A mage? A spell engineer!

Chapter 204 Returning to the Capital

Rorschach brought the spring breeze of Valuvana, successfully bringing down the small Glass Guild and fostering a rising joint venture, making some changes in Bain. However, the Holy Kingdom itself encountered some problems; spring was coming to an end, and people were unsure what the next season would bring.

This is especially true for ordinary people who entrust their life savings and future to stock managers and bank salespeople.

Just as the Rorschach airship docked smoothly, two important figures arrived at the strange monastery on Dupont Street. The casino next to it had been transformed into a securities company, but now there were very few people coming and going; even the fact that the important figures' guards lined up all the way to the door did not affect the already dismal business.

Rumors of discord between the prime minister and the treasurer have been circulating for a long time, and recently the tension between the kingdom's "left and right brains" has become increasingly public, making this private meeting at the monastery quite unusual.

The two individuals possessed the data and intelligence constantly compiled and reported by the kingdom. All indications suggested that the market enthusiasm from last winter to early spring had subsided, and people could no longer enjoy the stimulating effect of the over-issuance of paper money, but instead had to endure the pain of a continuously shrinking standard of living.

More and more small trading companies have withdrawn from the stock market or are languishing in a state of semi-existence. Business financing has become increasingly difficult and has even ceased, with new investments gradually concentrating on relatively "safe" companies. Managers are now focusing on "royal stocks" and "guild stocks," with the largest representatives of these two types of stocks being "Sareana Minerals" and "Hercules-Hercules," respectively.

The Prime Minister in red sensed that the kingdom's situation had reached a critical point, yet the Chancellor of Finance showed no signs of making any changes or efforts, seemingly oblivious to the approaching crisis. Therefore, from the very beginning of this private meeting, he had been sullen: "Stop your tricks. Stop fooling the fools of the entire nation… and His Majesty."

Necker merely smiled dismissively at Duplessi's questioning, especially when the latter separated "His Majesty" from "Fool".

He didn't meet the questioner's gaze, but instead admired the historic furnishings in the chapel: "You knew everything from the beginning, and you tacitly approved of what I did."

"My tacit approval was due to my momentary lapse in judgment, clinging to the illusion that I could save this kingdom through gentle, financial means. Now I understand my past mistakes. Why maintain the facade of the gold mining company? Haven't you and your former colleagues already profited enough?" The former colleagues Duplesci referred to were, of course, the bankers, whose weight and assets had ballooned to the point where they could no longer stoop when entering the mansions of nobles.

"The time is not right, Your Excellency!" Necker tapped the table. "Once the gold mining company's stock falls, the devaluation of paper money will get out of control. Of course, devaluation is not necessarily a bad thing for the kingdom, but it shouldn't be now."

"When was that?" The prime minister's magnanimity allowed him to still listen to Necker's sophistry.

"When the autumn harvest is complete, because your detestable tax farmers use a new currency, we must ensure currency stability when they collect taxes from farmers, so that..."

"Let the tax farmers force farmers to hand over more grain to the market." Duplesci immediately understood Necker's intention—to squeeze as much agricultural output as possible while the currency still had power: "Is this your method? Making the hungry cut off their own flesh to try to fill their stomachs."

Necker himself made his fortune through the grain trade, and he knew that if farmers and landed nobles did not sell more grain when the currency had strong purchasing power, once the capital was unstable, local small farmers, wealthy merchants, and nobles would all try to keep the grain in their hands as much as possible.

The result was the same as before he took office: insufficient grain in the market and a shortage of food supplies in cities.

"I prefer to call it ensuring food security. Only when rural granaries are open to cities and markets will Valuana have a stable foundation," the Finance Minister explained regarding his carefully crafted plan.

"There is a brief and wonderful time lag between collecting taxes and paying dividends and repaying debts. As long as the controls are loosened, countless claims will become worthless as the currency depreciates."

"Neker, I must admit you have your own insights into the kingdom's finances. One person can wield invisible hands, and then... make both hands bleed."

"There's always a price to pay, Your Excellency. Once we weather this storm, we'll use the recovered gold reserves to clear all the government debt, then use the General Tax Bureau's next year's revenue to restructure the currency and start afresh. Isn't that a good thing?"

"It's still a debt-borrowing trick."

"You say I control two hands, but I must also tell you that debt and taxes are the two legs that propel the kingdom forward. What we need to ensure is that they are reasonable and appropriate. As for the farmers and small merchants, in times of crisis for the kingdom, the interests of some must always be sacrificed. As long as they endure hardship and get through it, everything will be alright."

"Do you know? As a bishop, I have another way to correct mistakes. If you are declared by the Church to be a destroyer of the sacred order, you will have to stop this farce that is destroying the foundations of the Holy Kingdom." If declared in this way, Necker will be second only to being excommunicated by the Pope.

"Don't try to intimidate me, Your Excellency." Necker emphasized his address. "As far as I know, what you least want is for the Church to interfere excessively in the kingdom's internal affairs. As long as I remain the Minister of Finance, you won't let your efforts go to waste, will you?"

"Everything can be weighed, so don't try to guess my bottom line." Deplecy felt that further communication was pointless, and he had to prepare for the worst-case scenario.

The Chancellor gradually revealed a hint of anger: "Please don't think that you are the only one who is wholeheartedly devoted to the kingdom, Your Excellency. No matter how the situation changes, you will still be the bishop of the cathedral. Even if you retreat to the church, you can still enjoy fine wine and power. At least this small monastery is a good place to retire."

"And what about me? If I mess everything up, who can protect me, who can pardon me? Who?" Necker said nothing more, bowed to the bishop, and left.

After confirming that the bishop's meeting partner had left, his assistant emerged from a side room to await instructions. "Notify the bishops of all dioceses and the enthroned counts and dukes of the South to arrive in the capital before June. Begin preparations for the 'Conference of the Nobles'."

From the 14th century onwards, powerful nobles surrounded His Majesty, enjoying the luxurious life of Valuvana. Therefore, Deplesi's orders were primarily directed at the Church. The so-called Council of Nobles was a meeting of clergy and nobles, usually convened when the Holy Kingdom faced difficulties and the King sought help from both classes.

The assistant was startled and cried out, "Your Majesty!" This plea for help meant that the king was about to relinquish authority to the other attendees. The kingdom had not held a meeting like this for over 170 years, especially after the XIV declared, "I am the state." The king's power was unprecedented, and he no longer needed to negotiate with two different social classes simultaneously.

"Since Necker wants to seize the opportunity, we should also seize the chance and convene the meeting when His Majesty recognizes the impending crisis but there is still room for rescuing it together." The Prime Minister pondered for a moment and added, "We should also invite representatives from the Magic Guild to attend."

(End of this chapter)