I, the prince in distress, send money

Chapter 387 Increase Investment
"Ugh..."

In the Prince's office at Anvil Fortress, Chris, who had just finished dealing with a pile of documents, stretched and walked to the window. As the wind, carrying a few drops of rain, blew in, he looked up at the greenery in the distance.

A light summer drizzle veiled the vast plains in the distance. Chris's gaze pierced through this curtain of moisture, landing on the vibrant land beyond the immense shadow of Anvil Fortress.

There, it is the busiest time of the summer planting season.

The fortress's towering, cold, and hard outline contrasts sharply with the soft, moist, and rhythmic scenes of labor on the plain below.

The land, soaked by rain, took on a deep ochre-brown hue, as if brimming with power.

Countless tiny ridges, like lines on a chessboard, divide the land into neat squares. Some of these squares are already filled with newly planted rice seedlings, tender and timid, swaying gently in the breeze, like a thin green velvet carpet that has just covered the earth.

"It's so beautiful!"

Chris marveled at the beautiful scenery he had created, while also contemplating the rescue of the Tia family in the distance.

Monokuma played a significant role in this process, and the tragic story of the Varangian Band, along with the other players who deliberately betrayed them, left Chris... well, it's hard to describe.

Well, that's just how players are. Chris didn't want to comment any further. In any case, from his observation, more than half of the granaries in White Rock City had been destroyed.

Just as Black and White had planned, on the third day after the granary in White Rock City was destroyed, the Minisian troops, who were busy fighting against the players of the Overlord Tigers while continuing to search the mountains, began to retreat.

To be honest, Chris sometimes wondered just how much Charles hated him that the latter would so desperately and hysterically seize any opportunity that could harm him.
Hmm, Chris thought of a question: When did Charles find out about the marriage alliance between the Tia family and himself?

Before things were even remotely confirmed, Chris didn't make it public, and Marquis Dirac naturally wouldn't gossip about it.

When the Tia family was trapped, Chris gave the player a quest, only to find out that Chris was about to get married.

Judging from the timing, it's unlikely that the news about Chris's marriage partner was leaked from Bagnia's side, so it must have been leaked from the Tia family?

High probability.

That's a real shame. If they had kept their mouths shut, they might not have ended up in such an embarrassing situation.

If possible, Chris still hopes to save the Tia family, not just for a dispensable wife, but more importantly for that guano island.

To reiterate, Bagnia now has two sources of nitrates: the first is semi-smuggled from the Bohemian Empire, and the second is from nitrate fields.

The former's source of power could disappear at any moment if its national policy changed or if the Kingdom of Bagnia became hostile to the Bohemian Empire, making it extremely unstable.

As for nitrate fields... just like farming depends on the weather, the amount of nitrate soil depends on the weather. Good weather means more nitrate production, but if there is a series of bad weather, the amount of nitrate soil will be so small that it will make people want to vomit blood.

Therefore, the source of saltpeter in the Kingdom of Bagnia is currently unstable. Secondly, saltpeter has many uses; it can be used to make gunpowder in the military and fertilizer in the civilian sector to increase crop yields.

Therefore, from any perspective, Chris would never complain about having too much nitrate. Let alone one more Guano Island, what's wrong with having five more?
Not to mention that the Kingdom of Bagnia is currently short of saltpeter. Too much saltpeter for military use would reduce civilian fertilizer production, and conversely, if fertilizer is plentiful, gunpowder production would be insufficient.

Chris pondered for a moment.

"Forget it, let's continue to commit troops to rescue people."

Chris sighed.

"Secretary."

"I'm here, Your Highness."

Just then, the clerk's unchanging, calm voice rang out from outside the office door.

Chris originally thought that it would be enough for the players to rescue people, but because of Charles's heavy investment, if he did not increase the rescue force, then the Tia family would definitely not be able to get out of the predicament.

Then let's go for it.

With Chris's intervention, more players were mobilized once again. This time, they were no longer stingy, and the silver coins and reputation points in the mission rewards increased several times. Special and rare equipment was also put on the quartermaster's exchange list.

A new, player-led expeditionary force began to assemble in Tavitsky, and five days later marched north, heading straight for the mountainous region where the Tia family resided.

On the other side, Chris also formed a temporary group with the First and Second Infantry Regiments as the core and 5,000 Blue Banner Army soldiers as the auxiliary force. Starting from the Anvil Fortress, they marched northeast towards the coast of Minicia to provide cover for the player's expeditionary force.

……

"...Then let's get involved."

Prince Chris's deep yet clear voice still seemed to echo by the window of the spire, but the tide of orders had already swiftly surged to every corner of Tavitsky.

Soon, banners embroidered with blue scimitars were raised high, and rapid drumbeats resounded over the military camps and the banner army's estates... The Blue Banner Army, an auxiliary force composed of refugees and displaced persons taken in by the Kingdom of Bagnia, was once again summoned in the three provinces.

On a gentle slope not far from the walls of Tavitsky lies the barracks of the banner army under the command of Centurion Lawrence Darnell.

Between the neat field ridges, the summer grains have already sprouted ears, gleaming with a greenish sheen in the drizzle. However, at this moment, the atmosphere on the open ground next to the military fields is completely different.

Lawrence stood before his simple, log-built centurion's house, rain streaming down his weathered face, oblivious to the rain, watching the messenger ride away into the distance.

After a while, Lawrence looked down at the roll of parchment he was clutching tightly in his hand, stamped with bright red sealing wax... This was an emergency mobilization order from the prince.

The deputy centurion was standing nearby, his face showing a mixture of tension and anticipation.

The contents on the paper were concise and powerful... Upon receiving the conscription order, the Blue Banner Army's hundred-man squad immediately assembled at the Anvil Fortress, preparing to advance northeastward along the coast with the main force to launch an attack on the Kingdom of Minicia.

There was no hesitation.

Even as the messenger was still catching his breath, Lawrence had already turned around and roared out in his hoarse yet penetrating voice, which had become hoarse from the refugee camps and the siege.

"Prince Chris's order: Messenger, sound the assembly bugle and summon everyone... Don your armor, prepare your weapons, and assemble within 15 minutes!"

The mournful sound of the horn tore through the rain and pierced the fields.

Soldiers who were supervising the tenant farmers working in the fields and soldiers who were resting in their huts almost simultaneously stopped what they were doing.

After a brief, almost instinctive pause, they burst forth and charged toward the Blue Banner Army's camp. There was no commotion, no complaints, only the sound of hurried footsteps.

Most of these soldiers, like Lawrence, were refugees from the shattered lands of the Kingdom of Minicia. They struggled to survive in the refugee camps of Bagnia, and in their despair, they were recruited by Prince Chris, who gave them land and dignity.

They were no longer pitiful displaced people; they were Blue Banner soldiers of Bagnia.

Chris felt that the Blue Flag Army was destined to degenerate into a pile of rotten dog shit, but at least for now, they still had good discipline and a strong fighting will born out of a desire to protect the land and a sense of gratitude.

After the rallying call sounded, Lawrence strode into the rain, his well-maintained centurion's breastplate quickly donned with his wife's help.

In the misty rain of the training ground, Lawrence watched his soldiers, these former farmers, craftsmen, peddlers, and even down-on-their-luck knights' squires, as they deftly donned their armor and took swords, shields, muskets, and spears from the armory.

There was no fear in their eyes, only an almost numb determination, and... a barely perceptible, suppressed flame.

Lawrence was all too familiar with those flames.

It was the hatred of a destroyed homeland, the humiliation of displacement, and the deep-seated hatred for the king who had plunged them into the abyss... Charles.

"Quick, Pete, get your leg wraps!"

Hans, check your spear; don't let me see a rusty spearhead!

Lawrence's voice was like a whip, lashing out at every detail of the soldier's being.

He walked through the ranks, his sharp gaze sweeping over the faces and equipment of every soldier.

Most of these soldiers were brought out of the bloody meat grinder of the Leterian siege of Tavitsky, where, outnumbered and outgunned, they dealt a heavy blow to the Leterians who dared to attack, using superior weapons and high morale.

In that arduous battle, Lawrence was hit by two arrows, but he still managed to lead the remaining men to block the breach, earning him the nickname "Stonewall" and the position of centurion. More importantly, he won this 2,000-acre military farm that he could call his "home".

A young soldier, his face still bearing traces of childhood innocence, nervously fiddled with the straps of his breastplate.

Lawrence walked over, without scolding him, but simply pulled him tighter and patted his shoulder.

"Stand firm, kid, think about the fields behind us, think about who gave us these fields... For Prince Chris, today, let's go and give that fraudulent king a 'greeting'."

The young soldier's eyes hardened instantly, and he nodded vigorously.

At this moment, Lawrence's wife handed him a heavy halberd.

This was a weapon specially approved by the quartermaster when he was promoted to centurion; it was far more effective at penetrating armor and parrying than the standard spear.

Lawrence weighed the familiar weight in his hand; the cold metallic touch calmed his chaotic thoughts and reminded him of the culprit who had caused everything he had ever had to vanish.

Charles... that big liar who would do anything to become king, even dragging Minicia into an even deeper quagmire!
Lawrence's mind flashed back to his small, rose-scented baronial estate, now reduced to ashes by the Retalians.

The thought of this made hatred gnaw at Lawrence's heart like a venomous snake, but at this moment, this hatred did not bring chaos; instead, it transformed into a cold, clearly directed driving force.

It wasn't for empty glory, nor even entirely because of the prince's orders.

It was to protect this hard-won place of refuge, bought with blood and loyalty, and to seek revenge against the tyrannical ruler who destroyed everything.

"Lawrence Hundreds... Formation!"

Lawrence's roar successfully drowned out the sound of the rain.

Almost as soon as he finished speaking, a hundred Blue Flag Army soldiers, dressed in blue robes and various armors, quickly formed a tight square formation on the open ground.

Rain streamed down their helmets and armor, and the ground beneath their feet was becoming muddy, but the entire column remained silent, save for their heavy breathing and the cold glint of their weapons.

Thanks to Prince Chris's generosity, the entire Lawrence Hundred was fully armored, and their weapons were very uniform, so much so that although the Blue Banner Army was called the auxiliary army, the murderous aura emanating from their ranks was not to be underestimated.

This is the aura of a survivor who has gone through hell and crawled out of it.

Lawrence stood at the front of the line. The rain blurred his vision, but he seemed to be able to see through the rain curtain and into the direction of the northeast coast in the distance.

He took a deep breath of the damp, cold air, which smelled of dirt, rust, and sweat.

"Target: Anvil Fortress, move out!"

He suddenly swung his arm down.

There were no rousing speeches, only concise commands.

The entire hundred-man squad, like an awakened steel giant, silently turned around, trudging through the mud with heavy but firm steps, leaving their carefully tended training grounds and merging into the ever-growing blue torrent surging towards the assembly point from all directions.

……

The Blue Flag Army assembled at an exceptionally fast pace, completing the assembly within five days.

The soldiers of the First and Second Infantry Regiments were even faster, reaching the Anvil Fortress within three days.

However, these are two forces that cannot be compared. The latter has been maintaining a state of readiness in various military camps throughout the Tavitsky Province, while the former is scattered among various corps throughout the Tavitsky Province. The difficulty of assembling the two forces is completely different.

Chris was particularly surprised by the Blue Banner Army's ability to assemble and arrive at Anvil Fortress within five days.

Chris was particularly pleased with their attitude, so he rewarded them by giving them three months' worth of pay as a reward.

After the money was distributed, the already enthusiastic Blue Flag Army became even more enthusiastic.

Without delay, Chris immediately ordered them to march northeast, with Marquis Dirac leading the army.

Chris originally wanted to use Major General Marlowe, but the latter's radicalism made him think carefully and he still felt that it would be better to let the more mature and steady Marquis Dirac lead the army.

This is a supporting attack, not a main attack, so there's no need to be too aggressive.

(End of this chapter)