288: Chapter 2, Command Authority Controversy_1 288: Chapter 2, Command Authority Controversy_1 The other two unlucky aristocrats were quickly announced.
Hudson, who was sipping tea, almost spat it out.
Both were influential figures in Layton County.
One was his good neighbor, Baron Katelai, and the other was the butcher knight, Justin.
Considering their experiences in recent years, their luck only seemed to worsen, never improve.
People typically achieve what they aim for, but these two seemed to fail no matter what they attempted.
It wasn’t a question of their abilities, as individually they performed rather well.
Regrettably, the Lord of the Dawn always stood on the opposite side, causing all their plans, no matter how well-crafted they were, to fail due to various unexpected mishaps.
In the face of bad luck, even heroes can only sigh helplessly.
As a result, the more they did, the more they failed.
Even in this lottery draw, they were “rewarded” with special treatment.
From among a hundred wooden sticks, they precisely picked the two worst ones.
If they had known this would happen, I wonder if they would have arrived early to draw lots.
After all, there are quite a few unlucky nobles in Layton County.
If they had been later, perhaps the worst lots would have been drawn by others.
All went as Hudson expected.
With many unlucky nobles drawing first, the remaining lots couldn’t be that bad.
All the bad numbers were taken by the unlucky ones, and of the last two left, Hudson still had the final choice.
With such stroke of luck, if it weren’t for some insider operations, Hudson might have suspected himself to be the “Son of Fortune.”
For the sake of maintaining a good image, it was reasonable to manipulate things a bit.
Outwardly, all the wooden lots looked the same, but there were small differences that only insiders could recognize.
With some intentional arrangement, regardless what number was marked on the last wooden lot, the final result would always be the last number.
The process didn’t matter, the result did.
From others’ perspective, Hudson got the best number by sheer luck.
If other human kingdoms were a bit quicker, and the war was a bit shorter, it’s possible that the transportation duty wouldn’t even have fallen on him.
Even if he got assigned to transport supplies, it would have been at the later stage of the war, possibly clashing with the King’s conscription.
With two obligations at the same time, naturally one should prioritize the battlefield.
The transportation duty would be taken over by other nobles who were not conscripted.
If you calculate the journey, you will find that one round trip of transporting supplies requires exhausting travels of one to two months.
Moreover, there’s not a bit of merit in getting this merely obligatory and hard assignment.
Naturally, no one would like it.
If the supplies arrived on time, it would be just as expected.
If there were accidents on the way causing delay or loss of supplies, however, one had to face the kingdom’s questioning.
The chance of being questioned wasn’t high, and to avoid being late, everyone would usually set out earlier.
If there truly was an accident, it would mean that there was a breach in the defense line and the Orc Army got through.
If encountered, the escort team would likely be wiped out.
…
“The results are out.
No matter good or bad, it is you who drew the lots, you can’t blame anyone else.
Next, please follow the transport duty based on the lottery draw.
I hope everyone cooperates and don’t cause trouble to others.
In addition to this, there’s another important matter today that requires your decision here.
War has broken out.
Those willing to join me in the battle can sign up now.
For those not wanting to fulfill their military obligations here but in other areas instead, we need to record that as well.
No matter what you choose now, the monthly supplies for the frontline cannot be reduced.
If there are nobles switching duties with each other, or substituting for another, or changing the place of obligation for other reasons, you must apply at the Governor’s Mansion.
I remind you that if you need to apply, it’s best to do it quickly.
The war has begun and some provinces have started to mobilize in preparation for the frontline support.
Once your obligations are transferred, you will have to catch up to their pace.
If you are slow and miss the deadline, you will be held accountable.”
As soon as Hudson finished speaking, the crowd began to discuss in a hustle.
Viscount West, sitting at the head, was almost about to slam the table in anger.
It was rare to see a guest dominating over their host like this.
As the host and Prefectural Governor, he was now being treated like an outsider.
Such an incredible scene occurred right in front of everyone, and surprisingly, everyone seemed to accept it as normal.
Even the Nobles of the North who originally supported him remained silent now, and in pairs, they joined the heated discussion.
To outsiders, they would have mistaken them as a part of the native nobles.
Looking at the peacefully interacting groups of nobles, Viscount West began to doubt his eyes.
It wasn’t long ago that they were fighting fiercely, and now their attitudes changed so quickly.
The speed of their change of stance was undeniably fast.
It’s not that the world is too magical; it’s that the world is too realistic.
Nobles are all realists.
When the flames of war engulf the Northern Border, previously internal conflicts have become secondary concerns in face of survival.
When it comes to the orc problem, everyone stands unanimous.
Mutual interests temporarily dampen internal conflicts.
Even if they can’t let go of their grievances and are secretly planning revenge, it doesn’t stop them from showing courtesy to each other openly.
Out of the 105 people present, 94 nobles applied to join Hudson’s team.
Especially noteworthy were the Nobles of the North; aside from Viscount West who remained neutral, all the others signed up.