282: Chapter 154, Hot Potato = Opportunity_3 282: Chapter 154, Hot Potato = Opportunity_3 Wild vegetables are also food.
For serfs, wild vegetables can be considered as a main staple.
They are almost included with every meal, and there isn’t enough even for personal use, let alone for making dried vegetables.
Fishing in the sea is nonsense.
Even if someone actually managed to get a boat, sending a group of landlubbers to fish is not a reliable idea.
Moreover, the sea isn’t peaceful in the Magic World.
In the vast ocean, there are countless dangerous creatures.
Fishermen have always been one of the riskiest occupations.
Almost no one would be willing to risk fishing on the sea if they can farm on land peacefully.
The real path for everyone is to rent out labor.
Food and cloth can’t be grown overnight, but the yield of a mine can be elevated in a short period of time.
During war times, iron is hard currency.
Whether it’s raw iron produced or forged weapons, they can be handed to the Governor’s Mansion.
Hudson paused a moment, then added, “If all these have been done, but still can’t meet the need.
You can consider becoming mercenaries, fulfilling military duties for wealthier nobles in neighboring provinces, in exchange for generous compensation.
If there are many applicants, I can suggest to the Governor’s Mansion to stagger your service time.
This will prevent you from being enlisted in the province while you are in service.
Although entering the battlefield is the same, following the provincial armies to the front line and being able to rest at intervals is safer than joining the Standing Army and fighting until the end of the war.
According to custom, unless it’s a critical moment, the kingdom does not conscript the Southeastern Province Nobles in large scale.
Theoretically speaking, as long as all provinces coordinate well, they should be able to stagger the service.”
Some wealthy nobles who happen to be experiencing a transitional stage need someone to serve for them.
The fighting will of mercenaries is not high, they can barely defend a city.
If they fail in the field, deserters can easily appear.
While the kingdom does prohibit the act of hiring someone to serve, kindness often comes before law, there are always exceptions.
For instance, the last time the Skeleton Society caused trouble, some of the successors in the two counties were still infants.
Can they really expect these children to go to battle?
In such circumstances, the officials in charge would turn a blind eye and tacitly allow the use of mercenaries.
This also carries risks.
If the mercenaries serving in place have problems, the employers also have to take responsibility.
Under normal circumstances, everyone prefers to employ nobles.
Everyone involved is known and cannot evade accountability.
Besides this, there is another situation – duty exchange.
Simply put, it’s the nobles of different provinces swapping their duties.
You fulfill my duties in my province, I fulfill yours in your province.
This only applies to nobles who have equal status and overall strength, and they must also obtain the consent of the governors of both provinces.
This situation occurs more often among large clans.
Large clans have many members, and it’s normal for branch families to be located in other provinces.
People don’t trust their members to go to war with others during war times, so they bring them back through such exchanges.
Generally speaking, as long as an application is made, there won’t be a problem.
After all, someone is going to fulfill the obligation, everyone can get what they want and make it convenient for each other, leaving a favor behind.
The number of clan members varies, and the actual circumstances are different.
This exchange may not match up exactly, and if there is a difference, compensation is required.
It can be a matter of resources, or it can be a matter of sending people to serve.
The specific situation still depends on the actual coordination.
If there is an emergency and there is no time for coordination, obligations can simply be transferred.
In other words, these nobles enter another province to fulfill their obligations, and their obligations are then transferred to that province.
Having been through countless variations of these circumstances, everyone has abundant experience.
No one can gain an advantage in this regard.
All these were forced out by the Orcs.
During the long years of war, the pressure of survival pushed the top brass of the Alpha Kingdom to progress continuously.
In response to various unexpected situations, precautionary measures were made long ago.
For the small nobles below, it doesn’t matter who they follow into the battlefield.
What’s important is that all duty must be fulfilled, nothing less.
“Honorable Viscount Hudson, if for instance we send all of our able-bodied workers to work in the Mountain Domain, is it possible to conduct military training here too?”
Baron Katelai bravely asked.
The native nobles are in difficulty, and the nobles of the North are not at ease either.
Aside from a few wealthy nobles, most of the Northern nobles also couldn’t afford it.
Katelai was initially prepared to go to the battlefield, but now he suddenly found there might be a chance to fight for survival, so naturally he wanted to ask clearly.
“Of course, it’s possible!
But only for the Reserve, with daily basic military training conducted once every ten days.
Specific training will still be your responsibility, I’m only providing the place.
During the busy farming season, you can also let your soldiers return to your territories to work.
The priority is to ensure food production in the territory.
Don’t be too happy too fast, you have to be prepared.
The Mountain Domain only hires surplus labor during the non-busy farming season, so the price won’t be too high.”
Hudson, while speaking, even deliberately glanced at Viscount West, whose face had turned a shade of green.
If it weren’t for this guy playing dead and tossing all the trouble to him, he wouldn’t get this good deal.
If it weren’t for this special period, getting the entire county to come work would be practically impossible.
Even if the lords could swallow their pride and let their men come to work, Hudson couldn’t afford to pay the wages.
After all, the market is influenced by supply and demand, blindly increasing productivity will only trigger a price crash.
Only during the war, when the demand for iron reaches its peak, can production be maximized without reservation.
With the enormous profits brought about by maximized production, the cost of developing territories naturally comes into play.
Although Viscount West saw through Hudson’s treacherous intentions, this was an overt scheme and he could do nothing about it.
Even if he spoke out, he couldn’t stop the enthusiasm of everyone to join.
From the moment he chose to play dead, the initiative of Layton County was in Hudson’s hands.
“Sabotage?”
This thought was just budding when West stomped it out himself.
The increase in iron production is entirely in the interest of the Alpha Kingdom.
In the King’s summons, he made it clear that all areas should increase iron production in order to forge more weapons, arming more troops to fight the Orcs.
Already at a disadvantage, jumping out to go against the trend could lead to losing the last of his popularity among the nobles of the North.
Looking at everyone’s expressions and glancing northwards, Viscount West slowly stood up and said with a grin,
“Viscount Hudson’s arrangement is quite reasonable.
As long as the iron production in the Mountain Domain increases, the material crisis for everyone should be resolved.
Even if there are shortages, everyone can borrow!
Our generous Viscount Hudson is not a stingy man.
However, while focusing on production, we must absolutely not neglect military training.
Every time the Orcs invade, rivers of blood follow.
Just one training session every ten days, I’m afraid…”