PS: Super long chapter with 5200 words. I hope everyone has a good time!
The expedition to Eight Peaks Mountain was an expedition with great returns and a large scale, but at the same time, it was also a very costly expedition. Putting aside the fact that they had to travel a long distance by sea, just the daily food and logistics for an army of nearly 50,000 people was a huge challenge and work.
In the past, Laing's wars had always been fought in the human countries, or at least at the edge of the human countries. Under such circumstances, the army could directly obtain supplies along the way. If it really couldn't be used, they could forcibly requisition and compensate the army afterwards. If that didn't work, they could also transfer food from many places at any time.
However, in this great expedition, there was no food to be transferred from the Wretched Land, and they couldn't just give food to the enemy. Therefore, all the logistical support had to be transferred from the Brittany, or purchased from Estalia, Tyrell, or even from the Sea Gate.
What happened after they left the Sea Gate?
It was a wasteland with a harsh climate. It was a general name for a desolate area made up of arid plains and deserts. Here, the Green Skins had been active for thousands of years. At the same time, there were also Ogres, the old and young of the Straga Empire, and a small number of Dwarven exploration teams. When Laing started the expedition, it was impossible for the army to get any food and logistical support from the Wretched Land. Everything had to be prepared by themselves, and a stable logistical channel had to be established.
Reality was not a game. After the knight's army and the Dwarven Coalition Army landed at the Sea Gate, they could just click on Laing and Belega with the mouse and let them go straight to Eight Peaks Mountain. Then, they could click on the "End of Turn" button and wait for the super long turn animation. If that was the case, then the war would be too simple.
If they did not have enough logistical support and supplies, the end result of this army would be complete annihilation.
Back then, Belegar was able to successfully launch the expedition with the help of the dwarven kingdoms and the dwarves' ability to drill underground tunnels. Belegar had sent out some rangers in advance to reclaim a small portion of the tunnels and store some food for a long time. The dwarves in Ironpeak Castle would also provide support. In addition, the dwarves could rely on beer and dry food for a long time, and they could also endure hunger for a long time. On the other hand, humans could not drill underground tunnels with the dwarves, and on the other hand, humans could not rely on dry food and water for a long time. In addition, Belegar had a small number of people, so he could barely cope with it. Now, the expeditionary army had a scale of nearly 50,000 people. How many resources would it consume just to eat, drink, and relieve themselves every day? How much would be lost along the way?
Therefore, when Leon passed the budget for the Great Expedition, even Sulia could not tolerate it. If it was really according to Leon's budget, even if the family's coffers were emptied, it would not be enough. Even if the treasury was emptied, it would not be enough. Even if they sold off the family's property, it would only be enough.
"War bonds, Eight Peaks Mountain bonds, are used to invest in this war." "Only in this way can we raise enough military funds for the expedition. If we can help Belega recover the Eight Peaks Mountain, the hundreds of rune armors in the shrine of the ancestor of Angerand would be enough to pay off all the debts, not to mention the numerous treasures buried in the dozens of mines," Ryan said seriously. "If we can help Belega recover the Eight Peaks Mountain, we will be able to pay off all the debts with the hundreds of sets of rune armors in the shrine of Angerand, not to mention the countless treasures buried in the dozens of mines."
Suria was still a little worried. The female knight wanted to ask if they won, but what if they lost?
This thought just flashed through Suria's mind. She knew that Laing would not lose. He was her man, the hero of the kingdom, the hero of the human race.
Laing would never fail.
"Who gave you the suggestion?" Suria asked casually.
"Orica. She told me." Laing put away his serious expression and could not help but cover his face and laugh. "Because the Dark Elves often have such bonds. Before a Black Ark leaves, the commander of the Black Ark will sell these bonds wantonly. The only difference is that our bonds are used as currency, while the Dark Elves' bonds are used as slaves."
"She is indeed very talented in this area. She is also very smart and can give you a lot of ideas." Suria smiled after hearing this. "But what I want to say is that humans and Dark Elves are ultimately different. We Brittany don't have much experience in this matter, but you now have a very good adviser, don't you?"
"Duke Schultz." Laing nodded. "I will discuss with him in detail what to do. He is the most experienced in this area."
"Laing, remember, no matter how good your relationship with Duke Schultz is, you must remember that he is after all a businessman." Suria was still a little worried. "He only thinks from his own point of view. Businessmen are not completely trustworthy. They can only …"
"No, he is trustworthy." Laing shook his head. He thought for a moment and said in his wife's ear, "He is father's man."
Suria understood. She still wanted to say something, but Laing's hand had already gently reached into her dress. "Madam, you are so beautiful tonight."
"Laing, you …" Suria immediately understood what Laing wanted to do. The queen's face immediately turned red. "Why aren't you accompanying the Dark Elf who gave you this idea? Why are you staring at me?"
"We will talk about Olica tomorrow, madam. I have been busy for three days. When I finally have time, the first person I think of is you." Laing secretly reached out to take off Suria's fish-shaped high heels and pinched his wife's beautiful white silk feet in his hands. "I miss you."
"Mm … I miss you too, Laing …" Suria's face turned red, but she closed her eyes and gently kissed him.
I am the dividing line of the beautiful moonlight tonight …
The next morning, the Brittany king and Duke Marimburg were having breakfast in the courtyard of the Culona palace.
Even the king's breakfast was relatively simple. Freshly ground Arabi coffee, roasted donuts, fried chicken ribs, jam cake and fried eggs were Laing and Schultz's breakfast.
The king's schedule was tight. Even though it wasn't packed, he still had to make use of every bit of time he had. Laing and Schultz sat opposite each other in the brightly lit courtyard. The clean white tablecloths and the sound of silverware clanking could be heard as Laing and Schultz chatted about the issue of Eight Peaks Mountain's treasury bonds.
"Mm … If it's just based on my relationship with you and your personal prestige, the two houses of Marimburg would lend you a million crowns, let alone a hundred thousand." Grand Duke Vander Guber Schultz was still as elegant and calm as when they first met more than ten years ago. Or rather, after meeting the Supreme Emperor and entertaining so many original members, Schultz seemed to have gained something else. "You're right. It's my fault. The business princes of Marlin Castle lend you money, but most of the time, they don't really want you to pay back the debt. You're a hero of mankind, a great knight king, or … if you have too much debt, it will be very bad for your future."
Laing nodded. Merchants were just that greedy. Or rather, that was the nature of capital. He was the Knight King and the hero of mankind. If he could be controlled and blackmailed through loans, the benefits would be far greater than simply repaying the debt.
For example, the merchants of Venice continued to borrow from Byzantium on a large scale. Did they really just want that little bit of interest?
In the end, wouldn't the people of Constantinople welcome the new regime of the Ottomans with glory?
"On the other hand, the national debt is just money. That's right, it's just shiny gold coins and those copper coins that the workers hate but have no choice but to use." Duke Schultz explained the difference to Laing in detail. "The problem is, the credibility of the national debt depends entirely on your personal prestige and the credibility of the Knight King. It's not like borrowing money from merchants. It's hard to know how much you can borrow. Perhaps you can give it a try. After all, your reputation and the credibility of the Brittany are still worth a lot."
"Some merchants have even discussed it privately. If you're willing to mortgage the Zeon barony to them, they're willing to lend you two hundred thousand crowns."
Laing nodded gloomily. Of course, he knew that there were pros and cons to borrowing money from merchants. Schultz had already explained all the problems clearly. He was the one who had to make the decision.
There were two biggest drawbacks to issuing national debt. The first was that there was no way to determine how much money could be raised. The second was that if they lost, it would mean that Laing himself and the Brittany's credibility would go bankrupt.
The consequences would be severe.
Seeing that Laing was silent, Schultz's expression changed slightly. It seemed to be joy and approval.
A good leader had to be decisive when he needed to, but when he had enough time to think, he couldn't make a hasty decision. That would be irresponsible.
Seeing that Laing was still thinking, Schultz continued, "Sir Laing, please allow me to call you 'Your Majesty'. I won't call anyone else 'Your Majesty'."
"Just call me Laing." Laing shook his head. "If you have anything to say, continue."
"What I want to say is that if you can't repay the money I borrowed from you personally, like the war loan of a hundred thousand crowns, it's fine if you really can't repay it. I can make the decision now, such as extending the repayment period." Schultz shook his head slightly. "But it's different for other merchants. If they want to repay the debt, as long as there's no problem with the paperwork, I can't help you. Do you want me to give an example? It's about His Majesty. "
"Please go ahead." Laing was obviously interested when he heard about the imperial family.
"The Holy Terra isn't a place of harmony," Schultz said with a smile. Schultz said with a smile, "Even today, there are still many warlord families fighting for power and profit. Do you know why? When His Majesty unified Holy Terra in 31K, he gave special permission to a few warlord families who surrendered or cooperated with him to keep a small piece of their territory and a small part of their private armed forces. Now, ten thousand years have passed, and the descendants of these warlords still exist in Terra. They still keep a small piece of their territory and their private armed forces. Some of their families have become glorious merchant dynasties, some have become high-ranking officials and dignitaries in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, some have found a place for themselves in the Orthodoxy, and some families have the Imperial Guards. However, there are still a few families who ride worn-out modified motorcycles all day long, racing on the crowded streets of Terra, and shouting at the same time. As long as they don't make things too big, even the Imperial Guards and the Supreme Council of Lords can't do anything to them. "
"Because that's Father's promise." Ryan understood. "Even if it's a father, he has to keep his promise. He is, and so must I."
"That's right." Schultz frowned at Laing's answer. "So, you can't hope to go back on your word with the merchants of Marlin Castle or play word games with your disloyalty. That's not something His Majesty wants to see. A debt is a debt, and a promise is a promise. His Majesty's promise is still valid even after ten thousand years. All I can do is help you convince the merchants to get involved. The choice is yours. Do you want to issue treasury bonds or do you want to borrow?"
The two of them finished their breakfast just like that.
"I've decided. Issue treasury bonds!" Laing made his decision before he left. He shook Schultz's hand. "Let's issue Eight Peak Mountain treasury bonds worth 50 thousand crowns a year to test the market."
"You've finally made your decision?" Schultz nodded. "No problem. I'll come up with a plan to test the market. But I have to remind you that the princes of Marlin Castle won't be happy to see that. They'll find a way to destroy the credibility of your bonds and force you to borrow from them."
"It's fine. They're nothing outside of Marlin Castle. They're scared of death. Merchants are always weak. Of course, that doesn't include you, Duke Schultz." Laing smiled. "As for the effect, I believe that facts speak louder than words. Also, I have my people and you have yours."
"Good." Seeing that there was no one around, Schultz bowed. "Then, if there's nothing else, I'll be taking my leave. The business world is always changing. I have to do some research and test the waters. As we all know, most of the free folk in Brittany are concentrated in a few cities. I think I have to let you know that the main buyers of treasury bonds are the free folk, farmers and citizens, not the nobles or merchants. But you can spread the word first."
"I understand." Laing nodded. "Father has a mission for you, right?"
"Yes, and it's a bit troublesome …" Schultz sighed. "I can't say more."
"Very well. Then, goodbye, my Duke. I wish you success."
"Goodbye, Laing."
After Schultz said goodbye to Laing, there was a rumor in the palace of Colona. According to Kasenberg, the new king, "the Devout" Laing Macado, was going to issue war bonds! It was called the Eight Peaks Mountain Treasury, and it was used to finance the expedition to Eight Peaks Mountain!
The whole kingdom was in an uproar, especially the nobles who were still in Colona. Many of them felt deeply humiliated. Since when did the glory of Brittany get tarnished by money and treasury bonds?
But the dukes who met Laing knew that if the treasury bonds weren't issued, where would the war funds come from? When Richard abdicated, there were only around five thousand crowns left in the treasury. That wasn't even enough to pay for a month's worth of logistics! And it would take a month to travel from Bordero to Sea Gate!
Money was really spent too quickly on such a huge expedition.
As for the lesser nobles, the young knights who were filled with righteous indignation didn't even get a chance to meet the king. Most of the lesser nobles were already packing up and preparing to leave for Bordero. They didn't care too much about the so-called Eight Peaks Mountain Treasury bonds. Most of them believed that the king would bring them victory.
Laing managed to avoid the storm by hiding in the palace. He met with François and Berchemund in the morning and learned that they would be sending their elites to participate in the war. The Brotherhood of the Red Dragon and the Brotherhood of Champion Knights, which were mostly Grail Knights, and the Brotherhood of Champion Knights, which consisted of half Grail Knights and half Grail Knights. There was also the Unicorn Guard, which was formed from Winford's fugitive group. They would be under the command of Count Anthelme, a Grail Knight.
The Grail Knight of the Sanctum, Devenhill's Godfather, Kalad, was also packing up. The army for this expedition would be unprecedentedly strong.
Francois even joked that he wanted to buy the Bafeng Mountain's national debt.
Laing refused on the spot. The Treasury bonds were not meant for great nobles like his father-in-law.
At noon, the king's family and Emilia had lunch together. Laing was about to take a nap in the afternoon before dealing with government affairs when an uninvited guest came to his door.
The real king of the Eight Peaks Mountain, Belegar Ironhammer, rushed over and stopped in front of Laing. "Brother Laing! Brother Laing, what's going on? Why are you suddenly asking for the Eight Peaks Mountain Treasury bonds? How can you use our clan's things as collateral to borrow money from others? "
You're talking as if you've never borrowed money before, Laing thought to himself.
"I'm not using your things as collateral, King Belegar." Laing thought for a moment and lowered his head with a smile. "We're only using the outcome of this war to borrow money. Otherwise, with the money we have now, we won't be able to win this war. When we win, we'll naturally be able to repay the debt."
"Win? Of course we win! "Belegar said in a flustered and exasperated manner." But what if we lose? Brother Laing, haven't you thought about this? Our reputations are going to be ruined! Oh my god, Granny's beard, you're crazy! "
"It's fine. I've already thought of a way out. If we lose, we'll gather the rest of the army and form a wandering army. We'll be called the Eight Peaks Mountain Chivalry Army and wander together." Laing laughed. "I don't think there's a wandering army in the world that's led by two kings. This will be something to be proud of. It's not shameful at all, really."
"Ah ah, you really … I swear in the name of Granny that there's something wrong with your head!" Belegar was angered by Laing's words. "I'll remember this! Brother Laing, just you wait! "
"We're both betting, King Belegar. Your kingdom and my kingdom." Laing raised his fist and bowed towards Belegar. "The rise or fall of the kingdom depends on this! Are you ready? My friend? "
"… …" Belegar put away his angry expression and stared at Laing.
After a while, a big fist bumped into Laing's fist. Belegar laughed loudly. "Hahaha, that's right. It all depends on this!"
"But it's different from before. This time, we can win, and we'll definitely win!"
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