326: Chapter 16, Noble Parliament_1 326: Chapter 16, Noble Parliament_1 “News from the capital, the Moxi Duchy is in trouble.
The Orc Army launched a surprise attack on Augustusburg.
Reinforcements couldn’t arrive on time, its fall is just a matter of time.
Augustusburg is the Moxi Duchy’s heavily fortified northern gate, the core of their first line of defense, and it has always been garrisoned by a large number of troops.
Based on the kingdom’s previous experience, even in the worst-case scenario, our first line of defense could hold off the Orc Army for half a year.
War has been raging for just over four months, and the main battles in the early stages were shouldered by us alone.
The swift fall of the Augustusburg Defense Line worries kingdom’s high ups.
The specific losses of the Moxi Duchy are not yet clear, but it is presumed to be significant.
Their main attacker now is the Hawkman Court, and it is incredibly difficult to evacuate under the watchful eyes of the Hawkmen.
If Moxi Duchy responds appropriately, they may be able to evacuate some knights to the second line of defense under the cover of darkness, trying to preserve as much manpower as possible.
No matter the final result, it can be certain that the direction of the orc’s subsequent invasion will change, and Moxi Duchy’s tough times are here.
As the weakest nation among the three, once faced with the full onslaught of the orcs, it would be very difficult for Moxi Duchy to persist.
The capital is discussing whether to divide troops and reinforce Moxi Duchy.
This issue is of great significance, as one of the most important provinces of the kingdom, we should also make our voices heard!”
Earl Piers spoke gravely.
Having a say should be a good thing, but the current situation makes it hard to be happy.
Whether Moxi Duchy can resist bears great significance to the Alpha Kingdom, and could even affect the situation of the entire continent.
Looking at the map, once Moxi Duchy is lost, Alpha Kingdom and the Warhammer Kingdom directly next to it will have their flanks exposed.
Although there are some defensive fortifications prepared along the border, they’re on a completely different level compared to the defense lines in the Northlands.
If the defensive line can’t hold, then we can only rely on the noble castles along the way for resistance, to delay time as much as possible.
Even if it manages to hold, the provinces in the west will inevitably suffer heavy losses.
A brutal war is inevitable for all provinces of the kingdom.
Once a new front opens, the Southeastern Province will inevitably have to go to war ahead of time.
If we’re unlucky and don’t manage to hold out until reinforcements from other kingdoms arrive, things will be even worse.
The order of the Alpha Kingdom might even collapse.
There is no room for compromise in a race war.
Without the kingdom’s unified command, the various nobles can only fight individually, making the situation even worse.
“Dispatching troops to help Moxi Duchy hold the line” is also not that easy to accomplish.
Not only would it disrupt the Alpha Kingdom’s military deployment, it would also strain our military strength.
The key issue is whether Moxi Duchy can hold out, which is still an unknown.
If their native nobles don’t pull their weight, the reinforcements from Alpha Kingdom alone would be like a drop in the bucket.
“Your Excellency Governor, according to the kingdom’s estimates, how long can the Moxi Duchy hold out?
When can reinforcements from human nations arrive at the earliest?”
Viscount Orlan was the first to ask.
There’s too little information in our hands, and making a decision that will determine the kingdom’s future destiny, based on these scattered pieces of intelligence, is indeed very difficult.
“The most optimistic estimate is that Moxi Duchy can stand for one and a half years; pessimists believe they could last only six months at most.
There are endless disputes in the capital.
The frontline generals’ judgments of Moxi Duchy’s strength are also a world apart.
Some believe that Moxi Duchy still has power left, they could possibly rely on their citadels, fortresses, and geographical advantages to hold out against the Orc Army for a period of time.
Others think that Moxi Duchy is just an empty shell; the orc invasion has shattered their facade, and they may fall at any moment.
Looking at the situation in Augustusburg, it’s clear that Moxi Duchy was not adequately prepared for this war.
If it were in the kingdom, this issue of reinforcements not arriving on time would never occur.
As for the reinforcements from various human nations, it would depend on the Alliance meeting in July.
The most optimistic estimate is that the reinforcements wouldn’t arrive until next year.
Considering the actual situation, the definite deployment of troops from various countries will likely be postponed further.
The Human Alliance has many problems to consider.
Our human race is not only threatened by the Orcs, other races are also lurking.
Especially when the Orcs make a breakthrough on the front line, it will stimulate the other races even more.
If other races take the opportunity to make troubles, the situation will be even worse.
Besides external threats, we also have to consider internal issues.
The unquiet clergy always pose a major threat.
Infuriatingly, this poison is ingrained in us and it’s not easy to remove.
First, we conflicted with the clergy, now it’s the Frank Kingdom’s turn to have disputes with the clergy.
They simply won’t let us humans rest.
If they didn’t have human skins, I would suspect that they were imitating other races, infiltrating the human race, and trying to instigate internal chaos.”
After Earl Piers’s words, the temperature in the room seemed to drop 10 degrees.
Even the blazing sun outside couldn’t dissipate the chill inside.
The dichotomous assessment of Moxi Duchy’s strength signifies very high uncertainty.
If they were really as strong as the optimists predicted, that would be good.
If the kingdom dispatched a hundred to two hundred thousand reinforcements to relieve their urgent need, they may be able to regain their strength.