King-Chapter 1383 - 266: Ripples_2

The Bearman Emperor questioned angrily.

Failure isn’t frightening; what’s truly dreadful is losing everything.

This war is a textbook example of losing everything. While the goal of weakening the vassal races was indeed achieved, the cost was the Three Great Imperial Clans and the Seven Great Royal Clans paying the price together.

Famed across the continent for their heavy infantry, the Bearman Clan has become the biggest loser.

Faced with the overwhelming floodwaters, while the other Orcs were desperately fleeing for their lives, the Bearmen were busy unbuckling their armor.

The speed of the water far exceeded their speed at removing their armor. The heavy armor that once assured their survival now became their iron coffins.

While the main armies of other races were heavily injured, the Bearmen’s frontline main army suffered complete annihilation.

Even the heavy cavalry fared better than them—having four legs made it easier to escape to higher ground and wait out the flood.

Of course, that "better" was barely worth mentioning; apart from some lucky survivors, most still drowned tragically.

The main army was wiped out, leaving only a group of second-tier troops following the Bearman Emperor.

Due to their slightly inferior combat strength, they were unqualified to wear heavy armor, which ironically improved their chances of survival.

"We’ve dispatched people to search everywhere but haven’t found Marshal Daniel. He may have already perished in the floodwaters."

The Hawkman Emperor replied slowly.

If we ignore the threat posed by the Human Race, the Hawkman Clan came out of this unscathed. While all the other races suffered heavily, they were the only ones who retreated uninjured.

Their losses amounted to nothing more than some strategic materials, making them undeniably the Chosen Ones.

But reality is ruthless. According to reconnaissance reports, the Human settlements remain completely intact, meaning the flood didn’t deliver a decisive blow to the enemy.

Given the long-standing feud between the Alpha Kingdom and the Orc Empire, kicking them when they’re down is inevitable.

The Hawkman Clan, with their limited strength, cannot sustain the grand ambitions of the Orc Empire. Even with the allied races severely weakened, they lack the capability to rule over the Empire.

"Hmph!"

"Dead, huh? That makes it convenient for him!"

"He caused the Empire such massive losses. I think he’s the biggest traitor to the Orc Race!"

The Lionman King scoffed mockingly.

Without exaggeration, if we count the commanders who have caused the Orc Empire the greatest losses in its history, Hudson would rank first, but Daniel wouldn’t be much lower.

However, the Devil King Hudson achieved his record gradually and is an external enemy, unlike Daniel, who is one of their own.

One mistake in command buried over 40% of the Orc Empire’s military strength.

After this battle, forget invading the Alpha Kingdom—avoiding their invasion would take the Beast God’s blessing.

Faced with the layered insults from several emperors, the Silver Moon Wolf Emperor’s face sank to a terrifying level. The fury within grew to its peak.

"Enough!"

"You’ve suffered heavy losses, but do you think my Silver Moon Imperial Court fared any better?"

"War is inherently full of unexpected events. Back when we decided to block the river upstream and build the dam, the decision was mutual."

"Are you saying you dare make decisions but won’t dare bear the consequences?"

"Daniel exhausted himself for the Empire and now has even forfeited his life. Do you still plan to pin the blame on the dead?"

"Instead of wasting time here, you’d better investigate why the dam collapsed so suddenly!"

"The Empire sent a large number of Sacrifice Shamans to reinforce the dam. I refuse to believe it could collapse so easily!"

Commanders who are alive must bear the responsibility for defeat, but fallen commanders die heroically.

Although worried about his son’s safety, upon Daniel’s absence, the Silver Moon Wolf Emperor secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

With the dead tally wiped clean, for the sake of the Empire’s stability, the various races were unlikely to keep pressing the Silver Moon Wolf Clan.

After all, their forces primarily consisted of light cavalry. Among all the Imperial Clans and Royal Clans, they, alongside the Hawkman Clan, managed to have the largest number of survivors.

Strength breeds confidence. Unless evidence emerges showing Daniel colluded with the Human Race, a scapegoat for this incident will likely have to be found elsewhere.

"It’s useless. The races responsible for construction suffered the first casualties. When the dam collapsed, they were still busy working, and so far, we haven’t found any survivors."

The Hawkman Emperor expressed helplessly.

If those construction workers had survived, they would’ve been the perfect scapegoats. The problem is their bodies have already fed the fish.

Continuing to cling to this matter risks inciting rebellion among the subordinate races, something the Orc Empire cannot afford in its current state.

"No, the dam was definitely sabotaged by the enemy!

We mustn’t be deceived by the enemy’s guise; this is certainly Hudson’s scheme!"

The Silver Moon Wolf Emperor insisted firmly.

If his son couldn’t take the blame, they’d have to find someone strong enough to shoulder it.

The infamous Devil King Hudson was undoubtedly the perfect scapegoat. His reputation was solid enough that no matter how many accusations were thrown at him, people would believe them.

A naturally collapsing dam would imply the Empire’s high command was incompetent. Such a colossal, epic blunder—even if plausible—must be denied.

If not, not only would Commander Daniel be reviled for generations, but the Empire’s upper echelon would also face routine mockery and condemnation from future generations.

Blaming Hudson made far more sense, especially since he was already hailed as the continent’s top commander. Adding another legendary achievement to his record would matter little.

"The Wolf Emperor is correct; this is indeed the enemy’s scheme. While the enemy appears to have taken losses, it’s merely a ruse to confuse us.

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