King

Peaceful days are always short-lived, and the news that the Principality of Alton was being poisoned by orcs quickly spread.

A principality did not even put up a decent resistance, and was directly torn apart by the orc army. Hudson was unable to complain.

Perhaps this is the price of "putting the weapons in the warehouse and letting the horses go to the south". A comfortable and comfortable environment always makes people relax their vigilance.

It would be another story if the country had mobilized early instead of relying on the Principality of Moxi for its own safety.

The accident in the Principality of Auton also affected the expeditionary force. The destruction of the country and the family was imminent, and the officers and soldiers of Auton in the expeditionary force were panic-stricken.

It's useless no matter how much you panic. Water from afar cannot quench your thirst nearby. What's more, facing the main force of the orcs, even if they pull the expeditionary army up, they will still be beaten.

Originally wanting to appease the morale of the troops, in the end Hudson chose to let things take their own course. This is also a silent test.

A capable officer will solve the morale problem of his troops by himself, instead of just annoying him as the commander-in-chief with problems.

In a sense, the tragedy of the Principality of Oton is also an opportunity for Hudson.

In a world where knowledge is highly monopolized, almost all talents are concentrated within the ruling group. Only when the country is destroyed and the family is destroyed will there be an overflow of talents.

In the past, there was little hope of poaching, but there is a possibility that the homeless Orton nobles in the expeditionary army could be subdued.

It depends on how the situation develops. With the Principality of Moxi and the Kingdom of Warhammer blocking the front, the land of the Principality of Alton is no longer considered a frontline. The security issues themselves are far less serious than those on the front lines.

This situation was completely unexpected. Under normal circumstances, the situation in the Principality of Moxi should not deteriorate so quickly.

Theoretically, as long as a relatively strong defense line is built, the security of the Principality of Auton is still guaranteed.

This kind of security is not a good thing for the Orton nobles. This means that their land has value worthy of being peeked at.

If the Human Alliance helps to regain lost territory, there will be a price to pay.

If you are lucky, you may be able to keep the name of the country, and everyone will just open some branches and small accounts to get a share of the pie; if you are not lucky, you may be directly dismembered and divided by everyone.

No matter what the situation is, they are cutting the flesh of the local nobles of Orton. There will always be a group of unlucky nobles who will lose their family inheritance.

Although he could be sent to reinforce the Principality of Moxi, he himself did not do well in the Principality of Alton. If you encounter such a tragic incident, you will most likely become the first victims.

Realizing this, Hudson had deliberately begun to observe the reaction of the Orton nobles and prepared to select available talents from them.

I'm speechless when I think about it. I traveled through the world for several years and didn't even have a decent talent team.

When things happen, it is always Hudson's decision. It is very difficult to find someone to discuss with.

In order to recruit talents, Hudson also spent a lot of effort, but the final result was very touching.

Apart from recruiting some basic talents, there are no real talents.

Even if it is a declining noble, the first person they choose to defect to is the king, followed by the great nobles in the country.

When it was Hudson's turn, he had already been screened countless times. It's normal if you don't meet them, but it would be a problem if you do.

…

Emerald Palace

"Your Majesty, news came from the front line that Duke Aarondo was killed in a sneak attack by an orc master while he was out.

Almost at the same time, Duke Pias, Duke Jagiellon, Duke Dias, and Duke Cavadia also encountered attacks.

The four companies are currently strictly blocking information, and the specific situation is still unknown.

Even Marshal Campbell, who was in the military camp, was assassinated. Fortunately, the old marshal was very strong and was not succeeded by the enemy.

In addition, many frontline generals were assassinated by the enemy, and as many as seven people died.

The identity of the assassins is also diverse, including humans, orcs, elves, dwarves, demons, and undead..."

After listening to Archduke Efiero's report, Caesar III's face instantly turned livid.

The assassination of one person may be an accident, but it is absolutely impossible for so many people to be assassinated at the same time.

Apart from anything else, just controlling the whereabouts of so many people is not something that can be accomplished easily.

Unless there is collusion between inside and outside, it is simply impossible to accomplish

"Who is the Black Hand? How did these assassins infiltrate?"

Caesar III asked murderously.

Those who were assassinated were all big shots, and the defense forces around them were definitely not weak. The arrangements are made by one's own family, and the possibility of being bribed by outsiders is very small.

Except for Duke Aarondo's attack by an orc master, which was slightly normal, the remaining assassinations were all shrouded in fog.

"Judging from the current situation, the orcs are the most suspect. However, given the hatred between humans and orcs, they absolutely do not have the ability to install so many insiders.

What's more, the identities of assassins are also diverse, and the Orc Empire may not have the ability to control so many people at the same time.

The most worrying thing is that these assassins, except for the undead who appear suddenly, the rest are slaves and servants who have lurked in early. "

Grand Duke Efiero explained bravely.

Although the incident happened in the military, it does not mean that the Ministry of Military Affairs was able to figure out the situation. The great nobles have their own private armies around them, and their personal safety is also the responsibility of their own private armies.

The information found by the Ministry of Military Affairs is the answers they gave and the specific details of the assassination. Only these parties know it.

Especially for the five local gangsters, except for Duke Aarondo, who was definitely dead, the remaining four didn't even know whether they were dead or alive.

If you want to track down the murderer, it is not the Ministry of Military Affairs that has the final say. Without the cooperation of this group of nobles, it would not be possible.

It’s not that everyone is deliberately resisting the investigation, it’s mainly that everyone lacks the most basic trust before the matter is found out.

It is estimated that at this time, everyone looks like a murderer to them.

Even if the crisis of confidence is eliminated, it will be difficult for the Ministry of Military Affairs to fully intervene. There is no way, everyone has a lot of dark history.

It won't matter if it doesn't come out, but once the lid is lifted, it will be a major political accident.

Even if there was no time for internal fighting during the war, these dark histories after the war were targets for political opponents.

Against this background, the five major families in Northern Xinjiang would naturally rather investigate on their own than to have the Ministry of Military Affairs get involved.

"snort!"

After giving a cold shout, Caesar III said angrily: "I don't want to hear so many explanations. The man behind the scenes must be found as soon as possible.

Tell those guys in Northern Xinjiang that they can either find the murderer themselves or fully cooperate with the kingdom's investigation.

There are also frontline issues, which the Ministry of Military Affairs must pay attention to. With so many changes happening all at once, the orcs would definitely not give up this opportunity. "

If given the chance, Caesar III would not mind knocking the five major families of Northern Xinjiang into dust, but definitely not now.

No matter how annoying the five major families in Northern Xinjiang are, their military strength is real. They still played an important role in resisting the invasion of the orc army.

Without these companies acting as barriers, the war would soon reach the hinterland of the Alpha Kingdom, and the resulting losses would be absolutely astronomical.

…

"kill!"

"kill!"

"Archer, let go!"

"Hold it, hold it all to me!"

…

The flames of war finally reached the Warhammer Kingdom. Facing the menacing orc army, the defenders performed much better than the Ortons.

Although the defense line was still not completed, at least many traps for the orc cavalry were dug and multiple wooden fences were set up.

The defense is not as good as a castle fortress, but it is better than nothing. One simple defense line after another failed to stop the orc army, but it slowed down their progress.

One legion was defeated, and another legion came on top. Unfortunately, the final fate was the same.

Faced with the rising number of casualties, the Warhammer Kingdom is also under great pressure.

"Marshal, you have seen the casualty figures on the front line. If the current situation continues, I am afraid that our troops deployed on the southern front will be wiped out soon!"

Joseph II said coldly.

It can be seen that his dissatisfaction with Marshal Borg has accumulated to the breaking point.

Kings are all realistic. If the pillar of the kingdom cannot turn the tide, then he is no longer a pillar.

Past achievements are completely worth mentioning in the face of reality. If there wasn't a better choice, he would have replaced him long ago.

Marshal Borg, who was involved, was also very angry. If it was caused by his strategic issues, he would just have to take responsibility.

But the problem is that the strategy he formulated was not wrong. If the front-line defenses of the Moxi Principality hadn't been strengthened, the enemy would have broken in long ago, and there would be no need to travel thousands of miles and make huge detours.

Even if it was a threat from the southern front, he had raised it early, but the problem was that the kingdom's strength was limited and it did not have the ability to take care of so many places at the same time.

Limited resources must be distributed over unlimited defense zones, and loopholes will appear no matter how they are deployed.

Even if the front line of the Auton Principality is defended, the enemy will most likely have to make a detour of several hundred miles. The allies are ineffective, allowing the enemy to sweep all the way, so what can be done?

There were not enough city defenses, just some simple facilities, to stop the orc army. The frontline army did not collapse at the first touch. This was the result of everyone's hard work.

"Your Majesty, what are you going to do?"

Marshal Borg said expressionlessly.

They are all temperamental masters. As a veteran of the kingdom, he will not take the blame for nothing.

If the problem cannot be solved, it is a problem of the kingdom’s strength. The current rotten situation was not caused by his blind command, so there was no need to feel guilty.

"The total strength of the orc army coming from the south is no more than 100,000, of which 30,000 are ordinary wolf cavalry, and the real elite is only 70,000.

Even though the orc army fought against them all the way, the losses they paid were definitely not small. The current total strength is only about 90,000 at most.

Concentrate the troops from the southern and central provinces of the kingdom, and slowly deal with them, waiting for opportunities to find a decisive battle! "

Joseph II said calmly.

This strategic plan was produced after careful consideration by his think tank.

Theoretically, with the full mobilization of the southern and central provinces of the Warhammer Kingdom, an army of six to seven million people can be organized.

With a manpower advantage several times that of the enemy, it is fully capable of fighting. Don't expect a quick victory, as long as you delay for a while, this orc army will be the turtle in the urn.

"Your Majesty, you are too optimistic.

The nobles in the southern provinces never thought that one day the enemy would come out from behind, and their preparations were seriously inadequate.

The recruitment order has been issued for so long, and the mobilization of all provinces has not been completed. I am afraid that the orcs will come over first before the army can gather.

Even if we can assemble an army, we can't stop the orcs.

As a lone army, they were originally responsible for causing trouble and would not fight us decisively.

Just tear a hole casually, and the enemy will come all the way from south to north. Most of the enemies are cavalry, and ordinary troops cannot catch up with them.

In a simple cavalry duel, the kingdom's military advantage is not that obvious.

Busy concentration of troops to engage in a decisive battle with the enemy will only lead to a faster defeat. It would be better to let nobles from all over the country rely on castles and fortresses to constantly harass the orc army.

When necessary, we can shrink our troops and retreat to the west of the kingdom. Since the enemies in Warhammer Plains want it, give it to them first.

As long as the strength of the kingdom remains, we can still get back the territory we have lost now. "

Marshal Borg said seriously.

He didn't want to give up Warhammer Plains if possible. But there is no way, the true strength of the Warhammer Kingdom is not as powerful as it seems.

If it was just an orc army that went deep alone, he would still be sure to defeat it. The problem was the military pressure they needed to withstand, as well as the northern and eastern fronts.

The main force of the kingdom has been restrained. With only a bunch of ragtag people, what can they do to fight the orcs?

Abandoning the Warhammer Great Plains and retreating to the western mountains of the kingdom was a difficult decision, but it was the best choice to resolve strategic passivity.

"Your Excellency Marshal, do you know how much the kingdom will have to pay for giving up the Warhammer Plains?

Nearly 70% of the kingdom's population lives on the Warhammer Plains. There is simply no way to evacuate in a short period of time. Once we retreat, these people will be exposed to the orcs' butcher's knives.

Your territory is in the western region, so it doesn't have much influence, but what about the nobles in the Warhammer Plains? "

Facing Prime Minister Guy's angry questioning, Marshal Borg sighed and replied solemnly:

"I'm not blind, so I naturally know what the Warhammer Plains means to the kingdom. But the problem now is that the orcs are targeting us this time.

Among the three northern kingdoms, the Principality of Moxi has a flat plain and no danger to defend, so it is not a place to live for a long time.

The Alpha Kingdom is so powerful that they won't be able to eat at all for a while.

The only thing left that is most suitable for the Orc Empire is the Kingdom.

Maybe they can't hold the Warhammer Great Plains even if they get it, but it's different in the Western Mountains. As long as they eat it, they will probably digest it.

If the kingdom concentrates its strength and stands firm, and takes advantage of the terrain, it can still block the orcs' advance.

If we fight the orcs first and then want to hold on to the western part of the kingdom after defeat, it will not be so easy! "

Marshal Borg has never suffered a major defeat since his debut. Even if you suffer a small loss in the early stage, you can make up for it later because of this caution.

It's just that the situation this time is obviously different from the past. Giving up Warhammer Plains went beyond many people's bottom line.

Even if they know that this is the option with the highest winning rate, everyone has reasons to reject it. The kingdom's loss is second, and the key is that everyone's family heritage is in the Warhammer Plains.

Once the plains fall, even if it is only for a short period of time, the price everyone will have to pay will be heavy.

The most important thing is that he has made sacrifices now and has become a rootless person. When he divides the spoils after the war, he also does not have enough confidence.

"Your Excellency, Marshal, the plan to retreat to the west of the kingdom is temporarily shelved. The situation has not reached that point yet.

Now let’s think about how to stop the orc army!

According to your previous deployment, this plan of resisting and slowing down the orc army is obviously inappropriate now.

The kingdom needs to adopt more proactive strategies and tactics instead of simply retreating.

Hasn't the Human Alliance declared war? When will reinforcements from various countries arrive? "

Joseph II decisively objected.

Like many great nobles, the royal family has its roots in the Warhammer Plains. Although there are also royal territories in the western region, the proportion is less than one-fifth.

By giving up its foundation and moving the capital to the west, the royal family's advantage over the domestic nobility will no longer exist, and the final say may not be as good as that of the great nobility in the western region.

Even if the lost territory can be regained after the war, it will still be a major political reshuffle. The western nobles who have the upper hand will definitely take the opportunity to expand eastward.

When it comes to the core interests of the royal family, there is naturally no possibility of compromise. Even though he knew that a decisive battle with the orcs was risky, Joseph II still had no choice.

Not jumping out and accusing Marshal Borg of conspiracy in his plan was his last show of respect for the marshal.

“Your Majesty, the human alliance’s action speed this time is a bit faster than expected.

Parliament has passed the first batch of military material assistance plan, including one hundred magic crystal cannons, three thousand magic crossbows, fifty thousand pairs of armor, thirty thousand war horses, twenty million pounds of rye...

However, it was the Mossi people who received aid first, and their family took 60% of the quota.

Of the remaining material quotas, the Alpha Kingdom exclusively occupies 30% of the quota, and the last 10% of the quota belongs to the Kingdom after being divided among the Orton people. "

Foreign Secretary Cassidy said angrily.

Although these aid materials are not free, and you will still need to pay the cost price in the future, it is very rare to obtain affordable strategic materials during war times.

It's understandable that they can't take over the Alpha Kingdom. The strengths of both sides are there, and their right to speak in the alliance is different.

What's more, the Alpha Kingdom has held back most of the orc army and is bearing the heaviest military pressure. It is understandable to get an extra share.

Cassidy was unconvinced after losing to the Principality of Moxi. As soon as the decision was made at the Human Alliance meeting, representatives from the Warhammer Kingdom protested.

Unfortunately, the protest was accepted by Parliament, but the final result remained unchanged.

The question is: The Principality of Moxi needs more help.

There was a lot of nonsense, and some representatives directly accused them of inaction during the war and not playing their due role.

There was nothing Cassidy could do on the matter. The kingdom's strategic issues are not something that he, the foreign minister, can change.

"Why?

Do you think my Warhammer Kingdom is easy to bully?

What does the Ministry of Foreign Affairs do for a living, and why should it tolerate unfair treatment in the kingdom? "

Facing the king's questioning, Cassidy secretly complained.

Regardless of the actions or inactions, the material aid plan was approved by the parliament as soon as it was proposed.

Even if you want public relations, you still have to have time.