349: Chapter 24, Reinforcements = Confidence_3 349: Chapter 24, Reinforcements = Confidence_3 Viscount Hudson refused as many invitations from nobles along the way as possible, trying his best to stay within the military camp.
These minor incidents caused no ripples.
The main guest people wanted to invite was Crown Prince Caesar, not a minor viscount like him.
Receiving an invitation was already a mark of respect.
Whether he attended the banquet or not made no great difference.
This held true only because the reputation of the “Layton County Legion Elite” preceded him, otherwise, people wouldn’t even know who Viscount Hudson was.
Watching Crown Prince Caesar navigate effortlessly among the nobles, Viscount Hudson couldn’t help but feel envious.
Such skills were not easily acquired by mere imitation.
Without extraordinarily gifted social skills, it would be difficult to achieve.
Of course, coming from a suitable background mattered the most.
Once your status improves, there are always people ready to put a positive spin on your every word and action.
Politeness becomes the mark of a noble.
A wild and unrestrained behavior is seen as a sign of a great spirit, unbound by petty conventions.
In short, everything an influential person does is considered correct.
If anything seems wrong, then it must be your misunderstanding.
It’d be good if Crown Prince Caesar attended more banquets, as it would be a legitimate excuse to slow down the marching speed.
Unfortunately, Viscount Hudson’s wishful thinking didn’t work out.
In just a few days, all banquet invitations disappeared, and even the visiting nobles decreased in number.
A bit of thought revealed that this wasn’t due to diminishing respect for Crown Prince Caesar, but most likely due to intervention from the higher-ups of the Moxi Duchy.
How could they feast and celebrate while the frontline was desperate for reinforcements?
This was outrageous!
Ultimately, the beatings from the Orcs weren’t severe enough.
If the Moxi Duchy was beaten a few more times, preferably dangerously close to the precipice of complete collapse, they would surely learn their lesson.
Judging from the behavior of the nobles in the Alpha Kingdom, even though all the nobles along the way knew that Crown Prince Caesar was with the army, at most, they simply greeted him.
There was no such thing as a high-profile banquet in his honor.
Whoever dared to break this unspoken rule would immediately receive a conscription order from the frontline.
Austerity was practiced during a war and apart from victory feasts, hardly any banquets were held.
Even when Crown Prince Caesar left the capital for his military post, there was no farewell banquet.
The tense atmosphere quickly affected Crown Prince Caesar’s mood.
Ultimately, he was just a twenty-year-old young man, incapable of hiding his emotions like an adept politician.
When nothing happened on the outside, something was bound to happen on the inside.
With no outlet to vent his frustration, Crown Prince Caesar quickly took his anger out on the soldiers behind him.
Accompanied by a few guards, he mounted his horse and inspect the camps at the back.
Viscount Hudson had no idea what specifically happened, but it was clear that Crown Prince Caesar was not happy.
It was impossible to go and ask for a scolding, but unfortunately, Viscount Hudson couldn’t avoid getting involved.
Among his colleagues, as the commander of the only “Elite Legion”, Viscount Hudson’s status was rising.
He has never missed any significant military meetings.
Most of the time, his opinions were sought….
“We are about to reach the capital of the Moxi Duchy tomorrow, and now we are just over two hundred miles from the frontline.
Does Viscount Hudson have any plans?”
Upon hearing Crown Prince Caesar’s question, Viscount Hudson cursed under his breath.
He was being treated as a military counselor—an unpaid one at that.
Excuses were out of question.
It all came down to the allocation of upcoming duties and he needed to secure his interests.
“Your Highness, the Moxi Duchy’s situation is critical, and we are likely to be sent to the front line soon.
The Layton County Legion has just arrived and is still adjusting to the local weather and conditions; rushing into battle could have disastrous consequences.
I suggest taking some time to rest in the Moxi Duchy before joining the war after the arrival of reinforcements.”
He originally wanted to mention acclimatisation, but in an era of magical technology, a single potion can cure any unease.
As for potential side effects, that’s hard to say.
He instead decided to use a vaguer excuse, implying to Crown Prince Caesar that he wasn’t eager to go to battle yet.
This was the Moxi Duchy, not their own turf.
There was no reason to sacrifice their own strength for the benefit of others.
“Don’t worry, Viscount.
I will make our case.
No matter how the situation evolves in the Moxi Duchy, the Layton County Legion won’t be sent to battle in the near future!”
Crown Prince Caesar assured confidently.
An elite team was different from cannon fodder.
If such a force was lost in Moxi Duchy without achieving spectacular military feats, even the Crown Prince wouldn’t be able to cope.
Since being recognized as elite, the Layton County Legion had been placed under high expectations and became a prime example in propaganda.
Crown Prince Caesar was no exception.
The fate of this army directly affected his chances of establishing a successful career.
He wouldn’t dare to send this most valuable chip to the battlefield so early to engage in a war of attrition with the Orc Army before finding an opportunity.
As for when to take action, Crown Prince Caesar wasn’t in a hurry at all.
The higher-ups in the Alpha Kingdom had very little expectation of the Moxi Duchy.
As long as they could postpone the situation, victory against the Orc Army wasn’t even considered.
While it seemed the Layton County Legion was sent as reinforcement, the underlying reason was to boost the Moxi Duchy’s morale.
Sending the Layton County Legion so soon was intended to assure the Moxi Duchy’s citizens and strengthen their determination to resist the Orcs.
Seeing this, Viscount Hudson felt a wave of relief.
As long as Crown Prince Caesar didn’t give his approval, the affair at the Moxi Duchy would be easier to handle.
No matter how tense the front line became, that was a matter to consider only after a full recovery.
After the long and intense journey, not only the ordinary soldiers but even Viscount Hudson, an officer, felt tired.
They were already pretending to be elites; if they arrived on the battlefield fatigued, wouldn’t they just be sending their heads on a platter to the enemy?
Although, in the minds of the soldiers from Layton County, Orcs were just slaves from the Mountain Domain, that was merely political propaganda.
The soldiers might believe it, but if the commander did too, that would spell disaster.