A strange rumor was circulating about the Upperhills boarding school.
‘The Upperhills Foundation wants to become a boarding school specializing in magic.’
This was evident just by looking at the recent guest lecturers who had become a hot topic. Doloren, Magarta Magica, and Isaac Upperhills. They were mages famous for their respective titles: the legendary dragon slayer, the guardian of the Empire, and the standard of the Empire.
With such figures giving special lectures, the public naturally couldn't help but think that the Upperhills boarding school was placing an emphasis on 'magic'. The first to react to this was, of course, the Magic Tower. The topic also came up during teatime for the doctoral mages who happened to be on sabbatical.
"Isaac… it seems that boy has stirred up something again."
The doctor from the School of Classical Alchemy began. The boarding schools that emphasized magic must have been quite surprised. But the doctoral mages in this room were not particularly shocked.
It was for amateurs to be surprised when Isaac did something new. True experts devise new projects based on Isaac's moves before they even have time to be surprised. And there was no way that professors who managed to get sabbaticals were amateurs.
Instead, they were curious about something else.
"Just what did he propose to persuade those two..."
"I know, right. I wonder how much it cost."
"Hey, now. Those two aren't the kind of people to be moved by money."
Neither the Dean nor Doloren were people who could be swayed by something like money.
"Hmm... or maybe they just took it on for fun."
"No. That's definitely not it."
"Hm? Why not?"
"Just last month, Lady Doloren sank dozens of papers on the ‘non-metric system.’ Can you imagine her smiling and teaching children?"
Ahem. Cough, cough.
At his words, the other professors coughed as if they had choked. The Doloren of today was more like a natural disaster. In the sense that it would take a Great Mage to stop her.
But since Doloren herself was a former Great Mage... It was safe to say no one could stop her. For them, there was no choice but to get used to the new world ruled by the metric system.
However, not everyone agreed with the 'Doloren as a natural disaster' frame. A doctor from the School of Water Element Magic, which had benefited the most from the metric system, spoke up.
"Maybe not the doctoral-level mages, but don't the undergraduates and master's students quite like her? Head of School Doloren might secretly have the disposition of a professor."
"Come on. If that were the case, she would have taken disciples long ago. Her only direct disciples are Giuseppe and Isaac, right?"
The others agreed that she had few disciples. Then why on earth did Doloren and the Dean agree to give special lectures? Even with the greatest minds of the Empire gathered, no clear answer emerged.
As the conversation went in circles, a middle-aged doctor cautiously spoke up.
"Speaking of which, my wife had a thing or two to say about this yesterday."
"Hm? What did she say?"
"She asked why such lectures are being held at a school for orphans and not their own boarding school. I mean, why is that my fault!"
At his words, the atmosphere in the room grew cold. It wasn't because they empathized with a family man's crisis. Recently, criticizing anything related to Isaac had become taboo within the Magic Tower.
This wasn't just a matter of the Isaac fanatics who had enrolled this year. It was because the majority of the large-scale research currently underway at the Magic Tower was based on Isaac's theories.
"The temperature difference between inside and outside the Magic Tower is quite significant."
"Tell me about it. The world is changing, but people stay the same."
"Still, they'll change eventually. At this rate, commoners who show an aptitude for magic might even try to take on the Upperhills name."
Just then, a young doctor who had been quietly sipping his tea joined the conversation.
"So, who do they say is next for the Upperhills boarding school special lectures? At this rate, would it be Sir Valerius, who's up in the north?"
An elder doctor shook his head.
"It seems Sir Valerius's mission in the north is being extended."
"Then who is it?"
"Well... I don't know if this is true, but I heard the president of the central bank is going to teach economics."
The doctors' eyes widened.
"What? The bank president?"
"Wait. Wasn't it just for mages? Why are they suddenly targeting other fields?"
They thought he was aiming to be a specialized magic educational institution... but now he was inviting a financial expert. Everyone couldn't help but be puzzled.
"Could it be... that it's not just about magic?"
"What?"
"The Upperhills school might not be trying to be a magic specialty school, but the best among all comprehensive boarding schools."
It was possible that at this rate, even that could be achieved. Of course, Isaac probably had no such intention. Nevertheless, the reason the president of the central bank accepted the offer for a special lecture...
It was deeply related to the circumstances of a certain girl who had failed at investing. * These days, I don't work overtime in the lab. Of course, I don't work overtime only in the lab; I do it elsewhere.
Until evening, I would conduct magic research in my lab, and once the sun set, I would come to the Upperhills Foundation to review the educational curriculum. Laura handled the foundation's administrative work perfectly, but I had to personally oversee the math and science education. To be honest, it was because I didn't quite trust the level of the teachers.
'I thought science would be the problem... but to stumble on math...' I thought everyone who graduated from the Magic Academy would be decent at math, but that wasn't the case. The majority of them were people who used magic through intuition and feel, relying on their Element Affinity as a crutch.
Well, if they had enjoyed rigorous research, they would have gone to the Magic Tower in the first place. Sighing, I lifted my head and saw Anna. My little sister, studying even at this late hour.
So commendable.
I said to Anna.
"Thank you for working so hard even though you have talent, little sister."
"A-are you making fun of me right now?"
Anna looked at me with a hurt expression. What was this? I glanced over at Anna's desk.
[Investment Principles Starting from 10 Gold] "Ah."
Only then did I understand. Saying she had talent while she was reading something like this could certainly sound like sarcasm. I asked Anna.
"Aren't you satisfied with just putting it in a savings account?"
"I do have a savings account, but... I was wondering if a bank is truly safe."
Anna began to preach the harsh realities of capitalism.
"In theory, if everyone tries to withdraw their money at the same time, even a solvent bank can go bankrupt. If the bank fails, who will be responsible for my money?"
"That's true. That's why everyone pays high storage fees to use a personal vault."
"Even using gold coins as a standard is a problem. Because the currency gets damaged, its value is constantly being chipped away over the long term. I feel like this problem needs to be solved..."
Her words certainly had a point. My sister was definitely skilled in theory. Many of the gold coins circulating in the market had their edges slightly shaved off.
Underworld organizations and unscrupulous merchants would chip away at them bit by bit to make a profit.
"If they just put some simple serrations on the edge of the currency, they could prevent the chipping..."
"That's a good point, too."
But despite my acknowledgment, Anna's expression remained dark.
"These illegal scoundrels get rich, while honest investors like me lose money… It feels like the world is so unfair."
Vwoom- Mana began to leak out from Anna's body. Her mana capacity was astounding, as always. If any other mage had been here besides me, they might have fainted.
Pat, pat.
I patted Anna on the back.
"...?"
"Calm down, sister. You've thought of a way to prevent currency damage, but you're frustrated because you don't know a concrete way to implement it, right?"
"Yes. That's right."
"Then how about asking the dwarves to handle this?"
"Dwarves?"
"I know the president of the central bank, so I can move forward with a related project."
Moreover, this was a project the bank president would welcome with open arms. Since it would increase the reliability of the currency, there was no way he would oppose it. And if he did?
I had plenty of things to threaten him with. Since the circulation of the gold coins I received from Doloren wasn't legally prohibited, I could just say I'd terminate all existing contracts and invest the remaining funds directly into my own business.
Inflation?
I'm a theoretical physicist; I don't know about such things. Go consult an economist.
"Ooooh...!"
Anna's eyes sparkled.
"What do you think? Doesn't it sound doable?"
"But... aren't all the dwarves busy building the airship? Will they have the time?"
"I have a plan for that."
Fortunately, the bait to persuade Balkan was already prepared. That side was no problem, so first, I had to persuade the president of the central bank and the imperial family. I sent a brief project proposal letter to the central bank president and Her Highness.
A few days later. Replies came back from both of them. The princess's letter was quite thick.
In that letter...
[Thanks to you, the citizens of the Empire will be able to trust the value of their gold coins without a precise scale and work with the sweat of their brow.]
[Furthermore, we will be able to dry up black money without having to mobilize Great Mages to clean out underground organizations.]
[Why is it that you seek to serve the Empire without ever resting...]
Along with embarrassing flattery like this, there was a message written that she would 'support it wholeheartedly'. So typical of the princess. In contrast, the central bank president's letter was short.
It was a letter stating that he knew the necessity of currency reform and that coordinating opinions would be necessary to make a decision.
[I ask that you take special care with security, as even a rumor of currency reform can cause massive chaos in the market.]
Worries like this were peppered throughout the letter. I moved my eyes to the last sentence of the letter.
[Furthermore, for a more detailed discussion, please come to the Imperial Palace with Miss Anna, the co-proposer, on the date specified below.]
Come to the Imperial Palace. It seemed quite serious.
"So rumors can't be allowed to spread..."
Thinking that something big might be happening, I asked Laura for advice. I could rest assured since she was tight-lipped. Laura read the central bank president's letter and replied.
"It will likely be a secret meeting of the Imperial Privy Council. Her Highness the Princess usually presides over it, so you don't need to worry too much."
"Ah, I see. Thanks for letting me know. That's a relief."
It seemed I didn't need to worry and could just act as I normally would. A few days later, Anna and I prepared our presentation materials and headed to the Imperial Palace. When we entered the conference room we were guided to, I saw some familiar faces sitting there.
The president of the central bank, the Head of the Noble Council, and even the finance minister. And on the seat of honor… was of course the princess…
"You've arrived. Please, sit."
"..."
"..." ...not sitting there, but His Majesty the Emperor.
What is this? My knees bent in a conditioned reflex. Anna quickly followed suit and knelt as well.
"I greet the sun of the Empire, His Majesty the Emperor."
"... I greet His Majesty."
Anna repeated my words.
"Rise. There is no need for such formalities in the Privy Council."
"Thank you for your grace."
"... Thank you."
We cautiously took our seats. Cold sweat trickled down my spine. Did both Laura and the princess deceive me...?
They said His Majesty wouldn't be at the Privy Council. The Emperor put down his documents and smiled.
"I read the proposal with great interest. Carving serrations on the edge of the currency to prevent damage... simple, yet innovative. Isn't that so, sirs?"
The others spoke as if in agreement with the Emperor's words.
"Indeed, Your Majesty. With a serrated pattern, it will be more difficult to counterfeit."
"And the more difficult it is to forge, the larger the equipment needed for production, which will also aid in currency counterfeiting investigations."
"... Since traces of shaving will be identifiable with the naked eye, the currency can be trusted without a scale."
"Yes. We will no longer need to incinerate debased currency at a loss every year."
Looking at the way things were going, it didn't seem like anyone particularly objected. Well, who would argue if the Emperor said he would do it... The Emperor looked our way and spoke.
"I am curious as to the reason for suddenly proposing such a project."
"That is..."
As I was about to open my mouth, the Emperor raised a hand to stop me.
"Isaac. Not you."
"..."
"..."
"I'm not saying I don't trust you, but I want to hear a more human sentiment."
What.
So am I not human? The Emperor's gaze shifted to my sister sitting next to me.
"For now, I wish to hear the intentions of the original proposer."
Anna flinched and hunched her shoulders in surprise.
"I, too, was deeply impressed upon reading [Principia]. Anna Upperhills, the co-author, speak. What is the reason that you, who are so immersed in astronomy, have become interested in currency?"
The Emperor's golden eyes rested on Anna. 'Please, little sister...' I swallowed dryly and looked at Anna.
'Just don't mess this up like Balkan would!' At any other time, it might be different, but when it came to money-related matters, I had very little faith in Anna. A moment of silence passed, and then Anna lifted her head.
My sister's lips parted.
"Because the reliability of currency is directly linked to the well-being of the citizens."
"... Hm. That is a textbook answer. Speak in more detail."
"The value of labor is judged by the purity and weight of the currency. If that weight is secretly being reduced, isn't it the same as weakening the productivity of the entire Empire's people?"
Nod, nod.
The Emperor nodded his head.
"There is a bit of a leap in logic, but one could put it that way."
"I simply wished for the currency not to lose its value."
"..."
"The price of sweat is too heavy to be stolen away by the tricks of criminals on their scales."
At Anna's words, the eyes of the central bank president grew moist.
He muttered.
"My goodness..."
With a little more persuasion, he seemed ready to give a special lecture at our school. He seemed full of humanity, having lost only his hair. '... He only spoke of business matters in his letter, yet he's emotional about the strangest things.'
If the Empire had abolished the gold standard and introduced fiat currency, this kind of common man's man probably wouldn't have risen to such a high position. Though technology may have been lagging, there was still romance left in this world. The other attendees also seemed to empathize with Anna's words.
Perhaps it was rarer to try and read ill intentions in the words of a girl in her early teens. My sister's desperate struggle to create the safest investment in the world was on the verge of being disguised as a humanitarian spirit. The Emperor said to Anna.
"‘The price of sweat is heavy’... for a child who hasn't even lost all her baby fat, you have realized a great deal at an early age."
At the Emperor's words, Anna's body stiffened.
"You take after your brother, though you are not of the same blood."
"You... you praise me too highly."
The Emperor chuckled and continued.
"Of course, it seems there's a little bit of a personal situation mixed in with this matter… but that shouldn't matter."