Redd took his eyes back from the door and fell back on the letters that had been processed on the table.
He picked up the last report from Volantis, the one about the rumors about Red God's beliefs, and read it again.
The report mentioned that there have been some privately circulated remarks about the teachings of Red God in Volantis City-States recently. The scope of the dissemination is limited. It is currently only circulated among a small number of lower-class people and slaves, and has not yet formed an organized activity.
The report recommends increased surveillance, but does not require large-scale action for the time being.
Redd put the letter on the table, tapped the paper twice with his finger, then picked up the pen and wrote a short note in the margin - continue to monitor and report once a week.
He put the letter into the pile that needed a reply, then leaned back in his chair and looked out the window again.
The sky outside the window showed a light blue color in the afternoon light, and a few thin clouds drifted slowly from the southeast, casting moving shadows on the sea.
The outline of Dragonstone alternates between light and dark in the shadow of clouds, and those black volcanic rock walls and towers show different tones in the change of light, from dark gray to dark brown to almost deep black.
Dragonmont in the distance dimmed briefly as the cloud shadow moved by, and then lit up again.
Redd sat by the window for a long time, watching the changes in the sky and cloud shadows, until Mesalia walked in with a plate, sat down on the chair opposite him, and began to eat while reading the letters that needed to be answered.
Her eating appearance was not elegant, but very neat. She tore the bread into small pieces and stuffed them into her mouth. She picked up the mutton with a fork and bit into it. She picked up the fish soup and took two sips before putting it down.
From time to time during her meal breaks, she would pick up a letter and scan it, picking out important information and reading it to Redd, or marking out content that needed his special instructions and putting it aside.
The two of them didn't talk much. They spent most of their time dealing with their own affairs, and occasionally exchanged a few opinions on the content of the letter.
The quiet and tacit atmosphere continued in the room until the evening light began to fade from the window and the servant knocked on the door and asked if he wanted to light a lamp. The two of them raised their heads from their respective tasks.
Redd watched Mesalia sort the last batch of letters, mark key points on the pages that needed to be responded to, then closed the wallet containing the letters and placed it in the corner of the desk.
"I'll write out the first draft of my reply tomorrow and show it to you," she said, stuffing the last piece of bread on the plate into her mouth.
Redd nodded, stood up from the chair, walked to the window, and watched the evening light gradually dimming in the courtyard.
The servants who were busy in the courtyard during the day have returned to their respective residences. Only a few torches that were lit in advance were left in the courtyard, casting a warm light in the dusk.
On Dragonmont in the distance, the figure of King Ghidorah is vaguely visible in the dark red light of the crater, and the outlines of its three heads present a quiet, elongated silhouette in the twilight.
Redd stood by the window for a while, then turned and walked back into the house.
Mesalia has already cleaned up the desktop, put the completed letters into the filing cabinet, and placed those that need to be processed tomorrow on the desktop.
She was waiting for him at the door, holding a newly lit oil lamp in her hand. The light shone on her face from below, making her features soft and warm. "Let's go," she said, "Dinner should be ready."
Redd took the lamp from her hand, and the two of them walked down the Stone Drum Tower spiral stone steps one after the other and walked towards the restaurant.
Their footsteps made a uniform and steady sound on the stone steps, which became blurry and low after being reflected by the walls.
The oil lamps in the corridor were lit one by one by the servants, and the warm light spread from the halo of each lamp, reflecting the black volcanic rock walls into a warm, dark surface with subtle textures.
The sounds of clinking pots and pans in the kitchen and the low voices of servants talking could be heard in the distance. Those daily sounds seemed particularly clear in the dusk, like the breathing of the castle in the evening.
Dinner is richer than lunch, but not the same.
On the long table were grilled fish, stewed lamb, bread, cheese, a few pickled vegetables and a jug of wine shipped from Free Cities.
The kitchen also made an additional thick soup made from local seafood. The soup was milky white in color, with chopped fish and herbs floating in it.
The two children were new to the knowledge of magic, and they were addicted to reading without letting go of the book even when they were eating.
Jaehaerys spread the book recording Blood and Fire Magic on the table. He held a piece of bread in his left hand and brought it to his mouth. His right hand stayed on the edge of the page, staring at the words in the book. The bread stayed near his mouth for a while before he bit it.
Visenya put the Ice Magic book upright and leaned it next to the soup bowl. She drank the soup with a spoon and looked down. The soup almost spilled onto the pages of the book. The maid next to her quickly helped her move it away.
Redd glanced at them and did not stop or urge them. She just asked the maid to move the soup bowl further away from the book.
Today I have basically gone through the government affairs and financial details of Dragonstone.
After Redd finished processing the letters in the afternoon, he asked Mesalia to move Dragonstone's income and expenditure account books and administrative records for the past six months to the study.
The account books were piled on the table, half as high as a person, with covers wrapped in leather of different colors, recording detailed figures on the island's various incomes and expenditures.
He spent more than an hour looking through the account books, going through the main income and expenditure items one by one, and the conclusion he came to was pretty much what he expected.
The land of Dragonstone is not fertile. Most of the island is composed of volcanic rocks and barren slopes, and only a few areas near the coast and at the bottom of the valley can be cultivated.
The food output is not much, and the main crops are drought-resistant cereals and root vegetables. In years with good harvests, they can barely supply the daily consumption of the castle. In years with poor harvests, they have to rely on external supplies.
The food collected was not enough to feed the 10,000 soldiers left on the island, let alone the few dragons left on the island.
Those dragons consume a considerable amount of meat every day, and the island's livestock output is far from enough to support it. The livestock industry is also in a mess.
The pasture area on the island is limited, the supply of fodder is unstable, and the number of cattle and sheep has been hovering at a low level, which can only provide part of the meat demand within the castle.
The fishery is passable. The sea area around Dragonstone is quite rich in fish resources. The fishing boats in the port can bring back a certain amount of catch every day when they go to sea. In addition to supplying the castle and garrison, there is also a small amount that can be salted or dried before being stored or sold.
The taxes collected from the port are barely enough to cover the castle's expenses. After all, Dragonstone doesn't have any best-selling export products.