"Whoosh..."
In the castle's study, Lucas stood by the window, gazing at the snow-covered city. The cold wind swept past, stirring his long black hair.
It was the third day since he had watched the army's field training, and he was pondering ways to generate income during winter.
"Annie, how many gold coins does Sedona City have left now?" Lucas pressed his fingers against his brow—it was almost time to pay salaries again.
"Young master, the castle's reserves still have one thousand two hundred and twenty-three gold coins." Annie replied immediately.
She was chewing on a lollipop, and the desk in front of her was covered with open notebooks, all recording Sedona City's financial income and expenses.
Lucas frowned. Although over a thousand gold coins sounded like a lot, they would be spent quickly—especially once Yosen's warhorses arrived, which would consume more than half of the reserves.
There were also the wages for those workshops that needed to be paid. The income and expenses were already unbalanced, mainly because there were no trade routes. Relying solely on small merchants from nearby cities couldn't stimulate much economic growth.
Most importantly, many of his trade ventures required time. The royal capital was a large market that could bring in substantial profits relatively quickly.
However, the gold coins from the capital wouldn't arrive until around early spring next year. Only when the income from the capital started flowing in could he truly expand his operations. Otherwise, it would be difficult to act freely.
Lucas's largest expenses were in three areas: infrastructure, the military, and workshop wages. Infrastructure went without saying—the rapid transformation of Sedona City had cost him sums that would make some nobles wince for years. Just the grain consumption alone was enough to leave people dumbfounded.
As for the military, the research and development funding he invested, along with ensuring the soldiers' welfare, food, and supplies, also required a large number of gold coins.
The workshops were another major expense. Lucas now had many workshops, such as the spinning workshop, weaving workshop, ceramics workshop. The wages for all these workers added up to a significant sum.
The warehouse was already piled high with goods. Only by selling these products could he recoup his funds. Once they were sold, he could truly become a wealthy tycoon.
"What's the current daily income of the Market?" Lucas asked calmly.
"Young Master, the Market's shipments are currently very low, with an average daily income of about eight gold coins. That's twelve gold coins less compared to before winter set in." Annie replied with a frown.
She was quite worried as well. If things continued like this, Sedona City's financial situation would become dangerous. The worst-case scenario would be failing to pay the workers' wages next month. That would be more than just a financial crisis—it would be a crisis of trust.
"Looks like the merchants' shipments aren't that large either." Lucas sighed. Winter had caused many things to come to a standstill—even the merchants were shipping and selling less.
Meanwhile, his workshops were still running at full capacity, keeping him one step ahead of the competition. But that also meant goods were piling up in the warehouse.
However, he couldn't afford to halt production. If he did, next year's large-scale expansion would face disruptions. After all, the current economic slowdown was due to winter. Once they made it through the season, those merchants would be scrambling to buy goods from him again.
Besides, once Dahlia started selling his goods in the royal capital, it would undoubtedly attract big merchants to Sedona City. When that time came, his only concern would be whether he had enough goods to meet demand.
"Young Master, I still have twenty-two silver coins," Annie said softly, taking a banknote from her backpack. "I'll buy fewer lollipops."
"I also have some silver coins," Nicole added gently, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I can borrow some from my father as well."
"I... I spent mine." Ayesha said sheepishly, scratching her cheek. She had used the silver coin she received in advance on food.
"I can take on a hunting mission," Mina said coldly as twin military knives appeared in her hands. "It's been a while since I've had any action—this is a good chance to move around."
"I can go too." Freya added instinctively, reaching behind her back—only to grasp at air. She froze for a moment, realizing she wasn't carrying her greatsword.
"Awwooo..." Panda Caesar rolled over, scratched the corner of his mouth, and went back to sleep.
"Alright, it's not like we're struggling to put food on the table," Lucas turned around with a gentle smile. "Keep your pocket money—you can buy something nice for yourselves later."
The financial situation was more or less what he had predicted. Or rather, his rapid pace of development had outstripped the city's economy. No—winter was simply harsher than expected, even more sluggish than he had anticipated.
In fact, if it weren't for purchasing the warhorses, Sedona City's finances would be perfectly balanced. But the horses were essential—after all, they were crucial to the city's security.
"But..."
Annie opened her mouth anxiously, but Lucas gently interrupted her, "Did you forget about Drunken Night Restaurant's income?"
"Eh?" Annie blinked, then quickly rummaged through the pile of unfinished reports. It didn't take long before she found Drunken Night Restaurant's financial statement, which had just been delivered today.
"Well? How's the income?" Lucas asked calmly. Since adding fresh vegetables to the menu, he hadn't received a sales report yet.
"This… how is this possible?" Annie's brown eyes widened in disbelief. "Seven gold coins—in just three days!"
"Oh? That much?" Lucas was surprised as well. It seemed quite a few merchants were staying in Sedona City—and they were willing to spend money on food and drinks.
"Young Master, at this rate, Drunken Night Restaurant's income alone could cover a tenth of the workers' wages!" Annie said excitedly.
"Indeed," Lucas nodded. This was good news, at least. He turned to Annie and said, "Calculate whether the remaining gold coins—after deducting the cost of purchasing the warhorses—can support us until the profits from the royal capital arrive."
"Yes." Annie replied obediently. She swiftly pulled out a sheet of paper and began calculating. Her math skills had become quite impressive—second only to Nicole and Lucas in the castle.
The study room fell silent. Lucas walked over to the desk, sat down, and rested his cheek on his hand, lost in thought. He had no prior experience managing a territory or city—he was a beginner learning as he went. Some issues inevitably slipped past him, but at least he was catching them in time.
"Young Master," Annie said softly, "Based on the current income and expenses, we can barely hold out until early spring next year. However, if Dahlia's fleet doesn't arrive in Sedona City as scheduled, we might fall into a deficit."
"As long as they can sell the goods in the royal capital, it doesn't matter if they arrive on time or not." Lucas said with a mysterious smile.
After all, he had hot air balloons. When the time came, he could simply fly to the royal capital and bring the gold coins back himself.
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