Volume Seventeen: Dark Descends on Earth - Chapter Sixteen: Arbitrator

The transfer of one million gold shields in cash to the account of the Caucasus Prefecture at The Caucasus Cooperative Bank had Puber grinning so wide his mouth nearly reached the back of his neck, along with various jewels, gold, and magic crystals valued at two million gold shields. The clever markdown by the appraisers didn't surprise Gote, as most of the inventory, aside from the gold and other hard currencies, was difficult to turn into cash. It was reasonable to expect these items to be discounted, and being able to offer them as collateral was a gain in itself.

The plan to expand the army, proposed by Komer, met with steadfast resistance from Puber, who finally relaxed and agreed to a 2,000-man expansion only after the funds were secured.