An Unexpected Test
Upon returning to the Royal Capital, Hudson was immediately struck by an atmosphere of profound sorrow. Clearly, the death of Caesar III had affected not only the kingdom's elite but also the common people.
Perhaps influenced by the atmosphere, he accepted the invitation to the party in the evening. The table laden with delicacies failed to whet Hudson's appetite.
Unlike banquets held at other times, this gathering lacked both fine wine and beautiful women. Smiles were rare on everyone's faces, and even those that appeared seemed forced.
Human nature is the most complex thing.
While the King was alive, the constrained nobles wished he would die immediately; but when Caesar III actually died, they began to remember his good qualities.
Listening to the analysis and discussion of the international situation by a group of nobles, most of them shared Hudson's judgment and held a pessimistic view of the future.
The nobles on the southern border of the kingdom, in particular, were terrified by the current situation. The rear area had suddenly become the front line of future conflict, catching everyone completely off guard.
Comparatively speaking, the Southeast Province is in a better position. At least there are several mountains in the middle that block the way, so for the time being, they don't have to directly face the pressure from the Black Forest Kingdom.
The main reason was that Caesar III died too young. According to everyone's prior estimates, the King was expected to last another three to five years.
With such a long buffer period, the kingdom's debt crisis was basically resolved; the kingdom's emerging nobles who were able to maintain their foundations all gained a foothold; and the reclaimed lands were almost brought back under its rule.
The provinces in the south and central parts of the kingdom, which were less affected by the war, have emerged from the shadow of war and recovered their strength.
With its strength restored to seven or eight tenths, even if the new monarch has limited abilities, it can still protect itself in the face of a complex international situation.
Unfortunately, reality is cruel. Caesar III did not live as long as everyone had expected, and the various contradictions that had been suppressed were now in danger of exploding prematurely.
Seeing everyone constantly calling for unity, Hudson knew that unity was becoming increasingly distant from the Alpha Kingdom.
The guys from the North didn't show up at the party, but in Hudson's mind, a series of gloating figures were already appearing.
Unity is important, but only if it is based on what is in one's own interests.
Perhaps only when the nobles in the south are weakened and the kingdom is on the verge of collapse will they talk about unity.
"Your Excellency Count Hudson, you are a military strategist. Considering the current international situation, if one day the major powers of the Central Plains were to advance northward, where would they choose to begin?"
Count Carles' words thrust Hudson into the spotlight, drawing all eyes to him.
"Your Excellency Count Carles, such a hypothesis is meaningless."
The major kingdoms in the central region are not a monolithic entity; we cannot view them as a single unit. Even if they all want to advance north, their respective strategic objectives are not entirely the same.
At most, they can only nominally join forces; in reality, they will still fight their own battles.
Looking at a map of the mainland, you'll see that the countries in the central region have far too many entry points to choose from.
To defend against their invasion, all the border provinces in the south of the kingdom must build fortifications.
Perhaps we can be a little more optimistic; they are just testing the waters and are not yet prepared for a northern invasion!
"I can't help it, "Hudson said helplessly.
I thought I was pessimistic enough, but I didn't expect these guys to be even more pessimistic than me. They were all thinking about what to do when the enemy attacked.
Having a sense of crisis is a good thing, but if you get too nervous, it becomes needless worry.
These are all historical issues.
The Alpha Kingdom has faced the threat of Beastfolk for many years, and any incident results in a bloody battle, which has instilled a sense of crisis into everyone's very being.
The methods for dealing with crises were originally designed for Beastfolk. Now that the arena has shifted to internal human conflict, the old, traditional ways of thinking are clearly no longer effective.
After all, while the Beastfolk could move south without any scruples, the central kingdoms were subject to multiple checks and balances and had to follow the rules.
Changing people's mindsets is impossible in a short time. The only effect Hudson's words had was to solidify everyone's resolve to build a defensive line.
Having left the discussion, Count Oran walked over, pulled Hudson aside, and whispered, "..."
"Hudson, I heard you're about to become a father. How's Melissa doing?"
What seemed like a casual family chat actually contained a lot of information. While concern for his daughter and grandson was one aspect, the bigger picture was the marriage alliance between the two families.
Melissa and her unborn child are the bond that unites the two sides in their alliance.
"Don't worry, Earl. Melissa is doing very well, and the baby in her belly is healthy."
Judging by the dates, the baby is due around the end of the month. Unfortunately, things are very busy in the Royal Capital right now, and I'm afraid I won't be able to get back early!
Seeing Hudson's regretful face, Count Oran smiled slightly. Perhaps realizing the inappropriateness of the occasion, he immediately suppressed his smile after it appeared.
"Don't worry, the child will be proud to have you as a father. The situation at home and abroad is very tense right now, it's the right thing for you to stay in the Royal Capital."
Those guys in the North are starting to stir. You and the Locknerd Family are mortal enemies, so those of you up north should be careful.
Upon hearing Count Oran's warning, Hudson immediately realized that trouble was brewing.
Without Caesar III's leadership, the kingdom's policy of suppressing the Northern Nobles would certainly be relaxed.
Once they are released, the newly established branch of the family in the north will face difficulties.
Although they wouldn't directly lead troops to attack, they could still secretly employ some schemes and tricks to force the Coslo Family to give up their northern fiefdom.
Rubbing his forehead, Hudson realized with embarrassment that there was nothing he could do except warn everyone to be careful.
Even if they wanted revenge, the Coslo Family's reach wouldn't extend that far.
You can't exactly go and ambush someone yourself, can you?
If they actually did that, the conflict would escalate. It would be a lose-lose situation, and the most likely outcome would be that both sides decline together.
That way, they can gain an advantage, and Hudson can forget about fitting into aristocratic circles. If everyone plays that way, who will feel safe?
"What, is the Hollisir Family also feeling the pressure?"
Hudson asked with concern.
For a large family, dealing with a few minor nobles is very simple; there's not much to say.
But if even a newly emerging noble family like the Hollisir Family feels the pressure, then the situation is entirely different.
"It's not that serious yet, but after the news of His Majesty's death spread, the Northern Nobles held a collective meeting, which lasted for two whole days before it ended."
The specific content of their discussion is unknown, but the joy on their faces as they left showed that the meeting was fruitful.
Perhaps this family relocation was a mistake; compared to the Five Great Families of the North, the Hollisir Family is simply too weak!
Count Oran couldn't help but sigh.
The biggest problem with the Northern Seven Provinces the kingdom has recently recovered is that they are too close to the Five Great Families of the north.
If the Five Great Families were not bound by shackles, how could the nobles in the seven northern provinces, who hadn't even finished moving their homes, fight against them?
Just because they haven't acted yet doesn't mean they won't act in the future. It's possible that all the people and resources they painstakingly relocated will ultimately benefit someone else.
Unfortunately, there's no going back once you've taken that step.
They either seize the opportunity and gain a foothold in the north, or they fall into obscurity.
"Your Excellency, do not worry too much. It is true that those guys in the North are powerful, but they also have many enemies."
As long as they can unite with the nobles who have marched north, they won't dare to act rashly. Once this period of weakness is over, everything will improve.
Hudson offered a half-hearted attempt at comfort.
Knowing that the north was a huge pitfall, he chose to settle in the Southeast Province. He had even subtly advised Count Oran, but the Hollisir Family was determined to take the plunge.
Now it remains to be seen whether the new emperor can suppress the Five Great Families of the North at the upcoming Royal Capital meeting; otherwise, the future of the Northern Frontier is destined to be turbulent.
The new monarch's ascension to the throne and the state funeral were all prepared in an orderly manner. During this period, both the nobles within the kingdom and the representatives of various countries behaved with exceptional restraint.
But Hudson's heart was not at peace; his intuition told him that behind the tranquility often lay a greater crisis.
"Your Excellency, His Highness requests your presence at the palace for a meeting."
Upon receiving this message, Hudson frowned. The more critical the moment, the more crucial it is to act swiftly and decisively.
In his view, Crown Prince Caesar was better off ascending the throne sooner rather than going through all these tedious ceremonial procedures.
The King and the Crown Prince are never the same thing. As long as the crown is not worn, things could change.
As Hudson followed his attendants into the council chamber, he immediately realized something was wrong.
No matter what, Crown Prince Caesar is everyone's future monarch. Even if you don't like him in your heart, you have to put on a good show.
But in reality, no one bothered to even pretend; they simply put on a bitter face, and many even glared angrily at Crown Prince Caesar.
The doubts didn't last long, as Hudson's face also darkened.
"Your Highness, in the Alpha Kingdom, the Church has had no involvement in the succession of monarchs for over a century. What is the meaning of inviting the Church to the coronation ceremony now?"
It wasn't that Hudson was impatient; it was simply that Crown Prince Caesar was being too reckless.
The Alpha Kingdom is the Church's mortal enemy. To allow someone from the Church to be crowned at this time would be tantamount to compromising with the enemy!
Beyond the stated reasons, the more crucial factor was his animosity towards the Church. Having risen to power by exploiting the Church, Hudson would undoubtedly be the most hurt by any attempt to mend relations between the kingdom and the Church.
"Count Hudson, do not be hasty. It is merely a ceremony and will not harm the kingdom's substantial interests."
Moreover, the Church has made a promise, as long as we..."
Before Crown Prince Caesar could finish speaking, Hudson interrupted him forcefully, saying, "Your Highness has quite the nerve. The struggle between Royal Authority and divine power is just an ordinary ceremony in your eyes."
But has Your Highness considered the political consequences of your actions? Leaving aside the domestic implications, let's analyze the international impact.
The most direct impact will be the inevitable breakdown of our relationship with the Frankish Kingdom, and a deterioration in our relations with other major human powers.
As for the Church's promises, if you spend some time reading history books, you won't have such illusions!
As soon as he finished speaking, a group of anti- Church nobles chimed in, instantly turning the situation into a verbal attack on the Crown Prince by a group of fiefdom nobles.
The court officials, who should have stood by the King and argued with everyone, now stood by and watched.
It was clear that no one was enthusiastic about Crown Prince Caesar's proposal.
Hudson vaguely sensed something was wrong. If everyone was against it, why was Crown Prince Caesar doing this?
"Everyone, please be quiet. This isn't a vegetable market. What's the point of making a fuss here?"
According to custom, the person who presides over the coronation ceremony is decided by the new monarch.
Since His Highness has decided to have the Church officials preside, then let them be in charge. Everyone must refrain from overstepping the rules for personal gain!
Duke Xilo's words instantly ignited the entire audience.
The fact that the Northern Noble Faction had become entangled with the new monarch was definitely big news. Even if Crown Prince Caesar dared to make such a suggestion, it meant he had gained their supporters.
Currently, the most vehement opponents, apart from Hudson, are all the old nobles from the south and central parts of the kingdom.
Both the Northern Nobles and the newly emerging nobles were drawn to the other side, creating a new balance between the two factions.
"Alright, let Archbishop Tyron preside over the coronation ceremony. Let's drop the matter of inviting the Church!"
With the dust settled, Hudson, who had emerged victorious, showed not a trace of a smile on his face.
When I spoke with Count Oran yesterday, he was still worried about the threat posed by the Northern Nobles. Now that the two sides have joined forces, there must be a story behind it.
Hudson couldn't think of anyone other than Crown Prince Caesar who could bring the two parties together.
In an instant, he understood that Crown Prince Caesar's suggestion was not a genuine desire to invite the Church to the coronation ceremony, but rather a deliberate test.
Perhaps besides testing their reactions, Crown Prince Caesar was also sending a signal to the outside world: if pushed too far, I'll go to the Church.
Forget about any conflicts; when it comes to interests, this thing is always worthless.
It was all planned, no wonder the ministers in the court remained silent.