King-Chapter 1385 - 267: Hunting on the Grassland

The kingdom’s leadership was shocked, and the representatives of various nations were equally stunned.

If it weren’t for the official news released by the Alpha Kingdom, they would have assumed this was some kind of malicious prank.

Who would be foolish enough to block a river and flood themselves?

Even with Hudson’s supposedly "reasonable explanation," people still struggled to believe it.

Rather than these vague notions of "pressure," they were more inclined to believe that the Alpha Kingdom had sabotaged the Orcs’ dam.

After all, the minor losses suffered by the Alpha Kingdom were nothing in the eyes of the other nations’ representatives.

To mislead the enemy and offer up some bait? What’s so strange about that?

"Ten thousand corpses pave the path to one general’s glory."

After battling north and south for so many years, who would think Hudson had a soft heart? They’d have to be out of their minds.

Especially after the news was verified, and detailed battle reports were obtained from the Orc Empire, further solidifying everyone’s assumptions.

The incident shook not only the Alliance Council but also rippled deeply within the kingdom itself.

The logistical convoy swept away by the flood happened to be staffed by the private army of the Nobles of the North, and the civilians were conscripted from their territories.

Everyone knew that Hudson and the Northern Nobles were at odds. With the accident conveniently targeting them, it was a clear case of "purging dissent."

Of course, the rumors lingered only in the public sphere. When unrest began on the court, Caesar IV swiftly suppressed it with an iron hand.

While it seemed like he was protecting Hudson, this move only made the situation harder to explain.

For a time, the Northern Nobles stationed on the frontlines were on edge, terrified they might be the next ones to be set up by their own commander.

The wronged Hudson could only silently send his regards to Caesar IV’s entire family in his heart.

Giving the Northern Nobles a hard time had clearly been the King’s idea. Because he shared Hudson’s disdain for them, Hudson chose to turn a blind eye.

Thus, the seemingly "sweet deal" of escorting supplies fell onto the shoulders of the Northern Nobles.

In the past, battlefield fatalities were alarmingly high. Relatively safer tasks like supply escorting became coveted assignments.

Not only could one take a slice of the profit, but also earn a bit of military merit.

But ever since Hudson, a strong-willed commander, took charge, everything had changed.

The fatality rate plummeted, and military merits felt like gusts of wind from the northwest—abundant and easy to collect. As long as soldiers followed orders and engaged the enemy, they could instantly earn a heap of merit.

By comparison, logistical duties lost their appeal. Anyone daring to exploit them soon found their graves adorned with grass.

Faced with the significant merits of the battlefield, the meager efforts of supply escorts suddenly felt cheap.

The tasks nobody wanted naturally ended up in the hands of the Northern Nobles, whose relationships were the worst.

Royal camp officers, in particular, were exceptionally aggressive when it came to suppressing the Northern Nobles.

Fueled by the provocations from all sides, the Northern Nobles, who seemed to attract enemies everywhere, became the designated "great team leaders" for logistics.

They couldn’t refuse—the work was their ancestral trade, honed by a hundred years of experience.

During peaceful times, no one questioned the arrangement. Now, with problems emerging, rumors suggested that Hudson was purging dissent.

Once certain conclusions are drawn, explanations lose all meaning, so Hudson simply chose not to respond.

Rumors alone, without evidence, couldn’t shake his position as commander in chief.

Moreover, the Northern Noble Group was already teetering on the edge of collapse. Their minor allies were no longer unconditionally obedient to the five major families.

If the current situation continued, within at most ten years, the Northern Five Provinces would normalize and transition into ordinary kingdom provinces.

Should they dare to stir up trouble, they’d be lucky to mobilize half their troops under their command—that much would already be considered authoritative.

The more likely scenario was that their own subordinates would betray them as soon as any actions were taken.

These past years, Hudson hadn’t been idle. The young Northern Nobles serving under him had frequently returned home to pay visits.

It was clear to any discerning onlooker that the Northern Military Group was on the verge of collapse. If one didn’t switch allegiances soon, what would remain but staying behind to sink with the ship?

The greater the crisis, the more cautious the five major families became. Their apparent submissiveness was actually a strategy to avoid exposing any weaknesses.

Everyone knew how the system worked—whether it was the King or Hudson, they had to act within the "rules" to deal with them.

And the results spoke for themselves: as long as they didn’t violate major principles, no one could do anything to them.

Aside from occasionally being mistreated, the five major families were actually living relatively well.

The turbulent storms of political factions? Those were minor issues. Nobles prided themselves on eternal legacy; temporary gains and losses were inconsequential.

Moreover, while their underlings harbored thoughts of change, they still remained dependent on the five families for now. After all, Hudson and Caesar IV were too far away from the North, while the five families were right next door.

Secretly forming alliances was acceptable, but openly opposing the five families? No one dared to be the first to step forward.

An idle approach was the safest; avoiding trouble meant avoiding mistakes.

It could be said that as long as the five families refrained from stirring up chaos, the Northern Military Group could continue to endure.

Perhaps it would gradually decline in the future, but that would take time.

...

"You all really think I’m borrowing a knife to kill?"

In the command center, Hudson asked with a faint smile.

Rumors spreading within the army still needed addressing. Forcibly suppressing them would only make them spread further.

After all, Hudson wasn’t a Gold Coin—he couldn’t please everyone.

No matter how much "prestige and respect" he commanded, there would always be a portion of people who resented him, eagerly waiting for the chance to maim him with malicious slander.

This content is taken from (f)reewe(b)novel.𝗰𝗼𝐦