289: Chapter 2, Command Authority Controversy_2 289: Chapter 2, Command Authority Controversy_2 The extent to which the wall was undermined stunned Hudson.
He had done absolutely nothing but a few subtle suggestions, and yet so many people had flocked to him.
However, when he put himself in their shoes and weighed the pros and cons, he understood why the descendants of the Northern nobles made that choice.
Going back home to fight in the war meant packing up now and enduring until the end of the war.
It was high risk and low reward, if they lost, they will all be wiped out by the Orcs.
Viscount West, the one best suited to lead, was so heavily suppressed by Hudson that he lost hope and fail apart.
It didn’t matter if it happened normally, but at this critical time, how can anyone trust him with their lives and fortunes?
With no other choice, everyone had to follow Hudson.
At least Hudson had a good reputation, was able to fight well, and was pretty lucky.
Following such a leader, you might not be able to achieve great success, but the probability of survival on the battlefield is definitely higher than wandering around with others.
The results of the draw showed it, one poor soul drew the most miserable number one; another stayed still and waited for everyone else to draw, only ending up with the best draw.
With such a stark contrast, even if Hudson were to claim it was a coincidence, no one would believe him.
If Viscount West continues to have such bad luck on the battlefield, those who follow him would eventually fall into a pit.
In the battlefields of the two races, it was nothing new for an entire army to be annihilated, be it from a single county or even an entire province.
When it came to their own lives, the Northern nobles didn’t care about factions and chose the safest group they believed in.
“The results are out.
You made your own choices, no matter what happens in the future, I hope you won’t regret it.
Nobles who choose to stay in the county for the war will be enrolled into unified training command.
If you can’t abide by orders, it’s still possible to choose to back out.
For the remaining people, I will accurately report your intentions to the Governor’s Mansion and wait for their arrangement.
The internal ones don’t need to worry, I’ve communicated with the other prefectural governors.
You just have to shift your military responsibilities, and directly contact your hometown.
Also, Viscount West who has yet to make his decision.
Are you preparing to fight independently, or are you planning to return under the command of Duke Cavadia?” Hudson hinted.
It’s not his deliberate insinuation, but West, the governor of the county, has become the biggest unstable element in Layton County.
It was necessary to suppress his momentum and weaken his reputation.
Perhaps out of guilt, Hudson deliberately reminded everyone that they still had the option to back out.
After all, if he foolishly believed in the title of “the Son of Fortune,” then he must have had water in his brain.
Hudson had no idea where he would lead this team without his super good fortune.
The only thing he could be sure of was: if he had bad luck and suffered a crushing defeat on the battlefield, he definitely wouldn’t hesitate to abandon his allies and run for his life.
“Viscount Hudson, you’re misunderstanding.
As the governor of Layton County, how can I abandon everyone and leave alone in this critical moment?” Viscount West said angrily.
Half of his wrath was directed at Hudson; the other half was aimed at his former underlings.
The sudden betrayal of the Northern nobles frustrated all of Viscount West’s plans.
He couldn’t return to Northland.
As an awkward illegitimate son, he was the son of a grand duke when he was outside, but when he returned home, compared to his half-brothers with the same father, he was a disgrace.
With the troops he currently had, to independently go to the battlefield to fight the Orc Army was basically offering up his head.
He had lost his foothold on both paths, other major nobles didn’t have any deep connections with him.
If he rashly got close to them, he would be the one to suffer.
Comparatively, staying in the forces of Layton County, continuing to stall with Hudson and looking for new opportunities seemed to have the highest safety factor.
As long as the Felix family remains powerful and his grand-duke father is still in power, no one would dare to harm him.
“Thick-skinned turd!”
This was Hudson’s first reaction.
Although a little bit of a shameless tactic, Viscount West’s choice did indeed irritate him.
He wanted to reject him, but he had to consider the reaction of the Northern nobles.
Even though their power was diminished, they were still capable in warfare.
Not to mention their profound family learning, they were all fief nobles who had fought their way out on the battlefield.
In terms of military capability, they were far superior to most native nobles.
In the past, they were enemies and the more talented they were, the more he had to suppress them.
But now, things had changed.
On the frontlines, Hudson would not suppress them, instead, he had to worry about their capabilities.
Private grudges could be settled after the war.
Based on the high casualty rate in wars previous, maybe those in conflict would die on the battlefield.
“We naturally welcome Viscount West if he wishes to stay.
However, the battlefield values efficiency, and there can only be one person giving orders.
In the face of national disaster, I, Hudson, am willing to volunteer to take on the responsibility of commanding the forces in the county.
This requires Viscount West to put up with the injustice and act on orders.
Don’t do anything detrimental to our Human Race due to brief disagreements.”
When you have to fight, you must fight.
The Continent of Aslante values the strongman, it does not believe in the virtue of humility.
If he wanted to play the game of “three refusals,” his followers would not know how to coordinate.
When it comes to military power, Hudson was determined to seize power even if it meant aggression.
Viscount West’s heart cooled as the heavy hand of power was ruthlessly bestowed down and not even a single supporter could be found in the crowd.
He cursed the Northern nobles for being spineless and regretted not noticing his own wall being undermined.
Luckily he didn’t know that all the Northern nobles decided to switch sides because they saw their boss was useless, otherwise, he would have collapsed on the spot.
“Viscount Hudson, please rest assured.
When it comes to the matters concerning the billion lives of our Human Race, West would never be negligent.
The fear is that someone would take the opportunity to suppress and marginalize others and waste our Human Race’s energy, benefiting the alien thieves…”
Despite his struggle, it failed to affect Hudson’s acquisition of military command, but rather served to raise his anti-monarchist sentiments.
Even inside, Hudson secretly raised his alert towards Viscount West.
It’s easy to talk about being flexible, but not many people could do it.
Being able to lower oneself to bow to a competitor who was originally inferior to him was also a kind of ability.
The seemingly futile performance was not completely meaningless.
At least in the eyes of the Northern nobles, a seed of distrust was planted.
If Hudson was unfair in his actions, this seed would take root and sprout.