Chapter 17: Not Only Do You Refuse to Pay, But You Also Expect Me to Accompany You in Deceit?

“Oh? Do tell!” Odin III chuckled slightly.

He was well aware that the Principality of Berya in the Far East of Rascia was a poor agricultural nation, hardly capable of offering much profit. His willingness to meet the envoy stemmed entirely from hearing that the envoy bypassed their own emperor and flew directly to him.

That was the most intriguing part.

His advisors whispered that this could even be exploited.

After all, to the Asgard Empire, the Rascia Empire was the foremost imagined adversary, bar none.

The envoy leisurely raised his right index finger: “Firstly, the Amato people have ignored your Majesty’s protest and seized your country’s concession in Seris. It’s well-known that Your Majesty is supporting Seris against Amato. Therefore, we share a common enemy.”

Odin III paused briefly, then nodded in agreement: “Indeed.”

There was nothing to hide. Since Amato’s brazen invasion last year, aside from the damned Britannia claiming neutrality while secretly selling arms to Amato, Asgard was the only major power providing real support to Seris.

So far, Odin III had sent two divisions’ worth of military supplies to Seris and planned to lend arms valued at ten million Imperial Marks in the future.

A common enemy! This was crucial!

Located in the heart of the Europan continent, the Asgard Empire was unlikely to send troops fifteen thousand kilometers away to fight the Amato directly, but Seris and the Principality of Berya could.

The emperor’s close ministers nodded slightly.

This reasonable justification was enough to persuade the Asgard Empire, not exactly flush with funds, to lend some money or arms to Prince Andre.

The envoy raised a second finger: “Secondly, congratulations, Your Majesty, on just annexing the Suteth region. I imagine you seek recognition from the Europan states?”

The emperor squinted and sneered coldly, “What? Does your grand prince have the authority to make your emperor recognize my conquests?”

“Of course not,” the envoy replied bluntly, leaving the emperor momentarily stunned.

“Then…”

“It’s much harder to accomplish something than to sabotage it.”

This time, the emperor was speechless.

Why did that sound so much like Britannia? A troublemaker, indeed.

Yet, the envoy was an elector prince; if he led the Rascia nobility in stirring trouble, even knowing his strained relations with the emperor, he could not be ignored.

The Asgard Empire was just beginning its expansion, and having Rascia—the infamous ‘Europan steamroller’—jump up was definitely not good news.

Knowing it was a threat, Odin III reluctantly accepted.

“I will tentatively accept your reasoning.”

When the envoy raised a third finger, the emperor and his ministers tensed: You still have more?

“Honorable Odin, my lord understands that your country’s finances may not be so abundant. Therefore, we propose Your Majesty directly support us with arms worth twenty million Imperial Marks, and publicly declare an additional war loan of fifty million Imperial Marks. Moreover, if your country invades Rascia, both loans will be immediately canceled.”

This truly startled Odin III.

He certainly planned to strike Rascia, but it was still only a plan known to fewer than five people in the entire empire.

The problem was, Asgard and Rascia were separated by the large Vistula state, which had declared independence during Rascia’s last civil war. Without absorbing Vistula’s 310,000 square kilometers, Asgard couldn’t even border Rascia!

Was Andre so certain that war between Asgard and Rascia was inevitable?

Even knowing this, was he intentionally proposing such an extortionate clause?

Refusing meant Andre would likely spread rumors that Asgard not only took Suteth but also wanted Vistula, potentially alarming Europan powers and triggering a chain reaction. Asgard might face simultaneous attacks from strong nations east and west.

Agreeing meant swallowing humiliation and anger.

At that moment, the prime minister, Neold, stepped forward and asked, “May I inquire what you mean by a ‘public war loan’?”

The envoy explained calmly, “We require a check fully compliant with international banking rules and recognized by your foreign ministry, but we will not cash it. This can even be stipulated in a secret agreement.”

Odin III’s eye twitched slightly: “What do you intend to do with it?”

“To use it as collateral to borrow money from other Rascia electors.”

The emperor was speechless. Several Asgard ministers could barely hold back laughter.

Absurd!

Using another country’s—or even a potential empire’s—check to swindle ‘their own people’—only Andre and his advisors could think of such a scheme.

Yet Odin and his ministers found it feasible.

Everyone knew Rascia’s national commercial reputation had fluctuated between utter disgrace and slight disrepute for three centuries. The only difference was sometimes it stank more, sometimes less.

Repeated defaults and failure to repay on time caused Europan bankers to charge exorbitant interest rates.

Because of the high risk and potential for sudden currency devaluation, interest rates were high.

Compared to the unreliable Rascia ruble, the world preferred Asgard marks. From any perspective, Asgard wasn’t losing out; it was merely lending its commercial credibility to back Andre.

If the truth came out, Andre would bear the blame.

In the past day, the ruble had already depreciated by 10%; this maneuver effectively lent Rascia a hand.

Quite a slick move!

Then the envoy raised a fourth finger, causing Odin III’s eyes to bulge slightly.

You still have more?

“Your Majesty, my colleagues will next negotiate with the Britannians using our agreement to secure their funding.”

“Pfft!” The emperor laughed out loud, a rare sight. “Hahaha! Wonderful! Prince Andre, you’ve gained a friend.”

The thought of making the notorious Europan troublemakers from Britannia pay delighted Odin III immensely.

He didn’t know what reasons Andre would use to persuade Britannia, but he had a strong feeling Andre would succeed.

Thus, on the third morning after Amato’s invasion of Rascia’s Far East, the world was rocked by breaking news—the Asgard Empire announced an arms loan worth thirty million Imperial Marks and a cash loan of fifty million, both extended to the Principality of Berya.

At an annual interest rate of 2%!

This news dropped jaws everywhere!

In these times, international loans rarely offered rates below 20%; anything under 10% was considered a family discount.

For a war-torn principality, this was equivalent to an interest-free loan.

Fortunately, no one knew the truth behind it, or they would have been terrified.

The arms worth only twenty million, and the check was fake.

Yet when the first transport plane carrying arms landed in Rascia’s core capital, Saint Peter City, for refueling, and the envoy openly opened crate after crate of brand-new Kar98 rifles, the Rascia nobility could no longer deny it.