A Huge Windfall

Early the next morning, everyone began to measure the land. The kingdom had clear regulations on the size of territories, and the size of noble territories varied depending on natural conditions.

A typical baronial territory typically ranges in size from 120 to 300 square kilometers. In exceptional circumstances, however, there can be massive territories spanning thousands of square kilometers, or tiny, insignificant ones.

Generally speaking, fertile plains with easy irrigation, as well as bustling commercial areas located along major transportation routes, tend to have relatively small land areas.

In mountainous areas where farming is difficult, irrigation is challenging, and transportation is inconvenient, the territories tend to be larger. The northern lands, constantly threatened by Beastfolk, also have slightly larger territories.

If it is a desert area, only the area of the oasis is calculated, and the desert is a bonus, so the territory of each desert lord is enormous.

The Southeast Province are mainly composed of fertile plains, and the territories of nobles are usually relatively small.

Theoretically speaking, the hilly region where Hudson is located, which is between plains and mountains, can be given some consideration in terms of area, but it will not exceed that by much.

It was only thanks to the last bit of stubbornness of the nobles in the Southeast Province that these small mounds were considered mountains, and thus they became mountainous terrain.

Those responsible for land surveying were all relatives and friends, so it was inevitable that things would be a bit rough in practice.

Undeveloped land not marked on the map obviously cannot be included in the calculation and is simply ignored by everyone.

Through Hudson's persistent persuasion and the public relations efforts of Gold Coin, the territory, starting from the mining area and extending from south to north, was granted at its maximum of 300 square kilometers without any discounts.

Maple Leaf Town, north of the mining area, was enclosed by a third of its area, with nearly fifty square kilometers of arable plains alone. The three hilly Knight's Territory next to it were deliberately bypassed by Hudson.

The surveying team was terrified. If it weren't for the explicit hints from above that local nobles could be given preferential treatment, there would have been absolutely no room for negotiation on this territorial division.

If anyone files a complaint, it will be investigated and found to be absolutely true. It's a 100% violation of regulations, with no room for excuses.

"Hudson, this is going too far! You're putting us in a difficult position. What if someone causes trouble..."

"Baron Sikolari said with difficulty. They came to dig pits and plant mines for the feudal nobles, not for themselves."

Just because there are no problems now doesn't mean there won't be problems in the future. Once the truth is revealed, it will be a political stain on their record.

"Uncle Sicorari, you can't judge a book by its cover. From the mining area to Maple Leaf Town, most of the land in between is undeveloped forest."

In reality, my territory only includes the land in Maple Leaf Town and the mining enclave. For the middle section, we only need to record one narrow path; the rest can be disregarded in the area calculation.

In this way, the registered territory area is only a little over one hundred square kilometers. This is completely in accordance with the kingdom's regulations, and no one can find fault with it.

If we don't divide it this way, I won't have enough land! I can't exactly annex the three nearby Knight's Territory, can I?

These areas are all owned now; asking them to move is against the rules.

Hudson said meaningfully.

Last night's banquet was not in vain. Through casual conversation, Hudson learned that many enclaves were created during this territorial division.

Many regions could have been connected, but they were ultimately separated by artificially drawn boundaries.

The Hudson was unaffected, partly because the territory was located at the southernmost point, and partly as a result of public relations efforts.

Perhaps these hidden dangers can be resolved by exchanging land in the future, but human nature is greedy, and ultimately it will not satisfy both parties.

There was already a lot of discord between the Northern Aristocrats and the local nobles, and now that territorial disputes have arisen, the relationship between the neighbors is bound to be strained.

As Hudson gestured on the map, the territory, originally 300 square kilometers, instantly shrank by half, and everyone's expressions improved considerably.

As long as nothing is explicitly wrong, the rest is unimportant. Whether someone will challenge Baron Hudson over the issue of unclear ownership in the future is none of their concern.

Ultimately, this world is about strength. Besides, even if someone wants to compete with Hudson for the vast Salam Mountain Range, they have to be able to reach them first.

The directly bordering areas are separated by Maple Leaf Town and the three Knight's Territory. Unless one of the Knight's Territory is annexed, their reach cannot extend.

While the Alpha Kingdom may not be considered prosperous, its basic order is still maintained. Under this system of rules, annexing neighboring territories is not so simple.

Apart from the Five Great Families of the Northern Frontier, who achieved a major annexation through using others to do their dirty work, the rest of the kingdom maintained a balance. Expanding territory was a difficult task, with every step taken fraught with difficulty.

Once the rough framework is agreed upon, there's no need to clarify the specific details. Since the job was to create problems, it's natural not to specify every single detail.

After seeing everyone off, Hudson stood by the stream, gazing at Maple Leaf Town a few miles away, and sighed inwardly.

He certainly gained a great advantage in this move, but unfortunately the officials in the Governor's Mansion still had some integrity and failed to let him take over the Maple Leaf Town government.

Once an opportunity is missed, it will never come again. There are no ready-made opportunities to take advantage of, and building a large town from scratch is a considerable expense.

Resisting the temptation, he splashed his face with cold water from the stream. As Hudson calmed down, his expression grew increasingly grim.

Driven by self-interest, he thought he had seen through Count Pierce's scheme and could handle it properly, but he still couldn't resist falling into the trap.

Land area is finite; if Hudson gets more, someone else will inevitably get less. One can imagine the thoughts of the future lords assigned to Maple Leaf Town— "Holy crap!"

This should have been a prosperous town, but a third of it has been taken away. If there were compensation elsewhere, it would be fine, but without it, I'd be furious.

Given another chance, Hudson would still not hesitate. A plain of over fifty square kilometers, with 80% arable land, amounts to over sixty thousand acres of fertile farmland.

The land was already cultivated; the serfs only needed to clear the weeds before it could be replanted. This was far more economically valuable than clearing wasteland in hilly areas.

Following the farming practices of the Southeast Province, the "one-day-once-off-two-days-off" system was implemented, resulting in the annual production of over 20,000 mu of fertile land.

The Southeast Province has fertile land. If we calculate the yield of rye at 150 pounds per acre, that's 3 million pounds. If we rotate various grains for another season, the total yield would probably be about the same.

After deducting farming costs, serfs' daily expenses, and tithes, the lord should have no problem receiving 40% of the profits.

It can be said that as long as there is no war or natural disaster, every noble lord in the Southeast Province lives a very comfortable life.

As long as this fertile plain is managed well, the territory's food problem will be largely solved. Even if there is a population explosion later, it can be solved by continuously reclaiming wasteland.

With such a large piece of fatty meat placed right in front of him, Hudson simply couldn't refuse.

Let alone offending a Northern Aristocrats, he would not back down even if it meant going to war.

It can be said that as long as the benefits are in place, no principle is inviolable. If there is one, it's because not enough has been given.