Industrial Revolution of the Mage Lords

Chapter 349: The Beginning of Civil War

"My Lord, you didn't attend the shipyard's new ship launching ceremony today. I wonder how shocked those newly arrived young nobles must have been...it's simply hilarious."

After Reiner finished his daily work report, he smiled and told his "otaku" lord about the interesting things that happened in the dock area this morning.

Ever since Harvey granted special approval to allow the surrendered nobles of the Southern Grizzlies Territory to send their young talents to study in the advanced teaching department of the Pioneer Territory Public College, many people have arrived in just half a month.

Taking into account the possible instability of these people's positions and their mixed backgrounds and identities, Asdalen did not mix them with local students. Instead, he opened separate teaching classes for them, and even clearly separated their accommodation and daily life.

Without local identification, these noble students were restricted in their travel. Except for the college area and the market area, they were not allowed to easily set foot in other areas. Otherwise, they would be subject to patrol inspections and expulsion. If they repeatedly committed violations knowingly, they might be directly deported back to the southern border.

This caused great discomfort to the small nobles who had long been accustomed to drinking, feasting, and riding horses freely in their family fiefdoms.

"In just half a month, nearly half of the people left voluntarily or were forced to return..." Reiner curled his lips in disdain.

"The rest were more well-behaved. When they heard at the academy that they would be allowed to watch the new ship's launching ceremony, they were all very interested and woke up early to go to the dock area next to the market area to watch the excitement."

The result, of course, was the sight of a steel ship without sails crashing into the water, which was so shocking that I couldn't close my mouth.

When they saw the new ship start up its magic power device and rumble forward at high speed through the ice on the wide river that was more than half frozen, the expressions of horror on the faces of these young nobles from the southern region who had originally come to join in the fun out of boredom were completely frozen.

The Jackdaw Ridge mountain range originates from the Divine Ridge Mountains, and there are also many water systems that allow ships to pass freely, flowing through various parts of the Grizzli Territory located in the border areas, which naturally includes the fiefdom where their family is located.

They immediately couldn't help but begin to imagine what kind of raging war would be ignited by the powerful soldiers on the ships carrying magic bows and arrows if these sturdy steel ships in front of them also sailed rapidly along the rushing river towards the territory where their family was located.

Some smart young nobles have completely understood why their family has gone to great lengths to put them on the list of students and sent them to the fiefdom of this wasteland lord with great difficulty.

Compared to Grand Duke Saint Valen and the Glorious Church hundreds of miles away, this lord of the wilderness with strong ships and powerful guns and a strong army is the real mountain pressing down on each of their heads, the true "King of the Border".

……

Harvey naturally had no time to pay attention to the various complicated thoughts of the small nobles in the Grizzli Territory. The conflict between the Church and the Federation on the border of Saint Valen and Daeus became increasingly fierce. The countries in the central part of the southern border took sides and made their positions clear. Whether it was the wizard kingdom that supported the Federation or the secular principalities that were vassals of the Church, they all began to gear up and secretly accumulate strength.

The entire central South Territory was now a powder keg, seemingly waiting for a sensitive signal to trigger a full-scale civil war. Harvey, entrenched in the wilderness, couldn't sit idly by and watch the situation unfold in the South Territory. Although the Grizzlies, which he controlled, lay on the outskirts of Saint Valen, no matter how the nobles and the church attacked the Union, they would not turn against him first.

But Grand Duke Saint Valen and the Church are not fools. Even if they try their best to deal with the Federation forces on the side of Daeus, they will never completely forget him, the thorn in their side. There will definitely be an endless stream of small-scale harassment in the future, mostly sending assassins to carry out "decapitation operations" and planting spies to disrupt the stability of the people in Harvey's fiefdom.

There is really not much time left for Xavi to develop with confidence and accumulate his own strength.

"Population...it's still a population problem." Harvey scratched his messy short hair anxiously, muttering to himself like a madman, "Without population, we can't cultivate enough talents. Without talents, we can't obtain high-quality labor. Without labor...the territory's various development plans and production projects cannot expand..."

Reiner and Asdalen looked at each other and sighed silently at the same time. They were no longer surprised by the obsessive desire for population of the lord they were loyal to.

Whenever Harvey fell into this state, Asdalen took on the arduous task of pouring cold water on the lord. "My lord... even if we take in a large number of people, we don't have enough food to feed them right now. As you know, war is imminent, and even the Dragonstone Chamber of Commerce can't buy food at a reasonable price from the countries in the central southern border in the near future."

Harvey leaned back in his chair somewhat dejectedly, and subconsciously turned his gaze to the new map of the North that had just been replaced and hung on the wall of the study - the eastern river valley basin plain surrounded by mountains.

It had not originally been included in the development plan in recent years. The reason was simple - it was a primitive area that was difficult for the evil beastmen to cross and reach, so it would not be easy for Harvey to send people to develop it.

Transportation is the first big problem. Although the Eastern Basin seems to be only two or three hundred miles away from the Frontier Territory in a straight line, if the entire route is flat land and forests, soldiers riding magic vehicles can arrive within a day. However, they need to cross mountains that are higher than the Jackdaw Ridge, which is simply impossible.

The war beast vehicles do have the ability to cross mountains and rivers, but unfortunately their number is limited and their carrying capacity cannot replace that of the alchemical camel beast.

"No matter what, the plan to absorb population must not be shelved." Harvey closed his eyes and thought about the past, but decided not to give up easily and never slow down the momentum of his own development.

"You will continue to follow our original plan and dispatch secret police officers to various counties and towns in the Southern Grizzly Territory. They will recruit poor landless tenants from the noble fiefdoms by offering them labor and free housing."

Harvey had already informed the new Earl of Fagan about this matter, asking him to notify all the vassal nobles under his rule to allow those tenants who were unable to pay rent and had no land to leave freely without interference.

"As for the areas outside of Grizzli Territory..." Harvey tapped the table with his hand and smiled at his two loyal subordinates. "That depends on how big of a surprise the chambers of commerce we've signed trade contracts with can bring us."

These large chambers of commerce, which travel around the southern countries all year round and have influence throughout towns, villages and counties, are the best portals for Harvey to recruit and publicize the population.

(End of this chapter)