King
Chapter 951 - 951 110 Deep into Enemy Territory_3

951: Chapter 110: Deep into Enemy Territory_3 951: Chapter 110: Deep into Enemy Territory_3 “If everyone had held on and not occupied so much land, the pressure on national defense wouldn’t be this great now.”

On the Warhammer Great Plains, Hudson led the Expeditionary Army forward with confident strides, as the armies of different races encountered along the way fled at the sight of them, fearing a slow reaction might cost them their lives.

The battle of Augustusburg had crushed the pride of the Ancient Remnant Allied Army, and a sense of panic had already spread among the species.

This was especially true for those species whose entire forces had been annihilated at the front lines, with all their intelligence coming from unreliable sources, thus greatly affecting them.

A large number of troops converged in Declaras Province, providing everyone a sense of safety, yet morale remained low.

A common trait of smaller species was the closeness of their relationships.

Whether relatives or friends and neighbors, the death of hundreds or thousands on the battlefield affected the entire clan.

To stabilize public sentiment, the kings of various species arrived at the front lines.

Over a hundred kings of large and small species gathered, effectively forming a grand alliance of races.

“All intelligence has been clarified.

The enemy claims to have the Hundred Thousand Army, but in reality, they barely muster over thirty thousand, at most not exceeding forty thousand,”

“With such a meager force, the Human Race dares to swagger into our territory and defy us, completely disregarding the Alliance.”

“I suggest we immediately mobilize a major army and annihilate them on the Warhammer Great Plains, to show the Human Race our true strength!”

The Giant King was the first to shout aggressively.

The hatred in his eyes, coupled with his colossal figure, looked truly intimidating.

“We shouldn’t rush our revenge.

The enemy has entered the Warhammer Great Plains and won’t be escaping anytime soon,”

“Our knowledge of the enemy is too limited, knowing almost nothing beyond their troop numbers and commander.”

“Rushing into a decisive battle without sufficient information could be playing into the enemy’s hands, don’t forget they are all Cavalry,”

“In the plains, most of our species cannot outrun the enemy’s Elite Cavalry,”

“It seems like a confrontation of two hundred thousand against over thirty thousand, but when the actual battle occurs, the enemy could gain local superiority with their high mobility.”

“The Human Race has large families; they can afford the loss of tens of thousands of troops.

But we can’t.

If we suffer another major defeat, most of the species present couldn’t bear such a loss,”

Upon hearing the Shadow King’s words, kings from various species nodded in agreement.

Revenge was important but the survival of their species was paramount.

Engaging in a forced battle against the Human Race, even if victorious, would be a pyrrhic victory.”

The pain of Augustusburg had already weakened many species, and none wished to experience it a second time.

“But we can’t just keep waiting!

The enemy’s marching speed is rapid, and they still have resistive forces along the way providing them convenience.

From their marching route, it’s clear they intend to flank the rear of the Southern Expeditionary Army.

If we don’t intercept now, the enemy will easily penetrate into Orton Duchy and, with troops from Moxi Duchy, sandwich the Southern Expeditionary Army, possibly recreating the tragedy of Augustusburg!”

The Giant King said indignantly.

Revenge had to involve the entire Alliance.

Without allies’ assistance, the few thousand troops of the Giant Tribe wouldn’t be sufficient against the enemy.

After all, leaders like him with unique talents were very rare within the Giant Tribe; most were regular giants.

Purely from a strength perspective, an average adult giant could be compared to a Low-level Knight.

Unfortunately, their size was both a strength and a downfall.

The Expeditionary Army equipped with Magic Crossbows made these several-meter-tall giants easy targets on the battlefield.

Only a few powerful giants could rely on their formidable defensive strength to disregard the enemy’s minor Magic Crossbow attacks.

After a brief hesitation, the kings still nodded.

The safety of the Southern Expeditionary Army had to be considered, for if encircled by the enemy, no one could assure they wouldn’t be defeated as disastrously as in Augustusburg.

“The enemy is nearly a thousand miles from Orton Duchy; at their current marching speed, it would take them more than ten days,

“Another fifty thousand troops have been mustered from the rear, estimated to join us in five days, and with additional forces converging from various locations, our total troop count will surpass three hundred thousand once again.

“For safety, we should engage the enemy decisively only after amassing an absolute advantage in troop strength,”

Upon seeing the Shadow King compromise, with a moment’s hesitation, the Giant King slowly nodded.

“Revenge” was certainly more effective with sufficient forces.

Facing renowned generals of the continent, one could never be too cautious.

Yet deep inside, the Giant King felt something ominous brewing, as if something significant was about to unfold.

…

As the army delved deeper behind enemy lines, Hudson grew increasingly cautious.

He arranged numerous Scout Horses and occasionally sent Belsden out to scout, checking if the enemy’s main force was moving this way.

Unfortunately, the reality was quite the opposite; not only were there no signs of the enemy’s main force, they didn’t even bother with small troop skirmishes.

The less you do, the fewer mistakes you make.

With the enemy making no moves, Hudson also secretly fretted.

This time he had brought only Cavalry, as he had no interest in siege warfare.

If the enemy remained inactive, he would have no choice but to lead the troops into Orton Duchy and, together with the Moxi People, attack the Southern Expeditionary Army from both sides.

But doing so would also trap the Expeditionary Army within the enemy’s encirclement.

If a breakthrough wasn’t achieved quickly, they too could fall into a multi-directional assault.

…

“Three hundred miles away, a force tens of thousands strong from the enemy’s army is converging toward Declaras Province.

“Belsden, are you sure you aren’t mistaken?”

Hudson asked in surprise.

Three hundred miles, for two large armies, was still considered a safe distance, depending on the army.

Ordinary cavalry charging three hundred miles would exhaust their horses, but not the Expeditionary Army.

With Ha’s Magic Potion, the war horses could run three hundred miles and still be vigorous.

“Hudson, are you doubting this bear’s counting abilities?”

Facing Belsden’s challenge, Hudson awkwardly smiled.

The young bear’s mathematical talent was unquestionable.

He could understand the accounts of Bear Castle; estimating the enemy’s troop numbers was even simpler.