Unexpected

After settling everyone in, Hudson wandered alone in the backyard. The kingdom had always maintained strict control over the Life Essence.

This restriction was absolutely necessary for the entire noble class. Without controlling the number of knights, competition within the nobility would intensify many times over.

If a group of people who wield force can't find a job, the consequences are predictable.

The limited supply of Life Essence to each noble family is undoubtedly a major disadvantage for large, thriving clans.

Taking the Coslo Family as an example, if resources were sufficient, the number of knights born in each generation would likely increase several times over.

The reality is cruel. Apart from the descendants of those branches with established businesses who are able to obtain the Life Essence, most family members are forced to leave the noble circle and become free people.

Mutual support is limited to raising these people to adulthood. There are simply no other resources available.

Many free citizens in big cities are descendants of noble families. However, due to various reasons, they eventually declined.

Those who came this time must have been close relatives who were very helpful. At the very least, they received basic knightly training and were also taught some cultural knowledge.

For those with a more distant relationship, they were simply given food. They weren't taught knightly training, or even basic cultural knowledge.

It's not that people are heartless, it's just that the more you know, the more troubles you create.

They can't even take care of their own direct descendants, so who can take care of distant relatives?

Aside from a few sparsely populated noble families who might have some of the Life Essence leaking out, most nobles wouldn't let it flow out, even if they couldn't use it all themselves, or if their relatives' children needed it.

The Coslo Family were precisely the kind of relatives they needed. This was partly the reason why Baron Redman spent a considerable amount of money each year maintaining these relationships.

To purchase the Life Essence, you need not only money, but also personal connections.

Hudson's biggest problem right now is interpersonal relationships. As the representative of interests put forward by the local aristocracy, he has to be careful about how he behaves.

The most crucial thing is that they can't bring themselves to do it.

"Tom, send a message to Baron Keterai and invite him over for a chat."

According to the laws of the kingdom, in addition to the allowances that nobles already receive, they can also exchange military merits for additional allowances.

Hudson's war merits were all converted into fiefdoms, so he naturally couldn't exchange them for the Life Essence anymore. But there was a group within the kingdom that was never short of war merits.

The Coslo Family originated from the Northern Frontier, but unfortunately, they left behind no connections, but rather many enemies.

Even if the Northern Aristocrats wanted to exchange for the Life Essence, they would first have to consider the reaction of the Coslo Family's enemies.

Of course, after so many years of silence, the Coslo Family has most likely been forgotten by the Locknerd Family.

For the Five Great Northern Families, whose enemies were everywhere in the kingdom, the Coslo Family, which could not even maintain the dignity of a middle-class noble family, was really hard to keep on their minds.

The powerful may not care, but the common people cannot afford to be indifferent. In the North, one must ultimately be mindful of the whims of the five great families.

There are always exceptions. Just because someone doesn't dare to trade openly doesn't mean no one dares to trade secretly.

If they dare to engage in large-scale arms smuggling, Hudson doesn't believe that the Mysterious Organization behind Kate would be afraid of trading Life Essence.

No matter how audacious the Five Great Northern Families may be, there is one thing they would never do: smuggle weapons to the Beastfolk.

They were even at the forefront of cracking down on the arms trade, prohibiting their nobles from smuggling any Ironware products to the Orc Empire.

It has nothing to do with patriotism; it's simply that once the Beastfolk invade, they will be the first to be attacked.

Selling the rope to hang oneself—only capitalists would do that; old aristocrats aren't that short-sighted.

Maple Leaf Territory.

Since experiencing a harsh lesson from society, Baron Keterai has become extremely sensitive, seeing everyone as a traitor.

The consequence of this severe lack of trust was widespread anxiety within the small team. Apart from Knight Holman, who was still somewhat trustworthy, no one else was trusted.

The reason is very simple: only Knight Holman had raised objections before they encountered the problem. During the execution, he was also reminded to be careful to control the risks.

She couldn't speak of being tricked and forced to join the July Association. She didn't even dare investigate the traitor. Kate had to keep all her resentment bottled up inside.

"Kate, you've been in a very bad mood ever since you came back from the Mountain Territory."

Life's journey is destined to be full of hardships; only by learning to endure temporary setbacks can one go further.

Even if those slave traders have wronged you, you must endure it for now. This is the price of doing wrong.

Lord Hudson just sent you an invitation; perhaps you could go out for a walk to relax.

Holman tried to persuade him.

Besides the subsidies from the family, the main reason he accompanied his nephew on this trip south was because he believed Kate could achieve great things.

Unfortunately, plans can't keep up with changes. Kate's abilities are indeed impressive, but the opponents she faces are all incredibly formidable.

First, there was competition within the Northern Nobles. Kate, who was good in every way, lost to Baron Ciss, who had a powerful father.

This one point alone was enough to shut her down. Although Kate tried to struggle a few times, she ultimately couldn't change anything.

Even more unfortunately, they became neighbors with the Hudson. Their poor location forced Maple Leaf Territory to be subservient to its neighbors.

"I understand, Uncle Holman."

Kate said calmly.

Past experience told him that Hudson's invitation to him was never for anything good. In the past, he would have analyzed the situation more carefully.

Now, there's no need for that anymore. Without breaking free from the July Association's control, his life is destined to have no future.

No matter how well you manage your territory, once your identity is exposed, you're bound to fail.

"To overthrow the current order and reshape a new world."

It might fool some immature teenagers, but anyone with a little common sense knows that with the July Association's meager strength, there's absolutely no hope for them.

Even if the Beastfolk invade from the south, at most they will only catch them off guard and wipe out the five great clans of the Northern Frontier. If they want to go any further, they will have to ask if the human nations are willing to agree.

As a nobleman from the Northern Aristocrats, Kate certainly didn't want that scene to happen.

When the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken.

The Five Great Northern Families are in trouble, and the small and medium-sized nobles who depend on them will only perish even faster.

He did manage to break free, but his family's roots were still in the Northern Frontier, and there was simply no time to relocate.

"You want me to help you get rid of the July Association?"

Hudson asked incredulously.

He had only heard of the organization's name, but knew nothing about its specifics.

Compared to the numerous and large-scale rebel organizations within the kingdom, the July Association was a breath of fresh air.

They do not engage in Heretical Cult Ritual, do not cause chaos in the region, and do not launch armed rebellions. Apart from their somewhat frightening slogans, their biggest characteristic is their mystery.

If Kate hadn't brought it up herself, Hudson wouldn't have believed that the slave traders from that day were actually members of the July Association.

What surprised Hudson most was that the July Association not only had its own political platform, but also a clear rebellion goal, organizational structure, and even a blueprint for its future political system.

Regardless of whether these things are reliable or not, this organizational structure alone surpasses that of countless rebel organizations.

Hudson even suspected that some of his peers had traveled through time, were unhappy with their lives, and had created this Mysterious Organization.

But upon closer reflection, it doesn't make sense.

The July Association been chanting slogans for over a hundred years, but it has never been implemented. Isn't that just keeping people alive until their coffins?

"Yes!"

Baron Keterai answered affirmatively.

He wouldn't have discussed this with Hudson if he had a better option.

However, since it involves Mysterious Organization like the July Association, even his closest friends might betray him.

The Hudson were the only exception.

Anyway, Hudson was present that day, so he was practically in the know. He also had business dealings with the July Association meeting; once the news leaked out, it would be difficult to explain.

Hudson rubbed his forehead, unsure whether to be thankful for his caution or to berate himself for his greed.

If he had known earlier that the July Association was buying the weapons, he would never have done that deal.

Fortunately, he managed to avoid being greedy and hoarding the huge profits that day. Otherwise, if this time bomb had exploded in the future, it would have shattered him to pieces.

Now that all the major arms dealers in the kingdom are involved, it has actually become a good thing.

The law does not punish the masses; no matter how powerful a thunderbolt explosion is, a large group of people share the risk. It's highly unlikely that anyone will delve deeper into this matter.

"Baron Keterai, I only want to exchange some Life Essence for it. Compared to helping you get rid of the July Association, the risks are on a completely different level."

Even if you refuse to do this deal, other Northern Aristocrats will.

Besides, what makes you think I'm capable of helping you with this?

Or do you believe that the July Association become so weak that a mere baron like myself could influence their decisions?

Hudson said irritably.

If this were in the North, approaching someone to exchange Life Essence would most likely result in a refusal.

But this is the Southeast Province, and as long as we are careful, we can easily cover up our transactions in secret.

The Life Essence wasn't marked either, so who knows where the Coslo Family obtained it from?

If the Locknerd Family had the time to keep an eye on the Coslo Family's every move, they might as well just send someone over to wipe them out.

There are reasons why they didn't do that. Even the most powerful nobles have to abide by the rules of their social circles.

Even the Five Great Northern Families only used borrowed knives to kill, they were not so arrogant as to personally lead people to wipe out an entire noble family.

Using others to do their dirty work has already ruined their reputation. If they were to do it themselves, they could forget about ever being able to stay in aristocratic circles again.

Spit can kill in many ways.

Unless one does not intend to recruit talent from outside, does not need to form marriage alliances with other nobles, does not need to form alliances with other nobles, does not need to obtain the kingdom's help, and does not need the support of nobles in various regions during times of war...

Otherwise, you must follow the rules of the game.

The risks are manageable. As long as they are not nobles affiliated with the Locknerd Family, they would definitely dare to do this deal if the profits are high enough.

Hudson was prepared to go to several other ambitious Northern Nobles if Kate refused to come.

At worst, they could make a political exchange: they would help the Coslo Family obtain the Life Essence, and the Coslo Family would help them integrate into the local aristocratic circle.

This kind of mutually beneficial business will always find buyers.

Having these guys act as intermediaries is much better than the Coslo Family going to find them themselves.

"Baron Hudson, don't be angry. Since I dared to make such a request, there must be an equivalent exchange."

If you only want to exchange for a small amount of Life Essence, there are plenty of people who will give you face. You can completely ignore what I said.

However, the Coslo Family is large and numerous, so there might not be enough to go around, let alone a few portions of the Life Essence. In fact, dozens or even hundreds of portions might not be enough.

Although they belong to the same family, the Coslo Family now appears to be more like an alliance of interests centered around blood ties.

The various branches are independent of each other, and none can command the others. Otherwise, if dozens of branches worked together, your progress in the early stages would have been much smoother than it is now.

Those branch families with established businesses are beyond your means to buy off right now.

If you wish to cultivate a family of knights, you will have no choice but to recruit marginalized members from distant branches.

Based on the principle of equivalent exchange, exchanging one dose of Life Essence for their service for ten years is definitely a profitable deal.

With your abilities, you are absolutely capable of winning over most of them within ten years.

The reason there's been no action so far is because the various factions haven't yet decided to invest in you.

The Coslo Family has now tacitly approved of your actions; at least the branches in the Southeast Province support them.

They might be reluctant to part with their direct descendants, but those marginalized offspring who weren't originally qualified to become knights should be recruited as many as you can.

After hearing Baron Keterai's explanation, Hudson fell silent.

His plan was to bring together marginalized clansmen. Although building a family-run business team would be very detrimental to later development.

But under the existing rules, this is the only way he can play.

In order to avoid trouble, even when privately teaching officers some basic knowledge, they would find all sorts of excuses.

Even so, there was considerable criticism from the outside world. To spread knowledge on a large scale would be to isolate oneself from the aristocratic class.

In contrast, raising one's own family members is much less troublesome. No matter how declining the distant branches are, or how many generations have passed since they were related, they are all members of the Coslo Family and are of noble birth.

Since they were children of nobles, they were considered one of their own. The dissemination of knowledge remained within the noble class and did not spread to the common people.

The lack of action wasn't due to opposition from within the family. In fact, if Hudson could provide sufficient resources, everyone would be willing to send their distant relatives over.

How could the other branches of the family possibly object if they could enhance their family's strength without harming their own interests?

The main problem is that Hudson has very limited resources. He can barely afford the ordinary supplies needed for daily learning and training, but he really can't afford the cultivation resources.

Life Essence is just the first step; after becoming a knight, further training will also require auxiliary resources.

Putting aside the extravagant resources, we can't skimp on the magical potions needed to treat the physical wear and tear during training, can we?

It's not just about having money. In situations where supply and demand are severely imbalanced, having connections is also essential to acquiring enough supplementary medications.

For the minor nobles, these problems are not insurmountable. As long as they reduce their daily training time, they can definitely get through their youth.

After the age of thirty or forty, the body begins to decline and can no longer withstand the pressure, so it is better to simply give up training.

This is why high-ranking knights are rarely found among the lesser noble families. It's not that they lack talent; it's simply that their families can't afford it.

After all, family development requires comprehensive consideration and cannot be based solely on individual interests.

"Baron Keterai, all that you've said is just nonsense."

I do need a lot of Life Essence. Even if you can solve this problem, it doesn't mean I can help you get rid of the July Association.

I know absolutely nothing about this Mysterious Organization. I'm guessing you don't know much either.

Based solely on the few rumors and whispers circulating, we can boldly deduce that there are other forces secretly controlling this organization.

If it weren't for the July Association's overly sensational slogans, they could have even openly stepped onto the stage.

Such a disciplined organization is hard for me to compare with a bunch of Heretical Cult.

When anything goes too far, there's bound to be something behind it. With your intelligence, you can probably guess a bit of it.

Now that you're already in this mess, don't expect to get out so easily. Unless you can get the kingdom's top nobles to vouch for you!

If you can't do that, then just live your life peacefully and pretend nothing happened.

Anyway, the July Association's name has resounded throughout the kingdom for over a hundred years, and very few members have had their identities exposed. Unless you're extremely unlucky, you're unlikely to run into them.

"I've said everything I can say. Now we can talk about our deal. Do you have any way to get me enough Life Essence?"

Hudson said coldly.

From their solemn expressions, one could see that they deeply feared the July Association.

Who could blame them when Hudson's analysis revealed such astonishing results?

Even he himself found it hard to believe. But reason told him that many unbelievable analyses were often close to the truth.

The content involved was too sensitive, and Hudson dared not draw any conclusions until he was completely certain.

To be on the safe side, they decided to be ambiguous and let Baron Keterai guess for herself.

That's enough!

The matter of the July Association ends here today.

Your required amount of Life Essence is too large, and it is difficult to meet your needs through any channel.

The best way to solve this problem is to make it yourself.

On the surface, only the royal family in the kingdom possesses the secret method for making the Life Essence, but in reality, none of the noble families lack the Life Essence.

Even some powerful mid-level nobles rarely hear of a shortage of Life Essence. Those who need to purchase Life Essence are almost always minor nobles; mid-level nobles are only occasionally seen.

Baron Hudson must understand why.

Hearing Kate's words, Hudson couldn't help but roll his eyes. He wasn't stupid; he naturally knew the reason behind it.

If the production process of the Life Essence is truly controlled solely by the royal family, as recorded in history books, then other major powers will have no chance of rising to prominence.

While the manufacturing process wasn't exactly commonplace, the noble families, who were not lacking in knights, had certainly achieved freedom in obtaining the Life Essence.

"Do you have the formula for making the Life Essence?"

Hudson asked, his voice trembling slightly.

Such strategic resources, which are strictly controlled by powerful forces, are virtually impossible to obtain through legitimate channels.

If he could get it, he would never let it go. If pushed to the limit, he would take a bear out in the middle of the night to ambush it, or even steal it by force.