A scheme?
I really just need ships and more knowledge of the mystical side!
Arthur sighed helplessly inwardly.
Why does no one believe me when I tell the truth?
Was South Town highly profitable?
In one sense, yes!
In another, not really!
For a "small town of twenty thousand" built around a mine, the wealth would keep flowing as long as the deposits held out.
But not all that wealth could end up in his pocket.
Because there were taxes!
And South Town's upkeep!
Of those, the taxes absolutely had to be paid. Otherwise, you could get struck by lightning in South Los!
That was not a figure of speech.
It meant getting struck by actual lightning, in every sense of the word.
The Countess, who called herself a recluse and truly did rarely venture out, showed no mercy to anyone who dared evade taxes.
If the offense was serious enough, a bolt of lightning would come crashing down.
If it was more serious, two bolts.
In short, taxes took a hefty share.
That remained true even though the Countess already received a share of the profits. Tax exemption would only become possible if the Coal and Iron Mine belonged entirely to her.
South Town's upkeep also took a hefty share.
And it demanded time and effort.
Running a small town of twenty thousand was anything but simple. Just feeding everyone and dealing with their waste was enough to give Arthur a headache.
Add public security, transportation, and communication to the mix, and Arthur simply did not have enough people.
Communication in particular would inevitably become crucial now that the Countess was involved with South Town's Coal and Iron Mine-and not one of his subordinates could truly handle the people she sent.
Arthur himself could handle them, of course, but