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Chapter 1203 - 1203 198 Integrity Shattered Still in Debt_2

1203: Chapter 198: Integrity Shattered (Still in Debt)_2 1203: Chapter 198: Integrity Shattered (Still in Debt)_2 Even if we want to continue fulfilling our debts, we are financially incapable of doing so; therefore, we can only choose to extend our debt.

If possible, we hope that our creditors could consider forgiving a portion of the debt interest, to give the Duchy a chance to pay off our debts!” George said earnestly.

At this point, he may as well play up his poverty to the full extent.

Now that they couldn’t dare sell any more of their heritage, Moxi Duchy was left with nothing more to live on, naturally saving every penny they could.

With a king lowering himself to such a degree, nobody had the heart to voice a word of rejection.

However, since it involved the interests of influential figures within their own countries, it wasn’t a decision they could make on their own.

“I think it’s feasible.

Given the current fiscal situation of Moxi Duchy, they’ve lost the ability to pay.

Any additional debt is just a series of numbers.

Instead of turning all debts into bad debts, it would be better for everyone to sit down and come up with a viable solution.” Hudson seized the opportunity to propose “debt restructuring.”

Everything was driven by interest, for George had promised him a commission.

For every ten gold coins of Moxi’s debt reduced, one would be his.

The commission rate isn’t high, but the base amount of the debt is significant.

If the negotiations go well, the Duchy could reduce its debt interest by at least ten million gold coins.

Thinking of the money, Hudson referenced the experiences of notorious debtor nations from his previous life to devise a debt restructuring plan for Moxi Duchy.

Now, there are only two choices before everyone: either give up the interest and recover the principal in installments, or continue the deadlock, without receiving even a single copper coin.

The representatives from various kingdoms present couldn’t make a decision, and while some wanted to object, they couldn’t offer any better solutions.

George insists that they will not default on the debt, but a promise with no ability to pay is, in essence, no different from defaulting, except perhaps in attitude.

The scene quieted down, and George turned his eyes to the representatives of the Three Kingdoms in the Central Continent.

Alpha Kingdom has already expressed their support, and as potential allies, it is time for them to show some gesture of solidarity!

There was no doubt Hudson’s previous claim to only represent himself was directly ignored by everyone.

Once one’s status and position reach a certain level, their stance can become that of their nation’s.

Other kingdoms had to consider the interests of their home elites, but Hudson did not.

Being sufficiently impoverished, Alpha Kingdom simply did not have the excess funds to lend to Moxi Duchy.

Hudson’s posture was purely for the sake of argument.

If Alpha had held Moxi’s debt like the others did, he certainly could not have given such ready support.

“Marshal Hudson’s proposal is good.

I think everyone should communicate the message back and wait for authorization from our own governments!

With the situation as it stands, there’s no better choice than to sit down and renegotiate the debts.” The representative from Black Forest Kingdom spoke, and representatives from Dante Kingdom and South Coast Kingdom hurried to agree.

It was now the time to test the consistency of the alliance, and this favor had to be given.

The involved interests were trivial compared to national strategies.

The representatives looked at each other, all without an answer.

After a brief hesitation, unable to find a better solution, they could only nod in agreement.

After all, they were only tasked with relaying a message, not making a decision.

Whatever happens next would be a domestic issue.

With everything settled, George secretly heaved a sigh of relief.

His sacrifice this time was substantial, and if he hadn’t convinced the representatives, he really wouldn’t have known how to end things.

As for subsequent issues, as long as the message gets through, there will always be nations that support them.

Disagreeing wouldn’t be useful; Moxi Duchy, already in give-up mode, was now just a sitting duck.

If someone tried to forcefully collect, George was prepared to offer land in the border areas as debt repayment.

If it came to that, it wouldn’t be a case of Moxi Duchy defaulting, but whether the creditors dare to accept the land.

“Duty to Guard the Land” is a Noble’s responsibility, even if it is a foreign enclave that can’t be easily given up.

Even if it’s their own private territory, not belonging to any Kingdom, and not carrying any responsibility upon loss, it would still harm the Clan’s reputation.

No one wanted to make a large investment and risk their family’s reputation to help others guard the frontier.

…

In the Elf Forest, the three Elf Queens looked at the secret message sent by Derris, all wearing a grin tinged with helplessness.

Seeing Moxi Duchy’s rapid expansion, they were concerned that this neighbor would become a threat and had prepared a series of measures.

Yet before the first round even began, their opponent played themselves into ruin.

There’s no mistake; according to the content of the letters sent back by Derris, Moxi Duchy was indeed finished.

The newly occupied areas kept rebelling, not only failing to strengthen Moxi’s power but continuously bleeding them dry.

They had intended to take advantage of the situation to earn some benefits and slow down Moxi People’s development.

To their utter surprise, before negotiations had even ended, the other party had already gone bankrupt.

The current situation is that the Moxi People are willing to take responsibility, and the Moxi Government is willing to accept compensation.

The only issue is they have no money.

After causing such a stir, they intended to set an example, but they never expected the chicken to die before they could act.

“Second sister, third sister, see for yourselves!

The Moxi Duchy Government has just decided to retain only the twenty thousand standing army in the Capital, aside from the troops suppressing the rebellion.

It seems that they’re really out of money; they don’t even want to maintain the army now.”