King
Chapter 738 - 738 30 Off-track Speculation_2

738: Chapter 30, Off-track Speculation_2 738: Chapter 30, Off-track Speculation_2 Having understood the situation of Berkshine Shipyard, Hudson was not annoyed, but rather quietly delighted.

The ability to surreptitiously sell warships to pirates meant that the shipyard still retained the technical level to construct pirate ships, which was at least above the standard of pirate ship construction.

“Haha…

Mr.

Barnes, let me ask by the way.

As a legitimate businessman, why would I buy warships?

My main activity is long-distance trading, and I deal with pirates every day.

We also need to have some armament for self-defense!”

Hudson explained with a laugh.

The end result, however, was contrary to his wishes.

The more Hudson insisted he was a legitimate businessman, the more Barnes suspected that he was a scout for pirates.

According to Barnes’ years of sales experience, those who hide their identities and act mysteriously were most likely big customers.

Hudson had all of these qualities: poor disguise skills, hidden dominance in his expression, a clear sign he was not a legitimate businessman.

“Mr.

Borden, please rest assured.

We also sell armed merchant ships here that just happen to look like warships and perform likewise, but they are definitely not military ships.

The trading permits issued by the kingdom are the best evidence!

With these permits, you can definitely sail the ships away.

…”

Faced with Barnes’ endless explanations, Hudson tactfully chose to exit.

He could not stay here any longer, or else he might even start to believe himself a pirate.

Having understood the situation, the subsequent trade went smoothly.

However, the shipyard continues to operate under the control of the royal family and relocation should wait until after the new year.

To avoid outside interference disrupting the transaction, strict secrecy will be maintained until full relocation activities have commenced.

The difference being, the Mountain Domain has gained a group of strangers, who crossed the vast swamp to investigate the shores.

Both ports and shipyards require careful site selection.

If one were to simply choose a location and start construction, it would not be possible to build a large dock.

Let’s not talk about ship docks of ten thousand tons for now as Hudson doesn’t have that appetite, but a regular dock for a thousand tons is a must, or else it would become an inland shipyard.

…

In Bera City, after some heated debate, the share of the “repayment tax” was forcefully allocated.

It was evident that everyone was not enthusiastic, as if they had all become selfless saints.

Even if the allocation was slightly generous, they did not bother to argue about it.

The most active were Hudson and Earl Piers; For the share of the repayment tax, they almost had a “duel” in the conference room.

Clearly, this was the result of Governor Piers’ private promises taking effect.

Otherwise, those prefectural governors whose interests had been harmed would definitely be rallying against the governor.

The entire meeting was two words for Hudson—awkward!

The prefectural governors at the meeting were either people from the Dalton Family, or they were promised benefits by Earl Piers.

Hudson was completely alone.

The only ally he could count on, the representative of the Hollis family, had become silent after shifting strategic focus.

Days as a “lonely man” would naturally not be easy.

Fortunately, the governors present were only interested in money, they didn’t completely lean towards the Dalton Family.

Otherwise, life would be even harder.

Although it wasn’t one against fourteen, Hudson still managed to pull off a one-on-seven.

Think about how terrifying it was.

There were fifteen provinces in the Southeastern Province, and seven of them were controlled by the Dalton Family.

Almost thirty percent of the land was under the banner of the Dalton family.

Counting the Dalton’s sibling, the control area would be even bigger.

If not for his rapid rise, Dalton’s takeover of Southeastern Province was just a matter of time considering this situation.

A similar scenario was playing out in other provinces of the kingdom.

And with the growing power of the major nobles, this land annexation would only accelerate.

Willing or not to believe, the kingdom’s political structure, which relied on small and medium-sized nobles to balance the major nobles, was gradually collapsing.

No wonder Caesar III created conflict among the major nobles to maintain political balance.

If he let this land consolidation continue, the future Kingdom of Alpha would probably be left with only a handful of players.

When the situation reaches that point, there will be no easing of tensions between them, only the last step of turning the kingdom into their clans.

Of course, this is just a theoretical situation.

In normal circumstances, a country would not be able to support the most extreme state of land annexation; it would collapse prematurely.

This collapse could be due to foreign invasion or internal strife.

After all, whether it’s a major noble or the royal family, it’s impossible to guarantee that every successor will be wise and competent.

Just two or three generations of wastrels or the birth of a significant prodigal could squander the painstakingly accumulated family fortune.

A whale falls and multitude spring forth.

Each time a major noble falls, many new, smaller nobles are born in its wake, beginning a new round of land annexation as if it were a recurring cycle.

Watching Hudson walk away with a dark face, Earl Piers revealed an inscrutable smile.

“I might not outmatch you in warfare, but do you think I can’t beat a greenhorn like you in politics?!”

Unfortunately, he couldn’t share this joy with anyone else; doing so could easily ruin his dignified image.

“Sir, something doesn’t seem right!

During the recent meeting, while Earl Hudson was bustling to make his case, his demeanor was too calm.

There was not a trace of panic.

According to our previous conjectures, he would bring a group of minor nobles to the meeting to cause a ruckus.

We were prepared to use this to paint him as being inconsiderate of the bigger picture.

Regrettably, throughout the entirety of the meeting, he suppressed his anger and didn’t provide us with any opportunities to do so.

It was as if he had anticipated our plan!”

The old steward’s warning startled Earl Piers.

Only a few people within the clan knew of this plan—if anyone betrayed them and leaked it, they would be in big trouble.

“Have the silent guards investigate thoroughly.

Keep a close watch on anyone in the clan who has a close relationship with the Koslow family.

This is just a precaution.

The betrayal probably did not come from them.

If a hint of private friendship could lead to betraying the clan, then betrayal would be too cheap.

Hudson’s rise was too swift, he couldn’t possibly have infiltrated us so quickly.

If he did get early warning, then there must be other forces involved.

The most suspicious are the royal family and the Hollis family.

The likelihood of it being the Hollis family is small.

Even though they are allies with the Koslow family, that doesn’t mean they would make unconditional sacrifices for them.

To support their ally and upset us at such a critical time wouldn’t be a wise choice.

Instead, it’s more likely that the royal family is behind this.

Hudson did do a favor for the royal family a short while ago and it’s proper that they repaid the favor.

Of course, there’s another possibility—that all our conjectures are wrong and there hasn’t been any leak; Hudson may have deduced our plan by himself.”

As he spoke, Earl Piers furrowed his brow.

If Hudson foresaw their plan purely by his own analysis, that would be truly terrifying.

Compared to that, he would rather believe that this was just a coincidence.

“My lord, it was most likely the royal family who helped him.

According to the spy information from the Mountain Domain, Hudson has already started exploring the coastline.

According to our insider, the man-made canal in the Mountain Domain, being excavated by Hudson’s men, could be completed by the end of the year.

His actions suggest he is likely preparing to build a dock by the sea.

In order to further verify the truth, we had someone check the identities of the survey team and found out that they all worked for the royal family.

The facts prove that Earl Hudson has further behind-the-scenes connections with the royal family—he couldn’t have gained such strong support otherwise.”

The old steward’s words made Earl Piers’ face grow even darker.

The upstart Koslow family alone was already difficult to deal with.

If the royal family also got involved, matters would become even more complicated.

In his heart, he had already accepted the conjecture that the two were colluding.

After all, these were Caesar III’s usual tactics.

Using some seemingly harmless methods, he would instigate conflicts between the major nobles, causing them to check and balance each other, thus ensuring the supremacy of the royal power.

Even if they realized this, telling the other party would be pointless.

The Dalton and Koslow families are inherently competitors.

Earl Piers couldn’t possibly back down at this point, and Hudson would not indefinitely yield either.