296: Chapter 5, Inspecting the Swamp_2 296: Chapter 5, Inspecting the Swamp_2 The more relaxed Hudson spoke, the more fearful Isabel became.
If undead magic was easy to neutralize, necromancers wouldn’t have such a prestigious reputation now.
“Sir, rest assured!
I will definitely handle this, I absolutely will not let you down!”
…
After seeing off Isabel, Hudson assumed one more role— that of a “necro magician”.
The question was whether he could bluff the mysterious organization behind the scenes.
Unfortunately, Isabel was too clever.
Even after joining the mysterious organization, she refrained from prying into matters she should not know about.
Just some cursory information was enough for her to point her doubts towards the Church, demonstrating a high level of analytical ability.
The truth behind the scenes, until the moment it is revealed, no one knows who the true culprit is.
For top powers, causing mischief under someone else’s alias is nothing unusual.
Frankly speaking, Hudson truly hoped the Church was the party.
This would mean that he could sell his Blood Moon Horn at a good price.
If the real perpetrator was in the Alpha Kingdom, or was King Caesar III, the moment the curtain lifts would be when Hudson personally delivers the goods.
Rewards?
That would be a daydream.
Discovering the Blood Moon Horn and not handing it over to the boss immediately would be a relief if not punished.
And yet, one would expect a reward?
On the contrary, the universally scorned Church now has more common ground.
He, bearing the title of a necro magician, is exactly who the Church needs most now.
They have supported cult organizations before, so supporting and funding a necromancer is not that odd.
The Blood Moon Horn, for nobles, is a hot potato; but for those practicing undead magic, it is a supreme treasure.
A Necro magician wielding such an “Evil Tool”, if he wants to cause chaos, the scene may not be much smaller than the last uproar caused by the Skeleton Society.
Especially if it happens in the sensitive Alpha Kingdom.
Once the matter escalates, the Church will definitely take the blame.
At the crucial moment of an Orc invasion, turning against their own kind, this crime isn’t something that can be casually taken up.
Once labeled as a “human traitor”, the independently governed Dawn Church will undoubtedly disintegrate.
The churches everywhere can justifiably establish their own clergy.
Even if the Divine Spirits are unhappy, those at the Church Headquarters will be the first to be unlucky.
You could say, from the moment he claimed the title of Necro magician, the Church has to take back the Blood Moon Horn from Hudson as soon as possible.
…
In the marshes, countless Orc slaves laboriously dug up the mud.
There was also a group of serfs behind them, reinforcing the slopes on both sides.
Slaves do the heavy work, while serfs do the technical work.
The division of labor was clear.
These were all experiences summarized from the process of swamp development.
Compared to Orc slaves, the learning ability of serfs was somewhat stronger.
Based on the theoretical knowledge that Hudson provided, they quickly figured out a set of reinforcement techniques.
While working in coordination with each other, not only did their efficiency improve significantly compared to when they worked separately, even the serfs’ sense of happiness saw a straight increase.
Seeing lands becoming segmented one after another, Hudson knew that the marshland development task this year was likely to be greatly over-fulfilled.
It’s not that the people below had worked harder, but simply that there were more workers.
Originally having more than three hundred construction teams, he now had more than five hundred.
The arrival of a large number of serf workers had injected new vitality into the rapid development of the Mountain Domain.
In an era where everyone carried their own load, more people meant greater strength.
Whether it was mine production, mountain reclamation, or marshland development, the speed was soaring.
Patting the young bear’s head, Hudson pointed to a piece of lush paddy field and said: “See that, Belsden.
All those are your estates, from now on, you are one of the wealthiest bees in the current Earth Bears.”
“Now, I’m off to inspect the swamp and see how much of the land remains undeveloped for further planning.”
Hudson had been meaning to survey the swamp for a while, but the inscrutable, bottomless mud made it no-go zone for humans.
Out of desperation, he could only dupe his own bear into joining him.
While not native to the swamp, Mr.
Belsden had an intimidating reputation in this area.
The development of the swamp was not without challenges.
Construction was constantly disrupted by swamp creatures, and the supervising troops frequently clashed with these foreign beings.
In the end, it was Belsden who intervened, delivering a devastating blow to the invading species.
The creatures who were lucky enough to survive the onslaught promptly scattered when they detected the presence of the Earth Bear.
Even the mere scent of Belsden’s excrements was enough to clear out the swamp creatures from miles around.
Unfortunately, Belsden was only interested in embarking on solo adventures and had no interest in bringing Hudson along as a burden.
Therefore, despite being involved in the swamp’s development for such a long time, Hudson’s understanding of the area remained mostly vague and uncertain.
Now, hoping to establish a sea route through this swamp, Hudson couldn’t rest easy without conducting an on-site investigation.
“Hudson, don’t tell me you’ve got another grand scheme brewing?
Letting you know now, my pockets are empty.
The last bit of my savings must sustain my daily expenses; you can erase any thought of getting it.”
Belsden said, looking wary.
His good days had ended when he was hoodwinked into participating in Hudson’s land development.
Rifts had appeared in his once solid life of leisure.
Gradually, Belsden learned from his mistakes.
Regrettably, investing comes with its share of risks, and obviously, the money that was invested wasn’t going to come back.
Astonishingly, it was an open-and-shut case with black-and-white proof.
There was no room for denial.
Looking at the fertile land that he had developed, Belsden, who was keen on not letting his investment go down the drain by permitting Hudson to reap the entire profit, persisted reluctantly.
Developing work habits can be terrifying.
From initial resistance to eventual adherence, Belsden eventually made peace with the daily grind.
Learning from his previous mistakes, Belsden held onto his remaining assets tightly.
Besides daily consumption, he had no interest in other investments.
“Relax, great Mr.
Belsden.
We haven’t spent all the development funds for the swamp yet, so you don’t need to invest more.
Under my management, we’ll strike a balance between income and expenses soon.
There’s nothing to worry about my managerial skills.
I’m only going out for a stroll now to take a closer look at the swamp.
Meanwhile, I’ll check the surrounding terrain.
If there’s a dangerous area, you avoid it.
We will take the shortest path to the coast first.”
Hudson tried his best to persuade.
It was quite disheartening when a bear wouldn’t believe the plain truth.
What happened to the trust between man and “bear”, and how did it end up in such a state?
Seeing Belsden’s hesitant face, Hudson couldn’t help but sigh: Having a battle partner who was too smart wasn’t necessarily a good thing.
Probably, most of the “Beast Riders” on the Continent of Aslante had faced similar headaches.
There were quite a number of pitiful knights who were embarrassed by their magical beasts.
No amount of trouble could curb people’s longing for a magical beast.
Having an extra partner in battle not only increased one’s strength, but it also meant having an extra life on the battlefield.
If defeat was imminent on the battlefield, the speed of retreat with a magical beast could be faster.
Historically, the death rate of Magical Beast Knights was always the lowest.
As long as they weren’t very unlucky and entangled by the enemy’s strongman, they could mostly escape.
“Don’t worry, Hudson!
I’ve been familiarized with this area for quite a while.
With Uncle Bear covering you, as long as you don’t court death, there won’t be any danger.”
Belsden thumped his chest, confidently reassuring Hudson.
Judging by his proud face, it was clear he was telling Hudson that Uncle Bear was very powerful, a compliment was due!