I will be crowned king

Just as the chaos in Sailing City was about to settle, Anson Bach, who was on the front line of Black Reef Port, was entertaining a very special guest.

Northland Chamber of Commerce representative, Reinhard Roland.

Unlike Bernard, who is also a wealthy family in the north, the Roland family is considered a behemoth even if you look at the entire empire; this family is not only very keen on using marriage to expand family alliances, but their bloodline is also prosperous that all wealthy families envy, so that there are all kinds of mean things. Sour gossip:

Others rely on blood to build their country, but the "Rolands" create their own country.

Of course, there are many disadvantages to having more heirs. No matter how many children you have, family property and territory will not increase out of thin air. How to arrange work and blind dates for your descendants and descendants of relatives has been the most troublesome thing in the lives of all the Roland family heads in the past generations.

On the one hand, the scope of marriages has been expanded. From the royal family to the new barons with "local taste" from wealthy families, including foreigners, they can all become the spouses of the Roland family.

The direct consequence of this is that the "Holy Grail Knight" has become one of the most common bloodline powers in the world, and even landowners in rural Clovis such as the Bach family can get it.

"Being able to marry a girl from the Roland family" has become the most direct goal of countless imperial knights from poor backgrounds. Barons from wealthy families but low status are also very happy to pay a large dowry for a "son-in-law of Roland".

On the other hand, marriage is a matter of probability after all, and it may not succeed every time. The possibility that both parties will be very satisfied is too low; the employment problem of the heirs has forced the Roland family to embark on a path that even the wealthy empire has never imagined. : Doing business!

Although all wealthy families support their own royal merchants and often establish contact with the chamber of commerce in the territory; but Roland is the only one who does not have any pretense to go into business personally, and can even become bigger and stronger in the end.

Set sail from the Sailing City in the New World, to the Port of Carindia south of the Dawn Mountains, go north to Oak Town to take the steam train across Clovis, and ride on horseback to the vast grasslands of the east... You can all see the legacy left by the Northern Chamber of Commerce. trace.

Minerals, postal service, textiles, furs, tobacco and alcohol, livestock... As long as it is within the scope allowed and acquiesced by the church, there is almost no scope that the Northern Chamber of Commerce has not set foot in.

Even in order to expand production, the Chamber of Commerce directly operates factories and workshops in the territory, and also uses family strength to develop logistics, transportation and postal services; a special school is set up in the castle to provide the most professional training for the heirs who are preparing to enter the Chamber of Commerce in the future.

Hundreds of years of unremitting efforts, a spirit of struggle that is not afraid of failure and starting over, and the strong capital backed by a wealthy family and the Grand Duchy, have successfully made them a powerful chamber of commerce that transcends the empire and can have an impact on the entire ordered world.

And all this started because the heads of the Roland family had a headache to solve the employment problem of finding jobs for their sons...

Reinhard Roland is one of them... Like all the underappreciated last sons of the family, he became a representative of the Chamber of Commerce at a young age and was sent to the new world of ice and snow by his elder brother Philippe Roland, who was the president.

The reason why he took the risk to come at this time of war and chaos was not because Reinhard wanted to make progress too much. It was simply because the respected brother Philip neither wanted to embarrass himself in front of Miss Franz, nor was he willing to part with the beautiful city of Clovis, leaving the heavy burden behind. To him, the "most trustworthy brother".

Forced to do nothing, Reinhard had no interest in this "surprise" that fell from the sky at first, and just planned to deal with it as long as he could do business. Anyway, in order for him to gain the favor of Miss Franz, the Northern Chamber of Commerce would do whatever it takes this time. It all costs money, so what kind of business inspection is just a process?

But when he actually arrived at Beluga Harbor and understood the situation a little bit, some bold ideas were brewing in his heart...

"Actually, if you are a few days later, you can come with Beluga Port and the Confederate army; then we can be prepared and do our best to entertain you."

In the lounge of the Black Reef Port Council, Anson looked at the uninvited guest with goodwill: "Right now, Black Reef Port has just experienced a war, and even the battlefield has not been completely cleaned up. There are some inconsiderate things. I hope you’ll forgive me.”

"No, no, the Commander-in-Chief is too polite." Reinhard said softly, smiling modestly at Thalia, who was pouring wine for the two of them:

"Thanks to the great love, I am deeply honored to be entertained by the Luen family."

"Where there."

Thalia, who was wearing a snow-silver short-sleeved dress, was holding a wine bottle in her hand, her eyes curved into two small crescents: "It is also an honor for the Luen family to entertain guests from the Roland family."

Taking a sip of the fragrant Hantu wine, Reinhard glanced at the Tirpitz rum in the Anson glass across from him, as well as the fresh seasonal fruits, vegetables and seasonings on the table, with a little surprise in his eyes.

As far as he knew, the Black Reef Port had been besieged by the empire for nearly a month. During this period, there were many shellings and siege battles. At the worst point, the city's supplies were almost exhausted.

It was only the beginning of June, and from the scenes I saw when I entered the city and the meals on the table in front of me, there was no sign of a lack of supplies at all.

Of course he couldn't tell.

Although the port was damaged by shelling, Bernard's main target was the four armed smuggling ships. The damage to the buildings was limited and they could be used normally after a little repair. On the third day after the battle, supplies in the direction of Red Hand Bay began. Taking the sea route, people began to arrive at Black Reef Port.

Although the siege of the imperial army and the looting of surrounding areas caused extremely serious losses, it in turn also reduced the local food pressure; the surviving strong laborers returned to their original settlements to resume production. The current climate is still The warm season further reduces demand in the city of Black Reef Port.

Coupled with the end of the siege, the trade routes were restored and a steady stream of supplies came from the rear... Fabian, who was in the rear, even delayed the departure speed of the Storm Division and the Confederate Army, and first concentrated on transporting supplies to Black Reef Port. Strive to establish a complete supply line as soon as possible.

"To tell you the truth, I did receive an invitation from the commander of your grenadiers before departure. I hope I can come with his troops. In addition to convenient arrangements, safety can also be taken into consideration more comprehensively." Reinhard put down his words. The wine glass said with some speculation:

"But in the end I declined his invitation, because if I guessed correctly, once the main force arrives, you and the troops from the rebel colonies will begin to besiege Gray Pigeon Castle and will have no time to take care of a strange foreigner like me."

"Please don't worry too much about this - the siege of Gray Pigeon Castle had already started before you arrived." Anson chuckled:

"Two days ago, my chief of staff and most trusted infantry commander had already led two infantry regiments and a thousand Black Reef Port militiamen to march towards Gray Pigeon Castle; at the time we are chatting, an outpost battle is very likely It’s already started.”

"oh?!"

Reinhard's eyes lit up, and he even showed a bit of joy in his surprise:

"This is really surprising... As far as I know, although Sir Bernard Morwes was defeated, his main force was not damaged; more than 8,000 elite troops and the solid city defense of Gray Pigeon Castle are an army that lacks With heavy firearms, can a force of two to three thousand men be easily defeated?"

Looking at the other party's suspicious look, Anson snorted softly and raised the corners of his mouth proudly:

"Of course not."

"But near Gray Pigeon Castle, which is full of hills and complex terrain, these two or three thousand people are enough to establish a solid defense line that cuts off the communication line and blocks the 8,000-man imperial army to the west of the new world. It cannot easily break through the defense line. Threatening the security of Black Reef Port.”

"At the same time, a temporary forward position can also provide a safe and smooth marching route for the continuous army to carry out all the preliminary work required for the subsequent siege."

"That's it." Reinhard suddenly realized:

"Deploy key areas so that Bernard Morwes cannot counterattack, and then gather all the troops in areas where heavy firepower cannot exert its power, and launch a final decisive battle with the colonial minister who is in a dilemma?"

"It's just your own interpretation."

Facing the other party's affirmative eyes, Anson neither confirmed nor denied - when it comes to the key steps of the plan, how could he tell others casually except for the most trusted people and the troops performing the mission?

"But speaking of surprises, there is one thing that surprised me." He raised his eyebrows and changed the subject:

"Although the establishment of the Coal Mine Bank and the investment intention were jointly decided by Governor Franz and the president of the Northern Chamber of Commerce, after all, it was Beluga Port that was ultimately strengthened...Clovis's interests, the Roland family really doesn't care about the empire in New Zealand at all. Is the world’s sphere of influence damaged?”

The moment he said "Franz", a pair of meaningful eyes suddenly appeared behind him, making Anson tremble.

"About this, Commander-in-Chief, you seem to have asked the wrong person." Reinhard chuckled, not noticing anything unusual:

"I am just a small representative, responsible for conveying what I see with my own eyes and your thoughts to the president who is far away in the country. As for whether to invest, and if so, how much to invest, it is not my decision."

"Yes, but the results of your report are crucial; it may not influence the decision, but it can affect the scale of investment." Anson's smile remained unchanged:

"A 'little' representative would give up his relatively comfortable and stable life in Beluga Port, refuse military escort, and run to the front of the battle line alone just to have a drink and chat with the commander-in-chief of the 'little' garrison?"

"You are so humble." Reinhard was slightly stunned at first, then shook his head:

"The dignified Commander-in-Chief of Ice Dragon Fjord and the founder of the Free Confederation is not suitable to be described with the adjective 'little'."

"The sixth direct heir of the distinguished Roland family is by no means a 'little representative'."

Anson looked at him seriously and his smile faded slightly: "Your Excellency Reinhard, you still haven't answered my question."

"What?"

“If you just want to examine the intensity of investment, it would be enough to visit Beluga Port – why go to Black Reef Port?”

Facing his gaze, the smile on Reinhard's face gradually faded, and finally became serious:

"Because I don't think a mere Beluga Port or Ice Dragon Fjord can show the real potential value of this bank."

Anson had an expressionless face and said nothing.

"To be honest, I didn't want to come at the beginning, because the whole project was purely a decision made by my brother Philip in a hot head without even discussing it within the family." Reinhard snorted coldly, with a look in his eyes. With a little contempt:

"Coal mine development... sounds nice, but if just providing funds can activate the colony's production capacity, the cathedral of the Church of Order should have appeared on this land long ago, and it won't be our turn at all!"

"Gold, silver, gems... in the final analysis, these are just trading tools and means of accumulating wealth, just like banknotes and checks issued by the church. Behind a thin piece of paper is the supreme authority of the Church of Order - but it is not magic or alchemy. , it has not conjured up good ore, technological accumulation and human resources out of thin air.”

"If technology can still find a way, then population is the Achilles heel of the colony!"

"The population...the overly dispersed settlements and the harsh environment have limited the population growth of the New World, which has also limited its development and market size; the production capacity that can be stimulated by tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, is not enough for the local area. It’s just a drop in the bucket.”

Shrugging, Reinhard stared at Anson: "To be honest, after the first few days after arriving at Ice Dragon Fjord, I always had a strong guess: This so-called investment plan is just a joint effort between you and the Governor. scam."

"The huge amount of funds may not be able to stimulate more production capacity, but it can indeed become a gimmick to attract investment. These investments can be used to bring Beluga Port into a false short-term prosperity and accumulate strength to cope with the imperial counterattack."

He looked at Anson with an appreciative eye, making no secret of his affirmation of his guess.

"oh?"

Raising his eyebrows, Anson said calmly:

"If you think it's a scam, why do you want to come to the front line?"

"If it's just Beluga Port, it's a scam, but if you add all the colonies except Sail City, it's not necessarily true."

Although serious, Reinhard, who deliberately suppressed his voice, still revealed excitement in his tone:

"Eight hundred thousand, one million, one and a half million... If this is equivalent to the combined population of Xiaolong City and Clovis City, it can flow unhindered in this land of ice and snow, and if the goods can be profitable, Under the premise of price, it will not be affected in any colony, so this 'Coal Mine Bank', which mainly operates minerals and has the functions of investment, loans, coinage, etc..."

"There will be great things to do!"

The excited words echoed in the room. In contrast, Anson looked calmly and silently at Thalia, whose eyes were full of admiration.

"But the premise of all this is that you and the 'Free Confederacy' behind you can conquer Gray Pigeon Castle." Reinhard said solemnly:

"Of course, I know this is difficult to a certain extent, but it is necessary for you; if Gray Pigeon Castle can fall before the end of October this year, I can guarantee that I will get an extremely considerable amount of money for you..."

"Gray Pigeon Castle?"

Anson, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke and interrupted him:

"Who told you that my goal is just to conquer Gray Pigeon Castle?"

In the last book, Roland Turin's bloodline was so thin that he was almost extinct. In this book, his heirs are prosperous and have difficulty finding jobs. It's just a joke... I haven't thought about nicknames recently, but I have thought of several code names for the church, which can well reflect Anson's characteristics. , such as "Captain of Thunder Castle", "Lieutenant Colonel of Thousand Gold"...