
In a war‑torn Hungary where the Ottoman presence still haunts the streets of Budapest, the kingdom teeters on the brink of collapse. The aging king, desperate for a way out, turns to the clever and daring Fráter György, a cleric entrusted with the royal treasury. György’s first bold move is to revitalize the coffers by commissioning fresh paper money—splitting it between Catholic and Calvinist symbols—and by turning the country’s abundant grain, wine, and livestock into tangible wealth.
The novel follows György’s intricate network of traders, tax collectors, and military recruiters as he transforms a bankrupt treasury into a flourishing gold‑filled reserve. His pragmatic blend of religious iconography, savvy commerce, and bold negotiations with foreign markets fuels a sudden surge of resources, enabling the king to fund an army drawn from peasants and nobles alike. As the kingdom’s fortunes rise, the uneasy balance between ambition and loyalty begins to crack, setting the stage for deeper conflicts that will test György’s resolve and the nation’s future.
Language
hu
Duration
~9 hours (549K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Albert László from page images generously made available by the Google Books Library Project
Release date
2021-03-07
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1825–1904
A towering figure of 19th-century Hungarian literature, he wrote with astonishing range and energy, producing novels, short fiction, plays, and journalism that made him one of his country’s best-loved storytellers. His work often blends romance, adventure, history, and a lively sense of national life.
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