Bickering solved nothing, but failing to bicker would definitely lead to losses. Chelse, the knight, clearly wasn't cut out for debating a room full of opponents and quickly found himself on the defensive.

  The officers of the Fifth Army, including Hudson, could only watch anxiously, but due to their rank, none of them had the opportunity to speak.

  As the situation tilted overwhelmingly against them, Count Piers suddenly interjected, "Enough! I didn't call you here to argue.

  You were all there during the battle. The enemy possesses the cursed artifact, the Blood Moon Horn. They can raise an army of cannon fodder without any training.

  Every day we dey, the enemy's numbers grow by thousands. You should know how terrifying an enemy that's mindless and only knows how to kill can be."

  The art of bance was essential for any commander. While Count Piers might not have been a renowned general, he still possessed basic military acumen.

  Allowing his subordinates to fight among themselves could divide the small and medium-sized nobles, but excessive infighting would only weaken their own strength.

  Retively speaking, the Fifth Army was an easy target. But no matter how much they were bullied or squeezed, it wouldn't speed up the march—this was a limitation imposed by objective conditions.

  After calming down, the previously defiant army commanders began to lose steam. The dynamics of the military and politics were entirely different.

  Shifting bme at the first sign of trouble was typical political thinking, but military thinking was about solving problems.

  For the entire alliance, the most pressing issue now was to address the slow march, not to assign bme.

  The dispute was quickly quelled, and Hudson gained a new respect for Count Piers. Regardless of his military capabilities, his political skills were undoubtedly mature.

  In just a few days, he had managed to divide, intimidate, and redirect the grievances of the small and medium-sized nobles, defusing a political crisis that could have united them against him. His political acumen was evident.

  Unfortunately, this was wartime, and political skill alone wasn't enough. A single defeat could unleash all the suppressed tensions.

  "I don't care what excuses you have. Within three days, we must reach Dadier City and strike at the heart of the rebellion.

  My gryphon cavalry scouts have reported that the enemy is forcibly conscripting able-bodied men. Both Light and Wharton are rge counties, with a combined popution of over half a million. Even after a defeat, the enemy can still raise tens of thousands of troops.

  You all know how the Skull Society operates. They'll conscript without regard for consequences, so the actual numbers will likely be even higher.

  If you don't want to turn these two counties into wastends, if you don't want to face an endless stream of enemies, then we must increase our marching speed.

  Without compromising our combat effectiveness, completing a hundred-mile march in three days is my minimum requirement.

  If you have any ideas, speak up. If they're useful, I won't hesitate to reward you."

  Count Piers' words lit a spark in the room. This was a promise made in front of everyone. If the rewards were meager, it would only embarrass him.

  While the others fell into deep thought, Hudson's attention drifted to the mention of "gryphon cavalry." This was the legendary aerial cavalry, and he hadn't expected to encounter it here.

  However, judging by their usage, Count Piers likely didn't have many. Otherwise, they would have appeared during the battle at Fort Ethel.

  Rare units, like mages, were few in number and couldn't be wasted.

  Adult gryphons were second-tier magical beasts. Even on the ground, they could easily overpower three Hudsons, and their aerial combat prowess was unmatched.

  From what Hudson knew, the entire Kingdom of Alpha had only one gryphon cavalry regiment, and even that was understrength, with numbers only slightly higher than the mage corps.

  This was the result of centuries of accumution by the kingdom. Initially, the royal family had only obtained two pairs of gryphons, and it took two hundred years of breeding to reach the current numbers.

  Of course, wars over the years had taken their toll. The creatures' reproductive rate was undoubtedly low, unlike boars, which could produce multiple litters a year.

  While Hudson was intrigued, unless he pledged his allegiance, such a high-level mount was out of his reach.

  "Then let's split up. The four armies will take seven days' worth of rations and advance ahead, while the Fifth Army follows at its own pace."

  Viscount Orn spoke coldly.

  Even though he knew this was Count Piers' ploy, for the sake of profit, he had no choice but to py along. Naturally, his mood was sour.

  In reality, even without the baggage train, there was still significant uncertainty about whether the four armies could reach the front lines on time.

  After all, the rebels weren't fools, waiting idly for them to attack.

  The Skull Society, unburdened by noble conventions, would stop at nothing to achieve their goals. For them, the concept of a "bottom line" didn't exist.

  Hudson, who had initially considered offering some suggestions, ultimately chose to remain silent. While merit was important, stepping forward to compete with Viscount Orn was out of the question.

  The military meeting concluded quickly. While the Fifth Army was seething with resentment, everyone else was satisfied.

  Nobles needed an outlet for their frustrations. Deprived of the opportunity to gain merit, they would compensate by seeking wealth.

  Breaking away from the main force gave them the freedom to act independently. With the collective effort of the nobles, a looting pn was quickly formuted.

  However, when it came to execution, a minor hiccup arose. After all, the Fifth Army still had the responsibility of transporting supplies and had to ensure progress.

  The regimental commanders exchanged gnces, looking to Chelse for guidance, waiting for their "boss" to make the arrangements.

  "Military orders are absolute. The task of transporting supplies must be completed. Therefore, we must leave the main force to guard the baggage train, while sending out small, elite units to recim lost territory for the kingdom.

  This requires a noble of high standing, intelligence, and initiative to stay behind and oversee the operation."

  As he spoke, Chelse scanned the room, hoping someone would volunteer. Unfortunately, everyone was being modest, waiting for someone else to step forward.

  In truth, modesty wasn't the issue. It was clear that the pn was to take the elite troops out to loot, leaving the serf soldiers to continue transporting supplies.

  A force of over four thousand, without basic officer support, would be nearly impossible to command.

  Even Hudson hesitated. Leading a ragtag group to guard the supply train would be challenging enough. What if they were attacked by rebels?

  "Don't worry. No matter who stays behind to oversee the operation, they'll still receive their share of the spoils."

  Chelse promised.

  Compared to the others, he, a knight on the verge of losing his nds, was clearly more motivated by wealth. Unfortunately, no one took the bait.

  "Knight Hudson has demonstrated excellent command skills and possesses the talent of a leader. Moreover, this pn was his idea. I propose that Knight Hudson stay behind to oversee the operation."

  The elderly Baron Mechel suggested with a smile.