Chapter 1439: Chapter 20: The Future (End)
“Moreover, the wool keeps coming in—damn it! No matter how many warehouses I build, can I withstand a situation where there’s only intake and no output?!
“And don’t forget, the ironware, tobacco, and fabric you traded with the Hurders for wool are all accounted for now, but one day, you’ll have to settle these debts!
“And the promised rent to the major manor owners of Iron Peak County has been postponed, although they are increasingly hesitant to demand it from you, it doesn’t an they’ve truly forgotten!
“These on-the-books losses, liabilities, and debts will ultimately have to be settled,” Mason beca increasingly desperate as he spoke, “I don’t even know what we will do when that day cos?”
Poor Mason, due to being more sensitive with numbers than others and having a stronger obsession with equations, bears the most psychological pressure.
“Tell !” Mason asked Winters with a heartbroken cry, “When that day cos, what will we do?”
Andre, standing aside, snorted coldly and suddenly interjected, “Then guess, senior, why has no one co to ask us for the paynts yet?”
Mason felt suffocated, clutching his chest, unable to speak for a long ti.
“Don’t worry, senior, have a sip of water first.” Winters quickly poured a glass of water for the senior, placed it beside him, and teased in a thoughtful manner, “I actually think… it’s not a big issue.”
Mason spat out the half-glass of water he had just sipped, and the anxiety that had barely cald surged back into his chest, “Not a big issue? Do you even know how much we owe?”
“I don’t.” Winters wiped his face and answered honestly, but he said with a smile, “But since Anna and Bard have always managed these matters, and they’ve never ntioned any issues to , so I think—it’s not a big issue.”
Mason was at a loss for words.
After a mont of silence, the artillery officer, who ca from a small rchant family in the United Province that advocated living within one’s ans and careful consideration, sighed deeply and waved his hand powerlessly.
“Do as you please,” Mason gave up thinking, but soon grew anxious again, “But no matter what, you have to quickly find a way to deal with the wool; burn it, throw it away, give it away, whatever, just don’t make build more warehouses!”
Hearing this, Winters suddenly felt a little embarrassed, “I forgot to tell you, senior, the Red River Tribe has shipped another batch of wool this ti, uh, and sheep skins. The quantity… is more than all the previous shipnts combined.”
Mason stood up numbly, “Alright, I’ll go find Lieutenant Colonel Magash now and we’ll set out for the Northern Foothills Province tomorrow.”
“Wait a mont,” Winters chuckled and held back the senior, “Although from the military and economic perspectives, Lieutenant Colonel Magash’s plan is more feasible… we can’t just consider military and economic aspects anymore.”
“What else is there to consider?” Mason asked.
Winters concisely answered, “Politics.”
He then explained, “Lieutenant Colonel Magash approaches us privately, but what he wants is our public support. In other words, he wants the two votes in our hands to overpower Colonel Gessa.”
Winters paused, “But unless absolutely necessary, I don’t want to push things to the stage of a public vote,” he smiled, “It’s not conducive to unity.”
Andre burst out laughing.
Mason glared at Andre and asked, puzzled, “But isn’t that what a voting system is?”
“It is, but it’s the last resort,” Winters unreservedly shared his thoughts, “If it really cos to needing a public vote to override Colonel Gessa, it ans the conflict has beco irreconcilable.”
“Lieutenant Colonel Magash hopes to first open up the Vineta Corridor, while we need the Supre Committee to accept the Newly Reclaid Outlands.”
“If we support Lieutenant Colonel Magash in military deploynt, then in the affairs of the Newly Reclaid Outlands, we can only seek Lieutenant Colonel Magash’s support.”
“This ans in the first two major decisions of the Supre Committee, Mont Blanc County will be overpowered twice by us and Lieutenant Colonel Magash working together.”
“If we were truly ‘one’ military, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but the reality is we’re not, we don’t have such strong bonds yet.”
“I worry that this will lead us to grow closer to Lieutenant Colonel Magash in the future, while Mont Blanc County gradually becos isolated.”
“I worry that this will plant the seeds of division.”
“So,” Winters’ eyes were as cold as onyx and deep as a profound pool, “unless forced, I don’t want to drag things to the stage of a public vote. If it truly cos to resolving differences through public voting, it ans we’ve failed.”
Mason was already dizzy from listening, “Too complicated…forget it, forget it, whatever you say.”
“I don’t like politics either,” Winters recalled the appearance and deanor of an old monk, and said decisively, “But we must not underestimate politics. Since we’ve joined this ga, we have to play it out, and we have to play it cleverly, play to win!”
Accompanied by a rich aroma, Bard walked into the dining room with another pot of stew, “Whoa, what are you guys talking about? The atmosphere is so serious?”
“Talking about why we didn’t just go to war,” Andre put down his cutlery and burped, “making it so that today, anything I want to do feels constrained.”
“Why did you start eating early?” Bard reproachfully looked at Andre, placed the stew pot heavily in the middle of the table, and with a smile, grabbed a smoked fish, “Didn’t even call .”
Bard sat down across from Andre and reached out to snag a piece of bread, “So what did you guys conclude from your discussion?”
“Discuss what?” Andre snorted lightly, “We already missed that window of opportunity, and we can’t go to war now, can we? Anyway, I can’t bring myself to do it.”
“If we had really chosen ‘armor clash attack’ at that ti,” Bard said with a chuckle while slicing bread, “we’d probably still be suppressing the garrison troops in various counties, and wouldn’t have the leisure to sit here enjoying the delicious trout.”
“Since we integrated the New Reclamation Legion without bloodshed, then we definitely have to give up sothing. We can’t grab all the benefits…”
“Hey, you don’t need to preach to ,” Andre impatiently waved his hand, “I’m not a [expletive]. What? I’m not allowed to complain a bit?”
Although Andre snapped back, Bard was not annoyed at all, just shrugged his shoulders, focusing on enjoying the fish.
The dining room suddenly beca a bit quiet.
Winters put a hand on Andre’s shoulder and gently patted.
“Alright, alright,” Andre seed like a deflated wine sack, raising his hand helplessly and unwillingly to apologize to Bard, “I was too harsh with my words earlier… Sigh, I just feel so suffocated, it’s no fun, not satisfying at all…”
“ too,” Winters looked at Andre with understanding, “Believe , Andre, too.”
Andre didn’t say anything, just nodded.
“Alright, I’ll go call Anna, Scarlett, Xial, and Heinrich,” Winters stood up, “Let them stop being busy and co eat quickly, I’m starving…”
“Hearing such words from soone who only set the table,” Bard, who had been busy in the kitchen, glanced at the crooked plates on the table and said with a smile, “really makes my emotions complicated.”
“The capable do more,” Winters also smiled as he headed towards the dining room door.
“Honestly, I think, although the bald guy shouted loudly,” Andre suddenly said in a deadpan voice, “regarding the Newly Reclaid Outlands affair, they’re actually not that resistant – isn’t this thing easy to negotiate?”
“Huh?” Winters didn’t react for a mont.
Bard also showed confusion.
Only Senior Mason paused for a mont, suspiciously asking: “Weren’t you dozing during the eting?”
“In that situation, you couldn’t talk about anything,” Andre’s temper flared up again, “If I didn’t sleep, what would I do?”
Winters made a down gesture to signal everyone to calm down, returned to Andre’s side, and seriously asked: “Why do you think the Newly Reclaid Outlands affair is easy to negotiate?”
Andre sneered: “Obviously because they want to negotiate.”
—————–
At the sa ti as the lively dinner at Montaigne Mansion, hundreds of kiloters away on the Ashen Stream River, a barge was slowly approaching the riverbank.
Inside the cabin, Jansen Cornelius sat quietly in the dark, an old sword laid horizontally on his knee.
Nise’s Fritz pushed open the cabin door and walked in.
“General.” Fritz stood at attention and saluted, “Kingsfort has arrived.”
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