Add Fuel to the Fire

Unable to resist the three's insistence, Hudson reluctantly released thirty suits of heavy armor. It was such a small quantity; he had no idea how they would use them back home.

The three of them also took everything else—weapons and equipment. All the equipment produced recently was divided up among them.

It's all business, so Hudson didn't have any objections.

It would be even better if there were fewer complaints about the weapons.

However, Hudson has encountered similar scenes with countless customers and is already immune to them.

Those who nitpick are the ones who buy things; they keep complaining about the flaws, but their actions speak louder than words.

In any case, not a single customer who bought his products gave a good review, and Hudson has given up all hope of relying on word-of-mouth.

Often, the more a product is criticized and condemned, the larger the number of orders will be.

Fortunately, there's no need to handle after-sales service here, and there's no penalty mechanism for negative reviews. Otherwise, this businessman, who has the most negative reviews in the Southeast Province, really wouldn't be able to survive.

You get what you pay for. These are all products priced at 9.9 yuan with free shipping, so the quality is naturally not very good.

It's unknown how many iron weapons can be bought with Silver Coin across the entire Aslant Continent, but in the Southeast Province, only Baron Hudson could drive the price down to this level.

This is also Hudson's trump card; every time they use the price comparison method, customers can easily place and pay for their orders.

Quality doesn't matter; these are all for serf soldiers, so there's no need to set such high standards. The key is that they're cheap and can kill people.

Money gives heroes courage. After getting rid of the three troublesome individuals, Hudson accelerated the formulation of his territory development plan, which would officially begin once the autumn planting was completed.

If there aren't enough talented people at hand, then he'll personally take charge of the planning. The initial workload isn't heavy; the main task is land reclamation. Hudson's job is to select a prime location suitable for agricultural production.

The Salam Mountain Range are a series of rolling hills with relatively flat terrain, making early development relatively easy.

Hudson's goal is not high. If he can clear 8,000 acres of mountain land before next spring's planting season, that would be a stage victory. Specifically, it means developing a small hill.

It really is a small hill, with an estimated drop of no more than fifty meters, making it one of the best arable lands in the Salam Mountain Range.

If you're willing to invest heavily, you could even flatten it into a plain. Of course, the Hudson isn't quite as imposing as it is now; what may seem like an inconspicuous little mound can actually require a significant amount of earthwork once it's excavated.

Without construction machinery, the entire operation was done manually. A massive earthwork project involving millions of cubic meters of earth and stone could not have been completed without a significant loss of life.

The plan to reclaim 8,000 acres of wasteland was not a large goal. Although the able-bodied men were all in the army and in the mines, Lord Hudson not only had serfs, but also livestock.

Besides the pregnant female animals, he also had more than 150 nags and 21 oxen at his disposal, which was equivalent to a thousand strong laborers.

With livestock and several thousand people, and a six-month construction period, completing the initial construction of 8,000 mu of terraced fields should theoretically be no problem at all.

In order to fertilize the land, Hudson ordered the collection of human and animal excrement from the territory early on, so much so that the first earthwork project in the territory was a cesspool.

However, plans are always subject to change. After learning about the pitiful grain yield per acre, the collected manure was first used in the autumn plowing.

The land is all cultivated on the plains, so doubling the yield is out of the question. Hudson would be content as long as the yield per acre could exceed two hundred pounds.

After all, grain yield depends not only on fertility but also on the seeds.

Improving soil fertility was something Lord Hudson could barely understand, but improving grain seeds was truly beyond his scope.

Fortunately, the serfs of that time were relatively obedient and would do whatever their lord asked, which allowed Hudson's first agricultural technological innovation to be successfully implemented.

Hudson devoted himself entirely to agriculture, oblivious to the outside world, remaining unmoved even as the conflict between the kingdom and the Church raged outside.

If the sky falls, the big shots will be the first to bear the brunt. Anyway, no one cares about their opinions, and they won't affect the kingdom's decisions.

To get involved, one would at least have to reach the level of Count Pierce before being qualified to express opinions on matters of state.

In any case, Hudson had great confidence in King Caesar III. With him, a restorer of the monarchy who could save the royal family from crisis, the situation wouldn't be too bad.

Even if he were to actually go to war with the Church, given his political skills, he could easily rally a few allies; he wouldn't be foolish enough to engage in a one-on-one confrontation with the Church.

Hudson even had a vague feeling that the Church wouldn't dare to act at this time.

The Church was already disliked by the rulers of various countries on the continent. Even after being caught red-handed, it still dared to take action against a kingdom, especially one that was of great importance to the human world.

Once you do it, you're very likely to end up being universally condemned.

In an era when the Lord of Dawn frequently manifested divine intervention, the Church might have been able to withstand the pressure of public opinion, but not now.

Churches in various countries are almost all self-contained systems, except for the presence of a pope, they are all small Church.

No one can guarantee that no monarch will act rashly and establish a new Church. At least Hudson believes that his King, if pushed to the limit, is not lacking in such courage.

No one tried because they lacked reverence and feared displeasing the Lord of Dawn.

However, this legendary deity, though ruthless in cracking down on heresy, seems to have never interfered in infighting among believers, according to the records.

Especially since this guy hasn't shown up for thousands of years, many scholars on the mainland have put forward various theories to question him, "The Theory of the Return of the Gods to Nothingness," "The Theory of the False Evidence of the Gods," "The Theory of the Emptiness of the Gods," etc.

Whether it's true or not, the Church deeply despises these guys and wishes they could get rid of them as soon as possible. Yet, various countries are protecting them fiercely, not giving them a chance to act.

The fact that even a minor noble like the Hudson knew about these remarks was enough to demonstrate the rulers' attitude.

Holy Mountain

Upon receiving the message from the Alpha Kingdom, Pope Pius VII was so enraged he nearly vomited blood on the spot. The original intention of sending people to destroy evidence was to prevent the conflict from escalating and affecting the Church's grand plans.

Unfortunately, plans change quickly. Before the aftermath of the Blood Moon Horn had subsided, the scandal of intercepting and killing the kingdom's envoy was exposed.

The dispatched Dragon Cavalry were completely wiped out, and the Church's assets in the Alpha Kingdom also suffered heavy losses. As for the tithes, indulgences, and donations from believers that were originally due, it's estimated that they won't see a single copper coin from now on.

"Commander Blake, is this all the assurance you made to me?"

Pope Pius VII questioned him sternly.

The financial loss was bad enough, but the Church's already tarnished reputation was now further damaged.

His reputation-clearing plan, which he implemented for over a decade after taking office, can now be declared bankrupt.

Explanation is pointless; the Alpha Kingdom has revealed everything it should and shouldn't have said.

The ambush operation completely turned the situation around. No matter how much explanation was given, the outside world would believe that the Alpha Kingdom delegation had obtained the Blood Moon Horn, which led to the Papal Dragon Riders' ambush.

In fact, Pope Pius VII himself thought so too. Otherwise, why would someone kill the King's envoy when there was no grudge between them?

He didn't see anything wrong with Carlis's unauthorized actions. The only problem was that he hadn't been careful enough, which exposed him.

The only consolation was that the Blood Moon Horn did not fall into the hands of the Alpha Kingdom, which salvaged some face for the Church. Otherwise, their support for Heretical Cult would have been completely exposed.

Deep down, Pope Pius VII believed the Dragon Cavalry's sacrifice was worthwhile. Being recognized is one thing; presenting concrete evidence is another.

Even if it's self-deception, the Church needs this fig leaf. As long as they have this fig leaf, they can shamelessly deny it.

Although it has no practical significance, in political matters, even if you know it's your own fault, sometimes you just have to stubbornly refuse to admit it.

They can put on a brave face externally, but internal responsibilities cannot be ignored. Where there are people, there will be conflict, and the Church is not monolithic. Without a reasonable explanation, none of the parties can be accounted for.

The entire Dragon Cavalry was wiped out, and no one was held responsible for the deaths. Since the underlings had failed in their duties, the leader also had to bear responsibility, and this not entirely unjust blame naturally fell on Blake's shoulders.

Coincidentally, the Blood Moon Horn also fell into the hands of the Order of Judgment Knights, and Blake was involved from beginning to end. Blake, who was redeeming himself, didn't even have a chance to defend himself.

"Your Majesty, this matter was handled poorly by the Order of Judgment Knights, and as their leader, I cannot shirk my responsibility."

Blake took responsibility without hesitation and looked expectantly at his colleagues, hoping that they would lend him a hand in this time, out of consideration for their past friendship.

As for whether he engaged in public relations behind the scenes, nobody knows. In any case, Blake is now a good believer who is willing to take responsibility.

"Your Majesty, while Commander Blake certainly bears some responsibility, the ones who truly need to take responsibility for this matter are the guys guarding the Blood Moon Horn."

The Dragon Cavalry were just cleaning up their mess. Although their actions were inadvertently exposed, they managed to hide the Blood Moon Horn, so their good deeds and bad deeds canceled each other out.

The Alpha Kingdom is thousands of miles away from us, with several countries blocking the way. No matter how dissatisfied they are, they can only grumble a few times.

All dynamic industries have been frozen. This is the worst-case scenario; as long as other countries don't get involved, things are pretty much over.

Cardinal Solon's words made Pope Pius VII roll his eyes. He was just trying to plead for mercy, but coming from his mouth, it sounded like he was blatantly giving up and lying down.

However, this is indeed the reality the Church must now face. The Alpha Kingdom is beyond the Church's reach; in other words, the Church has no power over the Alpha Kingdom.

To think that we can fight our way through is a naive idea only a child would have. We are all seasoned politicians; we know how to weigh the pros and cons.

As for those who were thrown out to take responsibility, they were simply unlucky. Although they had already been punished last time, they weren't executed. Now that someone needs to take responsibility, we can only reluctantly let them do it again.

We can't really take down a high-ranking member of the Church over something so trivial, thus disrupting the balance of power among the various factions within the Church, can we?

Even if we really have to deal with Blake, we need to find a suitable replacement first. Otherwise, if we rashly remove him, wouldn't the Order of Judgment Knights fall into chaos?

As one of the main fighting forces of the Church, Pope Pius VII absolutely could not allow the Order of Judgment Knights to fall into chaos.

"Bishop Solon is right, Blake does indeed only need to bear secondary responsibility. However, with his subordinates repeatedly messing things up, shouldn't Commander Blake reflect on his own actions?"

Is it a matter of poor judgment in recognizing and employing talent, or is it that one's own abilities are limited and unable to shoulder the heavy responsibility of managing the Order of Judgment Knights? Or is it that one has not put their heart into their work and has merely been perfunctory?

In conclusion, Commander Blake needs a clear understanding of his own position in order to avoid making similar mistakes in the future.

When his old rival spoke, Blake knew he was in trouble. It seemed like he was being given a choice, but in reality, he had no choice at all.

The charge of "perfunctory work" must never be accepted; that's a matter of principle. Not putting in the effort to serve the divine is blasphemy against faith.

His lack of understanding and poor personnel management are both manifestations of his limited abilities, and he is destined to be labeled as "incompetent."

Even if he survives this ordeal, his influence within the Church will be greatly diminished, and it may even affect the status of the Order of Judgment Knights within the Church.

"Thank you for the reminder, Commander Gurei. I will definitely reflect on my actions deeply. However, whether I am capable of fulfilling my current position is an internal matter of the Order of Judgment Knights, and it is none of your concern, Commander of the Order of Judgment Knights."

His subordinates are at odds again, Pope Pius VII with mixed feelings. The Church has long since changed beyond recognition.

All the major institutions within the church are rife with inbreeding. While the clergy nominally dedicate everything to the divine, illegitimate children abound.

Many positions have become hereditary, and Pope Pius VII wanted to change this situation but didn't know where to start.

After all, that's how he got his papacy. If his ancestors hadn't been popes and hadn't had such deep-rooted influence within the church, the position of pope wouldn't have been his.

It's really too much to ask someone who benefits from these rules to change them.

Fortunately, the various factions within the Church are mutually restraining and have many conflicts with each other; otherwise, his life as Pope would be very difficult.

"Alright, you two, stop fooling around. First, calm this farce with the Alpha Kingdom down. The Order of Judgment Knights will bear all the losses caused by it."

I don't care how you solve the resulting gap, even if you, Blake, have to make up for it out of your own pocket, because the strength of the Order of Judgment Knights cannot be affected.

As for the Alpha Kingdom, they've caused us so much trouble, so we can't let them have it easy either.

Is Caesar III being too smug? Let's find him something to do so he can't be happy.

The Orc Empire has been dormant for so long, it's time to get them moving.

A few years ago, the Lionmen changed its emperor. The new Lion Emperor had long been eager to invade the south, but because the old Behemoth Emperor was too old to lift a sword and didn't want to see others achieve great military exploits, he found an excuse to stop him.

Now that Behemoth Emperor is very old, once this old man passes away, the political structure of the Orc Empire being ruled by five emperors will inevitably be broken.

However, the current Behemoth Emperor is also old and will most likely continue the old man's political path. If we want them to invade the south, we need to add fuel to the fire.

Pope Pius VII said coldly.

It was as natural as eating and drinking to instigate the Beastfolk invasion to the south, completely disregarding the losses it would bring to the human race.

No one was surprised; clearly, the Church had done something similar more than once before.

The only difference is that the Church a thousand years ago started the war primarily to guide the human race to expand outwards, spread the glory of the Lord of Dawn, and incidentally fight for living space for the race; while the Church now starts the war simply to eliminate dissidents.

"Your Majesty, please rest assured. I guarantee that the operation of the Order of Judgment Knights will not be affected in any way!"

Blake quickly assured him.

Although times of financial hardship are tough, the top priority right now is to keep my position. If funds are insufficient, we can simply cut back on spending.

The middle and lower classes will be the most affected, but no matter how things change, the lives of the bigwigs at the top will not be affected.

After glancing at Blake and seemingly satisfied with his statement, Pope Pius VII continued:

"Since you are so confident, then the affairs of the Orc Empire will also be entrusted to your Order of Judgment Knights."

The glory of the Church is inviolable, and any act that dares to challenge Church authority must be severely punished.

"I don't care what methods you use, the Orc Empire must launch its southern invasion within three years. If you fail to do so, you may abdicate and go to the Cenobites camp!"

The Cenobites camp is composed of a group of the most devout believers in the Lord of Dawn, and has always been the most sacred place in the Church.

That was just for external propaganda; to the higher-ups, no one wanted to experience life in the Cenobites camp.

The extremely strict religious rules and the daily life of eating simple meals would be enough to drive any normal person to the brink of collapse.

Instantly Blake felt a wave of pressure wash over him. Three years may seem like a long time, but it's far too short to guide a country's policy direction.

Especially since that old codger Behemoth Emperor, is still alive, it will be very difficult to pass the southern invasion plan unless this most prestigious old fellow agrees.

There's nothing strange about that. Behemoth Emperor's greatest achievement was conquering vast swathes of land from the Alpha Kingdom by invading the south. Given his advanced age and inability to lead an army south, he naturally didn't want to start a new war.

If he wins, the prestige of other emperors will soar, which will shake his position as the number one in the Orc Empire.

If he loses the battle, he might have to return the land he had previously seized, and his illustrious achievements would be wiped out.

Any mature politician would oppose a war that results in heavy losses for both the victor and the vanquished. Even if a war were to be fought, it should be postponed until after his death to avoid tarnishing his reputation both before and after his death.

---Aside---

I've already written 10,000 words a day, but these votes aren't enough! I haven't even made it into the top ten for new book monthly votes, sob sob sob.