291: 2.
The Mysterious Ocean_2 291: 2.
The Mysterious Ocean_2 It’s difficult for the Dalton Family to benefit from proposing a swap of fiefdoms.
“Ha ha…”
A hearty laughter concealed the awkwardness of his unnatural expression, Earl Piers then said with a feigned sigh:
“I never thought that my Southeastern Province also has the ability to produce high-quality iron on a large scale.
The front line has a great demand for weapons and equipment, especially a terrifying number of disposable weapons.
The forging abilities of the Logistic Department are limited.
To throw all the processing pressure on them will not be able to satisfy the needs of the front line.
Viscount Doronard, you should communicate with the Capital Logistics Department to explain the predicament we’re facing.
See if we can adjust the supplies of the Southeastern Province, change part of the supplies to weaponry deliveries.
Viscount Hudson, do you have any issues with processing this iron into weapons?”
As a politician, Governor Piers certainly passes the mark.
He quickly identified the key issue at hand.
Even if he doesn’t propose it, Hudson will push for it.
Despite all the preparations made by the Alpha Kingdom, from the moment the war broke out, armaments became consumables.
Ordinary weapons don’t get consumed too fast.
If there is some damage, they can be patched and reused.
Disposable weapon materials, such as: arrows, spears, flying spears…are basically sent without any hope of return.
For the soldiers defending the city, these consumable weapons are never enough for them.
Even ordinary knight’s spears and long spears can be considered as one-time weapons.
Usually, after a big battle, they will be mostly damaged.
The vast daily consumption on the front line cannot be met by stocks alone.
Since the outbreak of the war, the military production capacity of the Alpha Kingdom has exploded to the maximum.
However, the production speed is clearly not keeping up with the huge expenditure.
In this context, the Logistics Department can’t refuse the addition of a new weapon production site.
As the side at a disadvantage, they have to go all out, they simply can’t afford any indulgence.
Rather than waiting for Hudson to push for it, it is better for him, as governor, to propose it first.
Doing so would not only buy him favor but also create an image of having the overall situation in mind.
As for the problem of envy, let’s wait until the war is over.
If anything happens to Hudson on the battlefield, the Mountain Domain will become a possession of the Dalton family.
On the other hand, if the Dalton family suffers heavy losses on the battlefield, this favor can also come in handy.
In the melee involving hundreds of thousands or even millions of troops on the front line, anything can happen.
A smart person would not make enemies easily in this situation.
“Your Excellency Governor, it is Hudson’s honor to be able to share the kingdom’s worries.
However, to mass-produce weapons, the Mountain Domain is still short of enough blacksmiths.
Why not provide iron from the Mountain Domain, and let us all share in the important task of forging weapons?”
Hudson timely proposed.
Those who can forge weapons for the kingdom are all old, powerful forces.
Jumping in suddenly will inevitably touch their interests.
Hudson has never had any faith in the integrity of the arms dealers.
It seems necessary to bring in a group of allies and share the pressure.
By diluting the benefits, the Mountain Domain is less conspicuous.
Even if there is trouble afterwards, those who have benefitted cannot just stand by and watch.
It can also be seen as a letter of intent for the Koslow Family to join the upper circle of the Southeastern Province.
…
After a small interlude, the mood becomes much warmer.
While Earl Piers is coveting the iron from the Mountain Domain, Hudson likewise has his eyes on the Dalton family’s port.
In the eyes of traditional nobles, inland fertile lands and rich soils are the best fiefs; but in Hudson’s view, territories like Watson with excellent ports along the coastline are the best treasures.
Despite coveting, the fiefdom that the Dalton family has operated for many years is not something he can aspire to.
Looking at the bustling port with its constant stream of traffic, Hudson’s thoughts began to wander.
Perhaps the plan to develop the marshland could be adjusted a bit.
Before it’s all turned into farmland, opening a route to the sea in the area would be more valuable for the development of the Mountain Domain.
“Hudson, overwhelmed by the grandeur of the sea for the first time, isn’t it?”
Hearing this familiar voice, Hudson knew that his contemplation was misunderstood by his father-in-law.
There was no explaining it.
As a noble born and raised in the inland regions, Hudson was seeing the sea for the first time.
It was normal to be astonished.
If there was no reaction at all, that would have been abnormal.
“Indeed!
The grandeur of the sea exceeds my imagination.
However, compared to these waves, I am more intrigued by the mysteries of the ocean.
The never-ending stories of sea monsters, the legendary sea race, these are all fascinating beings!”
These were his honest thoughts, he was genuinely interested in these legends.
If you want to strike gold in the sea, you must understand these issues.
Hudson didn’t believe that just building a few ships would suffice for sea trade.
“Those sea monster tales are just magical beasts living in the sea.
They are greatly exaggerated; in reality, it’s just so-so.
If they were as powerful as the tales suggest, sea routes would have disappeared a long time ago.
As for the legendary Sea Race, there are actual records in history books.
They may seem mysterious, but essentially they are no different from different races living on the continent.
They are just a group of intelligent beings living in the sea.
Since the ancient wars, these sea creatures have abandoned the coastal areas, moved to the deep sea and settled there, rarely interacting with us, the human race.
However, the sea is indeed rich in resources.
Some big shots who managed to trade with the Sea Race made a fortune.
This kind of business is enviable, relying entirely on luck.
To establish trade with the Sea Race, many forces have organized fleets to seek out sea creatures.
People did find them, but the outcomes tended to be surprising.
Instead of establishing trade routes, conflicts often arose.
If you stay at the port long enough, you might encounter fishermen selling captured Sea Race beings in the market.
The Sea Race, known in legends as mysterious, with vast magical powers and omnipotence, simply does not exist.
Most of the Sea Race are pitifully weak.”
Viscount Orlan spoke disdainfully.
There are indeed few intelligent creatures in the sea.
In the sea’s special environment, the probability of creatures gaining intelligence is much lower than on land.
Even if they do gain intelligence, facing the diverse conditions of the sea, developing a civilization would be fraught with difficulties.
As a link in the food chain, the disunity among the Sea Race is strong, with tribal communities, each going its own way.
A disorganized Sea Race naturally does not pose a threat to the human race, so they are inevitably overlooked.
However, if the Sea Race were to unify, it would make up the largest group in the world.
After all, the reproduction rate of sea creatures is unbelievably fast.
If it were not for the control of the food chain, there might already be an overpopulation of creatures.
With a slight smile, Hudson did not continue this topic.
It is not terrible to be ignorant, but it is too much to discuss or argue with others unreservedly.
Hudson’s understanding of the Sea Race is limited to some folk tales.
The Koslow Family’s information is hundreds of years old and is a collection of fragmented and incomplete records.
Even if time is not valuable to a race, a few hundred years can still affect the development of a civilization.
Of course, exceptions exist for long-lived races.
For a race like the giant dragons that can sleep for hundreds of years, a few hundred years really wouldn’t bring any change.
The work of loading the ship continued.
Everyone just came to take a look to show the high-level importance of the southeastern province.
There was no intent of delivering speeches to inspire morale.
A group of laborers is not worth the noble lords’ attention.
This gesture was mainly to warn the specific executing bureaucrats to behave themselves.
Watching the loaded ship leave the port, Hudson…