Seascape

After a final glance back at Blood Moon Castle, where they had once fought, Hudson led his team on their return journey. If it weren't for the increased cargo, the trip would have been virtually identical to their arrival.

The noble investiture that should have been received in the Royal Capital has now been postponed indefinitely.

The war has lasted for three years since its outbreak. Even the last batch of soldiers to enlist have been fighting on the battlefield for more than a year.

Those who survived are the lucky ones. After enduring this ordeal, everyone is exhausted and weary, and all they want to do is go home and rest.

As soon as the land grant issue was settled, the people, eager to return home, rushed to their hometowns as quickly as possible.

Compared to the journey there, the return trip was significantly smoother this time. Perhaps in an effort to ease tensions, the Dalton Family provided ships to the nobles within the province free of charge.

The changes brought about by the war were profound. Having witnessed the convenience of sea transport, the nobles who originally disliked traveling by ship now readily accepted the invitation.

Hudson did not refuse this offer. The main force had already left with the start of the major demobilization, and now only some guards accompanied him.

Even if the Dalton Family were to play tricks, Hudson could withstand the loss of several hundred people.

However, this is impossible. All the nobles in the province are with him, and if something happens to them all, Dalton will also be buried with them.

Moreover, Hudson was on the same ship as Count Pierce. If an accident were to occur and the ship were to sink, Count Pierce would definitely be the first to meet the Lord of Dawn.

The two chatted and laughed all the way, leaving the nobles of the province dumbfounded. If they didn't know about the rivalry between their families, they would have thought they were best friends who could talk about anything.

Despite the surprise, everyone understood the political signal: the Dalton Family and Coslo Family will not turn against each other for the time being, and they shouldn't Fishing in troubled waters take advantage of the situation.

This gesture was made entirely based on the interests of both parties.

The Dalton Family's military strength has been severely damaged, and they need time to recover; the Coslo Family, as nouveau riche, also needs time to digest their gains.

The world of the nobility is pragmatic. The existing balance of power between the two families is already established and cannot be changed by any individual's will.

Since everyone needs time now, the prerequisite for easing tensions is in place. We'll deal with the future when it comes.

It's impossible to expect the two sides to profit from the confrontation and quietly rise to power and take advantage of the situation.

"Pass down the order: dock at Quebec Island for rest and reorganization!"

As Count Pierce gave his command, a massive island appeared, looming over Hudson's shoulders.

Demonstrating strength?

This sounds more like a temptation!

Looking at the enormous island that appeared before him, Hudson's mouth began to water. Although he didn't know its exact size, it certainly couldn't be a small island if it was used as an overseas base by the Dalton Family.

"Count Hudson, there is no shortage of islands at sea, but very few are suitable for development."

The Quebec Island ahead is a treasure trove. After more than a hundred years of development, it is now a prosperous place that is hard to find overseas.

While it may not be as spectacular as the mainland, the unique charm of the ocean has its own distinct appeal. Since you've come all this way, you should..."

Count Pierce's words brought Hudson back to reality. No matter how wonderful Quebec Island was, it had absolutely nothing to do with him.

The vast ocean is never short of islands. Especially in the northern continent, where the sea is full of shallow reefs, the number of islands is countless.

Along the way, we encountered no fewer than a hundred islands of varying sizes. The main reason they remained uninhabited, besides their small size, was the difficulty of development.

Storms and waves are deadly threats to these islands. To make matters worse, these islands have very few good ports, and large ships must be dredged up to accommodate them.

During the previous wars, the human race opened up a sea route, seemingly without much effort, but it was the result of the combined efforts of the entire human race.

For any force, transforming a sea area remains incredibly difficult. No matter how much they're willing to invest, they can't assemble a team of high-level mages to do the hard labor.

"Ha ha...

To be honest, Your Governor, I've never set foot on an island before. This is a rare opportunity to see one, and I certainly can't miss it!

Hudson said frankly.

It wasn't an attempt to appear young; it was genuinely his first time experiencing the ocean. The sights and experiences he had along the way greatly broadened Hudson's knowledge and further solidified his determination to pursue a career in the ocean.

I wonder what Count Pierce will think when he finds out all this. But I reckon it won't be a big problem; developing maritime power requires not only massive investment but also long-term technological accumulation.

If the impoverished Coslo Family were to venture into maritime trade, they would have no energy to cause trouble on the mainland for a long time to come.

For the Dalton Family, this buffer period is particularly important.

After all, living next to a young military strongman like Hudson, no one could sleep soundly without giving him something to do.

It's all due to traditional perceptions. In the eyes of many outsiders, the young and impetuous Hudson is an unstable factor.

This misconception was undoubtedly fueled by Hudson's deliberate behind-the-scenes manipulation. He was practically telling everyone, "I'm young and can afford to gamble; I'll play all-in whenever I want."

It's a classic bluff, but people just keep falling for it. Unless their own interests are at stake, nobody wants to touch the Hudson, this "porcupine" with so little meat.

"Rest assured, Count Hudson, Quebec Island will certainly not disappoint you!"

Amidst laughter and conversation, the ship docked. Led by Count Pierce, Hudson and a group of provincial nobles stepped ashore.

Even though he hadn't been at sea for long, Hudson felt a sense of "reassurance" the moment he stepped onto land.

Looking at the bustling docks, everyone felt envy, jealousy, and resentment. Clearly, the Dalton Family's display of power had been very successful.

The prosperity of the port alone suggests that Quebec Island must be very profitable, and this is just the tip of the iceberg for the Dalton Family.

While economic strength doesn't represent everything, the economic base often determines the superstructure. Sufficient financial resources are a guarantee of strong military power.

Clearly, the Dalton Family, the long-established hegemon of the Southeast Province, is not as simple as it appears on the surface.

As Hudson traveled across the island, he discovered that Quebec Island was much larger than he had imagined. The island not only had a harbor, but also farmland and forests, making it a self-sufficient island.

As a guest, it's not appropriate to ask about the island's size directly, but based on what he sees now, Hudson knows that the island has at least tens of thousands of inhabitants, and possibly more.

Hudson vaguely realized that he seemed to have opened up a new path for development, but this path was not easy to walk.

Looking at the development of the Dalton Family, it's clear that the nobles of the Aslant Continent have extended their reach to the sea, but due to various reasons, their investment is still insufficient.

After his brief trip to Quebec Island, Hudson clearly sensed the change in the emotions of the nobles traveling with him. To his surprise, several middle-ranking nobles in the province did not react, clearly aware of everything that was happening.

Finding a suitable opportunity, Hudson approached Count Oran and asked, "Your Excellency, the Dalton Family must have quite a few islands like Quebec Island, right?"

This conjecture was based entirely on the massive ship beneath their feet. The luxurious magical vessel they were currently aboard had a carrying capacity exceeding three thousand tons.

This level of transport capacity already possesses the capability for deep-sea operations. Developing some near-shore islands is entirely feasible.

"The Dalton Family does control a considerable number of islands; most of the islands along the coast of our Southeast Province are under their control."

However, there are very few islands like Quebec Island that have been developed. Despite having a lot of farmland on the island, it can be completely destroyed in an instant by a storm.

Unfortunately, ocean storms are uncontrollable and occur roughly every few years. In the event of a major storm, even the port has to be rebuilt.

Because of the high degree of uncertainty, although the Dalton Family has been involved in the ocean for a long time, their focus of development has remained on land.

Hudson, I recall your territory isn't far from the sea. If you're just looking to get a piece of the pie from maritime trade, I reckon it shouldn't be a problem; the Dalton Family will probably give you some face by now.

However, if they want to develop in the ocean and focus on key operations, they have already lost the first-mover advantage.

The cost of developing such a place is far greater than the difficulty of developing a swamp.

I suggest you don't rush. You have plenty of time. You can develop the swamp first and establish a solid foundation.

"By then, opening up trade routes through the Black Stone Mountain Range and establishing maritime trade lines will be much easier than it is now!"

Hudson frowned upon hearing Count Oran's words. How could it be that this was only the beginning, yet everyone had already discerned the Coslo Family's future development strategy?

However, there's nothing that can be done about it. The swamp development plan was launched several years ago, and now hundreds of thousands of acres of fertile land have been opened up one after another, which is impossible to keep secret from the outside world.

Especially more than a year ago, after the Coslo Family acquired a large number of refugees, they devoted almost all of their manpower to the development of the swamp, which completely exposed their strategy to the outside world.

"Your Excellency, rest assured, I am aware of my limitations. The Coslo Family doesn't even own a single ship. How can they compete with the Dalton Family for coastal waters?"

Now that we understand the situation, it's simply because they're interested in the convenience of maritime transport. It's not like we're fighting the Dalton Family for territory; they can't possibly prevent my ship from passing!

Hudson said calmly.

Compared to other aristocratic powers, the Hudson preferred the Dalton Family to control the coastal areas of the Southeast Province. Such maritime hegemons, whose strategic focus was on the inland, were always bound to have various concerns.

As long as they maintain sufficient deterrence on land, the Dalton Family will not dare to cause trouble at sea.

If it were a purely maritime power, things wouldn't be so easy to talk to; they could easily impose a maritime blockade without a second thought.

Perhaps it was the blessing of the Lord of Dawn, or perhaps it was the perfect time for sailing, but the journey was smooth sailing, without even a ripple.

Unfortunately, luck eventually runs out, and the day before they were about to reach their destination, the sea suddenly changed color.

Suddenly, a violent storm arose, and the once calm sea was churned up with towering waves that violently pounded against the ship.

Hudson witnessed a soldier being swept into the sea by a wave and disappearing into the vast ocean in an instant, with no time to rescue him.

"A monstrous beast is approaching from the seabed! All powerful warriors, join forces to stabilize the ship and seize the opportunity to kill the beast!"

An experienced captain shouted loudly to the crowd.

Regardless of whether it was overstepping their status, the group of nobles, who had no experience in navigation, could only blindly follow orders.

"Maxim, unleash your power and drive away the monsters wreaking havoc in the ocean!"

As soon as Hudson finished speaking, a miniature version of the Giant Dragon flew out from behind him, quickly transforming into a colossal creature in mid-air, and then letting out a clear dragon roar.

It must be admitted that the Giant Dragon's power of intimidation is extraordinary. Under the dragon's might, everyone felt oppressed, as if the air itself was suffocating.

The once chaotic sea quickly returned to calm. The monster that had just been stirring up waves and causing trouble was nowhere to be seen.

Having finished his work, a dejected Maxim wagged his tail and quickly shrank back to Hudson's side.

The entire process took less than the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, but its impact was enormous. The surviving soldiers couldn't help but cry out, "Dragon Knight! Dragon Knight..."

The nobles traveling with them looked even more surprised. Their expressions ranged from disbelief and shock to relief at surviving a close call, and also to utter helplessness...

This is really putting the nobles in a difficult position; it's really hard to choose sides in the Southeast Province!

The Dalton Family had just demonstrated their power, and everyone had finally come to terms with it, when an unexpected event caused the Giant Dragon to emerge and unleash its power once again.

With concrete actions, they forcefully announced to everyone that the fourth Dragon Knight of the mainland was right beside them.

Compared to the others' predicament, Count Pierce appeared quite calm. It was no secret that Hudson had become Dragon Knight; as a potential rival, he was already mentally prepared.

While Dragon Knight are indeed powerful, it is precisely because of this power that they cannot act lightly; Dragon Knight role is primarily one of strategic deterrence.

After the minor incident, peace was quickly restored on the ship. The only difference was Maxim's spectacular appearance, which provided plenty of fodder for conversation.

As for the suddenly appearing monster in the water, no one took it seriously.

Countless creatures live in the vast ocean, and the number of magical beasts in the ocean is no less than that on the Aslant Continent. If you encounter one, it can only be considered that you are unlucky.

Those who spend a lot of time at sea inevitably encounter sea monsters. Most of the time, everyone lives in peace.

After all, ships, those lumps of wood and iron, are not on the menu of Warcraft.