451: Chapter 64, The Evil of Human Nature_2 451: Chapter 64, The Evil of Human Nature_2 Compassion can’t feed you, but it can leave a bowl of soup for your family when the powerful forces decide to strike.
“Where are our reinforcements?”
Orton XIX asked anxiously.
No matter what, as long as there’s a chance to struggle, we must fight.
The Orc Army is indeed fierce, but they are all elites who might not be willing to be sacrificed in siege warfare.
“Your Majesty, the signal for help has only just been sent out.
No countries have responded yet.
Given the distance, most countries’ reinforcements are not to be relied upon.
Among the countries bordering us, the Moxi people are in no state to help themselves.
The small nations to the west have limited power, we can’t count on their assistance.
Currently, the only one who has the strength to lend a hand is the Warhammer Kingdom.
Unfortunately, their enthusiasm for this war has to be lacklustre.
So, getting reinforcement from them won’t be easy.”
Dubus said anxiously.
Weak nations don’t have diplomacy.
As the foreign minister of a small country, Dubus has always been under constant pressure.
Maintaining daily international relations is just about manageable.
But right now, getting other countries to send real reinforcements is not something that can be done easily.
“Issue a Conscription, let the nobles of the Duchy gather in the capital for a decisive battle with the Orcs!
As for everyone else, they won’t be of much use if they stay.
Let’s allow them to fend for themselves!”
Orton XIX resolutely said.
There’s no hope of preserving the entire Duchy, so they must prioritize saving the capital.
On some level, this is a subtle political exchange.
The nobles are asked to abandon their territories and come to defend the capital in exchange for the safe evacuation of their families.
Before Orton XIX’s order could be sent out, the tide of refugees had already begun.
Everyone knows about the brutality of the Orcs.
Without any organization, the people of Orton Duchy had already begun to flee.
The wealthy left by carriage, the poor packed up their belongings into a bundle and took their entire possessions with them.
Except for some conscientious nobles who were still maintaining order, social order in most areas of the Duchy had collapsed.
Innumerable crimes were being committed in this suffering nation.
…
Even fleeing carries a certain art to it.
Having witnessed the horror of the Orc Army, even those trying to escape knew to choose a strong nation.
The Warhammer Kingdom, a good neighbour with no defenses, naturally became the first choice for refugees.
The influx of countless refugees caused the nobility in the border regions of the Warhammer Kingdom to panic.
Forcefully expelling the refugees is contrary to the spirit of nobility.
If word gets out, it could damage their reputation.
While generous donations are preferable, their own pockets are not bottomless.
In the face of a never-ending flow of refugees, they simply can’t keep up.
Feeling the pressure, everyone resorts to diverting the refugees towards the heart of the Kingdom.
One noble can’t bear the tide of refugees, so they drag everyone into sharing the burden.
Eforced as they are, the Human Alliance has a mandate: during wars with different races, every nation has a duty to provide help to the countries at war.
This includes provisions for rescuing refugees.
Even though it’s not strongly enforced, a regulation is still a regulation and it needs to be upheld.
Especially since the Warhammer Kingdom is also one of the countries at war now.
If the Orcs attack, they will also need aid from other nations.
If they make a principled mistake now, it will be hard for them to receive support from other nations later when they are in trouble.
With this chain of actions, the problem soon landed in the hands of Joseph II.
“Rescue the refugees?”
Regrettably, his Majesty the King is preoccupied with considering the changing situation on the battlefield.
The Orc Army expanding its front line also means that the border of the Warhammer Kingdom is being stretched.
“So, there’s really no way to avoid them after all!”
Joseph II spoke indignantly.
Since the outbreak of the war, he’d tried to appease the Orcs.
Regrettably, they showed no appreciation, directing their blades towards his kingdom.
“Your Majesty, the Kingdom will have to face the invasion of the Orc Army sooner or later.
It’s just that the Moxi people and the Ortonians performed so poorly that this war broke out earlier.
From the movement trajectory of the Orc Army, it’s almost certain they will use Orton Duchy as a stepping stone to attack us.
As a result of the longstanding friendship with Orton Duchy, the Kingdom didn’t put much effort towards the western border.
Given the current circumstances, whether in two months or just over a week, the Orc Army will certainly invade the Kingdom.
We don’t have time to establish a complete defense line by then.
The best course of action now is to build several temporary defense lines to stall the enemy’s advance.”
Marshall Borg spoke gravely.
It’s not that he lacked strategic vision and didn’t consider the defense of the western border in advance.
The kingdom’s resources, manpower, and materials were simply limited.
Just the construction of the defense line with the Moxi Duchy mobilised half a million laborers, almost reaching the kingdom’s limit.
The relatively safer western region’s defense issues naturally had to be dealt with later.
Other than issuing an order of increased vigilance to the nobles on the border, the Warhammer Kingdom simply couldn’t afford to provide more support.
They had originally planned to construct a defense line in the western part of the Kingdom once the fortress construction works in the danger zone were mostly completed.
Unfortunately, the enemy didn’t wait.
“Building temporary defense lines could work.
However, the military must speed up its work.
Make sure to complete the construction of the temporary defense line before the Orc Army attacks.