The Essence of Banding Together

Everyone present was stunned to see the unfortunate man lying in a pool of blood. The two sides involved in the battle, in particular, were completely bewildered by the scene.

The young nobleman who had made the move turned ashen-faced, clutching his hammer in bewilderment, unsure of what to do. Fighting was a minor matter, but killing a nobleman was a catastrophe that would shake the very foundations of the empire.

Seeing that everyone's attention was focused on the nobleman lying in a pool of blood, Hudson briefly considered abandoning his business and running away in the chaos.

Anyway, he didn't start the fight, and he didn't knock anyone down. It was just a hammer; as long as he escaped the scene and denied everything, he wouldn't be involved.

"What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and go get the pastor!"

Hudson reprimanded the crowd.

Reason told him he couldn't run; if he tried to escape now, he'd be in deep trouble.

In the world of the aristocracy, not only is evidence important, but reputation is even more crucial. A good reputation ensures success in any environment.

So many people witnessed it. He may have escaped responsibility, but he couldn't silence the gossip!

He didn't even know if the person was dead or alive, yet he was in such a hurry to run away that he was essentially telling others that he was involved in the matter.

Rather than that, it's better to stay and deal with it proactively. As the owner of the hammer, being involved will indeed cause some trouble, but that's all it will be.

The pastor's words certainly served as a reminder. However, it was a correct but ultimately meaningless statement; the pastors wouldn't come running to eat dirt just as the war had subsided and reconstruction work had begun.

According to custom, a pastor would only move in after the territory had a certain economic foundation and the church had been repaired.

The specific level of a priest depends on the methods employed by the lords. Generally speaking, the wealthier the territory, the more popular the priests are.

Because of the war, there was no trace of priests within dozens of miles of Dadir City. By the time the priests were invited over, their bodies would probably be cold by then.

Rescuing someone is just a thought. A group of roughnecks can only manage simple bandaging of wounds; a head injury like this is far too difficult to treat.

If the person is saved, everyone is happy and you can gain a lot of goodwill; but if the person dies in the rescue, it's awkward.

You might not gain any favors, and you could even be suspected of premeditated murder. Human nature is the most vulnerable to temptation.

As a master of verbal sparring, Hudson decisively chose to save people with his words.

"Hey you with the sledgehammer, put down your weapon and start helping the wounded. If this kid on the ground dies, you'll be in deep trouble too."

Whoever caused the trouble should take responsibility. Adhering to the principle of not taking advantage of others, Hudson decisively handed over the task of treating the wounded to the perpetrators.

"Oh, me?"

"But I don't know how to save people!"

As they spoke, the young nobleman surrounded by the crowd was on the verge of tears.

Fortunately, his men were quite capable, and at the critical moment, a middle-aged soldier in tattered clothes stepped forward.

Fortunately, he wasn't too stupid. After recovering from his panic, the young nobleman immediately offered his own clothes as bandages for his wounds.

Intentional homicide and accidental homicide are not the same thing. The former will most likely result in the death penalty, while the latter, after compensating the other party for their losses, may also earn the reward of being stationed on the Northern Frontier border.

Although life in exile to the frontier is tough and dangerous, it's still more comfortable to go to the Northern Frontier than to meet the Lord of Dawn directly.

Barring a large-scale Beastfolk invasion, the annual casualty rate among border-guarding nobles typically does not exceed five percent. Of these fallen soldiers, more than half died during the capture of slaves.

"Baron Ciss has arrived!"

Someone shouted, and the crowd tacitly made way for them.

With one more person held responsible, Hudson felt increasingly at ease. Having another unlucky fellow to keep him company made him feel less alone.

"Can any of you tell me what happened here?"

"I'm at my wit's end, "Baron Ciss asked helplessly.

He had dealt with similar situations many times before, but this one was particularly serious.

The crowd exchanged glances, their eyes eventually settling on Hudson. Their expectant looks clearly urged him to hurry up.

Unsurprisingly, it was another conflict between the Northern Aristocrats and the local nobles. Since Baron Ciss could represent the Northern Aristocrats, there naturally had to be someone of equal status and position among the local nobles to step forward.

Unfortunately, among the local aristocrats present, Hudson was the only one with a higher profile.

Although he belonged to the neutral camp, that didn't stop people from pushing him to take the lead. After all, these kinds of things often involve a series of wrangling, and if the representative is too weak, they will suffer a great loss.

"Isn't the situation obvious? A group of people arranged to fight here, and as they fought, they lost control of their emotions, and before they knew it, this situation had arisen."

Hudson downplayed the issue.

Identity determines stance. Even if he believed that the impulsive young nobleman in the middle should bear the responsibility, he still had to defend him to some extent because they were both native nobles.

"This incident almost resulted in a death, and you're just casually defining it as a duel? I'm afraid that won't be convincing!"

Ciss said coldly.

His current situation is truly awkward. On the one hand, he has to protect the interests of the Northern Aristocrats camp, and on the other hand, he has to maintain stability within the city.

"There's no need to delve into these details. Given our current positions, we're not qualified to handle this matter. Besides, our opinions don't carry weight, so why waste our breath here!"

"Protect the scene well. His Excellency the Governor will arrive in Dadir City soon. Report directly to him then, and he will make a fair judgment."

The professional-level blame-shifting left Ciss speechless. The report was submitted to the Governor for a ruling, and Hudson's matter was closed, but his troubles had only just begun.

Putting aside his responsibility as the host to maintain order, his status as the leader of the Northern Aristocrats alone requires him to keep up with the situation.

If nothing unexpected happens, the next person he'll be arguing with won't be a nobody like Hudson, but a high-ranking official in the Governor's Mansion.

Rather than arguing with the officials in the Governor's Mansion, it's better to settle the matter now, at least that way we can maintain control of the situation.

"I never expected that the renowned Divine Bow Knight would be here, making us meet in such a setting. But why are you so protective of this man...?"

Hudson wasn't surprised at all that his identity had been exposed. With the iconic Earth Bear around, there were very few people who wouldn't recognize him.

However, this practice of only saying half of what you mean, which is most likely to lead people to overthink things, truly disgusted him.

"Whether it's possible or not is not important. Baron Ciss has time to worry about these details. He'd rather get people to treat the wounded."

Given your moral character, even if this unfortunate fellow offended you before, you wouldn't just stand by and watch him die, would you?

Hudson retorted without holding back.

Since they dared to direct their anger at him, they can't blame him for retaliating.

What puzzled Hudson was that he didn't seem to have offended this person, but as soon as the guy realized his identity, he harbored a strong hostility towards him.

Is there a conflict of interest between the two?

It is indeed possible, but those are all potential possibilities.

The person in front of me doesn't seem like a fool, does he?

If there is a potential conflict of interest, and one should be an enemy of that enemy, then everyone under heaven will be an enemy.

Just like choosing not to eat or drink because you might choke to death while eating or choke to death while drinking.

The lack of clarity about the reason didn't prevent the two from clashing. Even with others offering knives, Hudson wasn't going to back down.

Although Baron Ciss is the most powerful nobleman in the two counties, it's not certain who will suffer if they really clash!

Hudson didn't believe that the Northern Aristocrats would really obey his orders. Even the retainers and sons of the Felix Family probably didn't really take him, this illegitimate son, seriously.

The two were locked in a stalemate, and the crowd of onlookers split into two groups. Their eager expressions suggested they hoped the two would start fighting.

Obviously, this is impossible. Fighting on someone else's turf would be asking for trouble. Hudson, being such a cautious person, would certainly not choose to resolve issues with violence.

Baron Ciss also dared not make a move. As the host, it was one thing to fail to maintain order, but if he himself led his men into battle against the guests, his reputation would be truly ruined.

In fact, he already regrets it. Although he suspects Hudson of colluding with his rivals, he can settle scores later; there's no need to turn against them now.

The two have now stabbed each other in the back, neither of them has gained an advantage, and they've both ended up being held hostage by the other.

If this fight continues, these two unlucky guys, who originally had little to do with this, might end up getting dragged into it.

"No need for Baron Hudson to worry. To avoid any unforeseen circumstances, I already sent someone to invite the priest."

Ciss said coldly.

While this isn't entirely untrue, it's only half the truth. He did indeed hire the pastor early on, but unfortunately, the financial backers of these people were local nobles who didn't care about him at all.

He finally found someone who would accept the invitation, but it turned out that the guy's ancestors had a grudge against the Felix Family, and he betrayed him. He verbally agreed but never showed up.

"That would be for the best. Now that Baron Ciss has made preparations, we can rest assured that we are entrusting the wounded to you."

"Everyone, disperse. Leave this to Baron Ciss. There's no need for us to stay and cause trouble."

After saying that, Hudson turned and left without waiting for Baron Ciss to decide whether he was willing to take on the mess, giving him no chance to refuse.

The local nobles, realizing what was happening, didn't hesitate to follow suit. The Northern Nobles were the ones who ended up lying down; the hot potato had been thrown away, and staying behind to act as witnesses for the other side wasn't so noble.

Since the person is still alive, it's just a violent assault. If they die unexpectedly later, without local nobles as witnesses, it will just become a messy, endless dispute.

The spearhead has been set up against Hudson, and the wounded man has a grudge against Baron Ciss. Whether it's true or not, the local nobles selectively believe it to be true.

If the wounded unfortunately die, then there will be two suspects, making for a truly messy situation.

Of course, the claim that Baron Ciss had a grudge against the wounded was purely Hudson's idle gossip and couldn't withstand scrutiny. Bringing up this messy history would ultimately be more disadvantageous to the immature nobleman who made the move.

Even the worst debt is better than being held fully responsible. We're all in the same circle, so there's bound to be some kinship, and we have to look out for our own people.

Even knowing their own responsibilities, at such a critical moment, everyone can only help their own side, not the one in the right. This is the essence of sticking together for warmth.

The carriage moved forward slowly. Just as they were about to calm things down and put aside the conflict between their younger brother and the noblemen of the Northern Aristocrats, bad news came again.

The bustling Dadir City had finally reached the point where a death had occurred. Intuition told him that he couldn't afford to linger on the road any longer.

If the conflict escalates and a full-scale clash occurs between the local nobles and the nobles from the Northern Aristocrats in Dadir City, regardless of who wins or loses, it will be a tragedy that shocks the entire nation.

This level of blame is simply too much for someone of his stature to bear; it will only fall on the shoulders of the Governor.

Without the slightest hesitation, Count Pierce mounted his warhorse and hastily set off with a troop of cavalry. As for the carriages and ceremonial guard, they could only follow slowly behind.

The remaining hundred miles were covered by Count Pierce's cavalry in less than three hours.

The poor warhorses were the only ones who suffered. After galloping for a hundred miles, they were all exhausted. If these warhorses hadn't been tainted with the blood of magical beasts, they probably would have been completely worn out.

The leader, filled with rage, arrived ahead of time, leaving the nobles, who had no time to greet him, filled with nothing but fear.

As one of those involved, Hudson was secretly suffering. Although he had shifted the blame to Baron Ciss, everyone with a discerning eye knew what had really happened.

Count Pierce's dislike for the Northern Aristocrats didn't mean he liked him. Although the past incident of refusing recruitment hadn't been mentioned, it didn't mean the matter was over.

The reason they hadn't sought revenge was mainly due to "political correctness." The aura of killing the Holy See Cavalry hadn't completely faded, and Count Pierce, who valued his reputation, naturally wouldn't do anything that would give others a handle to use against him.

If a reasonable excuse is found, he can be taught a lesson, and Hudson believes that this punishment will be severe.

Why are you all so quiet? You've been doing a really good job lately!

First came mutual looting and slaughter. With all the battles, big and small, the civilian casualties must have been no less than four figures. You have completely thrown the spirit of compassion of the nobility to the winds.

The situation has worsened in the last few days, escalating from civilian casualties to those of the nobility. Don't worry, only one nobleman has died and twenty-three have been injured.

You can absolutely keep fighting. It would be best if you killed everyone you didn't like. In the end, you would be invincible, and the entire continent would be yours!

..."

Hudson secretly breathed a sigh of relief after being scolded. Experience had taught him that when something went wrong, he wasn't afraid of being scolded by his boss, but rather of being treated kindly by him.

Being scolded means there's still room for redemption; if the boss is all smiles, it means they're prepared to make you take the blame. Quitting is a minor issue compared to potentially ruining your life.

"Foolish Baron Ciss, as the lord of Dadir City, so many conflicts have occurred in your own territory. Don't you have anything to say?"

If you are old and physically weak and unable to fulfill your duties as lord, I can suggest to the kingdom that a younger and stronger lord be appointed.

For example, our Baron Hudson performed exceptionally well. Not only was he able to arrive at the scene of the battle in time and organize manpower to treat the wounded, but he also prepared the weapons used by the enemy.

..."

Hudson had tolerated the previous attempts to sow discord. Since he was already at odds with Baron Ciss, he didn't care about adding another one.

But that last sentence was really too much. It was true that they organized people to "treat the wounded," but because the pastor couldn't arrive in time, the person still died.

Being ridiculed is one thing, but preparing "weapons" is truly unfair. Although he sold quite a few weapons during the conflict in the city, it was just normal business.

What people do with their weapons is their own business, and he has no right to interfere.

Hudson admitted that he profited from the war, especially after the hammer-cracking incident, his family's hammers sold exceptionally well.

Not only were all the available stock snapped up, but even production orders were pushed back a month later. But these are all business transactions; there are absolutely no "murder weapons" involved.

There was no way to defend oneself; even the stubborn Baron Ciss obediently listened to his reprimand, so Hudson dared not show his face.

Let them curse; it won't hurt them. Just keep a record of the score, and settle things when the Dalton Family faces some bad luck.

Hudson's revenge is never too late. Anyway, he's younger Count Pierce, and if he takes good care of himself, he'll definitely have a chance to bungee jump off Pierce's grave someday.

Fortunately, a considerable number of nobles were included on the list, including both Northern Aristocrats and local nobles. Almost every noble with some power received the treatment of being singled out for criticism.

It's clear that ability and the capacity to cause trouble are directly proportional. If someone dared to cause trouble without some strength, they'd probably have been taught a lesson long ago.

After the reprimand, Hudson was surprised to find that Count Pierce hadn't mentioned the person involved in the head-splitting incident. Clearly, this didn't mean the matter was over.

Whether it was intentional homicide or accidental killing, it involved the nobles' homicide cases.

The fact that it wasn't brought up for discussion on the spot suggests a willingness to handle it quietly. However, the final outcome will certainly not be simple; otherwise, the Northern Aristocrats, who lost a teammate, will not let it go easily.