41: Chapter 40: Chain Reaction_1 41: Chapter 40: Chain Reaction_1 A fierce fire consumed the bodies of thousands, causing even stalwart Knight Hudson to silently grieve.
Though they emerged victorious in the daytime battle, the cost was heavy.
Over two hundred were wounded, and more than seven hundred perished in the flames.
The attack on the five Silver Skeletons alone resulted in more than three hundred deaths.
If not for Hudson’s quick response and extensive knowledge of physical laws, the loss would have been much greater.
Despite their apparent victory, the food supply team had taken a substantial hit.
If the Rebel Army and the defenders were of equal numbers, the outcome of this war would be highly unpredictable.
It was not an impossibility to vanquish the Rebel Army, but they were still burdened with the responsibility of transporting the food supplies.
Compared to winning on the battlefield, successfully delivering the supplies to the destination was the real objective of this task.
If it was not for the limitation of supply transportation, Hudson was confident in outmaneuvering the Rebels.
All of this stems from the Rebel Army’s “superior” command ability.
Before, Hudson thought that the mindless charges of the Noble Knights were the height of stupidity, but the command ability of the Rebel Army’s commander was not much better.
The Rebel Army’s commander lacked principles and did whatever it took, but his military prowess was actually lacklustre.
From this perspective, the ruling group of the nobility succeeded in controlling the knowledge and “values” of the common people.
Even though the rebel organization has existed for countless years, it has, under the influence of the “power above all” concept, ignored the nurturing of military talents.
The priests should have stayed priests, but they took it upon themselves to command armies.
Using secret techniques and potions, they could bully similarly ignorant lower-class nobles.
But when they faced a slightly competent military opponent, their true colors were quickly revealed.
In theory, the decision to attack the supply caravan was a sound strategy.
Yet when it came to tactical implementation, it was a complete mess.
Due to inadequate preparation and a lack of basic military knowledge, their plans were exposed too early.
An ambush designed to seize the initiative ended up becoming a forced aggressive attack.
Gradually understanding the nature of the world, Hudson began to grieve for the Skeleton Society.
Not only were they stuck in a large pit, they were also led astray by false promises, and yet somehow, they still fantasized about turning things around—it was nothing short of a dream.
Frankly, Hudson had always been puzzled about what the Skeleton Society wanted.
They were engaging in rebellion, but what did they represent aside from lofty political objectives?
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Looking at their actions, the Skeleton Society saw nobles as enemies, serfs as worthless, and merchants as blood money.
From the moment of their uprising, they had alienated every social group.
Referring to them as rebels was a compliment.
As an organization that stood against every normal person, “cult” was a justifiable name for the Skeleton Society.
Compared to the tangible losses, the warfare record was much more flexible.
Hudson didn’t bother to count the precise record.
Based on the situation at the battlefield, he was able to make rough estimates.
“Decimated four thousand Rebel elites, exterminated two thousand five hundred seventy Rebels, killed eighty-one Rebel leaders, eliminated five Silver Skeleton-grade Undead, and confiscated a variety of strategic materials.”
There was no other way.
With the Gryphon Cavalry watching from the sky, an exaggerated record would be easily discovered.
But downplaying the record was not an option either.
In the hierarchy of military honors in the Kingdom, suppressing a rebellion was at the bottom.
If the enemy’s strength and his achievements were not exaggerated, who would understand the difficulty of this war?
Who would remember the contributions of Knight Hudson?
To enhance the credibility, Hudson used heavy pen strokes to emphasize the importance of keeping the food and supplies intact, elevating this small-scale war to a strategic level.
It was uncertain how effective this could be yet he used this opportunity to write off some supplies legally.
The written-off supplies were more than he could use himself.
Most of them were needed for bribes.
Falsities would never become realities.
If anyone insisted on checking, Hudson’s battle report would be riddled with holes.
Without smoothing over the relationships at the top, the exaggerated battle achievements wouldn’t hold.
With these war credits, coupled with the previous Battle of Ersel Fort, Hudson would likely gain a piece of territory when the war spoils are divided after the war.
The size and quality of the territory would depend on the network of the Koslow Family in the Southeastern Province.
At this point, it was beyond what Hudson could manage in the short term.
All he could do was foster good relationships all around.
He didn’t expect others to help, as long as they didn’t interfere, but ultimately, it was all about the strength of the clan.
At the Allied Command, Earl Piers, who had just defeated a sneak attack by the Rebels, felt like he had been on a roller coaster ride.
The Skeleton Society didn’t play their cards according to the norm, not only carrying out sneak attacks on the march, but even sending troops to attack the food supply team.
Fortunately, Hudson, the young fellow, had some skills and foiled the rebellion’s sneak attack plan.
Otherwise, he could only lead his army in a shameful retreat.
Thinking of this, his resentment towards the Fifth Army flared up again.
They were assigned to escort the food supplies, but instead, they went off looting, completely disregarding him.
Though he was angry, he felt, at the moment, quite helpless against these brazen individuals.
Ever since they had separated from the main force, they had vanished from his sight.
The lands of two provinces covering a large area, were quite difficult to survey with mere hundreds of troops if they intended to hide.
Even the Gryphon Cavalry would struggle to spot them.
Furthermore, the Gryphon Cavalry was limited in number and prioritized in tracking the Rebel Army’s movements, leaving no time to find the Fifth Army.
Without contact, there was no question of accountability.
To settle scores, they would have to wait for their return.
It was not only the fifth army that was up to no good, some nobles under his watch were also not behaving.
The Gryphon Cavalry in charge of scouting reported to him on multiple occasions of individuals privately departing from the main forces for their own personal activities.
At least they kept their activities slightly discreet under his watch, making quick round trips each time.
Because they hadn’t yet caused trouble, and for the sake of the bigger picture, Earl Piers chose to turn a blind eye.
He did not take action, but he kept track of their deeds.
He knew clearly which nobles were behaving, and which were wantonly reckless.
With a cold snort, Earl Piers looked at the moon outside the window and murmured to himself, “Apparently, I’ve been too kind to them.
It’s gotten to their heads.
They seem to have forgotten who they’re dealing with.
It seems high time I showed them who really rules the Southeastern Province.
If not for concerns of arousing suspicion from those in the Capital, the Southeastern Province would already belong to my Dalton Family…”