458: Chapter 66, Good News_3 458: Chapter 66, Good News_3 There are things that can be done, but one must never say it out loud.
To his mind, divulging Arondo’s whereabouts was barely distinguishable from directly colluding with the Orcs.
Yet in political terms, these were two distinct situations.
The former could be masked with subterfuge, while the latter, if exposed, would spell doom for the July Club.
After all, they were all sons of the Northland.
With enmity as deep as the sea towards the five major noble families, their blood feud with the Orcs was no less intense.
If it came to conspiring with Orcs, the July Club would disintegrate from within.
This was unlike the past, when they traded with the Orc Empire.
Conspiring with elite Orcs in the past was to be more efficient in slave trading.
Even though the reputation of a slave trader was not appealing, they could console themselves that they were striking against the Orcs, avenging their ancestors.
…
Such episodes were constantly being played out throughout the Northern Frontier, though the targets differed.
The covert July Club, hell-bent on taking revenge against the five major noble families, wasn’t the only one.
Their enemies were also spread amongst the various support forces.
The Nobles of the North, who had fled south, had flourished greatly over the years, with many clans experiencing a revival.
One or two enemies weren’t troubling, but when the number of enemies increased, even a Major Noble would fail to withstand.
The various secret actions were like hidden undercurrents, continuously striking against the five major clans.
…
At the Flying Bear Fort, Master Hudson, busy training his troops, was in high spirits.
Just now, he had received the Kingdom’s formal reply: fifty thousand new soldiers would be gradually added to the Expeditionary Army.
To strengthen the connection, the Kingdom even sent a five-man Gryphon Squad to follow the Expeditionary Army’s journey.
From the Kingdom’s decision, it was clear that the Expeditionary Army was gradually rising from a dispensable ragtag force to an essential armed force of the Kingdom.
In times of war, the military’s status is earned.
The higher the military achievements, the more elite the troops and the more resources would be granted.
This was a virtuous cycle.
Once the fifty thousand reinforcements arrive, the six enhanced corps controlled by the Expeditionary Army would be filled, maybe even overfilled.
If he managed to train this hundred-thousand-personnel force, Hudson would hold significant influence in the coming turmoil.
Even though most of them were from the Kingdom’s army, as long as they follow his command, a bond would form.
The network of personal relationships built through shared battlefield experiences could be more stable than those built over twenty normal years.
If managed well, this could be a natural political faction.
With several victories behind them, everyone would be deemed a hero of the Kingdom, and some Nobles would achieve social elevation.
Hudson, as the faction leader, would undoubtedly benefit the most.
If he were to hold office in the Central Government, he would probably secure the position of Minister of Power.
Good news always comes in pairs.
Not only are domestic reinforcements coming, but the Moxi People also precisely conceded: agreeing to increase weaponry for the Expeditionary Army.
Seeing this, it was clear that their war bonds were selling well.
Otherwise, Hudson’s proposal to establish a Cavalry Corps within the Expeditionary Army would never have passed.
Guest Armies will always be guest armies.
Even though they fight together now, they will part ways as soon as the war ends.
You certainly can’t ask them to return any weaponry that was given when they risked their lives to help, right?
If such a disgraceful precedent was set, who would come to help in times of need afterwards!
Of course, the Moxi People’s sudden generosity likely included rewards for the previous incident.
The Noble World believes in equal exchange.
Hudson’s reliable plan, and the achieved staged success, naturally required corresponding rewards.
The only regret was that every promise made now is just that, a promise.
Fulfilling these specific promises would take some time yet.