The King

   "Marshal, the Minister of the Frankish Kingdom, the Marquis Landry, is visiting."

  Hearing what the attendant said, Hudson was not surprised. In recent days, the Franks have been mediating the conflict between the Alpha Kingdom and the Five Grassland Nations.

  As one of the powerful factions in the kingdom, if the other party doesn't come to him, there will be a problem.

"please!"

  In the current diplomatic situation, the kingdom seems to have an advantage, but in fact it can't really compare with the five grassland countries.

  The Alpha Kingdom needs the five grassland countries as cannon fodder to buy time for its own war preparations.

   It seems that in the Alliance Council, they were charged with a lot of crimes, but it was precisely because the charges were too great that they could not be dropped.

  Once the charges are confirmed, the dignitaries of the five grassland countries will not be able to get along with the human race. Why should they fight hard?

  Essentially, the current battle on the prairie is a group of dignitaries working hard for their own reputation and the hope of restoring the country.

  The kingdom is now biting their handle, mainly to exert pressure so that the dignitaries on the grassland dare not run away easily.

   It would be even more perfect if they could receive their inheritance.

  …

   "Marshal, the overall situation is important!"

   Facing a burst of output from Minister Frank, Hudson just drank his tea calmly, and after a long while, he said slowly:

   "Your Excellency the Marquis, it is for the sake of the overall situation that we cannot give up easily.

  The current actions of the five grassland countries have set a bad start for our human race. If we don’t punish them severely, what if everyone follows suit in the future? "

   Playing stupid, he is a professional. The five grassland countries are indeed very important to the Alpha Kingdom now, but the conditions still need to be discussed.

  The farce caused by the Five Grasslands in the Human Race Alliance Parliament, the Alpha Kingdom did not suffer on the surface, but in essence its international reputation was greatly affected.

   There is no evidence, but it does not mean that something does not exist.

  Affected by the farce, the perceptions of the Alpha Kingdom from all countries in the Northern Continent have changed. The original plan to integrate the military forces of various countries can only be postponed for now.

   Slow step by step, slow step by step.

   Originally, Hudson had no confidence in integrating the military forces of various countries, but now the probability of success is even lower.

   It can be said that this immature political action of the five grassland countries will completely hurt both sides.

   "Your Excellency Marshal, the five grassland countries have realized their mistakes. They not only apologized to the two majesties, but also promised to provide support when the two countries are restored in the future.

  At the same time, the five countries also announced that they would suspend all family visits during the continental war.

  I came to visit you today. In addition to coordinating the previous misunderstandings, I also negotiated the refugee issue entrusted by the five countries. "

  Marquis Landry's direct showdown made Hudson realize that the opponent had come prepared.

  The Alpha Kingdom can buy off the representatives of the two countries, and the other party can also buy off the kings of the two countries. As long as the victim does not pursue the matter, the unpleasantness that happened before can be a misunderstanding.

  The transfer of family members has stopped, and the accusation of "crime of desertion" is also untenable.

  The present negotiation is mainly for profit.

  There are choices, no one wants to die. The dignitaries of the five grassland countries are even more unwilling to be buried with the newly born country that has little affection.

   "Your Excellency Marquis, it is a good thing for the entire human race that the Five Grassland Kingdoms can come back from their lost ways, and I am also very pleased.

   It’s just this kind of thing, you should talk to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs instead of coming to me, the leader of the army! "

  Hudson is indeed very interested in refugees, but the more he wants to take over the people of the five prairie countries, the less he can show it at this moment.

  The other party came to him, obviously wanting to use him as a bargaining chip and use him to put pressure on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

   "Your Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we will naturally talk. Today, on behalf of the five countries, I came to visit His Excellency Marshal, mainly hoping that Marshal can accept some refugees."

   There is no shame in talking about interests.

  Sometimes it is easier to reach an agreement by directly stating the conditions.

   "Your Excellency the Marquis, there is no problem in accepting some refugees. But in my opinion, these are symptoms rather than the root cause.

  The following content only represents my personal opinion and has nothing to do with the kingdom.

  The misunderstanding between us and the five grassland countries is easy to resolve, but the trouble is the aftermath.

  The collapse of the Principality of Shillong and the Principality of Omega caused hundreds of thousands of people to be displaced. A large number of people either died under the butcher knife of the orcs or died on the long road to escape.

  The current war situation on the prairie is very unfavorable to the five prairie countries, and the front may collapse at any time.

  Once a defeat occurs, more people will be displaced.

  Instead of waiting for the tragedy to break out, it is better to transfer ordinary people to the rear for proper resettlement.

   When the five grassland countries are restored, these preserved manpower will also be the main force for building the countries.

  Considering the difficulty of population migration, as the big country closest to the five kingdoms, I think the nobles of the kingdom will be willing to help.

  Of course, I suggest that you discuss with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom about how to operate and some details. "

   Hudson suggested with a smile.

  Suggestions can be given, but he will never intervene in the specific content of the negotiation.

   It is easy to entrust the Alpha Kingdom to take care of the people of the five countries. I am afraid that these people will become Alpha people by the end of the war.

   Return the population, just listen to it. If it comes to specific implementation, how can you spit out what you eat.

   How much you can pay back depends entirely on everyone's integrity. Even if the population is returned, it will only be a group of old, weak, sick and disabled who have lost their labor force.

   Future disputes and disputes are almost inevitable.

  Even in order to keep the interests in hand, it is not impossible for the kingdom to obstruct the restoration of the five kingdoms of the grassland.

   "Your Excellency Marshal, you just talked about the people's problems, so what about the troops of the five grassland countries?

  We are all very clear about the current situation, the five grassland kingdoms cannot last long.

  The countries of the human race are all busy in the continental war, unable to provide them with more material assistance. Even if the orcs don't attack, it won't be long before the defenders will be trapped by supplies and collapse.

  Once the strategic materials are exhausted, evacuation becomes an inevitable choice. "

  Marquis Landry asked concerned.

   Compared with the serfs at the bottom, the big men obviously pay more attention to the army. These are all investments made by the major forces behind the Five Grasslands, and no one wants to waste money directly.

  The most practical issue, restoring the country requires strength.

   If there are no soldiers in hand, even if the orcs are driven out, a bachelor king will not be able to control the place.

   "Your Excellency, the time has come for the five countries to withdraw, and the continental war has reached the most critical moment.

   It can be said that every military force is precious to the human race, so naturally it cannot be left idle.

  Considering that the Five Grassland Kingdoms need to keep their seeds and prepare for the restoration of the country later, middle and high-level noble officers can leave with their families, but ordinary officers and soldiers must stay. "

   Hudson said with a look of consideration for others.

   If you don’t know, these soldiers will be recruited by the Alpha Kingdom, maybe they really think it’s out of justice.

   Wanted to open his mouth to refute, Marquis Landry took it back when the words came to his lips.

  Things have been spread in the Terran Alliance Congress. If the five grassland countries continue to withdraw with a large number of troops, I am afraid that the discussion of "crime of desertion" will be put on the agenda again.

  If you can’t afford this crime, then the number of evacuated people must be controlled. At the very least, let the outside world look like they broke out by luck, instead of running away.

   It is also a good choice for the power that is destined to be abandoned to fall into the hands of the Alpha Kingdom. To avoid the sudden collapse of the Northern Continent war situation, it would affect the strategic layout of the Frankish Kingdom.

   "Your Excellency, Marshal, the middle and high-level military officers are not enough, we must leave some guards for the five monarchs to show off!"

  Marquis Landry said with a smile.

   If you pay attention, you will find that his fingers move a little, which seems to be implying something.

  Hudson didn't answer directly, just smiled without saying a word. He naturally knows the bottom line of the kingdom, but it is absolutely impossible to reveal it in advance.

   What kind of result can be negotiated depends on the next diplomatic game between the two sides.

  …

   After seeing off Marquis Landry, he was taken to a meeting in the palace before he had time to adjust his thoughts.

   "The Holy See Navy Fleet intends to go north!"

  Focused on wars with orcs all year round, the kingdom's sea power mainly comes from the private armies of coastal nobles, and the kingdom's navy can be regarded as an "existent fleet".

   It’s okay to fight pirates once in a while, but if you want to compete with the Holy See’s navy, the gap between them is too great.

   Even with the addition of the power of the coastal nobles, there is still a certain gap between the two sides.

  Of course, if the Holy See fleet really comes to kill, as a local snake, it is not completely powerless to fight back.

  Gathering the kingdom's maritime military power, and mobilizing some experts to go there, there is still a chance to severely damage the Holy See Navy.

   What's more, the expedition of Laoshi is very expensive, and the Holy See also has its own maritime interests that need to be protected by the fleet, so it cannot stay on the coast of the kingdom for a long time.

  Even during the worst period of the relationship between the two sides, the Holy See did not form an expeditionary fleet to kill them.

  In an instant, "military blackmail" appeared in Hudson's mind. This wave of actions by the Holy See is obviously supporting the Kingdom of Light.

   After all, this country is filled with a large number of descendants of the Holy See dignitaries, unlike several other countries, although the backstage is not small, most of them are collateral descendants of various families.

   "The Holy See sent a note. They are fighting against pirates, and they want to send troops to help us clear up the ghost ships in the misty sea area to ensure the smooth flow of routes."

  As soon as Earl Francis' words fell to the ground, everyone's expressions turned ugly.

  Although there is no such thing as **** of the sea in the continent of Aslante, everyone still acquiesces in their respective spheres of influence, and the behavior of the Holy See has obviously crossed the line.

   "A combination of soft and hard, this is to force the kingdom to make concessions!

  But now is the period of the continental war, the Holy See should not dare to provoke a civil war among the human race without authorization.

   The hunt for the ghost ship must be sped up. If it takes too long to find it, then the hunt will be suspended.

The negotiations between    and the five grassland countries cannot be affected. If we threaten this kind of thing, as long as we compromise once, there will be countless times in the future.

  The Holy See Fleet wants to go north, so let them come up!

  The Alliance Council is watching. Even if the air route is clear, does the Kingdom of Light dare to run away? "

   Prime Minister Newfoundland Grand Duke said with a sneer.

  It is a great humiliation for the kingdom to let the Holy See enter the sphere of its own strength, but no matter how great the grievance is, it is better than a direct compromise.

  Unable to start a fight, the Holy See fleet can actually do not much except to show off its force.

   "Prime Minister, shall we not fight back?"

   Caesar IV asked rather annoyed.

  This kind of useless decision is not suitable for the king to make, but the prime minister's self-assessment still makes him unhappy.

  Of course, what made him even more angry was the provocation from the Holy See.

  The kingdom suffered a loss, and the first to bear the brunt was the damage to his authority as the king. In the era of Caesar III, the Holy See did not do this kind of thing.

   "Your Majesty, the overall situation is the most important thing!"

   "Your Majesty, the situation in the kingdom is difficult..."

  …

  The ministers persuaded Caesar IV one after another, making Caesar IV want to cry without tears. Isn't it just to vent my inner dissatisfaction, why is it endless!

   Hudson pretended not to see the grievance of his own king.

  In the past, conflicts with the Holy See were all confrontations between two major forces. To put it bluntly, they were all business affairs.

  The two major forces clamored fiercely, but for the individuals among them, the influence was actually not that great.

   The center of the dispute this time is the descendants of the Holy See dignitaries, which has already involved personal grievances.

   What's more, the treasure hunt team's disappearance was superimposed, which intensified the conflict between the two sides.

   Fortunately, the Holy See is only guessing about the news about the artifact. If it is confirmed, their reaction will be even more intense.

   What's more, the Holy See fleet going north is a humiliation for the kingdom, but it is an opportunity for him personally.

  Since he followed him, the ghost ship has not sailed once, and the ghosts who love robbery are feeling wronged.

   I'm ashamed to play tricks on my own people, but he has no pressure to cheat the Holy See. Anyway, they all came to encircle and suppress the ghost ship, and it was reasonable to be attacked by the ghost ship.

   After making up their minds to attract people from the Holy See, Hudson naturally wanted to add fire to help them make up their minds.

   "Your Majesty, the prime minister's proposal is very pertinent. We must not compromise on the Kingdom of Light at this moment.

  For the sake of the kingdom's reputation, we can't lower the conditions, but instead specifically raise the requirements for the Kingdom of Light.

   It doesn’t need to be too much, just a little higher than the others.

  Maybe with such a stimulus, the other four will directly reach an agreement with us, and the remaining Kingdom of Light will be unable to support itself, and it will definitely not last long.

  As for the fleet of the Holy See going north to destroy the ghost ship, then let them be fulfilled.

  Send someone to release the news, saying that the ghost ship is lurking in the depths of the misty sea, let them go in and search it.

  Even the most experienced veteran captain cannot guarantee free access to the foggy sea area.

  In case they get unlucky and get lost inside, it's not our fault!"

  After hearing Hudson's proposal, Caesar IV was shocked, and instantly made up his mind.

  If the Holy See does something at this time, the Terran Alliance will definitely interfere.

  For the Kingdom of Light, they may not be able to withstand the pressure.

   After all, the Alpha Kingdom is only targeting ordinary soldiers and serfs, and will not hurt those second generations at all.

   Even if a parent is angry, he will not turn his face immediately.

  But if the "scepter of glory" is involved, it will be different. Unless he handed over the artifact immediately, people from the Holy See would come to him sooner or later.

  Caesar IV, who was already guilty, had already confirmed that the news of the artifact had leaked out. It was just a test made by the Holy See before he was sure that the item was in his hands.

   "The Holy See's fleet is going north, and we really can't stop it. It's just that the misty sea is so dangerous, can it bury a powerful fleet?"

   Caesar IV asked uncertainly.

   When it comes to professional knowledge, the Minister of Military Affairs, Grand Duke Efiero, stepped forward and replied:

   "Your Majesty, the misty sea area itself is not dangerous, and there are no powerful sea monsters entrenched. The dangerous thing is that the area covered by the fog is too large.

   Once the ship enters it, all navigation tools will lose their effectiveness. Except for a poisonous dragon island in the center, there is no point of reference anymore.

  Many times it seems to be heading in one direction, but affected by the fog, you don't know if you are going astray.

  Even entering it with a fleet, ships can get lost.

  If the Holy See's fleet goes deep into it, I dare not say that it will definitely get lost, but heavy losses are still inevitable.

  Of course, this is the case of unfamiliar places.

  If there is a guide who is familiar with this sea area to lead the way, and the magician on board drives away the fog all the way, there is hope for a safe retreat. "

  Hearing this explanation, everyone turned their attention to several coastal lords, hoping to get a definite answer.

   "Your Excellency the Grand Duke is right. Under normal circumstances, as long as the Holy See is well prepared, it will be able to come out of the sea of ​​fog.

   It's just that the current situation is a little different. There are still three extremely dangerous ghost ships entrenched in the misty sea.

  Our people have seen them on the edge of the fog. The coalition forces tried to go in and encircle them several times, but they had to give up in the end.

  The fog will not affect the actions of these monsters, but in order to avoid accidentally injuring their own people, the magic crystal cannon on the ship is useless.

  If people from the Holy See dare to go in, they will definitely pay a heavy price.

  After all, no matter how many magicians they have on board, it is impossible to disperse the thick fog in the entire sea area, and there will always be opportunities for the ghost ship to attack.

   No matter who wins or loses, there is one less hidden danger for the kingdom.

  Even if the Holy See really wiped out the ghost ship, the Holy See fleet would suffer heavy losses.

  If we are lucky, maybe we can go up and make up the last knife. "

   Earl Pierce said murderously.

  The Dalton family suffered heavy losses in the last encirclement and suppression of "pirates". He paid a heavy price, but in the end he didn't even get a hair.

  The pirates were cultivated by the Holy See, and this account will naturally fall on them.

   Especially when artifacts were involved, the Dalton family must bear the brunt of the conflict between the future kingdom and the Holy See.

  Destined to face each other, rather than waiting for the enemy to attack, it is better to make arrangements in advance to severely damage the Holy See's sea power.

  Even if the Holy See wants to take revenge, it will have to build another fleet. The shortest time period for this period must be in years.

   What's more, the enemies of the Holy See are not only the Alpha Kingdom. Once the sea fleet suffers heavy losses, their overseas trade will inevitably suffer heavy losses.

  Maritime trade is damaged, fiscal revenue will inevitably decline, and correspondingly, military expenditures that can be invested in the navy will also decrease.

  Many maritime powers have declined after a major defeat. It's not that they don't want to struggle, but mainly because they have no way to recover their strength in time under the vicious circle.

   One step at night, the benefits are divided up by others. The gap in strength between the two sides is widening, and the probability of getting back the original benefits is getting slimmer.

   After hesitating for a moment, Caesar IV finally nodded.

"good!"