Chapter 90: I Wonder If Theres Any Logic To This
With the Emperor, the Imperial Princess, Archbishop, and the Imperial Princes gone, Finance Minister Valens remained to address the refugees from the Cidatel Republic.
The Emperor had assigned him this task, knowing that Valens was the one most acquainted with the Republic’s representatives. His extensive financial dealings with the Republic had given him an unparalleled understanding of their plight.
“The Empire is vast, but this archipelago is small. The imported food simply cannot sustain all these refugees,” Valens began.
His words were a measured refusal, firm yet leaving room for further negotiation. The real issue was money. Nothing was as straightforward as a simple yes or no, every detail was open to debate.
“On that note, we had agreed to forgive all the Empire’s bonds, yet...”
“Councilor Ranbolt, the situation has evolved. None of us anticipated such a surge in refugees. There isn’t sufficient land for shelter, much less the food to sustain them. If grain prices soar because of this, won’t our citizens suffer the consequences?”
Valens, who had long resented the Republic’s representatives, saw this as a chance to push back. He had always despised how the tiny Republic carried itself with superiority, all because of its lucrative loans to the Empire.
To him, this crisis was an opportunity to fix some of the Empire’s financial problems. Valens wasn’t aligned with the Imperial faction, the Temple faction, or any Prince or Princess. He had his own agenda.
Unlike Baron Eandrim, Valens charted a different course. While Eandrim was sidelined and shunned by all factions, His exceptional abilities would compel any faction in power to hire him.
His mentor had been Baron Toluen, the former Finance Minister ousted by Ardein. Like his mentor, Valens was loyal not to individuals but to the Empire itself.
However, Valens differed in one key way. While his mentor balanced grievances with solutions, Valens placed fiscal discipline above all, above even human lives. In his view, human lives were secondary to the health of the Empire’s treasury.