King

"who?"

A cry of surprise frightened all the patrolling soldiers as if they were facing an enemy. One by one, they picked up the weapons in their hands and prepared for battle.

After a while, no movement was found, and the bearded captain said angrily: "Claire, what are you yelling about?

Do you know that the screaming at night can scare people to death? "

Claire, who was scolded, defended with an aggrieved look: "Captain, I didn't scream. I just saw two figures passing by, and they disappeared from sight!"

Upon hearing this explanation, the bearded captain's expression changed. In the ordinary world, you may suspect that you are seeing something wrong, but in the extraordinary world, when a figure passes by, it is completely possible.

Either an enemy master is passing by, or there is a real ghost. No matter what the situation is, it can pose a fatal threat to this patrol team.

"Don't think too much and continue patrolling!"

Although he said this, secretly he had decided to go back and report the news.

Make a mistake and your work will be in vain. If the enemy's master sneaks in, something big will happen.

The patrol team was lucky. The road was calm and nothing happened except for a few wolf howls in the distance.

When the bearded captain reported the news, there was already turmoil in the military camp, and the two patrol teams did not return to the camp on time.

This kind of accident has not happened before. But those were all sudden encounters with bad weather, which affected the patrol's speed of action, or they were attacked by wild beasts midway, which delayed time.

The situation now is obviously different. Not only did the team fail to return on time, but the distress signal was not even sent.

The officer on duty realized that something was wrong and immediately reported it to the superior, and soon it was reported to Hudson.

"Send the order to send out the Second Legion to conduct a comprehensive search within a radius of thirty miles. Please follow the actions of the people of the Enshrinement Regiment and be sure to find the missing soldiers!"

"yes!"

…

If anyone dares to go to his military camp and cause trouble, it is simply too late to cause trouble. Vaguely, Hudson felt something was wrong again.

Even if the orcs want to attack, they have to choose weak links to break through. What use can it do to recruit a few patrolling soldiers here?

Want a sneak attack?

It's not that Hudson is bragging, there is not a main force of orcs above a legion, and they come here just to give him military exploits.

Tens of thousands of people want to sneak in, but that only exists in a dream. The coalition forces on the front line are not dead. No matter how blind they are, they will not let tens of thousands of enemy troops slip away.

Especially since there are air force patrols in the sky. On the vast prairie, tens of thousands of soldiers and horses have no place to hide.

From the beginning of the coalition's expedition to the present, the largest number of orcs who have successfully infiltrated was more than a thousand people.

And just when he was about to come out to cause trouble, his traces were accidentally exposed, and he was slaughtered by the coalition forces who came after hearing the news.

It was just a small force infiltrating, and Hudson was more willing to believe that these guys had gone the wrong way and accidentally bumped into his territory.

After taking a look at the route map of the grain transport team hanging in the camp, Hudson shook his head secretly.

For the sake of safety, each team transporting grain and fodder has at least one regiment of troops, and there is an air force patrol overhead.

Even if an orc team launches an attack, the nearby human coalition forces can come to support in time. At least the air force can arrive as soon as possible.

Unlike the griffin cavalry, the carrying capacity of the Yalong mount is obviously much higher. It's no big deal that two or three more people can sit on top of a flying dragon.

It is precisely because of this that the orc team that infiltrated did not dare to move at all during the day, and only came out at night.

Marching in the dark, it was difficult to find the target, let alone accurately figure out the opponent's strength.

Many times, the offensive is launched in a confused manner, and then the battle is ended in a confused manner.

Compared with the number of sneak attack teams sent by the orcs, the results achieved are really touching. Anyway, Hudson, the captain of the transportation team, has never felt pressure.

Realizing that something was wrong with the orcs, but not knowing what was wrong, Hudson could only order to strengthen the alert.

…

In Lutecia, with the Alpha Kingdom's request for help, controversy arose again in the Human Alliance Parliament.

Unlike in the past, this time it is not a matter of consent or disagreement. A full-scale war has broken out, and our own troops have gone to the front lines to fight. Support is necessary.

But when it comes to the specific number of experts that need to be sent, everyone has differences again.

If you want to clear a channel in the ocean, ordinary magicians are not even qualified to participate. Only a very small number of high-level magicians have this strength.

Due to the amount of work, if you want to complete the cleaning work in a short time, this technical work requires the cooperation of multiple high-level magicians.

It is much more difficult to ask these master mages to do hard work than to send them to the battlefield. Even if the leaders of the major forces take action in person, they can only offer kind words to persuade, or they may even get scolded.

No matter how difficult it was, it had to be solved. After rounds of quarrels, a preliminary consensus was finally reached. Just as they were preparing for in-depth communication, a new proposal from a representative of the Alpha Kingdom broke the tranquility of the venue.

"Asking for money" is much harder than asking for people. Everyone knows that war is a gold-swallowing behemoth, and the destruction of the Orc Empire is destined to be a protracted war.

Once the alliance takes over this burden, it will be held accountable to the end.

Ten million, twenty million, thirty million...these structures are too small. Without the expenditure of hundreds of millions of gold coins, it is impossible to complete this epic task.

Not to mention anything else, from the outbreak of the war to now, the total military expenditures of the Alpha Kingdom, the Principality of Moxi, the Kingdom of Warhammer, and the Principality of Alton alone has exceeded 100 million.

Before the war broke out, this was a number that no one could even imagine. But along with a war, it was squandered.

This number is equivalent to the entire population of the above four countries contributing two gold coins per capita to the war expenditure.

The actual proportion should be higher. Because of the war, the population of the four countries has dropped significantly, and the corresponding per capita share has also increased with the tide.

In order to raise funds, first the Principality of Moxi issued war bonds, then the Kingdom of Warhammer issued post-war reconstruction bonds, and then the Kingdom of Alpha issued war bonds.

The only Principality of Oton that did not borrow money on a large scale was because they spent too much time in the war and did not have time to spend their huge military expenditures.

"Count Predrag, didn't your country just issue a war bond? Why are you short of money again?"

Bishop Montezon asked suspiciously.

At the beginning of the year, bonds of more than 30 million gold coins were printed, and recently bonds of 20 million gold coins were issued. The Alpha Kingdom has surpassed the Principality of Moxi and has become a veritable debt king.

Although military expenditures are a bottomless pit, they can generally be estimated. It is obviously impossible to spend so much money at once.

“Your Excellency, our second tranche of bonds is unsaleable.

Perhaps we have reached the limit of the market, or perhaps the market is worried about our ability to repay. In short, there was no longer any enthusiasm for buying our war bonds.

At present, all our military expenditures come from the funds raised from the batch of bonds at the beginning of the year, and now two-thirds of it has been spent.

The market is rightly worried about our repayment ability. The orcs did not engage in a decisive battle with the coalition forces, but deliberately moved to the rear in an attempt to continue to resist.

If it continues like this, no one knows how long this war will last.

Everyone knows that the Alpha Kingdom has suffered heavy losses in this war, and its post-war financial revenue will most likely be cut in half.

If the kingdom's debt continues to expand without limit, it is very likely that in the end, we will not even be able to pay the interest on the funds! "

Count Predrag said without changing his expression.

It was a direct show of cards, Alpha Kingdom had financial problems. If the Alliance cannot lend a hand, it will be difficult for them to ensure the logistics of the frontline army for a long time.

Deep down in their hearts, everyone secretly calculated the financial accounts and looked at Count Predrag with sympathy.

The original idea that Alpha Kingdom would raise bond interest rates was abandoned in an instant.

Now it is not a matter of interest on funds. If the debt continues to increase and accumulate to the end, I am afraid that even the principal may not be recovered.

No money, just no money. Compared with the old deadbeats who refuse to repay their debts, debtors who really have no money are the most troublesome.

Apart from being nervous, there is peace of mind.

Judging from the responsible attitude shown by Alpha Kingdom, it is obvious that it is concerned about the debt issue and has no intention of ruining it.

As long as you respond proactively, there will be a solution. In particular, the Alpha Kingdom has recovered a large amount of lost territory. As long as its strength is restored, debt will no longer be a problem.

"Count Predrag, the Alpha Kingdom is the biggest beneficiary of this destruction of the Orc Empire. For the sake of fairness, you need to pay compensation to the Alliance.

Compared with the benefits your country can obtain, it is not too much for us to only ask your country to bear military expenses.

Now that your country has financial problems, you should actively take measures to solve them instead of shifting the responsibility to the alliance! "

Bishop Montesson said it with righteousness.

Originally, the Holy See was worried about how to suppress the Alpha Kingdom, but now that he could see his mortal enemy in financial crisis, he was too late to be happy, so how could he extend a hand to help.

"Your Excellency, we have taken measures and printed the bonds, but unfortunately they cannot be sold.

As we all know, the Holy See is the richest in the entire continent. If your Excellency, the Bishop, can subscribe for these war bonds on behalf of the Holy See, we will never trouble the Alliance! "

Count Predrag replied with a smile.

It is a fact that everyone knows that the Holy See is the richest in the world. But the main reason was the wealth of the former Holy See. It had been living beyond its means for hundreds of years, and its capital was almost depleted.

If it were not for making money, the Holy See would not have conflicts with governments of various countries. Half of the current notoriety is a legacy of history, and the other half is caused by conflicts of interest.

Judging from the income on paper alone, the Holy See's financial income is still the highest in the mainland. However, it is easy to go from frugality to luxury, but it is difficult to go from luxury to frugality.

The senior members of the Holy See are accustomed to the current luxurious life, and it would be the biggest heresy to want them to lower their living standards.

"snort!"

"This is sophistry! If your country raises bond interest rates..."

When the words came to his lips, Bishop Montezon swallowed them back. This is a paradox. If you follow the other party's preset routine, your answer will be wrong.

If the interest rate of a bond is low, it cannot be sold. If the interest rate is high, even the principal may not be preserved, and it becomes even more unsaleable.

Nowadays everyone is nostalgic for the good old days when the Moshes were selling war bonds. Not only is the interest rate high, but the repayment ability is guaranteed. Directly levy a repayment tax and forcibly distribute it to the nobles in the country.

The same operation cannot be replicated in the Alpha Kingdom.

If the Mossi people can bear it, then it will be a time when their country and family will be destroyed. If they do not accept it, their family will be destroyed. Even if it harms their own interests, the nobles can only hold their noses and admit it.

Now is the era of major counterattacks. Even if the war is forced to end early due to lack of money, the nobles of the Alpha Kingdom can accept it.

Under this background, if you want to cut flesh and blood from them for a long time, don't even think about it.

Anyway, ending the war early would be embarrassing for everyone. If the Human Alliance can afford to lose face, the Alpha Kingdom can also afford to lose face.

"Okay, you two. We are all fighting for the hegemony of the human race. There is no need to keep arguing over trivial matters.

The Alpha Kingdom has financial problems and is unable to afford the high cost of war. This is a practical problem that urgently needs to be solved.

But the war will continue. All races on the mainland are looking at us. If it ends in such a dismal manner, how can the human race's dominance be stabilized?

As for the problem of war funding gap, the Alpha Kingdom also proposed three solutions. In addition to the first two, the other one is to auction the land of the orc prairie.

Don't refuse in a hurry, the natural conditions of the orc prairie are still relatively good. As long as there is no threat from the orcs, it can also become fertile soil.

Even if we don’t need this land, there are still future generations who do. If you miss this opportunity, it will be difficult to obtain so much high-quality land in the future! "

Charles III worked hard to sell it.

It's a pity that the representatives present are all old foxes. No matter how he deceives, everyone will remain motionless.

Regardless of the potential development value, the current orc prairie is just a piece of white land.

If you want to develop it, you don’t know how much resources you need to invest. The income is only enough to arrange for a few descendants, and there is no substantial improvement for the entire family.

These are all lessons learned in blood. How many of the nobles who were deceived by the Alpha Kingdom to move north and take root now are still left?

After suffering a loss once, I want to do it a second time. It is a pity that everyone has learned their lesson and is not interested in the painted pie.

The situation was immediately silenced, and there was nothing Charles III could do. Everyone was unwilling to invest large amounts of resources in the orc prairie, and he himself was also unwilling to invest heavily in the north.

Large investment and long return period are only one factor. What worries him the most is the safety issue. The orcs have retreated all the way and will not fight the coalition forces at all.

Once the five orc royal families successfully evacuate from the prairie, the difficulty level will increase several times if they want to destroy them.

"This matter is so big that we can't decide at the moment. I think it's better to put it on hold and wait until the war is over to discuss it again.

Regarding the war funding gap, the Alliance will subsidize part of it, and the remaining funding gap will be raised by the Alpha Kingdom itself. Everyone contributed and bought the war bonds they issued first.

The interest rate is lower, just lower. Who makes us all allies?

When it comes to the hegemony of the human race, we can't settle these small accounts! "

Count Djordjevich opened his mouth to smooth things over.

Although I want to see a joke about Charles III, in the current situation, the overall situation must be put first.

As the second largest kingdom of the human race, Ilibia is also a beneficiary of the continental hegemony system.

Compared with its own practical interests, the emotional dispute with the Frankish Kingdom is not worth mentioning at all.

Although no party is very satisfied with the almost muddled solution, it is still a solution that everyone can reluctantly accept.

Except for a few poor guys who were also victims of the war, the remaining representatives of the major forces finally chose to accept it after whispering among themselves.

Tens of millions of gold coins is an astronomical sum for any country. When it was broken down and divided among hundreds of forces, the numbers suddenly became acceptable.

Especially since the money is still lent and can be recovered in the future. It's nothing more than a rate of return, which is so low that it makes people speechless.

That's right, Alpha Kingdom's war bond rates are down again. A few days ago, the annual interest rate was four percent, but by the time it was submitted to the alliance meeting, it had dropped to one percent.

With a long repayment period of twenty years and an annual interest rate of one percent, it’s no wonder that no one cares about it.

Looking at the pitiful interest income, perhaps feeling that he had lost points in his previous performance, Charles III waved his hand and said proudly:

"It's all for the hegemony of the human race. We will not charge interest on the 1.8 million war bonds subscribed by the Frankish Kingdom this time!"

The annual income of only 18,000 gold coins is equivalent to the income of a wealthy barony, which is really not in the eyes of Charles III.

At a small and convenient price, you can gain a good reputation for yourself, and at the same time, you can also get closer to the Alpha Kingdom. No matter how you look at it, it's not a loss.

"The Frankish Kingdom is so righteous, and Iliba cannot be ambiguous. The interest on our 1.5 million bonds should also be waived!"

Count Djordjevic said with a smile.

The loser does not lose the formation. As the second kingdom on the mainland, it has always been in competition with the Frankish Kingdom and cannot lose in terms of momentum.

The big guys have made a good start, and now it’s time to test national relations. In the blink of an eye, dozens of forces with good relations with the Alpha Kingdom expressed their willingness to give up interest income.

Bishop Montesson, who was just enjoying the melons and watching the fun, suddenly noticed something was wrong with the way everyone looked at him, and instantly realized that the situation was not good.

"Tricked again!"

Realizing this, Bishop Montesson immediately greeted the whole family of Charles III deep in his heart.

As a religious organization, the Holy See should have taken the lead in building reputation.

Unfortunately, his grievances with the Alpha Kingdom affected his judgment and he missed the best opportunity.

Not to mention being robbed by Charles III, he was also captured by a number of mainland countries. No matter what choice he makes now, he will inevitably be criticized.

No wonder everyone cooperated so actively. I originally thought that the Alpha Kingdom had attacked, but I didn't expect that they came for the Holy See.

Using Wan'er and eight thousand gold coins in exchange for an opportunity to undermine the prestige of the Holy See is a bloody gain no matter how you look at it.