The Other Side of Nobility

After arranging the relevant work, Hudson's first reaction was to rush to buy food, but he quickly abandoned the idea.

The Governor's Mansion's urgent dispatches were sent out simultaneously, but the Mountain Territory, being located there, was almost the last to receive them.

If you rush to buy food at this point, you don't know if there's any food left to sell, but the prices have already skyrocketed.

Once the locust plague spreads to the Southeast Province, the grain purchase contracts that were originally signed with various households will definitely have to be voided.

Fortunately, Hudson had a habit of storing grain. With the reserves in his territory, plus the grain he had salvaged, he should be able to last until the spring of next year without much trouble.

However, the prerequisite is that the locust plague ends as soon as possible, so as not to ruin the autumn harvest and affect the next season's grain planting.

If even autumn planting is ruined by locusts, then we'll be in big trouble.

As a major grain-producing province, the locust plague did not have a severe impact on the Southeast Province itself. Even with a significant reduction in grain production, the nobles were still able to weather the crisis thanks to their own reserves.

The provinces in the Northern Frontier that are truly facing a crisis are those that heavily rely on other provinces of the kingdom for food supplies.

This locust plague has affected a considerable area. The Southeast Province is currently only under a warning, while neighboring provinces have already experienced widespread damage. Ironically, these southern provinces happen to be the main grain-producing areas of the Alpha Kingdom.

Even if the autumn grain harvest is reduced or even completely lost in just one season, for the sake of the overall situation, everyone will grit their teeth and persevere, and will not reduce the grain supply to Northern Frontier.

But if autumn planting is affected, and next year's spring grain is directly destroyed by locusts, then there's nothing that can be done.

When things reach that point, the noble lords and lords in various regions will also face food shortages. At that time, they will be too busy taking care of themselves to provide large amounts of grain to support the Northern Frontier.

Rubbing his forehead, Hudson suddenly realized he was overthinking things. These were problems for important people to worry about; why should someone as insignificant as him concern himself with them?

The Alpha Kingdom has existed for so many years and this is not the first time it has encountered a famine. It has always been able to weather the storms in the past, so there is no reason why it should suddenly fail this time.

In the agricultural era, people had the habit of storing grain in preparation for famine. If it was only for their own use, the grain reserves of minor nobles could last for two years during a famine.

By employing certain special methods, one can endure the ordeal for even longer. Noble families with some lineage are no strangers to this kind of experience.

The grain reserves of the great nobles will only become more abundant. The dominance of the Five Great Families in the Northern Frontier region, which was originally a disadvantage in terms of defense, has now become an advantage.

Hudson didn't believe that the Five Great Families were completely unprepared. If they truly only had the publicly stated food reserves for a few months, why would the Orc Empire bother to plunder them?

If we broaden our perspective to the entire continent, even if the Alpha Kingdom is experiencing a famine, it does not mean that all human nations are experiencing a famine.

As the gatekeepers of the various human nations, when they reach out for help in times of crisis, surely no one can just sit idly by and do nothing?

At the very least, the neighbors nearby certainly wouldn't dare to watch the Alpha Kingdom collapse.

After careful analysis, Hudson found that the Kingdom's situation was still manageable, but the real crisis lay in the Mountain Territory, or more specifically, the counties of Huaidun.

As newly developed territory, aside from the spring harvest, the rest is still in the fields. A locust plague is imminent, and even if some can be salvaged, a reduced yield is inevitable.

The wheat seedlings are all green; harvesting them now would make them more like silage than grain. This year's summer grain harvest will definitely be significantly reduced.

Without sufficient reserves, the meager harvest from the fields certainly won't last long.

Local nobles could rely on their families for support, but Northern Nobles had no choice but to pay exorbitant prices for grain.

Those with money in their pockets were fine, but if they had no money and no food, Hudson didn't dare to think about what would happen next.

In short, things are not going to be peaceful in the two counties, and it may even affect neighboring areas.

"Mountain bandits" and "bandits," these criminal gangs that have just been eradicated, will rise from the ashes in the shortest possible time.

It seems the arms trade is about to see another surge, but that's not what Hudson wants. He needs food more than orders right now.

Relatively speaking, the Mountain Territory have been less affected. At least the planted mung beans, peas, sesame seeds, etc., will most likely escape unscathed.

Unfortunately, these crops are not planted in large quantities, only a few thousand acres. The main crops are still rye, potatoes, and soybeans, all of which are within the locusts' diet.

The same locust plague, the same troubles. Upon receiving the news, the noble lords all rushed to the front lines to combat the locust plague.

Harvest as much as you can, even if the harvested crops can only be used as livestock feed, it's still better than losing everything.

Even Baron Ciss, who had been preparing to settle scores with Hudson, temporarily abandoned his hatred. After issuing an order forbidding the transport of grain out of the city, he led his troops straight to Beda City to seize grain.

There was nothing he could do. While other lords were busy farming, he was focused on repairing Dadir City, and the amount of land he reclaimed was not much.

The effect was remarkable; Dadir City, having recovered some of its vitality, quickly became the commercial center of the two counties.

The profits are no less than those from farming, and you can make a profit by directly buying grain with money, without having to worry about land issues.

However, Dadir City heavily reliant on external purchases, is forced to confront the "food shortage" problem caused by the locust plague.

The plan was to purchase a large quantity of cheap grain after the autumn harvest as a year's food reserve. Unexpectedly, instead of getting a bargain, they received this devastating news.

Looking at the prices listed by various grain stores, Baron Ciss nearly vomited blood in anger.

Before receiving news of the locust plague, the price of rye in the city was only 3.5 copper coins per pound, with discounts available for large-scale purchases, though it was still slightly more expensive than buying directly from noble lords.

Now, the price of rye has skyrocketed, reaching an exorbitant ten copper coins per pound, with no room for negotiation. Baron Ciss is truly at a loss.

I've seen prices rise before, but I've never seen them skyrocket like this. The locust plague is just news; it hasn't actually arrived yet!

What if the entire Bug King is killed and the locust plague is brought under control?

Unfortunately, the entire market has gone mad under the shadow of panic.

The looting of grain had already spread throughout the city. Just look at the lines of free citizens—that's how anxious everyone was.

In the face of famine, free people, who were already struggling, were less able to withstand risks than serfs.

At least in the face of crisis, the serfs and their noble lords were there to help. Unless absolutely necessary, they wouldn't let the serfs under their rule starve to death.

The most vulnerable group, once they fall into bankruptcy, face a fate worse than that of serfs. They will either starve to death or be sold into slavery.

Panic buying is often linked to price increases, especially after grain merchants learned that the lords of Leyte and Huaidun were going to make large-scale grain purchases, which further fueled their enthusiasm for raising prices.

Grain merchants in the city collectively raised prices. If they didn't want to bear these exorbitant prices, they would have no choice but to buy directly from the noble lords.

Before that, perhaps it was worth a try. Now, with news of the locust plague, which noble lord wouldn't hoard their grain and refuse to sell?

Even if there is surplus grain for sale, priority will be given to "their own people". Unless an exorbitant price that cannot be refused is offered, it will be difficult for these outsiders to purchase enough grain.

Even these grain merchants wouldn't have acted so quickly if they weren't worried that holding large amounts of grain during a famine would attract the attention of nobles and threaten their lives.

"Young Master, make the purchases as quickly as possible!"

Don't worry about the price. Buy as much food as you can while you still can. In a while, even if you have money, it might be difficult to buy food.

Once these grain traders have sold out, it will be difficult for a second batch to appear in the coming months.

The locust plague is raging, and in extreme circumstances, the Governor's Mansion may not be able to attend to us.

Feren hurriedly tried to dissuade him.

As the steward, he was also extremely worried. Dadir City had finally gotten back on track, and then this happened. His luck was truly... well, let's just say it was terrible.

"Go on a shopping spree!"

Baron Ciss said, forcing a smile despite the pain in his eyes.

Money was no longer an issue; without food, they would truly starve to death. A competent lord who allowed his subjects to starve to death in large numbers would be drowned in spit.

In Falling Leaf Town, news of a locust plague also arrived. Baron Cayo, however, remained much calmer, as if nothing had happened.

He picked up a bowl of boiling tea, exhaled softly, and said calmly, "It seems the Lord of Dawn is interested in me."

The locust plague has practically delivered itself to our doorstep, so there's no need to continue with the original plan.

Who would willingly choose to be a villain if they could be a gentleman?

Having the right to rightfully control Whitton County, Baron Cayo did not want to resort to underhanded tactics and give others cause for gossip.

Once a famine breaks out, whoever has the grain in their hands will be the boss of the county. Even if other ambitious people vie for power, they must have the ability to feed everyone.

Throughout Whitton County, apart from Baron Cayo, who was backed by the Dalton Family and could solve the food shortage problem, which other lord would dare to be so generous?

When the time comes, all it takes is a little manipulation, and everyone will have no choice but to back down. After all, they've eaten their food, so they're bound to obey.

No matter how resentful he was, having incurred such a huge favor, he was too ashamed to compete with Baron Cayo. Otherwise, the public's scorn would teach him a lesson.

"Young master, one piece of news is not enough. It would be best if the locust swarms actually attacked Whitton County, then we could put enough pressure on all sides."

If you wish, you can also bring them up to Laite County. Faced with such a natural disaster, neither the Grand Duke's son nor the chosen one could help but bow their heads.

The old butler suggested.

If you're not ruthless, you can't stand firm.

Nobles in various regions are organizing people to intercept locusts, but how many can be saved from the overwhelming locust army?

All we can do is kill the leader, the Bug King. As for the smaller fry below, there's really nothing we can do.

Without Bug King, a swarm of insects is like headless flies, wandering aimlessly wherever they end up.

The threat is relatively small, but it's still only a small one. If it wanders to any place, it will have a devastating impact on the local ecosystem.

Large cities can organize magicians to set up Magic Array for protection, but in the vast countryside, there's really no way to do that.

If locusts were deliberately introduced into the two counties, one can imagine that the noble lords of Wright and Huaidun would suffer a severe economic blow.

"Let's wait and see. Locusts are ultimately uncontrollable. It would be best to keep them outside the Southeast Province."

If the interception fails, then a swarm of locusts will spread to the two southern counties, which I think everyone can accept.

Do not act yet; wait until you have discussed it with your uncle before making a decision. As a mage, I will answer the kingdom's call and participate in the fight against the locust plague.

"I'm entrusting the affairs of the territory to you, Uncle Fu. Prioritize stability above all else; other minor issues can be put on hold for now."

Baron Cayo said with a slight hesitation.

It was clear that he was conflicted. From the Dalton Family's perspective, stopping the locusts outside the Southeast Province was undoubtedly the best option.

Otherwise, if a locust plague were to break out, the Dalton Family, which owns the largest land area, would suffer the most severe losses.

Under the aristocratic system, the land belonged to the noble lords, and there was no way to take advantage of the situation to annex the land.

Not only do they bear all the losses, but as the head of the Southeast Province, the Dalton Family also has an obligation to help their subordinates.

Regardless of the specific stage of the rescue efforts, simply sitting idly by is definitely not an option.

Massive blood loss is inevitable. A few serfs starving to death is not a big deal, but if a nobleman starves to death, that will be major news that will shake the entire country.

However, from his own perspective, Baron Cayo desperately wanted the locust plague to escalate. Only by causing a major upheaval could he appear as a savior.

By taking his relief grain, not only did the lordly struggle come to an end, but he was also able to take the opportunity to cultivate a prestigious image for himself, a typical case of gaining both fame and fortune.

Upon arriving in Beda City, the administrative center of the Southeast Province for the first time, Hudson paid no attention to the large city.

As a "magician," Hudson was also summoned by the Governor's Mansion. To be precise, the Governor's Mansion wanted to recruit his bear.

This is evident from the treatment he received. Despite being just a junior mage, Hudson enjoyed the treatment of a Grand Magister.

The exceptionally high compensation package left Hudson feeling extremely uncertain. This compensation was an external assessment of Beldens' strength, but the true strength of their own Bear Stearns was completely unknown.

It's all the fault of the Earth Bear clan for being lazy, directly classifying strength by size and completely ignoring exceptions.

Without a reference point or a reasonable evaluation standard, assessing the strength of Young Bear is a complete mess.

They originally thought they could cultivate a facade of modesty and let the outside world speculate. Unexpectedly, this incident forced Beldens to step into the limelight.

With a sigh of relief, Hudson accepted the treatment without a second thought. The high salary was provided by the Governor's Mansion, not something he had requested.

If Beldens' strength is inferior to that of Magister, it only proves that the Governor's Mansion is incompetent, and it has nothing to do with Lord Hudson.

With rights and obligations being equal, accepting this conscription means that the military service for the next three years will be completed.

Everything is theoretical. In a real emergency, regardless of whether there is a military service requirement, those who should be conscripted will still be conscripted.

Take this locust plague, for example; it was a forced conscription mission. Every single magician in the entire Southeast Province was conscripted by the Governor's Mansion.

Some knights with Magical Beast Mount were also included in the recruitment scope. On the contrary, ordinary knights were excluded from the recruitment scope because they were not effective against locusts.

More than 150 mages and more than 20 knights gathered together; if you said that the scene wasn't preparation for war, probably no one would believe it.

All the faces were unfamiliar. Occasionally, he would run into a few familiar ones, but that was only because Hudson knew them, not the other people.

Uninterested in searching for acquaintances in the crowd, Hudson chose to sit down in a corner and enjoy his meal alone, seemingly out of place at the banquet.

There was no way around it; it wasn't that he didn't want to fit in. It was just that the mage community was too exclusive, and someone like him with only a smattering of knowledge found it difficult to participate in the conversation.

Knights are relatively easier to deal with, but that's only relatively speaking. Among all the knights present, Hudson is the only weakling.

Everyone else is at least Great Knight, no weaker than that. Knights who lack strength become "poop" in the process of acquiring Magical Beast Mount.

These guys, even if they weren't cultivation fanatics, were practically cultivation maniacs. Their conversations mostly revolved around cultivation-related topics, and Hudson still couldn't join in.

None of the noble ladies and ladies he had imagined appeared at the banquet. A few female magicians were present, but Hudson couldn't even get close to them.

Being invisible has its advantages, namely, you don't have to go out and socialize. As long as you're thick-skinned enough, you can eat and drink to your heart's content.

So-called aristocratic etiquette? Unfortunately, this isn't a stage for pretentious people. The powerful figures present are all unrestrained and do whatever they like.

For example, the burly knight opposite Hudson was discussing with his companion how to Bug King while gnawing on a leg of lamb.

The people around him were slightly better looking, but overall not much better. They would often down their drinks in one gulp.

Rules are the rules, and so are the habits of the people. As the strong, they no longer need to care about worldly opinions.

In contrast, those who are polite and have a great image are actually at the bottom of the food chain at banquets.

Instead of looking down on their eating habits, they kept flattering them. Their social standing was obvious to anyone who saw them.

No wonder noblewomen are not allowed to participate in such banquets; the scene before them is far removed from the aristocratic life they envision.

However, it is precisely these unassuming individuals who stand at the top of the food chain in the Southeast Province. Many of them may lack fame and rarely appear in public, but they are definitely the core of a family.

Nobody cared about their image, and Hudson followed suit. Although his claim to be a strongman was somewhat exaggerated, there were no instances of him showing off and then being embarrassed.

Being able to attend this banquet is itself a symbol of status and power. The younger generation has been told countless times by their parents to be obedient, obedient, and obedient again.

Being too arrogant could lead to offending some powerful but eccentric individual, and you might not even know how you died.

He was quietly eating, eavesdropping on everyone's conversation, and everything was going well until Beldens stretched, which immediately made Hudson the center of attention at the banquet.

Realizing he had gotten himself into trouble, the Young Bear glanced apologetically at Hudson and then began shopping on his own.

He picked up the plate and started pouring the food into his mouth, making Hudson so angry he wanted to kick the bear away. It was so embarrassing, making it seem like he, the owner, had never let the bear eat its fill.

Although the usual food may not reach this level, it is still plentiful and filling, so the bears are never hungry!

As if that was the beginning, the atmosphere of the banquet took an abrupt turn. All sorts of magical beasts suddenly appeared and joined the feast.

Upon seeing this, Hudson, who had been prepared to die, immediately calmed down.

It's not enough for just one's own bear to embarrass itself; since everyone's monsters have jumped out, it's as if the banquet should proceed in this manner.

Seeing the awkward expressions on the faces of the guests, Hudson secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out he wasn't the only one who couldn't control his magical beasts.

It's possible these guys made quite a few promises beforehand to keep the monsters behaving at the banquet. But the temptation of the food was too great, and their own bear started another bad habit.

Stopping it is unrealistic. Everyone has signed an equal contract with Warcraft, and both sides must give each other enough respect.

It's possible that many people secretly made additional promises in order to get the monsters to agree to become their pets.

After all, monsters are quite intelligent, and it's difficult to get them to agree to sign a contract without sufficient benefits.

"The Earth Bear!"