442: Chapter 61, The Tragedy of Orton_3 442: Chapter 61, The Tragedy of Orton_3 The mess had been cleaned up, and the reputation of the expeditionary army had been established.
If they wanted people to throw themselves into a fight with the main forces of the Orcs, conditions would need to be negotiated.
…
In the Duchy of Orton, Orton XIX, who had just awakened from his slumber, was forced to start his day’s work before he even had the chance to stretch.
Perhaps most monarchs live their lives this way, but for a lazy monarch like him, this was truly hard.
After the defeat in the Battle of Dachias, the Duchy of Orton too found itself on the edge of a cliff.
The Duchy of Moxi was on the verge of collapse, thus, their closest neighbour had to prepare for the worst.
After receiving a victorious message from the Duchy of Moxi, Orton XIX was in good spirits.
However, after reading the text below the victory message, his face turned green with rage.
The Alpha Kingdom’s Expeditionary Army was making a comeback against the odds, but the Orc Army was on the brink of reaching his doorstep.
Informing now at this juncture appeared more like deliberately setting up an ally for humiliation!
As for the Duchy of Moxi’s claim that they had just found out about the Orc Army’s movement, Orton XIX didn’t believe a word of it.
A nearly hundred-thousand-strong Orc Army, predominantly composed of the main forces of the Orc Empire, had moved in such a fashion that the Duchy of Moxi chose to say they hadn’t noticed?
Grousing was futile, the enemy was on their way to wage a war.
Even if he were to vent his anger on the Moxi people, it still wouldn’t solve the issue.
“Chancellor, how prepared are we?
Can we withstand the invasion of the Orc Army?” he asked.
Upon hearing the King’s question, Chancellor Jacob wore a look of helplessness.
If so many powerful nations weren’t a match for the Orcs, what chance did their small duchy have?
This was deliberately making things difficult for them!
Anyhow, as the Orc Army was advancing on its own initiative, they had no option but to resist.
“Your Majesty, we have already mobilised two hundred thousand soldiers, with hundred and fifty thousand deployed at the border with the Duchy of Moxi.
The other fifty thousand soldiers are undergoing mobilisation and are expected to be ready by next month.
However, we have always had a cordial relationship with Moxi; there is no defensive line at the border.
We are currently in the process of hastily constructing fortifications, so…”
Orton XIX read a tinge of despair in the wavering words of Chancellor Jacob.
The army had only been assembled, they hadn’t had time to complete their training; the defences hadn’t been fully readied, and the enemy was encroaching their doorstep fast.
Faced with a double blow, how could the Duchy of Orton resist the might of the Orc Army?
…
The discussion within the royal palace was still ongoing when the cries of battle rose from their borders.
The guards, overly confident in their allies, hadn’t envisioned encountering a surprise assault from the enemy.
When the enemy’s presence was discovered, the battle had already begun.
Countless Orton soldiers who were busy fortifying defenses barely had time to lift their heads before they were met with the Orcs’ slaughterous assault.
“Hold the line!”
“Idiots, grab your weapons and fight!”
“No retreat!”
…
The officers, realising the intensity of the situation belatedly, shouted fervently.
Unfortunately, the serf soldiers who had just put down their hoes had never faced a situation like this before.
Many of them were stupefied at the sight of bodies strewn all around.
Some of the faint-hearted ones pissed in their pants, utterly at a loss about how to resist.
There were also some who foolishly knelt before the Orcs, begging for mercy based on their past experiences with the aristocrats.
Unsurprisingly, they were promptly slaughtered.
It was unclear who initiated it, but once the first deserter emerged, more followed also, creating utter chaos on the battlefield.
Nobles who refused to concede the battle led their personal guards into combat, momentarily stemming the advance of the Orc Army.
Unfortunately, such heroes were few and their influence only extended to a small portion of the soliders.
The majority of the serf soldiers chose to flee.
When faced with impending defeat, the power of the individual was far from enough.