888: Chapter 89, Strike First to Gain the Upper Hand 888: Chapter 89, Strike First to Gain the Upper Hand “Marshal, Envoy of the Frank Kingdom, Marquis Landry is here to visit.”
Upon hearing the attendant’s words, Hudson was not surprised.
In recent days, the Frank people had been constantly mediating the conflict between the Alpha Kingdom and the Five Countries of the Prairie.
As one of the kingdom’s de facto power holders, it would have been problematic had they not come looking for him.
The current diplomatic situation suggested the kingdom appeared to hold the advantage but in reality, it couldn’t really do much to the Five Countries of the Prairie.
The Alpha Kingdom needed the Five Countries of the Prairie as cannon fodder, to buy time for its own war preparations.
It might seem that they were accused of serious crimes in the Alliance Council, but precisely because the charges were so grave, they couldn’t actually be enforced.
Once the accusations were proved, the nobles of the Five Countries of the Prairie wouldn’t be able to mix among the Human Race any longer.
Why would they then fight so committedly?
Fundamentally, the current battles in the great prairie were a struggle of nobles for their reputations, and that slim hope of restoring their nations.
The kingdom was holding on to their handle mainly to exert pressure, to prevent the nobles of the prairie from easily defecting.
If they could take over their legacy, that would be even more perfect.
“Marshal, the general situation is critical!”
Facing a barrage from Frank’s Ambassador, Hudson calmly sipped his tea and after a long while, he slowly said:
“Your Excellency the Marquis, it is precisely for the greater good that we can’t easily let this go.
The actions of the Five Countries of the Prairie have set a bad precedent for Our Human Race.
If we do not penalize them harshly, what happens if everyone starts following their example?”
Playing dumb was something he was professional at.
The Five Countries of the Prairie were indeed very important to the Alpha Kingdom, but terms still had to be negotiated.
The farce the Five Countries stirred up at the Human Alliance Council didn’t visibly disadvantage the Alpha Kingdom, but it did greatly affect their international standing.
Lack of evidence doesn’t mean the matter doesn’t exist.
Due to the farce, the perception of various nations on the Northern Continent towards the Alpha Kingdom had changed.
The originally planned integration of military forces among countries also had to be temporarily put on hold.
One slow step leads to sluggish progress in all.
Hudson never had much confidence in integrating the military forces of various countries, and the success rate of such efforts had become even lower now.
One might say that the politically immature moves of the Five Countries of the Prairie resulted in the mutual detriment of both sides.
“Your Marshal, the Five Countries of the Prairie have realized their mistakes.
They have not only made formal apologies to both Your Majesties but have also promised to offer aid when the two countries are re-established in the future.
At the same time, the Five Countries have declared that they will suspend all activities related to family visits during the period of the continental war.
Today, my visit to you, aside from coordinating the previous misunderstanding, also includes negotiations on the refugee problem on behalf of the Five Countries.”
Marquis Landry’s straightforwardness made Hudson realize that the envoy had come prepared.
The Alpha Kingdom could bribe the representatives of the two countries, and the other side could bribe the kings of the two countries.
As long as the victims did not pursue the matter, all the previous displeasures could be dismissed as misunderstandings.
The action to move families had stopped, and thus the accusation of “deserter crime” could no longer stand.
The current negotiation was mainly for the sake of benefits.
Given a choice, no one wants to die.
The nobles of the Five Countries of the Prairie were even less willing to sacrifice themselves for the sake of newly formed nations for which they had little attachment.
“Your Excellency the Marquis, the fact that the Five Countries of the Prairie can find their way back is a good thing for the entire Human Race, and I am very pleased.
However, such matters should be discussed with the Department of Foreign Affairs, not with a military man like me!”
Hudson was indeed interested in the refugees, but the more he wanted to take on the people of the Five Countries of the Prairie, the less he could afford to show it at this moment.
The fact that they came to him meant they intended to use this as a bargaining chip to exert pressure on the Department of Foreign Affairs through him.
“Your country’s Department of Foreign Affairs will of course be consulted.
My visit today, on behalf of the Five Countries, is mainly to see if the marshal would be willing to take in some of the refugees.”
Negotiating interests is not shameful.
Sometimes, laying out the terms directly can make it easier to reach an agreement.
“Your Excellency the Marquis, taking in some refugees is not a problem.
But in my view, these are just temporary solutions that don’t address the root cause.
The following remarks represent only my personal opinions and have no bearing on the Kingdom.
While the misunderstandings between us and the Five Countries of the Prairie are easily resolved, the troublesome part is the aftermath.
The downfall of Xilong Duchy and Omega Duchy alone has led to hundreds of thousands of people being displaced, with a large number of civilians either dying under the swords of the Orcs or on the arduous journey of escape.
The current war situation on the prairie is very unfavorable for the Five Countries of the Prairie, and the battle lines could collapse at any time.
If defeat occurs, more people will be displaced.
Instead of waiting for the tragedy to unfold, it would be better to move the civilians to the rear now and settle them properly.
When the Five Countries of the Prairie are restored, this preserved workforce will also be the main force in rebuilding the nations.
Given the difficulty of relocating people, as the major country closest to the Five Countries, I believe the nobles of the Kingdom would surely be willing to help.
Of course, for specific operations and some details, I suggest Your Excellency discuss them with the Kingdom’s Department of Foreign Affairs.”
Hudson proposed with a smile.
He could offer suggestions, but he wouldn’t get involved in the specifics of the negotiations.
Entrusting the Alpha Kingdom to take care of the people of the Five Countries was easy, but the fear was that after taking care of them until the end of the war, they might all have become Alpha People.
Talking about returning the population was fine in theory, but when it came to actual implementation, what was consumed could not be easily relinquished.