The arrival of the goddess greatly boosted the morale of the expeditionary army. The knights and soldiers could now feel that the goddess was with them. Their expedition had won the attention of the goddess.
What did this mean? This meant that this war had gone beyond the realm of mortals. This war had become a war of the gods. The expeditionary army realized that every war they fought would be watched by the goddess of the lake and the goddess of the dwarves. This boosted the morale of the expeditionary army, which had suffered a lot of casualties. They could not wait to go all out.
However, Bellegar and Laing remained calm about the war. They knew that the army needed to rest, and the dwarven rune craftsmen also needed time to repair and modify the ancestral armor. Therefore, the expeditionary army was still resting in the main shrine of Valaya. The dwarven rangers and the Grail knights formed two small teams to explore the underground network in the direction of the Eight Peaks Mountain again. Once again, they confirmed that the green dwarfs and the Skaven ratmen did not find the underground network.
The goddess of the lake did not leave immediately. She simply lived in Laing's red, blue, and golden tent, forming a co-governing relationship with Laing. They negotiated and dealt with internal affairs together, and occasionally met with outsiders. Many knights wandered back and forth in the king's tent all day long, wanting to get revelations and oracles. However, the goddess of the lake rarely appeared in front of everyone, and basically did not talk to knights below the rank of Grail knights or barons.
In addition to the Old Guard, this iron army formed by Laing was favored by the goddess. Not only did she meet the officers of the Old Guard three times, but she also gave the Old Guard her own pattern of golden irises and the flower crown of the goddess of the lake. She blessed the flag of the Old Guard, and personally promoted one hundred serf footmen who had made great achievements in the Gate of Valaya to the Old Guard.
The Goddess's actions made many of the knights jealous. They were also fighting with their lives on the line! Why did the goddess not want to see them?!
Fortunately, the fighting strength of the old guards had been recognized and affirmed by the old knights through a series of battles. This iron army was basically made up of Brittanians, so the old knights would not vent their anger on them. They could only say a few words of jealousy, complaining that they did not have a chance to perform, and swearing that they would definitely win glory and make contributions in the next battle.
It was worth mentioning that a Grail Knight and an Expeditionary Knight had reached the Sanctuary-level in this war. They were Sir Julien Cahon from the Duchy of Bastogne and Sir Toulas de Schangers from Lyonnaise. The Lady of the Lake immediately gave Sir Toulas, who was still an Expeditionary Knight, the right to drink the liquid from the Grail. Through some connections, she made Sir Julien and Sir Toulas, who were originally in charge of guarding a sacred place, become subordinates of Laing.
Laing immediately made Sir Julien Cahon the new Earl of Rennes, who was in charge of the important town of Rennes in the north of Musillon (ceded by Lyonnaise). He also made Sir Toulas the new Baron of Loire, who was in charge of the Loire Castle and the nearby lands. He was in charge of guarding the border of Musillon near the Forest of Arden.
A series of personnel changes followed. Now, Durant had taken over the position of the Black Heart Reaper and was in charge of commanding the Brittany Independent Regiment, which had been reduced to about two hundred men. Durant was also officially in charge of Reaper's sword, the Blood of the Brave Warrior. Laing also promised to help the Independent Regiment in the future, provide him with the best weapons and sufficient ammunition, and continue to support him. He would also find an opportunity to make Durant a new Baron of the border, but the prerequisite was that the Eight Peaks Mountain expedition was successful.
Durant never thought that such a big pie would fall from the sky. This mercenary leader's initial sadness was quickly overwhelmed by ecstasy. He could only force himself to endure, laughing and crying at the same time. He looked very funny, which attracted the disdain of many female witches. Laing understood his mentality, so he didn't say anything.
After Astaire died in battle, another half-elf, Dais, took over the position of commander of the rangers. However, Laing wasn't very familiar with this half-elf, so he hastily ended the appointment. The position of battalion commander of the Old Guard, Amedes, was taken over by the Legendary-ranked Raymond. The other commander of the longbow company, Deniz, was naturally taken over. In the future, the children of these two Old Guard would automatically receive the status of reserve soldiers and enjoy basic education.
That night, in the inner room of King Laing's golden-roofed red and blue tent.
Thick animal skins and blankets covered the floor. On the chair in front of the office desk, the Lake Fairy sat directly on Laing's lap, one hand wrapped around his neck, and gently fed him grapes.
This was what the Lake Fairy wanted Laing to agree to. It was a real benefit. Laing pretended to get a favor from the Lake Fairy for half a day, but in the end, it was for this kind of thing. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but the Goddess was so considerate. The Knight King felt warm in his heart.
Looking at Laing's appearance, the Lake Fairy couldn't help but feel proud. This guy Laing was obviously still too inexperienced. When she used her methods, he was still completely under her control.
These high-quality grapes were planted in the valley of the Lake Fairy's tower, cultivated by the Goddess herself. The Lake Fairy brought these precious fruits from afar for Laing to enjoy. Don't underestimate this plate of grapes. The expeditionary commanders hadn't tasted fresh fruits for a long time, and the supplies were also dried fruits.
The Lake Fairy was still wearing the light and flawless white crystal knee-length silk dress that she wore during the parade. She nestled in Laing's arms with a blissful face and put the grapes into his mouth. Her pair of beautiful black silk legs swayed back and forth, and her high heels were hooked on the tips of her feet, exuding the fragrance of irises. The Goddess obviously enjoyed this beautiful moment very much. She said excitedly, "Your Old Guard also calls you Ula?"
"The whole old world, except for the southern countries, calls you Ula. This is the ancient language of the Thuringians, the Bretons, and Mrs. Kiesler. The specific meaning is no longer known, but they all express the same kind of passionate emotion." Laing hugged the Goddess and said with a smile, "When Charlemagne established the Empire, Ula was designated as the official battle cry of the Empire by the White Wolf War God Yurick. However, later on, people gradually realized that shouting the name of the god of faith had a small chance of attracting the god's attention. It could also give the god emotional energy, so Ula was gradually abandoned. Until now, only Mrs. Kiesler still insists on everyone shouting it."
"You can also let the Old Guard call me by my god's name." The Goddess in the Lake's green eyes looked around. She said with a bit of blame, "It's not like I don't give them blessings."
Due to the success of Laing's reform and his series of victories, the Goddess in the Lake's divine power had reached the peak in hundreds of years. With the fanaticism of the people, the skyrocketing tithe income, the development and recovery of new territories, she was now strong enough to challenge the three main elven gods.
"Next time, definitely next time." Laing thought to himself that the Goddess in the Lake wanted to reach into the Old Guard again. He looked at the Goddess in the Lake's beautiful face and couldn't help but be moved. He lowered his head and kissed the Goddess in the Lake's pale pink lips a few times. He secretly changed the topic. "Lilith, why are you wearing black silk stockings today? They don't match your clothes and jewelry. "
"I never wore silk stockings before," the Goddess in the Lake said with a bit of annoyance. "It's because you like it!"
"But your clothes match the white silk stockings better." Laing reached out and brushed the Goddess' calf wrapped in black silk stockings, then lowered his head and gently kissed her delicate stocking feet.
"You said it, blond hair is precious, black silk is more expensive, if it's for Suria … Now you're blaming me?" The Goddess in the Lake was unhappy. "Then I won't wear it anymore."
"Don't." Laing smiled and hugged the Goddess in the Lake's slender waist. "As long as it's you wearing it, I like it. You don't have to be so deliberate in the future. You can wear it however you like, because it looks good in any way."
"Do you treat Suria like this too?" The Goddess in the Lake was happy to hear that. "So … good at talking?"
"Occasionally, occasionally, don't you know?" Laing thought to himself. Don't you peek at me all day long?
"You have to treat me like how you treat Suria! Don't forget, I'm also little Devenhill's mother! "
"Lilith, have you ever fulfilled your responsibility as a mother?"
"Why not?"
In the Leyline Network, in the king's golden tent in the main shrine of Valaya, where day and night were unknown, there was a different kind of fun.
… I'm the section dividing line that has a different kind of fun …
Just as the expedition army was resting in the main shrine of Valaya in the Leyline Network, the news that the Eight Peaks Mountain expeditionary army had lost contact and their whereabouts were unknown had spread throughout the old world.
The dwarves of Haimen Pass and the expeditionary army guarding the armory were in a dilemma. The four thousand soldiers guarding the armory did not know whether they should try to support the expeditionary army or retreat to seek help. If they tried to support, they might not return, but if they retreated, they would abandon their allies.
The king of Haimen Pass, Bernov, was also hesitating whether he should send troops to the mountains to find the whereabouts of the expeditionary army. But both the dwarves and the soldiers guarding Haimen Pass had a certain degree of confidence in the expeditionary army. They firmly believed that the expeditionary army would not be wiped out so easily.
The Empire's first reaction after hearing the news was to frown. Karl-franz did not have enough troops to carry out a great expedition. The Empire's emperor was worried that something had happened to Laing. It was not easy for the Empire to reach an alliance and a relatively harmonious relationship with the Brittany on the other side of the mountain. If Laing was not there, would the Knight King continue this agreement?
In the end, Karl Franz called Marshal Rick, Kurt Helberg, and took three Rick Guards from the Rick Guards, with Rudolf Lichtenstein as the leader, to lead a group of pistol-wielding cavalry to Haimen Pass to gather information.
Brittania, on the other hand, did not believe it. After many years of war, Leon had built up absolute prestige in the kingdom, and the people had endless confidence in him. Everyone, from the nobles to the serfs, had enjoyed the benefits of this great expedition. No matter what, they did not believe that something had happened to the expeditionary army. They could only wait silently for new news.
However, the news of the disappearance of the expeditionary army and their whereabouts still affected the entire Old World from many places. All kinds of rumors spread, and the Bafeng Mountain bonds, which were originally selling smoothly, suddenly became like a plague. Many people who had bought Bafeng Mountain bonds were terrified when they heard the news, especially those who were timid. They immediately believed that the expeditionary army had been completely wiped out. Many people cursed that they should not have trusted the Brittany and began to sell the bonds in their hands, shouting that the expeditionary army was done for and that their money would never come back!
The market began to shake continuously. Not only could the Bafeng Mountain bonds not be sold, but the places that sold the bonds were also besieged by countless angry citizens. They raised banners, threw vegetables, cursed, and graffiti. Soon, except for the Brittany's bonds, all the places that sold Bafeng Mountain bonds in Marienburg and the Empire had to close down.
A group of people had been waiting for this news for a long time. When they heard that the expeditionary army had lost contact and their whereabouts were unknown, this group of people congratulated each other. It was as if they were celebrating the festival of the God of Wealth, Hendrik, or the holy day of the Lady of Wealth.
This group of people were the business princes of Marienburg.
The conflict between them and Laing and the Bafeng Mountain expeditionary army had been described many times, so there was no need to repeat it here.
Ever since the news of the expeditionary army's victories spread, the business princes of Marienburg felt as if they had been slapped in the face. They felt extremely uncomfortable. They could only watch as the Oliver Merchant Guild, Hadrian Merchant Guild, and the Estalian Merchant Guild frantically disposed of the spoils of war. They watched as the merchants made a lot of money. The rich profits and various sales channels brought by the great expedition had directly given birth to a new batch of wealthy merchants. Even the small peddlers who had followed the army all the way to Sea Gate Pass, Armory Castle, and Steel Cliff had made a lot of money.
And this group of business princes could only drool and envy.
And now, hehe, it was time for a counterattack!
At the same time when they received this news, Marienburg immediately began to stir up a storm of public opinion. Countless reports and all kinds of news emerged one after another. The business princes were the first to launch their counterattack. Many newspapers controlled by the merchants were madly printing and even distributing them everywhere. This allowed the news to spread quickly throughout the Old World.
"Shocking! The hard-earned money of the citizens is gone. He single-handedly created a shocking scam! "
"Shocking! In order to sell the national debt, the Knight King Kingdom actually did such a thing? "
"Counting the women close to King Laing. Where will they go after the failure of the expedition?"
"Of the ten failed expeditions of mankind, the Bafeng Mountain expedition is only ranked sixth. You will never imagine the first!"
"How to quickly sell the Bafeng Mountain national debt to reduce losses? Three ways. You'll regret it if you don't read it! "
"The current situation of the Bafeng Mountain expeditionary army. Men will fall silent and women will cry. If you don't read it, you're not from the Empire!"
"Too scary! The Bafeng Mountain national debt is facing a total collapse. The guards at Sea Gate Pass reveal shocking insider information! "
Anxiety and panic spread. The Bafeng Mountain national debt began to plunge on the market. Countless citizens tried to sell the national debt in their hands. Even if the price was reduced by half, they were still eager to sell it.
Now, in the 10th month, the weather was getting colder and colder. In a large hall on Amber Street in Marlin, the business princes of Marlin gathered together and laughed about how to make the Brittany queen fall into a desperate situation.
The rich merchants attending the meeting included Casanova, the chairman of the second largest Chamber of Commerce in Marlin, the chairman of the third largest Chamber of Commerce, the chairman of the Judon Chamber of Commerce, Van Hugmans, the leader of the underground organization in Marlin, the 'Romantic Guest' Adabelle Hensman, and the chairman of the fourth largest Chamber of Commerce, the Luxen Chamber of Commerce, Claude Junker, as well as more than ten other rich merchants gathered together.
The banquet was full of fine wine and beautiful women, as well as all kinds of rare delicacies from the old world. The rich merchants each had a beautiful woman in their arms and held wine glasses in their hands as they chatted loudly.
"What we need to do next is to short the national debt and then lead all the holders to run on the bonds. The first issue of the national debt is almost due. Let's do it in one go. Let's have everyone run on the bonds in one go." Van Hugmans, the chairman of the Judon Chamber of Commerce, said, "Remember, there are two main demands. First, only gold and silver coins will be accepted. Second, no delays will be accepted. We need to do it immediately, on the day itself. We must make the Brittany royal family bankrupt!"
"Hehe …" The Romantic Guest, Adabelle Hensman, laughed happily. "I will personally go to Gene City and meet Queen Suria. I am willing to spend money to form an expeditionary force to save her husband. Also, how can I loan the royal family a sum of money to tide over this crisis?"
"The prerequisite is that she has to have dinner with me."
"Hahahaha …" The atmosphere inside and outside the banquet was lively.
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
