The Emperor continued.
"Our opponents are the dwarves, who are said to be relatively wealthy on the continent. We don't know if they will attack together or if only the Thunder Mountain Range's owner will attack. If it's the former, defending the Montefero territory won't be easy."
Rockefeller agreed with the fact that the dwarves were wealthy.
If it had been the orcs, this conversation would have been unnecessary.
If it were only those big dumb brutes, they could have been crushed by a magic tank, and that would have been it.
"Perhaps this time, the dwarves will unite and launch an attack. The three dwarf kings may not get along well, but they have always moved together for the benefit of their race as a whole. We may not know it, but they will likely form an alliance by agreeing to split the gold coming from the Montefeltro territory into three equal parts."
All the despicable dwarves united and attacking?
As someone who knew a fair amount about dwarves, the Emperor found it hard to imagine such a difficult situation.
"Is that really going to happen? From what I know, they don't get along well..."
"Why not? It's a well-known fact that dwarves are obsessed with gold."
"Still, they have... deep-rooted hatreds intertwined with each other."
"But that hatred can also be momentarily overshadowed by dazzling gold."
"It's hard for me to anticipate as someone who knows dwarves well."
"Trust me. They will definitely unite and attack. But if we can't stop such an alliance from the beginning, the Montefeltro territory will fall into their hands in an instant. Then, it will take a considerable sacrifice to reclaim that land."
The Emperor pondered for a moment.
No matter how much he thought about it, he didn't like the idea of the three dwarf kingdoms joining forces.
However, as Rockefeller spoke so strongly, the Emperor began to doubt his own thoughts.
'It could be possible. If there's gold, then...'
"What should we do then? Should we issue a large number of government bonds and prepare for war?"
Rockefeller immediately responded to his question.
"This is an all-out war. Knowing that the enemy will attack, should you hesitate? Issue government bonds first and use the money to assemble an army and send them to the Montefeltro territory. I will also personally request the Pope to see if we can get the support of the church."
The Emperor knew the church only cared for itself more than the empire.
There was no significant benefit to the church even if gold was discovered in the empire's land. Would they really help?
So he asked Rockefeller about it.
"Would the church help? It's not their land even if there's gold."
"I have already established a new diocese there. So the Pope would not neglect the new diocese. Also, my relationship with the Pope is still good. Why do you think he would refuse to help?"
"If the Pope's army helps again?"
"There's no need for you to worry about it. Since I'm the one requesting it, even if the Pope makes a fuss later, it's a matter I requested, so why would he say anything to you?"
"In that case."
The Emperor seemed convinced and nodded his head. Rockefeller spoke again.
"The Montefeltro territory must be defended at all costs for me, the empire, and you. So please don't treat this as someone else's problem and wholeheartedly support me. That way, I can pay you a fair tax on a stable land, right?"
"Will your wives also participate in the war?"
"Of course. And Lee Han will also participate in this war. It will be a tough battle without him."
"But they need a sizable army to show their prowess on the battlefield."
"Then we will provide that army."
The Emperor, who had been thinking about something, began to express one of his concerns.
Everything was fine, but there was one thing that bothered him.
"It seems like a considerable amount of money will be needed... I'm not sure if there is a power that would buy government bonds even if they were issued in large quantities."
Rockefeller knew better than anyone about the involvement of the Goblin Bank.
"They exist. They absolutely do."
"Who are they?"
"It's the Goblin Bank. They will definitely intervene in this war. And they will side with the empire."
"The Goblin Bank... Shouldn't we avoid issuing government bonds then?"
The Emperor expressed his concern.
"I don't like being controlled by the Pope, let alone being controlled by mere goblins."
"I understand your feelings. But realistically, the only power that can absorb such government bonds is the Goblin Bank."
"Will the goblins really be on our side?"
"It's certain. From the Goblin Bank's perspective, supporting the empire is an inevitable choice. The dwarves are a wealthy race and won't need to issue government bonds, so the goblins won't have any chance to get involved in this power struggle."
"Hmm..."
Seeing the Emperor pondering, Rockefeller made a suggestion.
And it was a proposal the Emperor could never accept.
"Since you're going to issue government bonds, why not issue them with the intention of selling the empire? Then the Goblin Bank will definitely try to buy those bonds at any cost."
The Emperor was surprised at his words.
"What are you talking about? Issue government bonds with the intention of selling the empire."
The Emperor frowned with displeasure and continued.
"Then, if there's a problem later, the Goblin Bank won't stay still. They'll have the bonds and might use that as an excuse to interfere with our internal affairs. They might even jeopardize the entire empire by meddling with our taxes."
The Emperor thought it was not a good idea.
"I absolutely oppose that idea. There has never been a single instance in the history of the empire where we have been shaken by goblins. It was possible because we never accepted their dirty money."
To such an emperor, Rockefeller slowly shook his head, letting him know that his thoughts were wrong.
"Your Majesty, I have a plan. This may be the only legitimate way to obtain their money."
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