Warhammer: Return of the Dragon.

"Let's go to Marienburg... I hate businessmen, but sometimes I have to admit that they can bring a lot of wealth to the country.

You can't count on them in a war, but they are indispensable when preparing for war. "Imrick advised his old friend not to think too much and suddenly performed a miracle.

They say that your Emperor Magnus has returned and has been re-crowned the Lord of the Empire with Sigmar's will, which will surely bring a new bright future to the Empire.

Of course, this is feasible. The pious pony's firm belief prevents him from being easily corrupted by power, and his boundless enthusiasm for the empire allows him to remain impartial and selfless.

But the Sigmar Empire is not the Cathay Celestial Empire. There is a Dragon Emperor and nine children to help him rule. Magnus cannot appoint a group of bald men to replace the Electors.

A few decades of being emperor was the limit of what the electors could tolerate. Politics and faith were two different things. They respected Magnus, but that did not mean they could allow a devout man to be an eternal emperor.

It should be noted that even Sigmar became emperor after much criticism, as people believed that as a Logan, he could not lead the Teutons.

Race, religion, culture, politics...all kinds of things can cause conflicts. Especially for a power like the Empire with significant cultural differences, the emergence of an emperor who is supported by most of the electors is unprecedented.

"Then go ahead. I hope those idiots still know why the empire is so powerful."

…………

Marienburg, a city known as the crown jewel of the empire, of course this only refers to the business sector.

As the largest trade center in the Old World, Marienburg, together with Erengrad and Tirell, supports the commercial backbone of mankind.

An important city straddling the mouth of the Reik River, it is located at the junction of the continent and the Sea of ​​Claw. A hundred years ago, almost all maritime trade involving Bretonnia, the Southern Kingdoms and the Empire was concentrated here.

This is a place of great wealth and great opportunities, and although the people of the Empire generally despise the money-hungry Marienburg, it still cannot stop those who desire wealth.

As the capital of Westerland, Marienburg is located on a swamp. In ancient times, before humans were created by the Old Saints, ancient creatures used this place as their home.

That is the swamp monster that only exists on the island of Albian. The ancient inscriptions excavated from the remote swamp undoubtedly prove that this view is correct.

On the ship heading towards Marienburg, Imrick reviewed the latest intelligence documents with great interest.

According to the legal basis of the referendum proposed by the Merchants' Union to the Electoral Conference, the foundation that allowed Marienburg to break away from the empire came from Magnus, the greatest emperor after Sigmar.

The Phoenix King glanced at the moody former emperor and said, "There is a saying in Zhendan that goes, 'You lift a rock and drop it on your own feet'... I think it is very suitable for your current situation. How do you feel? The merchants expressed their views on the referendum to split the empire using the document signed by you."

Magnus gnashed his teeth, "In the name of Sigmar, I will judge these damn heretics!"

"Tell me what happened, so I can have a backup plan... No, I should say let me have some fun."

Magnus was silent for a long time, thinking that it might be a bit embarrassing to talk about such things.

Finally, under the sincere and mocking gaze of the Phoenix King, the pious man brought up the dusty past. "This happened during the Great Holy War... Because most of the troops were withdrawn to support Kislev, Paulus van der Macht, the last baron of Westerland, also went to the battle with me, but unfortunately died in the battle.

He had no children or heirs, and after he was crowned emperor, claims to Westerland followed one after another. The Elector Count of Nordland kept saying that Marienburg was his barony, and there was also Talabek.

I don't know how a group of guys who hunt deer in the forest can have anything to do with the swamp."

"The Van der Macht family enjoys hereditary power, but no one can serve as the master of Westerland. Hundreds of petitions have come to the Palace of Nuln, hoping that I will grant the claim to Westerland.

Some electors have even assembled their troops, preparing to attack the richest territories in the empire."

“My original idea was to let the Vandermacht family preside over Westerland as much as possible, so that no one could start a war with a false claim... but the idiots in Nordland and Talabek kept biting at it.

I cannot risk a civil war in the empire by protecting a Vandermacht who has lost his master..."

"so?"

“So the merchants and nobles of Marienburg came to Nuln together and submitted an application to me.

Instead of appointing a noble to rule, Marienburg was governed by a council of the largest merchant guilds and temples. They ensured that everything would remain the same as before, that taxes would go to the Emperor's treasury, that goods would flow throughout the Empire, and that peace would be achieved without war."

"The facts show that the Marienburg Council is quite capable. During the sixty years that I have been in power, it has provided a large amount of fiscal revenue to the empire every year, alleviating the funding shortage caused by the early stages of industrialization..."

"But, but!" Magnus gritted his teeth, his rage rising into the sky along with golden light and cold air.

"They actually want to split the empire! I will never allow this to happen. In the name of Sigmar and Ulric, if it is the merchants who acted, I will have the Ironclad Army shoot them.

If they are priests from the Temple of Mannan, I will have the witch hunters treat them as heretics. I will kill anyone who dares to split the empire!"

Such a firm determination made Imrik frown, this was really a big pit.

It seems that Marienburg's plot to gain independence was planned a hundred years ago. They were just waiting for Magnus' death so that they could support a money-hungry emperor to take the throne and win over the hearts of the people with a monetary offensive.

After all, why should we pay taxes? What does the emperor's treasury have to do with us merchants? As long as there is money, even the devil will succumb to Marienburg.

Money can hire the best soldiers to serve businessmen and make opponents respect you, but it cannot make the powerful people who combine politics and religion believe that separation is feasible.

Magnus calmed down. It was not easy for him to show up in person now. This split with the intention of independence was not the real crisis of the empire.

"I hope you can find a way to stop the Marienburg Council's actions."

"What can I do?" Imrick shrugged and said nothing. "I am an elf, not a human. It is taboo to interfere in other countries' internal affairs without authorization. You don't want to see the Elf Phoenix King have too much say in the Elf Elf Council's report the next day. You should be vigilant." (End of this chapter)