King
Chapter 1066 - 1066 152 Protectorate of the Near East

1066: Chapter 152: Protectorate of the Near East 1066: Chapter 152: Protectorate of the Near East “Your Marshal, the princess invites you for a chat.”

The maid’s voice rang in Hudson’s ears, slightly startling him.

There was only one princess in the Kingdom now, Princess Madelena.

After their previous attempt to have him sabotage the royal marriage was denied, there had been no contact between them.

Now that the war had ended, the urgency of the marriage alliance had dissipated.

According to the common practices on the Continent of Aslante, a marriage alliance strongly opposed by the involved parties would eventually be canceled, unless exceptional circumstances arose.

After all, a marriage alliance was meant to deepen relations between two nations, not to create enemies.

Forcing such an alliance could cause daily disturbances in the relations between the countries!

Following the maid into the back garden, Hudson indeed saw Princess Madelena, but Caesar IV and the Queen were also present.

Clearly, it was Caesar IV, not Princess Madelena, who had invited him today.

With a meaningful look from Caesar IV, the maids all left, leaving only the four of them inside.

“Your Marshal, inviting you under the guise of Madelena’s name was mainly to divert attention.

Despite our good cooperation earlier, it had caught the watchful eyes of some.

To avoid any unnecessary complications, we had to use the King’s sister as a cover,” Caesar IV immediately explained.

As a king, his every move attracted countless watchful eyes.

Normally it wouldn’t matter, but this time, the stakes were too high to ignore.

Compared to the Near East Region, which was constantly under threat from the Orcs, the territory of the Warhammer Kingdom was not only developed land but also safer.

“The Ancient Heritage Alliance,” that was just a defeated foe of the kingdom.

A single Expedition Army Corps could cripple them; who would consider them a threat?

If anyone dared to cause trouble, the Royal Family was not to be trifled with, especially since they had the Moxi Duchy as an ally to share the pressure.

“Your Majesty, being cautious is wise.

The more critical the moment, the less we can afford to be careless.

However, we also need to press the Moxi People.

Once we are determined on some matters, we should implement them quickly.

Delays can lead to unexpected changes,” Hudson responded with a smile.

Urging the Moxi People to hasten their takeover of the Warhammer Kingdom was a guise; the true purpose was to have them fulfill their promises quickly.

Deep down, he truly envied Caesar IV.

The rich heritage left by his ancestors made a difference.

The Royal territory in the Northern Border bordered the Warhammer Kingdom, and the land allotted was sufficient to support its merge into the Royal territory, ideally forming a contiguous region.

As far as Hudson knew, the Royal Family was planning actions against the Five Great Dukes of the North.

Beyond past grievances, the main issue was that they were in the way.

Originally, the Northern Border’s three provinces were the largest territories of the Royal Family.

After incorporating land from the Warhammer Kingdom, these areas would expand even further.

In the short term, a massive infusion of resources was necessary, but the future growth potential far surpassed that of the current Royal territories.

The dispersed Royal territories in other provinces were one thing, but the two provinces that included the Capital were the foundational strongholds of the Royal Family.

One represented “the present” and the other “the future”—both were areas the Royal Family could not forsake and needed to focus on.

The best strategy was naturally to merge the largest royal territories into one, thereby forming a strategic closed loop.

Strategic conflicts compounded by old grievances made the Northern Five Great Family Alliance, situated in the middle, rather obstructive.

Politics is such a mysterious art; when Caesar IV first came to power, he expended great effort to court the Five Great Dukes of the North, detesting Hudson bitterly.

In just the blink of an eye, Hudson had become the best partner of the Royal Family, while the heavily courted five major families in the north had become the new targets of Caesar IV’s strikes.

Uprooting the five major families entirely was not feasible, but removing the most obstructive family to connect the two pieces of Royal territory was possible.

Even direct control by the Royal Family wasn’t necessary; just replacing the lords of these regions from Major Nobles to smaller nobility would achieve their strategic objective.

The trigger for Caesar IV’s political shift was the “transit taxes” imposed by the five major families in the north.

The Royal Family’s caravans had to pay protection money whenever they passed through, which touched a sensitive nerve in him.

Added to that were the old men of the Royal Family, who constantly filled Caesar IV’s ears with how detestable the five major families were, making a change in political stance unsurprising.

In the face of clan interests, personal feelings and preferences meant nothing.

Having his own grudge against the five major families in the north, Hudson naturally became a valuable ally.

Adding to that a shared division of spoils deepened their relationship, so a reversal of relations should not come as a surprise.

“Please rest assured, Your Marshal.

The King has already expedited the process, and soon there will be substantial control over the Warhammer Kingdom.

As agreed, you will gain one-seventh of the profits, approximately one fourteenth of the Warhammer Kingdom’s territory.

The value of different territories varies and needs comprehensive assessment.

This share will definitely exceed that of the Southeastern Province, and you will also receive compensation from other areas.”

The Queen’s words made Princess Madelena extremely envious.

Even a devastated Warhammer Kingdom represented considerable value.

Such a large slice of the cake was just given away, and her own brother, the King, had not opposed it.

Normally, the Royal Family would limit the growth of major nobles within the country to prevent the tragedy of local lords growing powerful and the monarchy declining.