The King

  Chapter 296 Kidnapped by righteousness

"Who?"

   With a cry of surprise, the patrolling soldiers were frightened as if they were facing an enemy. Picking up the weapons in their hands one by one, they are ready to fight.

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

  Do you know that the barking at night can scare people to death! "

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

  Hearing this explanation, the face of the bearded captain changed. In the ordinary world, you may suspect that you have misread it, but in the extraordinary world, it is completely possible to do it.

   Either the enemy masters passed by, or there were really ghosts. No matter what kind of situation it is, it can bring a fatal threat to this patrol team.

   "Don't think about it, keep patrolling!"

  Although he said so, secretly he has decided to go back and report the news.

   If you make a mistake, it will be a waste of work. If the enemy's master sneaks in, something big will happen.

  The patrol team was lucky, the weather was calm along the way, and nothing happened except for a few howling wolves in the distance.

  When the bearded captain reported the news, turmoil had already occurred in the barracks, and the two patrol teams did not return to the camp on time.

   This kind of accident has not happened before. But it was all because of sudden bad weather, which affected the speed of the patrol, or was attacked by wild animals halfway, which delayed the time.

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

  The officer on duty realized that something was wrong and immediately reported to Hudson.

   "Send an order to send out the Second Legion to conduct a comprehensive search within a radius of 30 miles. Please follow along with the enshrined regiment and find the missing soldiers!"

"Yes!"

  …

  Someone dared to go to his barracks to make troubles, it was like breaking ground on the head of Tai Sui. Vaguely, Hudson felt something was wrong again.

  Even if the orcs wanted to attack, they had to pick weak spots to break through. What's the use of running to him to get a few patrolling soldiers?

   Want to sneak attack?

   It’s not that Hudson is bragging, there is no main force of orcs with more than one legion, and coming here is to give him military exploits.

   Tens of thousands of horses 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 with the air force patrolling in the sky, on the vast prairie, tens of thousands of soldiers and horses have nowhere to hide.

  From the time when the coalition forces set off to the present, the number of orcs who successfully infiltrated the team at one time was more than a thousand.

   And just about to come out to do something, accidentally exposed his traces, and was slaughtered by the coalition forces who heard the news.

   It was just a small group of troops sneaking in, and Hudson was more willing to believe that these guys went the wrong way and accidentally bumped into his territory by mistake.

  Looking at the route map of the food delivery team hanging in the tent, Hudson shook his head secretly.

  For the sake of safety, each food **** team has at least one regiment of troops, and there is an air force patrolling overhead.

  Even if an orc squad 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.

  Different from Griffon Cavalry, the load capacity of Yalong mounts is obviously much higher. It is no problem to sit two or three more people on a flying dragon.

   It is precisely because of this that the infiltrated orc team dared not make any moves during the day, and only came out to move around at night.

   Marching in a dark environment, it is difficult to find the target, let alone accurately figure out the strength of the opponent.

  Many times, the offensive was launched in a daze, and then the battle was ended in a daze.

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

   Realizing that something was wrong with the orcs, but he didn't know what was wrong, Hudson could only order to strengthen his guard.

  …

  Lutetia, along with the Alpha Kingdom's request for help, another dispute broke out in the Human Race Alliance Council.

  Unlike in the past, this time it is not a dispute of consent or not. All-out war has broken out, and our own troops have gone to the front line to fight, and support is a must.

  But when it comes to the number of masters that need to be dispatched, everyone disagrees again.

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

  Due to the amount of work, to complete the cleaning work in a short period of time, this technical work requires the cooperation of several high-level magicians.

   It is much more difficult to invite these mage masters to do coolies than to send them to the battlefield. Even if the leaders of the major forces go out in person, they can only persuade them with good words, or they may be scolded.

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

   "Ask for money", this is much more difficult than asking for people. Everyone knows that war is a gold-swallowing behemoth, and it is destined to be a protracted war to destroy the orc empire.

  Once the alliance takes over this burden, it will be responsible for it to the end.

  10 million, 20 million, 30 million... These layouts are all small, without the expense 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 the present, the total military expenditure of the four kingdoms of Alpha Kingdom, Moxie Duchy, Warhammer Kingdom, and Orton Duchy has exceeded 100 million.

  Before the outbreak of the war, this was a number that no one could have imagined. But with a war, it was squandered like this.

  This number is equivalent to the entire population of the above four countries, and each person contributed two gold coins of war funds.

  The actual ratio should be higher. Because of the war, the population of the four countries has dropped significantly, and the corresponding per capita share has also risen accordingly.

  In order to raise funds, the Principality of Moxi first 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 Orton that has not borrowed on a large scale is because they have spent too much time in the war and have not had time to spend the huge military expenditure.

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

   Bishop Montesson asked suspiciously.

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

  Although the military expenditure is a bottomless pit, it can generally be estimated one or two. It is obviously impossible to spend so much money all at once.

   "Your Excellency, our second batch of bonds is slow to sell.

  Maybe we have reached the limit of the market, or maybe the market is worried about our repayment ability. In short, people are no longer enthusiastic about buying our war bonds.

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

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

   It has been dragging on 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 there is a high probability that its post-war financial revenue will be cut in half.

  If the kingdom's debts continue 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 face.

   There is a direct showdown, and the Alpha Kingdom has financial problems. If it is impossible for the alliance to reach out, it will be difficult for them to guarantee the logistics of the frontline army for a long time.

  Deep in their hearts, after secretly calculating an economic account, everyone looked at Earl Predrag with sympathy.

   Originally wanting the Alpha Kingdom to raise the bond interest rate, everyone dismissed it in an instant.

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

   No money, no money. Compared with Lao Lai who refuses to repay his debts, this kind of debtor who really has no money is the most troublesome.

  Being nervous, there is peace of mind.

   Judging from the responsible attitude shown by the Alpha Kingdom, it is obvious that they are concerned about the debt issue and have no intention of showing it to be bad.

  As long as you actively deal with it, there is a solution. In particular, the Alpha Kingdom has regained a lot of lost land. As long as it regains its vitality, debts will no longer be a problem.

   "Count Predrag, the Alpha Kingdom is the biggest beneficiary of the destruction of the Orc Empire. To be fair, you need to pay compensation to the Alliance.

  Compared to the benefits that your country can obtain, we only ask your country to bear military expenses, which is not too much.

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

  Master Monteson said righteously.

   Originally, the Holy See was worried about how to suppress the Alpha Kingdom, but now he was able to watch his rival fall into financial crisis, he was too happy, so how could he extend his hand.

   "Your Excellency, we have already taken measures. The bonds have been printed, but we can't sell them.

   As we all know, the wealth of the Holy See is the highest in the entire continent. If His Excellency the Bishop can represent the Holy See and subscribe for this batch of war bonds, we will never trouble the Alliance! "

   Count Predrag replied with a smile.

   It is a well-known fact that the Holy See is rich and powerful. However, the main reason is the wealth of the former Holy See. It has been living beyond its means for hundreds of years, and its old capital has been almost eaten up.

  If it weren't 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 financial revenue of the Holy See is still the highest in the mainland. However, it is easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality.

   All the senior officials of the Holy See are used to the current luxurious life. If you want them to lower their living standards, that is the biggest heresy.

"Humph!"

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

   As the words came to his lips, Bishop Montesson swallowed them back. This is a paradox. If you follow the other party's preset routine, no matter how you answer it, you will be wrong.

   Bonds cannot be sold if the interest rate is low, and if the interest rate is high, even the principal may not be kept, so it is even more difficult to sell.

   Now everyone misses the good old days when the Mosi were peddling war bonds. Not to mention the high interest rate, the repayment ability is still guaranteed. Directly levy a repayment tax and forcefully apportion it to the nobles in the country.

  The same operation cannot be copied in the Alpha Kingdom.

  Moxi people can bear it, it is the moment when the country is ruined and the family is destroyed. If they don't accept it, the 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 because of 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, you don't even think about it.

  Anyway, ending the war ahead of schedule, the embarrassment is everyone’s embarrassment. If the Terran Alliance can afford to lose people, the Alpha Kingdom can also not care about face.

   "Okay, both of you. Everyone is for the supremacy of the human race. There is no need to quarrel over trivial matters.

  The Alpha Kingdom has financial problems and is unable to afford the high war expenses. This is a realistic problem that urgently needs to be resolved.

   But the war will continue. All races in the mainland are looking at us, if it ends in such a dismal situation, how can the dominance of the human race be stabilized?

   As for the shortage of war funds, the Alpha Kingdom also proposed three solutions. In addition to the first two, there is another one that is to auction the land of the orc prairie.

   Don't rush to refuse, the natural conditions of the orc prairie are relatively good. As long as there is no threat of orcs, it can also become fertile ground.

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

  Charles III tried his best to sell.

  It's a pity that the representatives present are all old foxes, no matter how much he fools around, everyone will not move like a mountain.

   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 benefit is only to be able to arrange for a few younger generations, for the whole family, there is no substantial improvement.

   It's all a lesson of blood. How many nobles are left now that were fooled by the Alpha Kingdom to take root in the north?

   I have suffered a loss once, and I want to come a second time. It's a pity that everyone has learned their lesson and is not interested in the big cakes drawn.

   The scene was left cold, and Charles III was helpless. Everyone is unwilling to invest a large amount of resources in the orc prairie, and he himself is also unwilling to spend money in the north.

  Large investment and long return period are only one factor. What worries him the most is the safety issue. The orcs all retreated all the way and never fought a decisive battle with the coalition forces.

  Once the five royal families of the orcs successfully evacuated from the prairie, the difficulty of destroying them suddenly increased several times.

   "This is a big matter, and everyone can't decide for a while. I think it's better to put it on hold and discuss it after the war is over.

   As for 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 contributes to buy the war bonds issued by them first.

   The lower the interest rate, the lower it is, who made us all allies?

   It's about the hegemony of the human race, and we can't count these small accounts! "

   Count Djortevich opened his mouth to smooth things over.

  Although I want to see Charles III's jokes, the current situation must focus on the overall situation.

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

  Compared with their own real interests, the little emotional dispute with the Frankish Kingdom is not worth mentioning at all.

  A solution that is close to muddy, although all parties are not very satisfied, it is also a solution that everyone can reluctantly accept.

   Except for a few poor ghosts who were also victims of the war, the representatives of the remaining major forces finally chose to accept after whispering to each other.

   Tens of millions of gold coins are an astronomical sum for any country. After dismantling and sharing among hundreds of forces, the numbers suddenly became acceptable.

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

   That’s right, the Alpha Kingdom’s war bond rates have dropped again. A few days ago, there was still an annual interest rate of 4%, but by the time it was submitted to the alliance meeting, it had dropped to 1%.

  The super-long repayment period of 20 years, coupled with the 1% annual interest rate, no wonder no one cares about it.

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

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

  The income of a mere 18,000 gold coins per year is equivalent to the income of a wealthy baronie, which is really not in the eyes of Charles III.

   With a small price that is not costly, I can exchange for a good reputation for myself, and by the way, I can also shorten the relationship with the Alpha Kingdom. No matter how you look at it, it is not a loss.

   "The Frankish Kingdom is so righteous, and Iberia can't be ambiguous. The interest on our 1.5 million bonds should also be waived!"

   Count Djortevich said with a smile.

   Losing is not losing. As the second kingdom on the mainland, it has always competed with the Frankish kingdom, and it cannot lose in terms of momentum.

  The bosses have made a good start, and the next step is to test the relationship between countries. In the blink of an eye, dozens of forces that have a good relationship with the Alpha Kingdom expressed their willingness to give up interest income.

   Bishop Montesson, who was just eating melons and watching the excitement, suddenly found that the eyes of the people looking at him were not right, and instantly realized that the situation was not good.

   "I was cheated again!"

   Realizing this, Bishop Montesson immediately greeted Charles III's family deep in his heart.

  As a religious organization, the Holy See should have taken the lead in this kind of prestige.

  Unfortunately, because of the grievances with the Alpha Kingdom, it affected his judgment and missed the best opportunity.

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

   It’s no wonder everyone cooperated so actively. At first, they thought that the Alpha Kingdom had solved the problem, but they didn’t expect that they were here for the Holy See.

  Exchanging the price of 8,000 gold coins for a chance to attack the prestige of the Holy See, no matter how you look at it, it is blood money.

  (end of this chapter)