"The people, the gods, the lineage, the father!"
"The people, the gods, the lineage, the father!"
"Eternal glory to the Seven Hills Empire!"
"In all eras, your army will be famous all over the world!"
"The Empire of Seven Hills, the Empire of Seven Hills."
"The Empire of Seven Hills, the Empire of Seven Hills."
"I am full of affection and love for my motherland."
…
…
"very perfect!"
Ella imitated the behavior of a band conductor and raised her hands passionately, and the singing stopped abruptly, leaving only ups and downs of echoes in the air.
These days, Andrea refused to surrender, so Ella turned her interest to the band he used to command the fleet. Under her guidance, these Aphros pipe players finally learned the traditional music of the Seven Hills Empire just now.
"This song sounds very energetic! From now on, it will be our charge horn! Next, we will practice the instructions for outflanking. This time we won by using dry land boating to go around Andrea's rear. How about using "Dry Land March" for the outflank command?"
"Your Majesty, this is not good..." Amy whispered, "You are the King of Sweden now. Are you going to command those pirates with the music of the Seven Hills Empire?"
Ella scratched her head: "Yeah, I was so excited that I forgot about it. As soon as I saw Avros taking care of me, I wanted to use the music of Empire of the Seven Hills... Then how about rehearsing again?"
Just when Ella and Amy were discussing what song to use, a piece of news came: the envoy of the Island Republic had arrived in Azov City and was waiting for Ella to receive her.
Half a month ago, Ella sent a messenger to the island republic, asking for the pre-agreed military expenses and discussing the transaction of Azov City.
Time passed day by day, but the island republic never responded to the letter. She could only continue to station the army in Azov City. An army of 20,000 people consumes huge amounts of supplies every day, which makes Ella feel heartbroken. So as soon as she heard that the envoy from the Island Republic was coming, she rushed over impatiently.
However, just as she was about to enter the room used to receive the envoy, Glahid hurried over from behind. He stopped Ella and whispered a few words in her ear.
"What are you talking about? Before the Island Republic's goods were plundered, the Republic of Liguria had already gone to war with the Island Republic? Are you sure?"
Amy, who was listening on the sidelines, screamed in surprise.
Glahid glanced at the room where the envoy was, motioned for Amy to keep her voice down, and then said in a lower voice: "I heard this rumor a week ago. Since the authenticity is unknown, I asked my men to inquire about it through various channels. Intelligence. So far, the intelligence returned from every route supports this statement. Originally, I wanted to investigate more clearly, but when I heard that the envoy from the Island Republic was coming, I felt that I must report it to the King of Sweden immediately. "
"Is that so? No wonder I feel a little weird." Ella murmured in a low voice, "The Republic of Liguria is not a pirate, so why would it rob the island republic's ship?"
"Your Majesty, I don't understand. Aren't the Republic of Liguria and the Island Republic both vassals of the Seven Hills Empire?" Amy asked Ella dazedly, "If they fight like this, the Seven Hills Empire won't care?"
"A vassal state is a vassal state, but only in name. The Seven Hills Empire currently has very limited control over the two republics. The Ligurian Republic and the Island Republic have been competing for trade rights in the Mediterranean. It is not surprising that a war will occur - —I guess the source of this war is a trade dispute. Right, Glahid?"
Glahid nodded: "That's right. According to the current intelligence, the cause of the matter was a banquet held by the generals of Cyprus. Representatives of the two countries had a dispute over a ranking issue, which eventually turned into a bloody conflict. What happened next It intensified and eventually turned into a war. The island republic’s merchant ships were robbed, probably because the Republic of Liguria wanted to crack down on the island republic’s trade.”
"Although it's unexpected, it's not surprising at all." Ella shrugged, "After all, it is a merchant ship flying our flag, and it has a famous reputation. Moreover, the island republic also contributed money, so we can still make some profit."
"Your Majesty! I thought there was a problem with your financial ability before! You actually think you are making money?"
"Really made a profit? The Island Republic pays 80% of our expenses. The materials in the Azov City Treasury, plus the trophies seized from the mercenaries, are enough to offset the other 20% of the military expenditure. In addition, there is also the sale of Azov The city’s income...has made a lot of money, right?”
Amy stamped her foot: "Haven't you noticed, Your Majesty? What you originally wanted to sign was just an agreement to protect trade during peacetime, right? And this protection is one-way. The agreement can also be applied to losses caused by war. If so, wouldn't His Majesty become a mercenary? The other party only needs to pay 80% of the expenses. This is a super cheap mercenary that is cheaper than their own army!"
"Indeed." Glahid said from the side. "I also heard that the Island Republic has a very tough attitude this time and has been actively escalating the situation after the bloody conflict. I am afraid it is because of the agreement of the King of Sweden."
"Gu... I should have added 'only during peacetime' to the agreement! But who would consider it so carefully? These unscrupulous businessmen! Let's go! Follow me and ask for money!"
Ella opened the door angrily and rushed in.
The messenger was the same person who came to the Pirate Kingdom before to ask Ella to send troops. Before, he traveled across mountains and rivers to the pirate kingdom, and his clothes were still bright and bright. This time, his mission to Azov only took a few days by boat, and his clothes were even more luxurious. The expensive silk was heavily embroidered with gold threads. If she hadn't known in advance that he was just a messenger, Ella would have mistaken him for the governor of the island republic himself.
He was drinking tea slowly in his room. The last time he was on a mission to the Pirate Kingdom, he felt that the tea in the Pirate Kingdom was not tasty, so this time he brought a bag of tea himself. This bag of tea comes from the far east. Every tea leaf is picked by a young girl with her mouth. It is extremely expensive. He added the best cream and the best sugar to the tea, sipped it one mouthful at a time, and thought about what he would say after meeting Ella for a while.
Ella rushed in with murderous intent on her face, grabbed the messenger by the collar and tried to pull him up from the chair. Although he was unable to pull it up due to lack of strength, the momentum frightened the messenger and dropped the tea bowl in his hand.
Ella's momentum did not diminish at all, and she shouted in the face of the messenger: "Give me the money quickly!"
"Money...what money?"
The messenger looked at the pirate king in front of him in a panic, not knowing what made her angry.
