Behemoth Emperor

"We're all old friends, let's share half when we meet!"

As soon as Hudson finished speaking, Baron Katerley felt like dying. Not of suicide, but of killing the vampire before him.

However, the unfamiliar surroundings made him abandon this tempting idea. Turning against someone else on their turf would be asking for a beating.

"That's impossible!"

"Lord Hudson, your appetite is far too great. I only need a batch of grain for an emergency; you're trying to uproot me!"

Baron Katerley had just gotten up to leave when he regretted it. Half the population wasn't out of the question; as long as they got enough food, everything would be fine.

After all, losses can be shifted. Currently, many Northern Nobles are short of food, so exchanging people for food isn't out of the question.

To leave or not to leave?

After a moment's hesitation, Baron Katerley sat back down. Face was important, but survival was more crucial.

He has staked everything on his journey from the north to the south. If he cannot gain a foothold in Maple Leaf Territory, all his efforts will be in vain.

Family resources are finite; they cannot continue to invest in losers. One failure means a lifetime of working for the family to pay off their debts, just like the Knight Holman followed him.

"Don't rush to refuse, sir. Listen to my offer first. 150,000 pounds of rye + 200,000 pounds of mixed grains. As a token of our old friendship, I can also throw in ten iron pots as a bonus."

If you have similar business opportunities, you can introduce them to me, and you can take a 10% cut.

Hudson kept calling him an "old friend," which made Baron Katerley's scalp tingle whenever he heard those three words. It seemed that he was just targeting old friends to swindle them.

So-called friendship is worth only ten iron pots.

But considering the relationship between the two, it seems like it wouldn't be bad to exchange it for ten iron pots.

As for introducing business, Baron Katerley simply ignored it. This kind of treacherous business, no matter who it was introduced to, would only offend them.

A mere 10% profit was not enough to make him set aside his prejudices and recruit customers for the vampire in front of him.

"Your Excellency Baron Hudson, this price is practically robbery!"

Kateley said, barely suppressing her anger.

On average, each laborer could only exchange for a little over a hundred pounds of grain, most of which was coarse grain. In normal times, the price would definitely not exceed 3 Silver Coin.

"Sir, don't be so quick to anger. The most valuable thing in a person is to be content. Only by learning to be content can one have a good mood."

Looking at it another way, this is essentially a risk-free business. Now that half the population is spared, and you've also obtained so much extra food, what more could you ask for?

Don't forget the current situation; Governor Pierce is coming to mediate. What you did before wasn't exactly flawless.

If you investigate further, you'll definitely find flaws. Putting everything else aside, you can't give a reasonable explanation for this population figure alone!

Don't even mention more than 6,000 people; even if you cut it in half, you'd be lucky if you could handle it.

If you can't explain it clearly, and if you get investigated later, can you really protect such a large population?

Rather than have it forcibly confiscated by the Governor's Mansion, it's better to trade it out in advance; at least we can get a batch of grain.

Hudson said with a chuckle.

Killing people is also a skill. Although his words were somewhat alarmist, the intervention of the Governor's Mansion was indeed very detrimental to the Northern Aristocrats.

When one's underlings are bullied, it goes without saying that the boss will stand by them. If they can't find any fault, fine; but if they are caught red-handed, Count Pierce will most likely punish them severely.

After exchanging a glance with Hudson, knowing that this was the final offer and not a negotiation, Kateley sighed helplessly.

"Very well, let's do as His Excellency the Baron says. However, I don't want any further complications to arise!"

As he spoke, Baron Katerley's heart was bleeding.

After working for more than a month and offending all the neighbors, Hudson only had to pay "150,000 pounds of rye + 200,000 pounds of miscellaneous grains" to take away half of the spoils.

But he didn't even have the confidence to refuse. The food in his territory was running out, the serfs were starving, and people were running away every day.

If they can't get any more food, even the soldiers will go hungry.

We can't really go out and rob someone, can we?

The trade could save half the population. They could quickly replant some short-cycle crops and use the acquired food sparingly until harvest.

If you lead troops out to plunder, you might vent your pent-up anger. But if you get labeled a traitor, there'll be no way to clean up the mess later.

"Rest assured, Baron Katerley. My reputation is impeccable throughout the entire Southeast Province, and I would never do anything to tarnish the honor of the nobility."

Hudson calmly assured him.

In terms of credibility, he was truly impeccable. Ask any of the nobles who had worked with him, and none of them would have a bad word to say about him.

Now is the time to reap the rewards. Baron Katerley wouldn't have come knocking on our door if we didn't have a good reputation.

The deal was done, and Hudson watched Baron Katerley leave, still somewhat disappointed.

Originally, they wanted to take the opportunity to promote some by-products, but Baron Katerley was too impatient. After finishing their business, he immediately took his leave and did not want to stay for a moment longer.

However, there's no rush for this. It's a business with a monopoly; there's no need to rush to do business with it.

In Laite and Huaidun counties, he was the only one capable of large-scale Ironware production. Throughout the entire Southeast Province, Hudson was also the largest Ironware supplier.

An era teeming with lords was not conducive to the development of commerce and logistics. The ever-increasing tolls along the way were enough to keep foreign goods out.

It's quite normal for the price of the same product to vary by several times in different regions.

It's no wonder the nobles were so exploitative; it was all spurred by the tax farming system. The Governor was responsible for the province's taxes, the prefect was responsible for the prefecture's taxes, and the noble lords below were responsible for the taxes of their own territories.

Whether you delegate the task to someone else or collect the taxes yourself, once you reach the kingdom's quota, the profits are yours. If you fail to meet the quota, you'll have to pay out of your own pocket to cover the losses.

The reason why nobles in remote areas are poor is largely because there are no commercial taxes to collect in their territories, and no free people to exploit. All their industries belong to them, so they have to pay out of their own pockets to fill the gaps.

Of course, losing money is a low-probability event. Although a tax-inclusive system is implemented, the tax standards in each region are set according to local conditions.

For example, when Laite and Huaidun counties were ravaged by the Skull Society rebellion, leaving many houses deserted, the kingdom exempted them from taxes for the past three years and will also implement tax reduction policies of varying amounts for the next ten years.

These systems were gradually perfected through long-term negotiations between the kingdom and local nobles. While some regions may have suffered losses while others gained advantages, the overall interests of all parties were taken into account.

Everyone is a shareholder, sharing in the profits from the kingdom's development. As for the other classes in the kingdom, they are all laborers who depend on the nobles for survival.

Canglan City, Emerald Palace.

"What did you say? Count Frado was attacked outside Rocdia, and the entire mission perished?"

Caesar III questioned him almost roaringly.

As the King's envoy, Count Frado represented Royal Authority abroad, and now he has been killed within the kingdom's borders, which is clearly a provocation against Royal Authority.

Such a thing would be intolerable to any monarch, let alone a capable ruler like Caesar III.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Count Frado was attacked twenty miles outside the city of Rocdia. By the time nearby nobles rushed to his aid, the battle was already over.

Although the enemy destroyed the evidence at the scene, we still found some dragon droppings during our reconnaissance of the surrounding area.

There are only a handful of forces on the continent with Dragon Cavalry units, and the only one that has recently entered the kingdom's territory is the Second Dragon Cavalry Regiment under the Church's Order of Judgment Knights.

According to information from inside the Church, their mission this time is to take the Blood Moon Horn at all costs.

It's highly likely that after Count Frado obtained the Blood Moon Horn, he inadvertently leaked the news, leading them to choose this risky path.

The Duke Newfoundland analyzed the situation with a solemn expression.

As the kingdom's prime minister, he was getting old. He only wanted to peacefully get through the rest of his term, but trouble still came knocking.

If the Alpha Kingdom doesn't react after the Church intercepted the King's envoy, how can it survive on the Aslant Continent?

If the kingdom takes retaliatory action, the already tense relationship with the Church will likely be completely destroyed, and it might even trigger a major war.

Of course, the Alpha Kingdom is not afraid of going to war with the Church.

As the guardian deity of humanity, the Alpha Kingdom, which has long stood on the front lines against the Beastfolk, is no weakling. Even if its strength is inferior to the Church, the gap between the two sides is not overwhelmingly one-sided.

As powerful forces, everyone has their own concerns, and no one wants to be the one to benefit from the situation.

Moreover, there are several countries in between, so even if the Church wanted to attack, they would need to allow passage.

Without a doubt, this is impossible. The various countries on the continent still need the Alpha Kingdom to hold off the Beastfolk's advance; they simply will not allow the Church to attack.

With numerous powerful backers, the Alpha Kingdom has always been known for its tough stance on matters concerning the Church. In fact, the Alpha Kingdom has never yielded to any other power.

"Send men to intercept the Church's Dragon Cavalry. Until the matter is thoroughly investigated, the kingdom forbids any Church members from entering or leaving. Anyone who resists will be killed without exception!"

"Issue the order to freeze all of the Church's properties in the kingdom, pending further investigation."

"It is a cold command from Caesar III," he coldly ordered.

Clearly, he was genuinely enraged. They hadn't even settled accounts with the Church for the Blood Moon Horn incident, and now this assassination attempt on the envoy showed they didn't take the Alpha Kingdom seriously.

If the matter is verified, no one knows what will happen next.

"Your Majesty, detaining the Dragon Cavalry is reasonable, but isn't freezing the Church's assets a bit of an overreaction?"

The Duke Newfoundland hurriedly offered his advice.

The conflict between Royal Authority and divine power has been going on for a long time, but everyone has always maintained the principle of fighting without breaking apart.

Even though countries have separated their domestic churches from the Church, they have nominally retained a subordinate relationship with the Church.

"Is it too extreme?"

"I don't see it that way!"

"Those guys in the Northern Frontier have started causing trouble again lately. They're jumping around and reaching out everywhere, aren't they afraid that when the Beastfolk invade again, the nobles in various places will stab them in the back?"

Compared to the kingdom's internal conflicts, the Church is hardly a threat. It's merely a temporary freeze on their assets, not a direct confiscation; at most, it'll just be a war of words.

Because of their support for Heretical Cult- led rebellion, Pope Pius VII lacked the confidence to bring it up openly. "If the allegations of their assassination of nobles from my Alpha Kingdom were true, do you think the Church would dare to openly oppose us?"

The quickest way to divert internal conflicts is always to instigate external disputes. The Alpha Kingdom is an expert in this, and Caesar III is a master at it.

"Your Majesty, there have been unusual movements among the Beastfolk recently. It may be related to the Behemoth Emperor is nearing the end of his life, after all, that old fellow is almost three hundred years old."

Although the Behemoth Clan live longer than humans, very few Behemoths in history have lived to this age.

According to past practice, every Behemoth Emperor, upon ascending to the throne, would launch a southern invasion to eliminate dissidents and consolidate imperial power through war.

Those guys in the Northern Frontier are jumping around like crazy; they've probably sensed something and want to divert some of their forces before the big battle breaks out.

Duke Affierro, Minister of Military Affairs, offered a reminder.

"Understood. There were rumors that the old geezer of the Orc Empire was nearing the end of his life before I took the throne, and in recent decades, he's made such a fuss every few years."

I really don't know what kind of evil magic the Orc Empire has. Every time I think he's about to die, he comes out alive and kicking again after a while.

After so many ups and downs, he's outlived three of his heirs. Now, this crown prince is also very old and will most likely pass away before him.

The remaining youngest son is in a similar situation; he's around 150 or 160 years old. I heard he was injured in his youth, and who knows, he might die any day now.

I don't think that old geezer's son will ever succeed to the throne; it will most likely fall to one of his grandsons or great-grandsons.

Let them make a fuss. The Orc Empire is powerful, and we can't control it anyway.

As for those guys in the Northern Frontier, send someone to warn them. The kingdom has nurtured them for so many years; how can they just back down like that!

"I am indignant, "Caesar III said.

All the human rulers could only feel envy and jealousy towards the long-lived Behemoth Emperor. Three hundred years was simply too long for the human race.

Even among the human race, Holy Domain powerhouses rarely live past three hundred years old. However, in some long-lived races, living to three hundred is as easy as playing around.

While Behemoths have a longer lifespan than humans, it's still limited. If it were Elves, three hundred years old would still be the prime of life.

Needless to say, Dragon Race are a different story; whether they can reach adulthood at three hundred years old depends entirely on their species.

As a cultured King, mere envy and jealousy would not have caused Caesar III to lose his composure and utter such a vicious curse.

What he truly could not tolerate was that the royal legacy had been taken away by this old, immortal Behemoth Emperor.

In his youth, Caesar III harbored thoughts of revenge, preparing to reclaim his ancestral lands and wipe away his shame.

However, as he grew older and experienced more of the harsh realities of society, Caesar III's mind matured.

Ideals ultimately exist only in theory; if they could be easily realized, they would no longer be ideals.

It's not a matter of effort; the difference in strength between the two sides is simply too vast. In a one-on-one fight, the Alpha Kingdom truly cannot defeat the Beastfolk.

They want to form a group to fight, but other human nations aren't enthusiastic. There's still plenty of land to develop on the Aslant Continent; the Orc Empire's wasteland isn't suitable for human survival, so it doesn't motivate anyone.

This is also the core reason why Caesar III, or rather the entire Alpha royal family, has always been unhappy with the five dukes of the Northern Frontier.

Before the royal empire was lost, the Northern Nobles might have had a chance to defend it if they had sent timely reinforcements. Unfortunately, under the leadership of the Five Great Families, the reinforcements were delayed for two whole days before setting off, which directly led to the complete collapse of the battle lines.

The royal family was severely weakened after the war, and it was only by chance that they were able to retain their Royal Authority. They were powerless to settle scores with these people, but the feud between the two sides was still established.

What goes around comes around; the guy who used to screw over his teammates is now the one being screwed over by them.

The Five Great Families of the North are now being held hostage by their allies, giving them no chance to relocate their bases and nowhere to retreat if they want to.

Not only would the Alpha Kingdom not allow them to back down, but the entire human race would not allow them to back down.

Everyone is very principled in this regard. If you dare to desert when aliens invade, you will face being hunted down by the entire human race.

Of course, this principle applies not only to the Northern Nobles, but also to all nobles of the Alpha Kingdom.

The main reason is that the neighbors are afraid that the Alpha Kingdom will collapse again. After all, two unlucky people were dragged down in the last Continental War, and no one wants to be the third.

Therefore, the countries secretly conspired to add this clause to the Continental Convention, thus putting the sacred obligation of feudal nobles to defend their lands into the open.

"Your Majesty, things aren't that serious yet. Those guys in the Northern Frontier have only become a little more active; it's far from that point."

The Prime Minister Grand Duke Newfoundland, hurriedly offered his advice.

Some things can be thought about, but absolutely must not be said. The Northern Aristocrats want to relocate their base is merely speculation.

To say they're trying to escape is pure nonsense. Their foundation is in the Northern Frontier; would they really abandon their ancestral heritage and their current identities to run away?

Even if the Beastfolk did attack, let alone if they didn't, they could only grit their teeth and hold on.

The Alpha Kingdom has been entangled with the Orc Empire since its inception. Although they consistently lose in one-on-one duels, they have the Great Summoning Spell!

"In the early stages of a one-on-one fight, you're responsible for taking the beating; in the mid-game, reinforcements arrive, and both sides begin to fight back and forth; in the late game, with more reinforcements, you launch a full-scale counterattack."

This cycle has continued for hundreds of years, and everyone has become accustomed to it.

If it weren't for the fact that during the last Continental War, the human race was simultaneously besieged by more than a dozen races, facing multi-front warfare, and that the support from various countries wasn't as strong as before, King Alpha wouldn't have lost his city and territory.

This was partly due to some powerful nobles deliberately sabotaging the effort, trying to drag the other two countries into the conflict and share the burden.

A combination of factors led to a major loss. Now, with two more unfortunate individuals sharing the burden, the situation is strategically more advantageous for the Alpha Kingdom, so there's absolutely no need to back down.

Even though there were heavy losses in the wars, most of the dead were from the lower and middle classes. As the true high-ranking officials of the kingdom, although they would occasionally go into battle, their chances of survival were much higher.

---Aside---

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