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Chapter 86 - 86 85 Protect the Workers_1

86: Chapter 85, Protect the Workers_1 86: Chapter 85, Protect the Workers_1 With mutual gazes, five people and a bear stepped onto the stone bridge.

The armies on both sides retreated a hundred meters as a show of sincerity in negotiations.

Theoretically, there shouldn’t be any safety threats in these negotiations between kingdom aristocrats.

Nobody dared risk disgrace by plotting in such an occasion.

However, Hudson did not let his guard down.

The miniature bear on his shoulder served as his bodyguard.

The seemingly adorable creature was far more powerful than he was.

Its seemingly unremarkable paws could smash a tree with the thickness of a bowl’s rim.

As the initiator of the mediation meeting, Hudson was the first to speak, “Welcome to the Mountain Domain.

We should have met over a banquet.

However, due to the simplicity of our domain, which does not allow for proper hospitality, we chose to meet here, a place of clear waters and lush mountains.”

Hudson had no choice but to go with the trend and use the name ‘Mountain Domain’, giving up the unfashionable title of ‘Salam Province’.

No one takes such formal greetings seriously.

The inability to host a banquet was a mere pretext.

The real reason was that Hudson was unwilling to cater for over a thousand people.

Even the landlord’s food supplies were running low.

To live a good life, one must carefully calculate expenses.

Any unnecessary expenditure that could be avoided was avoided.

Despite having sold three batches of weapons, most were on credit.

The cash on hand was less than a hundred gold coins.

Hudson did not want to deplete his funds on one banquet.

“Baron Hudson is too polite.

I’ve long heard of the fame of the Divine Archery Knight.

I should have visited earlier, but I’ve just been too busy with domain affairs.

Meeting by the creek today is a joyous event.

Perhaps it can even form a chapter of extraordinary legend for our descendants to remember, for the wandering poets to recite.”

Baron Katelai declared heartily.

Being busy with domain affairs was naturally a pretext.

Besides the three hundred soldiers he brought, you couldn’t find a single living person in the entire Maple Domain.

So, there wouldn’t be any busy affairs.

However, Baron Katelai was indeed satisfied with the meeting place.

As a Northern aristocracy, having a banquet or not was not important, safety was crucial.

The creek served as a barricade.

Although it didn’t offer much protection, at least it ensured they wouldn’t be ambushed.

Despite the rare incidents of deplorable actions among the aristocrats, ambushes were common on the frontier battlefields against beastkind in the Northern Border.

This instinctual habit from deep within kept Katelai alert.

The two Barons praised each other while the three Knights stood awkwardly to one side.

Their unequal status and power left them unable to participate in the conversation.

After exchanging niceties, Hudson deliberately took a step back, “The main reason for inviting all four of you here is to clear up some unnecessary misunderstandings.

We are all neighbors, and there are still many days ahead of us where we need to work together.

Minor issues shouldn’t be magnified.

I hope we can all embody the unity spirit of the Alpha Kingdom’s aristocracy to properly handle this misunderstanding, so as to build a stable and harmonious Southern Layton County.”

Hudson spoke these heartfelt words because despite being a arms dealer, he truly did not want the situation to collapse.

If tension was held long-term, all sides would continue to expand their military, and business would carry on.

However, direct factional confrontation leading to the escalation of conflicts in the short term could indeed bring a wave of profits.

But if a winner is determined, there would be no more deals to make.

The key point was that his domain was not yet established.

Regardless of who emerged victorious, Hudson would not be able to cope with the upcoming changes.

Hudson made room and played the role of an onlooker, watching the bargaining process from the side.

He only intervened when the negotiations were on the verge of collapsing, mediating the situation and ensuring the continuation of the meeting.

It had to be admitted that there were differences between nobles.

Even with a three-to-one disadvantage, Baron Katelai maintained the upper hand.

A crucial point was that he didn’t resort to any threats of force throughout the meeting.

He merely held onto lofty principles such as the spirit of the nobility and of knights, exploiting the details and debating with the other aristocrats.

Without clear evidence of bullying, Hudson naturally did not have an opportunity to intervene.

After all, he was only the mediator, not a principal party, and could not show overly apparent bias.

“Gentlemen, it’s getting late.

If we carry on quibbling over minor details, we are likely to continue until nightfall without a resolution.

Perhaps it would be better if each side gave some ground.

In fact, the differences regarding the population of domain people can be defined to a certain extent.

Maple Town was once a large town, but it only had a tenth or so survivors left after the chaos of the Skeleton Society.

The current Maple Domain is only a third of the original Maple Town’s area.

By considering the original recorded population, we can roughly estimate the number of survivors.

Taking into account the two months that have passed, causing the population to fall even further as refugees scattered in all directions, as well as other human factors.

Finally, the population that was taken in by Knight Kurelio, Sir Roman, and Sir Walov, could also be reasonably determined.

The total number should be around five hundred.

Even if there is some deviation, the three knights have been looking after refugees for such a long time, surely they must not have been working in vain?”

Hudson said, righteously.

Especially when he mentioned “human factors,” he kept a straight face, as if it had nothing to do with him.

However, Hudson wasn’t afraid to bring up this issue.

He has also inherited a portion of Maple Town’s land; logically, inheriting a portion of the domain people too.

If he hadn’t minded his manners, he would have gone to his neighbors to ask for people.

Of course, such a thing could only be thought and not acted upon.

Although Hudson and his relatives had no association, it didn’t mean that Koslow clan didn’t have any.

Even if they weren’t close relatives, there was always a certain interpersonal relationship.

If Hudson took advantage of them in this difficult time, his hard-earned reputation among the aristocrats would be ruined.

Moreover, there isn’t only one way to gain benefits.

Compared to openly seizing people, other subtle methods could also allow him to employ these laborers.

For instance: the task of charcoal production, Hudson took the opportunity of selling weapons and subcontracted the job.

Now, his three good neighbors have started the wonderful life of producing charcoal to repay their debts, greatly alleviating the shortage of charcoal production in the Salam Mining Area.

If the three men were not already working for him, he would not be stepping in to assist them at this time.

As soon as Hudson finished speaking, Baron Katelai’s brow furrowed.

This number was too different from what he had expected.

In fact, Baron Katelai was aware that not many domain people were left in his territory after the war.

He only wanted to take advantage of his neighbors, Knight Kurelio, Sir Roman, and Sir Walov, because he thought they were easy to bully.

Unfortunately, the now well-supported three were obstructing his plans.

“The people of Maple Domain have scattered not only into the territories of Knight Kurelio, Sir Roman, and Sir Walov, but also into the territories of the aristocrats in the north, east, and west.

Due to the war, the exact number of domain people who entered each area is now impossible to calculate.

However, since Baron Hudson has raised the issue, let’s presume there are five hundred people who have entered the southern region, and no fewer than a quarter are adults.”

Understanding the hidden message, Hudson nodded in agreement.

Kurelio, Roman, and Walov had accumulated nearly a thousand refugees from the outside world.

Being able to retain half was already quite good.

Along with the people remaining in their original territories, the total population remained over a thousand, so charcoal production would not be severely affected.

As for the aristocrats in other areas bordering Maple Domain, it had nothing to do with Hudson, he could hardly be bothered to take care of those people.

Since Baron Katelai was willing to give him some face, Hudson wasn’t one to push his luck and intrude more than he should.