- I'm listening to you, Master," Dukun nodded interestedly, though he seemed to realize that the knight was going to start pushing his old ideas again.
- Elos' main problem is the limited food supply in Zalon. Although the rebel has been concerned about it and has been buying more than necessary for the last few years, the accumulated food will only last until next winter. Then, as you can imagine, there will be famine in the fortress. And while the population of the fortress could be greatly reduced by simply throwing them out of the gates, I don't think Archmage Elos would take such a step. If it weren't for the war with Orod, the whole rebellion would have been doomed from the start. The royal army would have simply blockaded Zalon and quietly controlled the operations of the mines around it. Sending the produce from them directly to the Savoyardi. We can do something similar. I propose we seize all the forts in the time before winter and transport the ore and laborers to the Duchy of Cass. In order for us to storm the forts unhindered, we must conduct an intensive magical assault on Zalon in the coming days, so that the residual magical energy will once again interfere with sorcery in the vicinity of the fortress. The rebels will not dare to go outside the walls, because without mages they have no superiority over our army. Our mages will be busy storming the forts.
- So, Magister, you propose to storm the mines and take all the ore and convicts from them, leaving the mines abandoned for the winter?
- That is correct, Your Excellency! The kingdom needs silver and gold from the mines, as well as mithril and lunar silver," the vampire mentioned the latter last and in a distinctive voice, watching with satisfaction as the archmage's eyes lit up. "Nothing will be extracted from the mines over the winter, and the rebel will not have the materials he no doubt hoped for. And in the spring you will return and lay siege to Zalon again, and if Elos is so foolish as to scatter his forces among the forts, he will be the worse for it.
- Weren't you the one who recently convinced me that the best thing we could do was storm the forts to disperse the enemy's forces?
- I did. But then I suggested we keep convicts in the mines. And Elos would be forced to either send guards and food or starve them to death. Having been to a real convict mine, I now suggest taking the laborers from them and leaving them empty altogether. Once the rebellion is put down, it will only be a matter of time before the mines are reopened.
The archmage yawned.
- I didn't like your plan then and I don't like it now. But the idea of seizing the lunar silver mines and exporting the ore is a good one," Dukun said, as the vampire thought he was interested in the possibility of dividing the lunar silver already mined 'fairly' between the king and his own pocket, and was probably calculating how much he could steal discreetly, "But I won't give up on your plan all at once. You have proved that you can think right, and perhaps it is I who am wrong in this situation. Let's try some of what you've suggested at this mine. Let's see how it goes. Instruct me to prepare the convict women for transfer.
- Your Excellency," one of the army officers the archmage had taken with him for company jumped to his feet, "But what will they do in the camp?
- Preparing for Savoyardi's crossing naturally!
- I mean that there are several thousand men in the camp and if we bring several hundred women, there might be riots....
- I don't mind if the convicts lie under the soldiers for a while before they set off.
The Archmage really didn't understand the problem. He was accompanied by several pretty maids and he could not imagine what effect the appearance of several hundred available girls would have on men who had been practicing abstinence for almost a month. The vampire decided to take the initiative back into his own hands.
- I think we should ban contact between soldiers and convicts altogether. Strictly. And serious punishment for violating the ban. Otherwise, the fall of discipline will ruin the army more than rebel spells.
All the officers nodded in agreement. They didn't like the idea, but a general ban could work. The main thing was to really make it general. The archmage almost nodded affirmatively and even opened his mouth to approve the decision, as Duke Cass intervened in the conversation.
- What will the convicts do in Savoyardi? There is simply no place to keep them there, especially during the winter! If we add to them the convicts from other mines... it will be impossible to pass through the town.
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