377: Chapter 37, Military Mission _2 377: Chapter 37, Military Mission _2 Entering the Marshal’s Mansion, it was already full of military officials, with Hudson arriving rather late.
Following a guard’s lead, he took a seat in a position near the front, instantly drawing everyone’s eyes.
Everyone in the room knew each other, and Hudson was the only unfamiliar one and was seated at the front.
This clearly delineated his status.
No one approached him, neither to strike up a conversation nor to provoke him.
From their looks of envy and jealousy, it could be deduced that word of his clash with the military supply department had spread.
Unfortunately, no one else could imitate such behavior.
As a guest army, once a battle is done, they could walk away freely without caring about offending anyone.
The military officials present, however, had to consider the interests of their own clans.
It’s even quite possible that they are beneficiaries of the interest chain as well.
When it comes to interests, one’s actions cannot be indulged in caprice.
Even under some grievances, one had to endure.
Hudson was used to all this.
To minimize the pain of parting, he never had an interest in making friends with the dead.
Of the dozens of officers present, if half of them managed to survive after the battle, it would solely be due to the grace of the Lord of the Dawn.
If, by any misfortune, Moxi Duchy fell during the war, they could face annihilation.
Hudson had no interest in gambling on probabilities, he simply ignored everyone else and closed his eyes to rest.
…
“Everyone who could has arrived, so the meeting will begin.
You may have guessed, the primary purpose for calling you here is to deal with the Orcs’ reinforcement,”
“It’s not as exaggerated as the rumors say, Alpha Kingdom is still holding back most of the Orc’s forces, and we’ve only added a few tens of thousands to our enemies.”
“As long as we are united, we have hope of keeping the enemies outside the defense line,”
The words of Marshal Hodge pulled Hudson out of his rest.
It is true that the total strength of the orcs had only increased by “a few tens of thousands”, but the threat posed by these engagement troops surpassed that of the hundreds of thousands of cannon fodder outside.
The arrival of these individuals tipped the already skewed scale of victory.
Even defending the city would not be easy.
Aside from the Hawkman Tribe which were all air forces, and the Bimon Tribe which were all cavalry, the other four royal families mainly consisted of the infantry.
Any one of their units would be considered elite within the human race, representing the epitome of combat strength.
Once the orcs make a decision, it’s a toss-up whether the Terence Defense Line can hold.
“Marshal, the elite infantry legion of the Orcs has also arrived, they may be determined to break through our defense line this time.
We may still be able to defend Teluns City now, but our front of hundreds of miles is full of loopholes, making it too easy for the Orcs to want to enter.
Last time the Orc army managed to sneak past us, and it would be even more difficult for us to be on guard now.
The enemy only needs to capture a few fortress strongholds to open a safety passage a dozen miles wide.
They have so many elites that even a few cavalry legions would make it hard for our defense forces to meddle.
If the Orcs distract our forces and send a large army to the south to take the capital Budapest directly, I fear…”
The middle-aged military official swallowed his words just as they were about to slip out.
This kind of unpleasant speculation has always been “implied but not articulated”.
Hearing the man’s analysis, Hudson couldn’t help but take a closer look at him.
To be able to analyze the situation so thoroughly, he evidently was no ordinary person.
These issues are exactly what Teluns Defense Line needs to worry about the most, even more so than the enemy launching a full attack.
Setting aside political factors, once the Orcs defeat our forces, our main force will be cut off from its logistics.
At present, the interior of Moxi Duchy is empty, and obviously unable to obstruct the march of the Orc army.
National and familial destruction is possible at any time.
“Wagner, the situations you’ve analyzed might indeed materialize, the orcs may already be planning and executing it.
They’ve done similar things before.
How could the Duchy be completely unprepared?
I can’t disclose the specific plans, but our current task is to defend the Teluns Defense Line.
The rest is for the Duchy to worry about.”
To ensure absolute safety, I plan to reinforce some fortresses of high strategic value and implement focused regional protection.
I have gathered you here today to discuss readjusting our previous battle missions.
Earl Hudson, the situation is tense right now, and we’re facing a shortfall of forces at the front line, which is why you’ve been included in our battle plans.”
Despite his outward calm, Marshal Hodge was in turmoil, deeply lacking confidence.
Some things can’t be successfully managed by preparation alone.
Even if we have discerned the orcs’ plan of attack, the Moxi Duchy still lacks the strength to respond effectively.
Luckily, reinforcements from various countries have been arriving one after another.
Without them, Hodge really wouldn’t know how the Duchy could cope.
As the discussion wrapped up, all eyes were on Hudson, waiting for his answer.
“Your Marshal, there’s no problem with us taking part in the battle.
Since leaving our homeland, we’ve been prepared to fight to the death with the Orcs.
It’s just that, since we’re new and unfamiliar with the place, we’ll need more time to adapt.
Ideally, our assigned area shouldn’t be too complex.”
Hudson hinted in his remarks.
There’s no escaping military service.
From the moment they arrived at the front line, many things were out of their control.
The only issue is that these tasks have come a bit too soon.
They haven’t waited until the arrival of the subsequent legions of the expeditionary army.
After this long period of no contact, Hudson suddenly felt that Crown Prince Caesar might be plotting something.
These inappropriate conjectures, of course, could not be shared with others.
Without enough troops in hand to bolster his courage, Hudson wouldn’t dare to act recklessly with just one legion under his command.
Seeing this, Marshal Hodge suddenly laughed heartily.
He directly handed over the defense map to Hudson, and said magnanimously:
“No problem; the fact that Earl Hudson has rushed from afar to reinforce us appeases me immensely.
Your little request is nothing by comparison.
The places needing reinforcements are all marked on this map, you can pick one yourself!”
If he is willing to serve on the frontlines, the specifics of his mission are really not that important.
Safety is relative and the key thing is where the Orcs will attack from.
To Marshal Hodge, no matter where the Layton County Legion is stationed, it would save a significant number of troops, which could be deployed wherever they are most required.
Looking at the information marked on the map, Hudson was taken aback.
As a newcomer, even with some homework done, he only knew about the geographic location without delving into the specifics.
In front of everyone, he couldn’t back down now.
After a moment’s hesitation, Hudson pointed at the map, and said decisively:
“Let’s choose this place.
My hometown also has a Flying Bear Fort, coming across it again feels like fate.”
It truly is fate, not his tendency to pick the most favorable place.
As a noble with an Earth Bear emblem, he had good reason to take a liking to fortresses bearing the name of a bear.
The disappointed looks of his companions indicated that his chosen stationed place seemed to be a decent one.
Marshal Hodge looked at everyone and said impassively, “Since Count Hudson is fond of the Flying Bear Fort, you will be responsible for holding this position.
In addition to the Layton County Legion, the newly-formed Twenty-sixth Army will also assist you in holding this position.
As for the specific military deployment, you, His Excellency, the Count, can discuss it with Commander Rakel.
After the change of guard is completed, the Sixth Army and the newly-formed Third Legion, which were originally stationed here, will be withdrawn for rest and replenishment.”
…”
A series of military orders were issued by Marshal Hodge, and none of the military officers present dared to make a fuss.
Seeing this, Hudson suddenly understood why the Moxi people had been able to hold the line for so long.
Although their bureaucracy was rotten, they still had several pillars holding the roof.
Discipline is the fundamental principle of an army.
The little-known Marshal Hodge must be quite extraordinary to be able to manage armies composed of nobles’ private forces as if they were completely under his control.