Black Iron’s Glory

Chapter 551: Rodex Bay Colony Change of Hand

On the Farea continent, there is a saying that there is less hatred when soldiers are called to war, that is to say, the pattern of war in which firearms are shot in a firing queue, so that all the countries of the continent use the formation of large regiments. Twelve soldiers in a squad, 30,000 or more in a division, and so on. But the cost of raising so many troops in peacetime is a huge burden on national finances, so basically there are only two or three standing legions in each country, recruiting new legions in wartime.

Claude was telling the truth to General Bitchclin, and the Kingdom of Morosik on the southern coast of the Farea continent, the Kingdom of Riznia and the Principality of Vassilico, as well as the Union of the States of the City of Opsaro, had mobilized war and were recruiting new legions. Only the first three countries were mobilized for a full-scale war, and the latter, the Union of the States of Opsaro, was merely mobilized for the purpose of recruiting an army, after all the fighting had not yet burned into their colonies.

The remaining countries on the West Coast, while not mobilizing strategically, were also transporting their own troops to the colonies, while also strengthening surveillance and management of the colonial indigenous peoples in order to avoid repeating the mistakes of the three unfortunate countries: the Kingdom of Morosik, the Kingdom of Reznia and the Principality of Vasiliko. It will only take at least six months from recruiting new recruits to form an army, then conducting military training and transporting them to colonial warfare, so General Bitchklin does have about eight months to prepare for the attack of 450,000 troops in these three countries...

Claude summoned General Beechlin back to his post in the Overseas Autonomous Territories because the Autonomous Territories faced a difficult problem, which was that they were running out of money and had to get some extra money from somewhere. And Claude chose to wage war to rob a country of its wealth, and there was no more money to buy than that.

In the absence of a wildfire plan, the autonomous territorial military districts are systematically carrying out new military reforms, reducing the size of their regiments and local guard corps, and allocating military spending to military districts from overseas autonomous territories is more than enough, even with a reserve of nearly 20 million gold kroner in the Overseas Minsheng Bank, which is the grey proceeds of the looting from the Kingdom of Nasri. As long as Claude is not tormented, these funds are sufficient to make the Autonomous Territory comfortable for more than a decade.

But there must be no ambition, no immediate concern, and Claude is well aware of the current situation, and the colonies of the West Coast countries must become the backyards and dumping markets of the overseas autonomous territories in order to guarantee their future and decades of economic development. This compelled the autonomous military regions to carry out wildfire schemes and to use them as a means of training the grass-roots officers and senior commanders of the autonomous territories. Otherwise, let the military sleep comfortably on the merit book, and then the elite troops will soon turn into unwanted goods, like silver barrel waxes.

Moreover, the colonies of the West Coast countries had imposed a ban on overseas self-governing territories, which was tantamount to * red * naked * hostility, and it was no wonder that the self-governing consular councillors called out the slogan of declaring war. Cutting off people's wealth is like killing parents. Knowing that overseas autonomous leaders sell the entire west coast by smuggling goods at a good price and cheap price, they welcome the development of autonomous manufacturing industry. The colonial Powers of the West Coast now forbid overseas autonomous territories' commodities from entering their colonial markets, which is nothing but a common vengeance...

It's just that Claude had no idea that a wildfire plan would cost so much, that the military spending advanced by the Autonomous Territory alone had exceeded 12 million gold kroner. The cost of the formation of the two Hicks volunteer corps provided assistance with arms, ammunition and armaments to the Pamigals and Russmans, as well as to the Skolo and Gistad peoples in the colony of the Principality of Vassilico, and subsequent armaments support to the Pamigal National Republic, among others.

In Claude's impression, the implementation of wildfire programmes should be the release of weapons and ammunition from autonomous territories or something, allowing these indigenous peoples to form several armed groups and colonizers to fight guerrillas, which would be the least expensive for autonomous territories. Only the plans submitted by Colonel Boquer and the senior staff of the military sector headquarters were a one-size-fits-all effort to help indigenous peoples form a regular standing army, which left the wildfire programme overfunded.

And of course, the effect is that, at least, the Pamigals have achieved independence and established their country, and while the Russmans are still struggling to gain from each other's cruelty, at least they are on par with the colonists of the Kingdom of Riznia and there is no possibility of reconciliation. In this way, however, the Autonomous Territories must guarantee the existence of the Pamigal National Republic, as this will be the subject of replication by the indigenous peoples of the colonies of other countries…

Less than two days after the talks between General Bitchklin and Claudemi, he left Lake Lang City to personally visit the front lines of the West Coast and watch the Pamigal armed forces. Until after the arrival of the Rock 1st and 2nd divisions in the Overseas Autonomous Territories, they returned for the integration and renovation of the Rock Corps. And Claude will have to stay in the military headquarters and remain busy until the beginning of next spring before heading to the mainland of the kingdom.

Claude now has exactly one year of financial settlement documents in the hands of the military region, and the stark red word in the report is that the funds already spent on the wildfire programme, amounting to KK 12.83 million, including the third batch of military assistance and funds just disbursed by the Autonomous Territory to the Pamigal National Republic, totalling nearly KK 3 million. Fortunately, Pamigals' pensions do not need to be paid in the Autonomous Territory, otherwise 170,000 casualties can empty the boss of the Autonomous Territory...

In the Overseas Minsheng Bank, which also has reserves of nearly 10 million gold kroner in autonomous military regions, the military spending allocated by the Autonomous Territorial Assembly next year will be sufficient, together with savings of hundreds of thousands of gold kroner in military salaries and welfare subsidies as a result of the restructuring of the reduced sanctions. I just don't know how much more wildfire will have to be paid next year. Although assistance to those indigenous peoples' countries is considered a loan, it depends on the likelihood that it will not be repaid in recent years...

Moreover, while the financial returns of the overseas self-governing Territories were increasing each year, the self-governing councils would not be able to do so if special financial support were requested next year. The previous year, the Home Rule Council had spent 30 million gold kroner in cash from His Majesty the King in exchange for the northern bay off the coast of the Kanas Prairie as a hereditary family territory for the nobility of all the kingdoms of the Home Rule, and owed 15 million gold kroner to the Autonomous Territory for weapons and ship purchases...

Speaking of which, the overseas autonomous administration earned more than eight million gold kroner for the arms trade with the Kingdom itself, but did not see cash. Because these 400,000 new rifles and 30 million new rounds of ammunition, and 16 Ironclad warships were used to offset the martial fees and land selection fees of more than 24 million gold kroner, were earned, but there was no need to pay a gold kroner on the mainland side of the kingdom.

The Autonomous Territorial Council gave the military headquarters a white strip of KK 15 million and allocated an additional KK 2 million to four shipyards for the renovation of Ironclad warships. As for the construction of 16 new state-of-the-art Ironclad warships to replace the 5 million gold kroner shipbuilding funds for the 16 old warships to be handed over to the Royal Navy, they were advanced by the Autonomous Leadership Region.

Over the next few years, the Autonomous Territorial Regions did not have to seek to increase the extraordinary military expenditures of the Autonomous Territorial Assemblies, which also had no money. Most of the proceeds will be used to develop the Northern Bay Territory, where it will be possible to maintain a balance of payments after two or three years, and where it is now necessary for the overseas autonomous territories to continuously transfuse their blood for unified planning and development...

“Reporting, Your Excellency, the envoy of the United Kingdom of the Fox Islands has asked to meet with you...” The new deputy, Captain Faherring, has come in to report.

“He's not gone yet?” Claude thought about it and said: "Invite him in and tell him I'll only give him 10 minutes...”

The Special Envoy of the United Kingdom of the Fox Islands arrived in Lake Lang City half a month ago in an attempt to recover the Rodex Bay colony from overseas self-government. Interestingly, however, the envoy likewise wanted a white wolf without gloves, and none of the pennies asked for the return of the Rodex Bay colony to the United Kingdom of the Fox Islands.

As a result, he unfortunately failed to achieve his goal, and neither the members of the Autonomous Territorial Assembly nor the senior generals of the military region would be able to respond to his unwarranted request. Claude had met with the Special Envoy and had given him a final bottom line request for the autonomous military region of the Gulf of Rhodes colony.

That was the ransom of two million gold kroner paid by the United Kingdom of the Fox Islands, and the autonomous military region returned the colony of the Gulf of Rodex to the United Kingdom of the Fox Islands. There is also a condition that the Autonomous Territory requires a presence in the colonies of the Gulf of Rodex in order to guard against the threat posed to the Overseas Autonomous Territories by the Russman Territory.

The ransom of two million gold kroner is already a reduced preferential price for Claude, which cannot be avoided as far as garrisons are concerned. As Claude said to the Special Envoy last time, the Rodex Bay colony was a chicken rib for the United Kingdom of the Fox Islands, but a strategic destination for the Overseas Autonomous Territory of the Rocky Mountains. If the enemy occupies the colony of Rodex Bay, it can attack Rocky Mountain State from the east to the north.

Once again, in order to avoid heavy losses caused by enemy raids like the two Hicks Volunteer Regiments, the Autonomous Territory must be stationed in the colony of the Gulf of Rodex. Of course, this garrison is also good for the colony. At least the inhabitants of Rodex Bay City will not be robbed of their possessions by the shitty Hicks mercenaries, as they did last time. To this day, their livelihood will depend on the Rock Third Division for free food and drink...

The demands of the Autonomous Territory were simple: a ransom of 2 million gold kroner could be delivered to the colony to the United Kingdom of the Fox Islands. Then there was the garrison, which, because of its protective effect on the colonies of the Gulf of Rodex, required the United Kingdom of the Fox Islands to pay a small, symbolic annual protection fee, which was small enough, 50,000 gold kroner, and small enough to cover only the welfare subsidy of the garrison officers.

By the way, the other thing is that the more than 5,000 residents of Rodex Bay City have been following the Rock Third Division for nothing, and the United Kingdom of the Fox Islands should pay a fee to the Rock Third Division to thank the Rock Third Division for rescuing these residents and providing for them to this day. The cost should be 500,000 gold kroner, after all, nearly 10,000 troops were killed and injured by the Rock Third Division in an effort to regain the battle between the colonies of the Gulf of Rodex and the two mercenary regiments of the Hicks.

Claude's demands on the Special Envoy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland were all very reasonable, and could even be said to have given a great deal of face. The Special Envoy, however, remained overwhelmed and refused to come down. Claude said that the Kingdom of Hicks had spent five million gold shields on the Rodex Bay colony for five years, and now the Autonomous Territory is asking for a ransom of only two million gold kroner...

At that time, the Special Envoy stated that he could not take charge and that it was up to the King and the five Grand Dukes to decide to send a letter to the Kingdom. As a result, five days later, General Ikick, the head of the Rock III Division stationed in the colony of the Gulf of Rodex, sent a message from Eagle saying that a United Kingdom sub-fleet of wind sails had entered the Gulf of Rodex and anchored it, stating that a feast was to be held on the deck of the fleet and among the inhabitants of the city to comfort the more than 5,000 abducted British immigrants.

General Ikik, of course, agrees that this is both humanitarian and human. As a result, the bay was very lively that night, and the lights were on the deck of more than forty sailboats, and the song and dance continued, and it didn't settle until the second half of the night.

Then the next day, at dawn, the Rock 3rd Division sentry discovered that the more than 40 sailboats in the bay had gone missing with more than 5,000 residents, leaving only dozens of overwhelmed Nikantha servants on the beach...

Obviously, the United Kingdom of the Fox Islands had abandoned the colony of the Gulf of Rodex, and even the cost of rescuing more than 5,000 inhabitants and eating and drinking had led to a shady ploy to take away more than 5,000 British immigrants. That was not surprising to Claude, as a Rodex Bay colony yielded less than 20,000 gold kroner a year for the United Kingdom of the Fox Islands, with little specialty and gold and silver mineral resources, while not being fully exploited, and it was no pity to lose them.

The Kingdom of Hicks was a big case in the years when the colony of the Gulf of Rodex was leased to continue the colonial war with the Overseas Autonomous Territories, resulting in a five-year rent of KP 5 million, or KK 2 and a half million, making the United Kingdom of the Fox Islands a fortune.

It is said that the United Kingdom of the Fox Islands had intended to sell the colony of the Gulf of Rodex to the Kingdom of the Hicks, offering a heavenly price of 20 million gold shields. It's just that MacGruber III, though a loser, didn't get away with it, choosing to rent a million gold shields a year for five years at a time.

As a result, the chicken eggs of the Kingdom of Hicks were beaten, the Expeditionary Army of 11 Standing Regiments was overthrown, the colonial war was utterly defeated, and even the last two years of the Rodex Bay colony were occupied by the forces of the autonomous military region, making it a great joke for the colonies of the West Coast countries.

Now that the Autonomous Territory is demanding a ransom of 2 million gold kroner, a garrison protection fee of 50,000 gold kroner a year, and a remuneration of 500,000 gold kroner to the Rock Third Division generals for rescuing more than 5,000 residents, although reasonable, it is unacceptable for the United Kingdom of the Fox Islands to simply abandon the colony.

Claude had no idea that this envoy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland would remain in the Overseas Autonomous Territories until now, when he thought that the Windsurfer sub-fleet had secretly taken away more than 5,000 residents, and that envoy should have left. Besides, how can you take people away without paying for their rescue or eating and drinking for nothing? How can you have the face to come and ask to meet with yourself?

Soon the Special Envoy of the United Kingdom of the Fox Islands appeared in Claude's office again, and Claude did not give him a good look, his face remained dull. Instead, the envoy was proud to greet Claude with care and nobility.

“Your country has had a great time taking over 5,000 immigrants from your kingdom. It seems you don't want to pay a gold krone to your saviors, do you?” Claude said with a cold face.

The Special Envoy bowed slightly: "Distinguished Marshal, the scoundrel does not want to pay your army, but is unable to do so. In recent years, the despicable country has suffered from natural and man-made disasters, people have lost their livelihoods and economic hardship. There is really no way to pay the huge sum of money that your army wants. There is no choice but to walk away. ”

Claude leaves his mouth shut, nonsense, and in the last few years he hasn't heard of any disaster in the United Kingdom of the Fox Islands, and last year's intelligence on the eight colonial Powers in the southern part of the Farea mainland said that the potatoes of the Kingdom of the Fox Islands had been harvested in abundance and that the people had gathered happily to celebrate: "So you don't want the colony of the Gulf of Rhodes? ”

“Yes, after thinking about it, only the transfer of this colony to your army can repay the bailout of the despicable immigrants.” The Special Envoy pulled out several documents from the pack next to him and handed them over.

Claude then took a look at the forwarding documents concerning the colonies of the Gulf of Rodex, which proved that the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland had voluntarily handed over the colonies of the Gulf of Rodex on the western coast of the continent of Nubian to overseas self-control in order to thank the autonomous military region for the relief it had given to the immigrants of its kingdom.

The document bears the name of the King of the United Kingdom of the Fox Islands and the seal of the Kingdom. If you look closely, you can also tell that the king's signature and seal were pre-stamped on a blank document, and the inscription on it was later written.

Claude laughed and left the document on the table: "This is not needed in the Autonomous Territory, Mr. Special Envoy. Let us not forget that our sergeant paid the cost of nearly 10,000 casualties to take the colony of the Gulf of Rodex from the mercenaries of the Hicks and to free the immigrants of your kingdom, not to hand over the colony from you.

Compared to these forwarding certificates, I prefer you to pay ransom and pay us protection fees, and the Overseas Autonomous Territories do not care about such a small area... "

The Special Envoy stunned and Claude reacted unexpectedly, and he hastily said: "Marshal, these documents are merely an expression of the sincerity of our kingdom. I am here on behalf of our kingdom to discuss a military cooperation project with your army. Our kingdom hopes to introduce the technology of your army to build Ironclad warships..."

Claude shook his head: "Paying the ransom, the protection fee, and the remuneration of 500,000 gold kroner will make it possible for your country to discuss with our autonomous military region military cooperation in the purchase of Ironclad warships to introduce construction technology, otherwise nothing will be said. Somebody get Mr. Special Envoy out of here...”