章 342: Past promises

 In the solitude of his chamber, King Conradin grappled with a sentiment that had long defined his approach to rulership—an aversion to indebtedness. The notion of owing debts, especially to fellow sovereigns, unsettled him. The burden of obligation clashed with his vision of a strong and self-sufficient kingdom.

As his eyes traversed the ledgers and records that documented the financial intricacies of his realm, Conradin found himself confronted with a pressing matter—the substantial debt owed to the Bohemian king. A sum of 540,000 gold, a weighty reminder of financial transactions that had not yet found closure.