447: Chapter 63: Ha Clan’s Secret Technique for Saving the Nation_1 447: Chapter 63: Ha Clan’s Secret Technique for Saving the Nation_1 Flying Bear Fort, ever since their last victory, has been exceptionally peaceful.
Even the organised orc armies had to make a detour when passing by.
Within a radius of twenty miles, one could hardly spot any orcs.
As if a tacit agreement was reached, the orcs didn’t venture beyond their boundaries, and the defenders didn’t instigate conflicts either.
The anticipated orc retaliation, did not arrive as expected.
After a meeting between the high-level executives of the Five Great Emperor Courts, they each chose to return to their homes.
Apparently, they were all being reasonable, clearly understanding that pride is utterly insignificant compared to the racial strategy.
Earl Hudson did not waste the hard-earned period of tranquillity.
He made use of the time to strengthen the training of the military troops in the city.
Having infuriated the Bearman Imperial Court this severely, they are bound to retaliate if given the chance.
It would be alright if a war did not break out, once it did, it would be a river of blood.
If one’s strength was not up to par, then it was inevitably a tragedy in the making.
…
“What, the Orcs have invaded the Orton Duchy?”
Earl Hudson asked in surprise.
“Yes, Your Excellency the Earl.
You did not hear wrong, the Orc Army has indeed bypassed Dapes and headed straight for the Orton Duchy.”
Having received a definitive answer from Marshal Hodge, Hudson immediately disregarded all formalities, stood up, opened the map and started to delve into research.
Shortly, he arrived at the conclusion: the Warhammer Kingdom was doomed.
Ever since the situation in Moxi Duchy deteriorated, the Warhammer Kingdom added a new defensive line.
Hudson was not privy to the details, but the defensive line was still under construction to this day.
With the Orc Army moving south, it was clear they intended to bypass this defensive line, attacking via the Orton Duchy.
Building further defenses was clearly too late now, no matter how rushed the construction, they couldn’t prevent the Orcs from detouring.
In contrast to the flat plains of Moxi Duchy, over two-thirds of Warhammer Kingdom’s territory is made up of hills and mountains.
This unique terrain is not conducive for the movement of large armies, but the Orcs, with their multiple unique species, are clearly better at utilising the hills and mountains compared to humans.
Subduing the Warhammer Kingdom may not be easy, but once taken, the Orc Empire could potentially hold their ground for a long time.
On the contrary, even if the Orcs capture the vast plains of Moxi Duchy, they would have to abandon it once the Human Alliance Army comes.
One scenario is to grab whatever they can early on; the other is a long-term benefit that could strengthen the species’ power, the choice is clear.
Having deduced the Orc Army’s movements, Hudson found himself unable to do anything.
Notify the Warhammer Kingdom to increase their vigilance?
This was purely nonsensical.
The Kingdom would not believe a word from him, an unrelated individual, even if they did, they would not have enough time to fortify their defenses.
Moving soldiers and deploying military support might sound simple, but it comes with numerous problems.
To transform a peaceful region abruptly into a war zone would pose a major problem in coordinating resources and logistics.
The more peaceful a region, the poorer their military defences.
This was a common problem among the nobles.
Fortified castles that can accommodate all the domain people only exist in border areas with frequent wars; the castles built by the nobles in the rear are meant to protect themselves.
Once the Orc Army attacks, the Warhammer Kingdom’s territories close to the Orton Duchy would fall, thereby affecting the entire Warhammer Great Plains.
If the Kingdom loses its only vast plains, the pressure of obtaining food would eventually lead to their collapse, even if they desire to resist.
Asking for allies for help wouldn’t work.
Most of the remaining territories are mountains and hills that even if materials were provided, it would be challenging to transport them to the frontline in a short time.
After calming down, Hudson quickly adjusted his mood.
These issues were clearly not his to consider.
The fate of the Warhammer Kingdom would not affect Flying Bear Fort.
As for the overall interest of the human race, it was an issue for the top officials to consider.
“Marshal Hodge, you didn’t come all this way just to tell me this news, did you?”
Hudson asked with concern.
His intuition told him that the Moxi people were about to stir up trouble.
He had already guessed some of it, albeit vaguely.
However, he wanted to hear an accurate answer from Marshal Hodge.
“Earl Hudson, you indeed have a keen eye.
Correct, the main reason I came to visit is to consult you on your view of the current situation.
With the main force of the orcs leaving, regardless of their final destination, we have a short respite.
Whether it is to alleviate the pressure on the Orton Duchy or to reverse the unfavorable situation on the battlefield, we must do something at this critical moment.
Somebody at the top of the Duchy suggested that they seize the opportunity to launch a major battle centered around Dapes to severely damage the orc army that had penetrated into the Duchy!”
All the reasons were nonsense, the core message was one, “Relieve the Siege of Dapes”.
Having received a precise response, Hudson sank into deep thought.
From the standpoint of Moxi Duchy, relieving the siege of Dapes was the most important strategy at hand.
But he is not a Moxi noble, and he couldn’t possibly consider the issue entirely from the Moxi people’s perspective.
“Your Marshal, you should know how difficult this plan is.
From the current scenario, your country seems to have a considerable number of available soldiers, but there are only a few main armies that you can mobilise.
With the combat strength of regular army groups, once they face the main force of the Orcs in an open battle, it’s like giving the enemy free military merits.”