Chapter 752: Chapter 74: Festive Celebration Atmosphere and Massive Knights
"Our Radiant Competition Festival preparation team has implemented various preparations and contingency measures, but the Provincial Affairs Council’s assessment is that these measures can only alleviate the current tense situation in the territory. Even if the numbers do not increase further, it can only prevent conflicts from escalating. However, this premise clearly does not exist, because the ones who have arrived in the territory so far are only a small number of Knights in the preliminary stages, and the main forces are still on their way here! We estimate that by the day of the festival, there might be at least 3000 Knights, along with their Attendants, servants, servants, adventurers, and merchants, totaling about 20000 to 30000 people arriving in the territory to watch the competition."
"An audience of 20000 is certainly not a small number for any festival. It’s important to note that the entire population of Hesse Territory is just about ten thousand or so."
"These 10000 people hosting 20000 outside spectators will likely push the territory’s order to collapse."
"Especially since those coming are all battle-hardened fighters, not ordinary civilians, if those 3000 Knights were to riot, like during the Crusades when allies were plundered and destroyed, it would cause a huge mess."
"Even considering that they are rather disorganized and unlikely to threaten the order maintained by the Sun Goddess Knight Order, merely providing food for such large appetites is itself a headache."
"It’s indeed fortunate that the festival is held right after the harvest season, as the promptly arriving spring harvest will greatly enrich the territory’s resources, easing this wave of price increases."
Su Li, always optimistic and sunny, said, "So many people coming is bound to inject extraordinary vitality into our territory. Don’t always focus on the pressure they bring, but instead, think about how we can turn all this into our greatest opportunity. Do you have any proposals with the Provincial Affairs Council?"
Hilude, after handing the training sword and towel to an Attendant beside her, gave Su Li a bright smile and said, "Indeed, the opportunities are unparalleled. Starting from the last cycle, for two consecutive tax reporting days, the total tax declarations of the territory have reached 800 Golden Crowns and 1300 Golden Crowns respectively. Even considering tax refunds, our revenues for these two cycles have exceeded 1500 Golden Crowns. And that’s not even counting the proceeds from selling various items in our territory. After all, in our territory, the vast majority of assets are actually controlled by you, the Lord."
"That’s indeed true. It should be said that the wealthiest one percent of families in the territory control 99.5% of its wealth!"
"And Su Li’s own wealth constitutes over 80% to 90% of that of the wealthiest families. He’s almost created an inner wealth circulation within the territory; the money he spends returns to his hands within a few months."
"When it comes to armor, items, extraordinary goods, food, accommodation, prostitutes, etc., most of what the Knights currently need is supplied by Su Li."
"If the taxes amounted to 2100 Golden Crowns, then the items he’s sold and the services he’s provided are worth at least over 5000 Golden Crowns. It couldn’t be less than that number, and it might even be double that amount."
"Hence, the territory cannot chase these Knights away; they must be hosted well. Currently, each of them is already contributing almost 10 Golden Crowns to the territory’s economy. This number will only increase in the future."
So Hilude said, "Our suggestion is to build a large camp for them to reside in. Knights and mercenaries are actually quasi-military personnel, accustomed to field marches and camping; they’re not tourists who necessarily need to stay in inns. If there’s really no room, they can live in tents. We can allocate 800 tents from military supplies to sell to them. Alternatively, we can empty part of our territory’s barracks and let them move in. After all, Marshal Oerstein took away over a thousand cavalry, leaving many barracks in the territory vacant."
Su Li’s eyes lit up, "That’s a great suggestion; anyway, there’s nothing confidential in our barracks, so just let them move in. However, do we have the manpower to relocate the resources from the barracks?"
"My Lord, I don’t think relocation is necessary. If Knights are the ones moving in, they won’t steal. They’re not followers of Lanode and do value honor greatly. We just need to station a few soldiers to guard the warehouses against any petty theft by their sordid servants."
"Additionally, we can separate the Knights from the Mercenaries and Adventurers. The Knights can reside in our barracks, while the others can move into the Blue Heron Mercenary Corps’ camp, which also has plenty of available space after their expeditions. Of course, all these arrangements are chargeable and not cheap. A tent in the barracks costs 1 Silver Coin per day. While a tent in a regular outdoor camp costs 10 copper coins per day."
Su Li’s lips curved slightly upward, "This scene feels familiar somehow."
"Who would have thought people really spend thousands or tens of thousands of US Dollars to buy a tent in the desert just to watch a competition for a few nights?"
"I didn’t expect this kind of fortune would land on my lap this time!"
Su Li decisively said, "Alright, let’s proceed with this arrangement. Designate a camping area and let them pitch their own tents. Also, make sure to heavily guard the Gem Pool, as the Blue Heron Mercenary Corps’ camp is right below the Rainbow Terraces, less than 15 miles from the Rainbow Falls and the Gem Pool. I don’t want those damned scoundrels disturbing the peace of the Gem Pool, stealing the gemstones inside. Otherwise, Vidage will be complaining to me again."
"No problem, my Lord. I’ll arrange for personnel to set up checkpoints nearby, establish forbidden zones, and prevent anyone from approaching. However, it’s better to engage rather than blockade; you can’t watch thieves every day. If they remain idle, someone will eventually sneak in, creating major havoc. We need to find them some activities to release their excessive energy."
"These Knights all have surplus energy. With nothing to do, their excessive vigor can only be spent in brothels. I’ve heard that the territory’s prostitutes are nearly worn out by them."
"Some say only similarly strong Bulls have no worse ground."
"That’s because there aren’t enough Bulls. When there are too many Knights exhausting themselves day and night, prostitutes could genuinely get drained to death, suffering one of the Five Types of Exhaustion and Seven Injuries."
"In this world, no one considers the health of prostitutes. The capitalists and stewards only exploit every ounce of their value. As long as they’re still alive, they’ll work them to the bone. In such a desperate world, aristocrats and businessmen are determined to make money, even if the Gold Coins are smeared with blood. When a prostitute dies, replacements can be bought later, but once a money-making opportunity is missed, it’s irreplaceable."
"Many enforcers and thugs have already seized the chance to force the virtuous into prostitution, making obscene profits."
"As long as the sex industry isn’t completely banned, such things are assuredly happening."
"It’s a wise choice to find some duties for these Knights and Mercenaries to keep the number of deceased prostitutes low."
Su Li said, "Let’s have them go explore the ruins and Wizard Towers in the Black Forest. There are a lot of relics there, and if we rely on our own strength, we might not fully excavate the hidden treasures across 1500 miles of land within any foreseeable time."
"Furthermore, we can post a bounty in the tavern. Any Knight who can provide 50 tails of the Plague Clan Rats will receive 50 Silver Coins and 1 Extraordinary Ear as a reward!"
"The territory has thousands of Extraordinary Ears, enough for Su Li to announce the bounty several thousand times."
"This item is not only valuable but also very practical. For the Knights, it can improve their constitution, and in dire situations, just one can sustain their life for a long time. It could be considered essential gear for Knights on travels, robberies, and other ventures (even though Knights don’t steal, they certainly have no qualms about robbing)."
Upon hearing this, Hilude’s eyes instantly gleamed, and she asked, "My Lord, do you want to use these Knights to purify the mines of the Gray Rock Clan?"
"That’s right. Among the Knights arriving this time, many belong to the Redema Church, and their greatest strength lies in confronting evil, purifying corruption and erosion. They are perfectly suited for this task, more effective than we are."
Hilude immediately became excited and said, "I’ll arrange everything right away. I trust the boiling situation in the territory will soon be eased."
Su Li nodded, feeling gratified as he watched Hilude’s departing figure. The success of the festival so far exceeded his expectations.
However, he hadn’t been lying down for long after finishing his exercise when Hilude returned once more.
"My Lord, you might need to add an urgent item to your agenda today. People from the Gray Market Chamber of Commerce and the Ramsey family have arrived."
