The Continental War Broke Out

No such record found!

What a convenient "no such record found"!

What is the Southeast Province trying to do?

Caesar IV questioned him with an almost roaring tone.

It's not big news that nobles are hiding magic crystal mines and mining them privately. However, generally speaking, only high-ranking nobles dare to do this, and they usually hide small mines.

This is the first time that a large magic crystal mine has been hidden, and the case involves a mid-level noble family.

Normally, this kind of case shouldn't have encountered any obstacles, and evidence could be found quickly. After all, an ordinary middle-class noble family wouldn't have the power to obstruct an investigation.

But reality proved otherwise. While the investigation team dispatched by the Royal Capital was still en route, the Southeast Province preemptively announced its findings—no such matter was found.

The existence of magic crystal veins has been denied, so there is naturally no question of any hidden or unauthorized mining.

They didn't even wait for the investigation team sent by the Kingdom, and rushed to close the case so impatiently, which is obviously a case of trying to cover something up.

A case involving a mid-level noble family is completely different from a case involving nobles throughout the entire Southeast Province.

Without solid evidence, even the King has no right to launch an investigation into the nobility of a province at the same time.

"Your Majesty, please calm down! This matter has not yet been fully investigated, and it is not appropriate to rush to a conclusion."

According to the investigation results provided by the Southeast Province, the previous anomaly was caused by the Heretical Cult Skull Society, which triggered Elemental Tide.

The cause was that the Skeleton Lord and his followers set up Altar in an attempt to lure in Other Plane beings to invade.

The Skull Society orchestrated the entire ritual, including this sudden beast tide, to cover up the Ritual activities.

At the end of its investigation report, the Southeast Province also offered a conjecture: the Skull Society had allied with the Black Forest Kingdom, and this operation was to clear obstacles for their invasion.

The Prime Minister Grand Duke Newfoundland, offered a tactful suggestion.

Regardless of how many loopholes exist in the investigation report given by the Southeast Province, or how many facts were covered up, it did indeed complete the logical closure.

This beast tide has made it easier for the Black Forest Kingdom to invade. As beneficiaries, they have an incentive to do so.

As for why the Skull and Bones Skull Society, which originally followed the Church, sided with the Black Forest Kingdom, that's completely unimportant.

Heretical Cult are capable of doing anything bizarre. Simply changing partners is nothing special.

"Snort!"

After expressing his dissatisfaction with a cold shout, Caesar IV said angrily, "The Southeast Province rushed to close the case before the investigation team arrived, which clearly shows they are guilty."

It's possible that the illegal mining of magic crystals was orchestrated by the Dalton Family themselves. Governor Pierce is the biggest beneficiary, so naturally he'll resist the investigation!

Explanations are meaningless; once King has made up his mind, he will only believe his own judgment.

The Dalton Family had both the motive and the means to orchestrate this, which is far more convincing than the idea that the mastermind was a middle-class noble family.

After all, only high-ranking nobles can cover up such matters. Even if the kingdom discovers it, they can easily extricate themselves by paying a certain price.

"Your Majesty, the name of Count Hudson also appeared in the case report of the Southeast Province."

If the investigation reveals that this matter is unfounded, that would be fine. But if there really is a case of illegal mining of magic crystals, it's likely that all the nobles in the entire Southeast Province were involved.

A province cannot accommodate two powerful noble families, and the Coslo Family and Dalton Family did not get along well. Unless they had been involved before the rise of the family, there was no need for Count Hudson to come out and endorse them.

There are too many people involved; it's not advisable to make a big fuss. The best course of action is to send someone to investigate secretly, find evidence, and then resolve the matter privately.

The Minister of Finance Marquis Delgado, began to speak.

We must be careful. The Southeast Province is not only the largest Major Fiscal Province in the Alpha Kingdom, but also a border province. If things get out of hand, there will be no way to clean up the mess later.

In a centralized government, the Governor and prefects could simply be dismissed and replaced with a new group of people.

Unfortunately, the Alpha Kingdom is Shareholding State; the government can dismiss officials, but it cannot dismiss shareholders.

The Southeast Province, which contributes the most tax revenue to the kingdom, naturally speaks with confidence. They dare to do such things because they know what they're doing.

"If the nobles of the Southeast Province are in cahoots, what do you think we can find out?"

I'm afraid the investigation team will be detained before they even reach their destination!

"Caesar IV."

This matter was reported by a close confidant of the royal family, but that was only a brief report; it was impossible to get him to come forward as a witness.

Being a traitor is no easy task; once a secret is leaked, the consequences are death and the extermination of one's entire clan. Offending the nobles of the entire province means that an accident is only a matter of time, and the King simply cannot protect them.

"Your Majesty, there's no need to rush this matter. The illegal mining of magic crystals won't be resolved in a day or two; we have plenty of time."

The nobles in the Southeast Province are on high alert right now, so let's wait a while before conducting the investigation again. We'll deal with them once we've gathered evidence.

The beast tide has only just subsided. The nobles of the Southeast Province are also in dire need of replenishment, so it's not a big deal to leave the magic crystal mines in their hands for the time being.

Boosting their strength will also help consolidate national defense. With a full-scale Continental War imminent, the kingdom should prioritize stability.

Duke Affierro offered a rational analysis.

The meat is rotten in the pot; it can't escape. Even if we were to settle accounts, that would be something to do later.

In the Southeast Province, Hudson, on his way home, is leisurely sightseeing along the way.

By taking the initiative and contributing Beastfolk slaves for mining, Hudson successfully secured a quarter of the share.

It's clear that no one had much courage. They were all afraid of being tainted by the "Lifespan Curse," which is why they gave Hudson the opportunity.

As someone who knew about the "curse" and had the opportunity to make a fortune in silence, Hudson naturally wouldn't make a fuss.

The time frame for the pollution by Evil Energy is too long to verify in a short period of time, and even if it were mentioned, people might not believe it.

Hudson could only offer a silent apology to the Viscount Autumn family for their tragedy.

He had no time to play the saint with someone he wasn't related to. After all, it's easy to spot a problem, but difficult to solve it.

The quantity of the Evil Energy was small, but its quality was extremely high; otherwise, even a group of experts wouldn't have been able to detect it.

In Hudson's view, to purify this thing, either a Light Magic Saint or a Saint-tier Priest would be needed.

Unfortunately, the Holy Law has long since vanished from the continent. As for priests of the Holy rank, Hudson only knows of the Pope of Dawn.

Telling Viscount Autumn would be pointless. The Pope has more influence than the King; even if they sold everything they owned, they couldn't persuade Pius Pope Pius VII to intervene.

Moreover, the Alpha Kingdom and the Church are hostile forces, making it even less likely.

Instead of racking your brains to find a solution, it's better to move away and let time gradually dissipate the Evil Energy in your body. After a few generations, you'll be able to return to normal.

Compared to the unexpected profits from the magic crystal mine, the monster captives currently sleeping in the vehicle were Hudson's original target.

There were a total of 178 magical beasts. Apart from eight mid-level magical beasts, the rest were all low-level magical beasts.

Perhaps due to the price, female beasts made up two-thirds of the captured monsters.

Apart from a few monsters captured by the soldiers, most of the monsters were captured by Maxim, who then transported them back to build his harem.

Hudson's current concern is that Maxim recently went into heat and won't go into heat again for a long time.

Convincing a Giant Dragon that isn't in heat to become a breeding dragon is no easy task. In fact, after searching through history books, Hudson couldn't find a single successful example.

The thought of "drugging" had barely crossed his mind when Hudson extinguished it. Doing something so tasteless would earn him a lifetime of resentment from Maxim.

Even if medication is required, it must be done willingly.

Fortunately, this kind of thing can't be rushed. We have to wait until the Magical Beast Base is completely evacuated before we can proceed.

Those who left earlier were all foreign forces; the major domestic forces are still content to leave the pregnant female beasts in the Mountain Territory their offspring.

With something on his mind, he lost interest in sightseeing. While Hudson was nominally enjoying himself, Beldens was essentially doing all the work on his own.

One minute it's chasing wild rabbits, the next it's raiding bird nests, and then it's messing with insects. It's a real troublemaker, keeping all the birds and beasts in turmoil.

In contrast, Maxim was much more mature and composed. He lay on the ground, closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep under the sun.

Hudson wondered if it was just his imagination, but lately, he felt that Maxim had become increasingly sleepy. Whenever he had the chance, he would take a nap.

Fortunately, he never slept for long periods of time. If he had slept for decades, his life as a Dragon Knight would have been tragic.

As far as Hudson knew, one of the four great Dragon Knight of the continent was an unfortunate Giant Dragon who had been asleep for over a decade.

Giant Dragon aren't known for their good temper; if they disturb your sleep, they'll beat you up, even if you're Dragon Knight.

Unless it's a matter of life and death, no one would forcibly awaken a sleeping Giant Dragon.

Hudson vaguely sensed that the Giant Dragon's slumber seemed to be related to its growing strength. It appeared to be sleeping, but in reality, it was digesting the power that had accumulated within its body.

In the years he'd been with him, Maxim's strength had grown at a much faster rate. In just a few years, he had covered a distance that would normally take hundreds of years.

Rapid growth in strength naturally requires time to digest. It's already a favor that he didn't sleep for decades.

Of course, it's also possible that Maxim feared the days of such rapid growth in strength were numbered, and forcibly suppressed the idea of hibernation.

After all, compared to Giant Dragon, human lifespans are far too short. If one were to wake up and Hudson were gone, it would be difficult to rapidly increase one's strength.

Even Giant Dragon weigh the pros and cons of momentary pleasure versus lifelong enjoyment.

Hudson lit a campfire, skewered a prepared hare, and began preparing lunch.

As for his own dragon and bear, in this situation, he would naturally try to find a solution himself; he didn't have time to be a chef for two big eaters.

"My lord, an urgent Royal Capital has arrived from the capital. Last night, the Human Alliance Council passed a resolution to declare war on the Alien Race Alliance. The Continental War has now fully erupted!"

Upon hearing the soldier's words, Hudson's expression changed drastically, and he even dropped the rabbit he was holding into the campfire.

He had heard about the tense international situation. But the Aslant Continent was already plagued by constant wars, with tense days far outnumbering peaceful ones.

Conventionally, local conflicts usually break out first, then escalate into regional wars, and then the fighting gradually evolves into Continental War.

According to Hudson's analysis, the Continental War would break out in five years. Little did anyone expect that this was only the beginning of the rehearsal, and it would directly enter the climax stage.

Unfortunately, the Coslo Family's rise to power was too short-lived, and they had not yet gained recognition from the continental aristocracy. Their application to become a member of the Human Alliance was rejected.

To find out what happened behind the scenes, we can only wait until it goes through the kingdom. The message has already passed through several hands, which, aside from the issue of accuracy, significantly delays the process.

Under normal circumstances, such a crucial message as declaring war on the Alien Race Alliance should be transmitted back via Communication Magic Array immediately after the decision is made.

If nothing unexpected happens, the old aristocracy received the news last night, while Hudson received it a full half a day later.

This amount of time may seem insignificant, but in crucial moments, half a day can determine the life or death of a faction.

With a heavy heart, Hudson decided to go back and build Communication Magic Array; he couldn't continue using people as intermediaries.

If something important happens, the Dalton Family will deliberately delay, and he will receive the news even later.

As for the position of a councilor in the Human Alliance, that will require long-term effort. It is not enough to just gain the support of the nobles within the kingdom; the support of nobles from all over the continent must also be obtained.

"Pass down the order to Tom to increase vigilance and ensure the safety of the troop at all costs. If they encounter trouble along the way, they can seek help from the nobles along the route."

After saying that, Hudson extinguished the fire with a Water Ball Spell. Without delay, he immediately summoned Maxim, took to the air, and flew back to his territory.

The outbreak of the Continental War has far-reaching consequences. Not only does the Alpha Kingdom need to make Strategic Adjustment, but a series of policies in the Mountain Territory also have to be changed accordingly.

In comparison, transporting captured monsters back is a minor issue.

With two regiments of soldiers escorting them, accidents were virtually impossible in the Southeast Province. Even if trouble arose, nobles along the way could offer assistance.

Hudson's name was still quite useful among the lower and middle-class aristocracy. As long as it didn't harm their own interests, no one would mind doing him a favor.

Even if we don't interact now, no one can guarantee we won't in the future. Putting everything else aside, if war breaks out, Hudson will most likely be the commander-in-chief of the kingdom's army.

The treatment based on personal relationships will be completely different. Giving even a little preferential treatment will greatly increase the chances of survival on the battlefield and earning merit.