Elf Kingdom: Game of the World Tree-Chapter 379 - 362: War Really Burns Money!

*If only I could avoid paying the deceased’s reward.*

A thought flashed through Brin’s mind.

Of course, it was just a thought, the contract had been set, and the other party was an ally according to divine oracle, and the elves clearly hadn’t reached their limit. He didn’t dare to break ties over such matters...

Furthermore, with what the elves had contributed, Brin had no desire to do something like that.

He was not like those deceitful humans!

The reason Blade City had become one of the renowned commercial centers in the Underworld was precisely because the dark Dwarves and the Underground Dwarves here valued integrity more than in other places.

Moreover, though the elves suffered great casualties, they inflicted heavy damage on the Undead Army as well.

Looking out from the city walls, the number of the Undead Army had been reduced by almost half!

One had to know that this time, the Dark Alliance had deployed nearly three hundred thousand members of the Undead Army, including over one hundred thousand of Black Iron Rank undead, not to mention the tens of thousands of Goblins converted into undead after the attack!

The army composed of Fallen Undead was different from shadow creatures; they were controllable. The Dark Alliance spent considerable time and effort preparing Fallen Undead as critical military power before every war...

Directly destroying the undead was far more useful than exhausting the magic power of the one controlling the Undead Army, because it meant that once the war ended, the opposition couldn’t use the Undead Army again in the short term!

In addition, the Dark Alliance’s objective for attacking Blade City was to occupy, not destroy, the city, so it was unlikely they would summon a shadow army, as no one knew what kind of ghastly things that might bring about.

Therefore, once the Undead Army was eliminated, half of the war on the front would be won.

As long as the high-end forces won another battle, the tone of the war would be set.

With this thought, Brin took a deep breath, forced a smile, and asked,

"Tuck, how much do we have left in our finances?"

Tuck, who was not only responsible for tracking the rewards for hiring elves but also served as the chief financial officer of Blade City, wiped his brow again at the chief’s words and replied,

"Chief, if I must say, there’s ten million left, but... we can only use five million at most, otherwise, it would affect the normal operation of our city and commerce."

Upon hearing the chief financial officer, Brin fell silent.

Five million...

At this pace, it would only last one day.

*Though money can always be earned back, this extravagance can’t go on.*

*Thinking about it now, it might’ve been better to hire mercenaries for defense in the Underworld!*

Hiring a large mercenary group with an average strength reaching Black Iron Rank, numbering over fifty thousand and rich in experience, to join the war would only cost fifty thousand gold coins a day.

And even if hiring a mercenary group for the war meant not just hiring for one day, it would usually be calculated by the month, and a month would only cost one million five hundred thousand gold coins.

Of course, this was just a thought.

Not to mention the Dark Alliance had already cut off Blade City’s source of hiring mercenaries in the Underworld, even if they managed to hire them, could they perform better than the elves?

Even the most elite mercenaries would crumble with casualties exceeding thirty or forty percent.

But these elves, whose casualties had already reached above eighty percent, still fought fiercely...

Moreover, if they hadn’t fought desperately, the Undead Army wouldn’t have suffered such large losses.

If average mercenaries replaced them, a prolonged war was inevitable, possibly lasting years or even decades.

Such expenses and losses would also be astronomical.

War... was inherently a money-burning affair.

In fact, Brin had initially agreed to exchange equipment for the elves’ support considering that this long-prepared war by the Dark Alliance was highly likely to become a prolonged conflict.

And renting elves to fight for years or even decades with just one set of equipment was quite a bargain.

*The ideal was full, yet the reality was bony.*

*Who would’ve known... the elves’ casualty rate would be so high!*

Receiving a set of equipment, only to die soon after.

*Although they killed enemies, they perished too swiftly...*

*Caught off guard.*

Of course, it wasn’t without its benefits.

From Brin’s experience, the Undead Army had lost nearly half in a short period; it seemed that with a few more days of this siege, the enemy might retreat.

Although the Dark Alliance still had an army composed of dark Dwarves and Spirit Sucking Monsters, with the undead losses prior, Brin didn’t believe the opposition couldn’t see that Blade City had become a formidable obstacle.

Under such circumstances, the opponent might choose to abandon the siege of Blade City.

Taking a deep breath, Brin had made up his mind.

He turned towards the diplomatic officer responsible for negotiations with the elves on the other side and said,

"You go notify the other city-states, this war... is a war for our entire Silent Alliance! The elven allies were invited by everyone together, and the divine oracle was for all city-states!"

"If they want victory, if they still respect the Goddess, they must bear the rewards for the elven allies!"

"Blade City, as the battlefield, has sacrificed enough. Their consideration for their safety is understandable as they didn’t send vast support, but this is no longer merely Blade City’s war!"

*Hmm...*

*If Blade City can’t hold up, then bring other city-states to bear it together.*

*As long as the war ends quickly, spending a bit more money is worth it in the long run.*

After instructing the diplomatic officer, Brin looked at the city walls still engulfed in combat, his expression heavy.

*Sigh...*

*Clearly at an advantage.*

*But it hurts so much inside...*

*Maybe, he should advise these elves not to fight so aggressively?*

At this moment, Brin suddenly noticed Tuck, the chief financial officer, hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back.

His heart stirred, and he asked,

"Tuck, is there something you wish to say?"

Tuck hesitated for a moment and then said tactfully,

"Chief, I’m not sure if it’s just my imagination, but several times, I felt like I’ve seen some of the elves coming to fight before. Well... how should I put it, the looks of some of the later elves make me feel very familiar... some even seem that I’ve seen them quite a few times."

"I specifically asked them, and they said the previous elves were their relatives, some said their brother, some their sister, and others even claimed they were twins..."

"It’s just, one or two would be fine, but there seem to be too many of such elves."

Tuck finished with a slight bitter smile. He had held this matter in his heart for a long time, and now he couldn’t hold back any longer, bringing it up to the chief.

Upon hearing this, Brin frowned slightly,

"You’re suggesting... that some elves fought and then circled back to collect rewards again?"

Tuck hesitated, then nodded.

Brin’s frown deepened further.

He glanced at the city walls, then at the Teleportation Array, pondered for a moment, and gently shook his head,

"That should be impossible."

"The elves who came to fight arrived via the Teleportation Array, which was linked to Black Rock City on the other end, and after the elves fought on the city walls, except for those who died, rarely did anyone come down..."

"If it’s really as you say, could they transfer by themselves hundreds of miles back to Black Rock City and then teleport back?"