The last to report was Barov, he first looked at everyone, then slowly saluted Roland before reporting, “Your Royal Highness, ever since the previous payment to Margaret’s Chamber of Commerce for the refugee transportation and the money spent on Theo’s mission, the City Hall’s gold stock has declined very badly. Coupled with the bumper harvest and the Ministry of Agriculture’s acquisition of grain according to the set market price, it has resulted in an inventory of barely 2000 gold royals, this can be considered as a relatively dangerous boundary.”
Two thousand gold royals… compared with last year’s winter it undoubtedly was a huge sum of money, but Roland was also perfectly aware that Border Town’s situation was also no longer the same at it was back then. Even just for the Ministry of Construction, already burdened Border Town with the huge expenditure of paying for the five thousand workers. There was also the high salary for the First Army, factories, chemical laboratory, and City Hall, which also required a large amount of money.
In other words, Border Town might have been earning money quickly, but it was also spending the money just as quickly. Even under the circumstances that large parts of the materials and machinery were self-sufficient.
“I am aware of this, but at the beginning of next month, when Margaret’s caravan arrives in town, we will be able to obtain a huge income through the sale of the steam engines,” Roland responded. “Furthermore, the purchase of food and the transport of the refugees aren’t daily expenses. I’m sure that during the next six months, the treasury should be able to improve steadily, there is no reason for you to worry too much about it.” He paused. “also, I plan to raise the salary of everyone here.”
“Raise the salary?” Barov got startled and stared blankly at Roland.
“That’s correct, the City Hall is no longer an institution only run by a dozen people, and your workload has increased significantly, so your salary will also naturally rise.” The Prince smiled and then continued to say, “From this month onwards, I will increase your monthly salary to five gold royals, and according to this ratio, the payment for your apprentices and assistants will also go up uniformly. Be at ease, the needed fund doesn’t accumulate too much, it is not more than 20 to 30 gold royals.”
Although a salary of five gold royals for this kind of position in the City Hall couldn’t be counted as generous, but Roland knew, that what Barov enjoyed even more than the salary, was being in charge of Border Town’s revenues and expenditure and providing them with the according statistics. Furthermore, since he had yet to set any regulatory ministries, Barov could get hundred times his current salary. But so far, he had not seen any signs of corruption from Barov.
Of course, apart from relying on the other people’s conscious, Roland could also always count on Nightingale’s ability to maintain the department’s integrity. No one could conceal their bad behavior from her gaze.
“In addition, there is one thing you may already know,” Roland continued. “By the end of the Months of Demons, I plan to officially establish a city here. In other words, Border Town will be upgraded into an official city. The city’s west side will stretch until the barbarian wasteland, the eastern border will be Longsong Stronghold, while the southern end will be the hills and the ocean. With the city walls and the mountains as a natural barrier, the area will be far larger than King’s City or any other city in the Four Kingdoms.
“So you still need to pay particular attention and improve your work, to meet the attitude that is required to establish a city,” Roland paused and then emphasized every word, “I hope that our city, even while in a boundless winter, can stay as warm as during spring.”
After the meeting concluded, Roland and Barov both stayed behind.
“You also saw it, currently people are crucial to the chemical laboratory and Graycastle Industry, and I also intend on starting the mass production of soap and perfume soon, which will require a lot of additional staff.” The Prince said. “But it will be at least a year before the greater part of the townsfolk pass the primary education examination. Furthermore, even by taking all of them into account, there still won’t be more than 600 to 700 people, that just isn’t enough. I need more people.”
“In case we enlist people from the stronghold…”
“No,” Roland interrupted, “Next year, after Border Town has upgraded to the status of a city, the stronghold and Border Town will be fused into one entity. Therefore, it would be the equivalent of the moving money out from your left pocket into your right pocket; so, I will need more people from outside the Western Territory.”
