Chapter 427: The Chess Pieces Moving Toward the Board

On the outskirts of Lei Ming City, on a muddy field, roars full of momentum echoed over the heads of hundreds of people, urging these new recruits to run in the mud.

Not just running, they also had to ensure their steps were uniform. Because only by ensuring consistent pacing would they not bump into each other and fall when their chests were pressed against each other's backs.

These young lads were all newly enlisted conscripts, and only about half of them had received military training.

Before heading to the Dusk Saint Saint Xingsheng to rescue their compatriots, they needed to receive two weeks of training in the recruit camp before they could become qualified privates and stand in their companies.

The time left for them was very short.

But fortunately, their instructors hadn't had high expectations for them in the first place.

They only needed to learn how to fire, reload, and stabilize their formation in the rain of bullets, trying their best not to run away before the enemy threw away their armor, maintaining the stability of the battle line.

The ones truly responsible for crushing the enemy's battle line had to be the Principality's cavalry.

They not only received professional training but also possessed extraordinary power that mortals could hardly reach! Even when facing monsters blessed by Chaos, they had the power to fight! Of course, the Trident Knights wouldn't be on the field this time; after all, the opponent was just a group of farmers.

And the kind that hadn't been trained.

"Move faster! You bunch of pigs!"

"The enemy won't wait for you to slowly find your formation before firing! Before you find southeast, northwest, their bows and pitchforks will poke your butts rotten!"

"Lift your arms! Damn idiots, I didn't tell you to lift them over your head!"

Finally, someone couldn't hold on and stumbled to the ground. Looking at the instructor walking toward him, the lad's face was full of fear, and his mouth trembled as he said.

"Instructor, I..."

Before his words fell, his neck was pinched by a thick, powerful hand, and he was lifted out of the mud pit like a chick.

"Shut your mouth! There's only one sentence in your mouth, and that is 'Yes, sir'!"

"I, I..."

"Your answer!"

"Yes! Sir!"

"Very good! Now roll back to your team, and, all of your tasks today must be increased by two laps! Because there was a coward among you!"

The shouting in the recruit camp was earth-shattering, and the blood-boiling training continued.

Compared to the cruelty they were about to experience, this bit of verbal abuse was nothing.

Every veteran knew that this was just an appetizer before the main course...

Compared to the nobles who used these lads' lives to trade for land, they were the ones truly looking out for them.

And on the other side of the recruit camp, a very special unit had a completely different style.

These soldiers were tall and big, but each one looked not very smart.

During normal training, they were either listless or pointing east and west.

And what made the instructors most speechless was that no matter how they whipped them, they were all grinning, with no fear visible on their faces, and in the end, they only made those exhausted instructors angry enough to suffer internal injuries.

One Punch One Yingyingguai: "Damn, why do I have to have military training even in the game?"

Professional Nuclear Submarine Repair: "Can we not train?"

Village Entrance Hairdresser Master Wang: "Damn developers, wanting to do an event is so hard, I'm really drunk."

Lumberjack: "Do we have to be this realistic?!"

One Punch One Yingyingguai: "MMP! For the sake of the land, I'll endure it!"

The instructors in the recruit camp called them the "Fool Army" because they were really stupid, their brains were like they were mixed with sand, they couldn't understand commands, couldn't walk in uniform steps, and couldn't even maintain basic seriousness.

The instructors responsible for training them were even a bit confused about whether they couldn't understand human language or were deliberately singing the opposite.

But thinking that these people might not want to be like this, just that they had congenital intellectual defects, those eyes that hated them for not being successful turned into sympathy.

They could punish the thorns who didn't obey arrangements, but they had no way to deal with a group of fools who didn't react even when beaten or scolded.

One or two could be killed to warn the hundred, but a hundred... it was really not easy to find a place to bury them.

The key was that so much "talent" was wasted, and morale was lost for nothing, which was not worth the loss.

Dinner time.

Looking at that group of big fools eating fiercely, Chief Instructor Krug couldn't help but curse.

"What are the conscription officers doing, how did they recruit this group of things?"

What was the difference between this and letting them go to their deaths? The veteran responsible for training them was also embarrassed, coughed, and said.

"Don't know... but honestly, I don't think they're that bad. Besides not being able to stabilize the formation and not understanding human language, they still have the ability to fight... for example, they are fearless when charging, and half-jin grenades can be thrown by them a hundred steps away, even I can't do that."

Krug sneered.

"Are you kidding! Do you think we're going on an outing? Soldiers without discipline are useless! Once they reach the front line, they won't last a minute!"

The instructor was silent for a while and suddenly said.

"But... what if we let them carry jars filled with gunpowder and collapse into the enemy's formation?"

Krug paused, stared into his eyes, and frowned.

"... What do you mean."

The instructor coughed and said.

"I mean, anyway, they're already like this, two weeks isn't enough to cure their brains, might as well make use of the waste... so they don't come back and become your neighbors and mine."

"Damn, you're a genius!" Krug cursed, as if spitting on a lunatic.

However, thinking of those stubborn heads that didn't obey, he couldn't help but be moved.

Of course, he was just an instructor in the recruit camp, not a commander on the front line.

Perhaps he should talk to the commander of the rescue army and form a special "Hunter" unit, not a private unit.

That way, he could make use of this group of stupid waste...

The shouting on the training ground of the recruit camp was earth-shattering, and the city council hall ten kilometers away was also noisy.

Just as the Campbell Principality's recruits were sweating on the playground, the councilors representing the citizens were also shouting for their rights at the conference table.

"Your Highness! My respected Princess! You cannot do that!"

"I know your kindness cannot bear to see our compatriots in the Dusk Saint Saint Xingsheng sink into the deep waters of hell, but your mercy is pushing us into hell as well!"

"Our taxes are already very high; you just announced Bill No. 6 not long ago, and now the bill hasn't passed, and you want us to pay another sum for your war; where are we supposed to find so much money?!"

At the front of the conference hall stood Ailin Campbell in military uniform. Her golden hair was meticulously coiled behind her head, and that straight bridge of her nose was like the immortal light of the Campbell Principality, yet the sword-like eyebrows resting on that light were filled with worry.

At this very moment, she was facing her dearest subjects, and also her brother's most steadfast supporters.

Among them were presidents of chambers of commerce, craftsmen from handicraft guilds, or factory owners of emerging factories, and some even wore badges of jazz or knights on their chests.

As the most prominent citizens of Lei Ming City, they were representatives of other citizens. Although the Campbell royal family didn't need to pay attention to this group of mascots most of the time, they needed to seek their opinions when it came to taxation.

It had been like this for five hundred years!

Teresa, standing to the side, looked at Her Highness with some worry.

Although compared to two years ago, her Princess had grown a lot, when it came to the issue of taxation, even her father and brother would feel tricky.

The citizens supported this just war and were willing to shed blood for it.

But if they were asked to donate money, that was another matter.

This problem was not hard to understand.

The people who donated their lives and the people who donated money were both citizens of Lei Ming City, but they were not the same group of people.

Looking at the councilors fighting for their rights, Ailin took a deep breath of hot air and said in an earnest tone.

"Everyone, I know you are in difficulty, but please think about our compatriots far away in the Dusk Saint Saint Xingsheng! They are also subjects of the Kingdom, and like us, they are all children of Saint Xisi; if we don't extend a helping hand and let them slide into hell, the fire ignited from them will eventually burn toward us!"

A craftsman wearing a felt hat couldn't help but shout.

"Then they should go find Saint Xisi! Or their King! Instead of bothering their neighbors to wipe their butts!"

"Saint Xisi above, can't you let King Lei En or the provincial viceroy pay this money! The Campbell people have decided to shed blood for them, yet they are unwilling to pay even a little price!"

"No one will agree to such an unequal treaty!"

Looking at the indignant councilors, Ailin fell silent.

What they said was not unreasonable, and even she knew in her heart that she was making things difficult for them.

For the prosperity of the Campbell Principality, the citizens of Lei Ming City had already borne very high taxes, far exceeding the money contributed by the feudal lords.

And now, she still wanted to extract another sum from them, which didn't make sense in reason or emotion.

Not to mention looking at their excited appearance, it was likely they really couldn't squeeze out much money.

And the most critical thing was that if Bill No. 6 couldn't get broad support in the council, those poor people would likely continue to live in deep water and hot fire.

For the prosperity of the Campbell Principality.

Just when Ailin was in a dilemma, a respected gentleman suddenly stood up.

"Everyone, please allow me to say a few words."

The moment his voice fell, the restless air and arguments in the council hall calmed down as if a basin of cold water had been poured on them.

Ailin subconsciously cast her gaze toward that person, and in her eyes, which were as calm as a lake, a glimmer of hope flashed subconsciously.

That gentleman was none other than the current head of the Andes family, Yang Andes.

This middle-aged gentleman was not only the wealthiest merchant in Lei Ming City but also her brother's most steadfast ally.

This expedition launched to save thousands of people was exactly what her brother had promoted. It seemed that this Mr. Andes would definitely help her come up with ideas, so that the fifty thousand expeditionary troops wouldn't fall into an unsustainable predicament before they even set off for the battlefield.

"Your Highness, forgive my bluntness, the citizens of Lei Ming City are not unwilling to share the worries of the Principality. If it were to conquer the legendary Demon King and defend our own homeland, I believe everyone present would be willing to give generously for the survival of Campbell."

His voice fell, and sounds of agreement immediately sounded around him. That was not flattery for the sake of acting, but sincere identification.

"That's right!"

"We are willing to give everything for the Campbell Principality, but our money didn't come from the wind, why should we do these things for our neighbors?"

"We have already handed over half of our income, how much more do you want to take?"

"Mr. Andes..."

Ailin looked at Andes in surprise, wanting to say something, but was dissuaded by the latter's "Please, Your Highness, don't be impatient" look.

Seeing him pause, his tone changed, and he continued.

"I think the problem is not in the inequality of obligations and rights, but in the uneven distribution of benefits."

"What does this mean?" Dissatisfied with him interrupting the Princess's speech, Teresa frowned slightly at him.

She didn't have any good impression of this mercenary guy.

Every Campbell person knew that the reason why the Principality's sheep had become "man-eating" beasts was at least half because of him. There was no honor in his eyes, only money.

Of course, she didn't deny that the prosperity of the Principality and the stability of Grand Duke Edward's power indeed had a share of the Andes family's credit.

Including the funds the Princess used to build the new industrial zone, and that auction that gathered the eyes of the entire Principality, were all realized with the help of the Andes family.

"Very simple."

Facing the knight's sharp gaze, Andes continued calmly, "The farmers of the Dusk Saint Saint Xingsheng have been saved, the farmers of the Principality have gained land, yet what have the citizens who worked hard and paid money for this gained? Besides a heavy tax bill and a pale honor, I can't think of anything else."

Teresa was furious upon hearing this, her hand pressing on the hilt of her sword.

"Shut up! Rude fellow! Who do you think you are, daring to question the honor of the Campbell Principality!"

The council hall was silent, and face after face was terrified.

Clearly, the councilors present didn't expect Andes to be this bold, daring to question the pricelessness of honor in front of the Principality's knight! Of course, it was normal for them not to imagine it.

Because they didn't realize that they were just the slightly fatter sheep in the sheep pen.

o￠o

Mr. Andes was also like that before.

But since Grand Duke Edward took power, the prosperity of this Principality had in fact been inseparable from him; he and his family had become de facto emerging nobles and no longer needed to bow to those traditional nobles.

They had become a force, and a de facto force at that.

Not to mention that he wasn't doing this for himself right now, but speaking for His Majesty the Grand Duke.

"I didn't, respected Knight, I was just discussing a more realistic problem with you. If you want your subjects to follow your Highness willingly, you must let them see the benefits of doing so."

Andes answered the conservative knight calmly, then looked at the Princess, who was wavering between conservative and radical, neither humble nor arrogant.

Ailin didn't get angry; instead, she stopped Teresa, who still wanted to say something, and stared at him with mature and wise eyes.

"I understand your loyalty, Mr. Andes, then please tell me, do you have a better suggestion?"

"Of course."

Andes nodded slightly, a pleasant smile on his face, and proposed a concept that caught everyone off guard.

"My suggestion is that this tax should not be collected in the name of tax, but rather the royal family should 'borrow money' from the council, the citizens of Lei Ming City, and even the subjects of the entire Principality. Of course, when the royal family borrows money, just like when citizens borrow money, everyone needs to pay interest for the loan. I think in this way, no one should oppose supporting our neighbors."

The moment his voice fell, the entire conference hall was in an uproar.

Except for Teresa, who stared at Andes in shock, all the other councilors, after a brief moment of astonishment, gradually had their expressions turn into excitement.

"The royal family borrowing debt from subjects?"

"Paying interest?"

"This! This is simply unheard of!"

"But compared to collecting taxes, this is not a bad way; at least when the tax is paid, it's gone, but the money lent out can be recovered."

"Hiss... I need to think about it again."

The whispering voices gradually turned into noisy discussions, and the entire council hall was as lively as a vegetable market.

"This is crazy..." Because she didn't know what words to use to describe this crazy concept, Teresa could only mutter to herself.

She was a knight, and wielding a sword for the royal family was an obligation she and her family were born with, while the royal family's obligation was to protect its subjects.

Now, the royal family was starting to do business with its subjects, so what did the sword in her hand count for? If one day the royal family decided to renege on the debt and not pay it back, did she have to ride a horse to beat those... uh, creditors? Of course, such things would certainly not happen to the Campbell family.

It was just that this confusion of obligations and rights still made her fall into confusion about her own identity for a while.

Listening to the noisy discussion, Ailin stared at Andes with wide eyes, her face full of astonishment.

Then her eyes became sharp, and she said in a serious tone.

"Are you serious, Mr. Andes?"

"Your Highness, of course I am serious, and this is the best solution I can think of."

Andes bowed respectfully and continued to answer.

"Using war bonds to replace war taxes can appropriately reduce people's pain regarding war, and can give those who have contributed more a certain degree of compensation... and even allow traditional nobles to participate."

"Of course, this might be a bit unorthodox for a traditional royal family, and your worries are normal. If you feel this suggestion is too presumptuous, then continue with the old way, let your army squeeze the citizens of the Principality dry, and let us see where they hid their money."

This proposal wasn't an idea he came up with on the spot, but inspiration he had gained from Kelin Group's stocks a long time ago.

Since the company could be traded in the market in the form of tickets, why couldn't debt?

Moreover, that was debt issued in the name of the royal family; there was no more reliable guarantee than that.

Yang Andes was a person good at thinking, and he soon discovered the business opportunity in it! Especially since the Campbell royal family was different from the reckless Lei En court; the kind Campbell family would discuss even with their subjects when collecting taxes, rather than rushing into their homes like robbers to find every copper coin.

This was one of the reasons why the Campbell Principality could create incredible miracles in a small place!

Combining these conditions, there was a reliable realistic basis for issuing war bonds in Lei Ming City, and the return could also be fully expected. Even without using the forestry resources and mineral resources of the Dusk Saint Saint Xingsheng as a guarantee, the tax revenue of Lei Ming City was enough for the royal family to pay back the money.

A long time ago, he had discussed with Grand Duke Edward the method of issuing debt to raise national funds, and that Grand Duke, who was incomparably open-minded to new things, was also supportive.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have brought this proposal to the council at this time today.

Ailin was silent for a while, looked at Andes, and said.

"... I cannot make a decision on this kind of thing alone; I must ask my brother."

She believed that her father handing the sword to her was to let her protect the subjects of Campbell for him.

Different from Bill No. 6, which protected the rights and interests of the subjects, taxation was the power of the King, and only her brother could make a decision on whether to use war bonds to replace war taxes.

She didn't want any self-indulgent person to misunderstand that she had any improper thoughts about the throne.

Looking at the sensible Campbell Princess, Andes smiled gently and nodded happily.

"Of course, respected Princess, it is most appropriate for you to ask."

Different from those conservative nobles who missed the past and those upstarts who tried to draw a line with the past, he hoped from the bottom of his heart that this pair of siblings could get along well.

For the Andes family, which had already gained everything, nothing was more important than the stability of the Principality.

On the other side, on the way to Dusk City, Mr. Kelin's carriage was shaking.

This broken road was really too bumpy.

If it were normal times, the Demon King, who was particular about the quality of life, might have used some magic for the travel experience, but unfortunately, he really didn't have the mood to do this recently.

Ailin Campbell's sudden arrival had completely disrupted his plan.

He had to think carefully about how to round out this story to avoid losing big for small.

"Mr. Kelin, have you encountered any troubles recently?" Sitting opposite Luo Yan, Saintess Kalian, holding the book of Holy Words in both hands, vaguely sensed something and said with concern.

"A little... but it's not a big problem."

Looking at the Demon King who was pretending to be calm, Ta Fu, lying on Sarah's lap, almost couldn't hold back her laughter.

She happened to wake up when the Demon King and Sarah were chatting last night and heard a lot of interesting things.

Although she didn't know who Ailin was, she guessed the whole process with her tail.

She wasn't curious about anything now; she just wanted to see a certain Demon King capsize! Hurry up! Unlike Ta Fu, who didn't think it was a big deal to watch the fun, the kind nun was worried.

"That... if you don't mind, it's okay to confide in me."

Before Luo Yan could answer, the corner of Sarah's mouth curled into an imperceptible arc.

A mere human is worthy of being the object of the Demon King's confiding? Too weak...

Thinking this, Sarah suddenly fell silent, moved her gloomy gaze away from Saintess Kalian, and landed on the towering mountain peak outside the carriage window.

Seeming to feel that her words were a bit arrogant, Saintess Kalian's cheeks burned red, and she added embarrassedly.

"Please, please don't laugh at me... I just think that instead of bottling up troubles in your heart, saying them out might be better."

No presumptuous attempt.

She really just wanted to do something for this kind gentleman, just like he had helped her selflessly at the beginning.

Although she had no money and no amazing ability, she could still listen to a believer's troubles.

And this was the only place she could think of where she, as a nun, could help.

Luo Yan didn't mean to make fun of her naivety; no one loved his believers more than he did.

After all, every believer is his wing.

"Thank you, I accept your kindness, but you really can't help me with this matter; it's just a situation with my own time management..."

Luo Yan, who was halfway through his sentence, suddenly stopped, cast his gaze on Saintess Kalian, thought for a moment, and changed his words, "... well, maybe not necessarily?"

Things didn't seem that complicated.

Until now, the refugees following behind the caravan only knew Saintess Kalian's name, praising her kindness and generosity, and didn't know who Kelin was.

Since that was the case, he would simply use her as a chess piece active on the stage, and he would stand behind the scenes, wouldn't he? Thinking of this, Luo Yan's train of thought opened up instantly, and a relaxed smile reappeared on his face.

At first, he just thought it was interesting, so he helped this "nun" lady, but he didn't expect his unintentional move to become a key chess piece.

Sarah looked at the Demon King in shock; the shocked expression seemed to be asking why it wasn't her.

And Saintess Kalian, sitting opposite, had her shocked face gradually turn into surprise.

"Really?! Can, can someone like me... really help you?"

"Please don't belittle yourself, Miss Saintess Kalian; you have qualities that others don't possess, which I discovered a long time ago. And now, it is time for you to use them."

Luo Yan said casually, then cast his gaze outside the carriage window.

And almost at the same time, Sarah's eyes instantly became sharp, and the dagger hidden at her waist slightly revealed a cold glint.

Feeling that sudden biting killing intent, Saintess Kalian froze in place, shocked, not knowing what had happened.

"Sarah... Miss?"

"Someone is approaching..." Sarah said in a hoarse voice, "And the number is not small."

Luo Yan nodded gently.

"I know."

This piece of fat had been hanging in the wilderness for so long, it was time to attract the vultures.

Just as his voice fell, a loud gunshot came from afar.

Bang! Hearing this gunshot, the caravan was in a commotion, and the carriages and covered wagons squeezed together.

⊙￠O

The mercenaries were the first to jump off the carriage with their gear, bumping into the refugees running around, and the scene was extremely chaotic.

"Enemy attack! Damn! It's the bandits with green headbands!" The mercenary leader roared, trying to organize a defense, but was desperate when he saw the number of people on the opposite side.

Looking at the bewildered Saintess Kalian, Luo Yan smiled slightly and gave her a reassuring look.

"Do you trust me?"

Meeting that calm smile, Saintess Kalian felt the panic in her heart disappear.

She seemed to have returned to that cold snowy land, seeing that light of salvation in the pitch-black darkness.

"I trust you!"

In those quiet eyes, there was only devotion, and even a hint of fanatical light.

Looking at that pure and flawless face, Luo Yan nodded approvingly, as if examining a piece of art.

"Very good."

"Just do as I say in a moment." ===== CHAPTER 428 =====