After listening to Weber, Victor could only give a dry laugh.
Weber had approved 20,000 gold coins readily enough this time, but his aim was clear: this sudden crisis had to be resolved as quickly as possible, and the fighting must not escalate.
That left Victor with a serious problem. Whether the war escalated was not up to Two Rivers County alone. The Barbarian Tribes had a say in it too.
Twenty thousand gold coins sounded like a lot. And now that the Vela Three Provinces had all adopted Raine Kingdom currency, those coins had even greater purchasing power.
But the territory had mobilized four full-strength regiments of its standing army this time. Including Luoza's auxiliary troops, that came to well over twenty thousand men. The initial outlay for just two months of wages, as normally paid in advance, would exceed 3,000 gold coins. Food and other supplies could still be drawn from the territory's reserves.
But what about compensation for casualties? What about replacing weapons and equipment? Once a major battle began, feeding men and horses would cost money at every turn.
And the Golden Sunflower Family's vassal nobles would join the fighting too. Between them, more than a dozen noble houses would send at least ten thousand men. Answering their liege's call to war was their duty, and each house could cover compensation for its own casualties, but the Golden Sunflower Family could hardly contribute nothing. The initial outlay and postwar rewards would require another large sum.
Victor knew that if fighting broke out, 20,000 gold coins would never be enough. Weber knew it too. But his words had made his position clear: the finances of Two Rivers Territory were what they were. Twenty thousand gold coins was the most he could provide, not a coin more.
Victor