5/6 Bonus chapter thanks to @ima from Ko-fi!
The Crown War #2(3)
"If Lee Han used magic, then it's definitely possible."
Magic was an absolute power capable of achieving anything.
"But how did he do it?"
"I don't know the principle behind it. If I were one of his people, I might know, but at the moment, I have no way of finding out."
"......"
As the 3rd Prince's expression hardened, she opened her mouth again to help him.
"If the reason for the forgery is a lack of military funds, it would be best to find another way to get the money."
There was only one place that came to mind.
Goblin Bank.
It was the only place that could rival the financial power of the Lyon Guild.
'But using their funds would go against the traditions of the Crown War.'
"If we borrow money from the Goblin Bank, the Emperor will be furious. Even if we win, it would be meaningless."
The 3rd Prince, aware of this, had a hardened expression.
In the Crown War, borrowing money from any race other than humans was strictly forbidden.
This was because it could lead to interference in internal affairs by other races in the future.
'Damn it...'
He hated the moment he thought he could forge Goblin Dollars and stand against the 2nd Prince's army.
"Is there no way to find out?"
"If it's not magic that my family or I have come up with, but a magic that Lee Han independently created, then it's almost impossible to figure out how the magic is implemented."
"Is Lee Han that great?"
The 3rd Prince was of the Sinclair lineage, but he only had magical talent, not the magical knowledge that other mages possessed.
He had called her for advice, but the response was close to despair.
"Yes, you could say he's great if he's great. Because he implements magic in a completely different way than we do."
"Heh..."
It seemed impossible to utilize the power of magic to forge Lyon Guild's promissory notes.
'How could this happen?'
Magic was an absolute power.
He had always thought that it could achieve anything in the world.
Today, for the first time, he learned the limits of magic.
"Then..."
With a complicated look in his eyes, the 3rd Prince spoke to his subordinates around him.
"Does anyone have any other suggestions? A better way. If forgery is impossible, isn't there another way to make up for the lack of military funds?"
At his question, a general of Sinclair origin opened his mouth.
"There's no immediate money available. We could try to get money by pledging the future of the family, but I'm not sure if the head of the Sinclair family would allow it, given the current state of the world."
"I think the same way, as it's close to gambling from the head's perspective."
"Any other suggestions?"
"If the Union was still alive, we could have revived our money line through them, but that's impossible now. They're gone."
"There are a few noble families who have that much money outside the Union, but since the 2nd Prince's forces are doing so well, they've all turned to a wait-and-see attitude, so it's doubtful they'll help us."
"Your Highness Calman, how about secretly asking the Goblin Bank for help?"
At that, everyone's eyes were on him.
"How can you tell if we borrowed money from the goblins? If we hide it well, we'll get through without any problems."
But that wasn't what everyone wanted.
In particular, Isabella, who was invited to this meeting, insisted that it was impossible for the sake of the future of the empire.
"I disagree with that. When the Crown War is over, everyone will be loyal to one emperor. I also hope that Emperor Calman will be the one, but I don't want him to be controlled by the goblins. Rather, it would be better for Christian to inherit the throne."
Calman seemed to have the same thought, as this was a matter of his own future and life.
"You can't lead an army without money. You're telling me to die when we urgently need money?"
"Or..."
In the history of the empire, the princes who participated in the Crown War, except for the winner, died.
However, some princes were afraid of death and either fled far away from the empire or surrendered to the winner and lived a lifetime in captivity in exchange for their lives.
"Prince Christian, although not as violent as Prince Ryan, is said to be gentle and obedient. If you ask for mercy from Prince Christian on the condition of surrendering before the fight gets any deeper."
She, too, was one of those who worried about the security of the empire, just like Trinity Tepez.
"We may lose this Crown War, but it may be a good thing for both you and the empire. The longer the Crown War lasts, the more pleased the races that are hostile to us will be."
"Do you think Christian will spare my life?"
"Only Prince Christian would know that. Or at least ask him before the situation gets any worse."
"......"
After that, the 3rd Prince fell into deep thought alone.
And the next day.
The 3rd Prince sent a letter containing his intentions to the 2nd Prince's camp.
And not long after.
After reading the returned letter, the 3rd Prince agreed to be confined to a specific territory for the rest of his life, on the condition of receiving life insurance from the 2nd Prince, along with an unconditional surrender.
With the victory of the 2nd Prince, Christian Ismail, the Crown War came to an end.
In the empire, everyone was happy, saying that a new era had opened, and among them were the two who had supported the 2nd Prince both materially and morally.
Rockefeller, who had somehow known that the 2nd Prince would win, read the letter containing the news of victory in his office.
Read ahead by supporting me on Ko-fi. Access 5 advance chapters with the Imperial Dalants Tier ($10) or 10 advance chapters with Dwarven Sovereigns Tier ($18) or 20 advance chapters with Goblin Dollars ($35). For every $25 collected on Ko-fi, I will release an extra chapter. Choose your tier by clicking the 'Support me' button! Rate and review this novel on NU to help people find this novel. Happy reading!