664: Chapter 3, Family_1 664: Chapter 3, Family_1 “Finally home!”
Gazing at the Mountain Domain ahead, Hudson could not help but express his emotion.
Like the other nobles, after the ship had docked, the homesick Hudson declined Earl Piers’ invitation to linger and headed straight for his territory.
Looking at the welcoming party led by Baron Redman, Hudson could not help but feel a moistness at the corner of his eyes.
Fortunately, this emotional display was quickly repressed by him.
As a local lord, he was not allowed to show excess emotions.
Even the longing for “home” had to be controlled, otherwise it would become a “weakness” exposed in front of others.
The dialogue between father and son was simply plain.
All emotional exchanges are contained within these three simple words.
It was clear that Baron Redman had aged a lot.
There were a lot more white hairs on top of his head, but his spirit was very strong.
Pulled between worrying for his son fighting in the distance and overseeing the development of the Mountain Domain, it could be said that he hadn’t had a carefree day in the last two years or so.
The happiest times were undoubtedly when news of victories from the front line arrived.
For a father, witnessing his son constantly walking towards success was his greatest spiritual comfort.
“Good you’re back, you best take over the affairs of the Mountain Domain again, it’s been driving me to despair!”
Baron Redman said with an agonized face.
Initially, he thought his inability to take the helm was mainly due to bad timing and humble birth, but that illusion was quickly shattered when he took over the affairs of the Mountain Domain.
Becoming a local lord and governing a small town were completely different concepts.
Even though Hudson had established a system beforehand, Baron Redman was worn out by merely following the established rules.
As for the assistants Hudson left behind, unfortunately, Redman had no trust in them.
In fact, Hudson defined these unknown figures as “transitions” from the beginning.
If not for this sudden war, these people would have been replaced in the last two or three years.
If there wasn’t enough time to replace them, they had to make do.
As the acting Lord, Redman had to watch over them more carefully in normal times.
Limited by his capabilities, Baron Redman had a hard time over the past two years.
A burst of laughter masked the awkwardness in Hudson’s heart.
Leaving the territory to Baron Redman was somewhat like pushing a duck onto a perch.
But there was no other way, who else could he trust fully other than Baron Redman?
If it were someone else, having governed the Mountain Domain for over two years, who knows what might have happened.
Hudson didn’t want to return to clean up the mess.
In fact, his choice proved to be very correct.
Baron Redman might be a little tired, but the Mountain Domain has been running normally till now.
Reunited after a long time, everything about Hudson seemed pleasant, including his few cheap brothers.
Of course, the annoying Laisol was not present.
The better Hudson’s life was, the worse it was for that unfortunate child.
He had reached the stage where he feared to return home.
Fearing that Hudson would harm him, Lady Baron sent Laisol out of the Southeastern Province early.
It seemed to be done very covertly, but in reality, nothing escaped Hudson’s eyes.
Not that he was deliberately paying attention, but the person in charge of the escort mission voluntarily reported the information to him.
This was the advantage of power.
Information was voluntarily delivered without having to do anything.
If Hudson wanted to harm him, a mere hint would be enough for someone to make an “accident” happen to Laisol.
In fact, initially Hudson had wanted to use Laisol as a front to prove his tolerance.
But considering Baron Redman’s face, he chose to let him go in the end.
After all, maintaining a front is not easy.
Such a tainted piece on the chessboard, once pushed out and its value lost, is destined to have a miserable ending.
After a symbolic exchange of greetings with everyone, Hudson continued his journey home with a large group of people.
Looking at the transformed Mountain Domain, Hudson couldn’t help but feel a mixture of joy and worry.
Over the past few years, the price paid for the desperate cultivation of steel in the Mountain Domain was the devastation of the environment.
The rising smoky clouds and the bald mountains were the price of the rapid development of the Mountain Domain.
Destruction of the environment is easy, but its restoration is difficult.
Even in the Extraordinary World, the restoration of the original ecology entails a considerable cost.
Compared to the gains, however, everything was worthwhile.
The wide road was big enough to accommodate four galloping carts and stretched all the way to the Manor House on the mountaintop.
What was originally a fledgling castle had turned into a city.
Although some buildings were still under construction, the streets in the built area were beginning to show signs of prosperity.
The newly added fertile lands were in the millions of acres.
Even with the most traditional crop rotation system, the self-sufficiency rate of grain in the domain had significantly increased.
All these changes took place during wartime.
With the end of the war and the economy returning to normal, the development speed of the Mountain Domain would accelerate even further.
Letting go as if he was tossing a hot potato, Baron Redman eagerly dumped a pile of affairs on Hudson as soon as he had settled down.