On the sixth page, the document stated that the financial difficulties currently facing the Kingdom of Stormwind were fundamentally caused by institutional rigidity.
To make the system more dynamic and increase people's enthusiasm, state-run monopolies should be abandoned, controls over customs duties and salt transport relaxed, and private investment in customs houses permitted in exchange for a share of the profits. The Kingdom of Stormwind's saltworks near its ports should also be privatized and opened to private capital, while some loss-making saltworks should be auctioned off.
Bolvar's face instantly turned deathly pale.
Of course he knew what this meant-it would only enrich a handful of insatiably greedy nobles.
In fact, Bolvar would rather kneel on the ground and humbly kowtow, begging King Terenas of Lordaeron to graciously grant the Kingdom of Stormwind more financial aid, than ever agree to such a measure to "increase economic vitality."
He had absolutely no recollection of ever reading this damned document, but the brutal facts lay right before him-
At the end of the document, the signatures of "Bolvar Fordragon" and "Varian Wrynn" stood out prominently, along with the official seals of the Council of Nobles and the king.
Oh, right, there was a date on it too. This document had been approved three months ago and had long since been implemented throughout the kingdom. Some state-run saltworks had probably already been sold to wealthy nobles.
Had I lost my mind? Had Varian lost his too?
If he could use these sheets of paper to wipe his ass right now, Bolvar would do so without hesitation-but unfortunately, this was only a backup copy. Tearing it up certainly would not make everything all right.
Now it was time to find a way to make up for the losses as best he could.
Bolvar knew that taking customs duties and the salt industry back from the nobles would inevitably be a complicated pain in the ass that required careful, long-term planning. More devastatingly, however, the loss of large amounts of royal assets meant they now had even less money.
If he had money, he could reclaim the authority to distribute wages with a single order. Without money, however, abolishing those earlier "cost-saving" measures was simply impossible.
After all, Bolvar knew nothing about the miraculous maneuver of "raising the debt ceiling without limit."
Besides, the most pressing matter was that VanCleef was still waiting in the throne room with his two younger companions, demanding money!
Bolvar earnestly considered ways to satisfy VanCleef for the time being. Then, despite there being no precedent for doing so, he gritted his teeth and decided this was the only way.
After waiting for half an hour, the anxious VanCleef finally caught sight of Bolvar and could not help smiling with relief. He prepared to step forward and greet him.
But soon, noticing Bolvar's troubled expression, VanCleef's own smile froze on his face. He knew that Bolvar certainly could not offer him a satisfactory solution either. Their wages would surely remain unpaid.
Bolvar did his best to conceal the embarrassment on his face, cleared his throat, and forced himself to rally. "Mr. Edwin VanCleef, you are a hero of our Stormwind City!"
VanCleef looked utterly bewildered. He had no idea what the other man was up to.
"You served the Alliance during the Second War. A share of the glory of the victories in the Hillsbrad Foothills Counter-Landing Battle, the Defense of Lordaeron, the Wetlands Offensive, and the Battle of Blackrock Spire belongs to you!"
VanCleef's face became the very picture of the confused question-mark meme. Admittedly, Bolvar's attitude was much better than that of those two bastards, Wishock and Ridgewell, but why was he bringing up these completely unrelated matters?
"Under Mathias Shaw's command, you and your fellow comrades in SI:7 overcame countless dangers and obstacles to deliver timely intelligence to the great Anduin Lothar, who was fighting bloody battles in Quel'Thalas, that the enemy was attempting to attack Lordaeron City. Ultimately, your blood and sweat helped bring about the turning point of the Second War!"
VanCleef was even more confused. He had come here today to demand money, not to listen to the other man flatter him.
Felix, however, vaguely sensed that something was wrong. The more sincere Bolvar's attitude became, the more he was trying to divide them!
"You bravely led the Stonemasons' Guild through adversity after adversity, overcoming insufficient funding to successfully complete the construction of Nethergarde Keep and Stormwind City. Your spirit of selfless dedication is worthy of the virtues of the Holy Light-"
That isn't right, VanCleef thought. My brothers came because they heard the Stonemasons' Guild paid fairly well, not because they didn't want wages. How did this turn into 'selfless dedication'?
"In view of your tremendous contributions to Stormwind City, the Council of Nobles has decided to grant you the title of earl, the Distinguished Service Medal and the Medal of Honor, as well as a monetary reward of sixty gold coins."
Bolvar handed VanCleef an ornament and a medal. "This is an earl's ornament and the Distinguished Service Medal. The Medal of Honor and those sixty gold coins will be formally presented to you at Prince Anduin's first birthday celebration."
Then Bolvar secretively pulled VanCleef aside and lowered his voice, trying to speak so that only he could hear. "Esteemed Earl VanCleef, Dukes Lescovar and Wishock originally opposed this, but King Varian stood against all objections in the Council of Nobles to secure all of this for you."
"Your esteemed Grace, please convey my thanks to His Majesty," VanCleef said, neither servile nor overbearing. "But I do not think this is the focus of today's discussion. We have more important matters to discuss..."
"Earl VanCleef, I have twenty gold coins here, which I am giving you in a personal capacity to offer my congratulations," Grand Duke Bolvar said evasively. "Besides, today should be a happy day. You have become a noble earl, so please refrain from discussing other unrelated matters for now, lest they spoil the celebratory atmosphere."
"Your Grace, I'm afraid these twenty gold coins are nowhere near enough!" VanCleef stepped forward and cried, "The stonemasons under me have worked hard for four or five years, yet they are still going hungry! You must understand that some of them desperately need money. If they cannot receive the wages they are owed, then-"
The duke furrowed his brows, seemingly weighing something, then sighed again. "Ah, the Council of Nobles did indeed promise payment, but the devastation brought by the war has far exceeded our original budget, and the murlocs in Westfall and the gnolls in Elwynn Forest have never stopped causing trouble."
Bolvar looked helpless. "So our postwar reconstruction has been slower than expected, and agriculture has yet to return to its level before the First War. The kingdom truly cannot come up with any more money right now. Consider the noble title granted to you a small token of our appreciation."
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