TtOW! - Chapter 34: Monetary Policy

The group made their way down the hill and towards Castra Turannia, entering from one of the stone parts of the city built in Imperial fashion. The guards here stood at attention, wearing chainmail underneath their cloaks. They halted the trio and insisted on checking NSLICE-00P’s status.

The inside of the barracks was neat and pristine, soldiers sitting quietly around a table without much fuss. A clerk quickly processed the group.

“Hm, a level 26 human, was it?  Are you affiliated with any of the Imperial Knight Orders?”

“Negative.”

“I see.  We’ll have to alert the Captain of the Guard to your presence then, is that acceptable?”

“Affirmative.”

“I see.  Well then, welcome to Castra Turannia, miss.”

They had all raised their eyebrows at NSLICE-00P and her strange armor, but armed visitors from faraway lands were not uncommon in the Empire, if rare in Turannia.  So the Imperial soldiers simply followed the procedure and sent the cyborg on her way.

Everyone knew better than to cause trouble inside the Empire, after all.

And with that, the group officially entered the city.  Like Magnumiter, this part was built in a standardized pattern, only on a much greater scale.  Different people of all shapes and sizes went about their business, holding their cloaks to ward off the rain.

As did Ateia, Taog, and NSLICE-00P.  Unfortunately, after the encounter outside of Magnumiter, they decided it was best to keep a low profile.  Which meant not using magic barriers just to ward off the rain.

NSLICE-00P had managed to acquire a cloak from one of the assailants.  They wouldn’t be needing it, after all.

And so the group wasted no time in finding an inn to stay at.

As Ateia was negotiating the prices, she tilted her head.

“By the way, we saw the comitatenses leaving the city on our way in.  Did something happen?”

The innkeeper nodded.

“Ah, just arrived, huh?  Yeah, someone from the mainland a while back.  Some Imperial bigshot from the mainland, there was a parade and everything.  Word is there’s some trouble going on over there and he was gathering the Legions here to help.  Even put out a bounty to all the Exploratores.”

Ateia frowned at that.

“Then…what will happen if something happens over here?”

The innkeeper also frowned.

“Beats me…and probably beats the Empire.  Sorry lass, but truth is the Empire doesn’t much care about what happens out here.  We’ll just have to hope they finish up whatever’s going on before anything occurs.”

Ateia frowned but nodded.

“Hopefully.  Thank you for the rooms.”

“Anytime, miss.”

The group gathered in Ateia and NSLICE-00P’s room shortly after.  Taog frowned and rubbed his chin.

“If what he said is true…that would explain why the Empire missed that incursion.  Maybe there weren’t any Exploratores on patrol over there.”

Ateia frowned.

“Should we report it then?”

Taog shook his head.

“There’s no point.”

“I mean, I know it’s over with, but it could happen again, right?  Shouldn’t the Empire be informed this is happening?”

Taog shook his head again.

“That’s not what I meant.  Ateia, we aren’t Exploratores yet.  We’re just a couple of kids from some tiny hamlet on the frontier.  What do you think is going to happen if we show up, claim there was an incursion that Seero handled alone…”

“Hey, I helped!”

“...mostly alone, when there’s no way to verify since the incursion is already over?”

Ateia went silent for a bit.  Taog nodded.

“Right?  Let’s just focus on the Exploratores business.”

Ateia nodded and then turned to NSLICE-00P.

“Seero, I just thought of this, but did you want to apply for the Exploratores too?  You’d be guaranteed, I think.”

“Negative.”

“Are you sure?  You, ah, could get some of the resources and authority yourself, if you did that.”

“Explanation: This unit cannot participate in an unaffiliated military hierarchy without approval from a commander.”

Ateia nodded at that.

“I see, then we should discuss our plans now.”

“Affirmative.”

“Well, Taog and I will go and apply to the Exploratores tomorrow.  After that, we’ll start our training.  We should be staying in the area for that but there’s a chance we’ll need to move.  So…Seero, can you stay at this inn while we’re training?”

“Statement: This unit does not require quarters.”

Ateia frowned as she thought of all the nights where NSLICE-00P just stood in the corner watching her sleep.  She shook her head to clear them away.

“We just need a place we can send you a message when we need to meet back up.  You don’t have to actually stay if you don’t want the room, just check in every now and then for messages, ok?”

“Acknowledgement: That reasoning is valid.  This unit will utilize this location as a home base.”

Taog raised an eyebrow, however.

“And do you know where to get money?”

“Negative.”

Taog heaved a sigh.

“You can’t hunt monsters or dive in dungeons, Seero?  We know you’re capable of it.”

“Requesting Elaboration: Monetary compensation can be achieved by terminating monsters and dungeons?”

Ateia and Taog glanced at each other once more.  Taog sighed once again.

“Seero…how did you even live until now?  Well…yes.  All monsters have magic cores inside them, which you can sell.  For the wild monsters some of their parts may be valuable as well.  As for dungeons, dungeon monsters drop magic cores and occasionally loot, you know?  Not to mention treasure chests, which could straight up have money inside them.”

“Requesting Elaboration: Dungeons have money inside them?  Are friendlies Ateia and Taog aware of how dungeons gather financial resources?”

The two frowned.  Ateia spoke hesitantly.

“...no one knows for sure…but the theory is they take it from…the dead.”

“Acknowledged.  Query: If this unit acquires valuable materials, where should this unit deliver said materials to acquire monetary compensation?”

Taog frowned at that.

“If you were an Exploratores you could sell to their HQ…otherwise you can try the market?  Just…be careful Seero.  A lot of people like to take advantage of freelance dungeon divers.”

“Acknowledged.”

Taog’s frown suddenly grew.

“And…you can’t kill them even if they try to rip you off, Seero!”

“Acknowledged.”

“Are you sure about that?!  Promise me, Seero!  Promise me you won’t kill anybody just for trying to rip you off.”

“Acknowledgement: This unit promises she will not terminate anyone for ‘trying to rip her off’.”

Taog heaved a sigh.  He had a horrible feeling about this but what could he do?  Send Ateia off to the Exploratores alone?  He just had to hope NSLICE-00P understood…

“Query: Please define term ‘rip her off’.  This unit assumes friendly Taog is not referring to dismemberment as that scenario is grounds for immediate termination.”

Taog covered his face and groaned.

***

Later that night, after Ateia and Taog had fallen asleep, NSLICE-00P spoke to her subordinates inside the monster hanger.

“Query: Do friendly Rattingtale and Lilussees know how dungeons acquire monetary resources?”

“I mean, like, the human isn’t wrong, or something?  We do, like, take stuff from people if they die, or something.”

“The wretched spider-thing is wrong, yes yes!  We can just create it ourselves!”

“Eh, but that’s, like, so much work, or something.”

NSLICE-00P went ahead and double checked the Item Creation screen at that.

[Item Creation]

• [Weapons]
• [Armor]
• [Artifacts]
• [Consumables]
• [Other]
  • [Valuables]
    • [Idrint: 1 Mana per coin]

NSLICE-00P selected the ‘Idrint’, which subsequently appeared in her inventory.  She took it out in her hand.  A round, golden coin with no markings appeared in her hand.  She could feel a bit of many swirling inside of it.

It was a coin she had noticed her allies exchanging when restocking on supplies, so it seemed she had succeeded.

“Query: Why is it possible for dungeons to produce legal tender?”

Lilussees tilted her head.

“Legal tender?”

“Alternate definition: Culturally relevant monetary resources.”

Um, are you, like, asking why we can make money, or something?”

“Affirmative.”

“Eh, I don’t know.”

Rattingtale rubbed his hands together.

“Ah, I read-saw this in the royal records, yes yes!  Allow this Great-High King of all the land to explain what the wretched spider-thing cannot, yes yes!”

“Shut it, snack.”

“Idrint is-was actually a magical resource, used for enchanting, yes yes?  It is the man-things that decided it is valuable-desirable.”

“Acknowledged.”

NSLICE-00P stared at the coin for a second before putting it back in her inventory, her robotic eye flickering as she did.  The value of the Item Foundry implant had just skyrocketed in her calculations.

Literally.  For the Implant could now produce theoretically infinite value within the local culture.

Of course, as this was a pre-industrial culture there might be limits to the resources she could obtain from them but that was besides the point.  Anything that was available within the culture could be obtained, so long as she had enough time to produce the requisite funds.

Including information.

For the first time in a while, the probability of mission success rose.

“Gratitude: This unit thanks friendlies Excellion Formantus Rattingtale the Third and Lilussees for the intel.”

“Yes yes, I am the most valuable-trustworthy ally, remember that!”

“Like, ok.”

NSLICE-00P scheduled additional calculations with this new variable, and then went into standby-sentry mode for the night.  She would have to come up with a plan for once Ateia and Taog started on their training.

Author’s Note:

Happy Turkey Day for the Americans!  Got one done after all, so here you go!

See Seero?  I told you I’d use all things to make you (O)OP!  Now you’re rich!  Theoretically infinitely rich!

What’s that?

What can you actually buy in this pre-industrial society that’s relevant or useful for an advanced cyborg that pretty much doesn’t need to eat or sleep?

Um…that’s…

Goods and services?

…we’ll come up with some magic stuff eventually, or something.

Anyways!

Will Ateia and Taog start their training safely?  What will NSLICE-00P do with her infinity money?  What is going on in the Empire?  Tune in next time, to find out!