426: Chapter 56: The Missing Orc Army_1 426: Chapter 56: The Missing Orc Army_1 In the face of existential crisis, the nobles of the Moxi Duchy still had a sense of the bigger picture.
Upon receiving the orders from the Capital, various city defense forces on the Terence defense line were mobilized.
Regardless of the outcome of the battle, as long as the city defense army was in action, it served as a restraint against the Orc Army.
To secure their supply lines, the Orcs had no option but to send more troops for escort.
Some of the more active commanders had even made it onto the Orc Empire’s wanted list.
However, besides venting their fury, it held no significance.
Being mortal enemies, why would anyone care about the bounty placed by the Orc Empire!
As the General in command of the Flying Bear Fort, Hudson made the list, despite not having done much.
He had no choice, the men under his command were overly proficient.
All of the nobles, who originated from the Northland, inherited ancestral skills.
Their ability to acquire noble titles was not only due to their ancestral legacy, but their mastery of these skills also played a significant role.
Years ago, when they migrated south from Northland, the private armies brought along with them survived on hunting the Orcs.
Now they were back to their old trade, only that instead of enslaving the Orcs, they were causing trouble for the Orc Empire.
Although the Orc army appeared massive, it was indeed comprised of several tribes with their internal organization and coordination far inferior to the Human Race.
Many neighboring tribes were filled with hatred towards each other.
There were even more contradictions between the different species.
The only reason they came together was due to the pressure exerted by the five Great Emperor Courts.
Where there is conflict, there is opportunity.
Hudson didn’t know or was interested in what exactly transpired, all he did was to cause some trouble for the Orcs, and then found himself topping the wanted list.
The desperate and furious reactions of the Orcs did not scare Hudson; instead, it spurred his interest even more.
Not showing up with a massive army was a clear message: The Orcs were stretched thin and had no time to deal with him.
An opportunity not seized is an opportunity wasted.
The toll of waging a war on multiple fronts would be burdensome for anyone.
The Orc’s current strategy is to besiege Dapes City, deploying hundreds of thousands of troops to lay siege on the Flying Bear Fort would undoubtedly affect their overall strategic layout.
Under the circumstances where the Human Alliance might send troops, the upper ranks of the Orc Empire had to consider the time factor.
Pulling out a thorn or annihilating a kingdom, it is evident which needed to be prioritized.
For the Orcs to avoid a crushing defeat the only solution was to drag more different races into the fray, to help alleviate the pressure.
What they needed now was not to consolidate their local control, but to stir up as much trouble as possible to prove to the outside world that the human overlord has decayed.
…
“Earl, we just received a message from our spies, a large convoy of Orc carts has returned from the front.
The spies checked from behind and found that the deep wheel tracks left on the ground suggest they’re carrying full loads.”
Upon hearing “returning from the front”, Hudson was instantly intrigued.
Besides the indiscriminate slaying, the Orc army also didn’t refrain from burglary.
Compared to the caravans transporting food supplies to the front, these convoys loaded with war spoils were real fat meat.
However, such convoys were rare.
Knowing they couldn’t defeat the Orcs, the Human Race nobles usually destroyed their possessions to not benefit the Orcs.
Most of the time, what the Orc army could loot was what couldn’t be destroyed in time or what couldn’t be destroyed at all.
Good things come to those who wait.
After instructing his men to keep an eye out for so long, Hudson finally had his chance.
“Tom, order the Expeditionary Army to assemble, instruct the Gryphon cavalry to scout the skies, and investigate any remote enemy ambush.”
Despite the tempting bait, vigilance was a necessity.
With the constant harassment of their supply lines, the Orcs had become more cunning.
There were quite a few cases where the city defense forces went out to raid the Orc’s food supplies, but due to carelessness, they ended up being the Orcs’ food supplies.
The veterans on the battlefield were able to retreat their troops safely.
However, the majority had to pay a considerable price.
Of course, despite the failed operations, Hudson hadn’t heard of any cases of the entire army being wiped out.
It was evident that the nobles, who had dealt with the Orcs for a while, had matured.
Alert at all times, they would instantly retreat their troops if something felt off.
Everyone knew their limits.
Troops like the weak newly formed legions wouldn’t be sent to present their heads on a silver plate to the enemy.
Only veteran or quasi-elite troops tasked with operations, notwithstanding lacking the strength of Elite Teachers.
Considering that the Orc’s main army was limited and too stretched to allocate more troops, most of the ambush units consisted of mixed soldiers with little fighting power, therefore, nobody suffered significant losses.
Hudson was no exception to this operation.
He only took strong troops with him.
The poorly skilled City Defense Army and the newly formed Twenty-third Army were left in the city and not because he wanted to hog the spoils.
As for the ambiguous Second and Third Legions that had just been reorganized, only parts of their officers and soldiers were called into battle.
After all, it was just an ordinary robbery, there was no need for a large number of troops.
With ten thousand soldiers, the majority of their task was not to rob, but to prepare for reinforcement.
Although there were quite a few Orc soldiers stationed nearby, not many could be immediately deployed for reinforcement when focused on a specific point.