Secret Order
The chaotic situation on the mainland is overwhelming. Various miscellaneous forces seem to have conspired together to cause trouble.
The Alpha Kingdom is at peace because the Orc Empire, that big boss, is about to attack.
For the major human factions, gatekeepers are still very necessary.
Even the Church, which wants to stir up trouble, only wants to provoke conflict and then reap the benefits.
Nobody's foolish enough to believe that the Alpha Kingdom would be finished immediately.
Without this powerful gatekeeper, the Beastfolk could easily sweep in and threaten the human race's dominance over the continent.
To other races, humans are not a good thing, but Beastfolk even more despicable.
The Orc Empire's many races didn't come together naturally; rather, they were the result of an alliance of five rogue races conquering various regions.
Humanity's ability to seize the dominant position on the continent was largely due to the Beastfolk's rampage in the past, which severely weakened many other races.
When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits.
The humans were the ones who got the better deal; taking advantage of the Beastfolk's momentary lapse in attention, they joined forces with other races to deliver a severe blow.
Even with humans in power, nothing fundamentally changed. The only difference was that humans were more adept at political maneuvering, learning to conceal and feign compliance.
They don't seem as cruel Beastfolk; they prefer to act covertly most of the time and prefer to maintain a facade of peace in public.
No matter how well you try to hide it, it will eventually be exposed. Even if you don't realize it at the time, you'll eventually come to your senses.
Unsurprisingly, it was soon humanity's turn to become the enemy of the continent.
It's all for the better survival of the race; there's no question of justice or evil. Whichever side you're on is the side of justice.
As a member of the human race, Hudson naturally wouldn't speak out for the injustice done to other races. There can only be one true hegemon of the continent; without struggle and contention, there can be no power.
Putting down the documents in his hand, Hudson gasped, admitting that he had learned something new again.
Regardless of the situation in other countries on the continent, it has nothing to do with him for the time being. The key point is that the Orc Empire has begun to prepare for war.
These things alone might bother him at most, but they certainly wouldn't surprise him.
For the Beastfolk, invading the south was as simple as eating and sleeping.
Almost all the superior Beastfolk races participate in the southward invasion. An orc life without a southward invasion is incomplete.
The problem is that this military expansion and preparation for war was initiated by the Behemoth Imperial Court. Surprisingly, the elderly Behemoth Emperor did not object this time.
On the surface, it was a compromise made to the war faction in order to push Prince Alex to the throne, but Hudson knew that this explanation was pure nonsense.
The best way to ensure a peaceful succession to the throne for a crown prince who indulges in eating, drinking, and merrymaking is to do nothing, rather than initiating a war.
The Behemoth Emperor is quite old, well past the normal lifespan of a Behemoth.
If Behemoth Emperor were to suddenly pass away during a war, how would Crown Prince Alex stabilize the situation?
Something unusual must be going on.
No one knows what the Behemoth Emperor is planning this time, but war is drawing near. Who knows what might happen if a frivolous old man nearing the end of his life goes on a rampage?
Faced with this bizarre situation, a proactive response from the kingdom was inevitable. Each full-scale Beastfolk invasion was a test for the Alpha Kingdom; a moment's carelessness could lead to national ruin and destruction.
"You've all seen the information. There's definitely something fishy Behemoth Emperor's sudden change."
We don't know the specifics, but once this Beastfolk invasion breaks out, it will definitely not be a small-scale conflict.
Although having two more allies to share the burden, the pressure will still be considerable once the Beastfolk become their main target.
As the kingdom's rear base, the Southeast Province will not only provide money and provisions in the event of war, but also send troops to participate in the battle.
Now everyone must make all necessary preparations. In the event of a sudden outbreak of war, the troop deployment task assigned to my Southeast Province should be between 150,000 and 250,000.
Although these troops were not sent out all at once, the number of the first expeditionary force was no less than 80,000.
If the wartime situation on the front lines is tense, it is normal for the number of recruits to double.
After the last all-out war and the collapse of the front lines, the kingdom was at its most critical moment, but was forced to implement the policy of conscripting one out of three men.
Sending serfs who had just laid down their hoes to the battlefield was tantamount to handing their lives to the enemy. It was a blatant act of killing to slow down the Beastfolk's advance.
We must never make the same mistake twice!
The reason I invited you all here today is that I hope you will expand your military as much as possible and train as many elite troops as possible before the outbreak of a major war.
Not only the Standing Army, but even ordinary serfs are now required to participate in military training. This is to prepare for the worst-case scenario.
His Majesty has secretly decreed that the kingdom shall now enter a state of full military preparedness to meet the Beastfolk invasion with the utmost strength.
After you return, you must not only prepare for war with all your might, but also urge the lords below you to expand their armies and prepare for war.
The secret order must not be leaked. I don't care how it is carried out, but once war breaks out, you all have to provide me with an army capable of fighting tough battles.
This is a racial war; there is no room for negotiation. The Aslant Continent operates on the law of the jungle; the losers have no right to live on this continent!
Count Pierce's words sent a chill down everyone's spine. Their expressions turned serious.
The whole nation is mobilized for war?
What an insane idea!
What appears to be merely a secret order from Caesar III, in fact, means that the fact that it has been brought to this point implies that the various major powers within the kingdom had already made prior arrangements.
The exact details are unclear, but Hudson knew things had gotten serious. Clearly, these powerful forces sensed danger, which is why they'd made such a fuss.
Regardless of whether this plan can ultimately be realized, simply making this political gesture is extremely frightening.
This means that if a major defeat occurs at the front, the Alpha Kingdom will truly enter a state of total mobilization. Regardless of whether they can complete training, able-bodied men will be armed and sent to the battlefield.
After a moment's hesitation, Hudson ultimately remained silent. Race wars have always been the most brutal, a matter of life or death.
The situation on the mainland is currently turbulent. If a major war breaks out, all the human nations will be bogged down by various messy matters, and the situation might really deteriorate to that extent.
It's better to prepare for the worst in advance and train all the serfs than to be caught unprepared when the enemy comes knocking.
"Governor Excellency, we will naturally carry out the King's secret order. However, the problem is that including the entire population in the training program will require considerable expenditure."
Our families are generally able to afford this expense; we can grit our teeth and get through it.
The question is, what about the lesser nobles below?
Last year's locust plague has significantly reduced everyone's food reserves. Some less affluent nobles may find it difficult to bear this burden.
"Viscount Oran said with a worried expression."
As the first line of defense against the locust swarm, Qiaomu County suffered the worst losses in the entire province.
Not only were the crops in the fields gone, but many wooden houses were also eaten by locusts.
The granaries of some unfortunate nobles were broken into by the locust army and completely looted.
As a good leader, you naturally have to consider your subordinates' needs. Ignoring the actual situation and blindly following orders can be very disheartening.
Hudson realized he was being subtly implied; he was the poorest person present. "Basically able to afford it" meant, in other words, the Coslo Family couldn't afford it.
However, everything has its advantages and disadvantages. With so many people needing to train, there must be a lot of weapons and equipment, right?
The nobles are all shrewd. If they see that the great nobles are starting to expand their armies and prepare for war, and are being organized to conduct large-scale military training, and they still don't realize the danger, then they might as well give up.
In times of crisis, strengthening one's capabilities is essential. Even the worst iron weapon is more lethal than a wooden stick.
Once business picks up, money will naturally flow in. At that point, Lord Hudson will be flush with cash.
"Governor Excellency, Viscount Oran is right. The effects of last year's locust plague have not completely subsided, and it is still uncertain how this season's summer grain harvest will fare."
Especially in some of the hardest-hit counties, if the serfs are to be incorporated into the training program, food is the first major problem to be solved.
It seems King Majesty's order is not only aimed at the Southeast Province. If all provinces of the kingdom are trained, the increased food consumption will certainly be substantial.
Domestic grain prices are likely to rise. It's feared that wealthy nobles will find it difficult to afford this expense.
To better fulfill His King's orders, I suggest that the Governor's Mansion procure a batch of grain from overseas to stabilize grain prices within the province.
Hudson followed up with his suggestion.
As he spoke, he glanced at Viscount Cayou, signaling him to hurry up and follow.
Of the fifteen counties in the Southeast Province, the counties of Leyte and Huaidun are currently facing the most economic difficulties, while even the Qiaomu County, which was the most severely affected by the disaster, is in a much better situation.
While the soaring grain prices undoubtedly hurt the Northern Nobles the most, the local nobles were equally affected.
Take Hudson himself as an example; he purchases large quantities of grain every year. If he doesn't want to pay high prices, he'll have to incur favors.
If even the boss can't stand it, then the underlings must be having an even harder time. Now that something like this has happened, they have to fight for their underlings.
In fact, Hudson had long wanted to purchase grain from overseas. Unfortunately, he had neither a port nor a fleet of ships.
Most of the overseas trade in the Southeast Province was controlled by the Dalton Family, and several other middle-class nobles also followed suit and got a share of the pie, but the Coslo Family, which had just returned to the ranks of middle-class nobles, was not among them.
If they cannot accomplish this themselves, they can only place their hopes on the Governor's Mansion. Only when grain prices within the province stabilize will the Mountain Territory have the opportunity to purchase and stockpile large quantities.
Perhaps sensing his implication, Viscount Cayou frowned, hesitated for a moment, and then said with a forced smile, "Governor Excellency, Hudson Hudson's suggestion is good."
Food security is of paramount importance. Although my Southeast Province is not short of grain, there are very few nobles willing to sell their grain now.
To stabilize grain prices, I propose that the Governor's Mansion provide a limited supply of affordable grain by prefecture, which will then be taken back and distributed by those present.
Frankly, Cayo didn't want to make this suggestion. He could only gain more by keeping the matter private and letting the Dalton Family control the grain trade.
But there was no way for him to refuse, given his understanding of his uncle. In front of everyone, Count Pierce could not possibly refuse such a proposal that would help complete the King's secret order.
"Political correctness" is a rule that important figures must follow. Especially in times when unity is needed, they must not do anything that undermines unity.
Given this, Viscount Cayou naturally wanted to prove himself. He didn't have complete control of Whitton County, and this batch of affordable grain was undoubtedly a powerful tool for winning people's hearts.
The suggestion was to distribute the affordable grain supply to everyone present, which would also benefit everyone.
You can tell the hierarchy by looking at the order of positions.
Even though he was the Governor's nephew, he could only be placed at the bottom. Hudson, who was also a newcomer, was assigned to the fifth-to-last position.
This was definitely not a mistake by the officials in charge of receiving the guests, but rather a ranking that took into account everyone's overall strength.
Since it is a manifestation of strength, the order of positions can also reflect the level of influence.
As the weakest party, if you want to gain a foothold here, you can't go wrong by first showing everyone a good impression.
Perhaps it was also meant to show Count Pierce. To demonstrate to his uncle through concrete actions that Cayo possessed considerable political acumen and was worth cultivating.
After glancing at everyone, Count Pierce said expressionlessly, "Well, I will arrange for someone to take care of this."
However, the price of grain overseas is still unclear. With shipping costs included, the price of the grain brought back might not be lower than the current market price, so you should be prepared for that.
If you are short of food, there is still a shipment of fish at the port. The price is relatively cheap, and you can send someone to purchase it.
Except for special varieties, most wild fish are not considered fine food in the Southeast Province.
The market for marine fish is even smaller.
The nobles who could afford it weren't interested in this stuff. The serfs and commoners who wanted to eat these fish didn't have the money.
Except during wartime when dried fish was stockpiled as military rations, fish was generally not popular.
The main problem is that fresh fish is inconvenient to transport. While it's easier to store dried fish, the high price of salt makes all pickled products expensive.
The Immortal Wood Romance
For the Dalton Family, who monopolized the salt trade, these were naturally not problems. However, the dried fish they produced, aside from being consumed by themselves, still did not sell well in the market.
Count Pierce wasn't bringing this up now for the sake of selling dried fish. That small amount of money wasn't worth the attention of a local lord like him.
His real purpose was to warn everyone to behave themselves. Only in the event of a food crisis would he, as the leader, lend a helping hand.
Even if food cannot be purchased overseas, the Dalton Family has the ability to help solve the food shortage.
"Fish stock" could also mean "leftover stock".
"Relatively cheap" clearly means that those who are law-abiding can buy cheap goods; if they are not law-abiding, they cannot purchase goods even if they have money.
The implication was so blatant that if Hudson hadn't understood the unspoken meaning, he wouldn't have felt comfortable sitting there.
We can't worry about anything else right now; at this critical juncture, the most important thing is to be able to buy enough food.
He was already mentally prepared to be ripped off regarding the price. As long as the price didn't skyrocket, Hudson was prepared to accept it.