Asserting his presence wherever he went, Hudson fit in like a fish in water. The nobles present were no ordinary people with each one having a way with words.
There was no trace of the cliché drama where the characters underestimate others, provoke, and incite hatred.
Being the youngest there, Hudson was quite popular among the crowd. If it weren't for the occasion, they would probably be introducing their daughters to him.
The only disappointment was that the banquet was filled with men. The expected noble women and noble girls were all absent.
It's understandable, who brings their family along when they go out? If the visitors didn't bring their families, then the local nobles naturally wouldn't bring female partners.
Everyone's here to bond and seek warmth from others. In the face of survival pressure, all romantic attachments had to be put aside.
Feasting on the dark cuisine, Hudson increasingly scorned Charles's inventions. Magic banquet tables could flaunt, but the taste was truly indescribable.
But it's normal, like the automated cooking machines of former times. All the ingredients and side dishes were put in at the scientifically exact ratios, but the final product was barely edible. It lacked spirit.
Seeing Charles drinking alone, a quick-witted Hudson picked up his wine glass and walked over. He said with a smile, "Uncle Charles, are you planning to become a bard?"
The already disgruntled Charles darkened his expression on hearing this and no longer looked amicably at Hudson.
A bard's life looked glorious on the surface, but in reality, it wasn't a good profession. To the nobles, they were just idlers who had nothing better to do.
Having them around to tell stories was acceptable, but if any noble offspring were to become bards, they would be the butt of jokes for decades.
Contrary to Charles's reaction to the joke, Hudson remained calm. He continued, "Uncle Charles, there is an opportunity to make money, are you interested?"
Seeing that Hudson wasn't joking, Charles's rising anger quickly extinguished.
Not long ago, Charles suffered a financial disaster due to a magic experiment. If he didn't find a solution quickly, thousands of his domain people would starve.
In order to raise money, he was nearly stressed to turn his beard white. To make matters worse, a conscription letter from Earl Piers meant that Charles had nowhere to borrow money.
War was expensive, this obligatory conscription meant that everyone had to bring their own provisions, with the expenses borne by the noble lords themselves.
Looking at the mobilization scale, everyone had to tighten their belts. Even if there were some spare resources, they had to be saved for future needs.
Unable to ask for a loan, Charles's pressure was imaginable.
If his domain were to go bankrupt, his lordship would come to an end. The nobility not only enjoyed privileges but also had to fulfill obligations.
Even under slavery education, domain people have to be fed. Basic survival rights had to be guaranteed otherwise, they would rebel when pushed to starvation.
Charles had his wife and children to take care of, and he couldn't afford to lose his family business. This led to the desperate organization of the present banquet.
So far, it has been a loss. Nothing was sold, only the cost of the banquet was borne.
No matter how insignificant, every bit counted. For Charles at the brink of bankruptcy, the cost of the banquet was not a small expense.
Hearing about the opportunity to make money, Charles couldn't hesitate and immediately asked, "Hudson, my dearest nephew, what is this opportunity to make money?"
After taking a sip of his wine, Hudson calmly responded, "It is, of course, war wealth!
The scale of this rebellion is not small, many nobles and wealthy businessmen's savings have fallen into the rebel army's hands. These guys are now rolling in wealth.
As long as we eliminate them, our gains won't be less. If we are lucky and catch some big fish, that will be a huge profit."
Having received the answer, Charles's enthusiasm dropped. He said irritably, "Hudson, you are still too young.
War wealth, everyone knows about it. But you see, how many people get rich through war?
Even if there are many war spoils, they belong to the big shots. We can only pick up the leftovers. The expenses of dispatching troops can't be recovered, let alone getting rich."
It's the truth, there are only a few who have made a fortune through wars since ancient times. It's not that there is no wealth in wars, but the wealth is divided up by the privileged.
Small nobles who can drink the soup are kindly treated by the big shots above. If they meet greedy tyrants, they can't even drink the bathwater.
Uncle Charles, don't be anxious!"
In this world, it's all about power. We won't have a say as a single entity in the battlefield, but if we all unite, it's a different story.
Today, we have over thirty noble families present. If we gather all our troops, it will be quite a large number.
If Uncle Charles can lead, and unite everyone, we will have a position on the battlefield.
If we are lucky, we may even manage a certain area individually. At that time, how the war spoils are divided, won't we have the final say?"
Hudson persuaded persuasively.
Originally, he wasn't prepared to stir the pot, but when the opportunity came knocking, if he didn't utilize it, he would be a fool.
Despite Knight Charles's low title and poverty, he carries substantial influence among the nobles due to his strength.
If he is willing to lead the alliance, there aren't many nobles present who could refuse. After all, nobody wants to be cannon fodder on the battlefield.
With the alliance, we can at least send representatives to military meetings, we won't be completely blind.
As for the existence of the alliance, would it upset the big shots? What does it have to do with Hudson?
When the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up first. He's not the one in charge, as a little character, who would pay heed to him?
"Will everyone really join?"
Charles asked uncertainly.
If it's a fight, he's fine. If it's research, he can manage. But politics, it's a real struggle.
After years in the mix, not only did he not expand his family business, he was on the brink of bankruptcy. This spoke volumes.
"Why would anyone refuse a profitable offer?"
Hudson smiled and tossed the question back. The exchange just now wasn't in vain; he had a rough understanding of the nobles' intentions.
If he didn't have confidence, Hudson wouldn't try to stir up Knight Charles. It's troublesome to offend a Great Knight after all.
After hesitating for a moment, Charles exhaled as if he had made a major decision.
"Alright, I'll do it!"