487: Chapter 78, New Plan_2 487: Chapter 78, New Plan_2 Next there were the magic crystal cannons, the battle, the cavalry…”
The boar person recalled all his memories; perhaps due to overwhelming tension, the content was somewhat jumbled and disjointed.
But, with practically superhuman intellect, Prince Butzweig largely understood the current situation – the Expeditionary Army and the city’s defenders had together comprehensively defeated the besieging forces.
Then there was no more.
The three hundred thousand-strong orc army had either died or fled; the upper hand had been lost entirely.
“Send the order down.
The entire army is to halt its advance and make camp to rest here.”
Prince Butzweig decisively gave the order.
With their rescue target gone, there was no purpose in continuing to rush there.
No matter how “worthless” the besieging forces had been, at the end of the day, they were a three hundred thousand-strong army.
Without this army, Prince Butzweig wouldn’t dare to go into battle with the human race with just the Bimon Army Corps at his disposal.
He did not send soldiers out to round up the fleeing soldiers, not because Prince Butzweig lacked interest in increasing his forces, but it was impossible.
The orc army was of many species and coordinating them internally was extremely difficult.
They were usually organized by tribes and species, and to reform them required finding their tribal leaders first.
“Stiff-necked orcs” would only accept their own tribal leaders and might not remember the outsiders they’ve just met.
In the end, the lower tier orcs had no cultural heritage.
Among the orc empire, an entire species being illiterate was not a rarity.
The Five Great Emperor Courts, for their own rule, not only blocked knowledge from spreading down, but also deliberately suppressed the cultural development of vassal races.
Many species, after countless years of development, still linger in the most primitive stage of production.
At least in areas related to the military, they hadn’t advanced a single step in many years.
With the underlings hardly moving at all and only the limited population of the Five Major Royal Families of the Orcs causing trouble, it is no surprise that productivity fell behind humans.
This was the time to pay the price for this.
Under the original system, without their tribal leaders, they couldn’t do anything.
Soldiers of the same species might just barely be able to be commanded.
With fleeing soldiers scattered everywhere, even if they were brought together and reorganized, they couldn’t be reformed into an army.
The only way to reform them into an army now would be to mix various species together.
Putting various conflicting races into one army, it would be like putting “sheep and wolves” in the same pen.
As for what would happen next, one didn’t need to think to know.
…
In the royal palace of the Moxi Kingdom, it wasn’t until he came to participate in a high-level meeting for the first time that Hudson found out that Chris the Ninth had fallen ill.
Whether it was intentional or just out of sheer joy, Chris the Ninth still attended the military meeting despite his illness.
Using his acute perception, Hudson could tell at a glance that this was not a disease but a sign that his body was hollowed out and on the verge of nearing the end of his life.
The fact that he could hold on till now was probably due to his exceptional willpower, and presumably, he hadn’t spared anything to keep his life going.
As an ally, Hudson sincerely hoped at this time that Chris the Ninth could live a few more years, at least until the end of the war.
The Moxi Kingdom couldn’t endure any disturbance now.
Even if the royal power transitioned smoothly, it would inevitably cause internal turmoil.
This was not something personal will can prevent.
Chris the Ninth clearly saw this point and gritted his teeth to hold on.
His appearance at the military meeting now was partly a gesture of goodwill towards Hudson, or a declaration of his position to the Alpha Kingdom.
Unless something unexpected happened, the two countries were already in the process of forming a marriage alliance.
Hudson was very clear about how infatuated his own crown prince was with Princess Annie.
Looking at the current situation, the marriage alliance was the best choice for both sides.
They had a common enemy, which had brought the two countries together.
The situation in the Moxi Duchy was dire, and they needed support from a powerful force.
The Alpha Kingdom, similarly, needed to stabilize the western front; supporting the Moxi Duchy was essentially supporting itself.
Not to mention, Crown Prince Caesar’s previous behavior in the Moxi Kingdom was a substantial blow to his reputation.
His reputation plummeted across the continent.
A tarnished reputation would undoubtedly have a significant impact on the alliance through marriage.
Not everyone would choose a low-powered future king-in-law as a match.
Struggling had no meaning.
The prevailing view was that after Caesar III, the strong king, the subsequent Caesar IV would inevitably be a weak king.
Unless Crown Prince Caesar turned the tide and proved his ability again, he would not be able to wash away the shame brought on by the previous failure.
Undoubtedly, it was impossible.
No one would be at ease letting him take command of a large army again.
It was challenging to make significant military achievements, and even more difficult to gain recognition in politics.
Down there, each and every one of the dukes and ministers were old foxes.
Could a crown prince truly keep them in check?
If you play by the rules, those people might give you some respect, but if you cross the line, they would be sure to cause you trouble.
“Chancellor, you will preside over this meeting!”
The voice of Chris the Ninth was slightly trembling.
His expression was as if he could meet the Lord of the Dawn at any moment.
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
Chancellor Hercheg answered very carefully, fearing that his voice was too loud and might accidentally take the king away.
“We have begun to summarize the results of last night’s battle.
Destroyed over three hundred thousand of the Orc Army, and slayed over sixty thousand orc soldiers…
The first merit goes, of course, to our Earl Hudson.
In last night’s battle, the expeditionary army commanded by Earl Hudson seized a timely opportunity and shattered the orcs’ formation, laying the foundation for the victory of the battle.
Please accept my highest regards on behalf of the Moxi Duchy as we honor your contribution!
May the friendship between our two nations last forever!
”
In the meantime, Chancellor Hercheg bowed directly to Hudson.
This time, Hudson did not dodge.
If it had been for him alone, he could be modest, but when it involves the Alpha Kingdom, he cannot refuse.
The welcoming ceremony may seem highly formal, yet it is ultimately empty.
Beyond boasting, it means nothing.
Hudson does not mix in the Moxi Duchy; no matter how many of these honorific tokens he gets, they don’t touch on real benefits.
Naturally, everyone doesn’t mind flattering him a bit more.
“Your Excellency, the Prime Minister is too polite.
Our two nations have always been allies, the friendship between our nations is evident to the Lord of the Dawn, and I am merely doing my duty.
The battle last night was mainly a result of the joint effort of both nations, leading to a brilliant victory.”
Hudson replied solemnly.
Since this is a play, he doesn’t mind playing along.
The unreal promise remains unreal, but the things promised that have not yet been delivered need to come due eventually.
“Last night’s brilliant victory is now in the past.
The duchy still faces more severe challenges, and we must look forward.
Earl Hudson, the Bimon Cavalry has stopped at a place thirty miles away from us.
At this moment, the reinforcements of the five major royal families of the orc are also on the way.
Facing such a complex situation, do you have any countermeasures?”
Upon hearing the Prime Minister’s words, Hudson was also taken aback.
It appears that the seemingly united Moxi Duchy’s upper echelons also have internal strife.
Praising him incessantly was clearly an attempt to borrow the influence of the hero of the first merit to suppress the momentum of Count Martins.
However, this kind of fight, as it currently seems, is not intense.
All the plots are clear and probably not intended to harm Count Martins.
More so, they just want to maintain the current political balance.
“The orc army is mighty, but they are disjointed.
This gives us an opportunity.
Concentrate superior forces, eliminate one of them first, hit the enemy’s morale, and then slowly wear down the orc’s great army.
However, it would be best to deal with the Bimon cavalry thirty miles away to prevent them from attacking our rear in the battle.
Primarily, it will depend on the speed at which your country’s various reinforcements arrive to formulate the most suitable plan.”
Hudson said with a cheerful smile.
…