The Vastness of Magical Destiny

Chapter 97 - 97 20 Nicosia (1)_2

?Chapter 97: Chapter 20 Nicosia (1)_2 Chapter 97: Chapter 20 Nicosia (1)_2 The damned beastmen are to blame, their increasingly frequent invasions force the kingdom’s army to spend a huge sum of money each year on the construction and repair of fortresses and strongholds, and the scale of the army has had to expand incessantly, already more than doubling the size it was during the kingdom’s most peaceful times. This has put tremendous pressure on the kingdom’s finances, and the astronomical pension required every year for the soldiers who die or are disabled in battle when repelling the beastman army is nothing short of astronomical.

The budget for soldier pensions is always grossly overspent at the beginning of each year, leaving the Finance Minister no choice but to shamelessly borrow from Great Lords, Big Merchants, and even Usury Merchants by the end of the year. This has become a routine for the finance department of the Kingdom of Nicosia.

The negative effects of borrowing are becoming increasingly apparent, whether for Great Lords or Traders, all are happy to lend to the kingdom, which includes various favorable conditions. At this time of year, most merchants gathered at the Versailles Hunting Manor are hoping to join the ranks of those lending to the kingdom; they maneuver everywhere, hoping to enjoy various preferential rights after lending.

This year’s fiscal deficit is even larger. Although the kingdom forcibly collected a portion of the war taxes from several Great Lords, it is still a drop in the bucket. The beastmen’s frenzied attacks have inflicted great damage on the kingdom. Due to the insufficient garrison troops in border defense, the kingdom had to spend a huge sum of money to form a second Kingdom Central Direct Infantry Corps—the Iron Cross Infantry, which is a huge expense that cannot be avoided. However, the financial shortfall keeps growing, already on the brink of collapse.

Every year at this time, Parker felt completely exhausted. To cope with various expenses, he had to pinch pennies, the army complained about him delaying and skimping on the distribution of pensions and salaries, officials accused him of cutting various benefits to line his own pockets, and the Lords resented him for constantly suggesting to His Majesty the King that they increase various taxes. This kept him in a state of tension all the time, and though not yet fifty, his head had long since gone bald, forcing him to wear a wig to cover it up.

“Parker, didn’t we transfer a sum of money to your Ministry of Finance’s account a few days ago?” It was the Minister of Internal Affairs who interjected. Although he was not very clear about financial matters, he knew the kingdom’s finances were indeed in a tight spot, and to alleviate His Majesty the King’s worries, he too had to think of every possible way to reduce the kingdom’s financial burden, naturally considering the refugee funds as one of them.

“Which sum are you talking about? The 800,000 gold shields? Humph, Lord Tez, you’re putting too much emphasis on that money. What can 800,000 gold shields do? Just the soldier’s pensions this year will need 4 million gold shields, renovating the Palace will cost at least 2 million gold shields, and the ruined fortresses and castles in the North also need repairs, budgeting at least another 2 million gold shields. With so many expenses, what can a mere 800,000 gold shields cover?” the Finance Minister looked at his colleague with disdain, speaking slowly.

“So where exactly does the problem lie?” another man dressed in lavish military uniform, tall and thin, asked impatiently: “We can’t just let the bereaved families and disabled veterans of soldiers who sacrificed for the kingdom watch us idly, the year-end is imminent, and if this news gets out, it might shake the morale of our troops. Whether our soldiers will be able to valiantly resist the beastmen’s invasion next year depends on whether we can fulfill our promises to them!”

Seeing His Majesty the King’s gaze also on him, the corpulent man smiled bitterly: “Your Majesty, as you are aware, the issue is simple. The taxes of several Great Lords have not been collected, those in the North are a bit better, but the two in the South haven’t even paid half, and their vassal Lords follow suit. According to what this minister has learned, they all strictly forbid their Lords from implementing the ‘Utrecht Decree’, which gives these smaller Lords an excuse to delay.”

Both men were taken aback, their gazes simultaneously shifting to the older man. A flash of anger crossed the elder’s face, a sharpness in his gaze that only appeared at times like this.

“Parker, do you have evidence for what you’re saying?” The divine light in his eyes was fleeting, and the older man quickly returned to his usual unhurried demeanor.

“Unfortunately, Your Majesty, it’s unlikely that we will ever obtain conclusive evidence for such matters. Those smaller Lords are still under the control of the Great Lords. Trying to get any information out of them is hardly possible. But the excuses our tax officers face when they go down there are almost all the same, either the territory hasn’t produced a good yield, or the Lords have collected extra war taxes for the kingdom, or they simply say that all taxes have been paid to the Great Lord, who has promised they’ll be collectively paid.” The Finance Minister shrugged helplessly.

After deliberating for a while, the elder gave a slight nod and said, “In that case, Parker, go to my Royal Treasury and allocate 2 million gold shields, and for the remaining amount, find a way to make up for it yourself. The soldier’s pensions must be paid on time and in full, otherwise I’ll hold you accountable. As for the celebration expenses, delay them for now. For the funding needed for the repair of the northern border fortress and stronghold, you can ask those two in the North to contribute. Tell them the kingdom currently cannot bear the full cost, and if they don’t pay, and the beastmen invade on a large scale next year, more than just the kingdom might suffer. They need to consider the bigger picture. The rest of the shortfall is still up to you to figure out, and this task cannot be delayed, so make sure it is prioritized during the winter downtime.”