klisemfg Chapter 144 Responses of various countries (2)
Chapter 144 Responses of various countries (2)
"What is this, your majesty?"
Ye Kai thought that Holzlein would wait and see the signs of the war. However, King Albert of Holzlein proposed to intervene.
Ye Kai's analysis of the current situation is similar to Klein's idea. Frykia should discover and take action at an early stage, so it will not be affected. Therefore, any intervention should have sufficient basis and justification.
The three major Western countries have all taken action, so other countries do not need to be vigilant. But since war is a non-productive consumption behavior, there must be a legitimate reason for the people.
"Although it is still a secret negotiation, the signing of a security treaty with the Kingdom of Phrygia is a foregone conclusion. Based on this, I am discussing the direction of supporting Phrygia by threatening Treba's rear."
"The security treaty...interference..."
“Do you object?”
"No, I have no objection to your majesty's decision. Are you considering it as a deterrent?"
If Holzlein and Phrygia, the two great powers of the East and the West, sign a security treaty, then the Treba Empire will be even more isolated in the center.
While Treba may be in trouble, it is also true that the possibility of fighting on two fronts must always be considered.
This is a great way to contain.
In any case, they have already begun working on the terms and are preparing for a grand signing ceremony in less than a year.
“Is it like this at this time?”
The plan to nail Treba with the resounding banner of the security treaty was taken by the other side first. Holzlein had no choice but to change his mind and prepare to intervene.
It can be easily imagined that this decision was not intended to expand the war by sending troops, but to end the war as soon as possible.
"I also think that sending troops won't be a big problem. Lady Galatea won't act rashly, and with the remote communication device, it won't be too difficult for Your Majesty to control the battle situation."
"It's best to leave this to the site. I have some ideas, but I'm not sure if they're feasible. I'll let you know when I make a decision."
"Thank you for your understanding. Do you have any requests? In that case, I am willing to join the battle line."
“Well, that’s great. But now I want to know what’s going on in Treba. If we apply pressure without restraint, it will only make the people there suffer. Shouldn’t we stop at the right time?”
The king is already thinking about the post-war situation. Peace terms should not lead to suffering and death for the people of the Treba Empire, that is not his intention.
“Yes, I thought so too. Although I haven’t fully grasped the rumored situation, the situation of the farmland I saw on the road is not optimistic. Further confirmation is needed, but the worst may be too late.”
“Is it that serious? Then we need to act quickly.”
"Yes."
While considering the deteriorating domestic situation in Treba, one can get a glimpse of Albert’s gentle character.
"Your Majesty, I have complete confidence in your decision. If there is anything you need to discuss, please feel free to let me know."
“I will rely on you.”
After the greetings, Ye Kai closed his eyes and thought for a moment. Now, he didn't need to worry too much about the future of this dark cloud. The two countries had already made clear responses.
Ye Kai was thinking about when and where he could play the greatest role.
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The village of Kotamas, where he grew up as a teenager, was a relatively large rural village.
He has been helping on the farm since he was young. Although at first it was just chores like weeding, it was a happy thing for him to be able to help his parents.
They also had free time, and the children in the village would gather together to play. They played from simple chasing games to hide-and-seek, kicking stones, to discussing the rules together and drawing figures on the ground, throwing pebbles to compete for points, etc. Although they had a lot of time, they still felt it was not enough.
The boy had a particularly good relationship with a girl next door named Mabel. The two of them were often together, and although they were occasionally teased by other children, the boy did not distance himself from them because of shyness, and Mabel did not mind, so they were not teased.
"Great job, Bethan. Another winner."
“Well, because I practiced.”
"If it comes to occupying territory, no one in the village can beat Bethan."
Mabel seemed pleased with his talent for games that required thinking. It was a matter of pride for her to have the best boy in the village.
The children lead a relatively happy life, but the adults face serious problems. Since the country was defeated by the neighboring Kingdom of Holzlein, taxes have been rising.
Although they tried hard to maintain farmland, even using the remaining time to cultivate new land, and did their best to pay taxes, they had reached their limit.
Still, taxes keep rising, driving people into despair.
Originally, the arable land was limited to the population of the village. Although there were many children of the labor force, they would form their own families and separate from the family when they grew up.
The land could only be distributed to more families, and the arable land area of each family decreased, while the tax revenue continued to increase. They were helpless in facing this dilemma.
When the limit was reached, those who could not pay the tax were taken away by strong men brought by the tax collectors.
Various speculations were spread. Some said they were conscripted and sent to the battlefield, some said they were sent to the imperial capital to do civil engineering, and some said they were taken to the mines to work as miners.
That was to reduce food rations so that the village could survive for a while. They could only pray to God, hoping that they would not be the next one to be chosen.
However, the cruel moment finally arrived. Bethan's parents tried their best to take care of the crops and even came up with various methods, but they still couldn't get enough harvest to pay the tax.
Bethan and his parents were put into a carriage and taken somewhere. They were accompanied by the parents of the neighbors and of course Mabel, but they did not feel any comfort as they were troubled and uneasy.
A few days later, they saw a continuous mountain range and a few plumes of smoke rising from the valley. One rumor was confirmed.
The name of the town was Tourmiette. It was a typical mining town. They realized they were going to be forced to work as miners.
Life in Tourmiette was brutal.
The father was taken to the mines, the mother was taken to the city's refinery to do the lower work, and Bethan and Mabel were also driven to transport ore.
They were forced to work from sunrise to sunset during the day. Even when they were freed after darkness fell, they were given only a small piece of bread and a bowl of clear soup, and had to find a little ingredient themselves. Despite this, they still supported each other shoulder to shoulder and encouraged each other to work hard.