488: Chapter 79, The Actions of the Human Alliance_1 488: Chapter 79, The Actions of the Human Alliance_1 The first joint military meeting came to an uneventful conclusion, not because of a lack of cooperation, but due to the inability to find an opportune moment to attack before the enemy made a mistake.
With the Bimon cavalry positioned thirty miles away, Hudson surely did not have the guts to pursue them with infantry.
Moreover, the enemy too had legs.
If they couldn’t win, couldn’t they run?
Even if all the Moxi Duchy’s cavalry arrived, a combination of all our forces would only amount to three cavalry corps plus a few knight corps.
It would still be manageable if we directly clashed with the Bimon Army Corps, but it would be unthinkable to try to encircle and annihilate them.
Our small cavalry force simply couldn’t form a full encirclement.
The Orcs are not fools, they would likely be prepared since they have divided their forces.
It would be truly difficult to defeat each one unless the flying Hawkmen are dealt with first.
We could take a gamble and try to win in one battle, but the current situation is such that the Moxi Duchy simply could not afford a major loss.
Hudson, who had just stepped into the upper echelons, was also unwilling to risk the position he had fought so hard to attain, by embarking on a military venture.
If an opportunity for battle cannot be found, then the only option is to wait.
Losing an army of 300,000 in one go, even if they are all cannon fodder troops, is not something that can be replenished in a short time.
According to the information provided by the Moxi people, among the five reinforcements from the Orc Empire, the army of the Bearman Imperial Court is the most formidable.
Now Hudson is not afraid of the Orcs arriving quickly, instead he fears them purposely slowing down their march, so that their arrival is coordinated on the same day.
A confluence of the five armies, plus the Bimon Cavalry Corps, would mean another large-scale mixed battle.
For some reason, the mention of a “large-scale battle” now gives Hudson a headache.
With the strength of the Expeditionary Army and the large army brought together by the Moxi people, it wouldn’t be a big problem to defend Dapes.
However, the chances of winning a sweeping victory are slim.
Hudson didn’t have much to do with contingency plans since he couldn’t work out a military plan.
If the situation were to deteriorate irretrievably, the expeditionary force would flee without as many concerns as the Moxi people.
Declining the Moxi people’s invitation to stay, he returned to camp, where the final casualties report from last night’s battle had arrived.
As he had estimated, there were over 10,000 casualties, fortunately, most of the wounded were rescued.
After a few days of rest and nutrition, they would be a group of good soldiers again.
The final reduction in forces was 6,376 men, of whom 5,827 were confirmed to have been killed in battle.
The rest was either lost or ended up on the Orcs’ barbecue rack.
“Issue command: Let the cavalry clean up nearby fleeing soldiers, and search for missing people while they’re at it!
If they encounter Bimon cavalry on the road, don’t engage.
Return to camp immediately.”
A single victory is built atop thousands of bones.
Having led expeditions for over half a year, Hudson, who has seen life and death countless times, now has a “heart of stone”.
Being soft-hearted doesn’t solve anything.
The most important thing right now is to find a way to drive away the Orcs and go home to be his noble lord.
The losses of the Expeditionary Army were not small, but the rewards were greater.
The inexperienced recruits, having been baptized by the great battle last night, have now seen what a “big scene” is.
Compared to before, the soldiers clearly carried a heavier aura, their personalities have completely changed.
This change is all too familiar to Hudson.
However, in the past, it would usually only appear after several battles, but this time it happened overnight after one big battle.
Indeed, it is cruel battles that best forge strong soldiers.
Though the total number of Expeditionary Army soldiers has decreased, the new recruits have transformed into veterans, resulting in a slight increase in combat strength.
…
“Charge!”
“Charge!”
For a moment, arrows rained down like a shower, and stones rolled down.
The Magic Crystal Cannon somehow showed up to join the fray as well.
However, only the Human army was equipped with the sporadic Magic Crystal Cannon.
The Orc Army, which had traveled light, simply could not carry such cumbersome equipment.
This easy encirclement of the Orc infantry struck Joseph as unbelievable.
It felt like a dream, as if the Orcs had suddenly taken leave of their senses and let themselves be manipulated.
“Your Majesty, the Orc cavalry does not seem to be rushing to reinforce their ranks.
Instead, they are becoming increasingly unrestrained in their destruction.
Based on the messages received from various places, it seems that the enemy wants to bypass us and go north to open up a gap with the Orc Army there!”
Minister of Military Affairs Tiago’s words poured cold water on Joseph II’s joyous spirit.
This was not how the script was supposed to go.
The initial plan was to lay siege to the Orc infantry and lure the Orc cavalry into a fight.
The encirclement plan was executed swiftly, however, the Orc cavalry played a different trick, with a “you do your thing, I do mine” strategy.
We can afford to lose thirty thousand Orc infantry, but we can’t afford to lose the northern line in the Warhammer Kingdom.
Once the Orc Army breaks through, the fate of the Moxi Duchy today will be that of the Warhammer Kingdom tomorrow.
The situation may even worsen.
The Orc Empire values the Warhammer Kingdom significantly more than the Moxi Duchy.
Solid defense lines are only effective against external enemies.
If an enemy attacks from the rear, it would be a different story altogether.
“If we annihilate the Orc Army inside the encirclement first, and then rush to reinforce the northern line, would we have enough time?”