At the Mercy of Circumstance

Looking at the hanging map, Hudson shook his head helplessly. Ambitious nobles were everywhere, but those with real power were few and far between.

The best locations in both prefectures were occupied by Northern Aristocrats. Although the Governor's Mansion launched a series of disruptive actions involving enclaves, it did not change this fact.

Among the local nobles, those with slightly better geographical locations were still a few minor noble families who had inherited their ancestral businesses. Whether they could preserve their family's legacy was still an open question.

Even if Hudson supported them, or even if the local nobles of the two counties supported them together, they would not be able to compete with Baron Ciss.

After all, the world of the nobility ultimately depends on themselves. The support of outsiders is just that—support—and cannot fundamentally change the gap in strength between the two sides.

In particular, Baron Ciss had a Grand Duke as his father. Although the extent of his support was unknown, the eight hundred elite soldiers who followed him south were enough to dispel the thoughts of many people.

Even Hudson, after falling out with Baron Ciss, did not rush to take action, for fear that the Grand Duke, who was thousands of miles away, would interfere.

There was no way around it; the difference in status, position, and strength between the two sides was simply too vast, they were not even in the same league.

It's one thing to secretly fan the flames, but what if there's a direct confrontation and that old guy doesn't follow the rules and sends people to kill him?

Are they hoping the Dalton Family will step in?

If he had accepted Count Pierce's offer earlier, he might have had some hope. Now, the fact that the Governor hasn't retaliated against him is already quite magnanimous.

Looking back on the smooth sailing of development, Hudson gradually realized that something was wrong. Suppressing the rise of minor and medium-sized nobles within their own sphere of influence was an instinct of the great nobles.

The Mountain Territory's rapid development and rising momentum are obvious to everyone, yet the Dalton Family has made no response whatsoever, which is clearly illogical.

Thinking of the powerful Baron Ciss, Hudson instantly understood. It turned out that his previous success was thanks to this man's good fortune.

Although the Governor's Mansion employed many underhanded tactics, they were far from sufficient to exclude the sons of Northern Nobles.

If the Dalton Family had been willing to intervene, Count Pierce wouldn't have gotten involved in the conflict between the two counties so early. He could have simply watched the situation escalate, killed ten or eight nobles, and then cleaned up the mess.

As for the previous tensions on the mainland, could those old guys still tell that both sides were bluffing?

If unrest were to occur, the Dalton Family's power would allow them to eliminate any unstable factors before the chaos erupts.

The fact that they didn't continue to fuel the flames and seize the opportunity to completely destroy the Northern Nobles suggests that the families behind those Northern Nobles scions exerted pressure, or that they made a deal with the Dalton Family in some other way.

If it's inconvenient to go out personally, and you don't want a bunch of Northern Nobles to settle down in your backyard, then you need to send your pawns.

Without a doubt, the local noble scions in both counties were pawns of the Dalton Family, and Hudson was no exception.

Last time in Dadir City, Count Pierce made no attempt to sow discord between Hudson and Baron Ciss.

Thinking about this, Hudson inwardly groaned. Sure enough, the more you know, the more troubles you encounter.

If he knew nothing, he could have easily turned against Baron Ciss and used all his connections to slowly bring him down.

Are 800 elite troops really that impressive?

By instigating more neighborhood disputes, they can quickly escalate to seven hundred, six hundred, five hundred... constantly winning battles, but their strength is gradually weakening until one day their advantage is completely exhausted.

Unless his Grand Duke father is willing to continuously invest, Hudson has a way to slowly bleed the Baron Ciss dry.

But now that he knows Count Pierce's scheme, Hudson can't play that game anymore. He has to contend with Baron Ciss, but he also needs this man to create a stir to attract the Dalton Family's attention and secure a more favorable environment for his own development.

Ideally, the Dalton Family should believe that the two sides are evenly matched and it is difficult to determine a winner in the short term, or that they are at a slight disadvantage.

As long as the stalemate continues, the Dalton Family will feel that everything is under control and will not be in a hurry to suppress the development of the Mountain Territory.

"Tell the messenger that I will arrive on time with my people."

Hudson said coldly.

I'll attend the party, but not to show my support; I'll go there to cause trouble.

It might seem a bit petty and the methods not sophisticated enough, but as a minor nobleman who needs to live a life of quiet desperation, the methods don't need to be too sophisticated.

Sometimes, using methods that are too clever can also be a sin.

In the world of nobility, a weak family but an overly capable individual often suffers a great loss.

With the southward migration of a large number of Beastfolk slaves from Maple Leaf Territory, Baron Katerley certainly picked up quite a few bargains.

Baron Katerley achieved all of these ambitious goals: "Monopolizing the Beastfolk slave trade" and becoming "the largest Beastfolk slave trader in the Southeast Province".

Then things got awkward. He was fine leading troops into battle, but running a business was a different story. His group of warriors were clearly not cut out for business.

Although he had been involved in smuggling in the North, those businesses were all family-run, and he was just an executor in the middle.

Goods transported between the Alpha Kingdom and the Orc Empire were all rare and sought-after items in the local market, and were pre-ordered long ago, so there was no need to find a market for them.

He had initially thought that as long as he monopolized the supply of Beastfolk slaves, customers would come to him on their own. As it turned out, he was completely mistaken.

The Northern Nobles and the native nobles were completely separate circles. The news that Baron Katerley held a large number of Beastfolk slaves was only circulating within their inner circle, and the outside world had no idea that he had become the largest slave trader in the Southeast Province.

If the message travels slowly, it's not unacceptable; after a few days, the other nobles will still receive the message.

The crux of the matter is that he sent someone to inform some nearby nobles, clearly telling them that he had a large number of Beastfolk slaves, and they replied with just three words—"Understood!"

"These damned Southern Aristocrats, for the sake of their pitiful face, they don't even care about their own interests!"

Knowing full well that their territory lacks manpower, they don't even bother to buy slaves to supplement it. Just wait, they'll regret it someday...

After silently offering his greetings to all the local noble families, Baron Katerley reluctantly realized that the problem still needed to be solved.

Slaves aren't like other commodities that can be held as inventory for a long time; these guys need to eat. With tens of thousands more mouths to feed, the daily cost of food and drink alone is considerable.

Moreover, in order to monopolize the slave trade, Baron Katerley had staked his entire fortune and incurred a large amount of foreign debt with the guarantee provided by his family.

All we have left are the funds to keep the territory running. If we can't sell these slaves in time, the territory will go bankrupt next month.

"Well, Uncle Holman? Has anyone made an offer?"

"Baron Katerley asked expectantly."

In order to find someone to lead the procurement, he had to send his most trusted Knight Holman. After all, the noble lords had very high standards; if you weren't a nobleman, you probably wouldn't even get to see them in person.

"Kateley, prepare for the worst!"

Everyone was initially excited when they heard that there were cheap slaves for sale, but when they learned that we were selling Beastfolk slaves, their expressions changed.

Even the Beastfolk slaves we gifted were returned. Their reason was that they might frighten the inhabitants of their territory, and they were responsible for all their people.

Of course, it wasn't entirely unpopular. Several nobles were interested in fox women, cat women, Bunny Girls, Leopard Women, and so on. They indicated they could take them on if the price was reasonable.

Another nobleman said his family had connections in the arena, and if we had Five Great Royal Families' Beastfolk for sale, he could help make the connections.

Upon hearing Knight Holman's explanation, Baron Katerley nearly vomited blood in anger. Nobody wanted the slaves they were giving away for free; how detestable must these Beastfolk be?

Is he the kind of arrogant, licentious, and unscrupulous nobleman who only has deep feelings for fox women, cat women, Bunny Girls, Leopard Women, etc.?

Although there were indeed a few beautiful women of foreign races among the slaves acquired, they were used to build relationships and expand connections, not to be sold individually.

If sold individually, no matter how high the price, a beautiful woman from another race would only cost a hundred or two hundred gold coins at most.

Unless the exotic beauty is a noblewoman among the Beastfolk, or a member of Five Great Royal Families, she might fetch a higher price.

But the problem is, are Beastfolk nobles so easy to capture? Even if the slave-hunting team is blinded by profit, they still need to ensure that the orcs return alive first.

Contacting the arena is even more absurd. Capturing Beastfolk from the Five Great Royal Families as slaves? Do they really think the bureaucrats of the Orc Empire are all dead?

In normal times, people engage in smuggling or capture a few slaves without causing a big commotion because they have paid protection money beforehand.

As long as you keep your eyes open and avoid provoking the big shots of the Orc Empire, and don't happen to run into the Beastfolk army, there's a 70-80% chance of escaping unscathed.

If anyone in the slave-hunting team acts recklessly, offends someone they shouldn't, or does something they shouldn't, triggering a backlash from the Beastfolk, all the slave-hunting teams that ventured into the Orc Empire at the same time would suffer heavy losses.

This is not the most serious issue; something even more serious could trigger a military conflict on the border.

"What, even Baron Hudson isn't interested? His mines need a lot of labor, and these stupid Beastfolk slaves are the perfect consumables."

Baron Katerley asked, struggling.

The worst-case scenario was to select the most beautiful women from among all the slaves and sell them to nobles, while selling the more physically powerful races to the gladiatorial arena.

Select slaves from the remaining slaves who are easy to manage and skilled in farming, and keep them for use in your own territory.

The remaining slaves, considered worthless, could only be taken in by begging nobles they had previously befriended, hoping they would help them out of consideration for past relationships.

If we really can't get rid of them, then we'll have a tearful fire sale. We'll sell them cheaply to some unscrupulous mine owner, trying to recoup every penny of our costs.

Baron Katerley bought slaves in bulk at very low prices. Theoretically, if handled properly, this method should likely allow him to recoup his costs.

Success means huge profits, failure means breaking even. Even if there are losses, they won't be too severe, making this a worthwhile gamble.

Unfortunately, plans are often grand, but reality is often harsh. For a monopolistic business to make money, there is one prerequisite: essential demand.

Beastfolk slaves are clearly not a necessity. Even if some nobles are interested in beautiful women of other races, that's an optional purchase, and no one is interested in paying a high price for them.

There are only three to five arenas in the entire Southeast Province. Even if they were willing to buy them all, they could probably only accommodate a few hundred people at most.

You need connections to even be able to sell it. After all, they have established partners and won't easily switch.

The most valuable slaves could no longer fetch high prices, making it impossible to profit through monopoly. Even the difficulty of achieving returns increased several times over. On the contrary, the probability of losing money began to rise sharply.

"I did not meet Baron Hudson himself. However, his butler told me that their orders have recently decreased sharply, and production will gradually be reduced after spring."

The news should be reliable. Mountain Territory has received many large orders this year; in just six months, the total sales have exceeded 50,000 gold coins.

Now that the situation is stabilizing, the pile of junk weapons they produce is useless except for being cheap, and they certainly won't sell in the future.

Simply selling farm tools and daily necessities will certainly mean next year's orders won't compare to this year's. If Baron Hudson continues to insist on not selling iron, a reduction in mine production is inevitable.

Knight Holman replied helplessly.

It wasn't that he, the salesman, wasn't hardworking; on the contrary, it was because he was too hardworking that he even found out about the production situation in the Mountain Territory.

Knowing yourself and your enemy is never wrong. Unfortunately, he was only dealing with a borrowed steward, not the real decision-makers of the Mountain Territory, so the information he gathered was only what was publicly available.

The erroneous information directly led Knight Holman to misjudge that Lord Hudson, whose mines were reducing production, would have a significantly lower demand for labor.

Despite the ongoing land reclamation efforts in the Mountain Territory, outsiders do not believe that this situation can continue indefinitely.

Most people believe that Hudson's massive investment in clearing land was solely to achieve food self-sufficiency in his territory, thereby reducing the territory's financial expenditures.

Given the current population of the Mountain Territory, the clearing operation should be completed in about a year or two. Continuing to invest in it, even if Hudson is willing, requires a financially sustainable budget.

The energy expenditure of serfs who worked and those who didn't was on completely different levels. Especially for physically demanding tasks like land reclamation, their bodies couldn't withstand insufficient nutrition.

Newly developed land has low output, and in the first few years it mainly focuses on land conservation, so land revenue is definitely not something to be expected in the short term.

The Hudson can afford to operate recklessly now because they made a fortune selling weapons this year. But such lucrative deals don't happen often, and the mines' profits can't stay this high forever.

After a long period of contemplation and a fierce internal struggle, Baron Katerley slowly said, "Let's not sell the exotic beauties for now. They are all money-making machines, and it's not worthwhile to sell them all at once."

Arrange for a merchant to open a brothel in his name. Place it within the territory to attract nobles seeking pleasure.

Originally, we planned to build restaurants, casinos, and arenas, but the territory's finances are tight, so we have to postpone it for now.

As for the remaining slaves, sell as many as you can now to recoup your investment as quickly as possible.

I need to pay a visit to Baron Hudson in person. Beastfolk slaves may not be very useful, but they can still be used for hard labor.

Mountain Territory aren't all plains. With so much land reclaimed, we can't rely entirely on the weather for our livelihood, can we?

I reckon our neighbors have already started planning a water conservancy project, which is a much bigger undertaking than land reclamation. Without enough lives to be poured in, it probably won't be completed.

Construction hasn't started yet, so I guess he's not mentally prepared to risk human lives. Although serfs aren't worth much, too much loss would still damage the reputation of the nobility.

From what I understand, that unscrupulous businessman is a reputation-seeking individual who would never allow himself to be branded as cruel and tyrannical.

Under normal circumstances, he would probably complete part of the construction each year to extend the construction period and reduce casualties.

But now that there are cheap slaves available that he can do whatever he wants with, he probably won't refuse.

If all goes well, we still have a chance to preserve our principal. Even if we do suffer a loss, it won't be too much.

Although our neighbor is a shrewd businessman, you have to admit he still has a bottom line. He's done so many business deals, but he's never driven anyone to the brink of despair.

Before the autumn planting season, he had sold a lot of farm tools on credit. Although the prices were a bit high, they still helped many people in their time of need.

I reckon that aside from me being the unlucky one who got ripped off badly, most people who did business with him still secretly think highly of him.

It was clear that Baron Katerley was extremely unwilling. But there was nothing he could do; the nobles of the Southeast Province simply had no affection for Beastfolk slaves.

The specific reason is likely that they weren't driven to a dead end. As local strongmen, acquiring serfs was far easier for them than for these outsiders.

Why buy uncertain Beastfolk slaves when there are better human serfs available?

Putting everything else aside, the language barrier alone is a major problem. Unless Baron Katerley provides translators along with the slaves he sells.

This is obviously impossible. There are many Beastfolk races. Apart from those strange shamans, who dares to say that they are proficient in the languages of all Beastfolk races?

Since he couldn't solve the users' pain points, Baron Katerley was destined to fail from the start.

What he found most unacceptable was that after all the hard work and effort, he was essentially funding the enemy, and in the end, he had to hope that his competitor would have integrity in order to protect his principal.

Having said that, the decisive Baron Katerley mounted his horse and rode off. He couldn't delay any longer; every extra day of delay would consume tens of thousands of pounds of grain, a burden he simply couldn't bear.