King

The army was defeated and disaster began. War and fire swept towards the Principality of Alton, and the ancient principality cried under the butcher's knife.

"Quickly, send someone to send the information back! Immediately..."

Earl Bernard said tremblingly.

As one of the frontline guards, he really didn't know how to explain to the king the scene before him.

Negligence and overconfidence in allies are just one of the reasons. In essence, the Principality of Oton is still weak.

There are nominally 150,000 troops on the front line. In fact, it is more appropriate to describe it as "140,000 civilians + 10,000 defenders".

The main task of the civilian men recruited was not to receive military training, but to build fortifications.

It's not that they are stupid, on the contrary, they are smart. It is unreliable to let the serfs who have just put down their hoes to defend the city reluctantly pick up weapons to fight the orcs.

In the final analysis, there was still insufficient preparation in advance, and they did not realize that the orc army would come to kill them.

It was not until the Augustburg defense line fell and the Principality of Moxi asked for help that the senior officials of the Principality of Oton realized the danger.

After much bickering, the resolution to build a defensive line was reluctantly passed. When it came time to implement it, the aristocratic bureaucrats used practical actions to prove what bureaucracy was.

It wasn't until the Battle of Dacias failed, the orc army came to Da Pest, and the Principality of Moxi was on the verge of collapse, that the Principality of Oton really started to take action.

This is the first time for national mobilization. If there are no accidents, then accidents will definitely happen.

Due to time constraints, the nobles of the Principality of Alton did not have time to adapt to the new war model, so they still adopted the original thinking of fighting against human countries.

Due to the internal power struggle, the frontline command authority of the Principality of Oton was divided into three, each divided into defense zones.

If the troops on the front line are all elite, there is no big problem with this division. At most, it will be a little troublesome to coordinate the command.

It's a pity that the army of the Principality of Auton is not elite at all. Except for a small number of noble guards, the rest are just here to make up the numbers.

There was no perfect defense line. After arriving at the front line, the army wanted to defend the fortified city, but was surprised to find that there was no castle or fortress that could accommodate tens of thousands of troops.

Most noble castles can accommodate very limited troops. They can station ten thousand or eight thousand troops, which is considered a big castle.

What's even more embarrassing is that when designing this kind of castle, most of them didn't consider the issue of water sources for long-term garrisoning.

After all, during the civil war among the human aristocrats, everyone played by the rules and rarely did anything right. Unless there is a life-and-death feud, there will not be a long-term siege.

Human nobles need reputation, but orcs don't. If you change the enemy, these shortcomings must be resolved.

Everyone has no choice but to use the new soldiers as civilian husbands. If these hidden dangers that are visible at a glance are not eliminated, the castle will become a large coffin.

Count Bernard's efforts were doomed to be in vain, as the Griffin Cavalry was intercepted by the Eagle Master as soon as it took off. If you can't fly away in the sky, you can only run back from the ground to report the news.

They can run in all directions, and the orcs will definitely not be able to intercept them all. When the news will reach the capital, it just depends on luck.

Soldiers are very fast on the battlefield, and even a moment's delay can cause serious consequences, not to mention such an indefinite delay.

Disaster was destined to belong to the Principality of Alton. First, the army on the front line collapsed, and then the poor suffered.

The orc soldiers who were fighting all the way couldn't stop since they raised their butcher's knives.

Purgatory on earth.

…

In the Emerald Palace, when news of the expeditionary force's victory came, the atmosphere in the palace became uncomfortable, even more tense than when the Battle of Dacias failed.

Although the great Caesar III always had a smile on his face when he was in front of others, he could not help but sigh when he was alone.

Crown Prince Caesar's performance was even worse. Wherever that cold face went, the temperature would drop ten degrees.

The two male hosts were in a bad mood, let alone the hostess. However, a good royal education also requires the queen to maintain her image at all times.

Annoyance, regret, complaint, there are all kinds of emotions. The resentful look in his eyes made both Caesar III and the queen hide away when they saw her.

…

"enough!"

"You've been back for so long, and you still haven't recovered. Have you learned so many years of power lessons in vain?"

Caesar III couldn't help but scolded.

If you want to become a qualified king, you can't do it without going through ups and downs. From the very beginning, we arranged for our son to go to the Principality of Moxi with the intention of letting him undergo the baptism of wind and rain.

The original idea was to let Little Caesar lead the expeditionary force to follow the footsteps of the Principality of Moxi, and slowly suffer defeat together, so as to sharpen his mind and learn how to face setbacks.

Unexpectedly, the plan didn't change quickly, and it started almost like Tianhu, but in the end it ended up like a flowery pig.

What's even more tragic is that as soon as the expeditionary force's mess was left to others, a shocking reversal immediately occurred.

The last fig leaf was gone. It turned out that it was not that the expeditionary force had no combat effectiveness. The defeat was purely because he, the commander, was too useless.

After successive blows, Crown Prince Caesar was on the verge of collapse. The original confidence and arrogance have all disappeared without a trace, replaced by deep self-doubt.

Faced with his father's rebuke, Crown Prince Caesar's expression changed slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but for some unknown reason, he swallowed the words that came to his lips.

The mess was so big that he didn't think it was anything when he was in the Principality of Moxi. After returning home, he immediately felt the pressure.

The families of a group of noble officers from the expeditionary force directly organized a group and went to the royal capital to demand an explanation from the royal family.

Fortunately, Caesar III responded well, and the situation was complicated, and the identities of the dead had not yet been determined, so everyone was calmed down.

Just because the family members have calmed down does not mean that the matter is over. The profound impact brought about by this will be with Little Caesar throughout his life.

No one is making a fuss about it now, that's because he is just the crown prince. Once he becomes a king in the future, this will be a ready bargaining chip in the hands of the great nobles.

Seeing this scene, Caesar III became even more angry. It was only his reason that allowed him to restrain his temper and forcefully suppress the idea of ​​beating people.

"Okay, Little Caesar. You are no longer a child. There are some things you must learn to face.

There is no shame in admitting that you are flawed in some way. There is no perfect person in this world, everyone has their own shortcomings.

It's just that some people let these flaws be exposed; some people have always covered them up very well.

No matter how you cover it up, what exists will eventually exist.

Compared with ordinary nobles, we have more advantages. A qualified monarch does not need to do everything personally. The tasks of charging into battle can be left to others to complete.

Don’t be led astray by the traditions of the mainland. The Alpha Kingdom's way of survival is different from theirs. With the orcs as our formidable enemy, survival must come first and our willfulness cannot be tolerated.

You are not the only crown prince who is unfit for the battlefield. More than half of the previous kings of our Alpha Kingdom have voluntarily given up the power to personally command the army.

Think about it! "

They are all true words. Although the royal family has retained a lot of military-related inheritance, there are really not many kings who have the talent to lead troops.

Including Caesar III himself, his ability to command an army was rubbish.

The only difference is: when he tried to command the army in battle, he didn't fall as badly as his son.

It's a small defeat worth mentioning, with few casualties and no big fuss. Just arrange for a scapegoat to take the blame.

After learning his lesson, Caesar III focused all his energy on politics. Relying on superb political skills, he also secured the throne.

Sighing secretly, Caesar III's face returned to a smile again, as if he was immersed in the joy of victory.

No matter what you think deep down, you have to face what you have to face. As a qualified monarch, you must show joy when your subordinates win the battle.

Especially at this juncture, if you don't do a good job in saving face, it will easily be interpreted by the people below as jealousy of talents and talents.

For a monarch, once he is labeled as "jealous of talents and talents", it will be difficult to gain the support of the nobles.

…

“The expeditionary force achieved two great victories in the Principality of Moxi in one day.

Ambushed an orc transport team, crippled four orc legions, including a main bear legion, captured 30,000 enemy heads, and captured a bear royal court battle flag.

The results were so rich that they could be said to be the greatest since the war began. Viscount Hudson should be the main contributor to the expeditionary force's success.

The war is still ongoing, and we are unable to carry out specific calculations of military merits for the time being. Everything will be done after the war.

Prime Minister, arrange for this battle report to be circulated throughout the country as soon as possible to boost the morale of the people. "

Caesar III said with a smile.

If anyone has read the battle report, they will know that the battle record mentioned by the king has changed slightly compared to what was sent by the expeditionary force.

What was originally a "heavy injury" turned into a "crippling" in the words of Caesar III.

As a king, such an outrageous slip of the tongue would never happen on such a formal occasion.

Everything was for political propaganda. If he wasn't worried that no one would believe it if he boasted too much, he wouldn't mind changing the word to "total annihilation".

Although such high-profile propaganda is very detrimental to his son, as a monarch, he is destined not to be emotional.

"Your Majesty, we have already started the propaganda work. Within five days at the latest, it will spread to every corner of the kingdom.

In addition to the good news, another news came from the Mossi people. Five days ago, the orc army divided its forces and marched towards the Principality of Alton. Perhaps the battle has already begun.

The Moxi people sent a special envoy over, nominally to discuss the reward issue for the great victory, but in fact they wanted to get more support from us.

According to the intelligence we have collected, they are planning a campaign to lift the siege of Da Pest, but they are suffering from insufficient strength. "

The words of the Prime Minister, the Grand Duke of Newfoundland, made all the ministers present turn their attention to the map on the wall. After staring at the location of the Principality of Alton for a long time, I finally came to a unified conclusion: the orcs' military operation has nothing to do with the Alpha Kingdom.

This is enough.

Although all countries are now allies, it is better for allies to be unlucky than for oneself to be unlucky. As long as the front of the orc army is not pointed at him, then everything is not a problem.

As for whether the orc army will continue to sweep south across the country after taking over the Principality of Alton, or turn around and attack the Warhammer Kingdom next door, everyone no longer cares so much.

There is no way, they are all forced out. Not long after the war broke out, the northern countries reached an agreement to join forces to fight against the Orc Empire.

But the end result is that the Kingdom of Alpha and the Principality of Moxi are fighting hard, and the other countries have just shouted slogans and have not really contributed.

No matter who you put it on, your heart will be unbalanced.

Of course, saying this would be a bit aggrieved to the Principality of Auton and the Rillin County Council, but they also did their best.

Unfortunately, he had to sacrifice his life even though he was thousands of miles away, and he had no achievements at all. This contribution, which is difficult to measure, can easily be overlooked.

After taking a look at everyone's reaction, Caesar III restrained his smile and asked with a slight hesitation: "Do you think that based on the current situation, it is necessary for us to continue to increase investment in the Moxi battlefield?"

It was obvious that deep down he was conflicted. On the one hand, they hope that the Principality of Moxi can persist longer and buy more time for the kingdom; on the other hand, they are worried that too much power will be consumed on the battlefield of Moxi, which will affect the kingdom's next plan.

Regardless of how miserable the Moxi Principality is now, in fact, the fighting intensity in the Alpha Kingdom's northern battlefield is not much lower than theirs.

The five great Dukes of the North, who were originally arrogant, have now lost their temper after being tortured by the orcs, and the fiefdoms in their hands have been completely lost.

The nearby orc tribes have even relocated and occupied the territory that originally belonged to them.

Not only the northern nobles suffered heavy losses, but also all the provinces that participated in the war complained.

"Your Majesty, the current international situation has changed. The Human Alliance has decided to clear the area, and it will be difficult for the orcs to escape unscathed this time.

From a diplomatic point of view, providing certain help to the Principality of Mossi now will help improve the kingdom's international image, and will be helpful in rebuilding the political structure of the northern region after the war. "

Count Francis suggested.

As foreign secretary, he had to think further. Everyone's attention was still on the war, but Count Francis considered the post-war international situation.

In the northern region of the human race, the Alpha Kingdom has always been the strongest existence. But this most powerful kingdom has almost no presence in the world.

It's not that they don't know how to play international politics, it's mainly because the Orc Empire is dragging them behind, and all the kingdom's energy is forced to focus on resisting the Orc invasion.

We have too much time to take care of ourselves. Naturally, we can mingle less with the affairs of the countries in the northern region, so we should try to mingle as little as possible.

"Your Majesty, the situation in the Principality of Moxi has deteriorated to the point where it is almost impossible to recover. Even if the expeditionary force achieves a great victory, nothing will be changed.

Once the orcs make up their mind, it will be a matter of time before Da Pest falls. Even if the kingdom sends troops again, water from afar cannot quench the thirst for nearness.

As for the plan they planned to break the siege, it was not very feasible from a military perspective. Orcs are not fools, maybe the current Da Pest is a huge bait.

The purpose was to lure the Mossi army out of the castle and fortress in order to seek opportunities for annihilation in the field.

The kingdom's troops are very valuable, and there is no need to waste too much time on the Mossi people. If conditions permit, it is best to find an opportunity to withdraw the expeditionary force.

As for the post-war political situation, I think it is more appropriate to wait until the Orc Empire is crippled before considering this issue.

No matter how the international situation changes in the future, the core factor that determines all this is strength. As long as the kingdom is strong enough, no one will dare to ignore our existence. "

Archduke Efiero, Minister of Military Affairs, decisively voted against.

Support and opposition appeared at the same time, and soon the ministers were divided into two groups, quarreling among themselves.

Until the end of the meeting, no result was discussed.

But for some things, if there is no result, that is also a result. Caesar III's delay in expressing his stance was itself a political statement.

Isn't the word "drag" a peaceful and elegant rejection?

Everything stems from interests. If the orc army does not go towards the Principality of Alton, but chooses a country that borders both the Kingdom of Alpha and the Principality of Moxi, it will be another situation.

After the meeting, Caesar III, who was in a bad mood, frowned and ordered to the palace minister: "Write a document to confer the title of earl to Viscount Hudson."

Winning people's hearts is always a compulsory course for kings. Even if he was angry deep down in his heart, Caesar III would never show it on his face.

Anyway, judging from the current situation, as long as there are no major problems with the expeditionary force, it is a high probability that Hudson will become an actual earl after the war.

Others may not know it clearly, but Caesar III saw very clearly that several great nobles in the kingdom had fallen behind, and it was only a matter of time before they were replaced by those behind them.

The replacement of great nobles is not a bad thing for the kingdom. As long as the great nobles do not annex each other to become bigger, there is no need for the king to be a villain.

The process of canonizing nobles at the earl level is very complicated. Not only do they need to have sufficient military exploits, they must also be approved by the king and the noble council.

If there is a replacement of old and new nobles, there will be more problems involved. Until the war is over, there will be no time to implement it.

In comparison, court counts that cannot be passed down from generation to generation are not that valuable. As long as the king agrees, canonization can be carried out directly.

In addition to the good-sounding name, the actual weight depends entirely on the position held in the kingdom.

Caesar III was never stingy when it came to buying people's hearts with things that were free of charge.

…

In the Mountain Territory, since receiving the news from the royal capital, Baron Redman has become restless. To be precise, the entire Koslow family was excited.

Originally, everyone was worried about the expedition to the Principality of Moxi, but in the face of successive victories, everything changed. Everyone's confidence in Hudson suddenly expanded to a point where it was difficult to increase.

The "crisis" does exist, but the "danger" belongs to others, while the "opportunity" belongs to the Koslow family.

According to the current situation, Baron Redman can't help but imagine the grand occasion when the Koslow family enters the ranks of the great nobility.

He warmly received every visitor, even though he knew that these people came with a purpose, Baron Redman still enjoyed it.

There are many friends and many paths. Even if most of the people here are not worth making friends with, as long as one of them can play a role, it is not a loss.

I don't expect anyone to help me, as long as I don't do bad things at critical moments, that's enough.

…

In Qiaomu County, Viscount Oran received the news with mixed feelings. Taking decisive action and finding a potential son-in-law should be a good thing.

But the problem is that the son-in-law's ability is too outstanding, and the original alliance may turn into a competitor in the future.

The Hollister family, which has accumulated strength for many years, is planning to take the opportunity to return to the ranks of the great nobility. With the explosion of Hudson, the Koslow family, which lacked foundation, also showed its strength to impact the great aristocracy.

In an era where one carrot and one pitfall, the two families will turn from relatives into competitors if they are not careful.

As for completing the leap at the same time and crossing the ranks of the great nobles together, the possibility is slim.

Looking at his daughter lovingly, Viscount Oran could only console himself that the two families would not collide.

"Father, is there anything wrong with this battle report?"

Melissa asked suspiciously when she sensed something was wrong.

She clearly remembered that when she received the good news about Hudson the previous two times, her father showed off many times how he chose his son-in-law.

"It's nothing, it's just that Hudson performed too well. I was a little surprised for a while and couldn't accept it!"

Viscount Oran forced himself to explain.

Unfortunately, this perfunctory behavior was immediately seen through by Melissa. After living together for so many years, she knew Viscount Oran very well.

If he was really surprised, his brows wouldn't be so furrowed. Vaguely, she seemed to have thought of something and asked uncertainly:

"But the rise of Hudson conflicts with family interests?

It's just that there are several counties between our two families. Even if there is a conflict, it will not be a core interest.

unless……"

Suddenly, Melissa's expression darkened. The core strategy involving the two big families cannot be solved in a few words.

If the two families really confront each other in the future because of their interests, her situation will be a bit embarrassing. However, this kind of thing is common in aristocratic circles, and if you encounter it, you can only consider yourself unlucky.

"Okay, Melissa. It's not as bad as you think. It's just the worst-case scenario. It doesn't necessarily happen.

No matter how the situation develops, your marriage will not be affected. The background of the Koslow family is too shallow. Hudson is a smart man and will never let his reputation have a major stain.

Besides, anything is possible in war. The Liufeng family has been eliminated, and more families will be eliminated next.

As long as there are enough declining nobles, there will be enough opportunities to appear, and our two families will not be facing each other because of this. "

After hearing Viscount Oran's explanation, Melissa said hesitantly: "Father, maybe we should write a letter to remind Hudson about this matter.

As the commander-in-chief of the expeditionary force, and having won one victory after another, he should have a high status in the army.

Although they are far away in the Principality of Moxi at the moment, there is a high probability that they will still be united in one place during a major counterattack in the future.

If you do it deliberately, you will create more accidents..."

When the words came to her lips, Melissa took them back. This kind of cheating on teammates is obviously inconsistent with the noble spirit.

After looking at his daughter, Viscount Oran said with some relief: "Melissa, you have finally grown up."

The world of aristocrats is cruel, and Silly Baitian is destined not to survive more than three episodes.