Off-Target Speculation

Upon returning to the Southeast Province, Hudson did not go back to his territory, but instead headed straight for the Berkshire Shipyard.

Hearing is unreliable, seeing is believing.

Although the royal family has a good reputation, it's still necessary to check the condition of the shipyard that was purchased at a high price.

After a simple makeover, Hudson, using the alias "Baden," posed as an ordinary businessman and, after demonstrating his economic power, successfully gained entry to the shipyard for a tour.

Hudson didn't understand the specific technical details, but the mountain of Iron Oak showed the shipyard's considerable expertise.

There is a lot of wood that can be used to build ships, but very little wood is suitable for carving Magic Array.

Iron Oak is one such type, and because it is widely distributed in the Alpha Kingdom, it has become a major raw material for shipbuilding.

Of course, this "wide distribution" is relative to other types of wood, and it is far from being commonplace.

At the very least, there is no trace of Iron Oak in the Salam Mountain Range where Hudson is located. Even 150 years ago, Iron Oak was nowhere to be found in the entire Southeast Province.

This practice continued until the Dalton Family rose to prominence, at which point they introduced the plantation to their own lands.

There's no doubt that trees aren't planted in a day. It's said that the Elves possess life magic that can accelerate the growth of plants, but that's a closely guarded secret, far removed from Hudson's sphere of influence.

Even if he were to introduce planting now, he would still have to pay the royal family to buy Iron Oak over the next few decades.

Clearly, this was another of Caesar III's schemes. By using a near-bankrupt shipyard to bind a powerful noble family for decades, it seemed like a perfect deal.

However, everything has two sides. If the royal family wants to control the Coslo Family, they have to support their development of maritime trade.

Only when the Coslo Family gains enough profit from the sea will the "weak points" they hold in their hands have sufficient value.

Knowing full well that there was a pitfall, Hudson still jumped right in. The main reason was that venturing into maritime trade without proper knowledge was too risky. Not only would it be a waste of money to figure it out on his own, but it would also consume a lot of time.

The best way to shorten this learning curve is to find a mentor. Don't expect to make a lot of money in the short term; as long as you can train the team, that will be a strategic success.

Listening to the salesperson's enthusiastic and continuous introduction, Hudson knew that Berkshire Shipyard was having a tough time; otherwise, the employees of such a monopolistic enterprise would not have been able to suppress their arrogance.

"Mr. Baden, look at those giant buildings. They are all the docks of our Berkshire Shipyard. The largest dock can even build ships weighing tens of thousands of tons."

Of course, this is only in theory. Under normal circumstances, no one would be foolish enough to build such a large toy.

If you are engaged in inland waterway transportation, then a cargo ship of 500 to 1,000 tons is sufficient; anything larger would restrict navigation.

If you're engaged in ocean trade, a ship of two to three thousand tons is sufficient. Anything larger would be prohibitively expensive, and you simply wouldn't need that much space during normal times.

Of course, this is just my personal suggestion; the final decision is up to you.

In short, we can build all the mainstream ships on the mainland, including naval warships.

This list contains parameters for the types of vessels available for selection.

If you're still not satisfied, you can have our designer create a custom design according to your requirements, but the cost will increase slightly.

"Can warships also be sold?"

Hudson asked tentatively.

As a lord who couldn't swim, he was a complete novice when it came to maritime affairs. However, as a part-time arms dealer, he knew very well that the arms trade was far more profitable than normal trade.

The only problem is that the arms trade is often linked to politics. Selling ordinary swords, spears, and halberds is one thing.

Highly lethal weapons like Magic Crystal Cannon and Magic Crossbow cannot be bought with money alone; one must reach a certain level of status and position to be eligible to trade them.

"In principle, it is not possible, but if Mr. Baden is really interested, it is not impossible to make an exception. It mainly depends on how you want to trade."

If we go through the proper channels, I will report it to a higher-level manager who will then contact you. However, the requirements are quite high and there are many restrictions.

If you take the back route, it's much simpler. Just pay extra, and we'll handle all the follow-up work.

The only problem is that the Magic Crystal Cannon are a bit troublesome. The kingdom controls these items too strictly, and there's no guarantee that they'll always be available.

Even if we could get our hands on the goods, the price would be astronomical. However, we could use ballistae instead; their power certainly wouldn't match the Magic Crystal Cannon, but they would be much cheaper.

The salesperson's words gave Hudson a new understanding of the Berkshire Shipyard's situation. They would never have done something like privately selling warships unless they were desperate for money.

Although I don't know the specific class of warship, judging from the salesperson's tone, I guess they can sell anything as long as there's enough money.

Before the Beastfolk invasion, Hudson struggled to even acquire a Magic Crystal Cannon, yet now someone dares to put it up for sale.

It must be admitted that the royal family's businesses are different; they are much bolder in doing business than ordinary people.

Perhaps Berkshire Shipyard's ability to survive until now is not due to scattered shipbuilding orders from outside, but rather to warships ordered privately by pirates.

Having figured out the situation at Berkshire Shipyard, Hudson was not angry at all; on the contrary, he was secretly pleased.

The fact that the shipyard was able to secretly sell warships to pirates means that its warship-building technology was at least at the level required to build pirate ships.

"Ha ha...

Mr. Barnes, just a quick question. As a respectable businessman, why would I be buying warships?

Our main business is overseas trade, and we deal with pirates every day, so we must have a certain level of weaponry to protect ourselves!

Hudson explained with a laugh.

However, things didn't turn out as planned. The more Hudson insisted he was a legitimate businessman, the more Barnes believed he was a pirate trailblazer.

Based on Barnes' years of sales experience, the more a person conceals their identity and acts mysteriously, the more likely they are to be a major client.

Hudson possessed all of these qualities: poor disguise skills and a hidden domineering aura in his eyes, making him clearly not a legitimate maritime merchant.

"Mr. Baden, please rest assured. We also sell armed merchant ships here. They may look somewhat like warships and have similar performance, but they are definitely not warships."

The merchant ship licenses issued by the kingdom are the best evidence! With these licenses, you can definitely take your ship away.

..."

Faced with Barnes's endless explanation, Hudson decisively chose to leave. He couldn't stay here any longer, or he would almost believe he was a pirate.

With everything under control, the subsequent transactions proceeded smoothly. However, the shipyard remains under royal management and will continue to operate; the relocation will have to wait until after the new year.

To prevent external interference from disrupting the transaction, it will be kept strictly confidential until the relocation work is fully underway.

The difference was that the Mountain Territory had a group of strangers who crossed the boundless swamp and went to the seaside to conduct exploration.

Ports and shipyards require careful site selection. If you just pick any piece of land and start construction, you won't be able to build a large dry dock.

Leaving aside the massive dry docks with a capacity of 10,000 tons, Hudson doesn't have that kind of appetite yet, but it still needs conventional dry docks with a capacity of 1,000 tons, otherwise it would become an inland river shipyard.

In Beda City, after what could be described as a heated argument, the share of the "repayment tax" was forcibly allocated.

It was clear that no one was very enthusiastic. They all seemed to have become selfless saints, and even if the allocated amount was slightly more, they were too lazy to argue.

The most active participants were Hudson and Count Pierce, who almost had a "duel" in the conference room over their share of the tax to be paid.

Clearly, this was the effect of Governor Pierce's private promise to everyone. Otherwise, the county magistrates, whose interests had been harmed, would undoubtedly be the main force besieging the Governor right now.

Throughout the entire meeting, Hudson's situation could be summed up in two words—awkward!

The sheriffs at the meeting were either members of the Dalton Family or had been promised benefits by Count Pierce, while Hudson was completely on his own.

The only ally that could be considered a representative of the Hollisir Family became a mere figurehead after the strategic focus shifted!

The life of a "lone wolf" is naturally not easy. Fortunately, the county magistrates present were only doing their jobs for money and did not completely side with the Dalton Family, otherwise life would have been even more unbearable.

While he didn't defeat fourteen men single-handedly, Hudson still managed to defeat seven. It's terrifying to think about; of the fifteen counties in the Southeast Province, the Dalton Family held the positions of governor in seven of them.

Nearly 30% of the land has been marked with the Dalton Family flag, and the area controlled by their underlings would be even larger.

Had it not been for his powerful rise, if this situation had continued, it would only have been a matter of time before the Dalton Family annexed the Southeast Province.

Similar scenes are unfolding in other provinces of the kingdom. And this land annexation is accelerating as the power of the great nobles continues to grow.

Whether we like it or not, the kingdom's political system, which relies on the middle and lower nobility to check the higher nobility, is gradually collapsing.

No wonder Caesar III sought to create conflict among the high nobility and play the game of political balancing. If no action is taken and land annexation continues unchecked, the Alpha Kingdom will likely be left with only a handful of players in the future.

If things really come to that point, there will be no room for reconciliation, and only the final step of turning the country into a family will remain.

Of course, this is only a theoretical scenario. Under normal circumstances, a country will collapse before it can withstand the most extreme state of land consolidation.

This collapse could stem from either foreign invasion or internal strife.

After all, neither noble families nor royalty can guarantee that every heir will be of sound intelligence.

If two or three generations of spendthrift sons appear in succession, or if a single big spendthrift son is born, the family fortune painstakingly accumulated by the ancestors can be completely squandered.

One whale falls and all things come to life.

Every time a great noble falls, many new minor nobles are born, which then initiates a new round of land annexation, as if it were a cyclical process.

Watching Hudson leave with a dark expression, Count Pierce gave a meaningful smile.

"I may not be as good as you at military strategy, but do you think I can't handle a greenhorn like you in politics?!"

Unfortunately, this joy cannot be shared with others, otherwise it would easily tarnish his noble image.

"Sir, something seems amiss!"

During the meeting just now, although Count Hudson tried his best to persuade others, he appeared too calm and showed no sign of panic.

Based on our previous assumptions, he was expected to bring a group of minor nobles to the meeting and cause a scene. We had all prepared a contingency plan to seize the opportunity to accuse him of disregarding the bigger picture.

Unfortunately, he suppressed his anger throughout the entire meeting, giving us no chance whatsoever, as if he had known our plans beforehand!

The old butler's reminder startled Count Pierce.

Very few people in the family know about this plan, and if someone leaks it, it will be a huge problem.

"Have the secret guards conduct a thorough investigation of all family members who have close ties with the Coslo Family, and arrange for someone to keep an eye on their every move."

This was just a preliminary step; they probably didn't leak the information. If a little personal connection could lead to betrayal of the family, then betrayal would seem too cheap.

The Hudson's rise to power has been too short; it's impossible for them to have planted spies so quickly. If they had received advance warning, there would definitely be other forces involved.

The most likely suspects are the royal family and the Hollisir Family.

The Hollisir Family is unlikely to be involved. Although they are allies with the Coslo Family, it doesn't mean they are willing to make unconditional sacrifices.

To support our allies, offending us at this critical juncture is not a good choice.

The probability of it being the royal family is actually higher. Hudson recently helped the royal family, so it's only right to return the favor.

Of course, there's another possibility: that all our guesses are wrong, that there was no leak at all, and that Hudson figured out our plan himself.

As he spoke, Count Pierce's brow furrowed. It would be terrifying if Hudson could uncover their plans through his own analysis alone.

In contrast, he is more inclined to believe that it was just a coincidence.

"My lord, this matter is most likely due to the help of the royal family. According to information from spies in the Mountain Territory, Hudson has already organized people to conduct exploration along the coast."

According to sources, the artificial canal being dug in the Mountain Territory will be completed by the end of the year. This move by Hudson is very likely in preparation for building a pier by the sea.

To further verify the authenticity, we sent people to check the identity information of the surveyors and found that these people were all serving the royal family.

It turns out that the Count Hudson had further, clandestine connections with the royal family; otherwise, he wouldn't have received such strong support.

The old butler's words made Count Pierce's face grow even more gloomy.

The nouveau riche Coslo Family is troublesome enough; if the royal family is also involved, it becomes even more difficult to resolve.

Deep down, he had already come to believe the speculation that the two families were colluding. After all, this was all part of Caesar III's usual tactics.

By using some inexpensive and effective methods, they stirred up conflicts among the nobles, keeping them in check and balance to ensure the supreme authority of the Royal Authority.

Even if they figured it out, telling them wouldn't help; the Dalton Family and Coslo Family were rivals. Count Pierce wouldn't back down so easily, and Hudson wouldn't give in indefinitely.