"Who?"

An exclamation frightened the patrol soldiers as if they were facing a great enemy. One by one, they picked up the weapons in their hands and were ready for battle.

After a while, he didn't notice any movement, and the bearded captain said angrily, "Claire, what are you yelling about?"

Do you know that the screams of this big night are going to scare people to death! ”

Claire, who was reprimanded, defended with an aggrieved face: "Captain, I didn't scream. Just now, I saw two figures passing by, and they disappeared from sight in an instant! ”

Hearing this explanation, Captain Beard's face changed. In the ordinary world, you may suspect that you are wrong, but the figure of the transcendent world passes by in a flash, and it is completely possible.

Either the enemy master is passing by, or there is a real ghost. Either way, it could pose a lethal threat to the patrol.

"Don't be cranky, keep patrolling!"

Although he said this, secretly he had decided to go back and report the news.

If you make a mistake, it's a big deal to work in vain. If the enemy's master sneaks in, something big will happen.

The patrol squad was lucky, and nothing happened except for a few wolf howls in the distance.

By the time Captain Beard reported the news, there had been unrest in the barracks, and the two patrol teams had not returned to the camp on time.

This kind of accident has not happened before. But it was all a sudden bad weather that affected the speed of the patrol, or it was attacked by wild beasts on the way, which delayed time.

The situation is obviously different now, not only did the team not return on time, but even the distress signal was not issued.

The officer on duty realized that something was wrong and immediately reported it to Hudson, who soon reported it to Hudson.

"Send the order down, let the Second Army be dispatched, and conduct a comprehensive search within a radius of thirty miles. Please follow the people of the enshrinement group and make sure to find the missing soldiers! ”

"Yes!"

……

Someone dared to run near his military camp to do something, it was simply Tai Sui's head breaking ground. Vaguely, Hudson felt that something was wrong.

Even if the orcs want to attack, then they have to choose the weak link to break through, and run to him to get a few patrolling soldiers, what is the use?

Want to sneak attack?

It's not that Hudson boasted, there was no main force of orcs above the legion, and he came here to give him war exploits.

Tens of thousands of centaurs want to sneak in, and that only exists in dreams. The coalition forces on the front line are not dead, and no matter how blind they are, they will not let tens of thousands of enemy troops slip away from their noses.

In particular, there are air force patrols in the sky, and in the vast prairie, tens of thousands of soldiers and horses have nowhere to hide.

From the time the coalition army set out to the present, the largest number of orcs who have successfully infiltrated is more than 1,000 people at a time.

And just as he was about to come out to do something, he accidentally exposed his tracks, and was slaughtered by the coalition forces who rushed to hear the news.

With just a small force sneaking in, Hudson prefers to believe that these guys are on the wrong path and have accidentally stumbled into his turf.

Glancing at the road map of the food convoy hanging in the tent, Hudson shook his head secretly.

For the sake of safety, each escort team has at least one regiment of troops, and there are air force patrols overhead.

Even if an orc team attacks, the nearby Terran coalition forces can come to support in time. At the very least, the Air Force can arrive as soon as possible.

Unlike the griffin cavalry, the Wurm mount has a significantly higher load capacity. Two or three more people sit on top of a flying dragon, and it's not a problem at all.

It is precisely because of this that the infiltrated orc team does not dare to make any moves during the day, and only comes out to move at night.

It is difficult to find the target in an environment where the light is blind, let alone accurately find the strength of the opponent.

In many cases, it is a vague offensive and then a vague end of the battle.

Compared to the number of sneak attack squads sent out by the orcs, the results achieved are really impressive. Anyway, Hudson, the captain of the transportation brigade, never felt the pressure.

Realizing that something was wrong with the orcs, but not knowing what was wrong, Hudson could only order to strengthen his guard.

……

Rutsia, along with the Alpha Kingdom's request for help, the Terran Alliance Council is once again in dispute.

Unlike in the past, this time it is not a dispute of consent or disapproval. A full-scale war has broken out, and our own troops are fighting on the front line, and support is necessary.

But specifically, on the number of masters that need to be sent, everyone has a disagreement.

If you want to clear a channel in the ocean, ordinary magicians don't even have the qualifications to participate, and only a very few high-level magicians have this strength.

Because of the amount of work, if you want to complete the cleanup work in a short time, this technical work requires the cooperation of multiple high-level magicians.

It's much harder to hire these mages to do coolies than to send them to battle. Even if the heads of the major forces come out in person, they can only persuade each other with good words, and if they don't do it, they will be scolded.

No matter how difficult it is, it has to be solved, and after rounds of quarrels, there is finally a preliminary consensus. Just as he was preparing for in-depth communication, a new proposal from the representative of the Alpha Kingdom broke the silence of the venue.

"Asking for money" is much more difficult than asking for people. Everyone knows that war is a gold-swallowing beast, and if you want to destroy the orc empire, it is destined to be a protracted war.

Once the alliance has taken over this burden, it will be held accountable for it to the end.

10 million, 20 million, 30 million...... These patterns are small, and without the cost of hundreds of millions of gold coins, this epic task cannot be completed at all.

Not to mention anything else, from the outbreak of the war to the present, the total military expenditure of the Alpha Kingdom, the Principality of Moxi, the Warhammer Kingdom, and the Principality of Orton alone has exceeded 100 million.

Before the outbreak of the war, this was a figure that many people could not have imagined. But with a war, it was squandered.

This figure is equivalent to the entire population of the above four countries, which contributed two gold coins per capita to the war expenses.

The actual proportion should be higher, because because of the war, the population of the four countries has dropped significantly, and the corresponding per capita share has also risen.

In order to raise funds, the Duchy of Moxi first issued war bonds, then the Warhammer Kingdom issued post-war reconstruction bonds, and then the Alpha Kingdom issued war bonds.

The only Duchy of Orton that didn't have a large debt was because they had too much time to go to war and didn't have time to spend the huge military spending.

"Count Predrag, didn't your country just issue a war bond, why is it short of money again?"

Bishop Monteson asked, skeptically.

At the beginning of the year, more than 30 million gold coins of bonds were printed, and recently 20 million gold coins of bonds were launched, and the Alpha Kingdom has surpassed the Duchy of Moxi and has become a veritable debt king.

Although military spending is a bottomless pit, it can be roughly estimated. With so much money, it is obviously impossible to spend it all at once.

"Your Excellency, our second tranche of bonds is unsold.

Maybe we have touched the limits of the market, or maybe the market is worried about our ability to repay. In short, people are no longer keen to buy our war bonds.

At present, all of our military expenditures come from the funds raised by the bonds at the beginning of the year, and two-thirds of them have now been covered.

The market is worried about our ability to repay, and it should be. The orcs did not fight the coalition in a decisive battle, but deliberately shifted to the rear in an attempt to continue their stubborn resistance.

If it drags on like this, no one knows how long this war will last.

Everyone knows that the Alpha Kingdom has suffered heavy losses in this war, and there is a high probability that the financial revenue after the war will be cut in half.

If the kingdom's debts continue to swell indefinitely, it is very likely that in the end, we will not even be able to pay the interest on the funds! ”

Count Predrague said without changing his face.

There is a direct showdown, and the Alpha Kingdom has financial problems. If the alliance is not able to reach out, it will be difficult for them to ensure the logistics of the front-line army for a long time.

In the depths of their hearts, after secretly calculating an economic account, the eyes of the people who looked at Count Predrague were full of sympathy.

Originally, the idea of wanting the Alpha Kingdom to raise the interest rate on bonds was dispelled by everyone in an instant.

Now it is not a matter of interest on funds, if the debt continues to increase and accumulates to the end, I am afraid that even the principal may not be recovered.

No money, just no money. Compared with the old debtor who does not repay the debt, this kind of debtor who really has no money is the most tricky.

In addition to tension, it is peace of mind.

Judging from the responsible attitude shown by the Alpha Kingdom, it is obvious that it is concerned about the debt problem, and there is no intention of putting it on the slightest.

As long as you respond positively, there will be a solution. In particular, the Alpha Kingdom has also regained a lot of lost territory, and as long as it recovers, debt will no longer be a problem.

"Count Predrag, this time the destruction of the Orc Empire, the Alpha Kingdom is the biggest beneficiary. For the sake of fairness, you need to compensate the Alliance.

Relative to the benefits that your country can receive, it is not too much for us to ask your country to bear only military spending.

Now that your country has a financial problem, you should actively take measures to solve it, instead of putting the blame on the Union! ”

Bishop Monteson said in straight words.

Originally, the Holy See was worried about how to suppress the Alpha Kingdom, but now that he can watch his sworn enemy fall into a financial crisis, he can't be happy, how can he reach out and pull a hand.

"Your Excellency, we have taken measures, and the bonds have been printed, but they cannot be sold.

It is well known that the Holy See is richest on the continent. If His Excellency the Bishop can subscribe to this batch of war bonds on behalf of the Holy See, we will not trouble the Alliance! ”

Count Predrague replied with a smile.

It is a well-known fact that the Holy See is rich in the world. However, it is mainly due to the wealth of the former Holy See, which has been unable to make ends meet for hundreds of years, and the old book has been almost eaten.

If it weren't for the money, the Holy See would not have been in conflict with governments. Half of the current notoriety is caused by historical legacies, and the other half is caused by conflicts of interest.

Judging from the income on paper alone, the Holy See's financial revenue is still the largest in the mainland. How can it be easy to go from thrift to luxury, and it is difficult to go from luxury to thrift.

All the high-ranking members of the Holy See are accustomed to the current luxurious life, and if they want to lower their living standards, that is the biggest heresy.

"Humph!"

"It's a quibble! If your country raises the interest rate on its bonds......"

As the words came to his lips, Bishop Monteson swallowed them back. This is a paradox, if you follow the preset routine of the other party, no matter how you answer, it will be wrong.

If the interest rate of the bond is low, it will not be able to sell, and if the interest rate is high, it may not even be able to keep the principal, so it will not be able to sell.

Now everyone is nostalgic for the good old days when the Moses peddled war bonds. Not to mention the high interest rate, the repayment ability is still guaranteed. The repayment tax was levied directly and forcibly apportioned to the nobles in the country.

The same operation is not possible in the Alpha Kingdom.

The Mossi people can bear it, it is at the juncture of the country's ruin, and if they don't accept it, the family will be ruined. Even if it harms their own interests, the nobles can only pinch their noses and admit it.

Now is the era of a great counteroffensive, even if they are forced to end the war early because they have no money, the nobles of the Alpha Kingdom can accept it.

In this context, if you want to cut flesh and suck blood from them for a long time, you should not even think about it.

Anyway, ending the war early, and losing face is also a shame for everyone. If the Terran Alliance can afford to lose people, the Alpha Kingdom can also not care about face.

"Alright, two. Everyone is for the hegemony of the human race, and there is no need to quarrel non-stop for a little thing.

The Alpha Kingdom's financial problems and inability to afford the high cost of the war are a real problem that needs to be solved urgently.

But the war still has to go on. All the races on the mainland are looking at us, if it ends in such a gloomy end, how can the hegemony of the human race be stabilized?

As for the problem of the war funding gap, the Alpha Kingdom also proposed three solutions, in addition to the first two, there is also a way to auction the land of the orc steppe.

Don't be in a hurry to refuse, the natural conditions of the orc savannah are still relatively good. As long as there is no threat from the orcs, it can also become fertile ground.

Even if we don't need the land, future generations will need it. If you miss this opportunity, it will be difficult to get so much high-quality land in the future! ”

Charles III struck hard.

It's a pity that the representatives present are all old foxes, and no matter how he fools, everyone will not move.

No matter how much potential development value there is, the current orc prairie is just a white land.

I don't know how many resources I need to invest in it. The income is only able to arrange a few descendants, and there is no substantial improvement for the entire family.

It's all a lesson in blood, how many nobles are left who were fooled north by the Alpha Kingdom back then?

I have suffered a loss once, and I want to come back a second time. Unfortunately, everyone learned their lesson and was not interested in the pie drawn.

Directly cold, Charles III could not do anything. Everyone was reluctant to invest large sums of money in the orc savannah, and he himself was also unwilling to spend money in the north.

Large investment and long return cycle are only one factor. The most scrupling thing for him is the safety issue, the orcs have retreated all the way, and they will not fight the coalition forces at all.

Once the five major orcs of the royal family successfully evacuated the prairie and wanted to destroy them, the difficulty coefficient suddenly increased several times.

"The stakes are too big for everyone to decide for a while. I think it's better to put it on hold and discuss it after the war is over.

On the issue of the war funding gap, the alliance subsidized part of it, and the rest of the funding gap was raised by the Alpha Kingdom itself. Everyone contributed to buy the war bonds they issued first.

If interest rates are low, they will be lower, and who will make us all allies?

It's about the hegemony of the human race, and we can't count these small accounts! ”

Count Djordjevich opened his mouth to play a round game.

Although I want to see Charles III's jokes, the current situation must focus on the overall situation.

As the second largest kingdom of the Terrans, Iliba is also a beneficiary of the continental hegemony system.

Compared with his own tangible interests, the little battle of will with the Frankish kingdom is not worth mentioning at all.

The solution of almost muddy, although not very satisfactory to all parties, is also a solution that everyone can reluctantly accept.

Except for a few poor ghosts who were also victims of the war, the remaining representatives of the major forces finally chose to accept it after exchanging words.

Tens of millions of gold coins are an astronomical amount for any country. When it is divided and divided among hundreds of forces, the number suddenly becomes acceptable.

In particular, the money is still lent out and can be recovered in the future. It's nothing more than a rate of return, and it's so low that it's speechless.

That's right, the Alpha Kingdom's war bond interest rate has dropped again. A few days ago, there was an annual interest rate of four percent, but by the time it was submitted to the coalition meeting, it had fallen to one percent.

With a long repayment period of 20 years and an annual interest rate of 1 percent, it's no wonder that no one cares.

Looking at the pitiful interest income, perhaps feeling that the previous performance had lost points, Charles III waved his hand and said proudly:

"It's all for the hegemony of the human race, and we won't charge interest on the 1.8 million war bonds subscribed by the Frankish Kingdom this time!"

The income of 18,000 gold coins a year is equivalent to the income of a wealthy barony, which really cannot enter the eyes of Charles III.

With a small price of favor and no expense, in exchange for a good name for yourself, by the way, you can also get closer to the relationship with the Alpha Kingdom, no matter how you look at it.

"The Kingdom of the Franks is so righteous that Libya cannot be ambiguous. The interest on our 1.5 million bonds will also be waived! ”

Count Djordjevich said with a smile.

Losers don't lose. As the second kingdom on the mainland, it has always been competing with the Frankish kingdom, and it can't lose in terms of momentum.

The bigwigs have made a good start, and the next thing is to test the relationship between the countries. In the blink of an eye, there were dozens of forces that had a good relationship with the Alpha Kingdom and expressed their abandonment of interest income.

Bishop Monteson, who was just eating melons and watching the excitement, suddenly found that everyone was looking at him wrongly, and instantly found that the situation was not good.

"I've been pitted again!"

Realizing this, Bishop Montesson immediately greeted the whole family of Charles III in the depths of his heart.

As a religious organization, this kind of prestige building should have been led by the Holy See.

It's a pity that because of the grudge between him and the Alpha Kingdom, his judgment was affected and he missed the best opportunity.

was preempted by Charles III, not to mention, and was given a general by a number of continental countries. Whatever choice he makes now, he will inevitably be criticized.

No wonder everyone cooperated so actively, I originally thought that the Alpha Kingdom had attacked the level, but I didn't expect that people were coming for the Holy See.

The price of 8,000 gold coins in exchange for an opportunity to hit the prestige of the Holy See is a bloody gain no matter how you look at it.

(End of chapter)