Chapter Summaries

Hudson advised Viscount Racquel that the Moxi Duchy could secretly repay its debts by trading knowledge to small and medium nobles, despite the risk of provoking the continent’s ruling class. He then reviewed the Mountain Territory’s mounting deficits and new administrative plans, while anticipating further expenses from magical beasts and a future shipyard.

• Hudson told Racquel that the Moxi Duchy could use knowledge inheritances to settle debts with creditors, warning that exposure would threaten the existing social order.
• Racquel accepted Hudson’s advice but said the duchy’s leaders would decide what to do, and he promised they would remember Hudson’s help.
• Rudolf reported that the Mountain Territory had accumulated large deficits, including costs from migration, declining steel profits, and the magical beast breeding program.
• Hudson said many magical beast cubs would go toward repaying his existing debts and claimed he could reproduce maturation potions from their formulas.
• Jacob reported that the Department of Political Affairs had reorganized its staff and established three new offices, and he submitted its plans to Hudson.
• Hudson doubted the territory could balance its finances within two years because the canal’s completion and a planned shipyard would bring major new expenses.

Hudson traveled to the Royal Capital for the Crown Prince’s wedding, while the Coslo and Dalton families presented a united front despite their rivalry. At Emerald Palace, Caesar III and King George discussed threats to the Northern Continent and their countries’ financial troubles, leaving their alliance strained by mutual poverty.

• Hudson rode with Southeast Province’s nobles, and his supporters and Count Pierce’s faction set aside their rivalry to promote the province’s shared interests.
• Hudson arrived in the Royal Capital and stayed at the post station because the Coslo Family’s residence was too cramped to host guests.
• Caesar III welcomed King George at Emerald Palace and warned that the Central Three Kingdoms were expanding into the Northern Continent.
• George pledged to align Moxi Duchy with Alpha Kingdom, while Caesar III declared that they would settle accounts with their rivals after recovering from the war.
• Caesar III revealed that Alpha Kingdom’s debt crisis might force it to scale back its magical beast legion plan, and George admitted that Moxi Duchy’s treasury was even worse off.
• Crown Prince Caesar interrupted their awkward conversation and invited George to the banquet.

Hudson warned Count Oran that the conflict over magical beast cubs was part of an inevitable struggle over military spending, while the royal family would benefit from expanding its territories. Meanwhile, the Northern Nobles debated exploiting the rift between Caesar III and the great nobles and considered secretly reaching out to Crown Prince Caesar.

• Hudson told Count Oran that the Kingdom's military spending would be cut now that the Orc Empire no longer threatened it, and that the dispute over magical beast cubs was only a trigger for broader conflict.
• Hudson explained that Caesar III could accept cuts while strengthening royal power through the development of royal territories, and he urged Count Oran to recognize how the Hollisir Family's interests could be affected.
• Duke Thorsten celebrated that the King and the great nobles had begun to clash, but Duke Rodriguez warned the Northern Nobles not to draw attention back to themselves.
• Duke Xilo proposed secretly approaching Crown Prince Caesar, arguing that Caesar III's declining health and the Crown Prince's need for allies made the moment favorable.
• Duke Anhel warned that contact with the Crown Prince could provoke Caesar III, but Duke Xilo insisted the Crown Prince could manage the King and that royal-family hatred had eased.

Hudson backed a proposal to fund military research and maintain the Alpha Kingdom’s Standing Army, turning a nobles’ meeting into a dispute over costs and regional interests. His proposal passed after Caesar III’s supporters and several hesitant nobles voted in favor.

• Crown Prince Caesar welcomed Hudson at the Royal Palace, and Hudson suspected Caesar III’s failing health had made the prince seek allies.
• Duke Affierro urged the kingdom to maintain a powerful Standing Army, and Hudson proposed research funds for military technologies and magical resources while opposing drastic army cuts.
• Duke Thorsten objected that the kingdom and the Northern Frontier could not afford the expense, and Hudson accused him of dividing the kingdom and forgetting its shared defense.
• Hudson revealed through his actions that Caesar III had offered the Coslo Family access to a coastal fleet, shipyard, sailors, and shipwrights, while Caesar III stopped the argument and called for a vote.
• Hudson and Duke Thorsten jointly sponsored the proposal, and Count Pierce and several frontier nobles joined its supporters.
• Grand Duke Newfoundland announced that Count Hudson’s proposal had passed with more than half the votes in support.

The nobles debated how to address the Alpha Kingdom’s crushing war debt, and Hudson resisted an effort by old-established nobles to burden emerging families with repayment costs. Count Pierce’s revised proposal exempted the Northern Seven Provinces but left Hudson’s allies facing heavier obligations, and the fragile emerging-noble bloc backed down.

• Marquis Delgado warned that the treasury faced a huge deficit and demanded that the nobles solve the kingdom’s debt problem.
• Marquis Joel called for early bond repayments, and Count Pierce proposed cutting spending and assigning repayment burdens among the provinces.
• Count Oran objected that the Northern Seven Provinces could not afford the proposed burden, while Count Cales supported repayment in the name of shared responsibility.
• Hudson proposed taxing profitable industries instead of rigidly assigning costs by fief, then rebuffed Count Martinez’s attempt to target magical beast cub trading.
• Count Pierce argued that industry taxes were impractical and proposed exempting the Northern Seven Provinces, prompting the emerging nobles to abandon their opposition.
• Hudson accepted the revised plan through gritted teeth as the Southeast Province’s nobles faced heavier obligations.

Hudson accepted the Crown Prince’s offer to buy Berkshire Shipyard, while Count Pierce planned to pressure the Coslo Family through its weaker allies. The chapter ended with Hudson asking to pay for the shipyard in goods instead of cash.

• Hudson reassessed his standing among the rising nobles and met with Crown Prince Caesar after leaving the royal palace.
• Count Pierce and Gadley discussed how the repayment tax could weaken the Coslo Family and considered setting traps for its lesser-noble relatives.
• Hudson complained to Crown Prince Caesar about his losses and requested senior craftsmen as compensation.
• Crown Prince Caesar offered Hudson Berkshire Shipyard in the Southeast Province for eight hundred thousand gold coins, including its workers, sailors, and their families.
• Hudson accepted the price but asked whether the royal family would accept goods in kind because he could not pay the full amount in cash.

Hudson assessed the resentment caused by Count Pierce’s repayment tax and planned to use struggling nobles to pressure the governor without openly challenging him. In the Royal Capital, the dying Caesar III entrusted the kingdom to Crown Prince Caesar, who was told to take control of the court and prevent land annexation during the transfer of power.

• Hudson learned that the Southeast Province had been assigned 1.3 million gold coins of the 9.37 million repayment tax and decided not to recruit old noble houses whose interests favored annexation.
• Hudson told Baron Keterai to spread word that struggling nobles could borrow from the Dalton Family and proposed sending bankrupt nobles to plead for help outside the Governor’s Mansion.
• Caesar III, too ill to hold the planned title-conferring ceremony, gave Crown Prince Caesar advice on preserving stability and preventing powerful nobles from annexing land.
• Caesar III fell into a coma after urging his son to take charge, and Archbishop Tyron said the king might live for at most three more months.
• Crown Prince Caesar asked the chancellor how to proceed, and the chancellor advised him to take control of the court and suppress any nobles who tried to annex land.

Hudson inspected Berkshire Shipyard under a false identity, completed a confidential purchase, and arranged for coastal surveys in Mountain Territory. Meanwhile, Count Pierce suspected Hudson had anticipated his political trap and learned that royal personnel were helping prepare the shipyard’s relocation.

• Hudson posed as the merchant Baden, inspected Berkshire Shipyard, and learned that its staff would secretly sell armed merchant ships and even restricted warships.
• Hudson completed the shipyard transaction, kept it confidential until relocation began after the new year, and sent surveyors to find a suitable coastal site in Mountain Territory.
• Hudson and Count Pierce fought over the repayment-tax shares at the Beda City meeting, where Hudson stood largely alone but gave Count Pierce no opening to attack him.
• Count Pierce ordered the Shadow Guards to investigate possible leaks and considered whether the royal family or the Hollisir Family had warned Hudson.
• The old steward reported that royal employees were surveying the coast and that Hudson’s canal project would soon be finished, leading Count Pierce to suspect deeper cooperation between Hudson and the royal family.

Hudson refused to lead the minor nobles against the repayment tax, choosing instead to leave them with Nelson while considering how the Dalton Family’s policies could benefit his territory. After returning home, he found Melissa and Isabelle on friendly terms and learned that Isabelle had promised not to bear him a child for ten years.

• Baron Leslie and other minor nobles asked Hudson to lead an effort to overturn the repayment tax allocation, but Hudson refused and suggested they petition or pursue impeachment.
• Hudson considered how the Dalton Family’s pressure on minor nobles could let him recruit serfs and talented people, then left Nelson to host the visitors.
• Hudson returned to the inner courtyard and was surprised to find Melissa and Isabelle chatting together.
• Melissa explained that Isabelle had approached her while Hudson was away and promised not to have his child for ten years.

Hudson completed a magical beast growth pill and arranged a selection of cubs for the territory’s family members and officers. In the Royal Capital, Crown Prince Caesar confronted rising tax unrest before Caesar III died, leaving him to prepare for the funeral and inherit the kingdom’s burdens.

• Hudson completed pills that slowly delivered energy extracted from Magic Cores and magic crystals, then ordered a selection of magical beast cubs to begin next month.
• Hudson planned to use Griffon Dragons for the air force and Ground Dragons for the cavalry, while scarce high-potential cubs went back to their original owners or were paid for.
• Crown Prince Caesar learned that lesser nobles had surrounded the Governor's Mansion in Southeast Province to protest their taxes, and Prime Minister Grand Duke Newfoundland advised him to let Governor Pierce handle the crisis.
• Palace bells announced that Caesar III had died, and Crown Prince Caesar rushed to his father's residence and wept beside his body.
• Archbishop Tyron and Grand Duke Newfoundland urged Crown Prince Caesar to shoulder the royal family's duties and prepare Caesar III's funeral, and Caesar slowly nodded.

Hudson arranged for young recruits to receive magical beast cubs in exchange for permanent military service, then learned that Caesar III had died. In the Northern Frontier, the five dukes debated their declining finances and whether to overturn the political order.

• Hudson told Redman that the cubs were low quality, then explained that the territory would cover their upkeep for recruits who accepted permanent conscription.
• A guard told Hudson that Caesar III had died, and Hudson ordered banquets banned and noble wedding feasts postponed.
• The five Northern Frontier dukes gathered after hearing of Caesar III’s death, and Duke Rodriguez warned that other nobles might unite against them if they made major moves.
• Duke Thorsten described the Northern families’ growing fiscal deficits and military decline, while Duke Xilo urged them to gamble on overturning the existing order.
• Duke Rodriguez said the royal family’s contingencies made rebellion difficult, and Duke Xilo replied that they could create an opportunity before dismissing the followers to continue privately.

After Caesar III's death, the Church and foreign powers considered how to exploit the upheaval, while Hudson's advisers warned that the Alpha Kingdom's debt crisis could worsen during the succession. Hudson left the chapter facing political uncertainty, a threatened revenue plan, and the risk of creditors demanding early repayment.

• Pope Pius VII celebrated Caesar III's death privately and planned to send condolences while the Church prepared to intervene in the Alpha Kingdom's turmoil.
• Blake urged the Church to support Joseph II in ending the Warhammer Kingdom's civil war, and Pope Pius VII approved confidential action.
• Cardinal Solon proposed triggering a Moxi Duchy debt crisis to distract the continent while the Church advanced its plans in the Warhammer Kingdom.
• Foreign kingdoms and other races debated Caesar III's death as the Calamity of Ten Thousand Years spread across the Aslant Continent.
• Hudson asked his advisers how Mountain Territory should respond, and Kane recommended waiting while Rudolf warned that the king's death threatened tax collection and the kingdom's bond payments.
• Hudson warned that foreign creditors could demand early repayment and destroy the Alpha Kingdom's credit, potentially leading to armed debt collection.

Hudson dealt with Maxim’s rampage and settled the dragon’s breeding fees by deducting extensive expenses, leaving Maxim with barely any money. With Maxim’s mating season ending, Hudson considered the breeding venture’s likely conclusion and the limited number of Sub-Dragon Beast cubs available across the Northern Continent.

• Hudson rode with Beldens to stop Maxim, who had beaten the mages and guardian knights after objecting to the female beasts chosen for him.
• Hudson calmed Maxim and ordered the wounded treated before taking the dragon back to the lord’s manor to review his breeding fees.
• Maxim demanded 810,000 gold coins, but Hudson deducted food, repairs, damages, medical compensation, and other costs, reducing his net income to 280,000 gold coins.
• Hudson further charged Maxim for magic crystal consumption, and Maxim ultimately received only a few hundred gold coins while Hudson collected his dragon tears.
• Hudson realized that Maxim’s ended mating season would soon bring the breeding cooperation to a close, with about 11,000 Sub-Dragon Beast cubs expected across the Northern Continent.
• Hudson considered the Mountain Territory’s share of more than 400 cubs and was relieved he had already sold some to reduce the risk of attracting attention.

Baron Cayo returned to Laite and Whitton Counties and discussed their tangled politics with Count Pierce, who explained why the Dalton Family needed Hudson to counter the Felix Family. Meanwhile, Hudson tried to redirect the coming political contest and sent Baron Ciss a pair of Golden Horses to keep their rivalry from becoming a fight with the Dalton Family.

• Local nobles turned news of Cayo's return into a call for a leader who could drive out the Northern Nobles, though they understood the slogan was largely political theater.
• Cayo told Count Pierce he would observe the counties before acting and assessed several local nobles, including Hudson, as unusually capable or fortunate.
• Count Pierce warned Cayo that the Felix Family had secured Laite County's governor position and that the Dalton Family needed Hudson to balance its influence; he also cautioned that Cayo would have to fight for Whitton County's post.
• Hudson prepared to keep Cayo occupied by stirring local opinion and then ordered Tom to send Baron Ciss a pair of Golden Horses, signaling that their contest should not become a genuine feud.

After Caesar III's death, Hudson attended a gathering where nobles feared the kingdom's instability and the Northern Nobles' growing power. At the royal council, Crown Prince Caesar tested the nobles by proposing a Church-led coronation, revealing an alliance with the Northern Noble Faction before Archbishop Tyron was chosen to preside.

• Hudson told the nobles that a central powers' invasion could come from many directions, prompting them to strengthen defenses along the southern frontier.
• Count Oran warned Hudson that the Northern Nobles had met after Caesar III's death and that the Hollisir Family's new northern holdings were vulnerable.
• Hudson learned that Crown Prince Caesar wanted the Church to conduct his coronation and argued that the proposal would damage the kingdom's relations with other nations.
• Duke Xilo backed Crown Prince Caesar, revealing that the Northern Noble Faction had joined forces with him, while the court ministers stayed silent.
• Hudson declared that Archbishop Tyron would preside over the coronation and realized Crown Prince Caesar had used the Church proposal to test the nobles and signal his willingness to ally with the Church.

After analyzing Crown Prince Caesar’s confrontation with the old nobility and the land annexations destabilizing Southeast Province, Hudson attended Caesar III’s funeral expecting a peaceful succession. An assassin attacked Prince Claude of the Black Forest Kingdom, leaving the kingdom facing a potential diplomatic crisis.

• Hudson concluded that Caesar had deliberately challenged the old nobility and that ambitious nobles were weakening minor families through fines, raids, and other schemes.
• At Caesar III’s funeral, Hudson thought the nobles had been intimidated and hoped to return to peaceful farming.
• A scream and cries to catch the assassin plunged the funeral into chaos.
• Crown Prince Caesar demanded to know who had been attacked and ordered palace guards to restore order and capture the culprit.
• Count Francis reported that Prince Claude of the Black Forest Kingdom had been attacked, and Caesar ordered the Foreign Affairs Department to check whether he was safe.

After Prince Claude survived an assassination attempt, the Alpha Kingdom struggled to contain the diplomatic fallout while Hudson and Governor Pierce faced blame in the Southeast Province. Claude saw the incident as a chance to gain influence, while Hudson used the growing threat of war to secure support for a new defensive line in Blood Moon County.

• Duke Newfoundland reported that the assassin, identified as Baron Selus, had dissolved into blood, and Caesar IV ordered an investigation as well as preparations for the Black Forest Kingdom's response.
• Prince Claude revealed to Count Tatala that he was unharmed and planned to demand the culprit and mastermind from the Alpha Kingdom, then wrote a letter declaring his opposition to war.
• Governor Pierce questioned the Southeast Province nobles about Baron Selus, and they claimed that he had acted strangely before the ceremony and had likely been impersonated.
• Governor Pierce announced plans with Hudson to build the Blood Moon Defense Line, and Hudson urged the nobles to support the project.

Caesar IV’s court debated how to support southern provinces preparing defensive lines despite the kingdom’s dire finances, and Duke Newfoundland agreed to coordinate the effort. Prince Claude learned that Alpha Kingdom’s preparations were advancing and called the Alpha people insane.

• Caesar IV asked whether the kingdom would fund the southern provinces’ defensive lines, but Marquis Delgado warned that subsidies or tax relief could push the kingdom into bankruptcy.
• Duke Affierro urged the court to reassure the border nobles and encourage them to fund construction themselves.
• Duke Newfoundland agreed to coordinate support among the provinces and said some would need help from wealthier regions.
• Prince Claude returned to his sickroom when Griffon Cavalry flew overhead, then asked Count Tatala about negotiations with Alpha Kingdom.
• Count Tatala told Prince Claude that the Southeast Province planned a three-year defensive project funded locally, with a meeting scheduled at the Dalton Family’s residence.

Governor Pierce and Hudson organized a voluntary fundraising effort to build the Blood Moon Defense Line, presenting the Southeast Province as united against a possible Black Forest invasion. In the Black Forest Kingdom, Alexander V remained angry over his son's assassination and ordered officials to investigate the Alpha Kingdom and prepare military pressure along the border.

• Governor Pierce announced that the Southeast Province would raise money, labor, food, and supplies to build the Blood Moon Defense Line without mandatory assessments.
• Hudson set contribution rules and said the Dalton Family and Coslo Family would coordinate resources and cover any shortfall, prompting nobles to submit their declarations.
• After the conference, Hudson assured Governor Pierce that the show of provincial unity would deter the Black Forest Kingdom and admitted he had used the threat to advance his strategic plans.
• Alexander V questioned Count Nicholas about the Alpha Kingdom's preparations, but Count Nicholas denied that the Military Affairs Department had made new plans.
• Marquis Krasna said the Alpha Kingdom was not intimidated and was demanding that the Black Forest Kingdom accept the July Association's responsibility for the assassination.
• Alexander V ordered officials to investigate the Alpha Kingdom, summon provincial leaders to discuss strategy, and move troops along the border.

After his son was born, Hudson returned to the Royal Capital and joined a tense meeting about the Black Forest Kingdom's troop movements near Kovasia Province and Oberla Province. The council leaned toward appeasement and redirecting the threat toward smaller northern nations, while the kingdom's finances made a direct war difficult, and Caesar IV asked whether the Foreign Affairs Department could resolve the crisis.

• Hudson learned that the Black Forest Kingdom was gathering troops near Kovasia Province and Oberla Province, and Count Cales reported that the border nobles had begun mobilizing.
• Hudson argued that the kingdom should wait for clearer signs of invasion, and Marquis Delgado supported avoiding a large-scale war.
• Grand Duke Newfoundland and Marquis Joel proposed conceding the interests of smaller northern nations to appease the Black Forest Kingdom and buy the Alpha Kingdom time to recover.
• Duke Xilo opposed appeasement and urged the kingdom to confront the Black Forest Kingdom, but Marquis Delgado challenged him over the kingdom's lack of funds and supplies.
• Caesar IV asked Count Francis whether the Foreign Affairs Department could resolve the Black Forest Kingdom crisis.