King-Chapter 1389 - 278: Applying Pressure_2

The rules of the game must also bow to reality.

The Orc Empire, having gained nothing on the battlefield but lost a large amount of strategic resources, is no longer capable of feeding everyone within its borders.

With insufficient food, one can only fight and seize. In such a moment of crisis: small tribes become the granaries for larger ones, and weaker species become the sustenance for the stronger.

The Four Royal Families, perched at the top of the food chain, are licking their wounds at this moment. Yet, everyone knows the storm has only just begun.

Post-war, the balance of power among the grassland tribes has undergone a dramatic shift. The Imperial Court, which had the largest number of heavy cavalry and heavy infantry pre-war, became the war’s biggest loser.

On the other hand, many rising royal families, constrained by their financial resources and possessing fewer armored soldiers, managed to preserve much of their strength.

With the power "balance" broken, the political landscape is bound to be reshuffled. Species with this level of awareness are quietly making their preparations.

At the border of the grasslands, gazing at the glacier before him and then glancing back at the vast grasslands behind, Daniel let out a deep sigh.

This battle was lost in an utterly disgraceful manner. Even now, he still cannot come to terms with it.

"Let’s go!"

Daniel spoke slowly.

The few hundred clansmen who fled with him this far were his handpicked, loyal inner circle.

Originally intended as a power base for future dominance, who would have thought it would be used for fleeing instead?

Stepping beyond this point, returning will become nearly impossible!

In truth, over the years, many orcs who lost power struggles had fled to the World of Ice and Snow.

Yet, those who managed to return to seize power could be counted on one hand. In all of Daniel’s memory, the only recent success story was King Bimon.

When push comes to shove, hesitation is not an option. With such a major event unfolding, as the Commander in Chief, "dying on the battlefield" would provide closure to all parties involved.

...

At Sateks Fortress, after inspecting the epidemic control measures within the city, Hudson finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Clearly, the measures he had implemented earlier were proving effective.

Though the transmission of "typhoid fever" is potent, it ultimately hadn’t escalated into a plague. As long as one’s body is strong enough, they could endure it.

Among the tens of thousands of confirmed patients, not a single cultivator was found. The primary victims were the frail elderly, women and children, and the injured lying on their sickbeds.

In the Extraordinary World, though medical technology is rudimentary, the treatment methods are quite formidable. For illnesses that physical methods cannot cure, there are always magical solutions.

After one month of effort, over two-thirds of the patients had walked out of the infirmaries.

The price, however, was that nearly one-third of the remaining patients turned to ashes.

The "life-burning therapy" always operates in such a straightforward yet unadorned manner. While eradicating the virus, it also extinguishes the patients.

There was no alternative. Alchemy had been suppressed for years and had only been reinstated by Hudson’s governance, barely managing to solve minor ailments at best.

In contrast, the magic potion field, which caters exclusively to nobles, developed rapidly and devised a treatment plan in record time. The only issue? It was prohibitively expensive.

Seeing the formula list’s mention of "Water of Life," Hudson let out a bitter laugh on the spot.

Jokes shouldn’t be made this lightly. This is not the Elf Race. Where on this continent could one find an ample supply of Water of Life?

Given this backdrop, having Priests perform Divine Arts became the most cost-effective treatment method.

Apart from slightly higher life force exhaustion and a death rate significantly elevated, Divine Arts certainly remain the best nemesis of viruses.

...

"Marshal, the Capital is urging us again. Should we return to attend the rank-conferring ceremony?"

Tom gently suggested.

It had been nearly two months since the Alliance Council had decided to bestow upon Hudson the title of "Human Marshal," waiting only for the protagonist to attend the conferring ceremony.

Previously, with the frontline situation dire, the Commander in Chief could not leave the army, and postponing the ceremony was naturally acceptable.

But now that the war had subsided and the counteroffensive had been shelved due to the rampage of "typhoid fever," the delay could no longer be justified.

Of course, these excuses were merely for show.

The real reason for halting military action was Hudson’s observation of the Orcs’ intense internal strife, choosing not to step in and inadvertently ease their internal discord.

While Hudson awaited a better opportunity at the frontlines, the Kingdom Government faced the dilemma of stalling the Alliance Council by any means possible.

The rank-conferring ceremony was a pivotal moment for the Kingdom. Should crucial witnesses be absent, the event’s impact would surely be greatly diminished.

To prolong the council’s agenda, not only was the Alpha Kingdom actively searching for ways to create delays, but even its allies had been enlisted to assist in buying time.

The current council’s most hotly debated topic? "The Moxi Duchy’s massive debt crisis."

Though previously resolved, resurfacing this issue was purely a ploy due to its high level of contention, capable of dragging on discussions.

Aside from the Alpha Kingdom supporting the Moxi People’s proposal to "forgive the debt," representatives of all other nations expressed strong opposition. However, on the specific means of repayment, some concessions were made.

The outlined measures included allowing the Moxi Duchy to defer payments during disaster years and permitting repayment in the form of goods...

As a filler proposal, these gains were more than satisfactory for the Moxi people.

After all, they were merely feigning poverty and not truly unable to make ends meet.

The greatest victim, however, was the Kingdom Finance Department. If the Moxi Duchy’s debt relief proposal were passed, the Alpha Kingdom’s fiscal bankruptcy would become imminent as well.

Though this would be a humiliating outcome that severely tarnishes the Kingdom’s reputation, the practical benefits would be abundant.

Erasing billions of gold coins in foreign debt would allow the Alpha Kingdom to lighten its load and focus on development.

Such dreams, alas, were unrealistic. Even the bankrupt Moxi Duchy couldn’t secure debt forgiveness, so Alpha Kingdom’s prospects were non-existent.

The Frank people and Iberian people weren’t fools either. Having singlehandedly defeated the Orc Empire, debt obligations remained their final leverage in curbing Alpha Kingdom’s growth.

If this last shackle were lifted, Alpha Kingdom could potentially annex the Orc Empire in just a few years and rise as the most powerful nation in the Human world.

If not for the vast geographic separation between the two nations and Alpha Kingdom, the tripartite relationship might well mirror a localized "Three Kingdoms" dynamic on the Continent of Aslante.

"Inform domestic officials that I will arrive in the Capital in three days. Let them handle the arrangements for the conferring ceremony!"

...

At Mount of Light, the exhausted Shelter VII felt a surge of anger upon reading the intelligence report in his hands.

In just a few short months, the situation for the Clergy had deteriorated sharply. Initially intent on defying the Alliance Council’s resolution, they found themselves thwarted as the Frank people deployed reinforcements.

"Didn’t the Human Alliance already order a ceasefire? How can the Frank people still have the audacity to send more troops?"

Hearing the Pope’s inquiry, the Cardinal responsible for external affairs could only secretly lament before forcing himself to reply:

"Your Majesty, the Human Alliance’s ceasefire mandate is contingent upon all parties complying with the resolution.

In protest of the Alliance Council’s resolution, our representatives in the council abstained from signing it.

Thus, the ceasefire agreement currently applies only to the other participating nations; we and the Frank people remain at war.

However, you may rest assured. With the Anti-French Alliance in place, the other nations now stand opposed to the Frank people. They will not idly watch them continue to grow.

The current troop reinforcements are merely meant to pressure us into compromise. Once we annihilate these enemy forces, the situation will change dramatically..."

Hearing this explanation, everyone present rolled their eyes in unison. If the enemy could simply be annihilated, would the Clergy have ended up in their current predicament?

Even those with minimal political acumen recognized that this implausible rationale was merely an attempt to shift blame.

After all, selling out the Clergy’s interests to secure peace would still require someone to shoulder responsibility.

The Archbishop overseeing external affairs had no intention of taking this hit himself, leaving him with no option but to push the blame onto the military for losing the war.

Seeing the lack of buy-in from others, Bishop Javier quickly added: "Given the worsening situation for the Holy Court, the Anti-French Alliance has decided to send reinforcements to our front.

They are expected to arrive at the Holy Court in half a month to join us in combating the Frank Army."

The previously hesitant Shelter VII could no longer sit still at this point. Betrayed by the Anti-French Alliance in the Human Council, their dispatch of reinforcements now seemed suspect.

Nominally labeled as reinforcements, they might just as easily turn into enemy forces upon arrival. Trusting a group of traitors was clearly asking for trouble.

"Bishop Javier, inform the Anti-French Alliance that we currently do not require reinforcements. They don’t need to come!"

New novel 𝓬hapters are published on (f)re𝒆web(n)ovel.com