King-Chapter 1123 - 170: Before the Flames of War Ignite, the Tide of Migrant Workers Rises_3

Chapter 1123: Chapter 170: Before the Flames of War Ignite, the Tide of Migrant Workers Rises_3

Many nobles, unable to come up with cash, used animal hides and magical materials as payment for goods.

Those who could pay with actual goods were considered lucky; their estates were rich in resources, and they could manage to scrape by on a daily basis.

The most unfortunate ones were already leading their domain people to construction sites, working under Master Hudson to earn money, including the Koslow Clan’s various branch lords at the Northern Border.

The sudden surge within the clan was essentially Hudson’s personal outbreak. His clan members reaped many benefits but still could not change the reality that their family foundation was not solid.

Wealth takes time to accumulate, and whether it’s for the clan or for its major branches, the financial support they could provide for their offspring was very limited.

After being ravaged by the Orc Army, the clan’s startup funds were quickly depleted, and now they could only struggle to get by.

To ask the clan for further help would mean to incur debt. After all, the clan’s own properties were not abundant and belonged to all members; they couldn’t possibly favor certain individuals without restriction.

Unless one made exceptional contributions to the clan, the clan offered more of an opportunity and essential resources for growth to their offspring.

Once used up, that was it. Whether due to bad luck or lack of capability, once the resources provided by the clan were exhausted, one would be removed from the cultivation list.

There was no choice—what else did the Koslow Clan have in abundance if not a large population?

After Hudson took charge, a population census was conducted. Just the well-off branches alone, when combined, numbered in the thousands.

The far-flung, declining branches were even more numerous. After all, the number of offspring who failed in entrepreneurship far outnumbered those who succeeded.

The exact figures were beyond complete calculation. In any case, just the confirmed clan members numbered in the tens of thousands.

This was just within the country; as for abroad, due to communication difficulties, many branches weren’t even aware they had flourished, with few able to make contact.

Population census was a task only Hudson would undertake. For most nobles, such endeavors seemed meaningless.

Separated by thousands of years, blood ties had long since diluted. Apart from sharing a common surname, there were no further connections.

Some declining branches had even forgotten their noble ancestry, now indistinguishable from commoners, with the unluckier ones reduced to serfs.

Bringing the declining members into the clan added to the clan’s expenses without any substantive significance.

Major Nobles cared about face. Once clan membership was recognized, proper noble education was indispensable.

With more clan members, resources allocated per person became naturally scarce. Even borrowing from the family came with limits.

Having no other option, leading one’s people to work for wages became a decent choice.

The difference lay in working for the Kingdom, where earnings were too meager, as opposed to working for one’s Lord, which offered a bit better treatment.

In this regard, Hudson still had a good reputation. Not only were wages higher than the Kingdom Government’s, but he also never delayed payments, and the standard of meal provision was top-notch.

Of course, this high standard was relative to that of serfs. To sum it up in two simple words—guaranteed fullness!

Hudson’s motto was: with a full belly, one has the strength to work. Along with ensuring fullness, the workload increased by just a tad.

These minor changes went unnoticed by the Noble Lords. Everyone’s work was managed by a foreman, with payment based on the amount of work performed.

The more their subordinates did, the higher the compensation they would receive. The opportunity to increase the workload was a welcome prospect!

Work began at sunrise and ended at sunset.

There were no conditions for overtime; encountering bad weather meant mandatory rest.

Perhaps due to an overabundance of fish for food, after a few months of hard labor, the serfs’ bodies did not collapse from exhaustion but instead grew significantly more robust.

Therefore, working in the Snow Moon Territory became a coveted job among the minor nobles. Nobles without connections couldn’t even get in now.

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