20 Chapter 19, The Appeal of Interest_1

The appeal of fiefs to nobles is incomparable. The nobility of the counties of Layton and Wharton were in distress, and there were more than a few nobles without heirs. With such a large piece of cake falling into their lap, it was impossible not to be moved.

One moment, everyone was sympathizing with the tragic fate of the nobility of the two counties, yet the next, they were ready to carve out a share of meat from the situation.

Even the much-criticized Earl Piers suddenly had an improved image in the minds of everyone.

The anger, criticism, and condemnation were mainly due to the Dalton Family's monopoly on the situation, apart from the complex feelings of commiseration.

But now that Earl Piers has made a promise to share the spoils, the situation was vastly different.

If this were just an individual promise, there may be doubts - after all, the character of Earl Piers is questionable, and he could easily renege on his words.

However, by staking the honor of his family as a guarantee, the situation became entirely different. No noble would dare to gamble their family's honor away.

In a world where honor is held higher than life, the cost of breaching a contract is too high. Once it happens, one would have to withdraw from the circle.

Seeing the eager looks of his allies, Hudson knew that he couldn't hold them back. If people couldn't restrain their internal greed, there would surely be trouble ahead.

If the rebel army were easy to deal with, why would Earl Piers need to share the spoils?

As one of the major nobles in the kingdom, the Dalton Family is not one to be trifled with. Whether in strength or connections, they are much more than what the lower nobility in the alliance could contend with.

If the rebellion is quickly crushed without giving the kingdom a chance to intervene, even if they can't keep both counties to themselves, they could at least swallow half.

Now that they're so generously sharing the spoils, attracting everyone over, it would be good if the Dalton Family could get a tenth of it, perhaps even less.

Nobility often intermarry, so even if all the nobility in the two counties die without an heir, relatives should be able to step in.

Those relatives who are far away may not be a concern, but the local nobility who are related would not give up.

If they're not allowed to intervene, that's fine. But once they enter the scene, there would inevitably be a struggle for dominance.

No matter how distant the relationship, as long as it satisfies the kingdom's laws and there is a relationship of inheritance, they can step right in to dispute the inheritance. After everyone has scrapped over it, the remaining unclaimed lands are the real spoils that can be divided among them.

Even Hudson was tidying up the network of relationships, looking for nobles from these two counties who had connections with his family.

At this point, the benefit of the flourishing Koslow family came to light. They found several families through marriage and even two clans among their own kin.

Of course, these alone are not enough. Once relationship connections are established, we would still need to consider the order of succession.

Following the normal order of succession, it would pretty much not be Hudson's turn.

But there are always exceptions. If there are no direct heirs, the order of succession among distant relatives becomes entirely chaotic.

If you have the support of a major noble, you can seize control of the title before the other heirs can react, creating a fait accompli.

There will certainly be troubles down the line, but compared to holding a title, the risks are worth it. The worst-case scenario ends in a protracted dispute, but as long as the beneficiaries vouch for each other, it becomes a murky situation.

Most importantly, all of the kingdom's lands are already claimed. The barriers set by the beneficiaries' group for newcomers are very high. Suppressing the rebellion will yield, at most, a few Knights.

To secure a title through military accomplishments, one can only do so by winning foreign wars and having fiefs in unstable border areas.

If it weren't the case, then as soon as Earl Piers showed goodwill, everyone would not have immediately switched their political stances.

The discussion was too heated, with some impatient nobles already bringing out their priceless maps, clamoring to divide the spoils in advance, as if the rebel army did not exist at all.

Knight Charles, as the nominal leader, could not control the situation at all. The alliance meeting had been reduced to a bustling marketplace.

Hudson did not rush to join the discussion. The counties of Layton and Wharton are indeed vast, but there are too many wolves wanting a share of the meat!

Trying to satisfy everyone is impossible, they are bound to not reach an agreement at this moment. Even if they can barely reach an agreement, no one can be sure it would work.

The crux of the matter is, the temporary alliance only represents a small part of the many nobles. Even if they can bind together for warmth, the influence they have is still limited and will not accommodate their every whim completely.

"Stop!"

"Gentlemen, now is not the time to discuss these matters. The governor's orders clearly state that we must reach the frontline within three days. If we fail to reach on time, even if we are not punished, we will probably have no connection with the final spoils.

Calculating the journey, we are still over a hundred miles from Ersel Fort, there is no extra time to waste.

As for the issue of fiefdoms that you all care about, I think there is no point in discussing them now. There are so many nobles in the Southeastern Province, even a lot of spoils would not be enough for everyone to share.

This simply means that only a few can get what they want. In the division scheme, to make everyone satisfied, it ultimately won't avoid the performance of military accomplishments."

Charles's words, like a bucket of cold water, doused everyone. The originally lively scene went silent in an instant.

Everyone is not a fool, just now they were simply overexcited by the sudden good news. Now that they have come to their senses, they have immediately realized the seriousness of the matter.

Earl Piers is not an easy person to deal with, so if he is willing to divide such a large chunk of profits, it's clear that he wants everyone to risk their lives.

If they do not have enough military accomplishments, they probably won't even have the qualifications to have a seat at the table.

Inheritance rights?

Everyone acknowledges direct heirs - that's part of the game rules. Distant relatives, on the other hand, that's when things start to get tricky.

We didn't come out of the blue, who doesn't have a bunch of relatives?

There are so many people eligible to participate in the inheritance dispute. Without offering something convincing, why should you get to pick up the bargain?

When it comes to core interests, no one will easily give in. Even your allies could become your competitors at any moment.

These matters are the overt schemes in front of everyone. If you want to fight for the inheritance left by the nobility, you have to fight on the battlefield.

Even Hudson had to admit, Earl Piers played a good move, instantly revitalizing the chess game that was originally in a passive state.

Seeing the mixed reactions from everyone, it was clear that everyone was ready to give it their all. If nothing unexpected happens, the next step would be to activate the Great Summoning Technique and summon the clan's main force.

The area of the Southeastern Province is not too large. Theoretically speaking, if they start relaying the message now, most of the elites from various noble families will be able to arrive before everyone else reaches the frontline.