Chapter 484 The Pandora's Box That Is Opening
In the study of Earl Derek at Glenston Castle, a roaring fire flickers in the brick fireplace, dispelling the chill of late autumn.
The Earl, sitting behind his desk, smiled as he fiddled with the Glenston family crest in his hand, carefully examining the gleam on the golden shield.
The Campbell family, like the firelight in the fireplace, contributed to the glory of the Granston family. However, when the fire became too dazzling, it was these pure-blooded nobles who stepped in to turn the tide and remind the others who the truly shining gold was.
Fortunately, the Glenston family has a deep-rooted foundation, and the Duke, whose power base is still shallow, cannot cause any trouble.
Everything was under his control.
Whether it's the Earldom of North Creek Valley, the Duchy of Campbell, or that Demon King of Thunder County.
Seeing his master's confident demeanor, the old butler's expression became slightly uneasy, and he finally couldn't help but cough softly and say something.
"Master... I'm still a little worried. The demons of hell aren't exactly reliable. What if they go back on their word?"
"There is indeed this risk, but it's not a problem."
Earl Derek casually grasped the gold shield badge, the shadow cast by his broad hand obscuring the glow of the furnace fire reflected in the badge, just as it obscured Campbell's sky.
“The Trident Knights are in our hands, and the Utter Light is in the Twilight Province. Edward has lost his biggest bargaining chip, and the only people he can rely on are the citizens of Thunder City. The only reason I contacted our ancient allies was to minimize casualties.”
Even without considering the Demon King, he still has two cards in his hand.
One is Gerald, and the other is the King of the Kingdom of Ryan...
Last night's guests weren't just knights from the Trident Knights, but also friends from the capital. They were nominally mercenaries, but only ignorant serfs would actually consider them mercenaries; among them were even knights loyal to the king himself.
They all came to rectify the chaos in the Principality of Campbell!
As he said this, a glint of light flashed in Derek's eyes.
"Furthermore, I don't believe the Demon King of Thunder County will refuse our proposal. The Campbell family is their sworn enemy; Aaron Campbell killed Hino's father. Even if that cold-blooded demon doesn't care about the murder of his father, they will never give up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to win."
To reduce casualties...?
The old butler couldn't help but give a wry smile.
Clearly, in Count Derek's eyes, the citizens of Thunder City could not be called human beings.
This includes serfs who left the land they had cultivated for generations, adventurers who made a living in labyrinths, and minor nobles who betrayed their own social class.
The old butler wasn't sympathizing with these complete strangers; he was simply worried that joining forces with the Demon King might backfire.
The Papacy's Inquisition has never been so close to this land, and Lord Jiménez is only separated from them by the Rapids Pass.
Is this civil war... inevitable?
Everyone says it's for Campbell's future, but it's Campbells who are dying.
A soft knock came at the door of the study, and Earl Derek's gaze drifted toward the doorway.
"Enter."
The door opened.
A trusted confidant who shared his secret faith entered, respectfully bowing with his right hand pressed against his chest.
"My lord...that lord has sent a letter."
Derek sat up almost immediately, pushed the chair away, and stood up with an excited expression on his face.
"Take me there!"
...
The underground altar of Glastonbury Castle.
The air was thick with the stench of sulfur mixed with animal blood. A savage sacrificial ritual had just ended, its essence turning into two crimson stains on the statue.
Hino Dragon has arrived here!
Everything went as Derek had planned. The demon king, who had returned to the altar, was no longer flustered. He loudly vented his hatred for the Campbell family and praised the Glenston family's loyalty!
"If you and your northern vassals dare to raise the banner of rebellion and challenge Campbell's throne, the million demons of the labyrinth will swarm out and engulf the entire Thunder City from the ground!"
"...Once I conquer the Duchy of Campbell, you will still be counts of the North Valley! No, I will grant you the entire Valley Plain!"
Obviously—
He has already reached a new consensus with his demon generals to attack the surface, otherwise he would never have become so confident!
Derek was overjoyed. He bowed his head respectfully, hiding the disdain and arrogance in his eyes, leaving only the wild joy on his lips.
"Praise be to the master who rules the night, praise be to the demon god, praise be to the demon king... The Granston family awaits your arrival." He murmured softly, his voice filled with nothing but piety.
This foolish "Minotaur"...
They actually thought they could conquer the earth!
Ha ha!
Even a cannon fodder like him wants to sit on the table? He's never heard such a funny joke before!
The two crimson streaks on the statue faded, the aura of fear left the cold, damp chamber, and the Demon King's will returned to his loyal labyrinth.
Derek completely dropped his respect and left the secret room without looking back.
He strode briskly through the corridor, leaving the stale air behind on the ground, and returned to his warm and bright study.
The fireplace flames were still burning brightly.
For the first time in a daytime, he poured himself a glass of fine wine, gently swirling it as he sat in the velvet-covered oak chair, examining it closely… as if celebrating in advance the birth of an uncrowned king in the great Duchy of Campbell.
"...Regent, that's a good name."
Jerok is an excellent knight, but he is, after all, a soldier.
He lacked his own governing team and was completely unable to manage a vast duchy, ultimately having to rely on the Glenston family.
Earl Derek, with a radiant smile on his face, downed the glass of red wine in one gulp, as if he had drunk a cup of rich, fragrant blood.
He only added a sentence as if he remembered it after finishing the drink.
"Cheers to Campbell's future..."
...
Andean estate, Archduke Edward's study.
The morning sunlight filtered through the sparse birch trees, casting faint shadows on the floor of the room. The air was filled with the fragrance of cedar, the winter incense that the manor servants had changed for their guests.
The weather is getting colder, and winter is just around the corner.
Just as Count Derek was toasting to victory, Archduke Edward was leaning back in his chair, reviewing a report on the progress of the "Morphin City" special zone construction, his expression focused and deep in thought.
His subordinates mentioned two noteworthy things.
One is the construction site in the Mud City Special Zone, where a number of surprising construction devices have appeared, including tracked vehicles that spew steam and huge steam-driven cranes.
These appear to be products of the new industrial district of Thunder City, with traces of dwarven craftsmanship still visible, though many dwarven artisans say they've never seen them before.
Another report came from scouts, who said that the bodies of a group of lizardman raiders had been found in the forests of the southwestern swamp.
These unfortunate fellows were apparently attacked during a counterattack on the supply convoy. However, the dense barrage of gunfire was hard to ignore; it was the firepower of at least three hundred-man squads firing simultaneously.
The "breech-loading rifle" that Prince Colin showed himself may not represent the full strength of the Kingdom of Gutaf; they still have a trump card up their sleeve.
Edward couldn't help but feel a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, mixed feelings).
They truly are children of the Dragon God...
Its strength is truly as unfathomable as a dragon!
At that moment, there was a rhythmic knocking on the door.
"Please come in."
Jan Andes pushed open the door and entered, carrying a folder in his arms, and said respectfully.
"Your Majesty, I have prepared a briefing on the economic activities of Thunder City last month. When will you have time to review it?"
"Put the file here, and tell me about it while you're at it."
Edward put down the report in his hand, gestured for his left and right arms to sit down, and interlaced his fingers with interest.
"I'd like to know how much vitality Mr. Sack Gale brought to our market with those orders... and what we should pay attention to recently."
Jan Andes nodded and sat down, his expression much more serious than usual.
“Your Majesty, our market is booming like never before, and this is well reflected in the reports. But if you’re asking what we should pay attention to… I think there’s something else far outside Thunder City that deserves our attention more than the already excellent import and export data.”
"Oh?" Edward raised an eyebrow, his eyes gradually sharpening, signaling him to continue.
Andes didn't dare to be negligent. He opened the folder and pulled out the top report. Judging from the document's format and the seal on it, it belonged to an importer under the Andean Chamber of Commerce, and was neither from the bank nor the city hall.
"Grain trading in the valley plains has almost come to a standstill."
“Led by the Earldom of North Creek Valley, the lords there seem to have made a pact not to transport a single grain of wheat from this year’s harvest to Thunder City. At first, we thought there was a problem with the supply chain, but we later discovered that it was not the case; they simply did not want to sell.”
Edward frowned slightly, as if he had vaguely caught something, and said in a low voice.
"Perhaps their harvest was poor?"
“Quite the opposite.” Jan Andes shook his head, immediately dismissing the guess. “Our merchants have been dealing with them for many years, and those grain traders know their harvests even better than the locals themselves. Given this year’s climate, the harvest in the valley plains will only be better than in previous years… and that’s precisely the problem.”
He handed the report to Edward's desk, pointed to the curve that marked the grain import and export data of previous years, and said seriously.
“Grain is the main source of income for the northern vassals. According to custom, at this time of year, after keeping enough for winter and the following year, they will sell most of their surplus grain in Thunder City to exchange for money to buy things that their territories cannot produce.”
“But this time, they’ve unusually chosen to hold back their sales during the harvest season. I can’t help but worry whether they’re waiting for something, or… preparing for something.”
At this point, Andes paused.
As a shrewd businessman, he knew very well what he could say and what he could only understand implicitly.
He believed that with the Grand Duke's wisdom, he would surely be able to guess what it was.
A brief silence fell over the study, broken only by the ticking of the grandfather clock.
Edward's face was as calm as a vast ocean, but his interlocked fingers unconsciously tightened, and a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
"It seems that a famine has broken out in our granaries."
He released his grip, tapped his index finger on the table, and pushed the report back.
"Don't make this public."
Andes, head bowed, rose and respectfully took back the report.
"I understand, Your Excellency."
"You did a great job."
Andes said, his head bowed.
"I dare not... I only hope that our duchy will always be strong, so that the Andean family's business can grow bigger and bigger."
"I hope so too."
Edward stood up, walked to the window, looked at the sparse birch trees outside, and said in a casual tone, "Since there's a famine in the north, we'll just buy from somewhere else."
He paused for a moment, then gave the order.
"Go and do it immediately. Import grain from other city-states on the northeast coast of the Whirlpool Sea through the ports in a methodical manner. Conduct everything through commercial means, but buy more. Also, remember to have your subordinates do it. Don't do it yourself... In the meantime, you should be busy with other things. There should be quite a few people watching you."
“Yes, I understand what you mean. This little matter is not enough to keep the head of the Andes family busy.” Andes understood the Grand Duke’s meaning in an instant and replied knowingly.
"It's good that you know."
Edward smiled and nodded in satisfaction.
Jan Andes bowed and quietly left the study.
The door closed.
Edward stood there for a full minute before walking to the bookshelf, ringing the bell to summon his guards, and calling his trusted confidant.
"Go and summon Governor Goethe Wilson to see me."
Less than fifteen minutes later, a serious-looking middle-aged man strode into the study, stood before his desk, and bowed respectfully.
"Your Majesty, you summoned me."
“Goethe Wilson,” Edward said in an unquestionable tone, “I have a new decree that I need you to carry out immediately.”
Goethe looked solemn.
"Please give your instructions."
Edward paused for a moment, then continued.
"Under the pretext of 'supporting Twilight,' the mobilization order for the Northern Rescue Army should not be lifted for the time being. Not only that, but the training of new recruits should continue as usual... and they should be taken to the southwestern swamp for training, using the new weapons that our allies have given us."
Goethe Wilson paused for a moment, a look of confusion on his face.
"Your Majesty, wasn't the war in Twilight Province over? The Court of Justice and the Lionheart Knights have completely taken over there, and Princess Eileen is about to return in triumph. Our purpose now is to train new recruits..."
"It's about being prepared for a rainy day."
Edward ignored his question and continued, "Brass Pass is in a precarious situation. We must prepare for the worst and guard against the invasion of Chaos."
"this……"
Goethe Wilson was dumbfounded.
Although Huangtong Pass is located on the eastern side of Twilight Province, Twilight Province is vast, and dwarves live in the Wanren Mountains, so the winds of the Dimensional Desert can't reach here.
Why are we suddenly starting to plan ahead now?
Recalling the recent rumors in high society that the Grand Duke and the King were having problems, he composed himself and cautiously offered a reminder.
"Your Majesty... I will carry out your orders without hesitation. But I also humbly request that you reconsider, for peace is the most important thing in all matters."
Edward sat down at his desk again, calmly observing the cautious Governor, and left with a meaningful remark.
"I hope so, but my wish may not be everyone's wish."
...
The tea room at the "Embrace of Dawn" hotel offers a superb location overlooking the entire Queen Street area.
The afternoon sun was warm and gentle, and the streets were bustling with traffic and well-dressed citizens.
Thanks to the continuous stream of huge orders from the "Kingdom of Gutaf", the economy of Thunder City reached an unprecedented peak, and the wealth of the entire northeast coast of the Whirlpool Sea gathered here.
Actually, this place was already quite prosperous before.
The "great storm" in the vast ocean and the expedition of the Imperial Knights Templar have kept the power machinery factory in Thunder City busy since last year. The market of seven million square kilometers has only added fuel to the fire...
However, beneath that prosperous facade, the shadow of civil war was quietly gathering, out of sight of people.
Sitting opposite Prince Corinth, Andes picked up his teacup and gently blew on it, but his expression as he gazed out the window seemed somewhat absent-minded.
To avoid arousing the suspicion of Count Derek, he entrusted the task of purchasing grain to his subordinates, while he himself busied himself with other matters as if to "avoid suspicion."
For example, banking is now his main focus.
Thanks to the booming financial industry, the resulting credit and savings businesses have become arguably the fastest-growing sector for the Andean family in recent years.
Many things seem fine as long as the lid is closed, but once the lid is lifted, the seriousness of the problem becomes apparent.
Beneath Thunder City's prosperity lie hidden worries beyond just the civil war; a liquidity crisis is also quietly building up...
"Your Highness."
Jan Andes put down his cup, turned to Colin who was leisurely sipping his tea, and looked at him with a hint of worry on his face.
"I've recently encountered some work-related problems and would like to seek your advice. I'm wondering how the prosperous United Kingdom of Gutaf deals with the problems that come with prosperity?"
"Oh?" Luo Yan gestured for him to continue with interest. "That's quite an interesting point... Do you guys think you have too much money?"
“Quite the opposite,” Andes shook his head and said helplessly, “we don’t have enough money, or more accurately, we don’t have enough gold coins.”
Luo Yan nodded.
"I see."
This is an obvious problem; even in the heart of the empire, a million gold coins is a huge sum, enough to drive countless men like Sir Dantès mad and to make them willing to die for his cause.
But in Thunder City...
The 10 million shares publicly issued by the Collins Group accounted for one-tenth of its total market capitalization. The price per share rose to over 20 gold coins at its peak, and even approached 100 gold coins at one point.
What does this mean?
If Miss Castellón's father came here, he would probably have a heart attack from the ambition of these "country bumpkins".
How can these "barbarians" be so rich?!
Of course, Thunder City doesn't actually have that many gold coins. As Andes said, they are facing a liquidity crisis.
But in Luo Yan's opinion, this might not necessarily be a bad thing.
The recitation of scriptures cannot be separated from the context of the times. The same thing might be a harbinger of impending doom hundreds of years later, but in the late Renaissance, it was not a crisis at all.
Farm tools have suddenly been replaced by people, so it's not unusual for them to be more expensive.
They are simply repricing their assets.
Seemingly worried that Prince Colin wouldn't understand, Andes continued to explain.
"For example, the stock price of 'Colin Group' has continued to soar, but the ever-increasing unit price has begun to severely restrict the liquidity of the stock. Many people hold shares but cannot cash them out, and many people want to buy but do not have enough gold coins. It's not just stocks, but also Queen Street real estate and many other things, which have begun to face a situation of 'having a price but no market.' It's one thing for holders not to want to sell, but it's also a problem that no one is willing to take over."
Including goods in the factory.
They can't always rely on overseas buyers. More and more farm tools are being transformed into people by their lords, and people have consumption needs.
It's not just food and beer that numbs the nerves.
They need shelter from the wind and rain, clothes that are not only warm but also decent enough, and the opportunity to send their children to better schools... just as every resident of the holy city takes for granted.
Living like human beings is not just a privilege of the Holy City. The blood and sweat that the people of Campbell have shed deserve a better tomorrow. They are not merely tools of the Empire.
“An even more dangerous signal is in the currency market,” Andes said in a low voice. “Due to the lack of liquidity in gold coins, the actual exchange rate between gold and silver coins has increased from the standard 1:100 to 1:110. On the black market, I’ve even heard of a rate as low as 1:115.”
"This was extremely rare in the past."
In the past, nobles and merchants only used silver coins for transactions, while gold coins were used for bulk commodities and luxury goods. This is why even if the stock of the Colin Group rises to a high level, it will not affect the lives of ordinary people.
There is a lag in liquidity between different currency pools. Simply put, a shortage of gold coins will not immediately affect copper and silver coins.
This is like three reservoirs connected to each other, but as long as the flow rate of the water is controlled, the water level difference between the different reservoirs can still be maintained.
This is one of the reasons why Edward was able to keep the price of a loaf of bread at 4 copper coins with a small subsidy.
However, the problem now is that the liquidity of gold coins has drastically decreased, and the liquidity gap can only be filled by silver coins or even copper coins.
Increased liquidity means inflation, and this inflation is inversely proportional to the scarcity of the currency itself.
People here tend to hoard gold coins as a store of value, while using silver and copper coins more often for transactions, forcing silver coins to depreciate and copper coins to depreciate drastically.
Andes did not mention the exchange rate of copper coins, because in Thunder City now, the exchange rate of copper coins had become something that could not be determined.
This resulted in the wealthiest people in Thunder City fully enjoying the feast of soaring asset prices, while ordinary people using copper coins could only watch their assets shrink continuously, further widening the gap between the rich and the poor.
Except for bread, which was regulated by the Grand Duke and did not increase in price, the prices of a series of daily necessities priced in copper coins, including salt and fuel, were soaring.
If this continues, Campbell, who can do more work than a steam engine, will eventually become as cheap as "Edward's bread"!
Faced with a contradiction that touches the very soul, Eileen's Proposition 6 cannot solve any problem; it merely scratches the surface.
Faced with Mr. Andes' concerns, Luo Yan pondered for a moment, then put down his teacup and spoke gently.
“This is indeed a serious problem. But I'm wondering if there's a possibility... that you're valuing gold coins too much.”
Andes paused for a moment.
"What...does this mean?"
Luo Yan started talking, speaking slowly and deliberately.
"Gold coins are a tool for pricing everything in the world for the Empire, but for you they are merely a medium of exchange. The United Kingdom of Gutaf does not have this problem, which I think must be because the lizardmen there do not use the Empire's gold coins, but rather their own currency. They can decide how much currency to issue based on how much they produce this year."
Andes' expression shifted slightly.
He was an extremely intelligent man; in an instant, he discerned a meaning in that last sentence that most people couldn't grasp—
If we compare the life of a Campbell's man to a product on a shelf, then the label that the Holy City has given them is a bit too cheap!
Perhaps they were only worth that price a thousand years ago, but it is clear that since the Isaac dynasty, the Campbellians have been producing many things that even the Empire had never seen!
Admittedly, using the Empire's currency brought them many benefits, such as unimpeded access to the Empire's trading centers and the convenience of zero tariffs.
But similarly, their efforts will also be enjoyed by the empire.
Just like a cow that has worked hard to build up a muscular physique, no matter how long it stretches its neck, it can't reach the farmer's seat; at most, it can only reach the table.
He never expected that the person who enlightened him would be a prince of the empire.
Of course, he wasn't entirely clear-headed either. At least, limited by the constraints of his time, he didn't realize that the complex series of theories could actually be summarized in a single word.
That is "sovereignty".
People without sovereignty are colonized, and land without sovereignty is a colony, even though the kingdoms of the Old World did not consider themselves colonies.
These vassal states didn't realize that they were no "superior" to the colonies of the New World. The Templar lads, unable to survive in the colonies, could return home; they were still citizens of the Empire, and the Holy City hadn't forbidden them from going back. But people like the Rhine and the Rhodes… no matter how pious they were, the Inquisition didn't treat them like human beings when dealing with them.
In fact, if Hell wanted to corrupt the foundation of the empire, it could have done so from this angle; this was the empire's Achilles' heel.
However, Hell itself didn't really understand this thing either.
After all, apart from having a seemingly advanced "council", Hell's level of civilization is actually not as advanced as that of humans on the surface. Otherwise, it wouldn't be human superhumans beating up demon superhumans by the head.
Besides, the demons are all too depraved; even the succubi are indulging in pure love, while the ambitious one is a human demon king.
Andes swallowed hard and asked in a slightly probing voice.
What do you mean?
A smile appeared on Luo Yan's face as he issued a "divine decree" to the ambitious businessman in the name of Prince Colin.
“My idea is that you certainly cannot violate the laws of the Empire by minting gold coins on a large scale, but you might as well take a compromise approach, such as creating a new medium of circulation to replace the old pricing tool.”
"for example--"
"Led by your Andes Bank, in conjunction with all the banks and large gold shops on Queen Street, with your joint credit and reserves as collateral."
"Issuing a paper currency called 'silver pound'."
Or rather—
"Sovereign" currency.
(End of this chapter)
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