Throne of the North.

Chapter 31: The nobles divided into two groups
"The military meeting is to discuss how to deal with the orcs, not for you to form cliques. Since the Frozen Baron is not coming, then don't consider the protection of that territory."

Then Count Winter said kindly to the two earls:

"Love, Muir, you should be more familiar with the Black Goat Man. Tell us about it."

Love Weiss is the heir of the Count Weiss family, and the other one, Muir Solon, is an old man who witnessed the battle in the North Wind Province.

Normally, at meetings like this, people would just address each other by their titles, but I didn’t expect Earl Winter to be so cordial with these two.

The confused nobles speculated about the relationship between the three earls, while the nobles who knew the past sneered.

The former Earl of Winter was the one who had the loudest voice in demanding the stripping of titles from the native nobles of the North Wind Province.

"Lord Solon, you are older than me, so you should speak."

Count Weiss looked at Count Sauron and showed some respect to the old man.

"Then let me, an old guy, tell you."

Muir Thoron, an old man who was much sturdier and stronger than he looked, walked over to the crude map of Borean Province fixed on the wall.

"Fifty-three years ago, I personally participated in an army of one million orcs led by the Black Goat Man marching south to the Northern Wind Province. During that time, the Northern Wind Province lost half of its military strength."

"The fortresses on the Xiangshan Plain were all destroyed. The Frost Wolf Cavalry Corps of Grand Duke Beifeng lost 12,000 elite soldiers. They did not recover until the war between the Empire and Beifeng Province broke out."

Hearing this, many nobles looked sad.

"Yes, if it weren't for that battle, it would not be that easy for Grand Duke Meyers to conquer the Northern Wind Province."

Someone sighed and said this, but was quickly reminded by the nobles next to them that they were all nobles of the empire now and could no longer think about the past.

Over there, Earl Sauron continued to speak solemnly:

"The time the orcs marched south, the fortress in Xiangshan Plain was breached from underground. The fortress, which had been there for hundreds of years, couldn't even stop the orcs. The Black Goat People are far more cunning than we imagined."

"The entire North Wind Province lost more than one-third of its population due to the loss of the fortress. I dare say that even today, that population has not been fully restored."

"When facing the orcs led by the Black Goat Man, my advice is to take the initiative to attack and not defend."

"The Black Goat People will think of many ways to destroy our defenses. We can only take the initiative to attack and kill the orcs. If we kill a certain number of them so that they can survive this winter, the orcs will naturally retreat to the north. Even the Black Goat People cannot force them to continue their attack."

After hearing what Count Sauron said, many lords nodded in agreement.

Why? It's simple, because once millions of orcs appear in the North Wind Province unimpeded, who will suffer the most?

These are the territories of these nobles. Their fortresses are just fortresses, not solid cities.

"Miya, if we want to take the initiative, where is the best place to fight the orcs?"

Count Winter looked at Count Zoro and asked.

"In the Xiangshan Plain, there used to be a large area of ​​Xiangshan trees. After decades of cultivation, most of them have recovered. Using the dense forest to divide the orcs can effectively kill those defenseless orcs."

"I don't think so."

Someone stood up. It was Viscount Hogg, the governor of Yinchuan County in Beifeng Province. He was recognized as a powerful viscount in Beifeng Province and had a strong army under his command.

"We don't know the number of orcs yet. If there are really a million orcs, the Xiangshan Plain alone cannot stop them. Even with the fortresses back then, it didn't work. Now there are no fortresses, so it's even more impossible." "The dense forest can separate the orcs, but it can also stop our cavalry's charge. Do we have to give up the cavalry advantage and fight the orcs with infantry?"

Earl Winter looked at Viscount Hogg again and asked:
"So, Viscount Hogg, how do you think we should defend it?"

Viscount Hogg said proudly:

"Each county should build its own defense line and concentrate its forces to wait for the orcs to arrive."

"The Flying Wolf Cavalry of Earl Winter can serve as a liaison. If there is a county that has not been attacked by orcs, we can send troops to reinforce other counties."

"Use defense instead of offense. Since the orcs are going to attack fortresses and cities, there will definitely be huge losses. When enough of them die, they will naturally retreat back to the north."

After the Viscount finished speaking, someone stood up.

"I agree with Viscount Hogg's approach. A defensive attack can cause more casualties to the orcs than in the Xiangshan Plains."

"Ridiculous. Defend? Our territories are all in the north of the province, facing the orcs. Even if we defend them, what can we do? Our territories have already been looted."

"Can we stop the orcs by rushing into the Xiangshan Plain without thinking? Our cavalry can't play any advantage there."

"Cavalry? A warhorse costs 300 gold coins in the North Wind Province. Do you have so many cavalry?"

"Fewer doesn't mean none. Only cavalry can crush orcs. Infantry is at a disadvantage when facing orcs."

"The Xiangshan Plain is the only passage for the orcs to move south. Besides, there are mountains on both sides. As long as we put enough pressure on the orcs there, they will naturally retreat."

"The last time the orcs came south was five years ago. What a life they have had in the North in those five years. How could they retreat so easily?"

At the meeting, this group of nobles once again split into two factions. One faction was the nobles in the northern part of the Borean Province. Their territories would definitely be the first to be hit. The other faction was the nobles in the territories relatively in the south. Even if the orcs rushed in, the number of orcs that could reach their territories was small.

Especially Yinchuan County, which is located in the southernmost part of the Northern Wind Province, close to the Flying Wing Canyon.

At this time, the two clearly divided factions changed from the previous indigenous nobles and southern nobles to the geographical differences between the northern and southern territories of the province.

In short, it’s all about interests.

"All right!"

Looking at the noisy nobles, Winter immediately roared, and the breath of the Holy Land Knight pressed down, making the hall a little suffocated.

"Since you can't come to an agreement, then raise your hands. The minority shall obey the majority."

"Who agrees to take the initiative?"

Winter said, looking at the number of raised hands, and asked with a smile:
"Who agrees with what Viscount Hogg said?"

After saying this, Earl Winter raised his hand, and more than 60% of the nobles present chose to agree.

This result is actually not surprising.

Because when the North Wind Province was taken, most of the territory was redivided. Some of these nobles would choose the south, which is warmer and farther away from the orcs. Only when they had no choice would they choose the territory in the north of the province, which had less fertile land and was colder.

(End of this chapter)