Chapter 1906 - 523: The King's New Clothes

[The greedy Edward Campbell forgot the glory of the nobles and dared to lend usury to his people. The poor Campbell people need a hundred years to repay the worthless paper they owe.]

[The Three-level Council passed the Currency Optimization Act. The Chairman of the Stone Masonry Guild stated that this move was to solve the problem of insufficient copper coin supply in the market. On one hand, it helps the nobles increase the supply of copper coins, and on the other, it addresses the increasingly severe debt issue. It is undoubtedly a great thing for the citizens of Roland City and the Ryan Kingdom.]

[—— Roland City Times]

...

In the morning of Roland City, the thin mist had yet to dissipate, and the crisp and excited cries of the newsboys echoed on the wet stone pavement.

That sound pierced through the morning haze, trying to awaken this city steeped in complaints from its slumber.

"Extra! Extra! The Third Level Conference was a complete success!"

"A great understanding! Under the witness of the Priest, His Majesty the King and the nobles have reconciled! The prosperous era of Roland City is about to begin!"

The thinly clad newsboys waved the ink-scented Roland City Times in their hands, tirelessly shuttling through the streets and alleys.

People with sallow faces scrambled to buy.

Having just left the Summer Palace and returned to His Majesty's city not long ago, Newcastle stood at the entrance of a bakery by the roadside, casually pulled out some change to buy a copy, and paused to read.

However, at first glance, he burst out laughing.

Who says the Knights of the Land of Knights don't understand humor?

This is quite humorous, isn't it?

The report claimed that after two days of "cordial and friendly consultations," His Majesty Theoden deeply empathized with the difficulty of second-level citizens maintaining the territory's security, and to jointly overcome the challenging times, reached an epic "great understanding" with the nobles.

He allowed the lords with minting rights to "adjust" the purity and weight of copper coins according to their local situations, with the principle that copper should have copper.

And in exchange, the grateful nobles generously agreed and waived half of the existing royal debt interest.

This is practically turning robbery into poetry.

As one of the audience of this circus, Newcastle silently sighed in his heart that it would be great if he had a baron title.

If that were the case, he wouldn't need to sell fire extinguishers; wouldn't carving wood be faster?

However, he still didn't expect that the almost explosive conference could end so ingeniously this way, especially since those wolves were about to fight.

It seems that Baron Wickton has some skills.

Including the king watching the play outside the theater, that old gentleman probably already had an idea of who would foot the bill for the stage built in the Summer Palace.

His gaze continued to move down to a character interview titled "The Voice of the Citizens."

The accompanying image was precisely the Stone Masonry Guild Chairman who sat to his right at the conference, a legislator who usually prided himself as a representative of the citizens' interests.

Although Newcastle couldn't recall whether this gentleman had spoken at the conference, he knew how to talk once he left His Majesty's palace——

[More coins mean more transactions, which means the money bags in citizens' hands will soon puff up like fermenting dough.]

In the interview, he confidently stated that increasing the supply of copper coins would greatly promote market liquidity, which is a win-win good deed.

"I really do have a good eye, he really is a Border Collie, a clever sheepdog." He casually handed the read newspaper to a rag-picking pauper, and Newcastle muttered to himself in jest.

The young follower standing behind him didn't understand the convoluted metaphor, but he was a diligent learner who curiously asked.

"Sir, what does this mean?"

"It means you're cheaper now, which is a good thing."

Newcastle laughed and patted the young man's shoulder, but after the joke felt that joking with the weak was unethical, so he added another sentence.

"I'm kidding; how about getting your salary in silver pounds next month?"

The sudden burst of conscience wasn't because he was conscientious, just that he cherished his life.

Mr. Andes from Thunder City once said a classic line—a ragged beggar never sacrifices his life to protect the rich man's vault.

That gentleman was his idol.

The young man looked at Mr. Newcastle with a puzzled expression.

In fact, he didn't understand his boss's joke until Newcastle's latter sentence revealed where the real joke was, causing him to immediately become alarmed.

"Campbell's worthless paper? Sir, don't tease me; I don't want that stuff!"

His defensive posture towards food made Newcastle pause for a moment. He was at a loss, and finally stepped back helplessly with a wry smile.

"I'm kidding, just ignore what I said."

He had to retract his previous statement.

The Knights of the Knight's House do understand humor.

They are seriously being funny.

...

In the Saint Roland Fitz Church College, green vines covered the red brick walls, like a magic barrier shutting out the clamor within Roland City.

Yet it could not shut out the roar from within.

"It's truly... nonsense!"

Looking at the deceit-filled worthless paper in his hand, the scholar well over fifty finally could not suppress the anger in his chest, tearing it into pieces.

The scattered paper fragments were like white snowflakes, but they couldn't hide the desolation in the room.

Seeing the floor littered with paper, Professor Ferguson slumped back into his chair, a deep sense of helplessness rising in his heart.