NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 638
Chapter 638: I Need a Lot of Money Right Now (2)
Lowell shook his head vigorously and asked again.
“Y-you’re saying we should keep printing money?”
“Yeah! Just keep releasing it and adjusting! It can go on forever! Anyway, with the current money supply, we can’t keep up with the increasing production! We need something to replace gold coins anyway!”
“Are you seriously talking about this when you’re in debt?”
Lowell hesitated for a moment, suddenly pausing.
What if that plan really succeeded?
‘I could grip the continent’s economy tightly and shake it!’
Looking at the current situation, Ruthania’s currency would likely be used across the continent. At first, Ruthania would guarantee its value and the portability would be good too.
Although it was an economic system forged from debt, it was a terrifyingly amazing method.
If the kingdom continued to print money, the debt would exponentially increase. Once it started, it would become a runaway wagon that no one could stop.
‘C-could it really work? It seems like it could? Maybe it could operate the country more effectively…’
Unlike when creating currency from gold and silver, now it would be possible to print money indefinitely.
And that also meant the state could artificially control the issuance of currency.
If they were to seize the market first, even other kingdoms would economically depend on the Ruthania Kingdom.
‘This doesn’t seem impossible, does it?’
If successful, it would transform the tangible economy into a credit economy.
And that credit would be guaranteed by the military power and production capacity of the Ruthania Kingdom.
But how would this new system get established? Would people believe that pieces of paper are money?
While Lowell was lost in thought, Claude grabbed his shoulders and shook him, shouting.
“It’s definitely possible! I’ve been thinking about it! So let’s get some money out now! Or tell them to get lost!”
“D-do you really think that would work?!”
“Just make them believe! If people believe, then that’s currency!”
“Y-you crazy bastard…”
While the two were arguing, a soldier came running, shouting.
“T-the Grand Duke has arrived!”
“W-what?”
Claude, now in ragged clothes, was shocked and turned his head quickly. Someone he wasn’t supposed to see had appeared.
Indeed, Ghislaine was approaching with knights.
Seeing Claude grabbing Lowell’s collar, Ghislaine clicked her tongue.
“What’s up? Why are you here? Aren’t you supposed to be hunting down thieves?”
“T-t-that’s… I mean…”
Claude, caught off guard, stuttered instantly. But soon his mouth began to move smoothly.
“People from the newly incorporated regions have been severely pillaged, so they’re living unstably. So I urgently planned to receive funds from Rimhal to support them…”
Looking at his mouth, he seemed to have reached the level of a superhuman. Lowell stared at him incredulously.
Ghislaine chuckled. It was obvious why Claude was there.
But she pretended not to notice. That way, Claude would run around even harder.
Instead, she looked at Lowell and said.
“Looks like you’re out on an inspection?”
“Yes! That’s right. But the Chief Officer is currently here with the funds…”
Lowell decided to tattle on Claude first. He could think about the new currency later.
But Ghislaine spoke up before him.
“Is there a lot of money here?”
“Huh? Yes, there should be plenty. Cash is probably the most piled up in the kingdom.”
“I’m taking everything except the minimum operating cost, so prepare it immediately.”
“W-wait, all that money?”
“Yeah, I have things to spend it on.”
Both Lowell and Claude looked dumbfounded.
It seemed they were always short on money here while she was only thinking about spending it lavishly over there.
Feeling unfair, Claude erupted.
“Why do you only think about spending money like that! There are so many things to spend money on these days! We need to save! Don’t you save anything?”
Lowell looked at Claude incredulously. Regardless of others, Claude shouldn’t say such things.
Ghislaine said confidently.
“I’ve never saved a penny in my life.”
Beside her, Belinda nodded with her eyes closed. She had always been busy spending her allowance as a child.
“…”
Claude and Lowell fell silent. They couldn’t find words when she spoke so boldly.
With a look of confusion, Ghislaine continued.
“If the money runs out, we’ll just get more. You have to spend when it’s time to spend.”
Claude asked, confused by her simple words.
“W-where do you get it?”
“From anywhere. Someone has to have money. Or there might be something that can be turned into money somewhere.”
“…”
Lowell looked back and forth between Ghislaine and Claude.
One said they were going to print money because they lacked funds, and the other acted as if money was everywhere in the world. It was really hard to follow logically.
While the listeners were bewildered, Ghislaine genuinely thought so.
In her past life, she lived as a mercenary on the battlefield without a single penny. When her life was at stake, she had no time to think about money.
No matter whether she had money, Ghislaine had managed to survive somehow.
“I’m the kind of man who can be happy without money and happier with it.”
“…”
After all, the worries about money were being handled by others. Claude, Lowell, Rosalyn, and so on.
Ghislaine urged them with a nonchalant expression.
“So hurry up and bring it all. I need a lot of money right now.”
“For what will you use it?”
“I’ll use it for the exploration of the Forest of Monsters. To pay the laborers, soldiers’ wages, materials… There’s plenty to spend on anyway.”
“But you’ll spend that much at once?!”
“To push through vigorously, I need to spend money vigorously.”
Ghislaine grinned. Spending money as much as it takes to push through is her role.
Having been tied up with post-war arrangements and the like, she hadn’t had much opportunity to exert herself. In her spare time, she focused solely on training.
She integrated the swordsmanship techniques of the heroes she saw in her dreams into her own. Thanks to that, her skills had improved a bit more than before, and her willpower was easier to use as well.
‘My dreams have become more frequent, though.’
She had watched the battles of those era’s heroes and apostles, as well as confrontations between heroes and their foes multiple times. When she woke from those dreams, she compared their techniques with her own swordsmanship and trained.
After that, the Saint hadn’t spoken at all. There were many occasions where she didn’t show up.
Most of what she saw in her dreams was related to battle. It felt as if the dreams were urging her to become stronger than she was now.
And Ghislaine was adequately responding to that hope.
Then her body felt restless. When one reaches a new realm, it’s natural to want to test their strength.
Ghislaine looked at Claude and asked.
“Are you coming along?”
“No, I have a lot to do. I need to go hunt down thieves again. Plus, I’m brainstorming a new economic system.”
“Hm, a new economic system? I’m curious. Tell me when you’re ready.”
“Sure.”
Lowell thought about whether to intervene but finally kept his mouth shut. They could review the detailed parts later when they were set.
For now, it was a relief that Claude wouldn’t be able to bring money.
“Alright, then you both are doing a good job.”
“Yeah.”
Claude sighed with relief. It seemed he wasn’t under suspicion of embezzling military funds yet.
In reality, everyone who could know already knew, except for Claude.
When Ghislaine announced her lucrative job, workers flocked in droves.
Everyone in the kingdom knew that participating in Ghislaine’s work would yield great rewards.
“We absolutely have to join this!”
“If you work, you’ll get loads of money!”
“Our Grand Duke is certain to spend big when the time comes. He never saves.”
“It suits him perfectly!”
As news of Ghislaine’s exploration spread widely, the northern lords sighed deeply.
Especially Count Zimbarr, who bordered Perdium’s territory, looked utterly distraught.
“Ah… Everything I do goes wrong.”
He had previously formed an alliance among the northern lords to strike at Amelia’s back. Most of the allied lords had died, but he escaped and remained alive.
At that time, he had lost quite a bit of military power. Even the forces he had somehow recovered were again surrendered to Ghislaine’s conversation, empathy, and persuasion.
He established the Northern Alliance, but faced the humiliation of disbanding on the very day it was formed.
“Why won’t they return our troops…?”
In the northern territories, all soldiers had been drafted into the Northern Army, except for the minimum number needed to maintain public order.
But the Northern Army still hadn’t been disbanded. He thought it would disband once the war was over, but Ghislaine, under the pretext of stabilizing the kingdom, was still leading the Northern Army.
The northern lords, who had nothing to do, often gathered at Zimbarr’s territory to socialize. They sighed, similar to Count Zimbarr.
The world was becoming a better place to live, and public sentiment was fully on Ghislaine’s side. The soldiers were satisfied, so asking for their forces back would make them seem like scoundrels.
“Even if they hadn’t given them, we would have died anyway.”
“Eventually we would have been killed by Count Desmond or Duke Delphine.”
“We could have also been killed by Count Raybold.”
In the end, forcibly entrusting their forces to Ghislaine turned out to be a divine move. They managed to survive the war without participating in a civil war.
Was that all? They successfully passed through famine, plague, and even rifts. Without doing anything.
Moreover, they received a support of funds and food from the territory operating funds, so they couldn’t help but be satisfied.
Therefore, they turned their sights elsewhere.
“Let’s announce a major call for labor support.”
“We need to employ as many laborers from our territories as possible.”
“Since the north is closer to the Forest of Monsters, it’s easier to head out for exploration.”
They were planning to collect more taxes with that.
Fortunately, an enormous number of applicants poured in. They were happy but also bitter about Ghislaine’s rising popularity.
Thus, a total of ten thousand laborers were recruited from across the kingdom. It even took longer to send back the children who came.
The laborers immediately began work on expanding the fortress at the Forest of Monsters. Supply was crucial as such a large group was moving.
The elite Northern Army, comprising 40,000 soldiers, prepared to march for exploration.
Thanks to the numerous laborers’ contributions, the fortress was completed swiftly. Soon, the 40,000 Northern Army soldiers finished their preparations and advanced into the Forest of Monsters.
Ghislaine smiled as she observed them.
“I don’t have anything particular to say this time. It won’t be too difficult, but don’t let your guard down.”
“Whooooaaaaa!”
Their morale was sky-high. The army that had overcome all adversity was no longer fearful of the Forest of Monsters.
Skoban and Ricardo looked at the magnificent army with nostalgic expressions.
“Wow, the first time we went in, we only took a handful of mercenaries.”
“The second time was better, at least it was quite a few.”
“The third time is overwhelming and good, but…”
Skoban turned his head. Elena was proudly standing on a massive horse.
Due to her enormous hammer, ordinary horses couldn’t endure, so they had searched the entire kingdom just to get this horse.
“Our princess has changed a lot. She said she would become an elegant lady.”
“That blood doesn’t go anywhere.”
“Right… Let’s stick together and do our best.”
The Northern Army confidently entered the forest. The path to where they had already taken down Queen Grex was well cleared, so they could advance easily.
This time, the goal was to reach the forest’s center. Afterwards, they planned to gradually start their exploration from the entrance.
However, the path to the center would be thoroughly devastated. That’s why the laborers were following behind.
Boom! Boom! Kuwoong!
As an immense number of people entered and began working, the gigantic trees rapidly disappeared.
Ordinary monsters dared not approach. A few mad monsters attacked, but as soon as they got close, they were slaughtered.
When the Northern Army arrived in the new area, they soon discovered something brilliantly shining.
It was crimson crystals. The ominous crystals were scattered over a considerably wide area.
People began to murmur upon seeing that.
“Are those jewels?”
“Can we take those?”
“They look kind of creepy…”
As they were uncertain, suddenly the crystals began to tremble.
Drrrrrrrum…
The crystals were rising. They soon formed sizeable shapes resembling humans.
Some looked like lions.
Grrrrr…
With every movement of the rising crystals, a grinding noise was heard.
They began to approach the intruders who had invaded their territory.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Hundreds of gigantic crystal monsters were moving.
In the past, seeing such a monster would have terrified them, but now they had too many troops.
Everyone naturally went into combat formation.
Belinda, who had been watching leisurely, said.
“A monster has appeared.”
“You can’t call them monsters anymore.”
“Then what are they?”
Ghislaine grinned.
“They’re all money.”
Indeed, there were always money-making things out there.