278: Chapter 153, Mobilization_2 278: Chapter 153, Mobilization_2 His Majesty the King is busy enough with this war, we should be able to handle the issues internally without disturbing him.
If certain items are in short supply, the Governor’s Mansion can also step in to purchase them.
Accounting for the added costs of procurement, an extra five percent will be charged for the substitutes.
In order to combat wartime price gouging, we must ensure price stability within the province from now on.
Those who hoard or disrupt market prices will be put to death without mercy!
Aside from the resources being sent to the frontlines, any strategic commodities listed must get approval from the Governor’s Mansion to leave the Southeastern Province.
All counties must cooperate closely, especially those at the borders.
They must strictly control the outflow of resources.
Whoever’s territory the problem arises from will be responsible for it.
The war is not going to stop anytime soon.
This means we must be prepared to supply the frontlines for the long term and must immediately get a handle on food production.
Everyone should lead by example, save food and reduce unnecessary waste.
Tell those beneath you to stop all their extravagant pleasures and tighten their belts to weather the hard times.
I do not want to see the war end only to discover that some have already bungled their territories.”
Earl Piers’ words eased the anxiety that Hudson had been feeling.
Their predicament would be averted with the possibility of offsetting supplies.
The five percent charge for wastage clearly reflects the nobles’ manifestation of their moral conscience.
Making a profit out of it is impossible, if not handled carefully, the Governor’s Mansion might even have to incur a loss.
Procuring resources sounds simple, but once the scale of procurement increases, it is not something that can just be bought with money alone.
Even if commodity prices are suppressed and enough items can be purchased, a five percent charge is not considered high.
It’s clear that Earl Piers is truly contributing to the war effort and not just going through the motions.
In particular, his final warning was thoughtful, and striking deep reflection in others.
Is it a sudden realization of conscience?
Or perhaps just a simple pity for the lower-class nobles?
These questions, no one can answer.
However, the sad event of war leading to the bankruptcy of nobles happens in almost every large-scale war.
Once on the brink of bankruptcy, nobles’ moral boundaries generally collapse, with corruption proceeding far faster than anyone could imagine.
The smarter nobles sweet talk merchants into acting as big spenders, pawning all their pawnable assets, and not acknowledging the account in the end.
Those without any moral compass even sell sons and daughters, not their own, but those of the serfs.
The most foolish ones borrow money from the major nobles, even mortgaging their lands for this purpose.
Once they default on their debts, their endings will certainly be miserable.
Most nobles in financial trouble, turn to their friends and family for loans.
By the time they go broke, all their loved ones suffer the consequences too.
When encountering these things, there’s nothing they can do but swallow their misfortune.
Even for the sake of their family’s reputation, they can’t kick someone while they’re down, they can only indefinitely postpone debt repayment.
As one of the major creditors of the Southeastern Province, a chill ran down Hudson’s spine at this thought.
Looking at the current situation, there’s a high possibility he might end up as one of the bad-luck sufferers among his friends and family.
Those who owed money to Hudson, without exception, were all nobles with poor economic conditions.
Normally, these individuals with steady industrial revenue, are outstanding customers.
But during wartime, the situation changes.
With almost all the income from their territories being donated to the frontlines, the not-so-wealthy nobles might find it hard to hold on till after the war if they don’t have any gains from the battlefield.
Thinking about the dozens of debts that could be overdue and the several hundred thousand gold coins that should have been in his hands now possibly going down the drain, Hudson’s good mood evaporated instantly.
…
“To adapt so quickly, as expected from the renowned Divine Archery Knight.
Hudson, it seems like you were really born for war!”
Upon leaving the conference hall, hearing Viscount Orlan’s sigh, Hudson felt a toothache.
“Born for war”, is definitely a slander.
It’s as if he was the harbinger of war.
The Orc invasion of the Alpha Kingdom has been ongoing for centuries.
Whether he’s around or not, war would’ve erupted—it’s not some butterfly effect brought about by a time traveller.
If it weren’t for the fact that this guy in front of him is his father-in-law, whom he can’t offend, he certainly wouldn’t be so polite.
“Viscount Orlan, that’s an overestimation!
Compared to you, I still have a long way to go.
If I had not received the news in the Capital ahead of time and been granted a few days of buffer time, I would’ve probably been a mess in the meeting just now.”
He hasn’t even married his daughter yet, he can’t afford to upset his future father-in-law.
Especially during wartime, everyone needs to stick together to overcome the difficult times.
Compared to these old families, the Koslow Family has a lengthy heritage but is far behind in many other aspects.
Viscount Orlan looked at Hudson and laughed, “Alright, I won’t tease you anymore.
I know you have a mind full of puzzles, so ask any questions directly!
If you miss this opportunity, the next time we meet it might be on the battlefield.”
Feeling his thoughts had been read through, Hudson was not surprised.
As the second-ranked family in the Southeastern Province, Viscount Orlan, who managed to live comfortably even under the Dalton Family’s pressure, was definitely not as simple as he appeared on the surface.
“Respected Viscount, I have a puzzling question.
The Kingdom has launched the general mobilization so quickly, squeezing the time limit to such an extent.