Deals Kept in the Dark

Stepping into the palace again, the tension of the past was gone, and the maids wore smiles.

It was clear that the withdrawal of the Beastfolk army had put the royal family in a good mood, and the maids were in a better mood as well.

"Your Excellency, His Highness is currently training in the martial arts arena and does not wish to be disturbed. You will have to go there yourself."

With no intention of making things difficult for the maid, Hudson magnanimously waved his hand, indicating that she could leave.

In a world rife with bloodshed and turmoil, life is not easy for the children of royalty. While enjoying a privileged life, they also have to endure a notoriously demanding education.

Knight training is one of the essential subjects.

As long as one's aptitude isn't too bad, with the support of royal resources, they will all possess considerable skill.

Hudson barely made it to the Silver Knight rank thanks to some extraordinary talent, while Crown Prince George, who is the same age, was only a tiny bit slower.

For ordinary noble children outside, becoming Advanced Knight at this age is considered genius.

This disparity is also a key reason why the higher nobles have been able to maintain their advantage over the lower nobles.

A person's peak period is limited, and the path to becoming a strong person also requires speed.

If you slow down at one step, you'll slow down at every step, wasting your life. As your physical abilities begin to decline, your cultivation speed will also decrease significantly.

Watching George train so meticulously, he seemed not to notice anyone approaching.

The overly friendly man took over George's resting spot, while Hudson quietly became the audience, and the guards standing by were used to this scene.

Friends should be casual with each other. Who cares if he's the Crown Prince or not? Hudson is going back home soon anyway, so there's no need to worry about so much.

Training ended quickly. Wiping away his sweat with a towel, George said with a smile, "Hudson, it's rare to see someone as busy as you taking the time to come over!"

Hearing this, Hudson rolled his eyes. As the commander-in-chief of the coalition forces, he naturally couldn't be idle. Even if there was no war for the time being, there were still many military affairs to handle.

Before today, he had no idea he would be returning home so early. He was planning to take a large army on a trip to the Orc Empire, so he couldn't just give up.

"I have come to bid you farewell today. A refugee crisis has broken out in the southern part of the kingdom, King has ordered the expeditionary force to return to stabilize the region."

As if he had heard some shocking news, Crown Prince George exclaimed, "Why? This isn't fair!"

"The time to reap the final harvest is almost here, and now they're summoning you back to deal with trivial matters. It's clear they have ulterior motives."

They dare to treat you like this? Hudson, you might as well stay here with your expeditionary force. I can guarantee you'll gain more here.

What the Alpha Kingdom can offer, the Moxi Duchy can offer two, three, or even more times.

If you go back now, you'll at most get one or two more counties as fiefdoms after the war, but here we can give you half a province.

The entire expeditionary force will be able to acquire no less than two provinces in fiefdom. If you are willing to stay, the Coslo Family will immediately become one of the most prestigious families in the duchy.

"You will have a seat in the Human Alliance council, something the Alpha Kingdom could never offer!"

It's clear that the Moshir royal family is prepared to spend a fortune to poach their members.

However, this was based on the fact that the Moxi Duchy suffered heavy losses and a large number of unclaimed territories were created.

The situation in the Alpha Kingdom was much better. Although many nobles died in battle, very few of them went to see the Lord of Dawn together as a family.

Since their direct heirs are still alive, they can't be too greedy. Even if they decline, it will be a gradual decline.

If the heir is smart enough to decisively relinquish some of the benefits, they can still gain the protection of the "beneficiary".

Unless we recover several provinces in Northern Frontier, the pie we can offer will definitely not be enough for everyone to share.

There was no way around it; the war had turned around too quickly, and not enough nobles had died in battle.

In previous major wars, the aristocratic youths suffered "overall losses" of more than 30%. This figure includes men, women, the elderly, and children, not just officers.

From the beginning to the end of the war, officers in many units were replaced from top to bottom, and soldiers were replaced several times over.

Every family held a funeral, and the whole country wept.

The losses suffered by the kingdom's nobles this time were clearly not as great. Just look at the number of castles the Beastfolk captured; it was less than a quarter of what it had been in the past.

Only a dozen or so legions were completely wiped out, far fewer than the historical average for the same period.

The casualty rate of the expeditionary force was considered high, with the officer casualty rate just over 60%.

This wasn't Hudson's fault; over 90% of the casualties came from the Dachias Battle.

"I'm sorry, George. I cannot accept this invitation."

Regardless of what becomes of the Alpha Kingdom, it will always be the place where I was born and raised. As a patriotic nobleman, I will never leave.

He gave a formulaic answer, without showing a trace of dissatisfaction.

In a world where photos and videos are taken, Hudson has always been cautious when it comes to political issues.

Even if they were friends, he wouldn't dare gamble on George's integrity when national interests were involved.

The conditions offered by the Moxi Duchy are indeed very high, and the promises made to those who switch sides will be fulfilled, but it will be difficult to regain the respect they have now.

"Loyalty" is a very important quality in the aristocratic world. No one may say anything openly, but deep down, everyone despises it.

Unless Caesar III acts perversely and commits acts that are universally condemned, Hudson will always be a "loyal subject" of the kingdom.

Hudson didn't switch sides mainly because the Moxi people offered too low a price. The Mountain Territory isn't just the outer mountain range; it also includes the vast swamps and the sea outlet.

Now that he has money, if he develops all these places, their value will be no less than half a province.

Especially since the location of the fiefdom granted by the Moxi people was uncontrollable. George didn't even mention the specific location, so it's safe to assume it's most likely on the front lines.

Only the powerful nobles within the border provinces and the Moxi Duchy would not object.

As for obtaining fiefdoms in both countries simultaneously, that is only theoretically possible. In the event of an armed conflict between the two countries, one would need to fulfill military obligations to both simultaneously.

Just imagining the inhuman scenes inside sent chills down Hudson's spine.

This kind of thing is beyond his small frame to handle. Only those powerful and elite noble families have the confidence to declare neutrality in a conflict between two countries.

"Very well, I respect your choice. The gates of the duchy will always be open for you, and I've reserved lands for you. You can come anytime you wish."

Hearing George's words, Hudson secretly rolled his eyes. Reserved land for him was less a statement than a declaration that the royal family wanted to take the opportunity to expand their territory.

Knowing this, Hudson still didn't expose it. He was leaving anyway, and the struggle between the Murcy royal family and the domestic nobility was none of his business.

"Then I'll thank you in advance!"

Hudson smiled slightly.

Sometime later, a seal appeared on the table next to them.

Smart traders don't need to spell things out; a single glance is enough for them to understand everything.

"Hudson, if you won't come, we can recruit other nobles from the expeditionary force. Surely you won't object?"

After understanding the implication, George asked deliberately.

It's obvious that poaching doesn't require informing the Hudson. It's not unusual for nobles to switch allegiances to neighboring countries.

Raising this question now may seem like a sign of respect, but it's actually a way to get him to set his own conditions.

"No problem, I don't object as long as they're willing to come. But you guys have to restrain yourselves and not poach all my people."

The expeditionary force will continue fighting, so I will not return the troops that have been replenished on your side for the time being. We can discuss it again after the war, how about that?"

Hudson said without changing his expression.

George naturally understood the blatant implication: some people could be poached, and some couldn't.

Both sides got what they wanted: the Moxi people gained low-level thugs, and Hudson quietly eliminated his rivals.

It mainly targets the nobles of Laite County; those who are half-hearted and unwilling to sincerely pledge allegiance are considered unstable factors.

Originally, they intended to have them die on the battlefield, but in the end, Lord Hudson, whose conscience was not completely gone, decided not to go too far.

The unwillingness to pledge allegiance simply means they don't want to take sides in future conflicts in the Southeast Province; it doesn't necessarily mean they will become enemies.

No matter how cleverly he purges his rivals, his actions will eventually be discovered, and once word gets out, no one will dare to team up with him in the future.

Let's play it safe and let the Moxi people poach the people, then the Hudson will take over their fiefdom.

The additional troops were essentially given away for free. After the war, it was discussed that all of them were "killed" in action.

The problem is a list of the dead; the people have all arrived in the Alpha Kingdom, and it's impossible to verify whether they are alive or dead.

After leaving the palace, news of Hudson's resignation as commander-in-chief of the Allied forces and the impending departure of the expeditionary force quickly spread throughout Dapes.

A storm was brewing, but before they could take any action, Crown Prince George took control of the army with a decree from Chris IX.

By the time everyone realized what had happened, the matter was already settled.

Without a doubt, the royal family of Morsi played a significant role in making things go so smoothly.

During wartime, the situation was of utmost importance, and they dared not let the young Crown Prince stand out; this was for the sake of the overall situation.

Now that the dangerous period has passed, it is in the best interests of the royal family for the Crown Prince to take control of the army in advance and ensure a smooth transition of Royal Authority.

George's first act upon taking power was to assess the merits of those who had distinguished themselves in the war, using the opportunity of rewarding those who had contributed to the victory to win over the hearts and minds of the people at home.

As the one who turned the tide of the great war, Hudson naturally received a reward as well. This included the honorary title of "Marshal" awarded by the Moxi Duchy, plus a cash reward of 300,000 gold coins.

Without exception, the cash rewards are distributed in the form of bonds. However, the interest rate is no longer the original 30% per annum, but has plummeted to 5%.

This isn't the first time bond yields have fallen. Aside from the earliest war bonds issued when the situation was dire and high interest rates were necessary, subsequent war bonds have consistently seen declining yields.

As a witness to and participant in history, Hudson collected all the war bonds issued by the Moxi people, ranging from a high interest rate of 30% to a low of 5%.

It must be admitted that the Moxi people are very generous; the total face value of all the bonds is as high as 1.28 million gold coins.

Although the amount sounded enormous, Hudson accepted the money with a clear conscience. It included not only the rewards he received as commander-in-chief, but also the money he paid to his private army.

In theory, as long as the Moxi people can redeem these bonds normally, Hudson can earn 160,000 gold coins in interest every year without having to do anything.

This figure is higher than the normal income of Mountain Territory in peacetime.

If you rely on farming yourself, it would probably take at least twenty years of hard work.

Hudson wanted to laugh when he heard his subordinates complaining privately about the low interest rates on Moxi people bonds. What good are high interest rates if they can be redeemed on time?

The fact that the interest rates offered are getting lower and lower proves that the Moxi people are prepared to repay the money.

If they keep maintaining a high interest rate of 30%, then there's no need to think about anything else; it's obvious they're going to default on their debts.

A book-reading app recommended to me by a friend I've known for ten years, Wild Fruit Reading! It's freaking amazing! I use it to read aloud and listen to books while driving or before bed to pass the time. You can download it here.

It remains to be seen whether the low-interest war bonds issued by the Moxi people will sell well on the international market.

If they sell well, they can simply refinance their existing debt with new bonds and recover the high-interest bonds they issued earlier.

Without the pitfalls of usurious loans, although the remaining debt is enormous, at least the annual interest payments shouldn't be a problem.

If the domestic economy recovers somewhat, perhaps the principal can be gradually repaid.

Hudson originally didn't care about these things. But as he accumulated more and more war bonds, he was inevitably bound by interests.