King

The matter of the Arcane Academy has finally been settled. By virtue of his status as a dragon knight, Hudson successfully gained the title of honorary dean.

The rest has nothing to do with him. Hudson finally understood that these old guys really just wanted to use his name and never expected him to step onto the podium.

I have to admit, these old guys do have a pretty good eye for people. If he goes to the Military Academy, Hudson can still go there and give advice; forget it about the Arcane Academy!

As for theoretical things, Mr. Hudson still has some things in his mind that he can share.

This is difficult for people with knowledge about cultivation. As a wall-hanger, Hudson's experience has no reference value except to mislead others.

In order to show the unity of the kingdom, all the great nobles in the country became the organizers of the Arcane Academy, and they also set an example by sending direct family members to the academy.

Although most of the great nobles did not know the news, it did not prevent the senior officials of the Arcane Academy from helping them decide in advance.

It's useless to object in your heart. The old guys who helped them make the decision also include their own elders.

It cannot be said that every major noble family has sent a representative, but 80% of the major nobles in the kingdom have someone here.

I have dug a hole with the help of my elders. No matter how bumpy the road ahead is, I can only walk all the way down.

With so many people sharing the firepower, Hudson instantly stopped panicking. The entire Alpha Kingdom is on the chariot, and even if the Holy See liquidates it, it will not be easy.

There may not seem to be much difference between the first Arcane Academy and the second Arcane Academy, but they are completely different in nature.

Without being able to suppress the Arcane Academy created by the Franks, the Holy See's deterrent power has declined.

In fact, as early as the era of Caesar III, there had been calls to form an arcane academy in the Alpha Kingdom.

Unexpectedly, he was limited by his strength and worried about attracting desperate revenge from the Holy See, so he chose to wait and see the situation.

With this wave of bankruptcies, the Holy See completely angered the "hawks" in the kingdom, and it became natural for the Arcane Academy to be released.

…

In the Emerald Palace, Caesar IV warmly received all the heroes who had returned. Unfortunately, everyone did not give him much respect as a king, and everyone went back to their homes after taking a look.

I don’t know if it’s because I’ve grown up or if I’m used to it. Caesar IV did not show any dissatisfaction with everyone's disapproval.

This is the case in a joint-stock country. As a major shareholder of the kingdom, it is difficult to gain the sincere support of other shareholders unless you do something great.

If the shares are broken down, the royal family's shares are less than 20%, while a group of great nobles hold more than one-third of the shares.

Only by uniting the two can they complete the rule of the kingdom. The relationship between the two is more of cooperation rather than forced restraint.

Correspondingly, the interests of the kingdom and the interests of the royal family cannot be directly equated. The country is not the country of the king, but the country of all the nobles in the country.

We work together to safeguard this country for the common interests; we may also undermine this country for our own interests.

The specific operation depends on both interests and moral integrity.

In essence, it is similar to business operations. Just like a group of listed companies, some major shareholders are promoting the development of the company; some major shareholders use their power to seek personal gain for themselves.

…

"Have the statistics been compiled?"

Caesar IV asked with a smile.

It can be seen that he is in a good mood now. It is not easy to trick the Holy See. In the past conflicts with the Holy See, the Alpha Kingdom rarely took advantage of it.

"Your Majesty, in this run, we invested a total of eight million gold coins in cash and recovered a total of 31,837,000 face value of bonds.

These bonds were all taken out and publicly destroyed.

The Kingdom's total real debt, while unchanged, has significantly increased the cash flow on our hands.

Thanks to the contribution of the Holy See, after deducting all costs, the kingdom made a profit of about two million gold coins.

Judging from the information available, the Holy See still holds more than seven million gold coins in bonds from the Kingdom. Because the price of the bonds will rise in the later period, if they continue to exchange them, they are expected to contribute another one million gold coins in profit to us.

Compared with the Kingdom's huge total debt, this profit is not worth mentioning, but our international credibility has been greatly improved.

It's a pity that the Holy See stopped too quickly. If they had continued, our profits could have been even greater. "

Marquis Delgado said happily.

It is difficult to be the finance minister. In order to raise the eight million in cash for such a large Alpha Kingdom, the Ministry of Finance has no choice but to find someone to borrow money.

Fortunately, the Alpha Kingdom has made a profit from this run, otherwise we really don’t know how it will end.

“Don’t be dissatisfied, it’s already very good if you can make a profit this time.

If the Holy See continues to toss regardless of everything, we can only drag them along and lose both sides.

After all, we have borrowed all the war bonds we can. If this bond exchange war continues, it will really consume our cash flow.

At that point, the best-case scenario is to wait until the Holy See holds a large number of war bonds and declare a debt default. "

The Grand Duke of Newfoundland said angrily.

The Alpha Kingdom now seems to have infinite scenery, but in fact it is dancing on the edge of a cliff. Once the bonds in your hands are exhausted, the arbitrage game can no longer be played.

Being able to convince domestic nobles to lend out their bonds does not mean that they can also convince foreign creditors.

The promise of "keeping accounts" is also valid for your own family. Outsiders are more willing to believe in a contract than an illusory promise.

“Use the extra cash to reduce your debt holdings! Especially those high-interest bonds, as soon as you receive them, pay them back immediately to save interest expenses.

In other aspects, it can still save high-ranking officials from holding huge debts, which is very detrimental to the development of the kingdom.

Strive to repay a portion every year and strive to pay off all the kingdom’s debts within eight years. "

Caesar IV said slowly.

It is a tragedy to think about it. His first long-term national policy since taking office is to pay off debts.

The "eight-year" goal is not set casually. But after eight years, all the debts of the Alpha Kingdom will gradually mature.

If repayment is not carried out in advance, when full payment begins, the kingdom will be bankrupt.

There is no such thing as retirement for a king. At Caesar IV's age, he will still be in his prime after eight years. If you want to pass the blame to the next person irresponsibly, you have no chance to do it.

Setting an eight-year debt repayment target also means that the Alpha Kingdom must recuperate in the next eight years.

Deep down in their hearts, the ministers breathed a sigh of relief. Their requirements for Caesar IV are not high, as long as they don't mess around.

Lie flat, it doesn't matter. According to the current system of the Alpha Kingdom, even if there is no central government, the noble lords still manage the local area properly.

Eight years later, these veterans have completed their final mission, and it is time to give up their positions to young people.

From the emperor to the present, Caesar IV has not replaced any of his ministers, which is enough to give everyone face.

Of course, keeping the original cast from the Caesar III era is also a last resort.

When one's own prestige is insufficient, if one wants to maintain the authority of the central government, he must appoint ministers with high prestige.

The group of veterans left behind by Caesar III all have a good reputation in the kingdom. Many things make these come forward, and nobles everywhere will give them some face.

If a new person is suddenly replaced, he will not be able to gain everyone's respect until he has made achievements, and he will inevitably be compared and criticized when doing things.

…

On the Holy Mountain, looking at the investigation report in his hand, Pius VII's face was gloomy and terrifying.

Originally thinking about exposing the sinister intentions of the Alpha Kingdom to the outside world, now he became hesitant.

The Holy See also wanted to save face, and carried out according to the original plan. While ruining the reputation of the Alpha Kingdom, it was also ruining its own image.

The enemy had been plotting against him for so long, but no problem was found. The hat of "incompetence" will definitely never be taken off.

If the matter spreads out, I am afraid that the people in the Holy See will laugh at it no less than the people who angrily denounce the Alpha Kingdom.

Once it is labeled "incompetent", it will be difficult for the Holy See to retain much of its reputation outside.

In the days to come, more and more countries will dare not to take them seriously.

"The news has been verified. This is the conspiracy of the Alpha Kingdom. Cancel all the run plans and dispose of all the bonds in hand to reduce losses as much as possible.

Let’s write this down first. When our plan to advance northward begins, we will go over to settle the score with them. "

After thinking about it for a while, I finally felt that it was unreliable to hold a large number of bonds in the Alpha Kingdom for a long time, so I reluctantly chose to cut my flesh.

As for subsequent cruel words, Pius VII has let them go countless times in the past years.

"Your Majesty, everything has two sides. It seems that we lost this time, but winning and losing are always relative. If we lose with the Alpha people, we can make up for it elsewhere.

Now all countries are gathering strength, and an unprecedented war has begun to brew.

It is said that the Frankish Kingdom has formulated a strategic plan to destroy the Orc Kingdom within five years; the Iliban Kingdom is also planning to use troops against the cannibals.

Most of the other countries that are close to the alien race have similar plans. Except for the elves who are in a corner and have not been targeted for the time being, the other alien races have their own enemies.

Everyone is busy looking for trouble from alien races, and we can't stay idle forever. It is the duty of my Holy See to fight for living space for the human race.

The dwarves rejected our goodwill last time, so there is no need for them to exist. Destroying them will just make up for the lack of our military industry capabilities. "

Blake said righteously.

This is not the first time in the history of the human race that people are sharpening their swords against foreign races. It happens almost every hundred years.

Especially when the internal conflicts of the human race are about to intensify, everyone will tacitly choose to provoke a foreign war.

If the war is won and territory expansion is successful, the internal conflicts will be alleviated; if the war fails, everyone's vitality will be severely damaged, their survival will be under pressure, and there will be no time for internal fighting.

It was through repeated battles and devouring the flesh and blood of foreign races that the human race grew from weak to strong and created the glory of today's overlord.

This has always been the case, and now it is no exception. The Holy See has been silent for hundreds of years. If it wants to return to the top of the continent, it must establish its authority externally.

Compared with annexing human countries and possibly being surrounded, attacking foreigners is much more comfortable. No matter what method is used, no matter how ugly the appearance is, no one will care.

The dwarves Blake was eyeing were undoubtedly a big piece of fat. By monopolizing the high-end arms trade, the Dwarf Kingdom has made a lot of wealth.

The issue that needs to be considered now is: the military strength of the Dwarf Kingdom is not weak, and the Holy See is not bordering them. If you want to provoke a war, you must find someone to cooperate.

But this is not what Blake needs to consider. After continuous political game failures, he can only look for opportunities on the battlefield if he wants to make a comeback.

It just so happens that the Judgment Knights are one of the strongest forces of the Holy See. Compared with political games, war is their specialty.

Strategically speaking, annexing the neighboring Kingdom of Ruthenia is the most beneficial thing for the Holy See.

However, there are too many restrictions in the human race's civil war. Even if they achieve military victory, they will still have to face interference from various countries on the mainland, and it will be difficult to swallow the benefits that are offered.

In comparison, it is easier and simpler to fight foreigners, and it is easier to gain respect.

"Captain Blake, our relationship with the Kingdom of Ruthenia is not good, why should they cooperate with us?

Even if they verbally cooperate with us, when the war reaches a critical moment, they suddenly stab us and cut off our logistical supplies. Wouldn't it be a tragedy?

I think we should first look for an opportunity to conquer the Kingdom of Ruthenia, put the people we support in power, and then wait for an opportunity to launch a war against the dwarves. "

Gu Lei immediately objected.

Like the Knights of Judgment, the Knights of Judgment also require war. Everyone is the main militant faction, but they still can't change the opposition between the two sides.

Even though they were eyeing the dwarves together, when it came time to formulate a strategic plan, the two sides still came to opposite sides.

"Commander Gulei Corps, there are many ways to solve problems in the world. In addition to military means, we can also use diplomatic means.

For example: Within a short period of time, the Kingdom of Ruthenia formed an alliance, and everyone joined forces to plot against the dwarves.

There is no need to worry about their rejection. The current Ruthenian Kingdom has a lot of internal conflicts and is in need of external transfer.

If we propose an alliance, as long as the conditions are not too harsh, they simply cannot refuse. "

Blake said calmly.

This plan was discussed privately with a think tank.

First use a treaty to stabilize the Kingdom of Ruthenia, and after annexing the dwarves, look for opportunities to attack this "ally".

"Blake, are you crazy! If we form an alliance with the Kingdom of Ruthenia, how can we attack him in the future?"

Gu Lei asked sharply.

Annexing one's own allies is not a good reputation. Once such a bottomless thing happens, the Holy See's already bad reputation will become completely stinky.

"Gu Lei, you can't use old ideas to deal with problems. If we can annex the Kingdom of Ruthenia one day, the political structure of the mainland will also undergo earth-shaking changes.

At that point, the small countries on the mainland will probably have been carved up by everyone, and they will enter a new era in which powerful countries stand side by side.

The original rule system will all be overturned. What else do we have to fear? "

…

Listening quietly to the arguments among his subordinates, Pius VII fell into deep contemplation.

Originally, the Holy See did not need to rush to launch a war. However, the operation failed and a large amount of manpower and material resources were used. In the end, nothing was accomplished and a large sum of money was lost.

Don't look at the two to three million gold coins that the Alpha Kingdom has made, but the Holy See's accompanying money is not just that little.

Even the Holy See cannot bear the huge losses. The Holy See is not a one-person Holy See. Even as the Pope, if such a big thing happens, he still has to come out and give everyone an explanation.

Especially those who have been squeezed out of the center of power will not let go of such a good opportunity to attack.

If you don't want to intensify internal conflicts, the best option is to engage in foreign war. No matter how much losses there are in this operation, the war can be used to balance the accounts.

"To be on the safe side, we should first contact the Kingdom of Ruthenia. If the other party is willing to cooperate, it is not impossible to discuss a temporary alliance with them.

The dwarves are not easy to deal with, so it would be a good idea to find more cannon fodder. If everything goes well, we can also take the opportunity to consume the strength of the Kingdom of Ruthenia.

As for the future, let’s talk about it in the future. At least we are not enemies until we destroy the dwarves! "

…