"No, no, the world is so beautiful, yet I am so irritable..."
Shiki took a deep breath, then dispersed the Thunderstorm that was about to form in the sky. This was one of the downsides of being a Archon; when emotions became intense enough, they would affect the world, leading to various natural phenomena.
Of course, part of it was also because she had only recently become a Archon, and her power was constantly increasing, sometimes leading to leaks, like now.
"Damn it, I'm still so angry!"
Shiki grumbled as she sent the shrine maiden back to Koseki Village, then returned to Inazuma City with Ayaka.
"What's wrong? You look very unhappy," Ayaka rubbed the girl's cheek, her words filled with concern.
Shiki pulled away from Ayaka's small hand and said, "Ayaka, what would you do if a Yashiro Commission official came to you for help with something every day?"
"Of course, I'd dismiss them!" Ayaka answered without hesitation. "The Yashiro Commission's purpose is to help the people. If they need others to help with everything, what's the point of them staying in the Yashiro Commission?"
"Furthermore, the Kamisato Clan recruits officials primarily to alleviate the pressure on the main family. You know my brother is very busy, always coming and going like a phantom. If the people we recruit not only fail to share the burden but also cause trouble, I would feel uneasy."
"Right? That's what I thought too, but unfortunately, some nations don't see it that way. They've been spoiled into overgrown babies by a diligent acting Grand Master who can't refuse."
Listening to Shiki's words, Ayaka immediately realized that the girl was referring to Mondstadt, as only there was the leader called the Grand Master.
"Really? I heard Mondstadt is called the nation of freedom, but is this freedom or shirking responsibility?"
"Who knows? Anyway, Mondstadt is a case of one willing to beat and one willing to be beaten; it has nothing to do with us. I just suddenly thought of it and felt a bit angry."
"Since you know it has nothing to do with us, why are you still angry!" Ayaka said, tapping the girl's forehead. "I thought something serious had happened!"
"Of course nothing serious happened. Inazuma is doing well now, what could possibly happen?"
"Wait for me to go to Tenshukaku to arrange a few things, then we'll go back. Didn't you want to learn how to cook?" Shiki said.
"Hurry back."
"Okay."
Shiki strolled towards Tenshukaku, while Ayaka found a bench on the street and sat down, looking as docile as a young wife waiting for her husband to return.
The main purpose of coming to Tenshukaku this time was to confirm how much Mora was left in Inazuma's national treasury, as the salaries for 1000 people were not a small expense.
Calculating an average salary of 25,000 Mora per person plus 5,000 Mora for three meals, that amounts to 30 million Mora per day.
And ten days would be 300 million. It would be good if half the port could be built in these ten days.
Currently, supplies for Seirai Island are being transported by the Shogunate's fleet, ship by ship. Without a port, receiving supplies is very troublesome, almost like being restricted.
Hiring more people is definitely necessary, but not now, only after the port is completed.
Once the port is ready, maritime transport can be maximized, preventing situations where workers can't work due to insufficient supplies.
Shiki arrived just in time, as the financial officials had not yet left work; they were still frantically calculating accounts.
"Lady Ryougi!"
"Hmm, who among you is most familiar with Inazuma's national treasury accounts?"
"Uh... actually, each of us is responsible for a part. For example, Satomi is responsible for counting the total amount in the national treasury, I am responsible for calculating official salary expenditures, and Musashi is responsible for calculating the expenses of state-owned project development," said an official named Kenta.
"Is that so... then you can stop what you're doing for a moment, I have some things I'd like to understand."
"Alright! No problem!"
The few nodded repeatedly. After a conversation, their relationship had grown closer. After all, Shiki was a perfect being in their eyes, which easily created a sense of distance.
But now, even the perfect Lady Ryougi had things she didn't understand, which made them feel useful, naturally bringing their relationship closer.
"Then... what would Lady Ryougi like to know?"
"Let me see... let's start with how much Mora is left in the national treasury. I still have many projects that rely on Mora's support," Shiki said.
"Oh, by the way, no need to be too precise, just to the nearest ten million is fine."
Upon hearing this, Satomi took out her ledger and displayed a series of calculated figures before the girl.
"Lady Ryougi, currently Inazuma's national treasury holds 54.36 billion Mora, with approximately 41% of that coming from the Kanjou Commission."
"Forty-one percent? That's roughly 20 billion. What about the rest? I remember there wasn't much left at that time, was there?"
"Another 20 billion came from the Fatui's compensation from Snezhnaya, and the rest is Inazuma's tax revenue..."
Shiki felt a headache coming on as she listened to the girl's words. Inazuma's income was too low, wasn't it? Was it really all relying on the strong support of the Hiiragi Clan and the Fatui boss?
Over 50 billion Mora, with 80% of it from external factors, what kind of situation was this?
"What about expenditures and tax revenue?"
Kenta and Musashi stepped forward and said, "The monthly salary expenditure for Tenshukaku officials is 3 billion Mora. If the Three Commissions are included, it's 7.3 billion Mora."
"Adding the 1 billion Mora you withdrew some time ago, and daily expenses, Inazuma's total expenditure this month has reached 10.6 billion."
"And Inazuma's tax revenue this month is only 13 billion, but due to the end of the war, tax revenue has increased by 20% compared to last month."
"That's not bad, at least it's not a deficit yet."
Shiki truly breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed okay; even if they earned little, they were still earning, which was better than losing money.
The main reason for this was the Sakoku Decree. Foreign trade is a crucial source of national income. With foreign trade, more merchants would do business, which would mean more tax revenue.
Moreover, Inazuma would also sell goods abroad. It could be said that once foreign trade was opened, Inazuma's financial income would definitely not be so dismal.
Also, regarding Seirai Island, Shiki's previous estimate of 7 billion was conservative. At this rate, 7 billion would probably only be enough to pay the workers' wages.
In short, as the Seirai Island project progresses, a deficit is inevitable. Don't forget there are also expenses for materials and construction supplies.
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