Chapter 35: XXXV. Transaction
The Monsoon Cold Current from the East Shore pierced the bones by three parts, seeping into one’s skin and inadvertently giving rise to a slight chill, as several thick clouds covered the celestial lights, dimming the surroundings.
The Earl did not reply but gestured with his hand, indicating for the butler standing by to hand a letter to Liszt.
"Now, it’s not wartime, and privateer certificates are issued for free. In times of peace, they are worth more than gold."
The Earl also shed his previous politeness, revealing a hint of the oppressive presence of one with higher authority.
Liszt, of course, understood this principle—there are no eternal enemies, only eternal Golden Dragons. When war breaks out, the East Coast Governor must serve tea to the big bosses of Heaven Port, whose power belongs to the emergency reserves, also an advantage of the East Shore pirates.
If the Black Sail gang wasn’t comprised entirely of extreme cases, Liszt would have long ago mixed in the gold-ridden areas of the Inner Sea.
In peaceful times, a privateer certificate is akin to an imperial credential. Within the territorial waters of the Beima Duchy, one could do as they please. Even on international waters, one could freely capture trade ships from diplomatically alienated enemy nations. Should problems arise, the Governor and the Duchy would cover for it. Although the Beima Court is weakened now, a thin camel is still bigger than a horse, far from being a mere geopolitical sacrifice or a buffer state for strategic purposes. The somewhat stupid King may not raise a sword, but the secessionist nobles and powerful ministers within the court still wield their own.
With the East Shore providing economic support, the overall economy of the Beima Duchy isn’t too bad. The people might be turning into beggars, but the lords are still rich. However, the inland great nobles also feel a storm brewing, heavily taxing and directing all funds to the military—fishing with high voltage versus blasting with the scriptures of Leidi—it’s stirred up so much that there are too many fleeing from famine, all tenants who are insolvent.
On the Western Continent, there are numerous nations, but ninety percent of them are merely playgrounds for peak-player competitors. True contention still relies on a few old powerful nations and the mood states of the Western Continent’s most vigorous Emperor.