When the Sea God Fleet arrived in Estalia, Ryan had already received news about how the merchants of Marienburg were resisting the Eight Peaks Mountain war bonds and secretly undermining his expedition. He also heard Schultz's magical voice transmission, reading aloud the *Manann Times* article titled *Belega = Failure Expert?*
Ryan merely responded with a cold laugh. He knew all too well that the merchant princes of Marienburg wouldn't let him smoothly issue war bonds. As Schultz had warned, they sought to control Ryan's court through massive loans, sucking him dry while using his military strength to safeguard their interests. These cunning individuals knew how to operate within the rules, and even Schultz couldn't do much about them.
Unfortunately, Ryan needed money. The great expedition required funds. Industrializing Mousilon required money. Canal construction needed funding. Reclaiming new lands and upgrading the army's equipment also cost money. The vast wealth given to him by the Blood Dragon Ancestor was already two-thirds spent, and the remaining third was making Sulia extremely anxious. Ryan understood that he had to keep enough cash flow on hand.
Thus, borrowing money for war was inevitable.
The question was, where would this money come from?
He couldn't rely on Emperor Karl Franz and his court. The Empire was perpetually embroiled in wars on all fronts, with hidden dangers lurking within its vast territories. Furthermore, Ryan had just signed the *Imperial-Bretonnian Friendship and Mutual Assistance Treaty* with the Empire, which already contained clauses resembling loans (ten thousand gold crowns to be repaid over ten years). Asking the Empire for more money now would be unwise and could turn the equal alliance into one dominated by the Empire.
And what about the dwarves?
Clearly, the dwarves couldn't be relied upon either. The reason wasn't that Ryan felt inferior to them, as the dwarves had always referred to humans as "makers of inferior goods." Rather, it was because Belega had already borrowed from almost every dwarf kingdom in the Old World, except for the dwarves of Karak Zorn! None of the previous debts had been repaid, so why would any other dwarf kingdom lend again? By now, everyone knew that Eight Peaks Mountain was a bottomless pit.
If not for the proximity of Karak Hirn to Eight Peaks Mountain, even those dwarves wouldn't have sent troops to assist Belega repeatedly.
As for the southern nations or the High Elves, it was pointless to ask. This left Ryan with two choices: either take out a large loan from the merchant princes of Marienburg or issue war bonds.
Schultz had made it clear: the merchant princes weren't after interest from a large loan; they wanted to control Ryan and leech off him. Once a loan was taken, the favor attached to it would become inseparable from the debt, impossible to shake off.
Thus, Ryan ultimately chose to issue war bonds. And sure enough, the "failure expert" rhetoric emerged.
He wondered how Belega would react upon hearing this news.
The Duchy of Magritte in Estalia had already been introduced earlier, so there's no need to repeat that. However, when Ryan, along with Veronica, Olica, and others, stepped onto Magritte's land, everyone felt a wave of nostalgia. It had been several years since Ryan last visited Magritte, when he came chasing after the stolen Sea God Trident and Lilith's Sunfire Amulet. As it turned out, the Sunfire Amulet was a decoy planted by Gelt to search for the Amulet of Sea Gold, and Ryan's group had made the trip for nothing.
Now, the question of how to find the Sunfire Amulet once again came up, and Ryan thought to himself how unpredictable fate could be.
Magritte was on high alert upon the arrival of the Sea God Fleet. More than twenty warships gathered in the port, and the War Goddess Myrmidia's temple guards were fully deployed to greet Ryan and his entourage, as well as Juan Carlos the Sunwatcher.
Juan had fought in many battles alongside Ryan in recent years, especially during the Mousilon campaign, where he performed admirably. He also played a significant role in the subsequent pacification of Mousilon, managing to convince the Wood Elves to join the war. By now, he had gained some fame in the Old World. His father, Rubio the Sunwatcher, and his older brother, Felipe the Sunwatcher, were at the docks to welcome him back.
Juan could clearly sense that his brother Felipe was much friendlier toward him now. There were warm greetings, gifts, and special arrangements for him to stay at the state guesthouse. The young Baron of Biocari understood the situation well—now that he was gone, no one was competing with Felipe for the position of duke's heir, so his brother naturally adopted a more cordial attitude. Being put up in the guesthouse was a subtle reminder that he was now a guest.
That was fine with Juan. After witnessing firsthand the greatness of King Ryan and the strength of the Bretonnian knights, he was no longer particularly interested in the affairs of his homeland. This change in perspective had improved the brothers' relationship.
"Phew, it's been years since we last came here!" Veronica wobbled slightly as she stepped onto Magritte's land. Her face was flushed with a healthy glow, and even her skin had a radiant sheen. Clinging to Ryan's arm, she gazed at the magnificent city in the distance. "Darling, why didn't you invite your good friend to join us this time?"
Olica, the dark elf, was in a similar state. Her face was also flushed. A week-long sea voyage had been quite dull with little to do, so naturally, the dark elf and the Garland witch spent a lot of time keeping Ryan company in the cabin.
Ryan chuckled but didn't answer. Alfred hadn't come this time because he was busy with the construction and missionary work at the Freya Cathedral. As a side note, Alfred had told Ryan that after his return from the expedition, he would be ready to marry Ingrid, and he hoped to receive Ryan's blessing. Ryan had, of course, readily agreed.
Only the God of Justice knew how Alfred had managed to win over that "she-dragon." Ryan mused silently, still amazed that Alfred had a taste for such women—so tall and muscular.
Since this was merely a brief stop for resupplying the army, not a formal state visit, Ryan had little to discuss with Duke Rubio. They shared a dinner, and Ryan briefly met with Amancio, the president of the Estalian Merchant League. Amancio subtly inquired if Ryan needed a loan, but Ryan politely declined. Still, given that Amancio had helped him several times before, including securing the Elengrad Sea Guard, Ryan promised to give him a small portion of the loot at a fair price if needed. In addition, Amancio had established a close partnership with Fugen's Ashes Legion, setting up a recruitment office here.
That night, Ryan and his entourage stayed at the Magritte State Guesthouse. After several years, Ryan once again encountered Claudia, the female attendant he had met before. She was now the hall manager, but still single. Compared to her peak years of beauty, her figure had begun to show slight signs of decline, and her once flawless face could no longer withstand close scrutiny.
As a side note, Ryan's prolonged gaze at her earned him a sharp pinch from both Veronica and Olica, twisting his waist 180 and 270 degrees respectively, causing him silent pain.
Claudia tried to approach Ryan to strike up a conversation, but Veronica immediately blocked her.
Once everything was sorted, the knightly nobles settled into their rooms.
"Hahaha, Your Majesty, Alfred didn't come this time, huh!" Federmond, the Holy Grail Knight and son of Duke Bodrick, laughed heartily as he recalled past events. "Claudia is still waiting for him!"
"Waiting for what? To be split in half by that Norscan woman's axe?" Ryan quipped. "You think that 'she-dragon' would allow Alfred to have a lady courtier? I hear Alfred can barely last twenty or thirty rounds against her."
"Hahaha!" Federmond burst into laughter, nodding vigorously. "I remember what you told me back then, Your Majesty. You're quite the wise man."
"Wise man? I was just giving you some advice when I saw you were confused," Ryan chuckled, shaking his head. "Where's Belega? I saw him with you earlier."
"King Belega is quite upset," Federmond said, pointing toward a staircase. "He's been muttering about the 'Book of Grudges,' 'Marienburg scum,' and 'failure expert' all day. He went upstairs."
"Olica, take Veronica back to the room first. I'll go check on Belega." Ryan instructed, and the two women, with Veronica still feeling weak in the legs, obediently returned to their room with Olica's support.
———I'm the line that divides the rooms———
When Ryan found Belega in the writing room on the second floor of the guesthouse, the King of Eight Peaks Mountain was furiously hunched over the table, writing something with a quill. A small bowl of dwarf ink sat on the desk, and Belega had his head buried in a golden *Book of Grudges*, muttering to himself. Nearby was a copy of the *Manann Times*, open to the article *Belega = Failure Expert?*
The Angrund oath guardians at the door should have prevented anyone from disturbing Belega, but Ryan was clearly a welcome exception. The King of Brittany walked into the room unimpeded.
Belega was so focused on his writing that he didn't even notice Ryan enter. The King of
Eight Peaks Mountain was furiously scribbling.
"The Hatred Toward the Failure Expert!"
"By Grungni, a bunch of ignorant humans dare mock the glorious Angrund clan and the true King of Eight Peaks as a failure expert! Damn it! The dwarves will never tolerate this grudge. The Angrund clan will hack those Marienburg merchant princes and that 'Mourinho' fellow into pieces, and their blood will wash away this grudge!"
Finished writing, Belega glanced at the newspaper beside him. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, slamming his pen down onto the *Book of Grudges*. "Argh! I'm so furious!"
"Belega, my friend, recording a grudge?" Ryan smiled as he approached, bending down to sneak a peek at the dwarf's little book.
"Oh, it's you, Ryan!" Belega waved his fist angrily. "Those damned Marienburgers are infuriating! Aren't you angry too, Ryan?"
"Of course I'm angry," Ryan replied with a grin. "Belega, I've got a few suggestions that will guarantee you'll feel better. Want to hear them?"
"Oh? Let's hear it then!"
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