Chapter 385

"We have no money."

Enbiser held his hands together, and his two fat thumbs turned around each other. They were very fast and flexible. "I'm also short of money." He added.

The vassal lords, large and small, stared at the Duke in amazement, and then turned their eyes to the Rose Queen. Sylvia pursed her crystal clear red lips slightly and didn't speak.

"All right. Let's settle an account." Enbiser seemed to be instructed, knocked on the table, attracted everyone's attention, and said: "According to the military pay system of Randall family's soldiers, the military pay of soldiers from the first year to the third year is 3 gold sols, 3000 soldiers are 9000 gold sols per year, and another gold sols will be increased from the fourth year to the sixth year, that is, 12000 gold sols. The military pay for the six years is 63000 gold sols per year. These 3000 soldiers only train, do not work, and each person has at least 8 food and medicine per year Kinsol, six years is 144000 kinsol's board expenses. "

The vassal lords looked at each other.

"I don't want you to count the seventh to ninth years, but talk about the expenses in the first six years." Nbiser said with a smile: "for a mercenary corps of 3000 people, the average annual military expenditure is no less than 34000 kinsol."

The vassal lords looked like dirt.

Enbiser continued, "Viscount Randall has a crude sugar trade. Who can afford a mercenary Legion except him?"

"Hum!"

Nicole is very dissatisfied. No money, no money. Why mention Victor's wealth? Don't you see Katrina's eyes shining?

It's not just the high-ranking female Knights here, but Victor is not the Lord of the York family. It's a daydream to seek his support. Moreover, he doesn't have enough money!

"Duke, is that what you call 'a small problem'?" Said Viscount Hanas in a sullen voice. The military expenditure of 34000 kinsol a year made him despair.

How can money be a small problem for the Lord?

Audrey's eyes as beautiful as a blue lake reflected Victor's calm expression. Her mind moved and smiled: "I remember Lord Randall put forward an interesting theory - let the meat rot in the pot. The annual salary of three kinshores a year for hired soldiers is not high, even less than the annual income of a hired worker. When soldiers have money, they also need to spend. Pubs, hotels, casinos and grocery stores will drain their pockets. These shops need to pay us rent and store goods It also comes from us. We can also follow Mr. Randall's method to levy transaction tax on shops. Finally, the military pay flows back to the family treasure house. In this way, the military pay we pay does not increase year by year, but decreases in the annual cycle, because we sell goods profitably. "

"As for the food and medicine consumed by the mercenaries..." odel giggled, "can't we afford 3000 mercenaries with the crops, herbs, cattle, sheep and livestock we harvest every year?"

Count tellandon nodded with a smile and said, "the military expenditure proposed by the Duke is very frightening, but the most frightening figures are only numbers."

The vassal lords were relieved.

"Yes." The Duke of York's voice came again: "but are you really willing to raise 3000 people for nothing?"

Viscount raven, trisley's brother, shook his head and said, "to tell you the truth, I can't bear to pay a copper sol to a mercenary... That's not the case..."

The Lord often hires some refugee mercenaries to carry out combat tasks, but usually they don't support them for nothing. The mercenaries exchange their lives for money, and the mercenaries can eat and drink for nothing as long as they participate in training. The feudal soldiers don't have this treatment. They bring their own weapons, train spontaneously and have no salary. They respond to the Lord's call at any time and enjoy free food at most during their service Take medicine, take some allowances as pocket money, or get a reward from the Lord.

Professional mercenaries are not used to the Lords of the York family, but if they are not trained, mercenaries will have no combat effectiveness, and if they do not pay their salaries, mercenaries will have no legal coat.

In other words, only when the mercenary takes the Lord's money can the LORD be held responsible for his escape, and the mercenary Legion has the foundation for its existence.

It takes a thousand days to raise troops for a while. How to use mercenaries? Is it easy to use? It is still unknown, but spending money to raise troops has become an urgent problem. Compared with loyal vassal soldiers, the Lords are always in a tangled mood at the moment.

Enbiser took a panoramic view of the people's expressions and felt an unspeakable pleasure in his heart: in terms of strength and blood, I am not as good as you, and in terms of wisdom and talent, you are not necessarily better than me... I am not a waste puppet, I am the Duke of York! Now, you all have to listen to me.

"In addition to food and drink, mercenaries also need weapons. We can't let soldiers carry pig ham to fight?"

The Duke of York grasped the rhythm of the conversation and said at the right time: "The standard equipment of the Randall family's hired soldiers includes lock armor, leather armor, shield, short sword, one handed spear and javelin. Each set is worth 80 gold sol, and 3000 sets is 240000 gold sol. The value of war horses, crossbows and fast birds has not been calculated. Is this huge money the expenditure of the Lord? Will the armaments be worn out? Do you want to replace it?"

This series of questions pressed on the heart of the vassal lords like stones. They looked serious and silent.

The Duke of York continued, "the man horse hills are rich in fine iron, but lack iron, and the soldiers' equipment needs iron." He suddenly asked, "Victor, you have built so many equipment. Have you used up all your iron ore reserves?"

Er, the goblins enslaved by the swamp half dragon people dig me more than 8 tons of rich iron ore every month... I have a fire element crystal melting furnace, which can refine 5 tons of iron every month... Victor said in his heart that he had roughly understood enbisser's intention, so he followed his tone and pretended to say seriously: "I did run out of iron ore reserves and purchased a batch of high priced iron materials from yeliucheng."

"Everyone heard." "We traded purple cane wine for iron and iron rich ore from the neville people. Over time, iron is easy to rust, so iron ore reserves are very important and can't be moved easily. If there is no iron ore in the warehouse, others will pinch us by the neck," nbiser said

"The Randall family is in a special situation and lacks vassals, so they have to recruit refugee mercenaries to defend the southern fortress. Therefore, the problem of iron ore has not appeared yet. When Sophia joins the human horse hill, we also form a mercenary Corps. What will other lords react? They must start to charge for the iron trade in the human horse hill and exploit our pigs Meat may have to be sold at the hay price in exchange for iron and iron ore. are we farming pigs, cattle and sheep for other families? "

"In fact, we are not short of money. What we lack is trade channels!"

Viscount Hanas was silent for a moment and said, "we have Jinshui City, Yeliu city and raven town... Raven town does business with dodos. The Lord of Gambis can't help us!"

"It's no use!" The Duke of York sneered: "dodo people will not miss the opportunity to eat meat and drink blood."

The atmosphere of the meeting hall became dull again. Sylvia finally opened her mouth. She held her cheeks in her hand and said with a gentle smile: "nbiser, Katrina, how are you going to solve this' little problem '?"

Katrina got up and saluted, "Your Highness, I think we must reduce the size of the mercenary Corps. There are too many 3000 people. It is difficult to train, command, cooperate, consume materials and target. It is easy to cause the fear of other forces and attract suppression and infiltration. I suggest that we first select young and strong refugees to form a 500 person mercenary corps, cultivate them as the backbone and train them at the same time, While exploring the system of the mercenary corps, it is not too late to expand the mercenary corps when the time is ripe. "

"On the other hand, the equipment of the mercenary corps should keep a gap with that of the vassal soldiers. Mercenary soldiers can be equipped with hard leather armor, shield, one handed spear and one handed short sword. Only those who have trained hard and made great achievements can be qualified to become vassal soldiers and use sophisticated equipment."

"Gentlemen, there are differences between officials and refugees, which can not be crossed!"

Katrina's blood, appearance and wisdom were the best choice, and the participants nodded frequently. After all, she was the direct daughter of the Joshua family and almost became the queen of Gambis. If she didn't have excellent talents, Sylvia wouldn't let her take over the power of the Duke.

"Honey, what do you think?" Sylvia asked Victor for advice.

Victor nodded and said, "Mrs. Katrina's suggestion is very reasonable. However, the mercenary corps of Randall family only increases. I will only make adjustments in the establishment and number of corps, distinguish between elite and mediocre, and set up the main corps and Reserve Corps."

Victor sits on the No. 7 alchemy tower and controls land far beyond Randall's territory. He can take whatever he wants from the skylark mountains and Everglades. The smuggling caravan controls hundreds of mountain people's villages and refugee camps. The strength of the golden regiment is getting stronger and stronger and has penetrated into the Wharton prairie. In the near future, mountain people hunters, grassland people, herdsmen and refugee bandits will be Victor's potential soldiers The great division of labor brought by the rental employment system is the guarantee for the establishment of a professional army.

There are resources, channels, sources of troops, technology and systems. It's no problem to set up 30 mercenaries, let alone a 3000 person mercenary Corps.

Of course, Victor can't expand the mercenary Legion indefinitely. The upper limit of alchemist determines the total size of the mercenary Legion. Once this limit is exceeded, the loyalty of the mercenary Legion is difficult to ensure, and it is very likely to be infiltrated and controlled by the church or the great Lord.

According to the calculation of one alchemical auxiliary for every 25 mercenaries, Victor currently recruits up to 15000 mercenaries to form five integrated legions.

Obviously, such a small number of troops can not compete with the ant army. He also needs to hide behind the York family, cultivate his lineal confidants and secretly expand his strength.

The development strategy of digging deep, accumulating grain and slowly becoming the king is very in line with Victor's current situation.

"We also expect you and Nicole to guard the southern fortress and share the pressure of the family." Katrina grinned. Bei's teeth were white and her smile was bright.

Duke York coughed and said, "we'd better solve the equipment of mercenaries by ourselves and try not to rely on external forces. I don't interfere in your independent recruitment of mercenaries, but it's impossible to borrow money from me. No matter how much money I have, I can't share with so many lords."

"However, as the Lord of York family, I also have the obligation to ensure the livelihood of my vassal... Well, my craftsman has improved the manufacturing technology of rattan armor. You transport the tanned cowhide to Jinshui City, and I order someone to make rattan armor for you. I take one for every five pieces. What do you think?"

Viscount Fred jumped out first. "Brother, it's unkind of you to do this! Take one out of twenty to suit the spirit of the Lord!"

"Fred's right! Take one out of twenty." Count tellandon nodded.

The Duke of York hammered the table and shouted, "don't even think about it! Smoke one of six at most..."

"Sir, we are very poor..."

"Poor what poor! I don't know how many cows you raise?"

The vassal Lord and the Duke bargained with each other, lost all etiquette, and the conference room instantly became a vegetable market.

Sylvia looked at the scene with a smile, and Victor smiled without saying a word. He had mastered the improved technology of rattan beetle.

"Lord Randall, the rattan beetle was originally invented by your men. You can judge. Is it fair for enbiser to smoke one out of six?" Said count tellandon, staring.

"Fair." Victor smiled and said, "but I object!"