Extreme Cold Era: Shelter Don't Keep Waste-Chapter 576 - 540 Central and Local · Part 2

The Empire’s finances are already depleted, a highly counterintuitive yet upon reflection, entirely reasonable situation.

With the onset of apocalyptic disasters, the places where the Empire needs to spend money are increasing, and amounts spent are growing rapidly. Yet, the revenue of the Empire’s finances is decreasing, inversely proportional to the expenditure of the Imperial Center.

The reason is simple; one of the main sources of the Empire’s financial income is colonial trade.

It’s not just the various profits from direct trade but also the fact that the entire industrial system of the Empire’s homeland heavily relies on every colony to supply raw materials for production.

Moreover, a considerable portion of the industrial products from these factories is meant to be dumped back into the local colonies.

Coming and going, it’s clear how much profit the Empire can actually reap from the colonies.

Thus, when the climate gradually cooled, leading to the oceans freezing and severely impacting trade between the Empire’s homeland and its colonies, the reduction in the Empire’s financial income was also foreseeable.

To date, the fact that the Empire’s finances haven’t yet gone bankrupt and can still support the Imperial Center’s move to the Northern Territory and the construction of a new district to house various departments of the Imperial Center is the result of the tireless efforts of Duke of Gloucester and the Minister of Finance.

In such circumstances, expecting the Empire’s finances to take out a huge sum to mobilize six Steam Knight Orders and Perfikot’s Steam Knights for a battle, not guaranteeing victory, followed by a massive military expenditure...

Can you guess what would happen to the fool who dared to suggest this idea to the Minister of Finance?

So for the Empire, going to war with the Northern Territory? It’s non-existent.

This is also why it was only after Perfikot’s military expansion became a fait accompli that Eldest Princess Annie came to Perfikot to persuade her not to overstaff the White Bear Knight Order.

Indeed, Eldest Princess Annie came to Perfikot not because Perfikot had added sixty Steam Knights under her command, strengthening her forces, but simply because the White Bear Knight Order, after receiving these sixty knights, had far exceeded the Empire’s conventional concept of a knight order’s size.

This is a bad signal because Perfikot broke the rules.

For a rule-abiding person, you can restrain them within the rules, at least knowing what they wouldn’t do, and they wouldn’t truly act recklessly.

But when a rule-abiding person starts breaking the rules, especially when the person is seen as decisive and holds significant military power, who wouldn’t panic?

This resulted in what was originally a trivial matter abruptly being spotlighted, becoming a major issue that couldn’t be weighed down even by a thousand pounds.

Those guys are really scared of dying; they’re afraid that if Perfikot originally didn’t intend to make a fuss, their serious pursuit would drive Perfikot to the brink, simply deploying Steam Knights to eliminate them, so they are trying in every way possible to prevent this matter from escalating.

To put it bluntly, they are beating the wolf with a stalk of grass, fearing both sides.

Afraid that Perfikot has truly started breaking the rules and afraid that Perfikot might still be following them.

In conclusion, after nearly scratching their heads bald with worry, they chose Eldest Princess Annie to negotiate with Perfikot, someone they believed wouldn’t at least escalate the conflict.

But Perfikot’s stubbornly firm attitude greatly disappointed Eldest Princess Annie, who originally thought she could persuade Perfikot to at least refrain from expanding the White Bear Knight Order, even if it meant that Perfikot’s underlings would end up forming yet another knight order.

For Perfikot herself, it actually didn’t matter.

She could choose to expand the size of the White Bear Knight Order, or she could choose to form another knight order outside of the White Bear Knight Order.

Given her power and status, forming a couple more knight orders, as long as she had the money to support them, was no big deal.

Yet Perfikot bizarrely chose an attitude that seemed strange to others, determinedly insisting on expanding the White Bear Knight Order.

While there’s the layer of reason Perfikot mentioned, "the White Bear Knights are a symbol of the Northern Territory," this justification is actually quite flimsy for Perfikot.

She is the first Count of Exploration in the Northern Territory and the current head of the Brandlis Clan, the Northern Guardian.

If she really wanted to send knights under her banner to handle certain affairs, Perfikot doesn’t need the knights to use the identity of White Bear Knights as a symbol.

Indeed, White Bear Knights symbolize power and status in the Northern Territory, but that doesn’t mean Perfikot’s envoys can’t prove their identity and standing.

Any random knight could easily clarify the matter in a few words without needing to use the identity of White Bear Knights as a symbol, to say the least.

At worst, establish another knight order and call them White Bear Knights or Northern Knights; it’s a way of directly bypassing the problem.

However, as of now, Perfikot has already fully demonstrated her determination and preparation regarding this issue, even setting up a trap, waiting for someone to fall into it due to this matter.

"Regarding whether what I did is inappropriate and how this matter should ultimately be resolved, I think it should be a very simple matter," said Perfikot, seemingly reminiscing, yet she adhered firmly to her decision.

But aside from herself, no one truly understands what Perfikot intends to do and why she is doing it. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"I don’t understand, what exactly are you thinking?" Even faced with Perfikot’s reticent attitude, Eldest Princess Annie expressed deep confusion.

Her attitude was far from being tough, nor was it a matter of threatening or oppressing Perfikot. After all, the whole aim of all parties within the Empire was merely to solve this problem, not truly irritate Perfikot into breaking away entirely.

However, Perfikot’s actions now seem as if she is under extreme grievance and pressure, rebelling against the heavy rule of the Empire.

"Perfikot, the Empire has no intention of targeting you. You don’t need to be so defensive and confrontational. Is there nothing we can sit down and discuss? Even if you have any requests, shouldn’t you first tell me what they are?" Eldest Princess Annie pleaded earnestly with Perfikot, always trying to persuade her.

But Perfikot was resolute, like swallowing a weight and resolving to remain steadfast, leaving everyone astonished.