Borrowing Money

A bold, almost singular hope swiftly took shape in his heart: seek help from Earl Rochefort's manor and urgently borrow a vast sum of money to solve this pressing crisis!

The thought seemed like a wild fancy at first, but on careful consideration, it did have a chance of working.

He, Boles, was the king's appointed Tri-Border Governor, representing the kingdom's orthodox authority. Borrowing military pay from local nobles was uncommon, but in extraordinary times, it was not without precedent.

Earl Rochefort was a pillar of the Northern Border, and Herwenham's stability concerned the security of the entire Northern Border defense line's flank.

Eradicating the bandit scourge in Herwenham and rectifying official governance aligned with the interests of the Rochefort Family, and even of the entire Northern Border. Helping Boles stabilize the situation was, to a certain degree, also helping Earl Rochefort himself secure his own rear.

In addition, he could use Herwenham's tax revenue for the next several years, or the confiscated assets after clearing out the local strongmen, as collateral and repayment guarantees. Though things were difficult at the moment, as long as he got through this hurdle and successfully carried out the new policies, Herwenham's financial situation had hope of improving.

The Rochefort Family had a good reputation, and its stewards obeyed the law. Compared to dealing with those local strongmen harboring evil intentions, the risk was lower, and the chance of success was actually greater.

Of course, the risk was equally enormous. Once he was refused and word leaked, not only would the military pay remain nowhere in sight, but his prestige would also suffer a severe blow, allowing the outside world to see the embarrassing plight of his mountains exhausted and waters spent.

Moreover, borrowing from the private holdings of a governor with real power