350: Chapter 25, On the Frontline (Asking for Votes)_1 350: Chapter 25, On the Frontline (Asking for Votes)_1 The appearance of the army under the walls of Dapes City immediately received a warm welcome from the Moxi Duchy.
Chris the Ninth personally led a group of nobles and royal dignitaries out to welcome them, putting on the highest specification of reception ceremony.
Despite knowing this was all for show, Hudson felt quite good about it.
Being valued by others is always better than being looked down upon.
Of course, the reason they were receiving this treatment was not just because the Layton County Legion was the first to arrive as reinforcement, but more importantly, it was the military discipline they displayed that was worthy of admiration.
If they were a chaotic, disorderly mob causing trouble along the way, their infamy would have reached the front lines before they did, making them useless for propaganda.
The neat and synchronised pace of the ten thousand men gave a great deal of satisfaction to Moxi Duchy.
They alone confirmed that this was a genuine elite army, not some inferior imitation.
As for why such an elite force hails from a remote county, that’s an internal matter of the Alpha Kingdom and they are not obliged to explain it to anyone.
While the army encamped outside, Hudson went into the city to attend a banquet with Crown Prince Caesar.
This was different from before when he had to stay in the military camp for a long time to uphold his image as a strict commander.
The military social obligations which were obviously different from the noble’s hospitality encountered on the way, were more official in nature.
The low-ranking officers, of course, had to stay in the camp obediently.
Even if they wanted to go, they wouldn’t receive an invitation.
The very fact that the ruler of a nation personally invited Hudson to a banquet was the epitome of honoring the virtuous.
The lower-rank barons and knights, their status was drastically different and they were absolutely ineligible to attend such a banquet.
To break this restriction, the only chance was during victory feasts.
Riding through the bustling Dapes City, the air was thick with the tension of war.
Although there were three defense lines in the middle, they were each weaker than the one before.
The open plains helped the Moxi Duchy to establish its strength and richness, but it also determined the strategic defensive difficulties.
Except for the Augustusburg Defense Line, which depends on the remaining hills of Mt.
Parehati, all other defense lines were constructed on the plains.
Hudson pondered how to evaluate Moxi Duchy’s strategy in losing the most important defense from the start.
Calling them worthless may be unfair, as they managed to temporarily hold off the Orc Army using the second defense line.
However, if they were truly competent, they wouldn’t have lost the most important defense line in the first place.
If the Augustusburg Defense Line was still in their hands, Moxi Duchy could have resisted the blitz of the Orc Army for a long period, even if they concentrated their ultimate forces.
Now, they could only hope for reinforcements from their allies.
The lavish banquet made Hudson marvel and couldn’t help but sigh at the wealth of Moxi Duchy.
Despite being at war, they were still this extravagant.
He was unsure if their foundation was truly strong or if they were simply unaware of the crushing power of the Orcs.
In comparison, the Alpha Kingdom stopped all feasts as soon as war broke out.
Their expectations of war losses were on completely different levels.
“Princess Annie and Princess Susan are here!”
Beautiful women can always draw people’s attention, especially when they also possess status and demeanor, which makes them even more impactful to men.
Two beautiful ladies, one older than the other, attracted a lot of handsome young men.
Watching the crowd flock to them, Hudson decided to observe from the sideline.
The two in front of him were out of his league.
The hierarchy on the Continent of Aslante was strict; when a king’s daughter gets married, a political alliance is quite necessary.
It had to be either princes from various countries or heirs to major nobility.
Only unions that abide by this rule would receive blessings.
Judging from the scene, both princesses treated all suitors equally on the surface.
In reality, the treatment Crown Prince Caesar received was clearly different.
Although not overly expressed, their eyes said it all.
Aside from the young men immersed in the gathering, a group of bystanders including Hudson had picked up on this unusual detail.
Everyone was smart and no one was foolish enough to disrupt at this moment.
Being the heir to the Alpha Kingdom, Crown Prince Caesar was entitled to receive special treatment.
To those high-ranking figures present, if they could facilitate a marriage between a princess and Crown Prince Caesar, it would greatly benefit Moxi Duchy.
Perhaps, the two royal families had already been communicating in secret about it.
Otherwise, with so many major nobles in Alpha Kingdom, why would they specifically send Crown Prince Caesar to lead?
Even if it was for the purpose of experience, arranging a deputy position would’ve been enough.
Letting a prince who had never been on a battlefield command an army was simply irresponsible.
Hudson dared not to bother the high-ranking princesses, and similarly, he kept his distance from noble ladies and young girls.
There was no other way, he did not recognize any one of them and had no idea of their backgrounds.
Having romantic encounters was all about timing.
If he couldn’t control himself at this critical moment and unwittingly offended people, he could easily be ruined.
…
“Viscount Hudson, aren’t you going to chat with the noble ladies?”
While enjoying the food alone, an unfamiliar voice rang in his ear.
Looking in the direction of the voice, Hudson was slightly surprised, but then smiled and responded:
“I’ll leave that opportunity for others.
I already have a fiancee, so I won’t join in the fun!”