60 – Money
As the evening sky draped Ephiria in hues of twilight, Rose wasted no time dragging me away from the construction site. I could tell from the gleam in her eyes that she was about to corner me with something… practical. That’s the word I’ve learned to use when describing Rose's single-minded focus on money. “Money-hungry” might not sit well with her, after all.
We ended up in a quiet corner of the castle grounds, far from the noise of construction and bickering workers. The tree-castle’s shadow loomed over us as Rose turned to face me, hands on her hips, her expression dead serious.
"Magnus, we need to talk. About the future."
I sighed, already sensing where this was headed.
"I take it this isn’t just a friendly chat?"
"Friendly chat? Ha! Hardly." She gave me a thin smile.
"It’s about the kingdom’s finances. We’ve been leaning heavily on Volkos' treasure. And while that horde could probably finance a small country, we can’t keep spending it like there’s no tomorrow."
She was right, of course. Volkos had amassed a ridiculous amount of treasure over the years, but it wasn’t a bottomless pit.
"So, what’s the plan?" I asked, though I knew she already had one.
"Taxes," she said, matter-of-factly. "We need to establish a proper tax system. And soon."
I raised an eyebrow.
"You’re suggesting we start taxing people? They’ve just started rebuilding their lives, Rose. Volkos bled them dry for years. The last thing they need is to be taxed into the ground again."
She waved a hand dismissively.
"I’m not talking about suffocating them with taxes, Magnus. But we need some form of revenue if we want to keep this kingdom running. We can’t build an economy on goodwill alone."
I crossed my arms, nodding slowly. She had a point, but I wasn’t about to let her set exorbitant taxes on people who were just getting back on their feet.
"All right. What do you propose, then?" I asked, keeping my tone neutral.
"First," she began, ticking off on her fingers, "a land tax. People who own land should contribute. Secondly, we have those mana crystal mines. Taxing their production and eventually their export could bring in a steady flow of income. And finally, trade. We need tariffs on goods coming in and out of various towns and villages."
I grimaced. "You do realize most of these people lost everything, right? They’re still recovering. I’m not opposed to taxes, but we can’t overdo it. Especially not on land and trade. We need to encourage people to grow businesses, not stifle them with heavy taxes."
Rose crossed her arms, her expression sharp.
"We’re not a charity, Magnus. We need to fund the infrastructure, rebuild the economy, and invest in the future. We can’t just rely on the treasure."
"I agree, but I’m thinking long-term," I said. "If we tax businesses less, it’ll attract traders and investors here. Despite Volkos, there are also nobles and rich people on this island, you know. Ephiria is rich in resources, and if we offer smaller taxes for businesses—especially new ones—we could stimulate growth instead of slowing it down."
She seemed to mull that over for a moment. "Smaller taxes to encourage business, huh? That could work. But we’ll need to find a balance. The mana crystal mines will still be taxed heavily, though."
"Agreed," I said with a nod. "We’ll let the mines carry more of the burden for now. But keep taxes on small businesses light, at least until they’re off the ground."
Rose smirked. "Fair enough. I suppose we can find a middle ground on that."
"Good," I said, feeling a little relieved that we weren’t about to crush the kingdom under heavy taxation.
She wasn’t finished, though. "Which brings me to the second issue. Currency."
I blinked. "Currency?"
"Yes, currency," Rose said, like I should have expected this. "We need our own system of money. Ephiria doesn’t recognize Eris, the mainland’s currency, as legal tender. We need to create our own."
I rubbed the back of my neck. "You’re not wrong. But why not just adopt the Eris? It’d save us a lot of hassle."
She shot me a glare.
"Ephiria is different from the mainland. Although it's way smaller, it is really rich in resources. It took me quite a while to figure it out, but with the same amount of money you buy 1 bread on the mainland, you could buy 3 here. It’d put us at a disadvantage. No. Ephiria needs its own currency—something that represents our kingdom."
I thought back to my old life. Japan had a similar issue once. Then it hit me.
"What if we introduced paper money?"
Rose raised an eyebrow. "Paper money? Are you seriously thinking of an IOU?"
"Not quite," I said. "We can use paper currency backed by gold reserves. Instead of lugging around sacks of coins, people could use paper bills, each note representing a specific amount of gold."
Rose seemed to consider this, her fingers tapping her chin thoughtfully.
"And we could back it with Volkos' treasure... I like it. It would make trade much easier, especially if we’re looking to grow Ephiria’s market."
"Exactly," I said. "We can print a set amount of currency, backed by the gold we have in reserve. As long as we don’t overprint, it’ll maintain its value."
Rose's eyes sparkled with excitement. "I knew dragging you out here would be worth it. All right, we’ll create paper currency, backed by gold. I’ll also need to think of a way to prevent counterfeits from rising, but that can wait. Now we just need a name for it."
I thought for a moment. "How about… ‘Stellars?’ Ephiria’s resources are as vast as the stars themselves. And it's short and simple."
"Stellars," Rose repeated, testing the sound of it. "I like it. It’s distinct."
She gave me a satisfied smile, the kind that told me she’d just scored a major win. "Looks like we’re in agreement, then. Taxes, but not too heavy. And a new currency backed by gold—Stellars."
I exhaled, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. "Yeah, I think we can make this work."
Rose gave a little chuckle. "See, Magnus? You’re a natural at this. Just had to nudge you in the right direction."
I couldn’t help but smirk. "I’m sure you enjoyed the nudging."
“Well I’ve got you to keep an eye on the money, after all.”
Rose smirked. “Damn right you do.”
I thought the conversation was winding down, but then Rose’s expression shifted slightly. She became more serious, her voice quieter.
“There’s one last thing. You promised me something, Magnus.”
I frowned, trying to recall. “What promise?”
She folded her arms. “You said I’d be the head of the new church.”
Ah, right. I had promised her that a while ago, back when things were still in chaos.
“I haven’t forgotten,” I said. “But I want to be clear—while I won’t interfere in the various religions of the different races, I do need a church that follows my beliefs too.”
Rose raised an eyebrow, clearly not invested in any religious cause herself.
“You know money is my only religion. But if it means running things my way, I’ll advertise and promote whichever deity you’re loyal to.”
I chuckled. “I figured as much.”
Then, my tone grew more serious.
“The Goddess of Lightning—her name is Iseria. She’s the one I’m loyal to. I want the church to promote her teachings, her way of life. I’m not asking for some massive cult following, but the Goddess has been with me through everything. I owe her that.”
Rose smiled, though it was more of a business smile than anything heartfelt. “Iseria, huh? If recall she wasn't that popular with the Church of Light compared to Solana… But she sounds powerful. I’ll make sure the church is well-funded and well-organized. We’ll push her message out there, don’t worry.”
I gave her a nod of appreciation. “Good. I’ll leave that in your hands.”
“Just don’t expect me to convert,” she added, half-joking. “But I’ll sell the idea of this Iseria like I’m selling the next big thing.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s all I ask.”
With that, we’d settled not only the matter of taxes and currency but also the foundation of the new church. I couldn’t think of a more fitting person to manage it all than Rose—even if she worshiped gold more than any deity.
As we made our way back to the heart of the camp, the weight of our decisions hung in the air. It wasn’t just about taxes or money anymore. It was about building a future—one where Ephiria could stand tall, a kingdom strong in both spirit and wealth.