Clash of the Southwestern Nobles

Having just finished a military meeting and decided on the next operational plan against the Warhammer Kingdom, Alex suddenly felt distracted.

His intuition told him that something big was about to happen. As if he had suddenly realized something, Alex's expression changed.

"Guards, send the double out to patrol the camp!"

Still feeling uneasy, Alex decisively left his tent.

Even his favorite Magic Armor was left to his stand-in, while he himself changed into a plain leather armor.

If you weren't close to him, you would definitely mistake him for a Behemoth soldier when you saw his new outfit.

Having done all this, Alex then took up the post of a soldier, standing guard and patrolling the camp.

Not long after, a giant golden dragon carrying an old man suddenly descended from the sky and landed in the camp.

The officers, recognizing the old man, hurriedly stepped forward to greet him, saying, "High Priest, what brings you here?"

After glancing at everyone, the old man solemnly said, "His Majesty has fallen into a coma due to an accident. The Imperial Court cannot be without a ruler for even a day. I have come to invite Your Highness to return and take charge of the overall situation."

"Where is Your Highness? Take me there quickly!"

As he spoke, the old man's expression remained slightly unnatural. As a high-ranking and powerful High Priest, he hadn't lied like this in many years.

There was no other way; the Behemoth Emperor's orders had to be carried out, and Crown Prince Alex was no pushover.

The imperial court issued more than a dozen edicts in succession, but he ignored them all. Without a reasonable excuse, the old priest suspected that he might not even be able to see the person.

Alex has been in the military for over a year, and as long as he's not too stupid, he should be able to gain a group of supporters based on his status as the crown prince.

Let alone the fact that his status as the High Priest is not enough, even if the Behemoth Emperor himself came, there might still be unexpected events.

It's all the fault of tradition; usurpation is far too common in the Orc Empire.

Even Behemoth Emperor himself came to power through a coup. With such a powerful example before him, it's not surprising that his sons would follow suit.

"His Highness is currently inspecting the camp; you might as well take a short rest."

Glaring at the talkative officer, the old priest snapped, "How can I rest at a time like this? Take me to His Highness immediately!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than the patrol's double appeared in the sight of the Behemoths. Without the slightest hesitation, the old priest darted to the double's side. "Your Highness, the Crown Prince, His Majesty has encountered an accident, and the Imperial Court needs you to take charge."

The matter is urgent; we'll discuss the details on the way.

As he spoke, the old man had already forcefully pulled his stand-in onto the golden giant statue.

Before leaving, he didn't forget to tell everyone, "His Highness the Crown Prince and I will go first. You few keep an eye on the army. End the battle as soon as possible and return to the Imperial Court!"

In the blink of an eye, the two Behemoths and the giant drake disappeared from everyone's sight, leaving a group of officers staring at each other in disbelief.

Crown Prince Alex, who witnessed this scene, secretly breathed a sigh of relief. At least things had gotten through; he just didn't know how the old priest would explain himself to Behemoth Emperor once he discovered something was amiss.

However, it's hard to say. This substitute isn't an ordinary Behemoth either; it's also a descendant of the Behemoth Emperor, possessing royal blood. It can fool the High Priest now, and maybe it can do so later as well.

Deep down, Alex was already fantasizing about the anger and helplessness Behemoth Emperor would feel when he excitedly completed his secret ritual, only to discover that his Stand was an imposter.

Perhaps because everyone was eager to return home, the expeditionary force advanced slightly faster than Hudson had anticipated, returning home a day ahead of schedule.

Upon entering the country, they were warmly received by the local nobles. The expeditionary force deserves great credit for preventing the spread of war.

Of course, this wasn't the main reason for accepting the thanks. The main reason was that the menacing expeditionary force was too frightening, making the local nobles uneasy.

In order to prevent their territory from falling into war, they chose to take the initiative and hoped that Commander Hudson would enforce military discipline.

This is an embarrassing situation, a consequence of the expeditionary force passing through this area.

The discipline of Hudson's First Army was impeccable.

While it cannot be said that they committed no offenses whatsoever, at the very least the soldiers did not deliberately disturb the people, and they were well-received along the way.

The situation with the next few legions is complicated.

Despite the restraints imposed by the noble officers, the mob was still a mob, and many petty thieves and scoundrels emerged from it.

It is said that there were conflicts with nobles along the way, and this incident is most likely to avoid another war.

Seeing the old, decrepit nobleman who came to greet him, Hudson didn't dare to speak too loudly, for fear of accidentally sending the man away.

Those who could wield a sword were all at the front lines; the remaining nobles were either very old or very young.

Those old immortals with even a little bit of power have all gone to the Orc Empire to fight one last wave for the Longevity Secret Method.

Of course, Hudson prefers to believe that they were the ones who caused trouble in the past.

We finally got a group of human experts. If we don't use their strength to fight the Orc Empire, then we've all been wasting our time.

As a local, leading the way is basic practice. Wherever there's Beastfolk tribe, that's where you'll happen to pass by—perfectly logical.

If we don't turn the Orc Empire Earth Flip Heaven Overturn, we'll be letting down our ancestors who died at the hands of the Beastfolk.

If the Coslo Family hadn't been so shallow in its foundation and lacked veteran powerhouses, they would have followed suit and joined in the fun.

"Everyone can rest assured that as long as logistical supplies are maintained along the way, the soldiers of the expeditionary force will absolutely not enter any villages or towns along the route without authorization!"

Hudson assured him with a smile.

The soldiers' quality was questionable, but when it came to military discipline, no one in the expeditionary force dared to leave the camp without orders.

If it's possible in the Moxi Duchy, there's no reason why it can't be done back home. Under the military law of the Guilt by Association, even going out requires the permission of the soldiers in one's unit.

"Thank you for your understanding, Your Excellency. It is simply that we country folk are ignorant and easily panicked when things happen."

The main problem is that we're all too old; not only can we not go to the battlefield, but we can't even handle this little thing properly.

Hearing the old man's self-deprecating words, Hudson raised his wine glass and swirled it slightly, saying, "You're too kind, Marquis. You are a treasure of the kingdom."

Back when you led your troops in a bloody battle against the Beastfolk, we younger generations weren't even born yet!

Now it's our turn to defend the Alpha Kingdom, and we'll certainly need your guidance.

Though he spoke politely, Hudson was inwardly cursing. Had he known the old man wasn't at the front, he would never have attended this banquet.

Over a hundred people, about to meet the Lord of Dawn, with the Longevity Secret Method within reach, were all able to resist the temptation. Hudson didn't know what to say.

However, it is precisely because of this "survival" that the old man in front of us, whose strength is only that of Silver Knight, has been able to live to this age.

A guy who isn't very strong and is good at "playing the field" and avoids trouble whenever possible naturally doesn't have many achievements to show for himself.

So much so that when Hudson wanted to offer some praise, he couldn't find a topic to discuss and could only engage in awkward small talk.

However, in the cutthroat world of aristocracy, mere survival skills are not enough to survive. This old man may not be good at leading troops into battle, but he is a master at managing his family.

Before he took over the family, the Aram Family was on the verge of falling from the ranks of the great nobility. Through his efforts, it gradually developed into the number one family in the southwest.

In terms of overall strength, they are even superior to the Dalton Family. Even Hudson would have a headache dealing with such a local power.

The rise of new forces will inevitably face suppression from established forces; this is an eternal truth.

Although it wasn't said explicitly, the old man's sudden appearance was clearly a warning.

The local forces representing the southwestern provinces told him: new players are not welcome here, and don't try to take advantage of the refugee crisis to establish a foothold here.

Clearly, a new round of reshuffling has begun in the kingdom, and the internal struggles are even more intense than Hudson had anticipated.

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Since he never intended to develop in the southwest, Hudson naturally wouldn't confront these people over such a minor unpleasantness.

In fact, as long as there is no conflict of interest, these old guys are relatively easy to get along with.

Being solely driven by profit corresponds to weighing the pros and cons. When encountering a problem, analyzing it from the perspective of interests can solve most of the issues.

The younger generation is more troublesome, facing not only financial interests but also jealousy from their peers.

"Other people's children" are always the ones that provoke resentment.

Unfortunately, at Hudson's age, he was the "other people's child" that everyone talked about.

Not only will you be envied by your peers, but even your parents' generation will be envious. This is the price of being too outstanding.

"Your Excellency is too kind. As the youngest marshal on the continent, you are the leader of the kingdom's youth."

If all goes well, you will have a place in the next round of elections for the Kingdom's Senate.

Marquis Joel said with a chuckle.

A classic case of giving a slap on the wrist followed by a sweet treat.

The meaning is very clear: if no one tries to steal the cake, then we are friends.

The main reason for offering the Senate seat as a lure was to prevent Hudson from holding a grudge and then taking advantage of them during the subsequent suppression of the refugee crisis.

In fact, that's exactly what Hudson intended to do. While he wouldn't deliberately drive people into their territory, slowing down the operation by a tiny bit would be acceptable.

The past year has been tough for the southwestern provinces as well. Everyone is tightening their belts and building defenses, with almost everyone—men, women, young and old—working together.

If they are hit by another wave of refugees, even with the Aram Family's substantial wealth, it will take them several years to recover.

At this critical moment of political reshuffling, damaging one's family's vitality can be extremely devastating.

"Hudson, thank you for your kindness, Your Excellency Marquis. I'll leave the nomination to you all!"

As he spoke, Hudson raised his glass to the crowd before downing it in one gulp.

This was a blatant deal: in exchange for quickly quelling the refugee crisis, he would gain political support from the nobles of the southwestern provinces.

This is a consequence of having no one in power; if you don't try to maneuver, you won't even get a nomination when it matters most.

The Senate may seem to lack real power, but that's because Caesar III was powerful enough to gradually undermine the institution through a series of cunning maneuvers.

As an institution composed entirely of high-ranking nobles, the Senate was inherently destined to hold a high political position in the kingdom.

In the event of an accident involving the King, the Senate would serve as a regent.

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