Because Elias was away in Maiava, it took some time for Edmund to consult him and make a final decision. He did not know what really went down between them, but the bottom line was that his request was granted. For the time being, he would carry on the Fenchel name even if a son was born, which he had no problem with.
Once the decision was made, everything happened quite swiftly. An emissary was sent beforehand in order to prevent any mixups, and preparations were swiftly made.
“I was beyond shocked when I heard the news,” Elias told Ewald. They were taking a walk in the rear garden. He had been called back because of him.
“Did you agree with him?”
“Partially. I agreed on the part where you are granted Laufeld because there is no negative aspect in that particular idea but I disagreed on the part where you are removed as an heir. It’s a proven quality versus an unproven one. I will choose the former obviously.”
Even if a son was born, it would take at least half a decade for him to show his quality. Removing Ewald as soon as a son was born was, therefore, ludicrous, Elias argued, especially when his qualities were clear as day.
Good enough for me. I couldn’t care less what my last name was. What does matter is that I am now free.
“I see. Do you think I’ve made the right choice by going to Laufeld?”
“If your foresight of Lady Fenchel giving a son is correct, it probably is.”
“She will have a son, I am sure of it.”
Elias shrugged. “I don’t know how you can be so confident, but so be it.”
“How is it going over there in Maiava?”
“It has been acceptable. The former Siwen citizens are receptive to us. Some went as far as welcoming us. They had apparently been taxed pretty harshly for the past few decades.”
The Siwen dynasty no longer called that. They lost the “dynasty” part. They were now simply called the Siwen.
“However,” He noted, “I’ve been hearing that Gonne has not been receptive.”
The city was conquered by the king. It was revealed that, when the royal army conquered the city, the army cut down several hundred civilians for protesting, which left a bad impression.
The king may be tactically acute but, when it comes to diplomacy, he is lacking… I guess no one’s perfect after all.
“Is the king a mage?”
“No, in fact he does not believe in the existence of elementals and Gods.”
“Do you believe in them?”
“Well, I am a water mage. I have to believe in them.”
Sir Elias, they do exist. They are here and are watching us. Even the Gods. They are real. When you die, you will meet them.
There was no point in telling anyone that they did exist for real because he couldn’t prove it. Perhaps, it was possible to prove the existence of elementals since, under specific circumstances, humans were able to see their raw forms, but the Gods? There was no way to prove their existence, and he was not about to reveal that he was a reincarnated person because this was an advantage he had over anyone else in this world. Besides, there was a possibility of being considered insane if people didn’t believe him.
“I see.”
“Anyway, I was told that you are taking Sir Waszak. That was unexpected.”
“In a good way or else?”
Elias rolled his eyes, thinking to come up with a reply.
“I know he is a whackjob,” Ewald replied to his own question. “But has a brilliant mind.”
“Well, that’s one way to describe him.”
“How did he end up here? I was told he invented the exploding fire crystal and he was subsequently hired for that. Is that true?”
Elias had been working for the Fenchel for his whole life, more than 30 years. If anyone knew, it was him.
“If my memories are correct, he was a merchant selling those crystals. Quartz itself is rare within the kingdom, so that alone brought some attention to him.”
He was invited to the manor and was offered a scholarship in exchange for his service was what happened afterward apparently.
“He didn’t get along with others however and ended up being relegated to the library.”
“He seems to get along with people fine. It’s just that they need to be young women.”
“Oh, is that how it is?”
“Appears so.”
Elias let out a short laugh. “I do know people like that. Well, he is under your care now.”
“Are you going back to Maiava?”
“No, I will be staying here for a while since it looks like Lord Fenchel needs some extra hands.”
“I see.”
“Good luck on your endeavors. I will check up on you when time allows.”
As soon as he returned to his room, he resumed packing. There wasn’t much to pack. His leather armor and some wardrobes were all there was in addition to some documents, which was why he was packing on a day before they were set to depart. The distance between Lux and Laufeld was about two days with carriages. If he used levitation, he would reach Laufeld within hours.
I assume Emily is really not going since she hasn’t spoken up.
He felt that sticking with him was probably the best course of action for her future, but apparently she didn’t see it that way. He had no reason to force her to come with him anyway. A part of him wanted her to tag along since she had been a part of his life for a long time. However, in the end, she didn’t really have a value to him. Maids were aplenty after all.
In the next morning, three carriages arrived at the front entrance of the Fenchel manor along with thirty soldiers. The carriages and the soldiers were to return back to Lux once their job was done.
Flora and Avina entered a carriage. Karla, Marat, and Lara entered the second carriage. Ewald entered the final carriage with Raem and Cezary. Once luggages was taken care of, they were off. Nobody saw them off as it wasn’t farewell. As far as everyone was concerned, this was just a business trip.
“And… we are off,” Ewald declared as soon as the carriage started moving.
“At last,” Cezary beamed a smile. “It is time to show what I am truly capable of.”
Whatever.
“Raem.”
“Yes?”
“How is Lara now?”
“She is trying real hard to act like a lady now. Her wild side shows up from time to time but she quickly corrects herself.”
“Do you know why she is trying so hard?”
“I was told by the ladies that you gave her an ultimatum. Or you wouldn’t take her.”
“Well, true. But the ladies didn’t tell you the whole story.”
“I beg your pardon?”
Cezary grinned at this point as if realizing what was going on. He sure caught on fast.
“The ultimatum was that she had to learn how to act like a lady to be with you.”
Raem blinked a few times, trying to progress what he had just heard. Ewald and Cezary looked at each other, exchanging grins.
“So, my question is - are you willing?”
“Me and … Lara?”
“By noble standards, both of you are past the age of consent. She even verbally agreed in front of three witnesses. Now I just need your answer.”
“I…, I, n, never looked at her like that.” He stammered badly, looking really troubled and confused at the same time.
“It’s a simple question of - Do you imagine living your life without the significant other. So, Raem, let me ask. Imagine your life without her.”
Emptiness was what Raem felt immediately. She was always by his side for years. If she wasn’t there, he didn’t really have anyone to talk to or eat with. Yes, there was Karla, his mother. But a mother was a parent; There was always a line between them no matter how close they were.
“I don’t want to imagine such a life,” He said with longing eyes.
“There you have your answer. Talk to her later once we are settled in Laufeld.”
Raem nodded slowly and fell deeply into the couch for some deep thinking.
Now that it’s settled…
His attention turned to Cezary.
“Sir Waszak, what is the first thing we should do once we reach Laufeld?”
He folded his arms. “The first thing I would do is finance. We need to see how much the town makes. Only then can we plan and allocate a budget accordingly.” He added quickly, “Thankfully, Laufeld is a major wheat producer, meaning the most important aspect, food, is not going to be our problem.”
“Is food that important?”
“In peace, it’s not. You can always purchase food from elsewhere. In conflicts, however, it does matter. I am positive that Laufeld does not store flour. I strongly suggest we build several storage houses and start stocking some for the future.”
“I see…” Ewald nodded along slowly. “What else?”
“It’s my understanding that the town is walled but it’s simple wooden walls. I suggest upgrading the walls to stone. But this one is for the future as it will be a very costly endeavor.”
“Laufeld is a small town. Why do we need to upgrade the walls?” Raem pointed out.
“It is a small town, for now,” Cezary said, “It will grow.”
“Um, how?”
Raem was unaware of his upcoming invention which might enable people to migrate. In his own words, if his invention was to be successful, Laufeld could grow as large as Lux. Of course, Cezary always talked big, thus it was very hard to take his words at face value.
“Trust me, it will grow, and we will need to prepare for such a growth.”
Cezary seemed fully confident in his own abilities. Ewald and Raem weren’t so sure.
“There is also one project I wish to undertake at one point, Milord.”
“And that is?”
“Laufeld is actually located not far from a mountain. I suggest we develop the town to Eastward. Basically, I want to relocate the town to the East, closer to the mountain.”
“That is going to be a tall order, isn’t it?”
“Not going to be easy, I admit. But, this is required.”
“How come?”
“Stones. We are going to need stones, and they aren’t abundant on plains.”
Houses in Laufeld were predominantly wooden. In fact, he did not recall seeing any large stones used for any constructions.
“Additionally, a mountain may offer numerous other materials one can’t find from a plain and a forest.
Their discussion continued while on the journey. Ewald was quite impressed how much Cezary had been thinking to develop the town. At the same time, he couldn’t help but to feel that he was overthinking things too much too fast. In the end, the journey was smooth as butter. They weren’t attacked at night and made it to Laufeld without a single incident. The carriages stopped at the mayor’s manor which had already been vacated. The manor was also the only building within the town good and large enough to house a governor, which was relatively small for a manor. It barely qualified as a manor in fact. A butler was standing in front of its front door. As soon as Ewald exited his carriage, he bowed to him.
“Welcome, Lord Fenchel. I’ve been waiting.”
The butler informed them that the manor was completely empty. There was no maid, no chef, and no guards. It was literally, completely, empty.
“Lady Karla, I am afraid you are our temporary chef,” He told her who was waiting by her carriage. “Marat, you will have to assist her for the time being.”
“Understood,” Karla and Marat bowed in unison as they replied.
“Are you here to work for me?” He asked the butler who shook his head gently.
“No, sir. I am to join my master. My apologies.”
I guess the former mayor is pissed that his position got taken.
But that was fine by him. If the former mayor left a sizable staff, that would have been more problematic because right now all he had was about two silver coins.
“I see. Thank you for the handover. You are dismissed.”
The butler bowed curtly and walked out. Ewald pointed at Raem and Lara.
“You two are the guards for now.”
Raem bowed at once. “I shall secure the perimeter. Lara, you check out inside.”
Cerary gave an additional instruction to Marat, “You will prioritize the lord.”
Once Lara gave a clear signal, they finally moved in.
“It’s … empty,” Flora remarked while Avina shook her head while rubbing her temple. Indeed, the manor was empty. There was absolutely nothing.
Okay, the former mayor was royally pissed.
“Cezary, your advice?”
“It depends. Do you know any locals around here?”
He didn’t know Ewald’s true birth yet.
“I do know a man named Martin. He is an ex-adventurer, now a farmer.”
“Good, we need to find him and have him purchase some furniture from a local tavern.”
“Why can’t we do that on our own?”
“I do not wish the local populace to find out that their new lord is buying commoner-grade furniture. Let’s make this discreet if possible.”
Once Raem made it back, Ewald ordered him to find Martin who was found in a field. Martin was soon found but he initially refused to do what he was told, claiming he was busy. Ewald had to visit him personally.
“You…?” Martin looked bewildered. “K… Kamil, right?”
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“Yes, I am the new lord of Laufeld.”
“What…?” He looked utterly lost. He looked far thinner and jagged with a dire need to shave. The last time Ewald met him was 3 or 4 years ago. Whatever savings he had amassed must have run dry.
“I am willing to employ you as a guard. Help us out.”
He was a capable fighter. His talents would be wasted as a farmer. As for Martin, he found Ewald hard to believe, but Raem’s presence as well as a scholarly man behind him was serving as proof that he wasn’t just kidding around.
“A guard…?”
“You don’t want to farm for the rest of your life, do you?”
“I don’t,” He replied promptly. “I am sick of it actually. Fine, I will take up your offer.” He threw away a rake as if throwing away garbage.
Cezary approached him and handed over a small leather pouch.
“There are ten silver pieces inside. I want you to source some basic furniture from the local tavern. Right now, we need beds. Ten beds would be ideal, but anything more than six will suffice.”
Taking the leather pouch carefully, he looked at Ewald.
“Who are you really?”
“Ewald Fenchel, the heir to the Fenchel house.”
Martin’s jaw dropped.
“We haven’t got all day, move!” Cezary barked and he was correct. The sun was coming down. They had maybe about two or three hours before sunset.
“He’s going to need a hand. Raem, help him,” Ewald said.
Nodding, he followed him. Watching the two becoming progressively smaller, he placed a hand on his waist and heaved a long sigh.
“Can we trust him?” Cezary asked while watching the two disappear into the distance.
“Most likely. He proved to be a decent warrior when I was with him the last time.”
“He seems quite old however,” Cezary pointed out. “If he is indeed good, I suggest you make him a training instructor rather than putting him under an active duty.”
“Point taken. Let us go back.”
He wasn’t sure how old Martin was exactly. He believed that he was in early 30s when he was adventuring with him. He was likely in his mid 30s at this point.
When the two men returned to the manor, Flora was quietly sitting on a luggage bag with Avina guarding nearby. Lara was standing at the front entrance. She bowed with a palm on chest upon seeing the two approach. This was the first time she ever displayed etiquette. The carriages were already gone meanwhile.
“Beds should be here soon. This is probably all we can do for today,” Ewald informed them.
“We’ve also found that there is no food at all in the manor,” Avina said.
Oh, great. Just great.
“I’ve given Karla some coins to patch something,” She added.
“Good, thank you.”
While he wanted to meet his parents, that wasn’t the priority at the moment.
“I assume there were no documents found in the manor?” Cezary asked Lara who did a quick search.
“Sir Waszak, there is nothing at all in the manor,” She replied formally. It was truly weird seeing her speak all formally. It didn’t feel like Lara.
“I see. No matter. Milord, I am going to hit the market and acquire a desk for myself.”
Ewald nodded at him. “Fine, go.” This was not the time for formality. Everyone had to pull their own weight to get various things done as soon as possible.
Bowing briefly, he turned around and left the scene. Not long after his departure, Martin and Raem were carrying a single bed together toward the manor. Avina quickly led them inside. She was probably going to place the first bed in Flora’s room.
“More beds are coming,” Raem said while he walked out with Martin. By the time it was getting dark, Martin and Raem had transported seven beds into the manor, providing a bed for everyone. At this point, he handed over a silver coin to Martin who looked completely beat.
“Martin, here is a payment for your service. Rest up and come back when you are able.”
“T, thank you, Milord.” He bowed as he took the coin with both of his hands. And Raem handed over Cezary’s leather pouch.
“There is some money left,” He said.
“Alright, I will hand it over when he comes back.”
I might need to borrow some money from my parents.
He was pretty certain that Grent had saved up quite a bit. The Fenchel house had been paying over the odds for the tea shipments. The deal was no more. It was agreed between Edmund and Ewald that the Fenchel would no longer purchase the tea directly from Grent. That meant that Laufeld market would now have Macomaco tea soon which may bring traveling merchants into the town, increasing traffic.
“What a day…” Having said that, he fell onto the bed in his room, located on the second floor. It was supposed to be the largest room in the manor, but its size was just one third of his room back in Lux. He fell asleep pretty much instantly the moment his body hit the bed.
A knock woke him up from his slumber. It was already morning.
“It’s Karla. I’ve brought breakfast.”
Rubbing his eyes, he responded, “Come in.”
It was a simple meal, a loaf of bread with a bowl of veggie soup.
“I am sorry, Milord, but this is all we have at the moment.”
“Given the situation, no one can complain.”
He was in fact glad that he wasn’t going to starve.
There is a lot to do today.
He needed to meet up with his parents to borrow some money. That had to be the priority. When he was done with the breakfast, Cezary knocked on the door and entered.
“Did you sleep well…”
Noticing dark circles under his eyes, Ewald realized he did not sleep at all.
“No, I did not sleep. I had too much to do.”
He was apparently trying to set up his study and was also already surveying the town. He had already brought in a desk, a chair as well as a bookshelf.
“Milord, our first problem is money or the lack thereof.”
That reminded Ewald to hand over his coin pouch and he did just that.
“Money will be taken care of by the end of the day.”
Cezary looked confused. “Do you know someone here who can lend money to us?”
“Precisely.”
“It looks as if you already know a fair amount of people in Laufeld. I am surprised.”
He spent his own personal money to set up his study, thus he was now pretty much broke. Avina did the same with the food. It was time for Ewald to pull his own weight.
“I will be back soon.”
While he was walking toward Grent and Vilma’s home, he tried to calculate his brothers’ ages. Faro should be around nine years old with Taro being two years younger, thus seven. His third brother would be six. The truth was that he had yet to meet his third sibling; He didn’t even know whether it was a boy although something told him that it was a boy.
I am pretty sure my mother is blessed by the Gods when it comes to birth. It’s a boy for sure.
It had been about two years since his last visit. Things were pretty chaotic prior and after the war that he simply didn’t have time. While he could have visited them if he really pushed for it, the truth was that he no longer longed for them like he used to. Having too much on his plate was a part of the reason.
“Oh, there they are.”
A familiar field came to his view, and a familiar man was working on the field.
“Hmm?”
It looked like Faro wasn’t working on the field. At nine years old, he should be under normal circumstances. Instead, he saw Taro working alongside Grent.
“Dad, it’s been a while,” He casually threw his greeting, and Grent looked up and responded just as casually.
“Oh, it has been a while, right.”
“Where is Faro?”
Grent frowned at once. “The kid’s a fool. Can’t do no good job.”
It would appear that Faro wasn’t not quite intellectually blessed.
“Dad, I need you to talk to you and mom.”
“Alright, Taro, you do what you can, yeah?”
Taro nodded and got back to work. It looked like he didn’t quite recognize Ewald, understandable since the last time he saw him was when he was five or so and that was a brief window which was certainly not enough to create a bond.
Their house seemed to have gone through several renovations since. It looked far larger than it was although its aesthetics left much to be desired.
“Oh, my.” Vilma looked pleasantly surprised to see her eldest son. She hadn’t changed a bit and retained her youthful look. The only difference was that her long blond hair was now tied up into a ponytail. They exchanged a long hug. Ewald was thrilled to embrace his mother after so long. He took a deep breath to draw in his mother’s scent as much as possible.
Once long overdue greetings were done, they sat down at a table. As expected, a toddler was running around the house. It was a boy. A maid was following him around. The elderly maid didn’t seem to be around. He looked around to spot her.
“She passed away,” Vilma said, noticing her son’s puzzled expression. She smiled peacefully. “She passed away in her sleep with a smile on her face.”
He knew how much the maid meant to his mother. Her death must have been sad. At the same time, the maid passed away while serving her. It could have been worse. They may have not been allowed to see each other again.
“I see. My condolences.”
She smiled peacefully while slowly closing her eyes.
“The boy’s name is Abel by the way,” Grent said, changing the subject. “Your mom named him. I figured it was overdue since I got to name two.”
Abel had blond hair and blue eyes, just like his mother. Once pleasantries were done, Ewald went on to explain why he hadn’t been able to visit them for a while, and that he even partook in the war.
“Oh, we do know. The hero of the realm, the story has been going around,” Grent said with a laugh. Then he went on to cite the poetic story. The dude memorized it fully.
Oh, that’s just plain embarrassing.
“You went on to vanquish General Goss! That’s a huge feat,” He added once he was done citing. It looked like General Goss was universally acknowledged as the bad guy with the Kingdom.
Another maid, who was preparing Macomaco tea, poured the tea into his cup. Only he was having it.
“You are not drinking it?”
“We are sick of it,” Vilma said half-jokingly. There was merit in her words. For them, the tea was so abundant that it lost its value.
At one point of their conversation, Ewald brought up the real reason he visited them.
“I’d like to borrow some money.” After that, he explained his circumstances: He became the lord of Laufeld and was lacking money to do anything because the former mayor cleaned out his manor when he departed. In addition to that, he also explained what happened to Loukia and her pregnancy was the reason he was here.
“I am lacking everything from furniture, staff, even food.”
Grent responded immediately, “Say no more, Vilma.”
She stood up, walked into a room, then came out with a leather pouch. It looked heavy.
“50 silver coins, take it,” She said as if it was a trivial amount.
“A, are you sure?”
“We have too much money actually,” Grent said with a crooked grin. “Just take it and put it to some good use. Better than sitting around, collecting dust.”
Ewald told them also that the Fenchel would no longer purchase the tea directly from them. They were free to sell it to the market.
“What I suggest is send it my way. We will sell them for you,” he added.
“I will do just that. It’s the mayor’s manor, yeah?”
“It’s my manor now. But, yes.”
“Does you being the lord of this town change anything for us?”
“Do you want anything to change?”
Grent shook his head. “I am fine the way it is. You Vilma?”
“I am happy with the way things are,” She replied.
“Then it will stay the way it is.”
“Good enough for me!” Grent stood up after a loud clap on his knees. “I should go back to the field. I guess we will be seeing each other whenever we want from now on, yeah?”
Ewald nodded affirmatively. Once Grent left, he asked his mother.
“What happened to Faro?”
“He said he didn’t want to farm. He wants to be a knight.”
I see. So, that’s how it is.
“Father said he isn’t bright enough. Is that true?”
“I honestly don’t know. At first, we thought he might be a bit slow. But he showed a clear desire to be something. That is not a mark of a fool.”
Indeed. Having a clear goal and being stupid were two entirely different things.
“Where is he now?”
“I believe he is playing with other kids outside. He says he wants to be an adventurer and walk his way to become a knight.”
Faro probably wasn’t aware that his family had a connection to the nobility. He certainly didn’t know that his own brother was a noble.
“What’s father’s stance on this?”
“Well, if we were lacking in sons, he might have forced him to become a farmer. But we have Taro and Abel. He is not too stressed that Faro is unwilling to inherit the family business.”
“Does he remember me at all?”
“Vaguely, sadly. All he knows is that you were taken to Lux.”
If Faro wasn’t really aware of Ewald’s existence, he was willing to let him live his life the way he wants. He had little intention to assist him. After all, it was better for a man to work his way up instead of giving him unfair advantage. At least, that was his mindset.
“Please observe him. I am sure I can help him but would rather not. If you think he’s really stuck, please let me know.”
Vilma beamed a smile and replied, “Loud and clear.”
Taking the leather pouch, he was about to leave when Vilma asked a question.
“Kamil, are you happy for Lady Fenchel?”
She was referring to Loukia. On the surface, she was essentially pushing him out.
“I am,” He replied with a smile. “The woman suffered enough. Everyone deserves happiness of some sort. I think it is about time that the woman gets her own share.”
Vilma replied with a tranquil smile. He did mean what he said. He truly had no problem with her bearing a son. In fact, he wanted her to have a son because he preferred to be in Laufeld where his family was. He also wanted to get back to being Kamil. He was proud of the name given by his mother.
My name is Kamil. It will always be Kamil.
Cezary was mighty impressed that Ewald somehow managed to get 50 silver coins.
“This will help us immensely,” He remarked. “I am pretty sure that this will get us by until tax is collected.”
“Let’s get basic furniture first, Sir Waszak.”
“Yes, of course. We are also going to need more maids and a butler.”
Ewald and Cezary were in the latter’s study since his room was the only one that was completely furnished at the moment to receive guests of any sort. A carpenter was summoned there and was asked to provide furniture for the manor. He looked to be a man in late 40s. He looked really troubled because it was such a large order which was something he couldn’t imagine. The man was working with his son. Basically, there were only two people.
“Are there other carpenters?”
“It’s a small town, Milord. Us two are generally enough. We can hire some men temporarily, but I fear the quality will drop.”
Ewald and Cezary looked at each other with the latter shrugging, silently suggesting that there was no other way.
“I see. Take your time.”
Having said that, he placed five silver coins on Cezary’s desk.
“I shall pay this much for now.”
“T, that will be enough for a while, Milord!” The man looked like he didn’t expect to be paid so soon and grabbed the coins at once.
Cezary ordered, “I want you to prioritize two bathtubs and a desk.”
“Understood!”
Once the carpenter left, he clarified, “It’s for your lady and you.”
“This is going to take a while, isn’t it.”
“Well, we will make do.” Having said that, he took out a piece of paper. “I’ve done rough calculations on the income.”
“Already?” It had barely been a full day ever since they arrived.
“It’s only a rough calculation but, yes, I have a number.”
According to him, Laufeld harvested wheat two times a year. The early harvest was larger than the late harvest. The wheat would be processed into flour, and bags of flours were sent to Lux with Laufeld mayor taking a small cut.
Cezary was reading out the paper. “From last year, the first harvest produced about 600 sacks of flour. The second harvest produced about 400.”
The yield from the first harvest was higher due to the fact that it started from early spring to late summer. The second harvest was from fall to late winter. Because the latter had a less favorable climate, the yield was lower. Still, being able to harvest twice was possible only in Southern lands.
“The Fenchel takes almost all produce, but here is a catch. They demand a fixed amount. It’s not the percentage. They demand 400 sacks of flour for the first harvest and 100 for the second harvest. Believe it or not, Laufeld produces more flour than Lux does. Each sack of flour was sold for about 75 iron coins on average in Lux last year.”
Folding arms, Ewald did the math in his head. Basically, per year, Laufeld mayor had 500 sacks of flour for himself.
Cezary stated, “The farmers will take half of that.”
“What?!”
“Well, they have to feed themselves and sell some for money.”
Ewald couldn’t argue back on that point. It was just that he thought the number was after farmers got their cut.
“So, we are talking about 187 silver coins annually. That is our gross income which translates to about 15 silver coins per month.”
“So, that’s our monthly budget?”
“No, sir. It’s gross. There are wage payments for staff, food expenses and so on. I think we are looking at 5 silvers per month realistically.”
Ouch, OUCH, OUCCCCCH!!!
Five silvers a month was something an adventurer would easily earn if he put his mind to it. Hell, he could earn twice more easily.
“That is … not a lot,” Ewald muttered.
“No, it’s not. However, do keep in mind that this is what we’d earn from flour. I consider this a passive income. It’s something we are going to earn regardless of what we do. We could create other revenue.”
“Such as?”
“Well, it has come to my attention that we have a Macomaco farmer in Laufeld? We could make a deal with them.”
“Done.”
“What -, I mean, I beg your pardon?”
“I’ve already talked to them. They will send their produce directly to us. We will sell it for them and take some cuts.”
Cezary whistled. “Very very impressive, Milord. I didn’t think you’d be financially shrewd at your age. I don’t have any concrete numbers for this. Once I have more data, I will be able to give you some numbers.”
“Any other income sources we could expand ourselves into?”
“For now, this is it. We will just have to be thrifty for a while. Whatever spare money we have, it should be spent on my new invention.”
“Oh, about that…”
“No, Milord. I insist on this. This is the only way for Laufeld to grow.”
“I am not saying I want to cut the funding completely. It’s just that -”
Cezary interjected, “This must be done.”
He was adamant to a point that he wasn’t backing off at all.
“Do you truly trust in your vision?”
“I do. Imagine a world where people can decide where they can live. That’s a world I wish to live in.”
There was strong resolution in his voice and eyes. He believed in his vision and wanted to make it reality. He wasn’t going to stop him even before he began. At least, he wanted to see how far he’d go with whatever was in his mind. If whatever he was trying to make had potential, it would be foolish to stop him right now.
It is going to be really, really, tight for a while.
A budget of 5 silvers, plus whatever he could get from Macomaco tea sales, was probably not going to be enough. A lack of investment would probably slow down the progress. More revenues were going to be needed.
“Fine, have it your way.”
Cezary’s eyes widened. He probably didn’t expect his wish to be granted. If he had his ways, he probably would have made more inventions back at the Fenchel manor. However, the fact that his only invention remained to be the exploding fire crystal meant that he never got his way. People may have seen his potential but never invested in his visions, until now at least.
“I will make this work. I will not betray your trust,” He swore and was getting emotional, thus Ewald figured he’d leave him alone.
“Phew…”
He took a deep breath right outside of the manor in front of the front entrance. Lara was standing next to the door.
“Hey,” She called out which startled him.
“Y, you were there?! Surprised the heck out of me!”
“Sorry…”
Clearing his throat, he asked her. “So, how did things go with Raem?”
“About what?”
Well, it looks like he hasn’t talked to her yet.
“Nevermind.”
“This place is really quiet,” She remarked.
Having heard her, he looked around. The manor was built on a flat and empty lot. Its perimeter which should have been gardens was nothing more than just a grass field covered mostly with weeds. Since Laufeld was a farming community, most houses were located near the gate so that they could reach their fields faster. A few scant houses that were located away from its gate were near the market which was situated in the middle. The manor itself was quite isolated from everyone else. Therefore, she was correct. It was quiet. Nothing was going on and there was no one around because no one had a reason to be near the manor.
“Compared to Lux, yeah,” He replied candidly.
“I am not sure whether I can get used to this.”
“Hah!” He chuckled.
“What’s so funny?” She pouted.
“This place will get busy. Don’t worry about that.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Well…” He scratched his head. “Some dude said it’s going to work out.”
She tilted her head. “What’s going to work out?” She wondered aloud.
“I don’t know. Something, I guess?”
He couldn’t explain because he couldn’t fathom what Cezary was trying to invent.