Pioneer Lord: Starting From Daily Intelligence

Chapter 466: Chapter 187: Iron-blood Chancellor’s Methods and the Rapid Revitalization of the Territory

In the despair and darkness of this world, if there is anything meaningful and hopeful, it’s that a war’s end will undoubtedly be accompanied by certain gains in experience and strength.

Basking in the divine grace, many soldiers and knights feel their blood boil with significant rewards.

This is why the citizens of the Empire love the battlefield— in a nation where martial virtue thrives, military merit can truly change a person’s destiny.

But after the good news, Dietrich began to report the grim results: ”Lord, our losses in this battle were extremely heavy. More than 1,600 soldiers were killed in action, and over 2,000 soldiers, free people, and slaves died from untreated injuries.”

After speaking, he sighed, his throat throbbed as he swallowed the bitterness, saying: ”Lord, with so many war casualties, we lack the capacity to properly handle their bodies. The heroic spirits of the Holy War Knights have returned to the Goddess’s embrace. To prevent vampires and necromancers from defiling their remains, more than 3,000 bodies are being purified in the Holy Fire. Their ashes will be mixed into the mortar of the fortress walls—just as the ’Doomsday Prayer’ says, ’flesh and blood build the Great Wall, heroic souls guard the frontier’. ”

Su Li clenched his fists immediately. The severity of this battle indeed made his scalp tingle, and his mournful voice squeezed out through clenched teeth: ”Swear by the Blazing Sun Holy Emblem, these numbers are soaked with too much of our citizens’ blood! Doesn’t this mean we’ve lost half of our territory’s population in one battle? Mourning is in every household’s dress, white cloth in every home.”

Dietrich lifted his head, consoling Su Li: ”The situation isn’t as grim as it seems, because this battle mobilized many free people and dwarves, and many of the fallen soldiers were Church Knights and followers of the Sun Goddess.”

Hearing this, Su Li remembered that Silver Spring Valley had also faced a fierce onslaught from monsters.

It can be said that in the composition of Hesse Territory’s army, the Church Knight Order alone accounts for at least a third, and when adding broader followers and the Free People’s Corps, the scale approaches half.

Hence, one should not complain that religion and the divine spirit have such a strong voice in the territory, for they indeed contribute greatly.

Then Su Li looked at Governor Oliver and asked: ”How is the situation in Silver Spring Valley?”

Oliver tapped the gilded staff on the ground, startling the omen crow perched on the window sill. The face of this provincial minister was like weathered granite, the gear emblem etched on his brass eyes glinted coldly: ”Very grim, the castle of Silver Spring Valley is relatively small. The monsters attacked with vines on all sides, assaulting day and night, causing heavy casualties among the Church Knights.”

”But weepings should be left to the choir, my Lord. Each body saves us thirty pounds of rye—the compensation for the fallen’s families is much cheaper than the living’s rations by seventy percent.”

Indeed, truly worthy of the title Iron-blood Chancellor.

While Su Li was still lamenting the casualties, he had already considered the relief in food pressure after the deaths.

Under the Holy Purple Vine Tree, there was sudden silence, only the north wind carried the ashes of the cremation pile outside the city across the fortress overhead. Su Li’s finger pads caressed the golden sword handle of the perfect-level Rune Sword ”Dusk Judgment” at his waist, this dark world allows no room for any weakness of heart.

Regardless, the dwarves have a few hundred troops, combined with a group of free people and the Church’s followers, and indeed vastly reduced the casualties in Hesse Territory.

Next, the top priority for the territory is undoubtedly to restore the population.

Su Li gazed at Oliver, saying: ”My dear Governor, what suggestions do you have regarding population recovery and land cultivation?”

Oliver responded calmly: ”Lord, in this regard, I have already developed a detailed strategy with the Provincial Affairs Council, now it just awaits your approval and funding.”

”Allow me to introduce the core content of this plan. I believe that the territory was too freewheeling before, and you, Lord, were focused on the construction of Jorn Shallow Bay. This led to a lack of strong financial intervention and subsidies in the territory, which didn’t mobilize the liveliness of the territory’s populace, nor did it showcase the territory’s attraction. More precisely, the territory’s wealth is merely some scrap iron stored in warehouses.”

”The plan of the Provincial Affairs Council is to increase financial investment, using the territory’s investment approach to attract more refugees to our territory while encouraging the populace to develop more land.”

Su Li’s brows furrowed, asking: ”Are we to commit additional financial investment? Won’t this lead to a budget deficit for our territory?”

Oliver immediately shook his head, saying: ”Lord, you actually don’t need to be overly concerned about the budget deficit. First, we have a considerable war indemnity that can greatly satisfy our investment needs. For the territory to rapidly develop, it must have a substantial amount of capital as initial input. Otherwise, how could a wilderness develop into prosperity and success in just a few short years?”

”As a student of Modheim Royal Griffin Military Academy and a divine chosen of Virena, many of our scholars have debated in the academy and council, and many believe that the slow progress in the Empire’s development of the Border Prince’s Territory is mainly due to the lack of robust support from major nobles and Great Lords.”

”Actually, if the Empire’s nobles could be more visionary and invest 100,000 Golden Crowns in this land, after the territory stabilizes, in a few years time, they could profit 200,000, 300,000, or even 500,000 Golden Crowns.”

”And a short-term, long-term fiscal deficit is even a positive state for the government, as it means we can develop and expand at a speed far beyond the ordinary.”