With the bumper grain harvest, celebrations were naturally indispensable alongside the promotion of new agricultural technologies.
Compared with previous victory banquets, the Kingdom government had clearly been far more generous this time.
Not only was magical beast meat served at the tables, but even the spices rarely seen on ordinary days were supplied without limit.
It was said that His Majesty the King had been delighted upon hearing news of the harvest and generously contributed spices from the royal collection.
If Hudson had not known that the Near East Development Bank had distributed large quantities of spices to shareholders during its in-kind dividend payouts, he might have believed it.
By price, these spices were far more valuable than gold. The same weight in gold could not be exchanged for the same weight in spices; even ten times the gold would not buy it.
There was no helping it. These spices were not produced on the Aslant Continent, but came from distant lands overseas.
Other than the Ilibia Kingdom, which monopolized the spice trade, no one knew exactly where they were produced.
In any case, everything sold had already been processed into powder. There was no chance to even attempt cultivation.
More importantly, these spices could not be stored for long. They would spoil after a year or so.
Deliciousness combined with rarity made these overseas spices hugely popular among the continent's nobles.
Naturally, that did not include the "country bumpkins" of the Alpha Kingdom.
Apart from great nobles, small and medium-sized nobles rarely consumed such luxuries.
Especially in recent years, when everyone's purses had been tight, these luxuries had become rare sights at banquets.
It was clear that in-kind dividends had their benefits. They directly raised the shareholders' quality of life.
However, Hudson's good mood did not last long. As