King
Chapter 920 - 920 99 The Amiable Hudson

920: Chapter 99: The Amiable Hudson 920: Chapter 99: The Amiable Hudson In the golden autumn of October, a time meant for harvest, the Moxi Duchy was shrouded in gloom and despondence.

The Eastern Warhammer Kingdom had crumbled, with only a few rural castles still holding out, but they were of no significance to the overall situation.

The Alien Coalition Army launched a massive attack and, even after gathering some of the fleeing soldiers from the Eastern Warhammer Kingdom, the Human Race remained at a severe disadvantage.

Dapes Palace.

“We cannot continue to retreat,” King George barked.

“Even if the enemy employs forbidden spells, you must stand your ground!”

When the battlefield was in a neighboring country and news of retreat reached them, it did not stir much emotion.

But now that the flames of war were burning at their own doorstep, it was a completely different matter.

Trading space for time did not mean abandoning the land and running; it was always better to defend the walls than to fight in open fields.

“Your Majesty, please be assured!

It is the Duchy’s Army that now holds the defensive line, not the cowards from the Eastern Warhammer Kingdom.

There will absolutely be no fiasco of fleeing without a fight,” Count Martins immediately assured.

The rapid collapse of the Eastern Warhammer Kingdom was primarily because the previous Orc invasion had broken their backbone.

A huge loss of population, tens of thousands of lower-ranking aristocratic military officers killed in action, and the newly formed army—from officers to soldiers—were all substandard.

The lower ranks were rotten, and so were the upper ranks.

The major nobles who dared to risk their lives were either dead on the battlefield or laden with the burden of defeat.

The new rulers were experts at internal strife and passing the blame; one could not trouble them with actual warfare.

Politicians commanding armies in battle—the outcome was predictable.

After several defeats, these individuals were terrified and dared not engage in a bloodbath against the Alien Coalition Army.

Had it not been for the laws of the Human Alliance, these individuals would have fled long ago.

Compared to the utterly rotten allies, the situation in Moxi Duchy was far better.

Although it also suffered heavy losses in the last great war, their political situation was stable!

Power transitioned smoothly and there were no post-war blame games.

In the latter stages of the war, they even poached talent from the Alpha Kingdom to compensate for some of their losses in military strength.

Even amidst the dire situation, the Duchy’s leadership managed to actively respond.

Hearing the Minister of Defense’s assurance, King George’s expression softened considerably, and he slowly asked:

“When can we expect the reinforcements promised by the Alpha Kingdom to arrive?”

In the current situation, any nation willing to send reinforcements would most certainly be a staunch ally.

Excluding the Prairie Seven Kingdoms and the Columbia Country that was annexed by the Black Forest People, there were eleven sovereign nations of various sizes on the Northern Continent, but Moxi Duchy could only really rely on the Kingdom of Alpha.

To obtain foreign aid, the Moxi People vigorously promoted the “first conquer west, then north” strategy to the Alpha Kingdom.

Unfortunately, the Alpha People were concerned about attracting the elf firepower by amassing their troops, so they still insisted on the “first north, then west” strategy.

“Your Majesty, the Hundred Thousand Army promised by the Alpha Kingdom has already been assembled.

Marshal Hudson is currently organizing and training the reinforcements.

He expects to complete the internal coordination within this month, so we might see the reinforcements as early as next month.

The specifics of the troop arrangement and the march route are not yet known.

However, Marshal Hudson intends to personally lead the troops, so there is not much need to worry about this aspect,” Count Reynato replied, easing everyone’s concerns.

One good soldier is worth a lot, and a good commander is worth even more.

Trust is earned on the battlefield, and with a well-known general like Hudson leading, other problems seemed trivial.

What they feared was sending a commander like Caesar IV; no amount of reinforcements would compensate for such incompetence.

“Since Marshal Hudson is coming personally, let him decide on the specifics of the battle.

All departments should ensure good coordination, especially the logistics and supply—there must be no blunders!

How much longer until the national mobilization is completed?”

Clearly, George was still the same King he had been years ago; he never interfered with matters beyond his expertise.

“Your Majesty, the first round of mobilization is complete, and the second round is halfway done.

The ongoing mobilization process is expected to continue for another three to four months.

Considering the strain on logistics, the officers and troops from the second wave of mobilization are currently training in their respective locations.

The Standing Army, combined with the troops from the first mobilization, will reach a total of three hundred and eighty thousand.

Add to that the two hundred and seventy thousand soldiers gathered from the Eastern Warhammer Kingdom and the thirty thousand reinforcements from other nations, and the actual total frontline strength will reach six hundred and eighty thousand.

As defectors from the Eastern Warhammer Kingdom join daily, this number continues to grow.

The final force could very well exceed seven hundred thousand.

In terms of strength, that should be sufficient for now.

However, the situation in the Orton Duchy is also dire.

Even with full mobilization and gathered Eastern Warhammer Kingdom defectors, it is doubtful they can hold out much longer.

Possibly by the end of this month, or maybe next, the Duchy will inevitably fall into a two-front war.

The number of allied defectors we gather could well exceed that of our mobilized forces, which would make command extremely difficult.

Especially the quality of the troops from the Eastern Warhammer Kingdom is, frankly, hard to describe.

It seems they will accept any able-bodied man, and their ranks are riddled with a significant number of women soldiers.

Many soldiers have lost their weapons and armor; rather than an army, they resemble a horde of refugees.”

Chancellor Hercheg said with frustration.

In his heart, he had already cursed all the decision-makers of the Eastern Warhammer Kingdom.