Chapter 638
I Need a Lot of Money Right Now. (2)
Lowell shook his head frantically and asked back.
“P-Print more money continuously?”
“That’s right! Just keep distributing it while controlling the flow! That way, it goes on forever! The current supply of money can't keep up with the ever-increasing production anyway! We need something to replace gold coins!”
“You’re just trying to pay off your own debt, and yet you’re talking nonsense so seriously….”
Lowell was about to curse but suddenly hesitated.
What if that plan actually worked?
He could seize complete control over the continent’s economy!
Given the current circumstances, Ritania’s currency would spread across the entire continent. At first, it would be because the kingdom guaranteed its value and because it was more convenient to carry.
Even though this economic system was born out of debt, the method itself was terrifyingly ingenious.
If the kingdom kept printing money, its debt would grow endlessly. Once it started, it would become an unstoppable carriage racing forward.
Can that really work? But… it might actually work? Maybe this could even make governing the country more efficient….
Unlike minting currency with gold and silver, this would allow an unlimited supply of money.
And that meant the kingdom could artificially control the issuance of money at will.
If they moved fast enough, other kingdoms would become economically dependent on Ritania.
It… it doesn’t seem impossible?
If successful, it would mark a shift from a tangible economy to a credit-based one.
And that credit would be backed by Ritania’s military and industrial power.
But how could they make people accept such a new system? Would people really believe in mere pieces of paper as money?
As Lowell zoned out in thought, Claude suddenly grabbed him by both shoulders and shook him violently.
“I’m telling you, it’s possible! I’ve thought about it over and over again! So just take some money out already! Or get lost!”
“D-Do you really think that’ll work?”
“We just have to make people believe! If they believe, then it becomes money!”
“Y-You crazy bastard….”
As the two continued their scuffle, a soldier ran over and shouted.
“Y-Your Grace, the Grand Duke has arrived!”
“Huh?”
Claude, who looked like a beggar, whipped his head around in shock.
The one person he really shouldn’t be meeting right now had arrived.
Sure enough, Ghislain was approaching with his knights.
Clicking his tongue, Ghislain frowned as he saw Claude grabbing Lowell by the collar.
“What the hell? Why are you here? Weren’t you supposed to be out hunting down bandits?”
“T-That’s, uh, well….”
A guilty conscience made Claude freeze the moment he saw Ghislain.
But somehow, his mouth was already moving smoothly.
“The people in the newly annexed regions have been severely exploited, so they can’t settle into stable lives. That’s why I urgently planned to secure funds from Rimhal to support them….”
His mouth alone had already reached the realm of a Transcendent. Lowell looked at Claude with an expression of utter disbelief.
Ghislain chuckled. He could clearly see why Claude was here.
But he didn’t let it show. That way, Claude would work even harder to run around.
Instead, he turned to Lowell and asked,
“Are you out on an inspection?”
“Yes! That’s correct. But the Chief Overseer is currently trying to take the funds here…”
Lowell decided to snitch first. The new currency issue could be dealt with later.
But Ghislain got straight to the point.
“There’s a lot of money here, isn’t there?”
“Huh? Ah, yes, there is. This is where the kingdom has the largest reserve of cash.”
“Set aside only the bare minimum for operations and prepare to take the rest.”
“All… that money?”
“Yes. I have a use for it.”
Lowell and Claude both stood there, stunned.
On their end, it always felt like they were running out of money. But on the other side, they were already planning to spend it all in one go.
Feeling wronged, Claude immediately flared up.
“Why do you only think about spending money?! Do you know how many expenses we have right now?! You should be saving! Haven’t you heard of saving?!”
Lowell shot Claude a dumbfounded look. Of all people, he was the last person who should be saying that.
Ghislain confidently declared,
“I’ve never saved money in my life.”
Standing beside him, Belinda closed her eyes and nodded. Even as a child, whenever she gave him pocket money, he would spend it immediately.
“……”
Claude and Lowell fell silent. The sheer confidence behind his words left them speechless.
Ghislain continued as if there was nothing wrong.
“If I run out of money, I’ll just get more. You have to spend boldly when it’s necessary.”
Claude asked skeptically,
“W-Where are you going to get it?”
“Anywhere. Someone has money. Or there’s something out there worth money.”
“……”
Lowell glanced between Ghislain and Claude.
One was trying to print money because he had none, while the other talked as if money was just lying around in the world. It was impossible to keep up with their logic.
Though the conversation left the listeners dumbfounded, Ghislain genuinely believed what he was saying.
In his previous life, he had wandered the battlefield as a mercenary without a single coin to his name. When life was hanging by a thread, there was no time to think about money.
Whether he had money or not, he had always found a way to survive.
“I’m a man who can be happy without money and even happier with it.”
“……”
Worrying about money was something other people took care of, people like Claude, Lowell, and Rosalyn.
Ghislain, wearing a disinterested expression, urged them.
“So hurry up and bring all of it. I need a lot of money right now.”
“What are you going to use it for?”
“I’m going to use it to develop the Forest of Beasts. Worker wages, soldier salaries, materials… there’s a lot to spend on.”
“You’re really going to spend that much? All at once?”
“To push things through aggressively, you have to spend aggressively too.”
Ghislain grinned. Spending big and pushing forward just as boldly that was his role.
Lately, he hadn’t had many chances to exert himself physically, being occupied with post-war matters and various other issues. In his free time, he focused solely on training.
He practiced the techniques of heroes he had seen in his dreams, integrating them into his swordsmanship. As a result, his skills improved slightly, and he found it a bit easier to wield the Power of Will.
And the dreams have been getting more frequent.
He had witnessed countless battles - fights between heroes and Apostles and clashes between the Hero and the Adversary. Each time he awoke, he compared his swordsmanship to theirs and continued refining his techniques.
As for the Saintess, she hadn’t said a word since then. More often than not, she didn’t appear at all.
Most of what he saw in his dreams was related to combat, as if they were urging him to grow even stronger.
And Ghislain was meeting that demand perfectly.
Now, his body itched for action. When one reaches a new level, it’s only natural to want to test their strength.
Ghislain turned to Claude.
“You coming with me?”
“Nope. I have a lot of work to do. I need to go back out on another bandit hunt. Plus, I’m working on a new economic system.”
“Hm, a new economic system? That sounds interesting. Tell me when it’s ready.”
“Yes.”
Lowell debated whether to intervene but ultimately kept his mouth shut. He could evaluate things later once the finer details were set.
For now, at least, Claude wouldn’t be able to take the money, and that was a relief.
“Alright then, you both keep up the good work.”
“Yessir.”
Claude let out a sigh of relief. It seemed his misappropriation of military funds hadn’t been discovered yet.
Of course, anyone who needed to know was already aware Claude was just oblivious to it.
As soon as Ghislain announced the recruitment after collecting a massive sum of money, an overwhelming number of workers rushed in.
Everyone in the kingdom knew that working under Ghislain came with huge rewards.
“We have to join this!”
“They say you get paid a fortune just for working!”
“His Grace always spends big when he spends. He doesn’t believe in saving at all.”
“That… actually fits him perfectly!”
As news of Ghislain’s land development spread, the northern lords let out deep sighs.
In particular, Count Zimbar, whose territory bordered Ferdium, was practically on the verge of tears.
“Haa… Everything I try to do just keeps going wrong.”
He had once formed the Northern Alliance and turned against Amelia, only for most of his allies to die while he barely escaped with his life.
He had lost a significant portion of his forces back then. And the troops he had painstakingly rebuilt? He ended up surrendering them once again falling victim to Ghislain’s negotiation, empathy, and persuasion.
He had even experienced the humiliation of forming the Northern Alliance only for it to be dismantled the very day it was established.
“Why won’t he return my troops…?”
In the northern territories, all available forces except for the bare minimum required to maintain security had been conscripted into the Northern Army.
But despite the war being over, the Northern Army hadn’t been disbanded. Count Zimbar had assumed it would be, but Ghislain continued to maintain it under the pretext of ensuring the kingdom’s stability.
With little else to do, the northern lords frequently gathered in Zimbar’s domain for social meetings, sharing similar sighs.
Life had improved, the people’s loyalty had shifted entirely toward Ghislain and even the soldiers were content. If they now demanded their troops back, they would be seen as nothing but shameless opportunists.
“Well, if we hadn’t surrendered them, we’d probably be dead by now.”
“Whether it was Count Desmond or Duke Delfine, we would have been killed eventually.”
“Or perhaps by Count Raypold.”
In hindsight, handing their troops over to Ghislain had been a stroke of genius. They had managed to avoid getting involved in the civil war altogether, surviving through the entire conflict unscathed.
And that wasn’t all.
They had also made it through famine, plagues, and even the Riftspawn invasion without a scratch all while doing absolutely nothing.
On top of that, they had received generous financial and food support for managing their territories. With all these benefits, they had no choice but to be content.
So, they shifted their focus elsewhere.
“Let’s put out a large-scale recruitment notice for laborers.”
“We need to send as many workers from our territories as possible.”
“The north is closer to the Forest of Beasts, so it’s a great opportunity for development.”
Their plan was simple to increase tax revenue by sending their people to work.
Fortunately, an overwhelming number of people volunteered. The northern lords were pleased, even as they felt bitter about Ghislain’s growing influence.
In total, 10,000 laborers were recruited from across the kingdom. It even took extra time to turn away young children who had tried to join.
The workers immediately began expanding the Forest of Beasts Garrison. With such a massive workforce in motion, securing stable supply lines was also a top priority.
Meanwhile, the Northern Army dispatched its 40,000 elite troops to assist in the development efforts.
Thanks to the countless laborers working tirelessly, the garrison was completed in record time.
And soon, with preparations finalized, 40,000 Northern Army troops marched toward the Forest of Beasts.
Ghislain observed them with a grin.
“This time, I don’t have much to say. It shouldn’t be too difficult, but don’t let your guard down.”
“WAAAAAAAH!!”
Their morale soared to the skies. Having overcome countless hardships, the army no longer feared the Forest of Beasts.
Skovan and Ricardo watched the grand army’s imposing presence with nostalgic expressions.
“Wow, the first time we came here, we only had a few mercenaries with us.”
“The second time was better, at least. We had a decent number of people.”
“The third time, we’re completely overwhelming everything….”
Skovan turned his head. Elena sat atop a massive warhorse, exuding confidence.
Her giant hammer was so heavy that most horses couldn’t handle it, so they had scoured the entire kingdom to find a steed that could bear the weight.
“Our princess sure has changed. Didn’t she say she wanted to become a graceful noble lady?”
“That bloodline doesn’t lie.”
“True… Let’s just do our best to keep up.”
With unwavering steps, the Northern Army marched into the forest.
The path up to the area where they had previously slain Queen Grex was already cleared, allowing for an easy advance.
This time, their goal was to push deep into the forest’s core. After reaching the center, they planned to methodically develop the land, starting from the entrance.
However, on their way to the heart of the forest, they intended to scorch everything in their path which was why the laborers were following behind them.
Thud! Thud! THUD!
With such a massive workforce at work, colossal trees fell rapidly.
Most monsters didn’t even dare to approach. The few crazed creatures that did charge in were instantly slaughtered.
Upon reaching a new area, the Northern Army soon discovered something shimmering brilliantly.
It was blood-red crystals, a vast cluster of ominous gemstones, radiating a sinister aura.
Murmurs spread through the ranks.
“Are those gemstones?”
“Can we mine them?”
“They look… unsettling.”
As people debated, the crystals suddenly began to tremble.
Crrrrrack…
The crystals rose.
Before they knew it, the stones had taken humanoid forms, large and towering figures resembling people.
Some even looked like lions.
Grk… grk… grrk…!
Every movement of the crystalline creatures produced a sharp, grinding noise, as if something was being shredded apart.
Then, the crystalline monsters advanced toward the intruders who had trespassed into their domain.
Boom! Boom! BOOM!
Hundreds of these massive crystalline beings began moving.
Once, such an unknown enemy would have instilled fear.
But now?
Their forces were too overwhelming.
Without hesitation, the entire Northern Army shifted into battle formation.
Watching the scene unfold from the side, Belinda remarked casually.
“Looks like monsters showed up.”
“We shouldn’t call them monsters anymore.”
“Then what are they?”
Ghislain grinned.
“They’re all money.”
After all, somewhere out there, something was always worth money.