwilling to risk taking Baron Redman along.
If danger were to arise, he could abandon others and escape, but he could never leave Baron Redman behind.
“That’s not good, is it?
If everyone else is joining the army and I’m doing something special, I fear it might attract…”
Before Baron Redman could finish, Hudson interrupted, “Don’t worry, I’ve already thought of an excuse for you: you injured your vital energy during your cultivation.
If anyone has any objections, let them come and talk to me.
Also, it’s not like we are refusing to fulfil the military obligations of the kingdom.
If you don’t go to the front line, Nelson can take your place.
Even if someone tries to file a complaint with the Governor’s Mansion over this minor issue, the provincial capital won’t investigate it deeply.
Currently, there are a multitude of tasks to tend to in the Mountain Domain.
If I’m away from the domain and you also decide to leave, then who would be responsible for handling any chaos that might arise?”
Truthfully, the only person he could trust unconditionally was Baron Redman.
As for others, even his own brothers might not hope for his return.
After all, the assets of the Mountain Domain were quite tempting.
Luckily, it’s a chaotic era; even if others coveted it, they knew that without Hudson, the Koslow family wouldn’t be able to retain these assets.
“Alright!
Since you’ve arranged everything, I’ll stay behind.
However, our expedition to Moxi Duchy is about three thousand miles away.
Fighting in an unfamiliar place isn’t as simple as suppressing the Rebel Army.
Hudson, I know that you’re proficient in military affairs and you’re typically steady in your actions, but I still need to remind you.
The enemy we are facing now is the ferocious Orc Army.
The most important thing is to be cautious in all matters, and don’t play the hero on the battlefield!”
Baron Redman said this earnestly.
Despite his many sons, only Hudson had truly made his mark.
Even Nelson, his oldest son who he had high hopes for, could only be said to be ambitious at this point.
The problem was that having ambition was one thing, and being able to rise above was another.
True nobles who could rise against all odds not only had to be capable and ambitious, but they also needed luck.
After all, there were too many capable people in this world.
Most of them fell by the wayside, with very few who survived till the end, let alone those who successfully ascended to power.
Nobles like Hudson who displayed extraordinary talent at a young age were rare on the Continent of Aslante.
The weight he carried in Baron Redman’s heart was naturally different.
“Rest assured, Father.
This isn’t our war.
Our main aim of supporting the Moxi Duchy is to help them stabilize their battle line.
Overall, this war is more about defense than offense.
As a guest army, our military task won’t be too heavy.
The Moxi Duchy wouldn’t entrust the most important fortresses to us, only their own army.
The downfall of Augustusburg was an anomaly; they wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.
As long as we don’t recklessly leave the city to battle the Orc Army, the risks are, in fact, controllable.
Even if the defensive line breaks, we will have a chance to retreat.”
Hudson said, feigning calmness.
Confidence is a strange thing; even if he didn’t have any himself, he had to make sure others had it.
After convincing Baron Redman, Hudson quickly turned his attention to the deployment of the troops.
The elite must be included, but the forces left behind also couldn’t be ignored.
The most important thing for a long-distance rescue mission was mobility, so the cavalry was indispensable.
However, thinking of the pitiful number of warhorses in his domain gave Hudson a headache.
In total, the Koslow Clan could barely scrape together a thousand warhorses.
Obviously, these warhorses couldn’t all be allotted to the cavalry.
The mount of the knights had to be guaranteed first; the warhorses of the messengers and scouts also needed to be discounted.
These people all needed two horses per person, so the number of warhorses was cut in half.
With the remaining horses, Hudson could only muster one Cavalry Corps.
Stepping out of his room to relax his mind, Hudson gazed at the herd of cattle grazing on the distant hillside and suddenly had the idea of assembling a Cow Cavalry.
Of course, not a real Cow Cavalry.
Despite the formidable genes of the local mutated cows of his domain, they couldn’t compete with warhorses in a race.
The so-called Cow Cavalry was mainly considered for the heavy infantry.
It would be a disaster to march in heavy armour during the summer.
Marching without armour would make them light infantry, and in case they accidentally encountered the enemy, it would be a disaster.