As we entered December, the situation on the front line became more delicate. The newspaper pages of articles praising the victory gradually disappeared, and in their place were mostly reports praising the heroic battles of our officers and men, but the results of the battles were vaguely mentioned. Roswell's wheat and rye were already twice as expensive as they were before the war, and although expensive, they were still affordable for the middle class. As for the people at the bottom who could not afford to buy food, the rulers did not seem to care much about this issue, except for the meagre relief food distributed by the city authorities every morning.

Compared to the ignorant citizens, Luna has more information. Two months after the outbreak of the war, the Negro Republic began to show its strength, creating a large amount of armor, and the formation of armored spearmen took advantage of a mistake by Ankenrein to break through the Fourth Army in Scat Province and approach the Tulucas Line. And the Sixth Army, which penetrated deep into the province of Anta, lost contact after the good news in the early stage. According to the First Army, the enemy trapped the Sixth Army near Green Pine Mountain, and its own side was close to running out of ammunition and food, and was on the verge of collapse.

"Bell bell—"

The carriage's stop bell rang briskly in the wind, and Grand Duke Luna Brewster's car stopped at the Mage Tasimen Gate. The Royal Guard, who was guarding the Mage's Tower, inspected Luna's car and let her through. With two whips from the coachman, Luna's car enters the plaza behind the Mage Tassi's Gate.

"Why are there so many carriages here?"

Sitting in the carriage, Luna looked from the inside out, and found that the West Gate Square, which had been deserted since the death of Archmage Luke, was a rare place, with a large number of four-wheeled carriages with luxurious family crests inlaid or carved on the doors, and outside the stables not far away, coachmen in different uniforms gathered in twos and threes, chatting softly. Their eyes swept over the family crest of the Grand Duke outside Luna's car, and they knew who the owner of the car was, and they took off their hats and bowed their heads to the driver.

"I don't know, it looks like they're all big nobles."

Mellen Warren, who was also sitting in the carriage, replied softly. Luna's return to the Mage Tower this time is related to the future fate of her and her poor master, even if they meet Brooklyn Arquette in the same trench, the two of them will not let up in the slightest.

"Lord Arquette is still on business, and she knows that you are coming, and she tells me to receive you well. We've set up Lord Luna's room, and Miss Luna and Miss Merlen can rest in the room first. Mistress Arquette will be over as soon as the meeting is over. ”

Brooklyn's personal maid and bodyguard were already waiting outside the carriage door. She bowed deeply and apologized to Brooklyn before leading Luna and Meren to the Fabria House break room.

"Who are these people? Are they here for a teacher? Luna, thinking about the visitors. She always felt that now that the Mage Tower had actually been under the rule of the Emperor, the only one who could come here to find a teacher was a loser who had nothing but herself, that is, except for the Mage Tower.

"It seems that there is someone in the industry under the mage tower, and I don't know the specifics."

Celia also had limited information, so she reluctantly gave some information and fell silent. Luna knew that the maid probably didn't know much, so she didn't bother her. Wrapped in thick fur cloaks, they walked through the snowy guide to the rooms on the second floor of the Fabria Building.

That room that Luna was familiar with.

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About two hours later, Brooklyn appears in front of Luna. She wore a rare executive robe designed by Luke, with obvious tiredness and a slight joy on her face.

"Oops, Luna, I'm sorry, sorry, those guys made an appointment to come over today, and they were delayed for some time. How are you doing with McFafale? Any news of him? ”

"Not yet, presumably dead," Luna said of her husband with little emotion, pulling Brooklyn to sit down on the edge of the bed and making her request.

"Joe McFabrie's house is not interesting, and I just got married, and I didn't even see what a man looked like, and he died. Teacher, can I go back to the Mage Tower? ”

"Come back......" Brooklyn hesitated, "you know that if Lord Luke is still around, you can come back whenever you want." But now that Lord Luke is gone, we all have to listen to the Emperor. Your marriage was pointed out by His Majesty the Emperor, if you come back rashly, where will the emperor's face go? ”

"I don't care where he goes!"

Luna said angrily, knowing that it was impossible. She unconsciously reached out and stroked the bed, which was her favorite short-pile mattress, soft and comfortable.

"Alright, good", Brooklyn reached out and stroked Luna's long hair, "Now that His Majesty the Emperor has the final say, I don't want to, but I can't help it." We are all ordinary people, and it is good that ordinary people can do what we do. I've heard that you've been getting close to those ladies lately, do you have any news from the front? ”

"The front line? Even if there was such a thing as the front line, it would have collapsed", Luna said angrily, only to notice that Brooklyn's expression had changed significantly. Her teacher held her hand tightly and asked questions again and again.

"Collapsed? What does it mean to collapse? ”

"It's just not going to work, the battle is lost, the two provinces of the Negro Republic that we ate before are going to be spit out, the Fourth Army is defeated, the Sixth Army is lost, the First, Second and Third Legions are still struggling, but the enemy's weapons are powerful, and we have seriously attrition."

"How serious? How will the battle go if it goes on like this? ”

"I don't know the specifics, but I heard that the front line is running out of food. And a lot of soldiers fled, and the gendarmes couldn't control it......"

Luna was halfway through her sentence when she suddenly remembered something. She looked at her teacher and asked a question, a little confused.

"Teacher, why do you care about this?"

"Well......," Brooklyn thought for a moment, but decided to tell Luna the truth, "You saw the big nobles who came over today, right?" They were all vassals of our Mage Tower before, taking care of our Mage Tower's estate. The history of the Mage Tower has been so long, almost the entire Third Age, and the wealth accumulated and the industry controlled are very large. These people came because they heard that Gibson wanted to raise taxes and came to find out the news. Although they didn't know that there was something wrong with Lord Luke, but now that there are so many messages outside, they are not sure, so they come to ask, one is to ask for peace of mind, and the other is to find a way to deal with it. ”

"They? A gang of entrepreneurs and factory owners? Can it be done? Luna's tone was scornful, "Are they Magisters?" Do they have military power in their hands? If you don't have it, you don't have to worry so much and you're not afraid of flashing your waist? ”

Hearing what Luna said, Brooklyn laughed first. She laughed for a moment before coming up with her idea.

"Luna, this war against the Negru Republic was started by His Highness Gibson, and if we win, then we will naturally put an end to everything. But now it seems that the situation is not good, and there are some discussions in the government and the opposition, and many people hope that Lord Luke will come out and uphold justice. Although Lord Luke can't get out, if he really loses, his position as Paul Gibson is probably not so secure. These people who came here today control many industries such as pyroxene, grain, transportation, and iron smelting in Anken Rein, and Gibson would not be willing to raise taxes if they really raised taxes. When the time comes, there will be a good show for him to watch. ”

"Hey, really? Teacher, tell me more about ......."

When Luna hears that Paul might be out of luck, she is intrigued. Brooklyn looked left and right, lowered her voice, and began to explain her thoughts and plans. The figures of the two men were reflected in the pyroxene light on the window until late at night.

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"Your Majesty, you still have to think more about raising taxes. This is the foundation of the country, and it should not be touched lightly. ”

In Paul Gibson's study, Emile Owen, the Chancellor of the Ankenrein Empire, stood in front of His Majesty the Emperor in a serious tone.

"No tax increases? Where does the money come from to fight the war without raising taxes? What kind of steam hand cannon is expensive and expensive, it's all done by a bunch of old men, it's slow and inefficient, it's the only one that can fight the bastards on the west side, what do you want me to do? ”

Paul Gibson is clearly not in the good mood he was in before. Recently, the battle situation on the front line has been in shambles, and the only artillery cavalry division that can suppress the enemy's new equipment has been surrounded, and its fate is unknown, and one of his sons, the sixth prince, Elliot Gibson, has been surrounded. Coupled with the successive defeats in Scat and Anta provinces, the precarious defense line of Tulucas, and the fact that there was almost no money to produce ordnance and recruit soldiers in the rear, all this news made Paul lose his peace of mind.

"The public treasury is tight, but we can issue war bonds like the Negro Republic. If Your Majesty doesn't like war bonds, the private treasury can hold on for a while. If taxes are raised, the bourgeoisie will jump. They don't like the war you've started right now, and they're clamoring for Archmage Luke to put things right. ”

"Call! Let them call! If they can get Luke out, I'll be in trouble! ”

Paul was so angry that he cursed a few more times before he quieted down. He thought for a moment and began to convince people.

"We can't learn from the Negro Republic, whose war bonds are sold to the capitalists. Those capitalists are willing to buy because we are fighting them, and if they don't buy, the war will be lost, and they themselves will not be able to live well. But most of the capitalists on our side are more or less connected to the Mage Tower, and they can't wait to see me laughing, so how can they be willing to support us? ”

"But if the corporate tax is raised, it will hurt the capitalists very much. At present, a lot of logistics on the front line rely on these enterprises, and if their taxes are added, the logistics supply will not be enough, and it will not be easy to manage. ”

"What about limited industries? Military-related taxes are not levied for the time being, how about tax increases for other industries? Paul, apparently in mind, quickly backed down.

"Military-related are the big heads, transportation, smelting, pyroxene, grain, these big pieces are not taxed, and the rest are sesame particles, which can't help."

"What then? There must be money to fight. ”

"Your Majesty, would you like to consider imposing a war tax on everyone? On a per capita basis, those capitalists will not have any pressure and will continue to support you. ”

"That's an idea, but can the people stand it?"

"If you can't stand it, they will go bankrupt, and if they go bankrupt, they will become serfs. When they become serfs, won't we have serf resources again? It just solves the problem of the shortage of slave soldiers now. Even if they don't want to be serfs, if the bankrupt want to live, joining the army is the most effective way to get money, and our ordinary soldiers are also guaranteed? I think it's a good idea to have the best of both worlds, reduce the economic pressure, and provide more soldiers. ”

"Well...... Really good, do you have an idea for something concrete? ”

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The emir stepped forward and began to come up with his own preliminary plan. Marquis Emile Owen, who also owns a large business in his family, naturally would not tell His Majesty the reason for the formation of his plan. But Paul is not a fool, he doesn't mind these capitalists standing up for their own interests, he doesn't mind if there is a way to continue this battle. Two people, you say a word, I say a word, and gradually, a new tax increase plan is formed.

A tax increase program aimed mainly at the common people, the freedmen at the bottom, some of the petty aristocracy and the middle class.

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By the time Luna returned to McFfaley's house from the Tower, it was already the next morning. Although the newlywed wife has never even seen her husband, it is taboo to stay outside the house. But Luna was Grand Duke Ronan, and she was staying in the Archmage's Tower, and Joe McFawrie's parents showed no obvious displeasure. They warmly welcome Luna home, make her a separate meal, and accompany her after eating before asking about the Wizard's Tower.

"It's good, it's all good, it's much more peaceful than outside."

Luna is vague and reluctant to reveal too much. Hart McFawly and his wife, Vivian McFawry, asked a few brief questions and then changed the subject. Their son has not seen anyone alive or dead, and the old couple is also very worried, and in a few words they turned to the current battle situation. But Luna had already told them what she knew, and she had to repeat it again, hoping to comfort the two old men.

Just as the three of them, who were still a little embarrassed to get along with each other, were about to finish their meal, a maid walked in. It was the maid of Lady Paul Chung, the commander of the Western Theater of Operations, whom Luna had seen.

"Lord Luo Nan, my wife is invited."

The maid is polite, but Luna knows it's unreasonable. Generally, this kind of invitation should be two to three days in advance, so that the invitee can prepare clothes and topics. But now that I'm in such a hurry, could it be that something went wrong at the front line? With this worry and a little curiosity, Luna says goodbye to her titular parents, dresses up a little, and follows the maid to Pansy Manor.

Hopefully, it's bad news.

With an indescribable prayer, Luna's carriage pulls into the gates of Pansy's Manor. The two gates closed again after Luna's carriage drove in, keeping all curiosity, doubt, and worry out of the manor.