Imperial banners began to gather across the land. Knights sharpened their blades, and lords prepared for the campaign.
Sultan Azim, who had begun his game with shadows and poison, now faced a full-scale war, provoked by the hands of the Lord. He was caught in a trap he himself had helped create, weakened by internal problems and demoralized by "ghosts."
The Lord of the North stood atop his impregnable fortress, the "Honey Mug," observing the unfolding events. He had not just survived between a rock and a hard place—he became the smith who forged the hammer, and the anvil became his enemy's throat. The crusade he had influenced for so long was now a reality, and he was at its center, a key figure without whom success was unthinkable.
Sultan Azim knew nothing of this. Cut off from the West not only by "natural disasters" but also by his own paranoia and the need to throw all resources into clearing the Path, he found himself in an information blockade that the Lord had so masterfully created. His spies and assassins, either intercepted or demoralized and distracted by the clearing efforts, could not convey the true scale of the approaching threat. He continued to believe he was fighting only against the "cursed mountains" and the hidden, but limited, cunning of the Lord.
His men continued to clear the blockades with ferocity. Thousands, and then tens of thousands of workers and soldiers exhausted themselves, battling stone and earth that seemed to constantly collapse again and again. They were exhausted, their morale shattered by "ghosts" and "curses," but the Sultan drove them forward, convinced that this was the only way to save his economy and his authority. And while they, like ants, tried to move mountains, behind them, on the lands of the Empire, a truly enormous army was gathering.
The crusade, called by the Emperor, was gaining momentum. Knights from all over the country flocked to the banners, their faith reinforced by church sermons and tales of "desecrated holy sites." Huge supply trains, legions of infantry, and mobile cavalry units were assembling into an unprecedented fist, ready to strike the Sultanate.
Azim, immersed in his local battle with the "mountains," was completely blind to this looming catastrophe. He did not see how his enemies, whom he had tried to weaken, had now united, led by the Lord's invisible hand. He was confident that he controlled the situation on his border, not suspecting that he had become the target of a much larger and more devastating blow than he could have ever imagined.
The Lord of the North stood atop his "Honey Mug," watching this unfold. He was the puppeteer, pulling the strings of both empires and turning their enmity into a tool to achieve his own goals. The grand spectacle was approaching its climax.
Finally, after many weeks of grueling, endless labor, the Sultan's workers, under the constant threat of "natural" cataclysms and harassed by "ghost riders," managed to clear the Mountain Silk Road. On the Lord's command, the obstacles ceased, allowing them to complete their titanic but meaningless work. And so, when the last boulder was moved and the path was finally open, a surprise awaited them.
Not life-saving caravans with goods, nor the relief of renewed trade. Something far more terrifying awaited them.
From around the bend, from the freshly cleared pass, it appeared—the vast army of the Empire. Countless legions of infantry, the gleaming armor of knights, endless ranks of cavalry. Above them proudly flew the banner of the Cross, the symbol of a holy war.
The Sultan's warriors, exhausted and demoralized by their struggle with the mountains, froze in shock. They had expected to meet mountain folk, bandits, or, at worst, the Lord's "ghosts." But not a force like this. Terror swept through their ranks as the formidable battle cry of the Crusaders echoed through the mountains, heralding imminent retribution.
The Imperial army, inspired by the Church and a thirst for vengeance, surged into the Eastern lands, sweeping away everything in its path. For the Sultanate, exhausted by its fight against "nature" and paralyzed by internal panic, it was a stab in the back they had never expected. Terror gripped the eastern cities as news of the crusade began to spread.
The Lord sat in his "Honey Mug," observing the unfolding drama. His plan had worked perfectly. He had forced the Sultan to open the gates to his own destruction, to deplete his forces while the enemy gathered into a mighty fist. Now the real war would begin, and the Lord, safe within his impregnable fortress, would be the key player dictating the terms.
This confrontation had truly become massive. The Sultanate, blinded by pride and a desire for expansion, did not see the subtle game until it found itself in a trap it had helped to create. And the Christian Church, led by righteous anger, did not see the true threads of the intrigue, becoming a powerful but blind instrument in the hands of the Lord. Two powerful but blind faiths clashed in the Mountain Range, provoked by the genius of the Lord. Two mighty rulers, each seeking to profit at the Lord's expense, now became direct enemies, clashing in a full-scale war. They became victims of their own policies and the Lord's sophisticated strategy. The Emperor, who wished to conquer his principality, was now forced to fight the Sultan. And the Sultan, who sought to weaken the Lord and expand his domains, found himself drawn into a war he himself had helped to unleash, unaware of the Lord's hand behind the scenes.
The "Honey Mug," once a simple tavern and now an impregnable fortress, became not just a refuge but the center of intrigue from which the Lord controlled the destinies of empires. The "Honey Mug," once a cozy tavern, then an impregnable fortress on the border, had now transformed into something much greater: the only transit point for the Crusaders. The only safe and functioning passage to the Eastern lands. The place that had been a border point in the clash of the Lord's autonomy with the Empire and the Sultanate now became a vital artery for the Imperial troops.
All the Crusaders—thousands of knights, legions of infantry, endless supply trains—had to pass through his lands. Their every movement, every step, every cargo depended on the Lord's consent and his ability to maintain this "path." This gave the Lord unprecedented power. He was no longer just an ally, but an indispensable link. The Emperor, though he led the crusade, was now completely dependent on his will. Not only his troops passed through the Lord's lands, but also their supplies and communications. The Lord could dictate terms, demand resources, obtain information, and, if necessary, even sabotage the movement if it suited his long-term goals.
With the start of the crusade and the transformation of the "Honey Mug" into the sole artery for Imperial troops, the Lord's gold coins, which had previously been only a "second" currency, now rapidly rose to par with the Imperial ones, and even began to dominate. The flow of Imperial troops, merchants, suppliers, and mercenaries passing through the Lord's lands was colossal. And all of them needed a means of payment in the "Honey Mug" and its surroundings. Taverns, forges, shops, and people providing food and services accepted only the Lord's gold coins. Smuggling operations, still bringing in huge profits, were also conducted predominantly in his currency. The Imperial treasury, trying to supply its troops, was forced to exchange its coins for the Lord's gold coins, creating a steady demand and strengthening his gold standard. Merchants following the army quickly realized that for doing business in this key region, it was much more profitable and reliable to use the Lord's currency, which was always in circulation and did not suffer from inflation like the Imperial one, exhausted by war.
The Lord's gold coins became a symbol of stability and power amidst war and chaos. They were preferred for paying for goods, services, as well as for secret deals, bribes, and rewards. Soon, even within the Empire itself and in the conquered territories of the Sultanate where the crusade's troops penetrated, the Lord's coins became the most reliable means of payment. Now the Lord was not just an independent ruler, but an unofficial financial hegemon whose currency dictated terms even to the most powerful empires.
But he was not going to stop there. The moment was perfect to strike another blow at the Empire's economic influence and secure the dominance of his currency.
"Now," he declared to Green and Father Tuck as they discussed the financial flows, "we are raising the exchange rate of our coins to the Imperial ones to two to one." "Two Imperial coins for one of our gold ones."
Green raised an eyebrow in surprise but quickly understood the genius of the plan. This would have been an unheard-of move in normal times, but now, with the Emperor embroiled in a massive war and his army dependent on the Lord's services, he had no choice.
"The argument is simple," the Lord explained. "Our coins have a stable weight." "They are minted from pure gold mined in our mines, and we guarantee their quality." "But the Imperial coins... they can sometimes weigh less. In the turmoil of war, in the rush of minting, there are always shortfalls, impurities.Our coins, however, are perfection itself."
The "Honey Mug" became the center of exchange. Imperial merchants, suppliers, officers, and even common soldiers passing through the Lord's lands were forced to exchange their money for his. Now, for every two Imperial coins, they received only one of the Lord's coins, but one that was much more valuable and stable. This not only strengthened his currency but also allowed him to siphon a huge amount of gold from the Empire into his treasury, effectively confiscating a part of their wealth under the guise of a "fair exchange."
Soon, the Lord's gold coins became not just dominant—they became the only reliable means of payment along the path of the crusade and in the shadow world of the East. The Sultanate, already suffering from the war, also indirectly felt this blow, as the Lord's coins, which also circulated in their territories, now became even more valuable, devaluing the Sultanate's own currency. The Lord had turned the Mountain Range not just into an artery, but into a sluice gate that controlled not only the movement of troops but also the flow of capital, directing it all into his treasury.
The "Honey Mug," having evolved from a simple tavern to an impregnable fortress-city, now took the next logical and strategic step. In conditions where the Lord's gold coins had become the dominant currency, it naturally transformed into a fortress-bank. The underground levels, originally intended for storing supplies and secret passages, were now being converted into massive vaults, protected not only by strong walls but also by complex traps known only to the Lord and his "Legion of the Dead." Gold and precious stones, flowing to him from all sides thanks to smuggling and currency conversion, filled these vaults.
Inside the fortress, new premises were opened: counting houses where skilled accountants kept strict records, and exchange halls where Imperial and Sultanate coins were poured into sacks with a clatter, turning into stable gold bars and the Lord's coins at a rate favorable to him. Merchants, lords, and even some Imperial officers, trusting his stability more than their own treasury, began to use the "Honey Mug" for the safe storage of their wealth, paying him for this service. The fortress-tavern, a symbol of the Lord's power and cunning, became the heart of a financial system that was beginning to encompass the entire region, surpassing the state banks of the Empire and the Sultanate in reliability and efficiency. It became not only a military and economic center but also a financial axis around which all monetary flows revolved.
The fortress-bank was becoming more than just a financial center—it was turning into a true haven for money changers and trophy traders. With the start of the crusade, streams of plunder flowed to the West, and the "Honey Mug" proved to be the perfect place for their legalization. Knights and soldiers, returning from raids in the Eastern lands, brought with them not only trophies but also a thirst to cash them in. Here, in the Lord's fortress-bank, one could exchange a golden cup adorned with precious stones or an artfully forged eastern sword for the reliable, stable gold of the Lord, rather than for dubious Imperial coins. Money changers, skilled and unscrupulous, offered favorable rates, making huge profits from each exchange.
Security was the Lord's main advantage. Outside the walls of his fortress, in the war-torn lands, one could easily encounter robbers, deserters, or simply hungry marauders ready to kill for a bag of coins. But inside the "Honey Mug," order reigned, maintained by the "Legion of the Dead" and reliable guards. It was the only place where one could safely sell or exchange their loot, fearing neither for their life nor for their wealth.
Thus, the "Honey Mug" became not just a transit point for troops, but a center for processing war trophies into stable capital. The Lord controlled not only the economic flows but also the flows of military wealth, further strengthening his power and financial might.
He realized that with growing financial power came new risks. Accumulating immense wealth within the walls of a single fortress, however secure, was short-sighted. And transporting huge volumes of gold across half the Empire, where bandits roamed and a crusade was underway, was not just dangerous, but simply foolish.
"The time has come for the next step," he declared to Green and Father Tuck. "We will introduce the first securities."
This decision struck both advisors with its foresight. It was a move ahead of its time.
"We will issue bonds," the Lord explained. "Documents confirming that their holder has deposited a certain amount of gold in our fortress-bank." "These papers will be securely protected against forgery by our technologies, and they can be presented at any of our branches or with trusted agents to get the gold back."
The advantages were obvious:
· Security. Instead of risking tons of gold on dangerous roads, merchants and commanders could carry only small but extremely valuable parchments.
· Convenience. Bonds made it easy to transfer large sums of money without the physical transportation of metal.
· Trust. The Lord's reputation, the reliability of his mines, and the impregnability of his fortress-bank guaranteed the value of these papers.
Thus, the "Honey Mug" became not just a repository for gold, but a center of issuance. The Lord's gold could now "travel" throughout the Empire and even through the conquered lands of the Sultanate in the form of these paper obligations, spreading his economic influence even wider and deeper. The Lord offered stability and security in a world of chaos, and people were willing to pay for it.
The introduction of bonds was not just a financial, but a strategic triumph that solved a critical security problem. For robbers and bandits prowling the roads, ordinary parchments or artfully designed papers were of no interest. They sought clinking gold and sparkling jewels, not useless, in their view, scraps of paper. This drastically reduced the risk of attacks on caravans and individual merchants carrying huge fortunes in the form of these securities.
For the owner, however, the bonds were a true treasure. They could be hidden much better than bags of gold—sewn into clothing, hidden in the lining of a saddle, walled up in a house, or simply kept on one's person without attracting attention. The security and anonymity they provided were priceless in a world torn by war and chaos.
Thus, the Lord's gold did not just circulate; it became invulnerable, turning into an invisible but ubiquitous network of wealth, managed from his impregnable fortress-bank. He created a system that was both reliable and inaccessible to those who did not understand its true value.
The "Honey Mug" was no longer just a fortress or a tavern—it had become the true heart of a financial empire. Every stone of its walls now not only protected the Lord from his enemies but also safeguarded the immense treasures flowing here from all corners of the Empire and the East. In the deep dungeons, carved into the very rock, and in numerous caches located throughout the Mountain Range, lay mountains of pure gold and the gleam of precious stones. This wealth, extracted from the Lord's mines, intercepted from caravans, or obtained through currency exchange and war trophies, was now completely safe.
And this security was truly legendary. No one dared to encroach on the treasures of the "Honey Mug," for its guard was second to none. The Legion of the Dead, whose grim figures and supernatural strength had already become part of local myths, patrolled the passes and protected the secret passages. Furthermore, the ingenious traps designed by the Lord's engineers and his people's deep knowledge of the terrain made any attempt at infiltration suicidal. Enemies, including the Sultanate and even the Empire itself, knew that to storm the "Honey Mug" was to doom themselves to defeat. And robbers and bandits did not even think of such a thing, preferring easier prey. The Lord's fortress became a symbol of absolute reliability and immense wealth, a place where money was completely safe even in the midst of war.
The Lord's financial empire continued to expand, and he saw a new opportunity to strengthen his power and influence. With immense wealth and the most stable currency in his hands, he could dictate the terms.
"Next," he declared, addressing Green and Father Tuck, "we will issue loans at interest." "But not to just anyone. Our clients will be minor monarchs or feudal lords who lack the funds to maintain armies, restore their lands after the war, or for their own ambitions."
This was a brilliant move that transformed the Lord from a mere financial center into a key player on the political map. His target audience became minor princes, dukes, counts, and barons whose lands bordered the Empire and the Sultanate, or those who were far from the main financial flows but needed funds. The Imperial and Sultanate banks were too slow, too bureaucratic, and demanded too much. The Lord, however, offered quick solutions.
Loans were issued at a high but tolerable interest rate, which guaranteed the Lord a significant profit. But the most important condition was one: violation of the agreement meant war. This was not just a warning, but an iron rule. The "Legion of the Dead" and the reputation of the invincible Lord-Necromancer served as the best guarantee for the return of debts. No one would dare to challenge him.
The consequences were staggering. The Lord gained leverage over many small entities. Their financial dependence meant political dependence. He could demand loyalty, passage through their lands, information, or even direct participation in his intrigues. His gold and bonds penetrated the most remote corners, becoming the basis for local economies. Debtors became unwitting allies of the Lord, interested in his stability and prosperity.
"We will create our own 'Golden Legion,'" the Lord announced. "A mercenary army, available to those who can pay for it."
This decision was the next logical step in his strategy. The "Golden Legion" would become a direct lever of the Lord's influence, a tool for those seeking military power without the desire or ability to maintain their own army. This mercenary army would allow the Lord to intervene directly in conflicts, influence the outcome of battles, and secure his financial interests without revealing the true scale of his military might. His control over the Mountain Range, finances, and now an elite army would make him a truly formidable force that everyone would have to reckon with.
The Lord defined the strategy for his "Golden Legion," transforming it from a mercenary force into an elite, highly effective instrument.
"Only experienced warriors will be recruited into the 'Golden Legion,'" he stressed. "We are not chasing numbers." "Perhaps it will not be numerous, up to 500 men, but each warrior will be worth three recruits." "We will pay them generously, provide them with the best equipment, and train them in our advanced methods."
This decision turned the "Golden Legion" into a strike force of unprecedented effectiveness. Instead of a cumbersome and slow army, the Lord was creating a compact but deadly unit capable of performing the most complex tasks. The "Golden Legion" would become the embodiment of the Lord's power—not brute force, but honed efficiency, backed by his gold and technology. It would be the Lord's fist, capable of convincing doubters of the need to adhere to the terms of his loans, or of becoming a decisive factor in his clients' conflicts.
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