Opportunities Favor the Prepared

While the higher-ups were vying for power, those below weren't idle either. After clearing out the Rebel Army in his assigned area, Hudson also joined the fray.

At this point, the favors done earlier began to come into play. Everyone here mingled in aristocratic circles; who didn't have some connections?

By visiting people's homes and hanging around, Hudson became a familiar face to most of the powerful nobles in the Governor's Mansion.

The King of Hell is not to be trifled with, and his underlings are just as troublesome.

Suddenly finding oneself in a high position makes one most susceptible to jealousy. One dares not hope that a single visit will gain the assistance of these people; at least it reduces the probability of being targeted or treated unfairly.

The main reason is that the family network is not in Hudson's hands, and when he goes out to socialize, he can only represent himself, not the Coslo Family.

To be precise, Baron Redman could only represent his own branch of the Coslo Family. To represent the entire family, a clan assembly would be necessary.

Who could have caused the lineage of the chieftain to be cut off during the Beastfolk invasion hundreds of years ago, without having had time to designate a successor?

The blood ties are too distant, making it impossible to determine who should inherit the position of clan leader. Each branch wants to claim the legitimate title and refuses to yield to the other.

Most importantly, their ancestral homeland was also lost. At the time, it was during a period of war, and the various branches, unable to reach an agreement, simply made a pact to discuss the matter again after the ancestral homeland was recovered.

Unfortunately, the Coslo Family's ancestral lands were never recovered until the end of the war, leaving the position of patriarch vacant.

Whether it's a blessing or a curse, the absence of a patriarch in the Coslo Family, while causing each branch to act independently, has also prevented them from being feared by others.

Distance makes the heart grow fonder. After the descendants of each branch of the family went their separate ways to develop in different parts of the country, there were no longer any conflicts of interest. In addition, they rarely met, so their relationships actually improved.

Thanks to their large and numerous offspring, they spread far and wide, even beyond the kingdom. They gradually gained considerable renown among the kingdom's nobles.

Noble families are never short of troubles, but the Coslo Family is considered relatively fortunate. Their ancestor set a good example, leaving them with the best solution for resolving internal conflicts—division.

Frederick's ancestor went a step further, establishing the rule that the eldest son would inherit the family business, while the second son would leave home and establish his own household upon reaching adulthood.

Seeing the positive results, other branches followed suit. From then on, the Coslo Family rarely experienced major internal conflicts.

Even if the children are unworthy, their troubles will only amount to something like Lesur's. Anyone with a modicum of sense wouldn't cause trouble at home.

This successful approach attracted many nobles who wanted to emulate it. Unfortunately, success depended on having a large enough number of sons; if the family line wasn't thriving, this method could easily lead to extinction.

After all, the Aslant Continent has few other things to offer but a lot of war. A nobleman's life is incomplete without experiencing ten or eight wars.

The busiest were not nobles like Hudson, whose military achievements were clear and who only awaited the granting of their fiefs. The truly bustling crowds were those who lacked military merit but could still establish kinship ties with the extinct nobles of Laite and Huaidun counties.

The struggle for succession was a true battleground where everyone displayed their unique talents. Not only the nobles of the Southeast Province, but also some nobles from other provinces joined the fray.

Some desperate individuals, relying on family connections, personal networks, and military achievements, even offered gifts to Hudson in an attempt to gain public support.

To cover the enormous expenses of gift-giving, they accept all these unexpected gifts that come their way, but their support is limited to not causing trouble.

There was nothing they could do; although these guys were casting a wide net, what they were giving away was far too meager, even stingier than what Hudson was offering.

It's worth noting that Hudson had given away gifts worth thousands of gold coins in order to secure a good fief, and even the Governor's Mansion had once sent him a generous visit.

Unfortunately, Count Pierce had high standards, and although we met, I was received along with dozens of other nobles.

Clearly, this young knight with his illustrious military exploits still failed to earn the special attention of the important figures.

The fact that the Earl could find time to receive them amidst his busy schedule shows that he's been trying to be approachable lately. At another time, it would have been at most a member of the Dalton Family who would have come out to greet them.

I've explored all the places I can walk on; the rest are beyond my reach.

For example, Hudson couldn't find a way to reach the King's envoy; he simply sent the gift.

Experience told him that giving gifts might not get him noticed by important people, but not giving gifts would likely make him remember him.

With the territory still undecided, Hudson found himself with more free time. He spent his days either attending banquets or on his way to them, occasionally hosting one himself.

Such was the simplicity and unpretentiousness of interactions among nobles. It was a pity that it was all men; there were no attractive young ladies, making the banquet rather dull.

At midnight, Hudson, having finished a day of social engagements, returned to his camp and saw Young Bear enjoying his treasured monster jerky.

"Hudson, well done! I didn't expect you to have such a knack for monsters, managing to win the favor of the Earth Bear."

Baron Redman's words instantly extinguished Hudson's anger. He had initially thought some audacious guard had dared to use his monster jerky to appease the Young Bear, and was preparing to make an example of him, but now that was no longer necessary.

Most of the team members came from their hometowns, so how could they not recognize Baron Redman? Compared to Commander Hudson, the man before them was their true master.

"Father, you've arrived so quickly?"

Hudson said with considerable surprise.

Although he knew that Baron Redman would come to help him, he was still touched that he arrived so quickly.

Judging from his exhausted appearance, it was clear that Baron Redman had rushed over at breakneck speed. Clearly, he valued this matter no less than Hudson himself.

"Of course I need to be quick about this. If I'm late and someone else gets there first, I'll regret it to death!"

Despite being exhausted, Redman was truly happy as a father to see his son soar to great heights.

As he spoke, he opened a box, carefully took out two parchments, and handed them to Hudson.

Hudson's expression brightened as he looked at the dense lines and tiny notes on the map. It was a map of Wright and Hutton Prefectures. Even some important resources were marked using the Coslo Family's code.

"Don't be surprised, these are things that noble families with deep roots would have. Although the Coslo Family is not a large family, it has been passed down for more than a thousand years."

Moreover, the family had a strong presence in both Laite and Huaidun. Unfortunately, Garrett and Webber, those two unlucky fellows, lost their lives in this war.

Fortunately, they all had sons living elsewhere, so they weren't wiped out by the Rebel Army and managed to preserve their business.

Adrian and his son have served the Dalton Family for generations and have accumulated considerable merit. If nothing unexpected happens, they will most likely be able to obtain a fiefdom this time.

I wonder how Leicester and Cron are doing. If they also receive fiefs, then the family's future influence in the two counties will be secured.

After hearing Baron Redman's words, Hudson suddenly realized that his family seemed to be one of the big winners in this war as well.

"Don't worry, Father. Knight Adrian is in good health, guarding the gate for Count Pierce. I visited him yesterday."

As for the Knight of Leicester and Baron Cron, I met them at the banquet that just ended. However, they've both been very busy lately, so whether they'll be able to get their wish depends on the upcoming events.

Though he spoke lightly, Hudson inwardly disapproved of their plan. There was no way around it; the Coslo Family had gained far too much from this war.

If titles are conferred based on military merits, then even if someone is unhappy, they can't easily stop it due to the rules of the game.

Unfortunately, they weren't very lucky and didn't earn enough military merits. They could only try to take advantage of their extinct relatives, but there were plenty of people with inheritance rights, making it a very complicated situation.

If Knight Adrian hadn't received a fief, perhaps they would have had a better chance. But judging from Baron Redman's words, Adrian's father's generation had followed the Dalton Family for generations; even if they hadn't made any great contributions, they had certainly put in the effort, so there was no reason not to give them a fief.

A Knight's Territory plus a baronial fief is already quite impressive among minor nobles. What would the other nobles, who have gained nothing, think if they wanted a third fief?

They may not amount to much, but they certainly have the ability to do bad things.