Chapter 164: The Duped Orcs

Chapter 164: The Duped Orcs

As mentioned before, the logistics for the human army were quite tricky. Though they weren’t completely out of supplies in the short term, they were cutting corners to save resources and making do with the bare minimum for the troops’ living conditions.

Anyone with half a brain could see this was no battle that would wrap up quickly; they had to think long-term.

After the initial charges, the human forces were basically besieging the city. Until a new siege plan came up, they only launched a few minor attacks here and there to maintain their presence.

Thus, the unified thought among the higher-ups was to ensure that the troops below had enough to eat; anything beyond that was just asking too much.

Every meal was practically broth and hardtack—barely a scrap of meat in sight.

However, things clearly couldn’t stay that way for long.

The higher-ups in the army needed those soldiers below to fight their battles.

If they were going to fight, they needed proper nourishment; otherwise, where would they get the strength?

So, food and drink became crucially important.

Under Duke Ogg’s strict orders, the good supplies that had been hoarded were finally distributed by the army’s upper echelon.

At this point, they couldn’t be bothered about long-term strategies; they just wanted to get through the current crisis first.

A bit of food didn’t amount to much for the higher-ups.

If they faced a defeat, not only would they likely lose their lives, but the ransom they’d have to pay if captured wouldn’t be chump change, and all the uneaten food would just benefit the enemy.

On this point, the higher-ups were quite clear-headed.

However, a good decision doesn’t mean much if you can’t implement it smoothly.

The northern forces had tens of thousands of troops and were mixed up in a mishmash of units, full of all sorts of characters.

It was hard to guarantee that some places would properly execute the orders without some greedy, short-sighted folks lining their own pockets.

But Duke Ogg was prepared for this.

He appointed a new inspector in the army specifically to oversee the execution of this matter.

And this inspector was none other than Prince Crown.

Thus, Crown found himself wandering around the various camps of the army, taking on the responsibility of supervision.

As always, Georges was by his side.

The two cousins understood the importance of this matter, so they were quite diligent.

At every camp they visited, Crown made sure to personally inspect the kitchens, ensuring that the high command’s decisions were being implemented down to every soldier, making sure each one of them was well-fed and ready to fight in the upcoming battles.

With high-quality food being provided, morale among the troops soared, especially with the prospect of rewards for their efforts.

Previously low spirits caused by a protracted stalemate faded away.

While the human army began to feast heartily in their camp, the Dark Elf Army did arrive but didn’t rush to attack.

Their sudden appearance threw the human army into a panic, but the humans had the camp as their shelter.

More importantly, the human forces chose not to march out of their camp to assault the orc stronghold; instead, they stayed put.

This meant it would be a fool’s errand for the “exhausted warriors” to attack the rested human army within their fortifications.

Moreover, the orcs inside the stronghold hadn’t shown any signs of movement.

Although they had spent “heavy coins” to invite their assistance, the elves had no intention of risking their lives for the orcs.

The reward from the orcs wasn’t nearly enough to incentivize such loyalty.

Thus, Mork remained calm.

He instructed his subordinates to rest in place, patiently waiting.

The momentum was with them; the human army was like fish in a barrel.

Mork didn’t have to wait long before there was activity from the orcs inside the stronghold.

At the stronghold’s main gate, many Orc Warriors quickly gathered.

Once their numbers hit a critical mass, the previously shut gate creaked open with a crash.

“Charge out and slay those damned humans!”

With an officer’s command, the Orc Warriors surged forth from the stronghold.

Their targets were the human army encampment outside the walls.

On the stronghold’s ramparts, Orc Shaman Mahat observed the pouring out of his fellow warriors, his gaze drifting to the nearby human camp and then further out to the Dark Elf army.

Right now, he was the highest commander in the stronghold.

The western front had been entrusted to him by the Beast King, while the King himself headed to the central front to coordinate the orc forces.

Finally, Mahat returned his focus to his rushing Orc Warriors.

The orcs were riding high on their spirits.

These guys might have a few loose screws, but sometimes ignorance is bliss.

Take this moment, for instance; just a little rallying got the Orc Warriors fired up, brimming with confidence in victory.

Seeing this scene made Mahat chuckle, and he once more turned his gaze to the human camp.

At this moment in the human camp, many had already finished their lavish lunch and were resting.

Though the great enemy was near, the battle had yet to begin.

The soldiers down below weren’t thinking too hard about it; the higher-ups wouldn’t let them think too much, either.

Soldiers just needed to follow orders—having their own ideas was not a good idea.

Thus, many soldiers were oblivious to how dire their current situation truly was.

Suddenly, the sounding alarm shattered their tranquility.

Because the battle was about to commence.

At such a time, if they didn’t want to die, their only choice was to fight fiercely.

Otherwise, their commanders wouldn’t spare them.

The soldiers hurriedly began to don their armor and gear, grabbing their weapons to hurry to the assembly points.

Without a moment’s hesitation, the grassroots officers led the gathered soldiers to various fortified points to withstand the upcoming assault.

The human leadership had anticipated the orc attack and devised a series of plans.

So, they appeared quite organized and methodical.

While the orcs launched their attack against the humans, the Dark Elves still showed no intention of acting.

This scenario made Mahat’s face turn ashen.

If the Dark Elves didn’t engage, then charging out like this would be akin to sending the orc warriors to their doom.

“Those damned filthy elves, why are they still sitting on their hands!”

Mahat’s furious roar caused the surrounding orcs to go mute, too scared to respond.