Chapter 2: how much

Hum....

Butler, can you tell me one more time?" Criss still didn't grasp the full weight of the sum, but he knew it was far more than he'd expected; his subordinates wouldn't speak of an economic problem so casually. "How much..."

"Master, it's 2,000 gold coins. Instead of 1,000 gold coins." Theron's voice was flat, devoid of emotion.

"So, can you tell me how much money we have in our vault? And how many assets and expenses do we have?" Criss asked, his mind already beginning to sift through the implications, the actuarial instincts kicking in despite the foreign setting.

"Alright, Theron, let's break this down," Criss said, trying to keep his voice steady despite the internal alarm bells ringing. "Tell me our current gold coin reserves in the vault. Then, provide a clear picture of our assets – what generates income, what has value – and our usual expenses. I need the hard numbers."

Theron, ever the composed butler, retrieved a ledger and began to recite on Alenda's Financial Overview

"My Lord, as of this morning, our gold coin reserves in the city vault amount to 1,200 gold coins."

Criss's eyes narrowed. That's a significant deficit compared to the new imperial levy.

"Now, regarding our assets," Theron continued, flipping through pages

Our Agricultural Production or in another words primary Income Source"Our most consistent income comes from the harvests. We anticipate approximately 800 gold coins annually from our fertile farmlands and the tithes collected from the farming villages within Alenda's dominion. This is, of course, dependent on good weather and the absence of blights or raids."

"Trade Tariffs and Market Fees the city's marketplace and trade routes generate a steady but smaller income. We typically collect around 200 gold coins each year from tariffs on goods passing through Alenda and fees from merchants operating within our markets." Thereon continue non stop because he can see criss listening careful without any noise.

Resource Extraction (Timber & Stone): "Our forests provide timber, and the nearby quarries yield stone. These resources, when sold to neighboring territories or used for internal construction projects, contribute roughly 150 gold coins annually."

Manor and Landed Property Income: "The direct income from the City Lord Manor's own properties and certain leased lands brings in about 50 gold coins per year."

Emergency Fund/Strategic Reserves: "Beyond the liquid gold in the vault, we maintain a small strategic reserve in precious metals and valuable goods, estimated to be equivalent to 300 gold coins. These are generally not touched for routine expenses." Theron stopped and look to see criss next orders.

"And our expenses?" Criss prompted, already doing the mental arithmetic."and please don't stop a little bit. "

Theron turned to another section of the ledger. " Yes my Lord ... Our annual expenses, My Lord, are generally structured as follows"

Military and Garrison Maintenance: "Maintaining our city guard and the general military presence, including their wages, equipment, and training, is our largest expenditure, costing approximately 600 gold coins per year." Elara nodded grimly.

Infrastructure Maintenance & Public Services: "Upkeep of city walls, roads, public buildings, and essential services like the communal wells and basic sanitation, typically runs us 350 gold coins annually."

Staff Wages (Manor and City Administration): "The salaries for your personal staff, the city administrators, and other essential personnel amount to roughly 250 gold coins per year." Criss mentally noted the 30-45% loyalty he'd observed earlier in some of these groups.

Feasts, Ceremonies, and Diplomatic Receptions: "These non-essential but important expenditures, including gifts for visiting dignitaries and seasonal celebrations, are usually around 100 gold coins per year, though this can fluctuate."

Medical Supplies & Personnel: "The cost of maintaining our healers and procuring necessary medical ingredients and supplies is approximately 50 gold coins per year."

Miscellaneous & Contingency: "We allocate about 50 gold coins for unforeseen minor expenses and as a small buffer."

Criss leaned back, processing the figures. "So, if I'm understanding this correctly," he stated, a calculating glint in his eye, "our current liquid assets in the vault are 1,200 gold coins. Our expected annual income is around 1,200 gold coins (800 agriculture + 200 trade + 150 resources + 50 manor), and our expected annual expenses are about 1,410 gold coins (600 military + 350 infrastructure + 250 staff + 100 feasts + 50 medical + 50 miscellaneous)."

He paused, letting the implications sink in for Theron and Elara. "This means, even without the new imperial levy, we are already operating at an annual deficit of 210 gold coins."

He looked directly at Theron. "And with this new decree, demanding 2,000 gold coins instead of the usual 1,000, our current tax obligation alone is now nearly double our current vault reserves. And it represents more than our entire projected annual income. This isn't just an adjustment... it's a crippling burden."