Beast Tide

Harvest season is the most captivating time of year. Looking at the wheat fields rippling in the wind, Hudson, holding his son, couldn't help but smile with joy.

With this bumper harvest, the newly relocated serfs should feel at ease. For the common people, nothing brings more peace of mind than a bountiful harvest.

Grain yields don't lie. After several years of hard work, the yield per acre in the territory has increased further, with the average yield per acre exceeding 220 pounds.

Hudson couldn't be sure whether it was the effect of fertilizer, the role of seed selection and breeding, or both.

However, this is a minor issue. Regardless of the specific reason, we must address both aspects.

The seeds must be of the highest quality, Swamp Brand fertilizer must continue to be used, and farm composting techniques should not be ignored.

In fact, this yield per acre is also partly due to the low yield per acre of newly developed mountainous land, which dragged down the overall figure. The most fertile marshland farmland even yielded close to 300 pounds per acre.

Of course, this data was only in the hands of the territory's high-ranking officials. Ordinary people only knew that the Mountain Territory had a bumper harvest, but they had no clear idea of the extent of the harvest.

Even if a spy leaked the news, everyone would just think it was an isolated case of a bumper harvest in a localized area. Similar things have happened before.

For example, a battlefield where two armies are fiercely fighting makes it easier to achieve a bumper harvest the following year.

For example, if there is heavy snow in winter, the grain yield will be higher the following year.

It's just that people haven't studied it in depth and lack knowledge in the relevant fields, so they tend to attribute such extraordinary events to divine protection.

Hudson already has a lot of divine aura surrounding him, so we don't mind adding another one.

He doesn't even need to promote the title of "blessed by the gods"; a bunch of fans have already given it to him.

Most importantly, their social status has changed.

In the era of minor nobles, such an event was a matter of life and death; the slightest carelessness could lead to death and the extermination of one's clan.

At this point, at most it will attract the attention of those with ulterior motives. They won't send people to steal it just because of a rumor that's neither true nor false.

The Southeast Province had no shortage of grain. The Dalton Family might have fallen out with the Coslo Family for other reasons, but it was absolutely impossible for them to launch a noble war over a few dozen more kilograms of grain per acre.

The Blood Moon Defense Line is currently under construction, with everyone contributing money and manpower. The Dalton Family, in particular, is contributing food.

The fact that the Dalton Family could supply food and drink for hundreds of thousands of laborers every day, and still have the surplus to sell grain to the outside world, speaks volumes.

Judging from the publicly available data, the Dalton Family controls more than 30,000 square kilometers of land and has a population of over one million.

Even if the actual figures doubled, it wouldn't be surprising. Hudson hadn't forgotten that the Dalton Family also had islands overseas, territories that weren't under the kingdom's jurisdiction.

With such a substantial financial foundation, supplying food for hundreds of thousands of laborers was naturally not a major problem. It was simply a matter of using the grain originally intended for supporting the Northern Frontier to build up the defenses.

With the burden of supplying goods to the Northern Frontier lifted, the overall burden on the nobles of the Southeast Province was significantly reduced.

If it weren't for the sharp drop in food prices and the lack of enough buyers in the market, so many minor nobles wouldn't have fallen into financial crisis.

If you delve deeper, you can even find a connection to Hudson.

Without the military rations from the Northern Frontier, the Southeast Province have a severe overcapacity of grain. Ironically, the Mountain Territory, which has always been the largest grain buyer in the Southeast Province, has suddenly stopped purchasing grain.

The two crises collided, directly causing a collapse in food prices. Prices were incomparable not only to wartime levels, but even to pre-war levels.

Hudson is also partly to blame for this. From another perspective, the Mountain Territory's large-scale reclamation plan was purely about increasing food production.

With a slight overall decline in the population of the Southeast Province, the continuous increase in grain production capacity was undoubtedly the culprit behind the crisis.

Although he knew, Lord Hudson showed no concern for the others. So what if the produce was unsold? He had no grain to sell anyway.

The current retail price of rye is 5 copper coins per pound, a decrease of 5 copper coins from the normal price before the outbreak of the war.

For grain, such a price drop is already devastating. But it's meaningless; a price drop of only one-sixth is far from a time to buy at the bottom.

Moreover, given Hudson's character, he wouldn't be allowed to take advantage of a crisis. Even when purchasing reserve grain, he could only do so at market prices, not by deliberately driving down prices.

Then we might as well wait and discuss this issue when the nobles' warehouses are full; that will often make it easier to achieve our goal.

Grain reserves, grain reserves, the most important thing is—reserves!

There is no rule that grain reserves must be stored in one's own warehouse.

If conditions permit, temporarily storing it in a neighbor's warehouse is also a good option.

The core factor is still the immaturity of the market.

In mature commodity markets with overcapacity in grain production, downstream industries can be extended, such as developing animal husbandry, brewing, and food processing.

Unfortunately, the more of these industries one engages in, the more money one loses.

Under a self-sufficient economic model, everyone can produce these products themselves. Apart from the emerging aristocracy in the north who need to purchase them, there is simply no market for them.

Unfortunately, transporting these products from the Southeast Province to the Northern Frontier was not only a long journey, but the toll fees along the way alone could bankrupt a person.

If we could travel by sea, things might be a bit better. We could expand our business to coastal cities, but unfortunately, there are only two ports in the north.

One port is located on the steppe and is controlled by the Fralant Wheel Kingdom, one of the Seven Grassland Nations; the other port is in the hands of Duke Xilo.

Throughout the entire Southeast Province, only the Dalton Family was able to conduct business there, but even then, it was limited to the ports.

It's simply impossible to do business deep inland. The two major powers that control the ports are now hoping to monopolize the market and reap huge profits.

"My Lord, a document Royal Capital arrived from the capital."

Tom's words interrupted Hudson's family bliss. He turned and handed Little Franz to Melissa, then took the official documents and began to read.

"What's wrong, Hudson? Has something happened again?"

Melissa asked with concern.

From the moment they met until now, there haven't been many peaceful days. They're either fighting or preparing for war.

Even after the war ended, a host of problems remained, keeping everyone in turmoil.

"It's nothing serious!"

The Military Affairs Department plans to station two corps in the Southeast Province to guard against a Hessian invasion. This is to solicit my opinion.

Though he spoke lightly, Hudson was anything but calm inside. He didn't believe a word of that childish excuse about being wary of the Hessians.

Even if war were to break out immediately, the Black Forest Kingdom would have to clear the road through the Black Stone Mountain Range before it could invade the Southeast Province.

With a natural buffer zone in place, there is enough time for the kingdom to mobilize its troops, so there is absolutely no need to station two Standing Army legions in the Southeast Province.

Using such a low-level excuse would be better to say: food prices are cheap in the Southeast Province, so placing the Standing Army there would allow for convenient procurement and save on military expenses.

"You're going to refuse, right?"

Melissa asked curiously.

Having grown up surrounded by political influences, I do possess a certain sensitivity to politics. While it may seem insignificant to station two Standing Army corps in the Southeast Province, it actually represents the central government extending its reach to the local areas.

It's easy to invite a god, but hard to send him away!

Once these two legions are let in, it will be difficult to drive them out.

"They came at the wrong time. If it had been six months ago, I wouldn't have minded them coming and stirring things up."

Unfortunately, that's not possible now!

We finally managed to ease tensions with the Dalton Family and establish a fragile balance. Now that a powerful dragon has entered the fray, that balance is bound to be broken.

The Dalton Family has long regarded the Southeast Province as their own backyard, and they certainly wouldn't allow anyone to extend their reach there unless absolutely necessary.

Hudson said with a hint of helplessness.

Just moments before, Caesar IV had reminded the nobles to abandon their prejudices and focus on preparing for war, but now the central government is trying to interfere in local affairs.

Of course, it cannot be ruled out that this is genuinely for the safety of the Southeast Province, but the probability is extremely low.

Emerald Palace.

"Your Majesty, apart from Count Carles and Count Martinez, all the others have refused the kingdom's garrison."

Grand Duke Affierro, the Minister of Minister of Military Affairs, reported with a frown.

In all honesty, the Military Affairs Department' document this time was genuinely intended to strengthen border defenses and, incidentally, reduce military spending.

Compared to the major grain-producing provinces to the south, Royal Capital, which needs to import grain from other places, has grain prices that are 70% to 80% higher.

The large number of troops gathered near the Royal Capital was a burden on the kingdom. With limited military funds, the Military Affairs Department had to find ways to cut costs.

Unfortunately, their good intentions were completely misunderstood. Apart from the provinces of Kovasia and Obra, which were terrified by the Hessians, the other provinces in southern Xinjiang simply did not listen to them.

"Fine, let them be! They chose this path, and they'll have to bear the consequences themselves. If war breaks out in the future, they'll have their turn to cry."

"Caesar IV I said angrily."

The local nobles worried that the King would use his troops to interfere in local affairs, but he had genuinely been very restrained.

Large provinces like the Southeast Province only have two army corps stationed there. At most, they can only gain some say. They are not qualified to compete for decision-making power over local affairs!

Unfortunately, no one would believe him if he said that. After all, his political credibility as King had not yet been established.

"Your Majesty, the garrison is a minor issue. The fact that they were able to refuse naturally stems from their strength."

Compared to the powerful nobles in the north, the powerful nobles in the south were better at concealing their strength. In every war, they appeared to have given their all, but no one knew how much they had actually hidden.

Take the Liufeng Family for example. Everyone thought that after the complete annihilation, the Liufeng Family, which was severely damaged, would never recover. However, they still managed to preserve most of their interests with their remaining strength.

If it weren't for the extremely negative political impact, requiring an explanation to everyone, Duke Liufeng probably wouldn't have even relinquished the position of Governor.

Although they have nominally declined to become middle-class nobles, their overall strength still makes them the number one family in Fengyun Province.

The Dalton Family was in a similar situation. They had expected the Coslo Family the war, but nothing happened.

The fact that the Count Hudson chose to remain silent, given his methods, is enough to prove the strength of the Dalton Family.

Nominally, the military strength of these powerful noble families in the southern borderlands is far inferior to that of several families in the Northern Frontier, but the actual gap may not be as vast as we imagine.

It's not that the Northern Aristocrats are honest; it's just that they've been beaten by Beastfolk for years and simply can't hide their strength.

In contrast, the powerful nobles in the south were different. In every war, they played the role of reinforcements, and the deeper they hid, the more advantageous it was for their families.

If we only consider the apparent military strength, the Dalton Family is only one-third the strength of the weakest of the five noble families in the Northern Frontier, and the Liufeng Family is only half the strength of the weakest of the Five Great Families of the Northern Frontier.

However, judging from the performance of the two families, their strength is far greater than that.

Even after the visible army was completely wiped out, it was able to quickly rebuild its structure. Even if its combat strength was somewhat reduced, it was still enough to prove that it had a solid financial foundation.

From the kingdom's perspective, the strength of its powerful noble families is undoubtedly a good thing.

But for King, that's not necessarily the case. No monarch likes their subordinates to hide their strength, as such hiding often means becoming uncontrollable.

"Prime Minister, rest assured, I am not a petty person. Their confidence in stopping the Black Forest Kingdom's invasion is also a good thing for the kingdom."

There's no need to mention the garrison again. The kingdom's strategic focus going forward should be on recuperation and recovery.

Except for the seven newly recovered northern provinces, which still need time to develop and are therefore exempt from requirements, all other provinces must replenish their noble private armies within three years.

Especially in these border provinces, they must be urged to expand their military and prepare for war. The Military Affairs Department should take charge of this work to ensure that everyone is ready for war at any time.

Caesar IV said calmly.

Clearly, Caesar IV, who claimed to be indifferent, was not truly magnanimous. His words revealed that he was using the guise of "doing what's best for you" to disgust people.

Expanding the military and preparing for war sounds simple, but all these preparations require money. Unlike the serf soldiers who served without pay, the nobles' official private armies also needed to be paid.

No matter how frugal you are, people still need to be able to support their families. Otherwise, those wandering knights wouldn't come seeking refuge.

The restoration of private armies was of little concern to the great nobles. Their existing systems were already complete; the only difference was a reduction in combat effectiveness.

The ones who were truly hurt were the lower-ranking nobles. Theoretically, they had two years to recuperate and should have recovered by now.

Unfortunately, in the past two years, a war debt repayment tax has also been introduced. This tax is not too much when spread among individuals, but it is collected in cash and cannot be offset by goods.

For nobles in areas with convenient transportation and developed commerce, there is not much pressure; they can simply sell their land for cash.

However, for some noble lords who live in remote, inaccessible areas and lack means of converting their wealth into cash, this is a major problem. If a powerful noble further obstructs their transactions, the problem becomes even more severe.

Life was already tough enough; where would they find the resources to expand their military and prepare for war? It would have been better if the kingdom hadn't brought up the issue. The more they urged it, the more they added to the burden, creating a heavy load.

Blood Moon County.

"Are you sure you're not seeing things? Monsters from the Black Stone Mountain Range are gathering?"

Governor Pierce asked with a grave expression.

Recently, the number of attacks on construction teams by Warcraft has been rising, and in order to find out what's going on, he had to send experts deep into the Black Stone Mountain Range to investigate.

This investigation revealed a problem: based on past experience, a large gathering of monsters often meant that a beast tide was about to break out.

"Governor Excellency, I witnessed this with my own eyes. If my Screaming Beast hadn't been fast enough, I almost wouldn't have made it back!"

"I can't believe it," said Magister Yuri, still shaken.

Having survived a journey through a horde of monsters unscathed, it must be thanks to the blessing of the Lord of Dawn.

If someone is even slightly unlucky and gets targeted by a high-level magical beast in the Black Stone Mountain Range, their fate is to become excrement.

How large is the herd?

Governor Pierce asked with concern.

Beast tides also come in different levels. Some small beast tides can be handled by minor nobles in the countryside; while it is not surprising that large beast tides can conquer counties and provinces.

The largest beast tide in history, it even has a record of destroying a country.

"I don't know! Anyway, I saw hundreds of magical beasts, and there are still magical beasts gathering here along the way."

There are quite a few high-level magical beasts living in the Black Stone Mountain Range, making it impossible for ordinary people to approach. To learn more about the situation, you should ask Count Hudson to investigate!

"It was suggested by Magister Yuri."

It wasn't that he wanted to shift the blame; it was simply too dangerous to venture deep into the Black Stone Mountain Range right now. On the way back, he had seen quite a few mercenary groups become prey for monsters.

Let alone the dangers faced by Magister, even Great Sorcerer wouldn't dare guarantee they could escape unscathed if they encountered these high-level magical beasts.

Even legendary Holy Domain powerhouses must flee at the first sign of a horde of beasts. If surrounded, they too may perish in the mountains.

Over the years, many skilled individuals have perished in the Black Stone Mountain Range.

The Dragon Knight was able to go and investigate not only because the Giant Dragon was powerful, but also because Giant Dragon was fast.

Even high-level magical beasts rarely manage to catch up with Giant Dragon. Catching up doesn't mean you can defeat it; after all, magical beasts aren't omnipotent.

While gaining an advantage in speed, there are bound to be certain disadvantages in other aspects; it's impossible to have all the talents.

"It's best not to trouble two Magister with one matter. This matter involves many people, so it's not advisable to reveal it now. I'll have to trouble you to go to the Mountain Territory the way."

Governor Pierce said, sounding somewhat tired.

It was truly exhausting. I had hoped to take advantage of the opportunity to build the Blood Moon Defense Line to further integrate the nobles within the province.

Unfortunately, plans can't keep up with changes. Construction on the defense line has been fraught with difficulties. First, the kingdom's debt crisis erupted, and then the international situation became tense.

Although it seems far from the Southeast Province, it is inextricably linked to everything, and Governor Pierce has to spare some attention for it all.

He had just refused the kingdom's garrison, and now signs of a beast tide were appearing, giving him no chance to relax.

If he had known earlier that a beast tide was waiting here, he wouldn't have refused so readily when the Military Affairs Department proposed stationing troops here.

Given the uncertainty of the beast tide's size, having two more Standing Army legions to fill the gap is definitely a great thing.

Unfortunately, in politics, words spoken cannot be taken back. Having just refused the kingdom's garrison, they cannot immediately change their stance and invite the troops back.

"Fine, for the safety of millions of people in the Southeast Province, I'll make the trip!"

Having finished showing off, Magister Yuri turned and left through the gate. He summoned the Screaming Beast and headed straight for the Mountain Territory.