328: Chapter 17, Different Reactions_1 328: Chapter 17, Different Reactions_1 The Warhammer Kingdom was plunged into fear at the terrible news of the fall of Augustusburg.
As an old neighbour, they knew all too well what Augustusburg stood for.
Despite their current alliance, the two kingdoms had often been at war before the arrival of the Orcs.
More than once, the two nations had fought over the region around Augustusburg.
Just look at a map, and you’ll see that Augustusburg is not only the northern gateway of the Moxi Duchy, but also the hub of the northeastern region of the Warhammer Kingdom.
The collapse of the Moxi Duchy’s defence also caused vulnerabilities in the Warhammer Kingdom’s Northern Border Defense.
If the Orc army changes direction and attacks, they would find it difficult to resist and may have to withdraw their defense line.
“Strategic Retreat” sounds harmless, but the cost of implementing it could bring anyone to tears.
Giving up large pieces of land is one thing, but the serious threat lies in being entirely on the backfoot.
Joseph II sighed towards the northeast and asked: “Does the Moxi Duchy have a plan to recapture Augustusburg?”
To carry out their surprise attack and disguise their real intentions, the Orcs had focused almost all their forces on attacking the Alpha Kingdom.
Apart from the Hawkman Court’s forces, the Orc soldiers that the Moxi Duchy faced were mostly cannon fodder.
The real Orc army is still on the way.
If they want to retake Augustusburg, now is the best chance.
“Your Majesty, I’m afraid I have to disappoint you!
The Moxi Duchy is dumbfounded by this sudden disaster.
Aside from seeking aid from other countries, they are busy evacuating their people and creating the second line of defense.
Apart from a few military leaders suggesting recapturing Augustusburg, most nobles are terrified of the Orc army.
Fortunately, the Augustusburg defensive forces put up a stiff resistance.
Instead of using the cover of night to retreat, they stayed behind to entangle the Orc army, buying time for the Moxi Duchy.”
Foreign Minister Cassidy said helplessly.
From the standpoint of the Warhammer Kingdom, they naturally hoped that the Moxi Duchy could regain their lost territory and rebuild the Augustusburg Defense Line.
But from the Moxi Duchy’s perspective, it’s different.
They need to preserve their strength, support the Orcs as much as possible, rather than clashing with the main Orc army.
Perhaps exploiting a temporary advantage, they might retake Augustusburg from the Orcs.
Yet, what then?
The crumbling defensive line, scarred by the fires of war, would struggle to resist the Orc army’s attack.
The reclaimed defense line, bought at a heavy cost, would fail to withstand the Orcs’ onslaught.
Instead of this, they might as well establish a second line of defense.
As for where the Orcs will strike after capturing Augustusburg, the Moxi Duchy can’t worry about that now.
Now they will defend if they can, otherwise, they will retreat, until they can retreat no more and hole up in the castle, becoming a final holdout.
Faced with numerous noble castles, the Orc army simply doesn’t have the time to uproot every single one, they could try their luck.
According to the Alpha Kingdom’s experience in resisting the Orc invasion, as long as the castles are secure enough, the Orc army will change their target after a failed attack.
Ride out the hardest times, when reinforcements from all the human nations arrive, everyone can recapture the lost territory.
Now that they can barely defend themselves, their allies are naturally not in their plans.
If the Orc army changes its direction, they might even secretly celebrate.
“Implement the backup plan.
Immediately deploy heavy forces in the northeastern part of the kingdom, and make sure to block the Orc army outside the kingdom.
Forget it, I’ll personally ask the old Marshal to come out of retirement.
In times like these, he’s the only one capable of holding off the Orcs for more than half a year!”
Joseph II said, exhausted.
This all happened because of being forced to.
Since they couldn’t break through the Alpha Kingdom, the Orcs turned to attack the Moxi Duchy.
The Orcs obviously also knew to pick off the weakest.
The upcoming battles will be the same.
Whoever shows signs of fatigue first will likely become the target of the Orcs’ next attack.
The Orc Empire alone can’t possibly be an adversary for all human nations.
To win the war, they need to bring more of the Different Races into it.
Given the reputation of the Orcs, it’s almost impossible for them to trick everyone into taking part in the war.
The only way is to boast their achievements in battle, to show all nations that the human dominance is still decaying and that the time to overthrow it is ripe.
If they want to have stunning achievements, they can only bully those weaker ones.
The previous strategy of holding the line against the Alpha Kingdom definitely has no prospect.
In this context, Joseph II could only put aside his prejudices, and ask for the most respected Marshall in the Kingdom Army to come out of retirement.
“Your Majesty, Marshal Borg is old and has been retired for some time.
Isn’t it a bit unreasonable to bother him now?”
Prime Minister Guy reminded subtly.
Political struggles are unavoidable in any kingdom.
Especially during times of peace, these occurrences are even more frequent.
Marshal Borg, as a pillar of the kingdom, is a victim of political struggle.
Luckily, the moral code of Warhammer Kingdom hasn’t collapsed yet, and the political struggle still follows the rules of the game.
In dealing with the respected old Marshal, Joseph II only schemed to send him home to retire, without intending to eliminate him.
In political struggles, there’s no right or wrong, it’s just a problem caused by power.
Marshal Borg’s prestige was too high, which affected the royal power.
The king’s desire to hold power, sending him home, is just a normal operation.