Viscount Walter is indeed facing such a problem.
The nobles only follow profit first, and glory comes second. In the past, Iron Mountain County earned a lot of wealth through Count Winter, but in several wars during this period, they also suffered considerable losses. Malik and Baron Freeman even lost control of their own territories. Although they were still able to return to their territories in the end, the wealth would definitely no longer belong to them.
Because of the war, they have lost the wealth they earned in the past, and now they have begun to contact other nobles. They need to end the war urgently.
The reason why the nobles have not yet erupted into overt conflicts is because they are still eager to win the war to help them regain their wealth.
They have lost too much in successive wars, and it would be too difficult to accept if they cannot get some back by winning the war.
They wanted to end the war, but they also longed for the return of wealth. This resulted in a scene that Ryan least wanted to see when armies from three counties faced off on the plain.
They could only rely on the viscount's castle for defense, because there was a wide plain outside, and only in the distance could they see the mountains hidden in the hazy mist. For Viscount Hogg, who had hundreds of cavalry in hand, he was invincible as long as the battlefield broke out on the plain.
Ryan No matter how hard you try, you can't change the outcome of this battle.
If that's all, forget it. Relying on the castle's defense, they can always drag it on. Even if Viscount Hogg eventually retreats, they can avoid the war.
But the problem lies with the hundreds of barbarians and the knights sandwiched among the slave army.
The cavalry cannot attack the city, and Viscount Hogg is not willing to let the cavalry dismount, but the barbarians and other knights are like fortresses in the siege.
And they were very cunning. The chariots pushed by the barbarians to beat the city gates were able to withstand almost all the supplies coming from above.
Then... Walter Castle has no gate. When the piled stones were pushed away, the bloodiest hand-to-hand combat broke out between the two sides at the small city gate.
The barbarians were caught between the slave soldiers, so Ryan had to send his own elite Knight Retainer to resist, but if this continued, he Ryan couldn't accept it.
He was helping Iron Mountain County participate in the war as a guest soldier. No matter what, he would not want the soldiers in his territory to suffer heavy casualties.
"Sir Viscount Walter, you Iron Mountain County have made such a huge wealth by using the mines, is there nothing you can do to resist such means?"
"If this continues, I will not stay here. When Iron Mountain County is occupied by Viscount Hogg, I will have no control over it."
"Don't forget, even if this war fails, Viscount Hogg won't do anything to me. Even after we negotiated, I can still get a fee for the hard work on the road."
Ryan finally began to threaten the nobles here. If the war goes well, he is unwilling to do so because it will affect the relationship between the two parties and lead to subsequent reductions in interests.
But now he has to do this. In every hand-to-hand battle at the city gate, the troops he brought from Zero Crossing Prefecture will suffer heavy losses.
No noble could accept the loss of more than 30% of his troops and still insist on not withdrawing from the war. In such a war, Ryan was not even willing to see the losses of more than 10% of his soldiers.
Ryan's words made many nobles panic. If Ryan left, Iron Mountain County would have no power to resist Viscount Hogg's army.
This is especially true for Viscount Walter. He is not only participating in the war as a noble of Iron Mountain County, but also on the side of Count Winter.
"Baron Ryan, you promised Count Winter at the beginning. This is a war between our counties and Count Weiss and Viscount Hogg."
"Then wait until their army breaks into Zero Crossing Prefecture. Of course we will do our best, but this is Iron Mountain County, isn't it?"
With the war of words between the nobles on both sides, they finally returned to the table of compromise and interests.
The nobles of Iron Mountain County sold Iron Ore and Zero Crossing Prefecture worth 100,000 Gold Coin at 50,000 Gold Coin and the lowest subsequent price in exchange for the continued stay of the Ryan army.
"If, at the end of the war, I can allow the nobles of Iron Mountain County to negotiate with Viscount Hogg on an equal footing, and allow his troops to withdraw from Iron Mountain County, and the two sides resume a truce at the border, what price are you willing to pay?"
After getting the promise, Ryan suddenly said these words.
According to the current war situation, they can only rely on the Viscount Castle for defense until the armies of Viscount Hogg and Count Weiss feel that they cannot continue the attack.
That is when one of the two sides is unable to withstand the exhaustion of the war.
Of course Viscount Hogg would retreat, but in that case, they would get nothing. The two Baron families, Malik and Freeman, even had to give Viscount Hogg a large amount of wealth in exchange for the right to return to their territory.
In other words, in that case, neither side would completely win the war.
Naturally, no huge benefits can be obtained.
Ryan's words made these Iron Mountain County nobles raise their heads.
"Since you can win the war, why did you ask for fifty thousand Gold Coin from us before?"
Baron Malik shouted directly, and other nobles also looked at Ryan.
Ryan snorted coldly and stared at Baron Malik.
"Master Baron, do you think that my method will not cost you anything?"
"It is even very likely that my army will be completely wiped out. I am using all Zero Crossing Prefecture's troops to help you Iron Mountain County win the war. If I hadn't promised Zero Crossing Prefecture nobles enough benefits this time, they would definitely oppose me and even take back their own soldiers."
"I'm taking a risk, using all the profits from the wars I won before. Do you think I shouldn't make conditions?"
"Or how about I do nothing now and just defend in this castle until their army retreats on their own initiative. Fifty thousand Gold Coin will be able to bring about this effect."
"But can you two Baron take back everything in the territory with just a little Gold Coin?"
Viscount Walter spoke. He needed a victorious war to maintain his prestige in Iron Mountain County and his confession to Count Winter.
"Baron Ryan What do you want?"
"Iron Mountain County has forged 50,000 sets of weapons. This is for me personally. In the next ten years, it will be 90% of the market price. We will start various trades with the nobles of Zero Crossing Prefecture. There are not many specialties in Iron Mountain County. I believe that the nobles know what to trade with each other."
"What you want... isn't it too much?"
Viscount Walter couldn't sit still anymore. The subsequent trade was nothing, but 50,000 sets of weapons, including the most crudely made armor and a spear, counted as one set?
The value here is huge.
If you sell it to South, you can earn at least four to five million Gold Coin.
"I will buy it at cost price, and I believe you will need money very much after this war."
"Seventy thousand Gold Coin, I personally purchase fifty thousand sets of weapons and armor."
"This is my condition."