Disruptor
"My lord, we've arrived at the palace!"
Upon hearing the guard's reminder, Hudson had just poked his head out of the carriage when he was completely dumbfounded by what he saw.
Crown Prince Caesar himself came to greet the guests!
It's important to know that the two of them have no prior relationship; their brief encounter ended badly. Their current display of enthusiasm seems completely abnormal.
When you offer a gift, you must have something in mind.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Hudson immediately realized something was amiss. Crown Prince Caesar's behavior was far too eager.
It was as if something big had happened and supporters were urgently needed; even a nobleman like him, with whom he had had verbal conflicts, became a target for courtship.
As the King's only son and also serving as the link between the Duchy of Moxi Duchy, Crown Prince Caesar's position was virtually unshakeable.
There's only one explanation for their current urgency— Caesar III is nearing the end!
The most important thing for every new king is to stabilize the situation.
As an important figure in the military and the fourth Dragon Knight on the continent, Crown Prince Caesar would definitely try to win over Hudson, unless he's a fool.
Compared to the overall stability of the kingdom, the minor conflict that occurred in the Moxi Duchy was completely insignificant.
After entering the main hall and greeting the nobles who had arrived earlier, Hudson took his seat and waited quietly for the meeting to begin.
"Since our ancestors founded the Alpha Kingdom, we have weathered many storms and come to where we are today, spanning 326 years."
The main reason for gathering everyone here today is to discuss the future development of the kingdom.
With the decline of the Orc Empire and the dramatic changes in the international landscape, the kingdom's previous policies were no longer appropriate.
This matter concerns not only the future of the kingdom, but also the future of your individual families. Please feel free to share your suggestions!
A hero grows old. Looking at the trembling Caesar III, a deep sadness welled up in everyone's hearts.
Regardless of people's stance, in everyone's mind, Caesar III was a qualified King.
"Your Majesty, although the international situation has stabilized, it does not mean that the crisis is over."
Taking advantage of the kingdom's weakened state, the Central Three Kingdoms have been making more and more moves, extending their reach further into the Northern Continent.
The civil war broke out in the Warhammer Kingdom. It was difficult enough to suppress the Ancient Remnants in the Ice and Snow World, let alone the elves in the Norwegian Forest.
If the situation gets out of control, the entire Northern Continent will descend into chaos. As the strongest nation in the north, we have an obligation to maintain stability in the region.
It is now the year 99991 of the Holy Calendar, and the next ten- Calamity of Ten Thousand Years is just around the corner. The more restrained everyone is now, the more violent the eventual eruption will be.
In this context, the kingdom must possess a powerful Standing Army to ensure its survival in the face of future changes!
As they spoke, Duke Affierro turned his gaze to Hudson. Among the feudal nobles, Hudson, who had served as a commander-in-chief of a large army, had the closest ties with the military.
In the past, such positions were usually held by Royal Capital in the capital or members of the royal family.
Hudson, who rose to power by chance, was labeled as a spokesperson for the military from the moment he took the position of head coach.
"Your Excellency is right. Given the current situation, it is indeed not appropriate for the kingdom to reduce its military too much."
While the mainland appears calm, an arms race has been brewing behind the scenes for years.
Because of the Beastfolk, the kingdom has fallen behind in many areas during the new round of military technology revolution.
If we want to catch up now, it's not something that can be accomplished by the efforts of just one family or one clan; it requires everyone to unite and cooperate sincerely.
I propose establishing a special research and development fund for the development of Magic Crossbow, Magic Crystal Cannon, Magic Device, magical beast breeding, and various magical potions.
Regarding the source of funding, I personally suggest taking a portion from the tithes, and using the remaining amount to levy additional taxes on luxury goods such as spices and tea.
Considering the actual situation, I believe the investment in these projects should not be less than three million gold coins.
In the short term, the kingdom faces no war pressure. The size of the Standing Army can be reduced, but considering the actual situation, it is not advisable to do so all at once before the monster legion is fully formed.
The kingdom's Standing Army has now decreased to 260,000, a relatively reasonable number. Even if further reductions are to be made, there's not much room for further cuts.
Who made us the third kingdom on the continent?
If the Standing Army is too small to deter those wolves and tigers, wouldn't even the smallest cat or dog come knocking on our door?
Hudson's words immediately caused a huge uproar among the feudal lords. Their own interests had to be protected, but the interests of the kingdom were equally important.
In the grand circle of nobility, one needs to maintain a certain level of prestige. Even among nobles, those from powerful nations speak with more authority than those from weaker nations.
Especially for large families engaged in international trade, a powerful kingdom is even more necessary as a backing.
Alliances are temporary; interests are eternal. While Hudson may seem to be spouting platitudes, his words are in fact a divisive tactic within the aristocratic camp.
The alliance of noble families, which was originally formed temporarily for the sake of interests, has now split into two factions. Several noble families engaged in international trade are now hesitant due to their own interests.
"Count Hudson, everyone understands the logic. If conditions permit, we would support the kingdom even if it had to build a million- Standing Army."
But the reality is: no money!
The enormous debt is already suffocating the kingdom. Continuing to maintain high military spending will inevitably cripple our fragile finances.
Three years of continuous war have exhausted the kingdom's resources. Now, not only is the kingdom poor, but the people are also extremely impoverished.
Your Southeast Province are wealthy, and you cannot understand the suffering of our Northern Frontier. To fulfill the kingdom's tax revenue targets, nobles everywhere are working themselves to the bone.
To support this war, several provinces in the Northern Frontier are on the verge of collapse. We don't expect the kingdom's support; we can't afford to further burden ourselves!
Duke Thorsten fired the first shot.
Hatred is one aspect, but conflicting interests are the core factor. International trade has little to do with these landlubbers from Northern Frontier.
Even though the kingdom artificially constructed a port in the north, it was previously only used for military purposes. Although it was opened to the public after the war, maritime trade could not be undertaken overnight.
Not long ago, they lost a large sum of money, and with the losses from the war, the Five Great Families in the North were not well-off.
In particular, the kingdom has canceled military subsidies for them, and now they have to find their own way to cover every expense, especially since the north is not as wealthy as the south.
Even if they wanted to get involved in maritime trade, they could only slow down and accumulate capital gradually. Who knows when they would actually develop their businesses?
The establishment of the Seven Grassland Nations was originally an opportunity, but unfortunately there were several provinces further north that were in between.
The newly relocated nobles were all desperately poor; how could they possibly let them go and get a share of the spoils!
Since I'm not the beneficiary, why should I pay?
"Duke Thorsten, the Alpha Kingdom is a unified whole. It is absolutely unacceptable for any small cliques to be formed in secret and attempt to split the kingdom!"
When you faced the Beastfolk threat, how did everyone give you their all? You haven't forgotten that so quickly, have you?
The Northern Frontier is now safe, but this safety was achieved through the collective efforts of the entire kingdom!
Hudson retorted sharply.
Frankly, Hudson didn't want to be in the limelight, but someone offered him too much.
Despite having acquired a considerable amount of technical information through various clandestine transactions, Hudson Coslo Family still faces a significant challenge in securing sailors and shipwrights for their venture into the ocean.
The problems that were out in the open naturally did not escape the notice of the shrewd and calculating Caesar III. Just last night, an uninvited guest suddenly arrived, causing Hudson was preparing to slack off, to change his mind.
A fleet of offshore vessels, a large shipyard, plus a crew of sailors and shipbuilders—that was the price set by Caesar III.
Of course, these things didn't come for free. All the personnel and equipment had to be purchased with money.
Unlike the era when capitalism prevailed, where any commodity could be bought and sold, if you couldn't buy it, it must have been because you weren't offering a high enough price.
In the aristocratic Aslant Continent, the most important means of production have never been for sale.
Throughout the entire Alpha Kingdom, very few families possess these items, and the royal family happens to be one of them.
After weighing the pros and cons, Hudson chose to cooperate. As for the issue of the Noble Alliance, since they hadn't been contacted beforehand, it was best to pretend they didn't know.
To avoid drawing too much hatred, Hudson pretended to be clueless from the start, never mentioning that everyone was paying taxes with war bonds, and only focused on the military budget.
As a spokesperson for the military, not demanding an increase in the military budget is all for the sake of the overall situation. You can't expect him to propose reducing the Standing Army, can you?
"Hudson, don't talk nonsense! We are from the North..."
Before the enraged Duke Thorsten could continue speaking, the Duke Rodriguez quickly pulled him back to his senses.
If you keep saying that, you'll really fall into their trap.
Forming cliques is fine if done in private, and it's fine if others talk about it, but if you bring it up in public, then you're really making Hudson's accusation true.
Besides, it makes no sense to bring up the contributions of the Northern Nobles, since they messed up at the last minute.
Now everyone only remembers their mistake of reselling military supplies, while their previous merits in defending the kingdom have long been erased.
Perhaps realizing that the situation was about to get out of control, Caesar III spoke up, saying, "Alright, today we are discussing the future development of the kingdom, not settling personal scores."
If there's no way to reach an agreement on political views, then just hold a vote; there's no need to escalate the conflict.
It may seem like they're both equally at fault, but who's actually favored can be seen from the Duke Thorsten's gloomy face.
If his companion hadn't pulled him back in time, he would have stepped on a landmine today. He wouldn't be completely ruined, but he would at least have been thoroughly humiliated.
If it weren't for his own limitations, he would have already challenged Hudson to a duel. He's incredibly cunning; he even uses meetings to set traps for him.
"Your Majesty is right!"
"Your Excellency Duke Thorsten, I am very sorry. I acted impulsively just now. Please forgive my rudeness!"
Hudson said with a sincere expression.
If it weren't for that little incident with the digging of the hole earlier, everyone might have actually believed it. But that's just how aristocratic manners are.
No matter how much you secretly wish the other person dead, you must maintain a composed demeanor. This is especially true in meetings of this caliber, where you must remain impeccably polite throughout.
"It's alright, everyone has their youth. Since His Majesty has spoken, let's proceed with the proposal and vote on the issue of military expenditure according to protocol!"
After calming down, Duke Thorsten responded, barely suppressing his anger.
Deep down, Thorsten comforted himself: It doesn't matter if I lose the argument, the key is to see the final vote result. He doesn't make a living by talking!
"Duke Thorsten's suggestion is good. Let's just follow the procedure and this time consider it a joint proposal from the two of us."
Hudson said with a chuckle.
Regardless of what the Duke Thorsten thought, Hudson was in a very good mood. His meddling had already changed the situation.
Families that rely heavily on international trade are likely to rebel at this point; the rest depends on Caesar III's methods.
If the King could bribe him, he could certainly bribe others. Hudson didn't believe that Caesar III would place all his hopes on him.
He was chosen as the scapegoat because he was of suitable status. Even without Hudson, other feudal nobles would have stepped forward; after all, Caesar III was unlikely to personally engage in the debate.
After glancing at the two men and seeing that the Duke Thorsten had no objection, the Prime Minister Grand Duke Newfoundland slowly rose and said, "The two representatives jointly initiated the proposal, and the proposal is valid."
This concerns the future of the kingdom, so please choose carefully. As before, there are three options: support, oppose, or abstain.
The vote will now begin: Those noble representatives who support Count Hudson's proposal, please raise your hands.
As soon as he finished speaking, Hudson was the first to raise his hand. There was no time for modesty at this point; as one of the conference delegates, his statement also counted in the vote.
Immediately afterwards, more than thirty hands were raised in unison, indicating that the number of supporters had already exceeded half, although there was a gap between the hands.
A middle-class nobleman's vote is just one vote, while a high-ranking nobleman's vote can start at three, with the most powerful, Caesar III, representing more than a dozen votes.
As the vote count was about to end, Count Pierce, who had been hesitant, slowly raised his hand, followed by several other nobles from the frontier provinces who cast their votes in favor.
There's no way around it; no matter how well things are discussed beforehand, they can't withstand the need for self-interest.
Because of the Beastfolk, the Alpha Kingdom, occupying a special position, has always maintained good relations with its neighbors. Even during its period of decline, no one dared to encroach upon the kingdom's sphere of influence.
Over time, people gradually forgot about the threat of external enemies. Now, Hudson's reminder has forced these nobles with vested interests to think more deeply about the matter.
Fighting for monster cubs is one thing, but if the Standing Army is weakened too much, in the event of an international conflict in the future, we will have to rely on the private armies of the kingdom's nobles for support.
It's obvious even to a fool that the speed of reinforcements from the Standing Army is far superior to that of a noble's private army.
If the central government happens to be in a weak period, the efficiency of this reinforcement will be even lower. It's possible that this very low efficiency could backfire and ruin the entire operation.
"With more than half the votes in favor, Count Hudson's proposal is approved!"