Marlin Castle, Temple University, Central, Palace Complex.
The Palace Complex was the core of Marlin Castle. It was also where the brain and heart were located. Generations of Marlin Castle leaders worked and lived here. The earliest area here could be traced back to when the Judon Kingdom was still ruling over this place. At least, the foundation of the Palace Complex was laid during that era.
After that, Marlin Castle experienced many wars. The plundering of Northka, the civil war of the Empire, the invasion of the Brittany, and then the era of the Three Emperors. The wars had affected Marlin Castle many times. The Palace Complex was burned down and rebuilt again. Marlin Castle was that stubborn.
The last time an enemy attacked here was 700 years ago. It was the invading army from Brittany. The famous Brittany Knight King, Louis the Brave. This Knight King broke into Marlin Castle and plundered a large amount of wealth. He also burned the entire Palace Complex to ashes and announced that Marlin Castle belonged to the Brittany.
Therefore, sometimes one could not think that Brittany knights would always fight for justice. Most of the time, they were just bound by the rules of the knight and lacked an excuse. The plundering of these knights during the expedition to Araby was very brutal. It was the same for the massacre and plundering of the Green Dwarfs and Skaven Ratmen during the expedition to Eight Peaks Mountain that had just ended.
Of course, the King of Knights, Louis the Brave, had to pay for his foolishness. The actions of this King of Knights had obviously destroyed the overall situation of the resistance and the Old World's human alliance, which had incurred the wrath of the Lake Nymphs. Not long after the Britanians occupied the city, the Lake Nymphs led the Knights of the Holy Grail to depose Louis the Brave from his position as the King of Knights and return Marienburg to the Empire. This King of Knights met a tragic end. The Holy Knight who had committed a grave mistake was stripped of all his titles and exiled to a prison island outside Marienburg that was only about a hundred square kilometers in size. He spent the rest of his life there as a warden.
As the official center of Marlin Castle, countless wealthy merchants, nobles, and generals squandered money here like water. This was a demonstration of the city's success. Many of the government buildings were architectural treasures. Students came from the faraway Araby to study the works of the greatest architects on the continent. Similarly, security was also an important issue. The Marlinburg Councilors were willing to pay any price for this. They spent a lot of money to build an inner city made of marble and granite. Four sturdy towers guarded the roads, and the only gate through the city wall was custom-made from Eternity Peak. It was forged with magic runes and hard steel.
Currently, the guards guarding the palace area were Duke Schultz's private guards, the Iris Flower Guards. At the same time, there were also the elite vanguard cavalry of Marlin Castle, the Border Patrol. These two troops were ready to use halberds, swords, and muskets to eliminate any invaders.
In the extravagant palace, a grand banquet was held today to welcome the Brittany Knight King and the commander of the Ashes Army. All the business celebrities, nobles, artists, and mercenaries of Marlin Castle were present. Everyone sang to their heart's content, drank to their hearts' content, and gathered together.
At this moment, no matter how many conflicts and unhappiness there were before, at least on this occasion, everyone seemed to be harmonious on the surface, talking and laughing. For the whole banquet, there was no doubt that the most dazzling person was Suria, the wife of the Knight King. Today, Laing intended to let his wife be in the limelight, and Suria completed this task very well.
But this was not the focus of today's banquet.
The banquet ended quickly because Laing clearly said that it was best not to have a banquet that "lasted until morning". So, the banquet ended in only three hours. At the end of the banquet, Viscount Casanova, the president of the second largest Chamber of Commerce in Marlin Castle, suddenly walked in front of Laing and Suria. He said with a smile, "His Majesty Laing, Queen Suria, it's not easy for you to have time to come to Marlin Castle. I really didn't find a chance to properly entertain you. How about this, I've prepared some wine and some gifts. Can you find a place to have a drink together? Or I've also prepared some good tea from Aurora. "
"Hehe." Laing held Suria's little hand. The Knight King did not have a good impression of Viscount Casanova. Obviously, he was an opportunist. But in any case, he managed to hire and send the legendary duo of Gao Cuike and Felix to Laing at the critical moment, playing a decisive role in the Eight Peaks Mountain Expedition at the critical moment. This bit of respect had to be given.
However, Laing was different from before. He did not immediately agree. Instead, he smiled at Suria and said, "What do you think? My lady? I said that I'll listen to you for the next few days. "
A look of surprise flashed across Suria's beautiful and delicate oval face. The female knight did not expect Laing to really let her make the decision. For a moment, she was a little hesitant.
The Knight King was wearing a full set of mocha black and white lamplight arisaema dresses today. Because it was midsummer, Suria chose a low-cut mermaid dress that revealed her cleavage and delicate skin. A crocodile skin belt outlined Suria's beautiful figure.
In order to maintain dignity and politeness, Suria wore a pair of flesh-colored ultra-thin velvet pantyhose today. This kind of handmade pantyhose was really as thin as a cicada's wing. If one did not get close to it, one would not be able to see it. The long, slender legs of the pantyhose looked even more smooth and attractive under the light. The color gradually changed along the beautiful curves of the female knight's long legs, hazy and dreamy.
Suria's soft, bright golden curly hair hung down from her ears. Delicate light makeup and beautiful face made Suria look like a queen and graceful temperament. It was the perfect combination of nobility and beauty. It was a moving beauty that belonged only to Suria.
Viscount Casanova looked at the Knight King unnaturally. He thought to himself that it was no wonder that Casanova the Casanova would have such thoughts. As the second richest merchant in Marlin Castle, he had countless concubines, but he had never seen a woman comparable to the beauty of the Knight King.
Of course, as the prince of the business world, he was just thinking about it casually. He controlled his expression and made a warm invitation. "My queen, Sir Leon and I have known each other for more than ten years. We can be considered friends. Since we are friends, we need to spend a lot of time together. Otherwise, it will be easy for us to become estranged. Don't you agree? Also, I would like to introduce a few friends to you. "
"Alright then." Suria saw Laing's encouraging gaze and finally agreed.
Casanova's "small gift" was not empty talk. He had come prepared. He had prepared a set of high-end High Elf cosmetics in advance, as well as a necklace made by a jewelry craftsman in Marlin Castle. It was inlaid with emeralds, sapphires, and rubies. It was colorful and dazzling.
As Laing's queen, Suria had seen all kinds of treasures. She knew that Casanova must have something important to ask of Laing. Therefore, the queen did not refuse and accepted it calmly. "You're overthinking, Your Excellency Casanova."
Laing nodded with a smile. Then, Casanova led Laing and the others to the pavilion in the middle of the lake in the garden. It faced the water on three sides and was the best place to discuss matters.
To their surprise, Laing saw the Aurora Empire's ambassador to the Old World and Aurora's tycoon, Lord Li.
Lord Li looked a little old. He was wearing a full set of Aurora's official robes, a red lapis lazuli crown, and a single-eyed flower plume. He was wearing a yellow mandarin jacket with a silk patch embroidered with mandarin ducks. He wore a pair of black-rimmed glasses, but his hair was not braided. He smiled at Laing and said, "I've long heard of Knight King's name. It's an honor to meet you today."
"Hello, Lord Li." Laing only greeted him, and the few of them sat down. Casanova looked at Laing and felt a little emotional. Back when Laing had just arrived at Marlin Castle, he could only be considered a potential asset and a second-tier character in Marlin Castle. Casanova, on the other hand, was the second-ranked merchant in Marlin Castle. Although he was polite to Laing, he still felt that there were many such people in the Old World.
But now, Laing was already the Knight King, one of the top leaders in the Old World. After returning from the Eight Peaks Mountain Expedition, his power was overwhelming, and his status was unattainable. Even the most arrogant ambassador of Marlin Castle had to obediently address him as' His Majesty 'in front of Laing.
It felt like a lifetime had passed. Viscount Casanova was a little absent-minded. After the few of them sat down, he quickly gestured for the maid to bring over a fruit plate. The fruits were dry and wet. In addition, the expensive Aurora tea leaves were also served, and the maid began to brew tea.
A few minutes later, the fragrance of the tea filled the air.
Laing picked up the teacup, smelled the familiar scent, and looked at the color of the green tea. He closed his eyes and tasted it carefully. "Good tea."
"Hehehe, these are high-quality tea leaves sent from Aurora," Casanova said with a smile. "This time, I managed to get two boxes from the trade with the people of Aurora. If Your Majesty likes it, you can take one box with you when you leave."
"Then I'll thank Your Excellency Viscount first. Your Excellency Viscount first helped me and then gave me something. This is really not a small favor." Laing held the teacup and said with a smile, "I really don't know how to thank you."
"It's not a thank you." Viscount Casanova smiled bitterly. "But I'm just worried that I might not be able to drink such good tea in the future. Aurora's tea leaves and silk are really rare."
Laing and Suria looked at each other. Laing winked at Suria. Suria asked with tacit understanding, "How can that be? Viscount Casanova, I think you don't have to worry about this, right? Your help to us, the knights, and the dwarves will remember it in our hearts. "
"Hahaha, indeed." Casanova laughed proudly. Changing the formation at the critical moment was the thing he was most proud of recently. "To be praised by Your Majesty, I, Casanova, am very honored."
Casanova's smile faded. "But this time, I have to say that Hugmans, Becker, Claude, and I are all in the same boat. Even Duke Schulz is in the same boat."
"…" Suria immediately realized something. The female knight subconsciously turned her head to look at her husband, only to see Laing put down the teacup and motioned for Casanova to continue.
"I'm sure His Majesty Laing and Queen Suria already know the dwarves' conditions," Casanova said sincerely. Casanova said sincerely, "Thirty-eight thousand dwarven gold coins, not a single coin less, and only three more days."
"Let's not talk about whether or not the senate of Marlin Castle can gather 38,000 dwarven gold coins in a short period of time. Even if the dwarven gold coins that the dwarves want, we don't have that many." Viscount Casanova said to Laing and Suria, "His Majesty Laing, Madam Suria, you must know how much dwarven gold coins have risen in the market recently."
The huge impact of the Eight Peaks Mountain expedition was that a large number of dwarven gold coins flowed from Brittany into the market of the Old World. The original exchange rate of 1: 2.5 to 1: 3 of the dwarven gold coins had fluctuated violently.
Then, did the large number of dwarven gold coins flowing into the market cause the exchange rate to fall?
No, it did not. Instead, it rose sharply.
The core reason was that the dwarven gold coins themselves were very valuable. The gold coins forged by the dwarves were of good quality, high gold content, exquisite in shape, and durable. They were the hard currency of the Old World. As everyone knew, the gold coins of the human countries were more or less watered down. If they were really melted down, the value would not be that high. Moreover, private coinage was not prohibited. Many profiteers would deliberately grind off the edges of legal coins to find ways to obtain precious metals.
Under such circumstances, bad money drove out good money. Everyone rushed to exchange dwarven gold coins as a way to preserve their value. Marlinburg and the banks of the Old World also rushed to exchange dwarven gold coins as reserves and deposits. When a large number of dwarven gold coins entered the market, dwarven gold coins were sought after by everyone. The exchange rate kept rising. Now, the exchange rate of dwarven gold coins to Empire gold marks had risen to 1: 3.5.
"To put it simply, Hugmans and the others are already overwhelmed." Casanova sighed. "They are now gathering the army and preparing to counterattack."
"That's impossible." Laing sneered. "My Viscount, since ancient times, only farmers rebelled. I've never heard of merchants turning the sky upside down!"
"Hahaha, His Majesty Laing really knows us businessmen very well." Casanova continued to smile bitterly. "How about this, I'll also make it clear. After Hugmans and the others heard the dwarves' conditions, they said that they would never accept it. They would rather spend 150,000 gold marks to hire all the troops of the Old World, and even use this money to bribe the High Elves, than teach it to those mustaches."
"They are destined to fail." Laing shook his head. "The Empire Parliament and Emperor Karl-franz have already convened the Empire Parliament because of this matter. Fourteen of the fifteen Kurfürsten have chosen to support the dwarves' decision to collect the debt. Only the Church of Magic has chosen to abstain. The High Elves will definitely not participate in this matter. As for us, if the Judon Chamber of Commerce wants to go to war, then we will accompany them? Does President Hugmans and the others think that they are a match for my Old Guard? "
"Yes, Your Majesty, the Judon Chamber of Commerce is destined to be no match for you. But if a war really breaks out, Marlin Castle will definitely be engulfed in the flames of war." At this time, Aurora's ambassador, Baron Li, finally spoke. He had a benevolent expression and said in a very friendly tone, "When the time comes, Marlin Castle will be forced into a long period of closure because of the war. Temporary commercial activities and the port will also be affected by the flames of war. The trade of the Brittany here will also be affected!"
"Are you guys pleading for mercy?" Suria grabbed Laing's hand. The female knight said with interest, "For them?"
"For ourselves," Casanova said with a smile. He said sincerely, "The Judon Chamber of Commerce is not just a chamber of commerce. His Majesty Laing Van Hugmans is a descendant of the Judon royal family. He has an elite private army in his hands, and they are also protected by the Empire. He has a bit of the pride of the royal family. If we push him too far, His Majesty Laing Van Hugmans will take the lead and fight with his life. If Marlin Castle really breaks out into a war, not only will we not want to see that, but it will also be difficult to explain to Grand Duke Schultz. Madam Suria, His Majesty Laing Van Hugmans, you are friends of Grand Duke Schultz. I'm sure you don't want to put Grand Duke Schultz in a difficult position, right?"
"No one wants things to turn out like this," Aurora's ambassador, Baron Li, also said with a smile, "What's the point of plucking a melon from the underworld?"
"Hehehehe ~" Clayon chuckled. He thought to himself that the bourgeoisie indeed had their unique weakness.
To put it simply, fighting with his life was fake, but admitting defeat was real. The princes of the business world were talking about conditions. First, they put on a tough stance, then they would talk about peace.
Well, Laing's side was actually not prepared to use force. Moreover, if force was used, the consequences would not be easy to solve.
No matter what, Marlin Castle was still a legal territory of the Empire.
And Tegris was almost here.
"His Majesty Laing Van Hugmans, it's not that we don't want to give you the money. Can you talk to the dwarves and delay it a little? Also, reduce the amount appropriately? " Lord Li chuckled as he served tea to Clayon. He even gave him some Aurora pastries. "As for us, let's all come up with a solution. Harmony breeds wealth."
"How long is' a little '? Also, how much do you mean by 'reduce the amount appropriately'? " Laing held Suria's little hand and asked casually, "I need a specific number. Otherwise, I can't say it to the dwarves."
"That's good." Viscount Casanova nodded and breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. Although the dwarves were not targeting him, if they really fought, his business would also be affected. From this point of view, his interests and those of the merchants of Marlin Castle were bound together.
"Do you think we can do this …"
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