Due to the superior livable environment of the Leiden Valley, there were many large and small cities along the way.
But apart from Niske, which guarded the estuary, and Brandenburg, the residence of the Salt Lake Prefectural Governor, the most special city was Golden Lion City, which was located in the middle of the valley.
Although it was also called the City of Wealth, and there were indeed many Chambers of Commerce and trading companies here, its main business had little to do with the most prosperous marine trade of this era.
It was actually a financial city dominated by big bankers.
Even the governor of Golden Lion City was the chairman of the board of directors of a bank called the Nederland Bank Group. The garrison in the city also had little to do with the kingdom. They were all elite private troops hired by the bank group.
It could be said that the Nederland Bank Group had become the de facto ruler of the city and had received the tacit approval of the country's owner, the royal family of Tylo.
What was the origin of the Nederland Bank Group? What right did they have to establish a country within a country within the Tylo Kingdom?
In fact.
It was an international financial organization with a long history spanning various countries. Although its headquarters were set up in the Tylo Kingdom, which ranked third in the comprehensive national strength of the Tulip Alliance, its financial business had spread throughout the Old Continent.
Although its functions were still somewhat primitive, mainly focusing on currency exchange, storage, lending, credit intermediary, and the safekeeping of valuables, its size was worthy of being called a super giant.
Not only ordinary citizens, businessmen, and dignitaries, but even the ruler of a country could be their debtor.
This was not a joke.
The rulers of dozens of countries in the Old Continent had varying degrees of power. Some had almost reached the level of the ancient Eastern countries.
Some had their political and economic rights squeezed by various domestic forces, leaving them with only the nominal status of a co-ruler.
But the same thing was that under the feudal system that had lasted for thousands of years, the monarch would never have the supreme power of the Eastern emperors to increase taxes at will.
Therefore, even the relatively "supreme" king could not always be short of money.
The huge expenditure of a country, especially war expenditure, military expenditure, risky ocean exploration, and so on, was naturally inseparable from the shadow of the big bank group.
Gradually, the bank group, which was mainly composed of a group of big businessmen, became the creditor of a powerful kingdom, and the seemingly rich and powerful country became the debtor of a private force.
Among the many debtors of the Nederland Bank Group, there were two that had to be mentioned. The first was the owner of the land under their feet, the royal family of the Tyro Kingdom. This was also the fundamental reason why the bank group could obtain autonomy.
The second was something that most people simply couldn't imagine, nor did they dare to imagine, and that was the overlord of the seas of this era, the Kingdom of Shilius, which used its tyrannical might to suppress the other nations!
They had the strongest Invincible Fleet in the Age of Great Navigation, and they controlled the most profitable colonies in the Southern Continent and the New Continent with fortresses and naval bases all over the sea.
Shilius had the most convenient trade routes, the most fertile land, and the most precious metal ores with the highest reserves.
In comparison, even a country as powerful as the Kingdom of Faletis, which was vaguely the most powerful country in the Tulip Alliance, could only follow behind Shilius and pick up some leftovers to fill their stomachs.
How could such a giant be short of money?!
The answer was very certain: Yes!
The gold and silver of the New World, as well as the profits from ocean trading, flowed endlessly into Shilius, or rather, into the pockets of the upper echelons of Shilius.
But it wasn't that easy to be the overlord of this Age of Great Navigation.
The Kingdom of Shilius was in a situation worthy of the phrase "enemies on all sides"!
The competition for the profits from the seas, the competition for beliefs, the competition for colonies, the competition for land expansion on the old continent, as well as the "dream of being the emperor" of several generations of kings, all kinds of factors added together made the relationship between Shilius and the surrounding countries like fire and water.
On the land, Shilius who believed in the "Eternal Flame" fought against the Sack Empire who believed in the "Morning Light" and the Desert Kingdom of Heimar who believed in the "Bright Starry Night".
On the sea, he fought against Atlan who believed in the "Frost Breath" and had a third of their land covered in snow all year round. He fought against the Sack Empire's navy that was gradually developing, and he fought against Faletis who believed in the "Goddess of Navigation and Royalty".
In a one on one fight, he could beat any one of his opponents into kneeling on the ground and singing "Conquest", but the consequences of fighting a group of people …
Shilius had to maintain a ridiculously large army at all times to deal with all kinds of wars. In recent years, it had reached a crazy 1 in 20 ratio.
It was important to note that this included the elderly, children, women, and so on, not the youths of the right age.
It could be said that Shilius was already militaristic, fighting all the time.
Even as the strongest sea power, he didn't even have a large scale handicraft industry in his country, not to mention the steam industry that was developing like a raging fire on the continent.
In terms of industrial development, he was already behind others by an entire generation.
However, his ruler clearly didn't care.
Other than that, according to rumors, because of the large scale of his business, the gold and silver shipped back from the new continent each year wasn't even a fifth of his military expenses.
That gold and silver might only be warmed up in Shilius' treasury for a bit before becoming interest in the pockets of the "Nederland Bank Group".
At this time.
In the magnificent city hall that was like a palace, it was also the headquarters of the "Nederland Bank Group" on the continent.
In the largest conference room.
There was a giant conference table made from a red hemlock tree that was placed in the middle of the conference room.
If the best core material of such a red hemlock tree was taken, it would be enough to make a "canoe mast" of a first-level battleship. But here, it was only made into an ordinary table.
Just by looking at this table, the smell of money hit him in the face.
At this time, around this long table, the sixteen directors of the bank group or their representatives were all present.
There were elegant middle-aged nobles, big-bellied merchants, graceful ladies, wise old men, and young men who had just started their careers … But regardless of their age and appearance, they all had the same expression on their faces.
Looking down on all living things! Who else but me!
Of course, they had reason to be arrogant.
Because of the gemstone buttons on their sleeves that were worth a house, because of the signatures of the continent's nobles on the promissory notes in their hands, because they held the economic lifeline of more than one country in their hands, because a single word from them could decide the future of countless people …
They might not be nobles, but they were better than nobles. They might not be kings, but they were better than some kings!
Click!
The gold-inlaid mahogany carved wooden door was gently closed by the guard.
Pa! Pa!
Sitting on the high-back chair of the main seat, a white-haired but hale and hearty old man clapped his hands lightly, attracting everyone's attention.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm sure you've heard about the current situation of the Leiden Valley from various sources.
The topic of this board meeting is very simple, which is how the Nederland Bank Group should deal with the coming storm.
Does anyone want to voice their opinion? "
At the head of the table on the right, a big-bellied director wearing a snow-white silk shirt and a black formal jacket spoke first.
"Mr. Chairman! Forgive me for being blunt, but we have the most secure underground vault and the most complete security in the Alliance.
There's even a third-grade Great Knight, Mr. Grace, and two powerful official wizards here all year round!
We have no need to get involved in the dispute between the Tylo Kingdom or the Tulip Family and the Pirate King.
After all, they're all clients of the bank group, aren't they? "
Wealth moved people's hearts. If a sea of golden lions was thrown over, even the unreachable Great Knight and the mysterious and dangerous wizards would have to bow to them.
In fact, the Nederland Bank Group had more than one third-grade combatant.
Beside him, a young man with a pale face, whose blue veins could be seen clearly, echoed.
"That's right, Mr. Huggins is a very generous client. A year ago, he entrusted us with a 'Secret Treasure of the Sea', which is still on the second floor of the underground vault.
Even now, I still remember that this powerful Rank 3 Transcendent had paid three times the storage fee. All he wanted was to take a look at the entrance of the underground vault.
After I gave him a brief introduction, he was full of praise for our security measures. He said that even a fourth-grade titled combatant might not be able to break through in a short period of time. "
As a young man representing his elderly father, this was his first business transaction in the bank group. He had a deep impression of the Pirate King.
The old man presiding over the meeting nodded slightly and looked around at everyone in the meeting.
"Is there anyone else who would like to speak besides Mr. Swift and Mr. Durand Jr.?"
The third director from the left, a graceful lady in a wine-red dress, gently waved her peacock feather fan.
"Mr. Chairman, in fact, many of the distinguished gentlemen present here have business dealings with the Pirate King. Even the Elberta Chamber of Commerce, which only does proper business, had a slave trade with him in the Strait of Windward.
I don't think the Pirate King would be so unwise as to betray the friendship of so many people! "
Seeing that most of the people present nodded their heads in agreement, the old man didn't think there would be any problems, so he concluded, "That's right.
He concluded, "Then I will now announce the final decision of the board of directors. The Nederland Bank Group will not interfere in the dispute between the Pirate King and the Tulip Family.
However, we still have to give face to Wang Guofang and allow the Tulip Family's mobile troops to enter the Golden Lion City.
By the way, inform Bishop Jasper of the Golden Dome Cathedral to assist us in the defense during this period of time.
Before this matter is over, we forbid our private soldiers to leave the city and intervene in other people's conflicts.
That's all. "
The daily management of the Nederland Bank Group was carried out by a four-person committee elected by the board of directors. The chairman of the four-person committee was also the governor of the Golden Lion City.
The words of the old man, Mr. Joel Theodore, who had military, political and financial power, were the final words!
It also determined the general tone of the defense policy of the Golden Lion City for a period of time.
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