The Great Deceiver Goes Online-The United Southeast Province
On the day of the fundraising event, the Dalton Family residence was bustling with activity. In addition to the nobles from the Southeast Province, nobles from other regions and representatives from various countries also came to join in the fun.
They euphemistically call it: learning from fundraising experience.
The nobles in the country have truly learned from experience; as long as the Southeast Province successfully raises funds, they can follow suit.
Humans have a natural tendency to conform.
The Southeast Province's high efficiency is due not only to the constant hype from the hawkish elder Hudson, but most importantly, to the fact that they have money in their pockets.
Representatives from various countries joined in the fun, purely to see if the Alpha Kingdom was bluffing or preparing to play for real.
The final outcome of the fundraising meeting will directly affect their future foreign policy toward the Alpha Kingdom.
After glancing at the nobles in the hall, Governor Pierce, having carefully prepared his words, got straight to the point:
"My Southeast Province is adjacent to the Black Stone Mountain Range and is constantly threatened by beast tides, causing great suffering to the people."
In order to change this situation, after much discussion, we unanimously decided to rebuild the Blood Moon Defense Line to block the beast tide from entering the province.
The main reason for inviting everyone here today is to address the funding issue for building the defensive line. The preliminary estimate is that it will require an investment of 3.8 million gold coins.
Of course, the actual construction cost shouldn't be that high. The biggest expenses for building fortifications are labor, food, and raw materials.
We can conscript serfs to carry out the construction, thus eliminating the need for labor costs.
Except for some materials that need to be purchased, most of the main construction materials can be sourced locally, saving most of the expenses.
Food is something we can't and shouldn't skimp on.
However, our Southeast Province is a grain-producing area. Since the war ended last year, the military rations that everyone provided to the Northern Frontier have been saved and can be used for engineering construction.
Considering everyone's heavy financial burden, after discussing with Count Hudson, we decided not to force anyone to pay the fees this time.
Everyone contributed money, manpower, food, and supplies according to their own circumstances, fulfilling their respective obligations.
Everyone is welcome to share their thoughts and suggestions now!
Judging from the calm expressions of the nobles in the Southeast Province, everyone knew that this had been planned in advance. When formulating the strategy, they deliberately tilted it towards the lesser nobles.
Those in the know understood that this was an attempt by the Dalton Family to appease the lesser nobles. After all, what had happened previously had deeply disheartened many of them.
Now that external threats have arisen, we need to work together in solidarity, so naturally we must first take care of internal relations.
According to the fundraising model of "those with money contribute money, those with manpower contribute manpower, those with food contribute food, and those with supplies contribute supplies", in theory all nobles can fulfill their respective obligations.
This was especially beneficial to the minor nobles who were on the verge of bankruptcy. During the off-season for farming, sending serfs from their territories to repair the defenses could save them a considerable amount of grain.
However, this also presents many problems. Most of the minor nobles in the province will choose to contribute manpower, but what about the other materials needed for the project?
After all, for many noblemen, the least valuable thing is human labor.
During the off-season, even if all the labor force in the territory is sent to repair the defense line, it will not affect everyone's daily life.
The most likely outcome will be a surplus of labor and a shortage of other supplies.
Faced with the questioning looks from the crowd, Hudson stood up and said slowly, "If no one has any other objections, then this fundraising will proceed as proposed by the Governor."
Labor, food, and other supplies will all be calculated at market prices. Regardless of the method used, everyone is welcome to fulfill their assigned share of obligations.
The project budget will be allocated to each county. Each county will then multiply its original share of the project budget by the original proportion of its obligations within that county. This will give each county the share it needs to bear.
Considering the actual situation, the labor, materials, and food provided by everyone may not match the needs of the project, so His Excellency the Governor and I have decided that everyone should submit their applications first.
The subsequent coordination work will be jointly handled by the Dalton Family and Coslo Family. If coordination fails, both families will jointly step in to ensure the successful completion of the Blood Moon Defense Line!
Hearing Hudson's words, the representatives from various countries, who had initially been prepared to watch the spectacle, were completely dumbfounded. The question involuntarily arose in their minds: Are all the nobles of the Alpha Kingdom this reckless?
When problems arise, the high-ranking nobles step in to cover for them, clearly allowing the lower-ranking nobles to benefit.
If we all operate this way, what project can't we accomplish?
Is the construction of the defense line expensive?
It's a joke. All the materials needed to build the Blood Moon Defense Line can be self-sufficient, taking the entire Southeast Province as an example.
It's possible that the last gold coin won't even need to be paid out directly; the project could be completed solely through internal coordination among the nobles.
The only remaining test for the Southeast Province is its organizational capabilities.
By looking at the mobilization of the Alpha Kingdom during the war, we can see that they have plenty of experience.
The specific defensive line construction can be directly copied from the north. The fortifications that can stop the Beastfolk can also stop the human army.
If a battle were to actually break out, the fighting wouldn't be nearly as intense. After all, human soldiers are far more intelligent than those dim-witted lower-ranking Beastfolk.
As expected, after the two elders finished speaking, the nobles from the Southeast Province began to submit their applications in twos and threes.
The fundraising meeting went so smoothly that it dazzled many people.
The nobles within the kingdom are relatively well-behaved; similar practices are not common in everyday life, but there are cases nonetheless.
The representatives from different countries were a different story. You could tell from their eyes that they were terrified; they figured what happened today would shock them for years to come.
What appeared to be a simple fundraising meeting revealed something far more complex. The contributions of the nobles of the Alpha Kingdom were merely the tip of the iceberg.
What truly terrifies everyone is the unity of the nobles of the Alpha Kingdom.
Everyone had already inquired beforehand that the Dalton Family and Coslo Family were mortal enemies, and since the two families were squeezed together in the Southeast Province, there were countless frictions between them behind the scenes.
Normally, these two families should be sabotaging each other. We oppose whatever you support.
Cooperation is only possible if the interests involved are large enough, or if there is a life-or-death crisis where not cooperating would mean the end for everyone.
But reality proved them wrong. The two families, who should have been stabbing each other in the back, had already started cooperating without even seeing a trace of an enemy.
After all, the so-called Black Forest threat is purely wishful thinking. Currently, the Black Forest Kingdom shows no sign of sending troops, let alone crossing the Black Stone Mountain Range to attack.
Although the distance between the two sides is less than 100 kilometers, it would not be easy for a large army to cross this area.
Even if a passage is opened up, heavy troops must be deployed to guard it to ensure the safety of their own logistics.
Unfortunately, most of the nobles in the Southeast Province, who suffer from severe paranoia, believe that once war breaks out, the Hessians will come from here to attack.
The basis for this theory is the Beastfolk. In the recent Beastfolk invasion war, the Behemoth army took a roundabout route, passing through multiple countries, to try and stab Alpha in the backside.
If Hudson hadn't led his expeditionary force back to the rescue in time, the undefended southern provinces might have been successfully attacked by the Beastfolk.
They can travel thousands of miles, so opening up a passage less than a hundred kilometers long is naturally no problem for them.
Regardless of whether others believed it or not, Governor Pierce did, and with Lord Hudson adding fuel to the fire, everyone quickly came to the conclusion that the Black Forest Kingdom was preparing to invade the Alpha Kingdom from the Black Stone Mountain Range!
This is a life-or-death crisis; we must unite!
As for the conflict between the Dalton Family and Coslo Family, it was merely a struggle between the eldest and second eldest sons. Even if one family won, they wouldn't completely wipe out the other.
The conference quickly came to an end. With no more excitement to see, the nobles took their leave in twos and threes, leaving only Lord Hudson to stay and drink tea.
"Your Excellency, will this truly intimidate the Black Forest Kingdom?"
Governor Pierce asked uncertainly.
The defenses could be repaired at any time. Before the southern provinces could do so, the two sides spent a great deal of money to jointly stage this grand show, which was certainly not just for show.
"Governor Excellency, please relax! Judging from the reaction of the Minister of Hessen, the meeting just now must have frightened him quite a bit."
From today onward, in the eyes of the outside world, our Southeast Province will be a united province. Anyone who wants to harm us must think twice before acting.
Human nature is inherently inclined to bully the weak and fear the strong.
The Black Forest Kingdom and the areas bordering it are not just the Southeast Province. Realizing that we are not to be trifled with, they naturally will not stubbornly confront us head-on.
Even if war breaks out immediately, they will not consider us their primary target.
As long as we build the Blood Moon Defense Line into the kingdom's most solid defense line, making the enemy realize how difficult it is to break through the Southeast Province, the Black Forest Kingdom will remove us from its offensive targets.
Even if a large-scale war breaks out in the future, we will still be the kingdom's rear base!
Hudson tried to convince them.
After the war ended, in order to gain a period of peaceful development, he worked hard to make strategic plans, but he did not achieve the desired results for a long time.
Opportunities are for those who are prepared.
The sudden assassination attempt created an opportunity for him. The Hessian threat theory, which he had been promoting for days in the Southeast Province, finally came in handy.
With the groundwork laid by the preceding public opinion, Hudson successfully fooled a group of nobles in the province, and then used their shared consciousness to outmaneuver Governor Pierce.
This ultimately led to the "United Southeast Province." Whether others believed it or not, Hudson certainly did.
Since this is a united province, we can't afford to continue creating friction. All the previous minor conflicts must now cease.
In order to keep Governor Pierce busy and prevent him from overthinking, Hudson not only guided everyone to improve the construction standards of the Blood Moon Defense Line, but also relinquished the leading role in the construction of the Blood Moon Defense Line.
As for whether the Black Forest Kingdom will attack from the Black Stone Mountain Range in the future, you can only ask the people of Blacksem; Lord Hudson certainly doesn't know.
The fact that the enemy invaded from the Black Stone Mountain Range proves the foresight of Lord Hudson's proposal to build a defensive line; the fact that the enemy did not attack from this side means that the strategy of "subduing the enemy without fighting" has succeeded.
Regardless of the final outcome, Lord Hudson's judgment was correct.
Once the project starts, there's no turning back. Since we've announced in front of so many nobles on the mainland that we'll be spending huge sums to build the Blood Moon Defense Line, we have to carry it out.
The cost was enormous, but Lord Hudson didn't care. He figured it was just clearing out inventory; rather than letting it rust in the warehouse, it was better to put it to good use.
If there is surplus labor, it can be exchanged under the guise of coordinating resource allocation to accelerate the development and construction of the territory.
A few years later, the Blood Moon Defense Line was completed. Their own swamp was also nearly developed, and the first batch of monster cubs had grown up to be ready for service. The foundation of the Coslo Family was now secure.
By then, even if the Dalton Family realizes they've been tricked and tries to take action to curb the Coslo Family's growth, it will be too late.
In the Black Forest Kingdom, looking at the intelligence reports sent back from the Alpha Kingdom, Alexander V asked with suspicion, "The Alpha people are reacting so strongly, Count Nicholas, what new military plan has your Military Affairs Department devised this time?"
Originally, he wanted to settle scores with the Alpha Kingdom, but judging from the current situation, they are the ones actively preparing for war.
News of the prince's assassination had reached them several days ago, but the Black Forest Kingdom had yet to reach a decision on whether to use this as an excuse to wage war against the Alpha Kingdom.
It's not that they're afraid of the Alpha Kingdom; it's mainly that the current complex international situation makes everyone feel uncertain.
Through diplomatic channels, major powers are subtly hinting to them: Go ahead and do as you please, we promise not to cause trouble!
The more people incite them, the less the Black Forest Kingdom dares to act. Don't be fooled by their current encouragement; if war breaks out, they'll immediately show a completely different face.
Unable to understand the reason, Alexander V could only suspect that his own strategic plan had been leaked, which aroused the high vigilance of the Alpha Kingdom.
"Your Majesty, our Military Affairs Department has not formulated any military plans recently!"
Count Nicholas replied, looking completely bewildered.
Military plans? When did they originate? How come he didn't know?
Are the people below messing things up again?
That doesn't make sense! Those bureaucrats in the Military Affairs Department are all incredibly lazy. Who would be so idle as to draft military plans?
"Oh!"
"If it's not your fault, then what is? The Alpha people are acting like madmen, frantically building defenses along the border as if we're about to launch an attack!"
Alexander V's words left all the princes and ministers dumbfounded.
They truly couldn't understand Alpha Kingdom's actions. Before they could even decide whether to launch a probing attack, Alpha was already preparing for a full-scale war.
Without a doubt, given the current international situation, the Black Forest Kingdom is unlikely to launch a full-scale war.
Looking at the data on paper, they are indeed much stronger than the Alpha Kingdom. However, the Aslant Continent has more than just these two countries, and they still need to leave people to guard their homeland.
The actual number of troops that can be committed to the war may not necessarily be more than that of the Alpha Kingdom. After all, Alpha is the dominant power in the north and doesn't have as many countries dragging its feet.
"Your Majesty, has the Alpha Kingdom been terrified by us?"
"The chancellor, Duke Milton, said uncertainly."
"Your Grace, the Alpha people are unlikely to be intimidated. The envoy to the Alpha Kingdom has informed us that July Association, and the Alpha Kingdom is organizing a manpower to suppress them."
Our proposal to redefine spheres of influence was rejected outright without even a discussion.
Since the assassination attempt broke out, they have done nothing except send some supplements.
They clearly want us to admit that the assassination was carried out by the Cult of the July Association before they will engage in further negotiations.
Marquis Krasna immediately rejected the idea.
Whether someone is intimidated or not is most evident in diplomatic activities. The Alpha Kingdom's foreign policy continues its previous assertive stance, clearly indicating that it is not afraid of them.
"Let our people test their true intentions. Such a big incident cannot be explained away simply by saying it was the work of Heretical Cult!"
In addition, we should strengthen intelligence gathering within the Alpha Kingdom. The Kingdom wants to advance north, and they are our biggest obstacle.
The order was issued to summon the Governor and prefects of all provinces to the Royal Capital for a meeting to discuss strategy against the Alpha Kingdom. This information was to be released directly without secrecy.
The military can't just sit idly by either; they'll take their troops to the border and put pressure on the Alpha Kingdom!
Alexander V said angrily.
It was clear that Alexander V was truly enraged. His son had been assassinated in the Alpha Kingdom, and the other side hadn't taken it seriously at all.
The crude explanation that it was done by Heretical Cult is only good for fooling children.
In the Aslant Continent, two-thirds of cases that cannot be investigated are attributed to Heretical Cult organizations, while the remaining one-third are blamed on alien races.