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Chapter 535 - 535 105 The Possibility of Compromise _1

535: Chapter 105, The Possibility of Compromise _1 535: Chapter 105, The Possibility of Compromise _1 The group gained a lot from the visit and study session.

Whether they learned something or wasted their chance, that was not something Hudson could ascertain.

Running a strict military was a comprehensive affair.

It wasn’t solved by simply dragging out noble officers for a beating now and then.

If one planned to replicate a method without considering their might and their capability to suppress potential collective rebellion from subordinate noble officers, the aftermath would not be in their favor.

Hudson was able to play so roughly without causing a ripple because he initially held tens of thousands of elite troops.

Even if he upset the lower-ranking aristocratic officers, they could only seethe in silence.

Planning an uprising required unity and not many dared to join such an affair.

The nobles’ children were more skilled in indulging in pleasure than in hatching conspiracies.

It was in their nature to bully the weak and fear the strong.

Against Hudson, a firm commander, they had no chance to stir trouble.

After seeing off the study group, Hudson began to reflect on the history of the Koslow family.

His instinct told him that the Northern Nobles’ hostility towards him stemmed from his family rather than from him as an individual.

From birth till now, Hudson had always spent his days in the south.

The only time he ventured farther was to aid the Moxi Duchy in the war.

He had no opportunity to cross paths with the big shots from the north.

Incredibly, the only link he could fathom was his treatment of the unfortunate West.

But West had fled of his own volition; Hudson hadn’t directly intervened.

Even if he did kill West, an illegitimate child disowned by his own family, the Felix Family wouldn’t bat an eyelid.

At worst, he would only invoke the hostility of Duke Cavadia himself.

With the process of elimination, only one target remained; the sworn enemy of the Koslow family—the Rocknard clan.

Or so the Koslow family claimed.

The Rocknard clan might not even be aware that they had such an inconsequential enemy.

From the current situation it seemed that as Hudson rose to power, it gradually jogged their memory.

Unfortunately, the representatives they sent were not very intelligent.

If one intended to stir trouble, they must first grasp a firm handle on the situation.

Only then they could aim for a lethal blow.

To try to incite the entire Noble Consortium against Hudson through a talk of noble dignity was an underestimation of his abilities.

Simply put, this was an internal conflict within the Noble Consortium.

If he merely gave them a beating and their families had no objections, then outsiders had no say in the matter.

No true aristocrat appreciated spoilt young nobles.

Those who disciplined them out of goodwill were only viewed with gratitude.

If they fail to realize this before stepping onto the battlefield, they would have to pay the price in blood.

Compared to a beating, neglecting to discipline noble officers under their command and allowing them to be wiped out in large numbers on the battlefield was a surefire way to make enemies.

Revenge was a necessity.

But how it was to be administered left Hudson puzzled.

The army of the Rocknard Clan was mixed with the main force of the Kingdom.

Even if he desired to use covert tactics, there was no room for its execution.

He couldn’t possibly bring down the main force of the Kingdom along with them!

If the Alpha Kingdom, their umbrella, were demolished, how could Master Hudson accumulate power?

“Earl, Representatives from the Southwestern and Central Armies have come.

What should we do?”

Tom’s question caused Hudson to frown.

There was no such thing as “not being here”, he had to deal with them!

Meeting them implied trouble was on its way.

Caesar III had ordered him to supervise the three armies early on, and there was no backing out now.

Lack of ability was not a problem.

Once someone suitable was found to take over, he could step down.

In Hudson’s view, that was nonsense.

If there really was a more suitable candidate within the kingdom, then Caesar III must be out of his mind to consider him for the position.

Even if there was, they would be in the Northern Expedition Army.

Ninety-nine percent of the officers of the Alpha Kingdom had joined the Northern Expedition Army and were currently occupied with confronting the Orcs.

“Let them wait in the tent, I’ll be there shortly,” Hudson answered grumpily.

If he couldn’t shake off a sticky plaster, he could only carry it along the way.

Anyway, with the previous two being the representatives bearing the brunt, it couldn’t get much worse.

At worst they would march slightly slower.

So long as there was no major disorder on the journey, he would be able to present himself as an explanation to all parties involved.

And on reaching the front line, if reinforcements from the Human Alliance didn’t arrive, he would hold steadfast to his ground each day.

Numerous cases showed that cannon fodder troops while defending the city, could also pose a problem for the Orc Army.

Failure means death.

And life and death situations can best motivate a person.

Even the spoiled children of the nobles, when desperate, could fight hard.

…

In the Jade Palace, having forcefully handed over the troops to Hudson, Caesar III was secretly apprehensive.

However, when he recalled that the Human Alliance’s reinforcements had arrived, his worries quickly dissipated.

Based on previous war records, he had long concluded that Hudson excelled in running with the wind rather than against it.

There was no such thing as going against the wind for Hudson.

The size of the battle he initiated depended on whether he held an advantage or not before launching a military operation.

Such a cautious officer rarely suffered defeat on the battlefield because he would not confront the enemy unless he believed he could win.

“Alliance forces, how much longer will it take for them to reach the front line?”

Caesar III asked with concern.

The situation at the front line has started to change.

After gathering sufficient numbers of cannon fodder tribes, the Orc Army launched a fierce attack on the Northern Expedition Army.

The Northern Expedition Army could hold on for a short while.

But if this lasted for too long, it would be hard to say.

After all, the current offensive of the Orc Army is purely for the purpose of eliminating unstable elements.

Many of the newly arrived tribes were forcibly brought to the front line by the armies of the Five Royal Families.

“The first batch of Alliance reinforcements has already completed their rendezvous in the Moxi Duchy.

But the situation is quite delicate as there is a feud between the Clergy and the Frank Kingdom, with the Iberia Kingdom also getting involved,” Count Francis said, troubled.

Infighting breaking out within the Alliance at such a critical moment had left the Department of Foreign Affairs rather helpless.

No matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t counter those who were deliberately hindering them.

What was initially just a dispute between the Clergy and the Frank Kingdom, with the Iberia Kingdom playing the role of the peacemaker, ended up turning into a verbal battle among the three parties.

The stable arguing triangle hugely delayed the decision-making efficiency of the allied forces.

Most of the time was wasted on fruitless quarrels.

“Damn Clergy, their meddling is endless!”

Caesar III cursed in anger.

Even without evidence, his intuition told him that the Clergy had deliberately stirred up this quarrel to hinder them.

This blatant strategy was naturally seen by the Frank Kingdom and the Iberia Kingdom, but they chose to cooperate, which revealed a lot about the situation.

Everything was caused by self-interest.

From the perspective of the two countries, they needed a firm Anti-Clergy Alpha Kingdom, but this Alpha Kingdom shouldn’t be too strong.

Delaying the rescue time and taking the opportunity to weaken the strength of the Alpha Kingdom seemed like a good choice to all three parties.

Regardless of the frustration, the trapped soldiers were their own.

They had to make an effort to rescue them.

“The Alliance’s reinforcements can only deter the enemy for a bit, they can’t be relied upon in crucial moments.

What are your thoughts?

Don’t tell me you’re expecting Earl Hudson to lead his troops to the rescue?”

The words of Caesar III left everyone feeling awkward.

Even a cannon fodder troop with hundreds of thousands of soldiers appearing behind the Orc Army could divert the enemy’s forces.

With cannon fodder standing in the way, there was a possibility that the trapped main forces of the Kingdom might break out.

Sacrificing the cannon fodder troop for the safe return of the main forces was strategically sound.

The only problem was how to safely transport hundreds of thousands of cannon fodder to the rear of the Orc Army.

If they were intercepted and defeated halfway by the Orc Cavalry, they would lose both the troop and the operation.

“Your Majesty, the strongest military force in the Kingdom is in the hands of Earl Hudson.

If we want to create a safe withdrawal opportunity for the main force, this is the only hope.

However, there are many practical problems.

We have seen what the Southwestern Army and the Central Army are made of, and it is estimated that the newly edited regiments in the Southeastern Army are not much better.

They are all disunited mobs, and they might collapse at the slightest contact with the Orc Army.

The best approach is not to fight the enemy directly but to force the Orcs to withdraw by intimidation or other means,” Duke Eufeele, the Minister of Defense, said with difficulty.

“Intimidating” the Orcs was purely an ideal scenario.

Unless the hundreds of thousands of cannon fodder in Hudson’s hands all turned into real elites, it wouldn’t be any effective.

The real viable option was the “other way”, but the related problem was big enough that Duke Efiel did not dare to say it directly.

“Is that what you all think too?”

Caesar III asked with furrowed brows.

To get the Orcs to release the hostages without paying a price was impossible.

At this critical moment, the conditions likely proposed by the Orcs might be related to the liquidation of the Human Alliance.

Caesar III was reluctant to give up the opportunity to severely damage, even annihilate, the Orc Empire, which they had finally waited for.

“Your Majesty, if there are no other options, we can only try this.

As the tumult inside the Alliance continues, even if we insist on eliminating the Orc Empire, it will probably end without a fight in the end.

If we cannot completely annihilate the Orc Empire, then the sacrifices of the Kingdom would be meaningless.

It’s better to preserve our strength first.

Among the Five Major Royal Families of the Orcs, the Bimon Tribe has suffered heavy losses, with almost half their population wiped out.

The other tribes also sustained considerable casualties.

This battle has won decades of peace for the Kingdom’s North Border.

Our current losses are not large and our rate of recovery should be faster than the Orcs.

When the Kingdom has recovered, it won’t be too late to wage war against the Orc Empire again,” Prime Minister Duke Newfoundland replied nervously.

Compromise was not his wish, but preserving our strength was more important.

The infighting in the Human Alliance had disillusioned Duke Newfoundland.

Compared to annihilating the Orc Empire, as a member of the Royal family, he valued the interests of the Royal family more.

The Alpha Royal Family has emerged from decline due to the great leader, Caesar III.

If this were to happen again, could the next king hold the situation together?