As a soldier Elizabeth’s meals were limited to the troops’ daily bowl of mysterious brown “stew” and a rock hard brick of baked flour. She couldn’t imagine eating anything else just over a year ago, and yet here she was, seated in her manor’s lavish dining hall with a meal fit for a king. She still ate with that same soldier’s gusto, barely giving her tongue enough time to taste each succulent bite before swallowing. It was as if the food became better with each passing moment, sending her into an oblivious state of bliss.
“...and that means we’re likely to see a monthly deficit of almost a hundred denars a month.”
Elizabeth looked up with her mouth full of pie, a small bit of crumbs and filling coating her lips and managed a muffled “Hmph?”
Sitting at the opposite end of the long table was Inigo, content with his choice of a small salad and a cup of tea. His face looked back at hers with a tinge of annoyance before he sighed. “Should I start from the beginning?”
“Thf bfgh…” Elizabeth held up a finger and paused, giving herself time to chew and swallow. “The beginning of what?”
Inigo paused. “Your quarterly expenditure report? You said supper would be a good time.”
“Ah, in that case keep going.” A delicate hand brought another forkful of the apple-filled pastry to her mouth. Inigo stared back in silence, bothered at his boss’s lack of concern for basic income management. She felt his silent glare and looked back up. “What?”
“Miss Elizabeth, I’ll put it in as simple terms as possible. We’re losing money. At this rate, it should only be a few years until you’re broke.”
“Broke? Wha- what do you mean?”
“The money from treasure you found was certainly quite the find, but interest from the banks alone simply isn’t enough to maintain this sort of lifestyle.”
For once Elizabeth’s appetite seemed to vanish. She placed her fork back down and allowed the situation to soak in. Silence permeated the air for several moments. “Is there something we can do?”
“I had a few ideas in mind, but it’s ultimately up to you.”
“Go on.”
“Option one would be to invest a good portion of capital into local trade companies. It’s estimated we’ll accrue an additional six hundred denars each month so long as trade remains steady.
“The other option is a bit riskier but may pay off in the long-run. Rumor has it someone’s discovered a new chain of uninhabited islands in the South Tropics. Fertile soil, constant sunlight, lush weather. Perfect land for growing cane sugar. If someone were to perhaps invest in their own trade fleet, claim the land, and set up a few farms, they’d be able to produce half the world’s sugar and dominate global markets in about two years’ time. So in other words, much, much more than six hundred denars.”
Inigo took a moment to pause, allowing the ginger-haired beauty to interpret what he was saying. Her eyebrows furrowed as she pondered her options before saying…
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