Before Aurora and Teresa entered, Sulia was busy handling internal affairs. Since Ryan had led the army away, all matters, large and small, had been left to her, and she was proving to be no less adept than François in managing them. After marrying Ryan, the knightess had gained substantial experience in governance and was now handling issues with great proficiency. Not to mention, she also oversaw the treasury.
"The post-harvest period is still ongoing, so order Griffin to speed up and recruit as many serfs as possible to maintain the canal digging progress."
"Is the new batch of grain ready? If so, have Carsonberg arrange for immediate transport. The army at the front is waiting for supplies, and we can't afford any delays!"
"Also, the patrol units must stay vigilant. Inform Olivier that this is a critical time, and we must be more attentive than ever to the security of Mousilon."
"Make sure that large amounts of gold and silver are not introduced into the market all at once. Do it gradually, and tell Steve to ensure the coinage is of good quality."
"Have Gaspard monitor the public grievances carefully. There should be no news of serfs or freemen being deprived of their spoils of war. Enforce strict curfews and increase manpower to prevent theft and robbery."
One by one, Sulia issued orders, and the court officials assigned by Ryan immediately got to work. Throughout the process, Sulia maintained a stern expression. With Ryan away, she had to ensure that the entire court functioned smoothly. The Knight Kingdom was the solid rear guard of the expeditionary army, and Sulia forced herself to keep everything organized.
Ryan's tax official, Gaspard, was already quite old. It had been nearly 20 years since Ryan arrived in Brittany, and the once forty-something tax official was now in his sixties. Sulia noticed that Gaspard was becoming increasingly strained in his duties and thought he might need to retire soon. However, this decision would have to wait until Ryan returned from the expedition, as it was something the couple would need to discuss together. They were a team, after all.
Dressed in her luxurious queen's gown, Sulia had just finished her tasks when the Lake Witch, Morgiana, walked in. Today, Morgiana wore a flowing lilac fishtail dress with snow-white accents, paired with sheer stockings and white heels. A crown of flowers adorned her head. For the past several weeks, Sulia and Morgiana had been handling the kingdom's affairs together. "What is it, Morgiana?"
"Aurora and Teresa are waiting outside. They have a letter from the Emperor of the Empire, which is to be opened by you personally," Morgiana said as she sat beside Sulia, her tone icy. "What are those two doing? Ryan is fighting on the front lines, and they're here, delivering letters."
"Lady Teresa isn't suited for fighting in the Badlands, and as for Lady Aurora, she is only the head of intelligence, not one of Ryan's magical advisors. If she didn't want to go, no one could force her," Sulia responded gracefully, her golden hair cascading as she delicately tucked a lock behind her ear and picked up her teacup. "Let them wait for a bit. We should discuss what to do next."
Morgiana's emerald eyes gleamed with understanding as the two women reached a silent agreement.
"We won the battle at Fort Ducan, and now, vast amounts of gold, silver, and spoils are being transported back through the Seagate," Sulia said as she reviewed a series of reports and inventory lists. "Could we perhaps reduce the processing fees slightly to boost the morale of the expeditionary forces?"
"…We can," Morgiana considered for a moment before conceding. "I can lower it to 12%."
The expeditionary forces' spoils were divided into two parts. Most of the nobles transported their loot back to their estates through private channels. While they wouldn't skim their own profits, they still had to pay taxes on their gains, including the Lady of the Lake's tithe. Despite this, the nobles were ecstatic, counting their wealth and reveling in their victories. François alone had filled his vaults with the wealth he had gained and was already planning to reform his forces, even considering the creation of a new unit of Pegasus Knights.
The situation was different for the serf infantry and freemen soldiers. Safely sending their spoils back to their families posed a challenge, which Ryan had anticipated. To address this, their loot would be sent through the postal system, guaranteed by the Church of the Lady of the Lake. However, they had to pay an additional 15% handling fee.
Even with just the tithe and handling fees, the Church of the Lady of the Lake was earning tens of thousands of gold crowns.
Sulia's delicate features softened slightly into a smile when she saw Morgiana willing to compromise. The knight queen knew that only Ryan had the influence to make such things happen. Thinking of him, she playfully crossed her silk-clad feet under her gown, her heel tapping lightly as she pondered aloud, "The upcoming battles will only grow tougher. We must ensure the kingdom's morale remains high... How are the second round of war bonds selling?"
"The second round sold 80% within three days," Morgiana confirmed. "Citizens from Couronne, Bordeleaux, and other cities eagerly bought them, and even many minor nobles made purchases."
"Then let's prepare the third round. The third round of the Eight Peaks War Bonds will also be one-year bonds with a 7% interest rate," Sulia said, her finger lightly brushing her chin. "As for the total, let's set it at 200,000 gold crowns. We need to convey a subtle message—that it's first come, first served. Latecomers will only get scraps, and the interest rate will keep decreasing."
"Yes, I agree," Morgiana nodded. After some thought, she added, "By the way, Sulia, do you think someone should go to the front lines?"
"You mean... to boost the troops' morale?" Sulia quickly caught Morgiana's drift and smirked teasingly. "Are you suggesting you want to see Ryan?"
"If it helps the expedition, why not?" A blush crept across Morgiana's face as she regained her composure. "We need to make sure Ryan knows we're keeping an eye on things back home."
"The church can send someone for that, Morgiana. There's no need for you to go personally. With Ryan gone, taking a portion of the kingdom's nobles with him, we need you here to maintain order," Sulia said firmly.
"Alright," Morgiana conceded, seeing that Sulia was set on the matter.
"Have Lady Aurora and Teresa come in," Sulia said to her head maid, Sylvia.
"Yes, my lady."
Two minutes later, Aurora and Teresa entered. Sulia remained seated, reviewing documents with her eyes downcast, her sea-blue eyes hidden beneath her golden bangs. Morgiana, on the other hand, greeted the pair with a frosty glare filled with hostility.
Aurora raised an eyebrow at the scene. What was this about?
Unlike her mother, Teresa was somewhat intimidated by Sulia. The sorceress quickly handed over the letter. "Lady Sulia, this is a letter from the Emperor of the Empire, meant for your eyes only."
"Hand it over," Sulia motioned for Aurora and Teresa to sit. She took the letter. "Thank you."
"No, it's you and Lady Morgiana who are working the hardest," Teresa replied, pulling Aurora to sit down. "As soon as we received the letter, we rushed to deliver it."
"Let me take a look." Sulia opened the letter and carefully read it, while Morgiana, Aurora, and Teresa waited in silence for her reaction.
After a long moment, Sulia sighed. "Emperor Karl Franz has presented me with quite the dilemma."
"What does the Emperor from across the mountains want?" Morgiana asked first.
"Emperor Karl wants to hire a Grail Knight to assist the Imperial army in cleansing the Bloodpine Woods," Sulia explained, her tone hesitant. "Technically, there's nothing wrong with the request, but right now…"
"Can we not refuse?" Morgiana pressed.
"It's possible. By sending this private letter, the Emperor has left us room to decline," Sulia said, clearly understanding the Emperor's intent. "However, I'm concerned that refusing the Empire's first request right after signing the contract might not be the best move."
"I could raise the price," Morgiana suggested bluntly.
"That wouldn't be ideal either," Sulia shook her head. "The Empire has faithfully adhered to all the terms of our agreements. If we raise the stakes, the Imperial court will likely retaliate, and our hard-won peace and trade relations could be jeopardized."
"Let's compromise," Sulia decided quickly. "Morgiana, slightly increase the amount we ask for—just enough to make it reasonable. If the Empire agrees, I'll notify Sir Bayard and my uncle, Sir Jerrod, to organize a small band of knights to cross the Grey Mountains and support the Empire. As for the security of the Châlons Forest and the Oakey Mountains, we needn't worry. Uncle Angron and the three Golden Guardians that Ryan's father left behind are patrolling the area."
"Understood," Morgiana nodded.
"As for you, Lady Aurora and Teresa, could I trouble you to travel to Altdorf? I need reports on the sale of war bonds and the current state of the Empire's military and finances," Sulia commanded authoritatively. "And I want to know the Empire's nobles' views on
the Eight Peaks expedition."
"I'll send someone to handle it," Aurora responded.
"Lady Aurora, did you not hear Sulia's instructions?" Morgiana interjected impatiently. "She wants you to go, not your subordinates. You can either accept or refuse, but make your choice."
"I'll go with my mother," Teresa spoke up, gently pulling on Aurora's arm, signaling her not to argue. A trip to the Imperial capital would take no more than a teleportation spell and a week or two at most.
"Very well," Sulia nodded, signaling that the mother and daughter could go prepare.
…[Scene transition to Uncle Angron patrolling the forests]...
February, the Old World, World's Edge Mountains, Eight Peaks Mountain, City of Eight Pillars.
After enduring many hardships, the Goblin Warlord Gitt Sourbelly finally arrived.
Eight Peaks Mountain had once been the core of the dwarven underground network. The city was once the most prosperous and thriving of all dwarf cities, proudly called Vala-Azril-Ungol (the Queen of the Silver Abyss) by the dwarves.
No surface army could ever cross the towering peaks of this city. The kingdom sat in a bowl-shaped mountain range surrounded by eight sharp peaks, from which the name Eight Peaks Mountain was derived. Each peak had its own name, and the city's upper fortress stood on the surface, at the valley's bottom, encircled by the mountains. A sturdy and majestic citadel sat like an iceberg in the valley's center, but most of the city stretched deep into the mountains, with vast squares and royal halls carved from the rock, along with a seemingly endless network of tunnels.
But the glory of the past was long gone. Now, the area had become an eternal battlefield for greenskins and Skaven. In the enormous ancestral dwarf halls, giant stone pillars over a hundred meters high were now covered with shoddy wooden walkways built by goblins. The once-grand dwarf statues were either toppled or shattered, or had become latrines for the greenskins, filling the air with a nauseating stench.
The ground was covered with makeshift goblin tents made from a mix of wood and mud, where the greenskins squabbled, fought, and cursed at each other in constant chaos. The smaller goblins presented their best-preserved snotlings and mushrooms as offerings to the warlords. As Gitt Sourbelly rode his second replacement wolf mount into the ancestral hall of Eight Peaks Mountain to seek an audience with the Warlord Skarsnik, a massive brawl was underway between the Orcs of the Bad Moon Clan and the goblins. Giant Arachnarok spiders and squig herds added to the fray.
Gitt scratched his head furiously, picking at his nose while searching for a way through. Finally, he mustered his magic and cast a Mawg's Mark spell to clear a path, allowing him to slip inside.
Warlord Skarsnik sat upon the throne in the Ancestral Hall of Clan Angrund, surrounded by a host of Night Goblins, the legendary Eight Peaks Lunatics, and a contingent of Black Orcs. When Gitt Sourbelly arrived, Skarsnik grinned evilly. "Ha, a stray dog has come to my place! What's a useless, un-Waaagh-y, un-cunning fool like you doing in my throne room?"
Skarsnik was small, even with his tall, pointed cloak, but no one dared to underestimate this goblin warlord. Just look at the Black Orcs standing beside the throne. These were the most powerful, heavily-armored orcs in existence, and yet Skarsnik had tamed them completely. Even the mighty Black Orcs wouldn't dare meet his gaze, knowing that otherwise, they might end up as a meal for Skarsnik's beloved squig pet, Gobbla.
The hall was lit by candles made from dwarf fat, and a monument of Skaven skulls testified to Skarsnik's power.
"N-nothing good, mighty Warlord of Eight Peaks!" Gitt stammered nervously. "The beardling scum Belagar Ironhammer has returned with a bunch of tin-can dwarfs! They say a grey tin-can knight, Ryan Malcador, leads them. This grey tin-can is Waaagh-y! They've taken Fort Ducan and wiped out my clan. I… I've come to join you!"
"Belagar? I've known for a while," Skarsnik grinned with malice and cunning. "Belagar's back, lads! We've got ourselves some fun now!"
"Waaagh!"
"Waaaaaagh!"
The hall erupted in deafening cheers that nearly burst the greenskins' eardrums.
After a pause, Skarsnik nodded, raising his staff and flashing his rotting yellow teeth in a sinister smile. "Oh, Belagar's coming in full force, eh? And he's brought his tin-can lackeys. But if he thinks he can beat me that easily, he's dreaming!"
"I've already figured out how to deal with this expedition!"
"We'll wage total guerrilla warfare, prepare for a long campaign, and execute a scorched earth strategy!"
"We'll drown this beardling-and-tin-can army in a sea of green Waaagh!"
"Waaagh!"
_________________________
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