Cold Hearts

Karl stood silently on the platform, watching the soldiers below orderly line up to receive their pay. He understood that material rewards and spiritual honors were like the two wheels of a cart and the two wings of a bird, together supporting the Carnford Army as it steadily advanced toward greater strength.

The medal ceremony and distribution of military pay proceeded in an orderly fashion. The soldiers formed a long line, taking turns to verify their names, ranks, and battle achievements with the clerks and Quartermaster before collecting their heavy moneybags.

The soldiers who received their pay and rewards wore satisfied, joyful smiles. They quietly compared their gains with one another, and the entire training field was filled with the lively atmosphere of a harvest.

Karl and Edgar stood at the edge of the review platform, looking down over the bustling yet orderly scene.

Edgar watched the money chests visibly grow shallower by the minute. Although he wore a smile, he still turned his head slightly amid the surrounding noise and spoke to Karl in a voice only the two of them could hear.

"My lord, the postwar compensation, battle rewards, and this month's regular military pay for the entire army add up to nearly twenty thousand Silver coins. That doesn't even include the enormous expenses of purchasing additional provisions, transportation, and repairing and replenishing equipment after the war."

"And the cash and quickly liquidated spoils we seized from Tyrol this time will probably... fall far short of covering these expenses. The treasury's reserves are being depleted very quickly."

There was a hint of barely perceptible worry in his voice. War was a money-burning endeavor; behind every victorious battle lay investments as vast as mountains of gold and seas of silver.

Karl's gaze remained calm as he swept it over