Industrial Revolution of the Mage Lords

Chapter 736 Speculating on Attitudes
Despite being dealt a heavy blow, Count Julian was quick to act. After the officials from Saint-Valen arrived at the border of Langya Ridge, he began the relocation of the people in an orderly manner.

He even voluntarily relinquished control over his family knights and private soldiers, leaving the affairs of the Twin Cities entirely to government officials in Saint Valen. Apart from carefully preserving the wealth his family had accumulated over generations, he no longer coveted anything else.

Without a doubt, among the several options given to him by Chapter Master Wayne, the Earl wisely made the decision to evacuate with the entire city's inhabitants... Twin Cities were simply too close to the Sang River Valley. Even a small group of winged lizardmen could break through the human army's defenses and reach this mountainous border town in no time, easily wreaking havoc on it.

Of course, there is a certain difference between voluntary submission and forced surrender. Although Count Julian did not resist to the end, after formally submitting to the United Kingdom, he was unable to enter the kingdom's power system and seek a powerful position to govern a region, just like Baron Peyton, due to his previous stance.

Since Saint Valentine has completely abolished the system of noble fiefdoms, according to the supreme law of the kingdom, the count and his family, whether or not they remain in Eisengard, will lose ownership of their fiefdoms, leaving only a nominal title to be retained as an honorary title and passed down through generations.

The count, who had anticipated this, could only accept the arrangement with a wry smile... After all, it was already difficult enough to preserve the lives and wealth of his entire family; any further thoughts might only bring danger.

……

Wayne, who was on his way to the Valley of the Fallen, soon received the news from the Twin Cities. He sneered and said, "To be honest, the nobles of Eisengard are much smarter than the nobles of Saint Valen. They are not only good at changing their tune with the wind, but also extremely good at hedging their bets to protect their own interests to the greatest extent possible."

Staff Officer Ivan sensed the dissatisfaction with these nobles in his words and chuckled, "The royal family of Eisengard has never been tough enough. The power of the nobles in various regions is not to be underestimated. Even in a remote territory like Twin Cities, a border earl family can make a fortune by relying on a gold mine."

The weakness of the royal family will inevitably lead to the vassals under its rule becoming restless and acting independently. Even if the demon lizardmen do not invade from the north, the Kingdom of the Flying Cavalry will soon fall into a long period of internal turmoil, and the people will be displaced and living in constant fear of war.

Wayne sighed and muttered a complaint, "His Majesty's attitude towards these foreign nobles is noticeably more lenient and tolerant than before... I don't think this is a good sign. You know what will happen if too many of these opportunistic fence-sitters flood into the kingdom's power structure..."

Such an open expression of dissatisfaction with His Majesty's actions... If it were any other high-ranking military officer or government official, Ivan, as a staff officer, would probably have secretly made a fuss about it long ago. But Wayne, as a loyalist, is clearly of a different status. It seems more like a self-examination within their group of confidants of the emperor, a manifestation of their concern about the balance of power in the kingdom.

If the warband leader Wayne expressed his dissatisfaction, it meant that Commander-in-Chief General Pierce and Deputy Commander Colonel Vaughn shared the same stance. Going further back... one could clearly understand the attitude of Chief State Advisor Asdaren.

In addition to his official position as a senior advisor in the General Staff, Ivan also secretly shoulders the important responsibility of military inspector in the National Security Intelligence Department... Like Wayne, he is a direct subordinate of Lord Asdaren and a member of a faction that is absolutely loyal to His Majesty and extremely advocates the supremacy of imperial power.

"His Majesty naturally has his own considerations. The army only needs to strictly follow his will and should not get too involved in other matters."

This is a blatant hint to Wayne that soldiers should not get too involved in politics, as getting caught up in the political quagmire of the power center can easily bring trouble upon themselves.

Having been accustomed to "doing dirty work" in the military, Wayne was naturally far more astute than Vaughn and Duff, whose manners were always rigid and proper. He instantly understood the staff officer's warning and wisely kept quiet. ...

Langya Ridge is a border pass.

A young official in a dark blue uniform, holding documents, addressed the weary Earl Julian: "Your Excellency, I am Dave, the deputy head of the Population Management Department of the United Kingdom, responsible for border migration."

As he spoke, he quickly flipped through the documents in his hand. "We have already urgently verified your identity information, and Baron Peyton of Langya Ridge has also volunteered to act as your guarantor. Therefore, you and your family and relatives can smoothly obtain formal resident status in our country without being restricted to a fixed place of residence."

The place of residence is not restricted... which means that since you have no more fiefdoms in your hometown, you can live wherever you want when you come to Saint Valen.

The Earl naturally understood, and after a wry smile, he asked, "Lord Dave, if I wish to move with my family to the capital to live permanently, are there any additional requirements or restrictions?"

Dave looked up at the Earl with some surprise, paused for a moment, and then forced a smile before slowly saying, "It's understandable. Although nobles have lost their right to grant fiefdoms, they still naturally crave to be close to the power center of the kingdom. It's understandable that they have such thoughts... It's just that the Earl is moving there with his whole family, so the expenses for living there might be a bit too high."

According to the Julian family's registration records, the Earl himself had five direct descendants and more than thirty collateral relatives. If you include his personal guards, attendants, and family knights, the total number is nearly one hundred. The cost of all of them moving to the capital city of Starfire was an astronomical sum just to take care of their food, clothing, and lodging.

The Earl, who had been feeling frustrated all the way, suddenly perked up and said with an arrogant yet polite attitude, "Commander Dave, please do not underestimate the foundation and strength of the Julian family, which has been passed down for generations. My ancestors were also nobles who rose to power through military achievements. Although the long years of peace have weakened the martial prowess of their descendants, they have not fallen behind in terms of wealth accumulation... I plan to go to the capital to personally swear allegiance to His Majesty the Emperor, and at the same time purchase an earl's estate next to the palace, so that I can live a peaceful and quiet retirement in the legendary City of Miracles."

Poof——

The clerk following behind Dave couldn't help but laugh out loud.

“The Earl’s Manor?” Dave almost couldn’t hold back. “Your Excellency, land in the Northern Capital is incredibly valuable. Even the Grand Secretary Reiner, whom His Majesty considers a confidant, lives in a three-story villa with an area of ​​no more than 100 square meters. Most officials with real power are even more low-key, and some have lived in brick and wood bungalows since the time when the capital was still a frontier territory.”

He paused, then continued, "Moreover... even if you do have a manor, with your strength, you probably can't compete with those local nobles who control shares in civilian industries. Forgive my bluntness, but to own a residence in the inner city of the capital, you not only need substantial wealth, but also a status and real power commensurate with your wealth."

(End of this chapter)