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Chapter 1179 - 1179 189 An Old Actor_3

1179: Chapter 189, An Old Actor_3 1179: Chapter 189, An Old Actor_3 No regrets can be spoken of; had we not offloaded “inherited knowledge” back then, Moxi Duchy would have gone bankrupt long ago, and there would be no development and expansion today.

Enjoying the dividends naturally comes with a corresponding price.

“Gentlemen, the matter can no longer be concealed.

Don’t look now at the Clergy bearing the blame for us, but such a matter cannot be delayed for long.

As long as one pays attention to the financial situation of the Duchy, all parties will soon suspect us.

Negotiations for the Alliance of the Five Nations must be accelerated.

In case the news leaks, we can still rely on the strength of the Alliance to cover for us!”

George said helplessly.

Evidence, something that’s important when deemed so, but also trivial when not considered so.

A massive amount of capital with an unknown source is enough to throw Moxi Duchy into the vortex of a storm.

As long as they can’t explain the source of the funds, it will soon be traced back to them.

No matter how many disguises are used, they can’t avoid direct investigation.

Even after several years have passed, it’s impossible to erase all traces completely.

“Your Majesty, the Duchy must have a reasonable explanation for the source of its funds.

Otherwise, there will be significant troubles to follow.

Even if the Five Nations Alliance can offer us protection, that too comes at a cost.

Owing such a large favor to the other four nations from the start will leave us without any say in the Alliance!”

Chancellor Hercheg said with a solemn expression.

Dealing with things that incur great wrath is never an easy task.

Furthermore, they shifted the blame onto the Clergy, and retaliation was inevitable afterward.

Holding tight to the Alliance is just a passive response.

The best option is to muddy the waters and clear the suspicions off ourselves.

According to the customs of the Continent of Aslante, in such vague and unclear matters, if the Clergy are implicated, the scapegoat will likely end up being them in the end.

Truth is undeniably important, but suppressing the Clergy is equally vital.

We must strive to suppress them; the Clergy’s influence among the people is too great.

Often, the words of the Clergy carry more weight than those of a Lord.

If the Pope were to make an appearance, even the King would have to stand aside.

To maintain one’s own power, it is necessary to pull down the Clergy’s prestige.

Digging up their dark history and pinning the blame on them is part of the day-to-day operations.

Of course, this time is different.

Even though they are taking the blame, not many are cursing the Clergy.

Behind the scenes, even there are several minor Nobles who have profited and are praising them in kind.

“Chancellor, it’s not easy to explain the origins of the funds!

In recent years, we have unearthed seven treasures.

It’s becoming impossible to continue the charade!

In order to act out the part, we’ve taken out our treasures and added them to the hoard, taken a round through the process.

We’ve staged all the rumors about the Duchy’s treasures.

If we keep this up, trouble will surely come sooner or later!”

Military Minister Martins, the Earl, refused outright.

As the digger of treasures, he had endured no small amount of pressure.

To make the act more convincing, Moxi Duchy held an auction after each excavation.

After all, the treasures couldn’t only consist of Gold Coins; they were mostly jewels, Magic weapons, mysterious inheritances, and exotic treasures.

The items up for auction were provided by the various Major Nobles within the country.

The stuff they provided was then bought back by them at the auction.

After going through the motions at the auction house, the money was laundered.

But no matter how much they could maneuver, there was a limit to the number of actors.

Once they’ve appeared in public, they couldn’t be put back out.

After several rounds, the foundations of the few Major Nobles within Moxi Duchy had been turned over.

Even so, the laundered funds were still not enough to cover the enormous expenses incurred in the development of Moxi Duchy.

“If we can’t act anymore, we must still act.

If there’s no other way, then we can order a batch of special Magic Potions, find ways to age the packaging.

These items are not one-of-a-kind; surely we can auction them a few more times, right?

Master Kembery lived in the Duchy before, next time just excavate his relics.

As a Master of Magic Potion on the Continent, possessing a large number of Magic Potions, and having them preserved until now, I think everyone can accept it.

Put some Alchemy Equipment in as well, you all handle the specifics.

Moreover, unearth a few Gold Mines.

The reserve and purity aren’t important, as long as we say it’s a rich mine, then it must be a rich mine.

Whatever else can make money, you all go and slowly find ways to supplement it.

Even if it means borrowing from outside, we must make the Duchy’s finances appear normal!”

George was all in.

At this stage, it was either endure to the end or come out and provoke hostility.

…

Manor House in the Mountain Domain.

After handing his youngest son over to Melissa, Hudson gave his eldest son’s backside a good output.

The mischievous child had to be disciplined.

At such a young age, he had learned to play pranks.

He even took advantage of Hudson’s distraction to create havoc in his study.

Afterward, the unaware miscreant Franz even brought the torn-up pieces of books to Hudson to boast of his accomplishments.

There’s no doubt about it, he had to learn the hard way about fatherly love.

Pleading was out of the question; from Melissa’s angered gaze, it was clear that if Hudson didn’t act, she would have stepped in herself.

Without a doubt, the victim wasn’t only Hudson.

Melissa, the mother, also could not escape from Franz’s shenanigans.

Franz added an unknown liquid to the perfume from the Frank Kingdom.

If it weren’t for the fact that Melissa was a Magician and noticed in time that it was the child’s urine, she would have fallen for the trick.

As both paternal and maternal love collapsed, Franz’s buttocks suffered.

If not for the fact that he was young, it would have been a mix-gender doubles match.

“Duke, Moxi Duchy has sent an invitation.

They have discovered the laboratory of Master Kembery and are preparing for a major auction in two months.”

Tom’s words rescued Franz’s backside.

As the first Alchemist and the first Magic Potioner on the Continent, Master Kembery’s reputation was deafeningly prestigious.

As the creator of Life Essence, Kembery’s contribution to the Human Race is self-evident.

The laboratory of such a distinguished person was alluring to any Magician or Alchemist.

Hudson was no exception.

However, thinking of the continuous discovery of treasures by Moxi People in recent years, his interest instantly vanished.

The outside world only thought Moxi Duchy was lucky, managing to gather the funds needed for national development through the discovery of treasures.

As one of the informed, Hudson did not believe in such luck.

If there had been such good luck, George wouldn’t have taken a risk back then.