I'm not a lord

Chapter 331 What kind of war can you fight if you don't have money?

The foundation of an army is always money.

In most eras, if you don't have money, you definitely won't find anyone willing to risk their life for you.

Even if there is money but not enough, it's still the same. Soldiers cannot willingly risk their lives for their monarch if their pay is in arrears. That's why there's the saying, "If the pay is not enough, the army is invincible."

Otto III is also currently facing a shortage of funds.

He emulated Lynn's recruitment of a new army that was not a traditional feudal army, but a standing army that received monthly pay.

Every day when he opens his eyes, he faces more than 20,000 soldiers who are starving and waiting to be fed.

If the money and supplies don't arrive, the soldiers' morale and loyalty will plummet like a waterfall.

If the delay is too long, the new army he has painstakingly built is even at risk of disintegrating.

Otto was not short of money; he had a lot of money in the treasury of the Kingdom of Rui in the Southern Territory.

But that money belonged to the Kingdom of Rui, not the Kingdom of the North.

Although the two kingdoms shared the same king, their treasuries were not connected.

If Otto were to forcibly transfer money from the South to the North, he would first face the resistance of his wife and eldest son, followed by the opposition of Earl of Maison and other important Rui ministers.

Rui's treasury was used to support the local court and army, as well as to deal with various possible emergencies.

For the same reason, Otto also maintained a separate court bureaucracy in the Northern Kingdom. Just as Rui had his own royal council, the Northern Kingdom also had its own royal council.

After all, if even the national treasury is not interconnected, then it's impossible to use the same set of bureaucratic personnel.

This is why Otto dreamed of building a vast empire spanning both the north and south.

If he could unite the Kingdom of Rui and the Kingdom of the North, he could consolidate the national strength of both countries and save a great deal of manpower and resources.

However, this was just his imagination about the future, and it was bound to be fraught with obstacles. Right now, he still had to solve the financial problems of the Northern Kingdom.

"I will take care of the money issue, and it will be quick. You all just need to finish up your current tasks."

Faced with the Finance Minister's complaints, Otto III chose to take on everything himself.

Ultimately, the financial difficulties he faces are entirely due to his massive recruitment of new troops without considering the actual situation, and he is the only one who can take the blame.

After the royal council ended, Otto immediately sent for Neil, the mayor of Amber Harbor.

“Neil, you must have heard about the war in Perch City. In order to arm my army and eliminate the rebels within the kingdom, I need the Amber Harbor City Council to take the lead in donating a sum of money to the national treasury. My request is not high: Amber Harbor only needs to donate three thousand Northern Gold Shields, and the other autonomous cities in the Crown Territory can contribute five thousand together.”

Otto didn't hold back, and instead made an outrageous demand, asking for three thousand gold coins.

Although he was the king, he couldn't conjure money out of thin air; he could only ask whoever had money for it.

But how could Neil agree to the king's unreasonable demands?
He replied directly, "Your Majesty, the city council simply cannot afford the funds."

Otto's face darkened immediately, but he still patiently said, "Three thousand gold shields won't do? That's not much money, and in the upcoming war, Amber Harbor won't need to provide any militia for the royal family. Consider this your shield money."

“Your Majesty, let alone three thousand gold shields, the city council cannot even come up with five hundred gold shields. As you know, the walls and buildings of Amber Harbor were severely damaged in last year’s war, and the refugees stranded in the city also need to be supported by the city council. These two expenses have already emptied the city council’s treasury.”

As for the shield tax, I believe the citizens will not refuse to fight for you. As soon as the enemy reaches the vicinity of Amber Harbor, the citizens will not hesitate to take up arms and rally under your banner.

Neil's attitude was quite firm: no money meant no money, and he couldn't conjure up any money right now, but he did have quite a bit on hand.

More than half a year has passed since last year's war, but the reconstruction of Amber Harbor is still not complete, and money is needed everywhere.

Neil wasn't afraid of the king turning against him, after all, Amber Harbor had already paid its self-government tax for the year and had even presented a generous gift when Otto was crowned.

Even the king has no reason to ask Amber Harbor for money again.

"Is there really no other way?" Otto's face was very grim. Apart from the relatively wealthy municipalities, he really couldn't think of anywhere else to make money.

Last year, he collected a large sum of shield tax by bestowing titles upon nobles in the royal domain, and under the pretext of being crowned king, he demanded an additional sum of money from his vassals and municipalities throughout the land.

But he poured all that money into the army, and it's all gone.

It's only June now, and there are still about two months until the autumn harvest.

Otto couldn't keep asking his vassals for money, especially since his direct territories in the royal domain weren't producing anything at the moment.

Moreover, the economy and agriculture in the Crown Territory are not doing well at the moment. The war of the past two years has caused great damage to the Crown Territory, and it will take several years to recover to the pre-war level.

As for using force against the municipalities, such as sending troops to forcibly demand them, Otto only dared to think about it.

He certainly understood the difference between a full meal and a full stomach every day. If he was willing to pay the price of destroying Amber Harbor, he might be able to plunder a large sum of money.

But it's not worth it at all!
Moreover, the autonomous cities of the North are not to be trifled with. Back then, Amber Harbor almost single-handedly withstood two fierce attacks from Lord Lothair of the Swamp.

Before this, the citizens of Amber Harbor often amused themselves by throwing rotten eggs at the king.

These citizens are completely unyielding; the fact that they pay their self-government taxes on time is considered a sign of respect for the royal family.

Neil coughed twice, a meaningful smile suddenly appearing on his face:

“Your Majesty, there is always a way. Money in this world will only move around, but it will not disappear. If you are willing to promise interest, I think many merchants will be willing to lend you money.”

Upon hearing this, Otto III raised an eyebrow, a hint of seriousness in his eyes, and asked, "You mean I should borrow money from merchants at exorbitant interest rates?"

In the doctrines of the Trinitarian Church, usury is a sin deserving of hell, and the Vatican has repeatedly prohibited its members from engaging in usury.

But how many people in this world can resist the temptation of high interest rates?

Especially for businessmen, who have surplus money but lack ways to make money from it, lending is the best way to make money that they can find.

The constant warfare in the South provided fertile ground for usury. Noble lords and lords throughout the South would often find themselves in dire straits, short of money but needing to wage war, and with no other options, they would turn to merchants for high-interest loans to tide them over.

As a result, the loan sharking business in the South is thriving, with loan sharks appearing in almost every municipality.

Despite repeated crackdowns by the church, the loan sharking business always manages to resurface.

The North is now in an era of unprecedented chaos, and the merchants of Amber Harbor naturally want to learn from their counterparts in the South and indulge in the thrill of making money from money.

“Your Majesty, this is not usury, but simply a low-interest loan. The merchants of Amber Harbor do not wish to lose a good king like you, so they are willing to lend you some money to help you fight against the royal family’s enemies. You only need to repay the loan with the spoils of war.”

Neil's words sounded grand, but he was really just after that little bit of interest.

However, his main role this time was as an intermediary for the loan.

Many of their counterparts in the South sensed an opportunity in the North and commissioned Neil to pitch loans to His Majesty the King. He and the city council members also joined in.

Since they have the ability to lend money, these wealthy merchants naturally have the ability to collect it. They are not afraid at all that the king will become a deadbeat.

Wealthy merchants controlled the major port cities in both the north and south.

If the king defaults on his debts, they can pursue the debt by seizing royal ships and goods, or refuse to pay autonomous taxes or customs duties to offset the debt.

"I need to think about this some more," Otto replied ambiguously.

He was clearly tempted by the loan proposal, since it would allow him to use future money to improve his current military strength.

If he can truly defeat Earl Lynn of the White River and Earl Vasa of the Mirror Iron, the spoils he acquires in the future will easily cover the loan and interest.

He was no stranger to lending.

Some nobles in the Kingdom of Rui had a habit of borrowing money. Before going to war, they would borrow money to purchase high-quality warhorses and equipment. As long as they could win the war, they could repay the loan with the spoils of war afterward.

What? You're asking what to do if you lose?
Don't you still have your ancestral castle and lands? Those things can be exchanged for money to pay off debts.

Otherwise, where did all those impoverished nobles in the Southern Territory come from? Many of them were forced to sell their territories due to excessive debt, thus becoming impoverished nobles without land.

As for Otto, he couldn't imagine that he might lose.

In terms of population, output, and level of handicrafts, the three duchies in the North combined cannot compare to the Crown Territory.

He not only possesses most of the resources of the Crown Territory, but also has a continuous supply of troops from the South. Now, he has acquired wealth beyond the reach of time through usury. How could he possibly lose to Lynn, who only has a duchy?
Lynn may have had certain advantages in political system and training methods, but Otto copied them completely!
In short, he believed he could not possibly lose, and that he could easily pay off the debts he had borrowed with the spoils of war.

However, Otto still retained some of the pride of a king; he wouldn't agree to Neil's proposal on the spot, but rather wanted to keep the merchants in suspense for a while.

Otto only reluctantly agreed when Neil made the suggestion again.

He knew all too well what businessmen were like; these greedy people were even willing to sell their parents and children if they could make enough profit.

Participating in loan sharking is nothing more than selling one's morals. For businessmen, morality is not even as valuable as a pair of underwear.

A few days later, after repeated suggestions from the city council, Otto finally signed his name on the loan document with a hesitant expression.

The sum of 10,000 Northern Gold Shields will be deposited into the Northern Treasury in two installments over two months, with an annual interest rate of 30%, to be repaid over three years.

In the Southern Territory, this would be considered a 'low-interest' loan.

After all, there was a 50% chance that nobles would go bankrupt in the high-stakes gamble of war, and many moneylenders simply couldn't recover the full amount of principal and interest, so they had to raise interest rates to cover potential losses.

The reason for charging only 30% interest this time is simply because the businessmen believe Otto has a better chance of winning.

Otto's opponents this time are merely two minor counts from the North; the merchants couldn't fathom how he could possibly lose.

The king will win the victory and the territory, while the merchants will receive a generous interest return—it's a win-win situation!

Just as Otto was using his future wealth to continue expanding his army, Lynn had already arrived at the still rebellious Golden Deer Fortress.

“Go back and tell Count Gae that I’m only giving him two days. If he doesn’t show up in front of me after two days, I will go to Golden Deer Castle to find him myself.”

Lynn had long lost his patience when faced with the envoy sent by Count Gae to negotiate.

The invading army in the south that you placed so much hope in has already collapsed. Do you still have any reason to persist?
Lynn is now in high spirits and full of confidence. He not only returned to Golden Deer Castle with the glory of his great victory, but also transported another batch of cannons from Three Rivers by water.

The foundry guild in Sanhe City never stopped, devoting almost all of its production capacity to cannon casting.

Lynn now possesses a full fifty bronze mortars, equipped with stone projectiles and gunpowder to support continuous firing day and night.

As cannon-making technology matured, he also ordered the artisans of Sanhe City to try making long-barreled cannons.

Compared to the short-barreled bronze mortar, the long-barreled cannon was significantly more difficult to manufacture, but due to the increased barrel length, it had a longer range and higher accuracy.

Lynn also hoped to improve the material of the cannonballs, changing the stone cannonballs to iron cannonballs, so that the cannonballs would have greater destructive power.

However, this requires improvements to iron casting technology. The more primitive bloomery iron-making method cannot completely melt iron ore, so it is impossible to cast molten iron into various shapes.

Lynn has sent the newly unlocked blast furnace ironmaking blueprints to Chixi County, ordering Eric, who is in charge of the ironworks, to handle the relevant matters.

Once these two technologies are mastered, Lynn will have access to more powerful cannons, which will make it easier to conquer the major fortified cities in the North.

The envoy from Golden Deer Castle pleaded, "My lord, Count Gae is willing to open the gates of Golden Deer Castle and has promised to hand over the current duke to you intact. All he asks for is a simple promise from you."

Lynn scoffed at this, sneering, "A simple promise? Gae asked me for three earl titles and a large amount of wealth. He even asked me for a small piece of land. If he's still not awake, I suggest he can continue sleeping for a while."

Faced with the pressure from Lynn, the envoy finally told the truth: "My lord, this is just a bargaining chip offered by Count Gae. My purpose in visiting you is simply to ascertain your true intentions."

“If he wants sincerity, then I will give him sincerity. Tell him to open the city gates immediately, and I promise to give him three honorary baronial titles and retain half of his land outside the city. As for anything else, don’t even think about it!” Lynn didn’t want to drag things out with the clowns in Golden Deer Castle any longer.

(End of this chapter)