King
Chapter 580 - 580 134 Transfer Station_1

580: Chapter 134, Transfer Station_1 580: Chapter 134, Transfer Station_1 Having successfully made an example of one to warn the others, Hudson observed a notable shift in the gazes of those around him.

There was more awe, but a touch less familiarity.

For a general, building prestige is an inevitable step.

If the army was not teeming with influential nobles and the situation not so complex, he would not have tolerated them for over half a year before taking action.

What seemed to be only a moment of indiscretion on Duke Pias’s part, in fact, was the result of a plan targeting him, which had been in the works for half a year.

Since Hudson began serving as the chief commander of the Kingdom Army, he had been hinting to Duke Pias of his intent for retribution.

The unknown always breeds anxiety.

Duke Pias had been prepared for imminent payback, yet it never seemed to come, and thus his mind was tortured.

Despite his strong will, after being tormented for months, even his resolve crumbled.

However, the Duke had failed to recognize his own breakdown.

This led to his eventual slip-up.

If it hadn’t been for all the groundwork laid, the Duke – the seasoned politician, would never recklessly quarrel with the chief commander in the presence of the army.

To be honest, Duke Pias’s performance wasn’t bad at all.

Hudson had initially hoped to put pressure on him and provoke him into making the first move.

Regrettably, the Duke didn’t fall for it.

Having not committed a cardinal sin, the accusation of “colluding with the Orcs” could not stick.

Apart from the grave crime of betraying one’s own race, minor wrongdoings had no potential to shake the foundations of a major noble family.

With a silent sigh, Hudson got back to work.

While Duke Pias had indeed stumbled, how things would turn out remained uncertain.

As the military commander, Hudson was no longer the small noble who led troops into battle.

If he were to personally take the field against the enemy, it would be a sign that the army was on the verge of collapse.

For the current military deployment, he genuinely hoped for a win.

Not necessarily the annihilation of the Orc Empire, just driving them out of the fertile Orc Prairie would be a significant strategic victory.

Without the lush prairie, even if the Orc Empire still retained expansive territory, it would not be able to support an empire.

Even if it weren’t for the oppression from the Five Royal Clans, the remaining strong combatant races would still be restrained by the shortage of resources, once they rose to power.

The threat from the Northern Border would become meaningless, and only then would reclaiming their ancestral land carry significance.

What use is a wasted land that is constantly harassed by the Orcs?

…

In the Jade Palace, upon hearing news of troops dispatched by the Allied Forces, Caesar III experienced a mix of joy and sorrow.

The war was ignited according to his will, but the occurrences at the Allied Forces Conference left him feeling humiliated.

When did the Alpha Kingdom lose its stature, being reduced to simply delivering rations to the army?

Wisely, he could not blame anyone.

Hudson didn’t bother to argue because it was due to the Kingdom’s insufficient strength.

Faking strength beyond one’s true capacity was merely saving face while going through hardships.

With the current military strength of the Alpha Kingdom, they didn’t have the confidence to compete for glory.

If they really vied for the main offensive task against the major powers, they might have to put the last vestige of the Kingdom’s resources on the line.

“Is the supply at the frontlines sufficient?”

Caesar III asked with concern.

A war was essentially a logistics game.

Compared to the significantly weakened Orc Empire, the Human Alliance had an absolute advantage.

The only thing presently restricting the Human Alliance was the army’s logistics.

“Your Majesty, rest assured.

In the past six months, we have addressed logistics with great urgency.

We have stockpiled enough supplies at the Purple Gold Pass to last the army for six months, and additional resources are continually being transported to the frontlines from the rear.

As long as we complete our preplanned tasks, even if the war becomes a deadlock at the heart of the Orc Prairie, we are capable of ensuring logistical support.

If there really were to be any logistics issues, it would happen only after the Orcs have been expelled from the Prairie.

If we could do so, the Orcs would cease to be a concern!”

Prime Minister Duke Newfoundland confidently asserted.

From the founding of the Alliance to now, this was the first time that the Human Alliance had decided to launch a severe strike against the Orc Empire.

If the Alliance’s plan went smoothly, the operation against the Orcs would just be the beginning, followed by similar techniques applied to other species for one-by-one elimination.

Having been the continental hegemon for countless years, the major races in the Human Alliance were no longer satisfied with being a hegemon in name only.

They were ready to unify the continent of Aslante.

This was all born out of necessity.

After years of development, many areas in the Human Alliance were spilling over.

To avoid sparking internal disputes, expansion became necessary, to gain more living resources.

Adding on the factor of the rumored Great Calamity that occurs every hundred thousand years, it further stimulated the determination of the top echelons of the human race to take action.

This highest of human secrets, aside from the most powerful individuals in the continents, everyone else is a pawn on the chessboard.

“In the past wars with the Orcs, most of them were forced to retreat due to unsolvable logistics issues.

We hope this time will be an exception.

From now on, the Kingdom’s strategic materials will be prioritized for the front lines.

If they are insufficient, we will acquire them from overseas.

Let us all set an example together, and endure hardship for a while.

Let’s give up the important material we use daily such as sugar, meat products, and others.”

“I will lead by example.

From today onward, sugar, alcohol, cloth, and meat products will no longer be supplied in the Royal Palace.

The supply of meat products will be reduced by 90 percent.”

Caesar III said resolutely.

Reducing other people’s food standards is easy, but reducing their own is a mark of a truly tough character.

However, the king, and the nobles leading in enduring hardship is not without precedence in the Alpha Kingdom.

Whenever the war reaches a critical point, measures like these are taken to ensure supplies for the fronts.

Half a year ago, Caesar III had done the same, almost starving himself during the days of vegetarian living.

It was only after the war situation eased and the supply of goods became abundant again that normal living was restored.

This time Caesar III learned his lesson.

Instead of foolishly declaring the complete cessation of meat supply, he only reduced the supply.

“Your Majesty, rest assured.

For the future of the Kingdom, enduring a bit of hardship is nothing!”

It was like they had rehearsed this, almost everyone responded in unison.

It wasn’t worth resisting, this was how their predecessors did it.

From the outbreak of the war till now, apart from a few banquets held to celebrate victories, all feasts in the kingdom disappeared.

It seems like a mere advocacy, but the enforcement was actually compulsory.

Only this compulsion wasn’t through legal measures but an unwritten rule in the noble world.

If social norms supported frugality, extravagant waste was a sin and was subject to public disdain.

When the nobles started living frugally, needless to say, the rest of the society followed.

Anyone who dared to act against the trend was merely courting trouble.

Everything served the war, any action that contradicted this principle would suffer a heavy price.

…

On the banks of the Snow Moon Lake, Hudson, who had returned to the old place, had significantly different emotions as he gazed at the clear lake water.

“Give the order to set up a temporary camp here, build granaries on-site to hoard materials.

After the enemies up ahead have been eradicated, we will move the camp forward!”

When a million-strong army marches, it is unrealistic to transport all the provisions and fodder at once.

Such a large-scale physical transportation is inefficient.

The logical choice is to continuously construct temporary transfer stations along the way, hoarding strategic materials at every step, and keep delivering materials according to the actual needs.

Snow Moon Lake was one of the transfer stations chosen by Hudson.

There was nothing else, just that the geographical location here was good and that there were three natural rivers available.

Although the water flow wasn’t huge, it can still allow small boats of about ten tons to navigate.

Though it couldn’t meet the needs of the large army, every bit of transportation pressure decreased was a victory.

Everything was surveyed in advance, even the ships were brought along with the troops.

The only regret was that the direction of the army’s advance was upstream.

Fortunately, the water flow was gentle most of the way so that they could sail.

The river sections that needed to be hauled and pulled by manpower were not long.

The former verdant lakeshore of Snow Moon Lake was also a gathering place for orc tribes, with a unique grassland market.

It was one of the rare prosperous areas in the Orc Empire, only to be visited by the Northern Expedition Army half a year ago.

Those who managed to escape by chance couldn’t avoid the fate of being conscripted as cannon fodder by the Five Royal Clans.

The orc tribes living in this area now were all moved here by the Five Royal Clans after the war.

Such fertile land was clearly not something anyone could possess.

If virtue does not match the position, disaster will inevitably ensue.

A group of unlucky tribes who had moved from the north and west had just enjoyed a few days of good life before they were attacked by the Human Alliance.

Hudson couldn’t witness the specific battle scene.

By the time he arrived with his troops, even the bodies on the ground had been fed to wild animals.