13th Banem 1092

It was the dead of night by the time Kashi and Larsial pulled up near the outskirts of Meilfour's territory. Even under the cloudy, moonless night, Meilfour's splendor shone through for miles, its colorful lights a magnificent beacon to adventurers far and wide. Warriors and merchants laughed and chatted amicably as they walked, or galloped past Kashi and Larsial, either on their way to or from some glorious adventure.

Larsial in particular, stared in wonder as the female warriors passed by in stylish garments and colorful accessories. She could tell just from looking, that despite their beauty, these outfits were created for practicality, and would provide more than adequate protection. Even the men had stepped up their fashion game. Form fitting clothing and strategic armor placement emphasized their handsomeness without sacrificing protection.

Even heavy knights with full plate armor were not spared the aesthetic treatment. Gone were the plain iron plating. Immaculate, unique designs were carved onto each plating, which were then dyed with imaginative color combinations. This led to a situation where the vain Summoned were no longer satisfied with just the higher stats weapon or armor.

This was one of the effects of VR. Since gamers could actually see and interact with each other, fashion took on a whole new importance.

Kashi knew this, hence why he pushed for the rapid reform of Meilfour. As the capital of art on the continent, there was no other place on the continent with such a high density of skilled artists eager to ply their trade. The Hopeful Maggots took full advantage of this to scoop up this large piece of pie before anyone else saw the potential. Now, merchants from far and wide were eager to get their hands on the new designs coming out of Meilfour so they could sell them at a significant mark-up to eager customers at their various towns and cities.

Unbeknownst to Kashi, Miote had gone a step further to ensure their monopoly continued for a long time. The chesch introduced the concept of brands to the artists and adamantly demanded they place a brand on any and all products they sold to the public. These branded clothes would ensure the populace would continue to buy from the 'original' makers instead of those who wanted to copy the styles.

Miote did not just stop there though. To ensure that the populace 'knew' that only products bought from Meilfour were those worth buying, he took advantage of the Merchant Alliance that was recently formed. When Joanna Frye's mercenaries escorted the merchants and their transported goods to cities, they wore clothes and armor made in Meilfour. These mercenaries would then brag to colleagues from other companies, who would in turn spread the word to the populace, further emphasizing the point that the clothes made in Meilfour were those worth buying. Of course, in return, the merchants escorted by the mercenaries would tell other merchants that Frye's mercenaries were the best in the business, thereby boosting her revenue too.

With the excavation of the mines, Marlo Coop's precious stone business also experienced a major revival. Coop's company already had artisans experienced with jewelry work, so, with a number of designs from Miote, his company began to process precious stones excavated from the mines into beautiful jewelry. It soon became a thing among women to wear a Meilfour produced outfit with jewelry from Coop. The outfits had become a symbol of status just as Miote intended, which in turn highly boosted sales.

Kashi was not privy to all these details, but he just had to take a look at the busy roads to know that Miote had outdone himself.

"It's beautiful," Larsial accidentally muttered as they approached the city's gates. Unlike the bland gates of other cities, these emerald-green gates had a number of artists and instruments carved onto them. Larsial forced herself to look away as she recalled the once beautiful and majestic halls and roads of her hometown before they lost the war.

A pair of guards at the gates saluted Kashi as he and Larsial passed, instantly recognizing Drixlia's mighty frame and black fur. Kashi returned the salute with a polite nod then trotted into the city.

Kashi was forced to slow Drixlia to a slow walk as the streets were overly packed with people, carts and other horse riders. A smile crept up his lips as he took in the bright street lights and bustling streets. A couple of weeks ago, this place was completely deserted. There was no further validation of the Maggots' actions than the excited, smiling residents.

"Is that the famous Emporium?" Larsial stared at the massive ring-like structure that peaked above buildings in the distance.

"You've never been?" Kashi asked as he came to a stop in front of Rine's Bar. A smile spread on his lips as he appreciated the rapidly repaired building. No traces of the Adjudicators' attack remained, leaving the building looking brand new.

"No, only read the reports," Larsial revealed with a wistful sigh. "They certainly do not do the real thing justice."

"Heh, most things are better experienced in person," Kashi muttered as he hopped off Drixlia's back. He thanked an eager, young, mertian mercenary who led the horse and avespa to the stables after Larsial had dismounted.

"You seem to be really respected," Larsial remarked when a number of patrons raised their flagons in greeting as they entered.

"Perks of being a guild leader I suppose," Kashi responded with a light shrug. He gave a casual nod to the patrons as he made his way to the bar.

As usual, Muko manned the counter, an ever infallible smile on his lips as he attended to his customers. He easily spotted Kashi and Larsial as the daebens entered the establishment. By the time Kashi reached the counter, a large flagon of cold Yarcon Juice awaited him. "How're you feeling?"

"Aside from a little pang now and then, everything is fine," Kashi revealed with a lackluster smile. "By the way, this is Larsial. She'll be shadowing me for the foreseeable future."

"Hoh? A daeben huh?" Muko pulled out a glass and placed it on the counter. "What'll you be having?"

"Do you have Liquin Spirit?" Larsial respectfully inquired. She decisively chose to ignore the subtle hostility in the man's tone. If she reacted to every scorn she received, she would not have enough lives to get anything done.

"Liquin Spirit? High class taste," Muko said with a teasing smile as he picked a crystal bottle from a shelf. "I've had this bottle for a few months, and no one's requested it. It's expensive stuff."

"Kashi'll pay for it," Larsial shamelessly stated. "I'm broke."

Muko turned to Kashi who shrugged with a helpless smile. "Well then." Muko replaced the glass in front of Larsial with a string of small shot glasses. "Care to share the story of how you two met?" He inquired as he filled the shot glasses.

"Definitely," Larsial unceremoniously bent her head back and downed a shot. "He defeated me in the battle for Aygorzi and took me prisoner." She downed two more shots in rapid succession. "We struck a deal to save my people from slavery, and now I have to follow him around for six months." Larsial gulped down two more shots and let out a deep sigh. "This is good spirit. Straight from the capital?"

"One of my rare collections," Muko revealed with a complicated frown. "You hold your spirit well. I've seen bigger men drop after only three shots. "

"I've cultivated a high tolerance over the years." Larsial grinned. She was about to ask for another shot, but Kashi quickly rapped on the table.

"You can get drunk some other time," Kashi said, with an amused shake of his head. Turning to Muko, he asked, "Is Miote down there?"

"Nah, he and the other merchants had a new headquarters built not far from The Emporium on Bass street."

"Thanks, I'll find it," Kashi placed a few gold Syros coins on the counter, ignoring Muko's protests that it was way over the price. He beckoned to Larsial with a casual wave. "Time to go. We're off to see the financial juggernaut of the guild."

"Hey," Muko called, his brows locked in a slight frown. "This should be a dumb question, but you've met up with Ms. Falsetto right?"

"Uh... I'll get to that eventually," Kashi said, confusion apparent in his eyes.

"Oh, okay then. Friendly advice," Muko offered. "As far as she's concerned you went straight to meet her after coming into town."

"Why?" Kashi questioned, perplexed. "I have important guild matters to attend to. She will understand that."

"You know, you're right," Muko admitted with a sigh. "She just might understand." Shaking his head, he lightly exhaled. "You do not deserve her."

"Yes, he certainly does not." Larsial nodded her agreement.

"Whatever." Kashi ignored their remarks. He waved Muko goodbye then exited the building with Larsial in tow. He considered for a moment before ultimately deciding to continue on foot. The streets were so packed that it was actually faster to walk, plus he would draw far less attention to himself if he were on foot.

Kashi looked up. The cloudy sky threatened rainfall, but the distance wasn't too far. Even if they did get caught in the rain, it would not be too bad.

With his mind made up, Kashi raised his neck of his shirt up to his nose, so only his red eyes were exposed. Lately, the population of Summoned daeben had increased so he wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb as long as his face was not revealed.

Preparations complete, Kashi set out...

****

Chamber of Commerce (Merchant Alliance Temp. H.Q)

Brass Close.

Even within the hustle and bustle of Meilfour, there was one street that stood in stark contrast to other streets, quiet and orderly as if it existed in a separate pocket dimension. Mercenaries bearing the wildcat insignia of Joanna Frye's 'Burning Pyre' mercenary clans silently stood guard at either ends of the street, keeping a careful watch on all who entered.

Affluently dressed merchants entered and exited the streets in a steady manner, often carrying bags or boxes filled with sheets of parchments. Most exited with large, satisfied smiles, with only an unfortunate few sent back to rectify an issue with their documents or something. The registration process for the newly formed Merchant Alliance was especially stringent, and incoming merchants quickly learned that this was not a place they could bribe their way through.

Several of these merchants congregated around the magnificently large building that occupied the entire street on either side, which when viewed from above, had an upside-down U shape. The Thorny Rose flag of Rosendun, flew proudly above the building's rooftop, along with the flags of the Hopeful Maggots, and those of the other council members' respective guilds/affiliations. The heaviest security could be found at the furthermost wing, which also served as the main reception area, and the location of the core of the entire building, the War Room.

Understanding that the building's purpose was to serve as an attractive symbol of wealth to the world, Damah Dumm spared no expenses while designing the entirety of the Chamber of Commerce, and there was no place in the entire building that exuded this extraordinary opulence like the War Room, within which the current alliance heads of the Merchant Alliance sat around a massive, circular, marble table with numerous tiny inlaid gemstones that subtly glittered in the light.

The walls and pillars were coated with solid gold, the ground beneath their feet constructed with the most expensive white marble from Elysium Cove. Gemstones large enough to buy several buildings hung leisurely overhead in chandeliers, the sheer extravagance enough to intimidate anyone who walked into the room.

However, that was not all. To counteract, the hard, cold energy from all the gold and gemstones, Damah had the intelligent plant Kornut, found only in Ederwood planted along the walls of the chamber. Kornut roughly translated to 'Humble Wall-Plant' in the common language, and just like its name, Kornut was a famous plant because of its ability to grow along the interior walls and floors of buildings. Furthermore its enhanced intellegence meant it could be instructed to grow into certain ways or patterns.

This was the reason why despite sitting indoors, the guild members could enjoy their meeting within the company of beautiful shrubbery and a delightful scent that exuded from the Kornut's leaves and branches.

The Alliance Heads had already spent hours in awe of everything in the building and the room in particular. But currently, they all had their attention the golden chesch sat at the table, explaining his latest ideas even further.

Each of the alliance heads had massive stacks of paper on the table, and they had tirelessly perused through all the documents as Miote explained, each word somehow leaving them in greater shock than the last. Even if they took nothing from what Miote said, just the way he designed contracts was a thing of beauty beyond anything they had ever seen! They could all imagine that if such methods were used to draw up contracts in their various ventures, the amount of attempts by clients to swindle their way out of paying what they owe would severely reduce till it were almost non-existent.

"So, what do you think?" Miote ended his presentation with a short clap and a smile.

"Impressive." Damah Dumm nodded. "This, 'bank' of yours is something so simple, yet we had not thought of it for so long. Indeed the future belongs to the younger generation," Dumm teased with a short smile. "However, I do have a question. Say, I deposit a sum at one bank. Is it possible for me to regain that same sum at another bank?"

Miote's brow rose in appalled delight. No wonder this man was the richest merchant in all of Destia. Even his questions had such forward thinking to them. "Theoretically yes, but you must understand that not all banks would be designed to hold vast sums of money, nor are banks meant to be used this way either. The idea is, you deposit a large amount of funds in the bank, which allows you to collect funds as you need it, as opposed to depositing and emptying your account every single day. Naturally, after opening an account at one bank, you can withdraw from any other bank in the country as long as they are one of ours."

Miote tapped on the table. "As explained earlier, to entice customers to leave their gold in the bank, we will grant them a small interest every month their total sum remains untouched." The chesch crossed his hands at his bank. "In the meantime, the bank will use those funds to grant loans to new promising businesses, of course with significantly marked-up costs as explained under the chapter titled, 'Fractal Banking.'"

"This whole idea of creating money that doesn't exist..." Damah Dumm muttered with glazed eyes. "While it does sound like an excellent way to profit for bank owners, it seems dangerous for the consumers. What guarantee can we give them? Furthermore, there is a finite amount of gold in the world. In this system of yours, if someone deposits 100 syros, and someone comes right behind her to loan 200 syros, where do we get the extra 100 syros to give the second person?"

"Nothing great was achieved without risk," Miote softly countered. "However, you are right. If left unchecked, the bank is an institution that can grow to challenge the nation itself." Miote raised his hand to his lips. "We'll just have the government... ah, sorry, the royal palace create a division dedicated to monitoring banks. And who better to watch the activities of a merchant-owned bank, than personnel trained in the art of economics."

"You sly bastards," Marlo Coop spat. "So that's why your guild is pushing for this 'Academy' thing. You're creating situations where the general populace will have no choice but to come to you to learn. It's the only way they'd be able to make sense of all these nonsense business about contracts and banks and whatnot."

"Money isn't what motivates us, Marlo-san," Miote denied with a soft chuckle. "We only want to improve the future of the next generation."

"Hoho, I guess all the apprenticeship fees don't hurt either," Coop pointed out with a snicker. "Hey, since you're so philanthropic, why not make the Academy free?"

Boom!

Violent aura exploded from Miote. His pupils contracted into slits, his fingernails dug into the table as he slowly turned to Coop with the most ferocious glare. "Free?" He tasted the unfamiliar phrase and immediately spat to the side. "Don't ever mention that word again." For a merchant, there was no word more disgusting. The only time it was remotely acceptable, was when it was used in a buy-one, get-one free scam - er, sorry promotion.

"Hehe, then don't bluster," Marlo grunted and displayed a satisfied grin.

Miote snorted and retracted his aura. His trademark soothing smile returned to his face, restoring his harmless, welcoming image. Turning back to Damah Dumm, Miote continued his explanation. "In regards to the matter of creating an extra 100 syros, there are two solutions." Miote raised a finger. "In the short term, we would rely on the sum deposited by larger customers to subsidize the daily withdrawal of the smaller customers. This way, we are free to loan out syros to local businesses. The marked up interest on our loans by the end of the month or year will allow us to not only replenish any funds loaned out, but also make an increased profit."

Damah Dumm nodded. "I see how this can work. What's your long-term solution?"

"We will introduce something called the credit-system." Miote took out a rectangular piece of colored paper and laid it on the table. "Gold, silver and bronze are finite in nature, and extremely limiting to the growth of an economy. The second we exhaust our gold mines, the currency itself stalls. In the future, this tiny piece of paper will substitute for gold and silver coins. It will function as a sort of IOU acceptable at any bank."

"Wait!" Fox interrupted as he bolted upright on his seat. "So what you're saying is, instead of bronze, silver and gold, we would use this paper? That's insane!"

"Maybe it is," Miote agreed with a shrug. "But if we want our economy to experience exponential growth, it is the only logical conclusion. Hard gold is too limiting. We cannot replicate gold to keep up with an advancing economy, but paper, paper we can manipulate."

Damah Dumm stared at the rectangular piece of paper on the table. "Hmm, you will have to give us some time to think about this. This is just too radical, even for me."

"I naturally expected that," Miote acquiesced with a smile. "We still need to run this by the Crown anyway. We cannot casually replace the currency of a country without the government's input. Besides, we need to ensure we are placed under strict regulations imposed by the government before we begin, or we will destroy ourselves with greed."

"A merchant with honor and integrity," Damah Dumm commented with a glint in his eyes. "What a rare combination." He looked at the chesch and gave an approving nod. "I look forward to the formation of this bank of yours. I shall ensure I am the first depositor."

"I agree with Mr. Dumm," the cerulian textile giant, Jon Fox stated. "However there is one glaring issue we have yet to discuss."

"As Fox aptly put, there is indeed one glaring issue," Joanna Frye stated with a shake of her head. She tapped her considerably long fingernails on the stack of papers and questioned with a hard glare. "What're you going to do about security?"

Marlo Coop stroked his beard, his gaze searching the chesch's eyes. "Folks aren't going to feel safe stashing their coin in your bank if it's all gonna be stolen by some random gang of bandits."

"i understand your concerns," Miote admitted. "Currently we have three safety measures in place. The first of which..." he said as he gestured at the mercenary leader, "...are bodyguards consisting of mercenaries from both my guild and Ms. Frye's guild. The second, is the considerable arm of the law itself. The last, and most reliable of all, is-"

"Me."

The merchants turned in unison, their eyes wide with shock as two figures seemingly appeared from a pillar's shadow. Their dark skin immediately gave away their identities as daeben. In a panic, Frye swiftly rose from her chair, her body poised and ready to strike.

"How did you get in here!?" Frye roared. Though her voice was strong and loud, caution remained in her gaze. The fact these two could so effortlessly infiltrate their meeting meant they were no slouches. It would not be wise to blindly confront them without knowing their origins.

"How I got in is of no importance," Kashi stated, taking off his cowl as he walked to the table. "What is important is, I am the solution to your security problem."

Damah Dumm rose from his chair, recognition in his delighted eyes. He walked up to the Maggot Guild-Leader and extended a hand. "I fear we are in the presence of the great Kashi of the daeben." He added with a bright smile, "It is a great honor to finally make your acquaintance."

"The honor is all mine," Kashi responded with a smile of his own. "I have heard many great things about you, Mr. Dumm." Gesturing to the table, he added, "Please do take your seat." Kashi nodded as Damah Dumm returned to his seat with an excited glint in his eyes. He then turned to the other merchants. "Miote has said great things of you all." With a polite bow, he stated, "It is an honor to finally meet in person." He then gestured at the silent Larsial. "This is my associate Larsial. She's a recruit learning the ropes."

"Heh heh," Marlo Coop chuckled. "To think I would ever receive a bow from the great Kashi-dono. My kids at home will finally acknowledge how awesome their father is."

Joanna and Fox were a bit more reticent in their acknowledgment, choosing only to nod politely and mutter a few greetings. Kashi's reputation preceded him. It was no surprise they were wary at his abrupt appearance at their meeting. Until they knew his intentions, they would not relax their guards.

"Kashi-kun," Damah Dunn called as Kashi moved to stand beside Miote. "What is this solution you speak of?"

"Please, Kashi is fine," stated the daeben. With a series of hand motions, a scroll appeared in his hand. Kashi injected a bit of his mana into the scroll and it immediately jumped off his hand. A light surge of mana burst out of the scroll as it magically transformed into a large painting that floated over the daeben's. "The name of this painting is Takahara. It is also a dimension I have complete control over."

Kashi pointed at the painting. "Currently, there are five keys that can link to this dimesion. Meaning, you can establish five banks which will have access to this dimension. All funds collected will be stored in this dimension, which by the way, can only be accessed by those I choose, which right now are only my guild members." Kashi tapped on the table. "I can easily change those entry requirements to be those belonging to the bank. Maybe have some tattoo, or seal to determine approval.

"The dimension only has five entrances, except for this particular painting, which I keep with me at all times. Your security is assured." Kashi scanned the stunned faces. "Any questions?"

"Yes actually," Damah Dumm stated, as he struggled to contain his shock. "How did you come by this dimension painting?"

Kashi grinned. "I painted it."

"What!?" Marlo Coop screamed with shock as he shot off his table. "So, you can paint more of these!?"

"Theoreticall-"

"Fifty Million Syros!" Jon Fox screamed at the top of his lungs as he too shot up to his feet. "Fifty Million Syros for the next one you paint! I don't care if it's the size of a cottage! Just get me one of those!"

"Fifty Million? Jon dear show some sincerity," Joanna scolded with a shake of her head. "100 Million Syros from me!"

Kashi's eyes jumped in shock. The fuck!? He was here to talk about their security. Why the hell did this turn into a bidding war. Also, 100 million? The fuck? Did money grow on trees for these people?

"Yo fearless guild leader, how about dropping the bow and picking up a brush. For the sake of the guild of course."

Kashi instantly backed away from Miote whose eyes had turned to Syros signs. Obviously, rather than Kashi, he was looking at a natural money-making printing press.

"They're not that easy to make!" Kashi shouted over the din of the bidding war. The hall quieted down, allowing Kashi to continue in a calmer tone. "When I do have time to create another, I will let you all know. In the meantime, I take your reactions to mean you are satisfied with the security suggestion?" Rapid nods confirmed his conjecture. "In that case, I suggest you rapidly begin construction of the banks. We should be operational in a month's time." Satisfied with the response, Kashi turned to leave. "I would love to stay and talk some more..." He really wouldn't. "...but I have an appointment I must keep."

With those words, Kashi donned his cowl and escaped the room before anyone could raise an objection, Larsial close behind.

Miote chuckled as he watched the daeben rapidly fleeing back. Indeed, it was as Leila said. Kashi hated the administrative side of running a guild. Well, as long as he kept providing miracles such as that blasted dimension, it was all good...

*********

A/N: Hey Guys, Been a solid month since the last update eh... Well, this time I do have a good excuse. Had to do some intensive research into how banks and insurance companies work exactly, and not the cookie cutter wikipidea shit. Most of what I ended up learning ain't outlined clearly in this chapter because a) it's boring as fuck all, and b) it would end up making the chapter an entire book of its own. 

So, good news is, with this month of research, I shouldn't spend too much time when introducing other financial concepts in the future. Yay. Research for the win.

A lotta word building in this volume. It's that point in the guild's existence where they focus on internal issues rather than external. Don't worry though. There'll still be plenty of action peppered here and there throughout, as well as an explosive ending that's been setting up through the last three volumes.

*********

Picture of the Day