Chapter 86: Prelude to Conflict
The gold coins stacked in the treasury looked splendid, but spending them was what truly gave them meaning and manifested the value bestowed upon them by the people.
So, after realizing she had so many coins, Airael had completely lost her sense of spending.
Wherever money needed to be spent, she did so without hesitation.
If the money ran out, it could always be earned back.
Opportunities missed, however, weren’t so easy to regain.
After leaving the Avalon Royal Palace, Rugus sat in his carriage with a complex expression.
He couldn’t grasp what exactly their Majesty the Queen aimed to do.
Although some of her actions seemed significant, the speed at which she spent money was simply outrageous.
As the Minister of Finance, Rugus’s duty was straightforward.
That was to manage the kingdom’s money well.
Other matters were none of his concern.
If the kingdom ran out of money, it would be his responsibility.
Even if it was the Queen herself overspending, he knew he couldn’t pin the blame on her when the time came.
“Sigh~!”
Thinking of the unfortunate fate that might befall him in the future, Rugus let out a deep sigh.
Despite the treasury currently being filled with gold, at the rate Airael was spending, Rugus estimated that it would last at most a couple hundred years.
A couple hundred years might sound long, but for elves, it wasn’t really.
Yet he felt utterly helpless.
When the Queen issued a command, he had no choice but to follow it and do it well.
Hence, after returning to his office, Rugus summoned his subordinates to discuss the matters Airael had just assigned him.
He knew that for a long time to come, the finances of the royal city would remain in a deficit. While the vast treasury provided a cushion, it wouldn’t take long before, as he had previously analyzed, the treasury would eventually be drained.
Given that, every single gold coin had to be spent wisely.
Maybe that way, he could save some money and delay that day a bit longer.
In reality, Rugus was overly worried.
His understanding of gold coins was still stuck on the simple concepts of income and expenditure, without considering the various effects brought by circulation in between.
It would lead to social development and economic prosperity.
Of course, this wasn’t just him; many people in this world hadn’t thought about that either.
Knowledge in this world was mostly held by the so-called nobility.
For the nobles, the concept of money was simply about extracting various kinds of “protection fees” from the populace and spending whenever needed, saving whatever they couldn’t use, and the more saved, the better.
Airael understood some principles, but she couldn’t explain everything to everyone.
If someone asked her a question and had enough status for her to answer, she would provide her explanation.
Otherwise, if everyone kept coming to her with this or that problem, she would have no spare time left at all.
None whatsoever.
In her view, while the ruler of the country should be accessible, a certain distance must be maintained.
That distance would inspire respect and ensure her authority over the kingdom.
As the kingdom’s Minister of Finance, Rugus undoubtedly held a position of importance.
However, since he hadn’t asked, Airael would not offer him a special explanation.
She was simply too busy.
Her work hours were limited to just the morning.
Only after finishing her work in the morning could she relax and nurture her pregnancy in the afternoon.
Although no one forced her to work overtime, Airael, adhering to her philosophy of “today’s tasks done today,” would still choose to finish up in the afternoon.
Otherwise, if she let it drag on to the next day, who knew how many things would pile up, and some matters had a time sensitivity to them.
If not handled promptly, a trivial issue could escalate into a monumental disaster.
Under Airael’s governance, the entire Elven Royal City was bustling with activity.
It was said that money stirred the heart.
Even elves needed money to maintain their lives, given the premise of survival.
So, they needed to work.
All the wealth Airael spread out created many employment opportunities in the royal city. Various institutions, both official and private, were hiring.
With Airael’s demands, the salaries were also quite generous.
The Elven Royal City appeared vibrant and full of life.
Once the elf residents from other territories learned about the situation in the royal city, some daring elves came prepared to carve out their own successes.
Initially, not many elves had left—only a very few—so the elven lords didn’t pay much attention to this matter.
Although they too began implementing various measures within their territories based on Airael’s suggestions, their lack of concern meant their support was insufficient, and the effects, while present, weren’t particularly significant, so gradually they just lost interest.
As long as their territories remained theirs, that was enough.
Of course, this was just the perspective of most elven lords.
There were still a few who had their own ideas.
For instance, Mason from Menas City.
As the steward of the most prosperous elven territory, Mason was no ordinary individual for having managed Menas so exceptionally.
He could see some rationality behind Airael’s various initiatives.
He had done similar things before.
Thus, he kept his mouth shut.
After all, his own territory hadn’t been much affected.
The royal city provided numerous job opportunities, and his area wasn’t lacking either.
After all, foreign trade could be quite profitable.
Thanks to geographical advantages, most of the elven race’s trade was conducted through Mason.
If this were to come to light, it wouldn’t just be the royal city that suffered; he, too, would be in trouble.
Compared to the royal city, his position would be even more precarious.
The royal city had the grand ideals on its side.
He, however, had nothing at all.
When those elven lords sought trouble with him, they wouldn’t hesitate.
So, he could only sit back and watch the changes.
To see if Airael had any further moves.
If not, then coexisting like this wasn’t impossible.
Everyone silently reaping significant profits together.
Yet, that was destined to be impossible.
Airael’s goal was to unify the elven race, concentrating its strength to undertake major endeavors.
She couldn’t possibly allow a capable lord like him to remain independent.
Conflict between them was inevitable; it was just a matter of time.
And the timing depended on Airael’s next move.
After all, Airael was the king of the elven race, the ruler of Avalon.
The legitimacy lay with her, and she could easily challenge those elven lords; those lords wouldn’t have the leverage to confront her.
