The King

  Chapter 268 Lively Dwarf King

  In the season of warm spring and flowers blooming, the Northern Expeditionary Army is full of sad faces.

  Another tent was destroyed.

  For Marshal Campbell, who has an army of hundreds of thousands, a tent of food is nothing at all, and it is not enough for the army to consume for a day.

   But the problem is that the current Northern Expeditionary Army is isolated and helpless, relying on the food they robbed before. In order to reduce food consumption, even the livestock in the army were slaughtered.

   It is impossible to cut soldier rations. Once the logistics cannot be guaranteed, the morale of the army will soon drop to the bottom.

  "The enemy is relying on air superiority, and the frequency of setting fires is getting higher and higher. It should be aware of our lack of food and want to crush us.

  According to this situation, even if we disguise the food and grass as ordinary tents, we will suffer heavy losses.

  I firmly believe that the final victory will belong to us, but reinforcements are still on the way, and we still have to rely on ourselves in a short time.

  Now we must take measures, and we cannot allow the enemy's plot to succeed! "

  After hearing Marshal Campbell's meaningful words, everyone's expressions changed drastically. There is a shortage of food in the army, and everyone knows it in their hearts.

  The daily material consumption of hundreds of thousands of Northern Expeditionary Forces is an astronomical figure. In the case of losing supplies and being besieged for more than a month, there is no problem if there is no shortage of food.

  In order to reduce the consumption of supplies, noble officers recently stopped eating barbecue, but stewed it instead.

  The purpose is just to let the soldiers around you share a bowl of broth.

   "Marshal, according to the old rules of special times, increase the supply of meat!"

   Duke Cavadia said meaningfully.

  There is no doubt that the "increasing the supply of meat" in his mouth is definitely not the "why not eat minced meat" in the mouth of ignorant people.

  Beastmen can eat people, and in a hurry, people can also eat orcs.

   It's just that compared with the orcs, the integrity of human beings is still slightly higher. It's only done when there's really no other way.

  Since the army was besieged, there was a special team in the Northern Expeditionary Army, which specialized in handling the corpses of orcs killed in battle. In order to welcome the arrival of this day.

  Glancing at the crowd, Marshal Campbell smiled slightly when he saw no objection.

  It's just the evil in the smile, which makes people's hair stand on end.

   "Let's do it like this, meat will account for half of the next supplies.

  The problem of food has been temporarily solved. Next, we have to find a way to organize a counterattack.

   There is no movement for such a long time, I guess the orcs have forgotten, we also have the ability to fight back! "As an old commander who has led troops for decades, he has been silent since he was blocked by the orc army.

  If it wasn't for the people present, who knew Marshal Campbell to a certain extent, they would all think that their commander was a rich man.

   After waiting for so long, finally ushered in the moment of counterattack, which is also the darkest moment of the Northern Expeditionary Army.

  The attack intensity of the orc army is getting higher and higher, and the casualties of the Northern Expeditionary Army are also increasing day by day. Especially in the last few days, soldiers from the five royal families appeared on the battlefield again.

  Everyone knows that the day when the enemy launches a general offensive is not far away.

  Although there is no evidence, everyone still vaguely speculates that the communication between China and the orcs has encountered setbacks.

   "Marshal, the enemy's vigilance is very high. Except for the scattered camps of those cannon fodder races, the camps of the five royal families are all heavily guarded.

  The scouting cavalry we sent often had accidents, and wanted to..."

   Before Duke Pias could finish speaking, Marshal Campbell interrupted: "Then we will fight the cannon fodder race!

   But this time we have to change our style of play.

  According to the news from intelligence personnel, the Orc Empire is not peaceful now, and many vassal races have rebelled against the five royal families.

  This is our best chance. As long as the relationship between these cannon fodder races and the five royal families is alienated, the next war will be easy to fight.

   Directly fight the enemy to consume, we fight to annihilate the whole army, it is not difficult to drag the five royal families and seriously injure their vitality! "

   If it is difficult to win tactically, then simply play strategically and die together. Obviously, Marshal Campbell had prepared for the worst.

  The orcs did not let the Beizheng army leave, so they simply exchanged the sacrifice of the Beizheng army for the enemy's vitality.

   It may be a bit uncomfortable for the nobles present; but it is the most beneficial choice for the Alpha Kingdom.

   Severe vitality and heavy losses have never been a problem. The real problem is that only my family is seriously injured.

  Marshal Campbell has great confidence in Caesar III. He believes that no matter how the situation changes, the situation in the kingdom will be under control.

  The old political structure is broken, so it is good to establish a new political structure. Playing power checks and balances, Caesar III is a professional player.

  …

   After the military meeting was over, all the nobles returned to their camp with heavy hearts.

   It's going to be desperate, but everyone hasn't lived enough yet!

  Especially those aristocrats who brought their outstanding children here, even cursed themselves secretly: lard has deceived their hearts.

  All the eggs are put in one basket, and if there is a little carelessness, there will be no successors.

  It's too late to regret. At this point, all you can do is to respond passively.

   At midnight, in several brightly lit camps, small political groups were still arguing and discussing fiercely.

  The world of nobility is never lonely. The more dangerous the time is, the more we need to hug together to keep warm.

  If you observe carefully, you will find that each small circle is full of regionalism.

   This is caused by the times.

  Traffic and communication limit the scope of everyone's communication. Most of the time, everyone is used to dealing with the nobles around them.

  In the past countless years, through marriage with each other, the nearby nobles have long become a family.

  Even if we are competitors on weekdays, in the competition of the kingdom, we are natural political alliances.

  Among many small groups, the alliance of the five northern dukes is the most special.

  In other political groups, in addition to the big aristocrats, there are also some middle-level aristocrats with good strength who squeezed in.

   Only five of them are among the five major duke camps in the Northland, and all the other nobles in the Northland are vassals. Although the number of people is the least among all political alliances, the military strength is the strongest.

   "Who's out there?"

   Duke Cavadia asked angrily.

   While discussing matters in his own camp, someone dared to eavesdrop, and he simply didn't take him seriously.

  The other four people were also full of anger. The topic they discussed just now was disgraceful. If it got out, it would immediately cause an uproar.

   "Father, calm down, I just received a special message. The content in it is too involved, I dare not make decisions without authorization, so I can only ask for advice..."

  Glaring at his son fiercely, Duke Kavadia's expression was gloomy and terrifying.

   It's really embarrassing. He should have thought that no one could handle the guards so easily except his own son.

   "Hero, the news you brought had better be big enough, or I will make you regret your recklessness!"

   Duke Cavadia said angrily.

   "Father, the content of this letter is too shocking, you should read it yourself!"

   While replying, Hiro handed over the secret letter. At this time, he didn't dare to challenge the patience of Duke Cavadia, otherwise his **** would definitely bloom.

  In the blink of an eye, Duke Kavadia, who was originally angry, suddenly turned into horror.

   Perhaps realizing his gaffe, he soon managed to calm himself down, and then said to the other four dukes:

   "You should read it for yourself, the content on it is really inconvenient to explain!"

   Duke Pias, who was the closest, took the letter first, glanced at it briefly, and his face changed drastically.

   Without any nonsense, he directly handed the letter to the Duke of Agiron.

   There were no surprises. After reading the contents of the letter, the faces of the several dukes were filled with shock.

   "Is the content of this letter accurate?

   Beast..."

   As the words came to his lips, Duke Agiron swallowed them back.

  It is just a word "beast", which has exposed many problems.

   "No matter what their reputation is, it is an opportunity for us, isn't it?"

   Duke Pias said with a sneer.

   They have been working in the north all year round, and they still monopolize most of the trade with the orc empire. How could they have no connection with the orcs?

   It's just that this kind of connection, with the outbreak of the war, was silently put away by them.

  Compared to other nobles in the kingdom, their attitude towards orcs is both love and hate. Sometimes I can't wait to uproot the orc empire, and sometimes I can't wait for the orcs to be more active.

  Everything is a benefit. The most important factor for the rise of the five major families is to resist the invasion of orcs.

   It is precisely because of the existence of the orcs that the kingdom will continue to provide them with support, and the five major families have thus become the most powerful nobles in the kingdom.

   If the orcs were gone, the output of their fiefs alone would not be able to maintain the current huge armaments.

   Perhaps within ten years, they will fall from the strongest military nobles in the kingdom to the mortal world, and slowly become the goalkeepers of the great nobles.

  This is still an optimistic estimate. Considering the countless enemies they have offended in the past years, it is still unknown whether they will be able to escape unscathed.

   "Yes, Chance!"

   "It could also be a disaster!"

   "The orcs have a lot of appetite, even if they lose their vitality this time, it's not just our family that can handle it.

  If the Northern Expeditionary Army suffers heavy losses, life for our family will not be easy either.

  The dominance of the kingdom is really a big piece of cake! "

   Duke Cavadia said mockingly.

  The prospect described in the letter is bright. Unfortunately, the operability is too low.

  If you want to control the Alpha Kingdom, you don't just rely on strength alone.

  If the king does not agree and the nobles in the south do not cooperate, can they really resort to military means?

   No matter how badly injured, the wrecked ship still has three catties of nails.

  Once there is internal fighting, the Alpha Kingdom will decline if you are not careful. The next time the orcs invade, they won't be able to find so many "close" allies.

   "Pie, whether you eat or not will be discussed in the future. As long as the initiative is in our hands, then everything is not a problem.

   Now we need to consider whether the orcs really want to let us go. If this is a conspiracy against us, then we will be in big trouble. "

   Duke Agiron said worriedly.

   "If you keep it for a long time, you will lose it!

  There is not much food in the army, and the reinforcements from the alliance are slow to arrive. Even if special measures are taken, the Northern Expeditionary Army will not be able to last long.

   There are two paths before us: either follow the Marshal's wishes, exchange lives with the orcs; or find a way to break out and leave.

  Since the orcs are going to let us go, let's push the breakout plan and give it a try. If the breakout fails, fight the enemy directly.

   Anyway, there is no need for us to do anything, and we successfully broke out, which can only show that we are lucky. "

   Duke Pias tried hard to encourage.

   Regardless of whether the orc's promise is effective or not, he must try it.

  Compared to the enemies of other families, they are still hiding in the dark and waiting for opportunities; the enemies of the Lochnard family have already shown their cards.

  If you don’t bring back the army in your hands, you can’t play against the newly rising military strongman——Hudson.

  …

  Castle of Ashes.

  The low stone houses, accompanied by the sound of clanging and knocking, are the unique style of this ancient city.

  The streets and alleys are full of people of all ethnic groups, and they live in peace here, as if they are like a Datong society.

  This unique landscape can only be seen in the Castle of Ashes, the capital of the Dwarf Kingdom.

   There are not so many reasons, all because this is the largest arms production and sales center on the continent of Aslante.

  Racial talent cannot be reversed the day after tomorrow.

  The same raw materials, after being processed by dwarves, the quality is to be improved to a higher level.

  Any dwarf craftsman is a master blacksmith in the outside world.

  Almost all noble equipment in the entire continent is sold from here. Most of the high-end magic equipment components are forged by dwarves, and then handed over to the alchemist for assembly and enchantment.

   It can be said that without the Dwarf Kingdom, the level of weapon forging in the entire continent will drop by two notches.

  In this chaotic world, no one can ignore the will of the arms giant.

   Of course, the perverted dragons who don't need weapons are exceptions.

  Other races, if they want to do business here, they must abide by the rules of this place.

   To be able to mix so well, the strength of the dwarves is naturally an important factor.

  Different from the large number of soldiers of the human race, and the large number of masters of the elves, the dwarves rely on sharp weapons and armor.

  All kinds of crossbow arrows, magic crystal cannons... are at the forefront of the mainland. The long-range strike capability is the best in the continent of Aslante.

  Although the overall strength is not as good as that of the human race, it is also a leading existence in the mainland.

  A team from the Holy See walked into the dwarf palace without causing any disturbance at all.

  Arms trading is often accompanied by politics, and it cannot be done with money alone. In any big deal, the politics are discussed first, and then the price.

   There is nothing wrong with going to the palace for military purchases by big forces. Although the dwarf king doesn't like this kind of political game, but for the sake of the national interest, he can only bite the bullet.

  Looking at the big bowl in front of him, he judged that the wine in it would not be less than two pounds, and Bishop Sauron, who was in charge of the envoy, groaned secretly.

   This is the highest reception etiquette of the dwarves, but this is what the dwarves themselves said. In the eyes of the outside world, this is clearly deliberately tossing people.

   How much to drink depends entirely on the mood of the dwarf king. Anyway, if you drink it, you are a friend of the dwarves, and if you refuse to drink it, it is disrespectful.

   Of course, there are exceptions.

  For example, every time an elf mission arrives, the big bowl turns into a small wine glass, and the spirits turn into fruit wine, showing elegance.

  "Bishop Sauron, welcome to the Castle of Ashes, please accept the highest respect from my dwarves!

   What's going on, why such a small bowl?

   Do you know how to use a basin to treat distinguished guests?

  Go and get my..."

   Before the Dwarf King could finish his performance, Bishop Sauron hurriedly stopped him: "Your Majesty, using a bowl is enough.

  I'm just a junior bishop, and I can't go beyond my status. Let's leave the basin for more distinguished guests! "

  As soon as he finished speaking, he wanted to slap himself.

  Typically speaking, you can't speak your head. Such a big bowl of spirits is also very fatal.

  It's a pity that the enthusiastic dwarf king didn't let him go at all, and waved his hand: "Bishop, don't worry, besides the pots, we also have wine tanks.

   If the Pope comes someday, we will use a large wine tank to entertain, and the storage will not embarrass you! "

   Not daring to let the dwarf king continue to torment, Bishop Sauron immediately picked up the wine bowl in front of him and drank it down.

   "Thank you for your hospitality, Sauron..."

   Before Bishop Sauron finished speaking, the wine in the bowl was filled again.

   "Bishop, you are welcome. The dwarf kingdom and your Holy See have always been friends.

   For our long-lasting friendship, you must have another bowl! "

  Hearing the word "friendship", Bishop Sauron was crying secretly. There is indeed a friendship between the two sides, but this is a matter of the last hundred years.

  Pushing forward the history, when the Holy See dominated the mainland, there were many frictions between the two sides.

   Just looking at the scene in front of you, you can tell how deep the friendship between the two parties is.

   Bite the bullet and drank the second bowl, only to find that the dwarf maid continued to pour the wine, and Bishop Sauron fell to the ground drunk.

  If you make a fool of yourself, make a fool of yourself. If you don’t get drunk, you’ll get drunk. Take the initiative to pour down, and you can drink a little less.

  The Lord has fallen, and the dwarf king lost his interest in tossing. Immediately told the maids: "Take the distinguished guests down to rest!"

   After sending Bishop Sauron away, the dwarf king glanced at the northern continent, waved his hand to call for his cronies and said, "Tell the orc messengers that I have been of great help to them.

  If you want us to intervene in the mediation, let them show more sincerity, otherwise the representatives of the human race will follow suit, and they will be in big trouble! "

  The representatives of the Holy See bought the dwarves and did not intervene in this war?

   Anyway, the dwarf king now defaults to: yes.

  Even if a representative from another country came over, he would still think so. It doesn't matter what the truth is, as long as it can be ripped off.

   In the view of the dwarf king, the human race is very annoying, and the orc race is also not a good thing.

  Now I tend to support the orcs, it's just that the strength of the human race is too strong. Let the human race continue to grow, and one day the dwarves will have nowhere to hang out.

  Since they are all annoying ghosts, the work cannot be done in vain. If you want the dwarves to join the mediation, you have to come up with actual benefits.

  (end of this chapter)