Chapter 2818 - 1205: Raising Your Own Child with Someone Else’s Money

Chapter 2818: Chapter 1205: Raising Your Own Child with Someone Else’s Money

The roles of diplomat and intelligence officer have always been inseparable. Besides persuading Zalanda to join the Governance Council, Helena’s mission also involves on-the-ground reconnaissance of the true situation in the Tesser Kingdom.

The situation on the road was far worse than what their ruler and ministers had imagined.

The half-century of warlord conflicts in the Tesser Kingdom is not mere rhetoric but a true occurrence.

The four Dukes are merely representatives of the warlord nobles, not the entirety, as there are still numerous Earls, Barons, and Feudal Knights below them, where the main conflict stays at their level.

The Governance Council formed by the four Dukes has limited control over the Tesser Kingdom, with decrees mainly reaching the large cities under their control, possibly extending tens to hundreds of kilometers, at most. Most lower-tier nobles merely acknowledge their orders without actual compliance.

When the four Dukes realized the threat posed by Lord Zalanda, they did not unite their forces to quickly eliminate her, but chose the uncertain effects of military and economic blockades, giving her a chance to exploit the situation.

It’s not only because they feared Lady Strategy, but more because they lacked the capacity to organize large armies for an inland expedition.

This was true before, and even more so now.

The expedition to the New Continent has completely drained their resources, and the fire in the Marching Mountains further exposed their weakness.

Although the fire in the Marching Mountains did not directly affect them, it drove countless Monster Tribes and powerful Monsters out from the mountains, currently rampaging everywhere.

The four Dukes failed to respond effectively to this, dispatching armies to assist local Lords in blocking and exterminating those Monster Tribes. Even if those local Lords could fend off the Monsters with their own efforts or in small alliances, they couldn’t eradicate them, leaving them free to roam and cause secondary damage.

If a local territory fails to resist, its castle will directly become a monster nest, a gathering place for those Monster Tribes.

The only option for the lieges within the territory is to flee as quickly as possible; otherwise, they would either become food or slaves, facing fates worse than death.

Along the trade routes, among the travelers Helena saw, less than a tenth were merchants, with the rest being war refugees.

The direction in which these war refugees fled was surprisingly consistent, aligning with her course — towards Darama.

Initially, Helena was puzzled by this until she saw the first refugee center — though the gruel distributed there was more soup than rice, it was at least free, warm, and enough to keep them barely nourished.

They remained at the refugee center only temporarily.

Subsequently, various professionals would organize and classify these war refugees, forming migrant groups of varying numbers and reasonable compositions, beginning a large-scale relocation.

Not all migratory destinations are Darama City, but rather surrounding towns, construction sites, or frontier settlements in need of labor, providing work in exchange for relief.

The entire process ran as a precise machine, perfectly interlocked.

Helena could fully imagine what would happen next.

If, after several years of settling, the quality of life for these war refugees isn’t much worse than before, most would take root here, no longer considering returning home.

This is the fundamental reason why the four Dukes grit their teeth in frustration when mentioning the name Zalanda.

Her rapid growth and development are built on sucking from their life force.

Although this process of exploitation is not initiated by Zalanda, it was caused by their inaction and incompetence.

This dilemma will eventually become Prince Harried’s problem.

The Royal Family’s tax revenue in the Tesser Kingdom primarily comes from Manor Tax, Tariffs, and Import-Export Taxes.

Among these, the Manor Tax paid by local lords represents the substantial portion, with its standard set according to the cultivated area of the manor, not linked to its economic development status.

If all local lords had roughly similar development situations, such a taxation system would naturally not pose an issue, but when immense economic disparities arise, it easily becomes problematic.

The Royal Family can’t afford to favor some over others, imposing additional taxes on certain lands, as this would force wronged local lords into rebellion.

Gaven and Zalanda did not rush; their gaze fixed on Helena’s beautiful face, appreciating the nuanced changes in the expression of this beautiful diplomat, seemingly able to discern her true thoughts.

Taking a deep breath and calming down, Helena solemnly said, "I apologize. This matter is far more extensive than my authorized capacity. I need to consult with His Majesty before I can give you a response."

"No need for such hassle. The lady only needs to guide us, and we can have a direct discussion with His Majesty," Gaven spoke again.

He had no patience to play political games with Prince Harried.

Facts prove that, compared to those political maneuvers, divine means are more effective against ordinary people.

Since this is the case, there’s no need for him to endure unnecessary hardship.

This doesn’t mean the political wisdom he learned from Zalanda was useless; much of it is universally applicable, whether in strategy or divine tactics.

"This..." Helena hesitated, her gaze falling on Zalanda.