King

The rolling waters of the Lancang River are lapping at both sides of the river, as if they want to transform into demons and devour everything in the world.

Standing on the tide-watching platform, facing the roaring river breeze, Caesar III let himself go.

The king is also under pressure. Especially for a miserable king like him, who is a neighbor of orcs, the pressure he endures every day is far greater than that of his peers.

Counting the first twelve generations of kings of the Alpha Kingdom, none of them lived a long life, which is enough to explain everything.

Relatively speaking, Caesar III has a long life. Thanks to the old age of Emperor Beamon, during his more than thirty years as king, the Orc Empire has never been able to invade the south with all its strength.

Unfortunately, there is a tradition in the Alpha Kingdom that life is incomplete without a king who has experienced a full-scale invasion by orcs.

The previous twelve generations of emperors all fought bloody battles with the Orc Empire. Although Caesar III also led troops to fight against the Orc Empire, the last time he invaded was only two of the five Orc royal families.

The Alpha Kingdom tried its best to suck the milk, but the Orc Empire was just playing. They say they are going south to plunder, but they are actually consuming the country's excess population.

Simply calculating the exchange ratio between the two sides, the Alpha Kingdom even achieved a good result of one to two, which was a huge victory over the enemy in terms of statistics.

However, most of the orcs that were annihilated were pigeons, ratmen, goblins, kobolds... and other inferior races.

Once a race with a little fighting power appears on the battlefield, the battle loss ratio of both sides will be reversed in an instant.

Good-looking statistics are mainly used to embellish the performance and inspire people.

The situation in northern Xinjiang was becoming increasingly tense. As king, Caesar III was also under great pressure.

Although they are determined to deal with those restless guys in the north, the prerequisite is that the security of Northern Xinjiang must be guaranteed.

Compared to the bigger picture, old grudges from the past don't matter at all. If the situation really breaks down, no one on the same boat will be able to benefit from it.

Originally, the threat from the orcs was troublesome enough, but the situation on the mainland was still unstable.

Not only are the disputes between the human race and the alien races continuing, but the smell of gunpowder smoke is also filling the interior of the human race. If the bosses of all parties hadn't sensed the atmosphere of conspiracy and suppressed the conflict to prevent it from escalating, it would have been a mess by now.

No one can tell how long this strong suppression can last.

In the final analysis, the conflict of interests that already existed has now been brought off the table.

There is no major conflict involving conflicts of interest between the parties. It is just that no matter how hard the mastermind behind the scenes can provoke it, it is impossible to provoke so many disputes so quickly.

Once again, again, familiarity, based on past experiences and lessons, Caesar III naturally came to the conclusion that the orcs were about to invade the south.

"Have you given them all that special gift?"

Caesar III asked with concern.

It was these guys who caused the Alpha Kingdom to suffer from the locust plague last year. Now that they have the opportunity, they will naturally want to take revenge.

As for the resulting consequences, Caesar III was already mentally prepared. Since war is unavoidable, then simply take the initiative.

What worries him is the situation on the mainland. The chaotic mainland has restrained the energy of many human countries, and the support of the mainland countries for the Alpha Kingdom is likely to be affected.

"It has been delivered secretly. For safety reasons, we have also erased the memory of the Insect King.

Even if someone discovered it, there would be no evidence that it was us.

It's just that many things don't require evidence. The kingdom only discovered the locust plague last year, so we may still be suspected. "

The Grand Duke of Newfoundland solemnly reminded.

Following a monarch who is too powerful is not necessarily a good thing. He was very clear about Caesar III's ambitions.

When I was young, my daily mission was to defeat the Orc Empire and regain the lost territory.

After getting older, people become mature, rationality gradually takes over, and then the attitude changes.

But creatures like emperors can never just look at the surface. Intuition told the Grand Duke of Newfoundland that his king's hostility towards the Orc Empire was rising again.

Most likely, they wanted to take advantage of the changes that occurred within the Orc Empire and take advantage of it.

Ever since Alex became the crown prince, things have not been peaceful in the Behemoth Imperial Court. The voices of opposition to this indulgent crown prince are getting louder and louder, and it is all thanks to the old Emperor Beamon to suppress him.

How long this suppression can last, no one can tell. Perhaps all it takes is one fuse to trigger a coup.

As the head of the five imperial courts of the Orc Empire, if there is a problem with the Behemoth Imperial Court, it is undoubtedly the best opportunity to take action.

Bringing the other two countries together to add insult to injury, and with the support of all human nations, theoretically speaking, the odds of winning are not low.

After all, Caesar III was old. If you miss this opportunity, you may never encounter a better opportunity in your lifetime.

"It is inevitable to be suspected. It's just that the truth and the false are mixed together, and for a while it is difficult for the enemy to determine who succeeded.

After all, the enemies of those two families are all over the continent. It makes sense for someone to pretend to be us and deliberately stir up disputes.

Those old guys are the most suspicious, let them guess slowly! Whether they find out or not, the end result is the same.

That idiot Pius VII has now offended the Frankish Kingdom to death. Things will not end that easily, and disputes will inevitably arise next.

As for the Orc Empire in the north, isn't it already confirmed that they are preparing to invade the south? War is inevitable anyway, so there is no harm in adding a reason for war.

According to the order, a new round of noble canonization ceremony will be held ahead of the end of the year! "

Caesar III said confidently.

Confidence comes from strength. Compared with the last war, the overall national strength of the Alpha Kingdom has increased significantly.

In recent years, all major domestic forces have been secretly expanding their armies. In particular, the growing military strength of the southern Xinjiang nobles is closing the gap in strength with the northern Xinjiang nobles.

In the short term, this seems to be a good thing and is more conducive to the internal balance of the kingdom. But Caesar III was not short-sighted.

Compared with the northern Xinjiang nobles who are under the attack of the orcs, the southern Xinjiang nobles who are not threatened by foreign enemies will be real trouble once they grow bigger.

Mergers within the nobility have never stopped. It seems that the number of noble lords in the kingdom has not changed much, but the number of nobles holding multiple positions is increasing every year.

Especially those big nobles, they would cause trouble every three to five years and annex one or two territories.

The movements were not large, only one or two knighthoods at a time. Winning a barony was considered a big move.

It was all a slight move. He was obviously trying to kill someone with a borrowed knife, but he hid himself tightly. Every merger is planned years or even decades in advance.

It was so well decorated that the small and medium-sized nobles below didn't feel anything at all. If the time period were not stretched out, Caesar III would have almost ignored the past.

In the past hundred years, the territory of many large families in the country has increased by more than one tenth.

If this situation does not change, it is inevitable that the balance will be broken. The gang of big guys in the north alone are worrying enough, and Caesar III doesn't want a few more to pop up.

It can be said that the increasingly acute internal conflicts are also one of the reasons why the Alpha Kingdom must start a war.

Similar things also happened in the Orc Empire. It's just that compared to the "rules-based" internal struggle of the Alpha Kingdom, the Orc Empire is much more rough.

If we can't agree, we have a fight.

The internal struggles between tribes are no less cruel than external wars. Sometimes battles fail, and genocide ensues.

Both sides have reasons for provoking a war. It can be said that the war is on the way, and it depends on when the last layer of window paper is pierced.

Caesar III could see these problems. The major forces in the country can also analyze it. As long as those in power are not stupid, they know that war will inevitably break out.

Holding the nobility canonization ceremony in advance is undoubtedly a clear political signal. Almost every time the kingdom conferred nobles in advance, war would break out in the next one or two years.

If we meet too many by chance, it becomes inevitable. So much so that the canonization of nobles in advance has become a bellwether to inform everyone to prepare for war.

…

In the Mountain Territory, Hudson, who had just fully resettled his personnel, was confused by the order from the kingdom.

"Advance canonization", in theory, is definitely a good thing for the nobles themselves.

Only after being canonized by the king personally can the title of nobility be considered truly legal and can one have a seat in the Parliament of Nobles.

Unlike now, although he has the title of aristocrat, he is actually a "quasi-aristocratic". If something unexpected happens, you may be deprived of your status.

If he didn't understand the history of Alpha Kingdom, Hudson might be as stupidly happy as a bunch of little nobles.

Too bad he knew too much.

Before the marriage, he got information from a group of "friends" and his rational mind told him that big trouble was coming.

The Mountain Territory, which was in the stage of development, was not yet ready for war, especially the all-out war against the Orc Empire.

According to past experience, every time in a war of this level, the big nobles will decline, and the small and medium-sized nobles will reshuffle even more.

Some people were wrapped in horse leather and died on the battlefield; some people made military exploits and soared into the sky; some people broke down and became deserters and were deprived of everything...

In short, this is an era of great reshuffle. The battlefield is full of hope, but also accompanied by endless despair.

Whenever war breaks out, the Alpha Kingdom will suffer heavy losses. Countless powerful families will fall in the war, and new forces will rise in their place.

To be precise, it should be regarded as a further step forward for the established forces. To be able to replace a big force, one's own foundation accumulation is destined not to be low.

This is determined by social background. In addition to the kingdom's standing army, the main forces participating in the war were the private armies of the nobles.

Leading your own troops to the battlefield and wanting to achieve great military exploits, how can you do it without any strength?

Even if there is a class jump, no one has jumped from a commoner to a noble. Even if the king is willing to grant the title, the actual situation must be considered.

On the battlefield, personal abilities are ultimately limited. The main force in the battle is the army. Even the top experts in the mainland are inconspicuous in the vast crowd.

Looking at Beijiang, Hudson sighed helplessly. I originally thought that the mountainous territory had already developed well, and that as long as they concentrated on farming for decades, they would be able to create a great foundation of their own.

Unfortunately, the plan did not change quickly. The mountain territory had not been developed yet, but the pace of the war was approaching early.

Looking at the entire continent, the Mountain Territory is still too weak. Even compared to the middle-class nobles in the kingdom, the Mountain Territory was lagging behind.

Those with only a dozen knights and thousands of miscellaneous soldiers, those at the bottom among the middle-level nobles, are not counted.

When they encounter that kind of thing, some powerful little nobles can slap the table with them and stare at them. In addition to the good name, the actual right to speak is almost zero.

A true middle-class noble not only owns a large number of fiefdoms and industries, but also has his own elite troops. The best among them have the ability to fight against the great nobles.

There is no doubt that the mountain territory has not developed to its full potential. Although with the addition of other branches, the Koslow family's strength on paper is not weak, but what is insignificant is ultimately insubstantial.

It doesn't matter if you brag about it in normal times, but if you take it seriously, you'll be a fool.

Without any hesitation, Hudson immediately strengthened the training of the family's children. Regardless of whether he was a related person or not, at this time, he would not recognize him at all.

In the short term, it is unrealistic to improve the overall strength of the territory. The only thing that can be done is to improve military strength first.

As for other shortcomings, put them aside for now, and then find ways to slowly make up for them after the situation stabilizes.

“Tom, inform Craftsman Riha and ask him to increase the production capacity of the mine, especially the production capacity of weapons and equipment.

From now on, the weapons produced in the territory must not only focus on quantity, but also improve quality.

Let them figure out how to do it. In short, the mine's military production capacity must be doubled within half a year. "

Hudson said without a doubt.

For arms dealers, any war is an opportunity.

Originally, Hudson didn't want to make such a war fortune, but opportunities were presented to him, and it was really unjustifiable to refuse.

Thinking about it from another angle, increasing military production capacity is also contributing to the fight against the orcs and the great cause of protecting mankind.

From the standpoint of the human race, justice is 100%. As for the orcs, Hudson, who has a very upright butt, will not think about the enemy.

"Yes, sir!"

Tom responded.

Although I don’t know what happened, I just need to carry out what my master ordered me to do.

There were so many knights and attendants who came out together at the beginning. The most important thing for him to be able to follow Hudson all the time was his eyes.

Although he is lacking in ability and cannot go out on his own, his execution ability has never been compromised.

For all of Hudson's orders, there was only one thought - execution. As for why it was implemented, that was not his concern.

"Sir, what happened?"

As the person in charge of weapons sales, Nick is very aware that the military production capacity in the Mountain Territory has long been in a state of excess.

Affected by the easing of the situation, it has become increasingly difficult to sell junk weapons in the Mountain Territory. Many craftsmen who make weapons have to work part-time making agricultural tools and other daily necessities for production and daily life.

Now the military and industrial production capacity has suddenly doubled. If there is no change, he will not be able to sell the extra weapons.

"The orcs in the north are restless. They might attack someday. I'm just preparing for a rainy day."

Hudson said calmly.

There is no need to keep this kind of information secret. Even if the people under his command have spies planted by other forces, they cannot be from the Orc Empire.

Before that, he was an inconspicuous little nobleman. At most, he was somewhat famous in the southeastern provinces, but his reputation never spread to the Orc Empire.

Other forces may have various purposes, but when it comes to fighting against the orc invasion, everyone is still on the same front.

Even if something were to happen, it would be at the end of the war and the human race would be victorious.

In the next long period of time, all major forces will have to join forces to fight against the orc invasion. There may be indispensable intrigues, but the intensity of the fight will inevitably decrease.