The Lesser One Arc 2 Version 2 Chapter 1: Training Arc

 

Training Arc

I duck underneath the flying kick. Wind sweeps past me. Off balance, I stagger backwards to put distance in between myself and him.

Sebastian motions with his right hand. “Not good! Put pressure on your opponent!” He aims a jab at me.

I block the jab with a swish of my hand. It’s a new move that I just learned. Sebastian’s fist slips past me. I stagger again.

Sebastian backs up and bounces on his feet. “Good!” He charges at me, catching me in a grapple.

I fall to the ground. Sebastian pins me and bends my elbow almost to the breaking point.

“Ow!” I shout as pain shoots through my arm.

Sebastian lets go and stands up. He continues bouncing on the balls of his feet. “You were too stationary. You could have stepped aside, or you could have come to meet me.” He pulls a few punches in the air and then sets himself.

“Come at me.”

I inch towards Sebastian. He is still bouncing on the balls of his feet. “You’re too slow!”

I charge at him, holding my hands out as I run.

Sebastian sidesteps me and slams my neck with his palm. I hit the ground, rolling over.

“Ahhh!”

Sebastian steps away. “Up!”

I crawl to my feet. “Okay.”

“Come!”

I take a hesitant step towards Sebastian. “What now?”

“You figure it out!” Sebastian wiggles his fingers.

I charge Sebastian. Just as he is about to grab me, I twist my motion and hit him from the side. Sebastian twirls and, using a judo technique, slams me to the ground.

I cough. Saliva flies from my open mouth.

“Up!”

I stand up. My whole body aches.

Sebastian motions. “Come at me!”

I think for a moment about what I’m going to do. I take a deep breath.

I charge. Just as Sebastian is about to grapple with me, I turn aside and slam my hand against his leg.

Sebastian falters. I disengage.

Sebastian is grinning. “You are understanding! Come at me once more!”

I shake my hand a few times to get the tingles out. I sprint towards Sebastian and slam into his chest. Using my hands as grapples, I push him to the ground.

Sebastian locks his legs into mine as we fall, twists his body, and ends up on top. “No good!” His face is inches from mine. “You weren’t watching your opponent.” He disengages.

I cough again and stand up. My whole body aches.

Sebastian makes the “come at me” motion for the umpteenth time this session.

I wipe spittle from my mouth. My hand comes back covered in blood. I circle Sebastian a couple of times.

Sebastian’s eyes track me. His body moves, one foot staying put, the other rotating as Sebastian watches me.

I run towards him.

Sebastian strikes at me with his right foot.

I duck underneath and perform a running roll, popping up right next to him.

Sebastian’s eyes flicker to mine. He ducks underneath me and grabs my legs. Using my momentum more than his own, he slams me onto the ground face-first. My nose cracks.

I am on the ground. I turn over and stare up at Sebastian.

Sebastian’s grin is almost evil. He is a devil, after all. Sebastian holds out his hand.

I grab it. He lifts me to a standing position. Taking a potion out of his pocket, he hands it to me.

I drink it. My nose uncracks. The blood coming from my mouth stops.

“Thanks.”

Sebastian snaps his fingers and a devil whose name I do not know drags a whiteboard to where he is standing.

“Here’s what you did wrong.” We spend the next half hour going over the session. When we are done I am absolutely trashed.

“You have your meeting with Crayton.”

“I don’t think he wants to see me.”

Sebastian sighs. “You’re going to have to talk with him sometime. I know he’s in a funk because of his daughter, but you do have a contract that you must fulfill with him before you go back to your home.”

I sigh. “I know. I’m sorry. I’ll try my best.”

I walk into the changing room. We are in a dojo that we’ve rented out near the Esmex building. Ever since the end of the Wales portal ordeal, Sebastian has insisted that I learn how to fight. I always get my head beaten in, but I have been improving.

I put on my suit in the changing room and make sure I look the part in the mirror. When I am satisfied, I leave the room. Sebastian is next to me, also in a suit. We exit the dojo and head back to the Esmex building. We take the elevator to the penthouse floor.

When the doors open, two men in black ninja outfits are standing in the hallway.

The one on the right performs a flip, jumping off the wall, and aims a kick at me. I dodge. The ninja slams into the back of the elevator. Sebastian engages the ninja with a grapple. The elevator door begins to close.

“I’ll handle this one!” Sebastian yells to me while the doors slide shut.

I face the second ninja, holding my feet in a stable back stance. “What do you want?”

The ninja sniffs. “You can’t see Mr. Crayton. He doesn’t want to be visited.”

“That’s not news to me.”

The ninja scoffs. He pulls out some nun chucks and flips them around his body. They whistle through the air with alarming speed. I conjure a katana. It’s the first weapon I could think of in this situation—and I don’t know how to use it.

The ninja sprints towards me. I step aside, but the ninja stops on a dime and whips a nun chuck at me. I just manage to duck underneath it. The whistle of the weapon through the air sends adrenaline pumping along my veins. The world slows.

I twist my body as I am recovering from the duck. Using the sword as balance, I slam my fist into the stomach of the ninja as he passes by.

The ninja staggers, rolls, and pops up facing me on the elevator side. I hold my katana in front of me.

“Stay back.”

The ninja flips his nun chucks. “I’m not getting paid to stay back.”

I take a deep breath, still holding my katana out. “Then I’m going to have to kill you.”

It’s the first time I’ve ever said anything like that.

The ninja scoffs. “Not likely.” He flips his nun chucks and releases one of them, sending it straight at me.

I swipe my katana. The nun chucks become tangled around the blade. The force of the hit sends me reeling backwards.

The door to Crayton’s office opens and a third ninja steps out.

“Hey, you—” The third ninja sees me and grabs me by the neck.

I struggle. The ninja knocks my blade out of my hand. It clatters to the ground.

“You’re Markus, aren’t you?” The third ninja’s voice is female.

“Who are you?” I decide to try and stall. If I can get them to answer a few questions, then Sebastian will have time to get here. It takes a not-insubstantial amount of time and concentration to summon devils from my zone. Under these circumstances, I won’t be able to call them from the zone fast enough. Even the beings form the Wales portal I absorbed won’t be here fast enough.

And there seems to be some sort of anti-spirit zone in place anyways. My katana disappears in a flash of light a few seconds after hitting the ground.

The female ninja holds a blade to my throat. “My boss wants to meet you.”

“Are you with the Silverbones?” I choke out the question through her grip.

“I work for an employer who fits that description, yes.” The female ninja’s words sound smug to me.

“Tell me more about him.”

“I’m sorry, I can’t.” The ninja slits my throat. I black out.

When I wake up I am tied to a slab in the middle of a dark room with only one source of light. A shadowy figure is sitting on a chair facing me.

“Why am I not dead?” I am able to speak, even though the last thing I remember was my throat being cut.

“Because I don’t want you to be.” The voice of the shadowy figure is deep, that of a male. “I want to make you an offer. I will let you go if you give me only one thing.”

“Who are you?”

“You don’t need to know that.”

“What do you want from me?”

The figure shifts. “I want you to do something.”

I do my best to turn my head, in order to see where I am. I am unable to. “Tell me, then. Get it over with.”

“I want you to wake up Alice.”

“What?” I am dumbfounded. “But that’s something that I want to do anyways!”

“When you learn the truth of things, you will change your thoughts on the matter.” The figure leans forward. “My name is Biren. I will have my helpers leave you with a way to contact me if you have any questions.”

“Are you one of the silverbones?”

“Why yes, I am.” The figure leans back. “And that’s all you need to know. I have a couple of friends who dislike you much more than I do. They’ll probably be sending a few underlings after you every now and then. Just to keep you on your toes.” The figure turns away. “By bye now.” The room fills with gas and my eyes go dark.

When I wake up I am laying in the gutter right outside the Esmex building. I stand up, my whole body shaking, my ears ringing.

Sebastian runs out of the building, his face filled with fear and apprehension. “Oh, master!” He kneels before me. “I failed you! I was unable to protect you!”

“You didn’t fail me, Sebastian.” I bow towards him. “You saved my life by preparing me for what was about to happen. If it weren’t for your training, I wouldn’t have been able to make it.”

Sebastian grabs me by the shoulders. “I don’t know what I would have done if I had been the one to lose you.”

“Yeah? I wonder about that. Won’t you just change masters to the one who kills me?”

“No, of course not!”

“Really?” I sigh. “Well, now’s not the time for revelations like this. I need a bath.”

“I will send your clothes to the cleaners.”

Something suddenly strikes me—a realization. “Crayton!” I rush to the elevator. It appears that everyone in the lobby is calm. So nothing big has happened. I take the elevator to the penthouse and run through the corridor where I fought the ninjas. I burst into Crayton’s office. There is nothing. The place is a mess, filled with empty ramen cups, six packs of beer, and other general filth. And there is no Crayton.

A single index card lies on the counter. It reads:

“You think it’s this simple? Think again.”

I hold the card up to the light to see if there are any clues. There are none.

Sebastian steps up behind me. “May I see that card?”

I hand it to him. “Sure.”

Sebastian takes it and looks it over. “It appears ordinary.”

“Someone has kidnapped Crayton.”

Sebastian grits his teeth. “This is my fault. I am the one who allowed myself to be trapped in that elevator. If I had stayed with you, I could have helped you defeat the shinobis and save Crayton.”

“We don’t know that he was kidnapped at that point. He could have been long gone. He hasn’t contacted anyone since he started being depressed and not letting anyone into his office.”

Sebastian bows. “I will do anything in my power to help you find this man.”

I look at the index card. “We’re in for a crazy ride here.”

 

A landscape of associations: what does thought look like?

 When I think about a subject, there are three steps to my mind's retrieval of information about said subject. First is the high-level archival search that spreads through my mind and locates all relevant pieces of information. I choose one of those pieces, and it enters step two: visualization. I imagine a landscape that in some way represents the thought or piece of information and everything related to it. If it is something to do with koalas, for example, I see a koala on a tree in my mind. I then focus in onto one of the elements of the visualization and my mind generates a "notes" list about that element. For example, I'll focus here on the tree the koala is hanging on. Did you know that there are hundreds of species of eucalyptus, but the koala only eats about thirty of them? Did you know that eucalyptus is poisonous to other animals? Et cetera et cetera. 

Then my mind opens hyperlinks to other things that are related to the information I just retrieved.

I have two ways of internalizing a subject. First is the deep connection method. If I learn something new about a subject that fits into my model of the world, it sticks like flies to fly paper. My second way of internalizing a subject is the "cud" model of assimilation. When I discover a new thought or a piece of information that will require effort to retain, I spin it through my mind's focus engine for a couple of rotations. After I chew the intellectual cud enough, it becomes part of my association network. 

I feel as if my mind is a complex, rotating object that spits information out and reprocesses it. At the same time, it is an empty ocean filled with small points of entry that will let loose a large amount of material. 

How does your mind work? Do you even see inside your own head the way I do? 

Why fiat and commodity currency are not so different after all

 Before 1964, all US quarters were made of (mostly) silver. Paper money was just a promise that silver would be given to you upon request. While gold and silver are pretty, and are useful in many applications, it is their scarcity that makes them valuable.

Here I must go into a bit of monetary theory. I will put forth that money's worth is based on its scarcity. It does not matter where that scarcity comes from. This is a fundamental underpinning of what I will present next. 

The reason why commodity money is seen as "more real" than fiat currency is only because precious metals' scarcity is natural, not artificial. A government has a hard time inflating a precious metal or commodity currency, and thus people trust it, as the only player in the currency's inflation rate is the Earth itself--though there are many ways around this. 

I will present, as an example, what happening in California during the gold rush. Everything there was ten, twenty times the price, in gold, of what it was in other places around the nation. This is because, in this instance, gold was inflated. It fell prey to the same failures that people attribute to fiat currency. 

Again, imagine if someone were to bring back a metal-rich asteroid in a world where money was still tied to the price of gold. The price of gold would drop to almost nothing, and the entire monetary system would fall apart. Hyperinflation would reign.

I believe that commodity money is useful for securing trust in the entity that issues that currency. It makes money harder to inflate. This mattered more before centralized governments handled by monetary experts with advanced degrees and (hopefully) high qualifications as economists. Fiat currency's scarcity is artificial, but with a government that is smart, that shouldn't make a difference. The scarcity of a dollar bill is the same basic scarcity as an ounce of gold. There are only so many of them around. 

I believe that fiat currency is better suited to modern western democracies, as they allow the government the freedom to play with the monetary supply. This matters, as it allows the government to employ Keynesian economics to the economy without having to divest huge stores of material. You may call this a bad deal, but as long as trust remains and the government in question is relatively honest, this can only be a good thing. Fiat currency is not tied to the whims of the Earth itself. As long as the government printing the money remains less erratic than the Earth itself, then fiat currency is a smart choice.  

It's impossible to exploit someone voluntarily

 I keep seeing memes on reddit about "worker exploitation" being the reason why billionaires made their money. But what, exactly, do the posters mean by "worker exploitation?" What, exactly, is exploitation in the first place? My mother is an employment lawyer who has spent her entire career dealing with worker-business relationships, and not once in her case law (that she's told me) have I heard of actual exploitation. 

I'm not talking about minimum wage factory workers or janitors. If you think being paid minimum wage or just above it to work on an assembly line is exploitation, then you obviously have not understood the depths to which humanity can go when it comes to forced labor. Example: slavery of any kind is worker exploitation. Being forced to work grueling jobs without being paid and most likely without being fed properly without your consent is exploitation. Not voluntarily working at a factory for minimum wage. 

By continuing to work at your job in modern America, you are complicit. You can terminate your employment at any point. Homelessness is, by far, the worst that can happen to you if you do quit your job. 

And there are a million things worse than homelessness in America. I'm talking gulag. I'm talking being a woman, who has just given birth, who is forced to work the fields at a collective farm with her placenta still hanging out, dragging behind her. (This actually happened in communist China.) I'm talking working under the whip. That's worker exploitation. You may argue that there are sweatshops in developing countries; those are the workers who are being exploited! Well, no, not technically, as they are still being paid. While they may not be paid much compared to modern American standards, they are still earning money. They are being compensated for their work. And I do believe that, under most modern governments, companies are not allowed to force labor or compliance. The ones that do are the exception, not the rule, and they are actively being eliminated by many different organizations, both government and otherwise.

Voluntary work for pay, no matter how small compared to our standards, is not exploitation, but rather a trade that benefits both sides. Real exploitation happens when a worker is forced to do something against their will without being compensated in any real way. Think gulags and work camps. One company that comes to mind that has actually exploited workers is Mitsubishi. During WWII, Mitsubishi used forced American prisoner of war labor in their supply chains. So I'm not saying that companies never exploit their workers. I'm just saying that calling minimum wage to do a difficult job voluntarily "exploitation" only makes sense when we consider our modern American privilege. The next time you hear someone call a billionaire a villain for "exploiting" their workers, check your privilege. You don't know what real worker exploitation feels like.

Change how you think about taxes.

 Here's the conventional way to think about taxes: the government takes money from the individual or corporation and adds it to a balance sheet that they keep, and then they spend the money on that balance sheet, plus some extra, to do things. 

I think that this view of taxation is actually flawed in a way I will explain in this article. I will put forth my new way of viewing taxes here.

The government has the ability to print money whenever they want, as much as they want, but the consequences of that action (namely, inflation) keep the government from doing as such. So they take money from individuals and corporations in order to pay for their expenditures.

Except, this isn't how it works if you flip it on its head. In math, your reference point matters as much or more than the transformations you do to it. The government isn't taking your money in order to pay their expenses; it's taking your money to remove money from the monetary pool, thus allowing them to add money back to the pool with minimal inflation. 

To clarify, the government doesn't take money. It deletes it, and then creates it again when it injects it back into the economy through expenditures. The government isn't managing a budget like a normal household is; that is, money in, money out. They are managing a money supply; that is, money out, money in. Any tax revenue is actually money deleted from the money supply. Any expenditures is money added back into the money supply. 

I like to think of the book Ender's Game, where a critical plot point hinges on the players believeing that their enemy's gate is down instead of to the side, thus allowing them to better act using spatial kinesthetic senses. When you consider taxes to be deletions from the money supply instead of the government actually gaining money on some account book, it allows you to more easily imagine exactly what that money is doing to the government and the economy. 

And I just think that it's an interesting thought experiment. I believe this flip of perspective could be helpful in pointing out critical flaws in government and other people's ideas of what government is for. In the end, I think this way of viewing taxation and spending is a useful tool, though I don't yet know what it could be used for. 

The Special Economic Zone Chapter 14: A New Beginning

 

The Second Beginning

Aki stood next to the horse-drawn carriage that would take them to Albern. Jolly and Yeer stood next to her, kitted out with all-new dwarven armor and weapons. They looked a proper force with their uniforms. Aki turned to them.

“Are you ready, soldiers?”

“Yes, Ma’am.” The two new adventurers saluted.

Aki stomped her foot. “Then climb aboard.”

The three of them climbed onto the carriage and set out for Albern. About two hours into their journey, they passed through the mountain road that led out of Farrow Dells. Conversation was sparse in the first few hours of the journey. The road was not well-maintained and the ride was bumpy enough to cause Aki discomfort. She hoped that Thorn would get around to improving the roads. When they crested the mountain and started going down its western side, Jolly asked Aki a question.

“Do you have any family?”

Aki grimaced. “Under normal circumstances I would kill someone who asked me that.”

“But we’re not under normal circumstances.” Jolly pushed forward with a brave face.

Aki snorted smoke from her nose. “Red dragons live for thousands of years. So every family is big, and complicated.” She stared out the window for a while. “We tend to stay alone.”

Jolly nodded her head vigorously. “Yes. As a rabbit person I have many family members. We sometimes don’t get along, but we always care about each other.”

Aki made a face. “I don’t deign to care about what happens with the family of anyone. It’s not my business.”

Jolly clapped his hands together. “You are powerful and wise. I do not understand your reasoning but I know you are much wiser than I.”

Aki wrinkled her nose. “Flattery won’t get you anywhere.”

Jolly shook his head. “I’m not trying to flatter you.”

Aki pulled her tobacco pipe out of her bag of holding and sparked it.

Jolly looked at the pipe with folded ears. “I have never seen such a thing.”

“It is a kind of weed grown by the halfling race.” Aki took a deep puff. “It is quite toothsome.”

Jolly’s ears tilted. “That does not look very appetizing.”

“You don’t smoke for flavor.” Aki puffed. “You smoke for the experience.” Aki took a bottle of fine wine from her bag of holding, as well as three wine glasses.

“If you are to travel with me,” Aki removed the wine’s cork carefully, as it was old, “You must get used to luxury.” She poured herself a glass. The carriage was bumpy, but Aki’s coordination was superb. The liquid barely moved at all in the glass.

“I would never think to drink such high quality wine.” Jolly shook his head.

Yeer nodded in agreement. “Please, do not waste such good drink on simple commoners such as us.”

Aki swirled her wine glass. “Luxury is meant to be experienced. And it is an experience best done with others.” She poured two glasses. “Drink.”

Both Jolly and Yeer took their glasses with careful motions. Yeer looked at her glass with a questioning expression on her face. “I am not good with wine, but is this from the Yelvar region of Corint?”

Aki raised an eyebrow. “Why yes it is. Are you familiar with that particular region?”

“My former master also enjoyed wine. I was tasked with collecting and organizing his wine cellar.”

Aki laughed, and took a drink. She lowered the glass. “You do know about wine! Do not be humble about your skills.”

Yeer bowed her head. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Good.” Aki finished her glass. She looked at the empty vessel for a few seconds before slipping it back into her bag of holding. The carriage came to Albern Valley and passed by endless fields of wheat, dotted by the occasional village. Eventually traffic built up. They traveled to the city of Albern, which rose out of the central plain with walls twenty meters high. The massive main gates were visible from two miles away.

They came to the city entrance. When it was their turn to go through the checkpoint, Aki looked at herself in her pocket mirror to make sure her affect was correct. Then she slipped it into her pocket. “As we practiced.”

The guard stopped the carriage. “Halt. Where are you from?”

“Farrow Dells.” Aki stepped out of the carriage. “Under authority of Mayor Thorn of the Special Economic Zone.”

The guard appeared surprised. “I have never heard of such a place. Isn’t Farrow Dells the location where the Great Red Dragon lives?”

“Yes. The Special Economic Zone has the backing of Akkandocastulcar, guardian of Farrow Dells.”

The guard scratched his head. “Well, I’ll be pipped. I’ll have to talk to my superior about what to do about this. Do you mind holding on in a side room while I do that?”

“If we must.” Aki waved the carriage into a small stall inside the gate.

They waited inside the small room for about half an hour. The door opened and a fat, burly man with a thick mustache stepped in. He spat. “Keep your slaves on a leash.”

Aki grinned, showing her teeth. “They aren’t slaves.”

The man laughed out loud. “What a find! You must be crazy. Farrow Dells? Hah. Like anyone could subdue the Great Red Dragon.”

Aki stood up, unleashing her entire aura. “Say that again.”

The man cowered. “Okay, okay. Please don’t kill me.”

Aki showed her teeth again. “Then don’t poke me.”

The man coughed, rubbing his mouth. “I have looked into the paperwork and there is no principality known as the Special Economic Zone in Farrow Dells.”

“We’re a new state.” Aki crossed her arms.

The man grimaced. “The King has not recognized you. If you continue to claim such nonsense as a new barony being opened in Farrow Dells, I will have to bring you to a higher authority.”

Aki grabbed the man and slammed him against the wall. “You will let us in, and you will give us the proper paperwork.”

“Bah.” The man collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily. “It’s your funeral.” He handed Aki three cards. “Take them. Go register yourselves at the adventurer’s guild. I’m not responsible for what the Duke will do to you. He’s been mad ever since his slaves were stolen, and is not in a forgiving mood.”

Aki showed her teeth. “Thank you, kind sir.” She waved to Jolly and Yeer. “Let’s blow this joint.”

They returned to their carriage and crossed the city, reaching the guild house in about another half hour. Aki kept watch to make sure no one was following them.

When they were at the entrance to the guild house, Aki slipped two aura reducing rings onto her fingers. Her aura changed to about that of a level twenty warrior adventurer.

She had been in Albern many times before. At one point she had considered leveling the place with dragonfire, but that was before she had matured. She had been a firebrand in those days, and smiled at the memory.

They entered the guild house. No one appeared to notice them enter—it was not uncommon for new adventurers to arrive in the city, looking for jobs.

Aki approached the counter. “Hello.”

The receptionist smiled. “My name is Eila. Welcome to the Albern adventurers’ office. How may I help you?”

“We’re looking to register as an adventuring party.” Aki handed Eila the three cards.

“Okay. Temporary adventurers’ visas. I can accept those.” Eila stamped them and filed them away in a drawer. “I will now cast the appraisal spell.” Eila held up her hand. “Isith lem soranil.” The paper underneath her hand glowed.

“You are currently at level twenty. You have been assigned the rank of C.”

Eila completed the appraisal for Jolly and Yeer as well. “Okay. You both are E rank.” She smiled. “Please, have a nice day, and ask me if you need any help with anything.”

Aki leaned onto the counter. “Hey. Do you know of any merchants who want to make a lot of money selling goods?”

Eila raised an eyebrow. “Where?”

“There’s a new city being built in Farrow Dells. A Special Economic Zone. No tariffs, no sales tax, minimal regulation.”

“That sounds wonderful.” Eila smiled sweetly. “And too good to be true. Try selling that line elsewhere.”

Aki sighed. “Your loss.”

A white-haired man with a large beard approached Aki. “You said something about a special economic zone?”

“The Special Economic Zone. It’s a city where commerce is not taxed, and where you can sell anything at any price. A land of promise for merchants.”

The man chuckled. “I’ll bite. Give me a map and I’ll be on my way.”

Aki handed the man a map.

The man waved as he walked away. “Thanks!”

Aki watched the man leave the guild house. “Well that was quick.”

Eila’s smile faltered. “You don’t appear very suspicious, but for him to take it at face value …”

“Well, despite however trustworthy you may consider me to be,” Aki shrugged, “There’s always people who chase after rainbows.”

Eila bowed. “Those are wise words.”

Aki motioned with her hand. “Come on, Jolly, Yeer. If we can do a big job we’ll be able to increase our renown easily.” She walked to the board and picked the biggest monster hunt she could find. “Here we are.”

“Ma’am.” Eila called from across the room. “That is an S class job. I don’t believe you are strong enough for it.”

The whole room looked at her. Aki smiled sweetly. “If we die, then so be it.” She shoved the paper into her bag of holding. “Come on, Jolly, Yeer. We’ll do some powerleveling before we try this out.”

“Powerleveling?” Yeer’s ears flapped.

“Yes. We need to raise your levels high enough so you don’t get one-hit KO’d by the Frost Dragon’s attacks.” Aki looked at the drawing on the paper. “Hey, that’s Drukharniumatita. I know that guy. He’s kind of an idiot but he’s super powerful.” Aki shrugged. “Well, I suppose I could give him a call and see why he has a hit out on him at the adventurer’s guild.” She waved at Jolly and Yeer. “By the end of the week you two will be equivalent to this place’s level A.”

They left the building and entered the streets. Aki led them out of the city and into the countryside. She took off both of her aura suppressing rings. “We’re going to do some ghoul calling.” She snapped her fingers and a bell appeared in her hand, which she rang with a flick of the wrist.

The world was blanketed in a thick fog. The sound of crunching feet resonated through the air. Yeer and Jolly held their weapons up, holding close to Aki.

Aki grinned, snapping her fingers again. “Go for it! Hit these boys for all they’re worth!”

Dozens of ghouls rose from the ground and delved out of the mist, hands held out in front of them.

Yeer yelled and charged the monsters.

“Yes, that’s it!” Aki clapped her hands, and then stomped her foot on the ground. A pillar of rock rose underneath her, giving her a view of everything around the fog. She watched as Yeer and Jolly struggled against the waves of ghouls.

“Yes, that’s it! That’s how you use your sword!”

Jolly was covered in light, indicating that he had leveled up. Soon after Yeer leveled up as well.

“We have plenty of time!” Aki placed a rock on the stone next to her. “We’re just getting started here!”

Yeer and Jolly fought hard for several hours. Aki dispersed the ghouls with a snap and jumped down from the tower.

[Diagnose?]

[Yes.]

[Yeer: LVL 14 Warrior.]

[Jolly: LVL 20 Sorcerer.]

Aki grinned. “You sure are leveling quick.”

Jolly panted as he held his hands on his knees. “We’re going to be doing this for another week?”

Aki slapped Jolly on the shoulder. “About right. By the time we’re done you’ll both be level fifty.”

Jolly groaned. “Oh, man.” He grimaced “Well, it beats being a slave.”

The Special Economic Zone Chapter 13: Switcharoo

 

Switcharoo

Rea stood in front of the temporary council in their open-air arena.

“Our food reserves are getting dangerously low. We won’t be able to harvest for another five months. We need to find ways to import more food.”

There was a commotion.

Thorn stood up. “What we need to do is spread the word that we have money and trade goods. If we get a few people, human or not, interested in selling their goods here, we won’t even have to try to procure food on our own.”

“That’s optimistic!” Pearl rose from his chair and slammed his fist. “That’s just what you think.”

Thorn shook his head. “How much food reserves do we have?”

“Enough for one more week.” Rea read off of a piece of paper.

“Then that’s good. I will send parties who will go into various human cities, posed as adventurers, and spread rumors about a new civilization in Farrow Dells.”

“Don’t you think someone else, someone less critical to the running of our city, should go instead?” Cass stood up, his arms crossed.

“I believe this is something that I should send Aki to do. I think she’s the best for the job.”

Rea sighed, sitting back down. “Election day is tomorrow. Everyone, be ready.”

There were a few more items on the docket, but eventually Thorn was able to return to Aki’s house and work on his pet project, the printing press.

Sally followed Thorn into the house as well. She looked at the unfinished printing press with awe.

“I don’t know how to read.” She hung her head. “I’m sorry.”

“We’ll have to set up a school system.” Thorn played with a bolt on the printing press. “One of the positions on the election docket is master of education. Whoever gets elected to that role will be the one to ask about that.”

Thorn spent the rest of the day working with Aki on building the printing press.

The next morning he got up early and headed to the town square. The main courthouse and administrative building had not yet been completed. Thorn watched as a trickle of people, and then eventually a flood, filed past the election box with their tickets. Each person put in a single ticket with their votes written on it. There were X positions to be filled. Two bodyguard demi-humans in full armor followed him wherever he went.

[Would you like to utilize the fantasy abstractor?]

Thorn was used to hearing that voice in his head by now.

[Yes.]

[There are X positions on the docket. Senators: 11. Members of the house: 9. Administrative duties: 4. Vice mayor: 1.]

Thorn sat down on a wooden chair and watched the process. By noon everyone had cast their vote.

The counting of ballots was done by Aki, Ron, and Rea, as the standing members of the Supreme Court. When they were done, they made the announcements. Every seat had been filled.

Aki approached Thorn, trailed by the person who had won the position of vice mayor. It was a bunny girl named Isabelle. She had brown fur with white spots and long whiskers. She held out her hand.

“I am happy to be able to work with you.”

Thorn shook her hand. “Do you have any previous experience in leadership?” He had been paying attention to the election, but her win was a surprise to him.

Isabelle nodded. “Yes, sir. I was the leader of my tribe before we were enslaved.”

Thorn nodded. “Good. I need to talk to you for a while to establish our policy.”

“If you wish.” Isabelle and Thorn entered the newly completed office wing of the main administrative building. He sat her down. Aki watched, standing behind her. The two demi-human guards stood by the doorway, holding their spears with sharp poise.

Thorn spent the next few hours reviewing his policy on everything he imagined would be important. When he was finished he stood up and shook hands with Isabelle. He left the office wing and returned to the half-done senate building. There, he stood up on the stage and presented Isabelle. He also greeted the new senators and members of the house, getting to know each of their names. Finally, he introduced himself to the four administration members: the education minister, the infrastructure minster, the policy minister, and the chief of police. Everyone seemed to be cordial when they interacted with him.

Thorn sat everyone down and stood on the stage. “Thank you for participating in this greatest of experiments.”

###

Aki stood beside Thorn, wondering what his purpose really was. As his first companion, the one who met him when he had first appeared in this world, she knew that she was the one who understood him most. And yet she didn’t understand him at all. Why had he created a government that was going to phase him out before long? Why did he insist on splitting his own powers instead of consolidating it?

Aki didn’t understand at all. And yet she knew that Thorn had the most interesting idea that had ever come out of humans: the idea that commerce should be unrestricted and without limitation.

Frankly, she smelled treasure. And dragons loved treasure.

When Thorn’s speech was done, Aki returned to her small temporary abode after making sure his guard consignment was properly organized. She put a kettle on the fire and sat down at her makeshift table. Eventually she would cart all of her valuables to the city, but she needed a good hiding spot before she would even consider moving her treasure. She was also very happy that Thorn had never once asked her for a loan of any kind.

That was one of the reasons she followed him. That, and the fact that he could uppercut her into the dream world if he wanted to.

The kettle whistled. Aki took it off and made herself some of her favorite tea. She examined the newly built printing press as she drank.

There was a knock at the door. Aki stood up and looked through the peephole. It was Rea.

Aki opened the door. Rea entered, brushing her feet on the welcome mat. Rea looked at the tea on the table and sniffed. “Do you have any of that Earl Grey left?”

“Of course I do.” One of Aki’s most treasured categories of treasure was rare teas. And rare teas were meant to be enjoyed. She poured a cup of Earl Grey for Rea. The two sat opposite each other, sipping their tea.

“I wonder when our first court case is going to happen.” Rea sipped.

“Not for some time. We still need to establish a minor court. We are the highest law in the land, after all.”

Rea chuckled. “Though it isn’t much of a land yet.” She put her teacup down. “I think Thorn may be serious about sending you on a mission.”

“You think so?” Aki put her cup down as well. “There is the food shortage. Do you think that’s what he expects me to fix?”

“He is very heavy on letting other people do the hard work.”

“I believe that it is better termed delegation and division of labor. Let people do what they’re best at.”

Rea shrugged. “Well.” She stood up. “It was nice having tea with you.”

“Goodbye.”

Rea left the house. Aki filled her teacup up with more tea. About ten minutes later there was another knock at the door. Aki opened it.

Thorn stood in the doorway.

“How can I help you?” Aki ushered Thorn inside.

Thorn sat, holding his hands in his lap. “I need you to help with the food problem. I believe that the best way to fix it would be to engage private enterprise.”

Aki pursed her lips. Thorn was always talking about private enterprise like it was some sacred cow. She did love treasure, but she was more of the type to take what she needed, when she needed it. However, Thorn’s methodology was an interesting one, and she wanted to know how it would all pan out.

“What do you expect me to do?”

“I’m gathering parties of adventurers.” Thorn cupped his chin in his hands. “I’m going to send them across the human realm and have them advocate for Farrow Dells and the Special Economic Zone by starting rumors. It will be a grassroots campaign.”

“You want to increase this country’s renown?” Aki frowned. “Wouldn’t the easiest way be to conquer and show our military might? You are powerful enough to level a city, after all.”

Thorn shook his head. “I want my city built on trade and commerce, not oppression and destruction. If I can get enough people interested in making money here, then we can solve our food problem and all of our other shortages.”

“Okay.” Aki sipped her tea. “I think I can manage that.”

“I’m sending you to Albern. You’ll be going with two demi-humans. They will be free, and you’ll make a point of that.”

“And? You want me to upend generations of prejudice against demi-humans just like that?”

“No. It’s going to be a tough road.” Thorn stood up and placed his hand on Aki’s shoulder. “And I think you can do it.”

Aki sighed. “Okay. I’ll try my best.”

Thorn nodded once. “I have other things to take care of. I’ll send your companions to meet you as soon as possible. Until then you’re free to do whatever you want.”

“About my position as a judge on this Supreme Court of yours.”

Thorn stopped. “Yes?”

“What, exactly, are my duties?”

“It will be your decision to interpret the law when there is a question regarding its implementation. Until we get such a question, you’ll be free to do other things.”

“So you’re going to let the lower level judges handle normal civil and criminal cases.”

“Exactly. I’ll put our city in your hands.” Thorn left the room and closed the door behind him.

Aki sipped her tea. Well, there wasn’t too much that could go wrong with this plan.

Ten minutes later there was another knock at the door. Aki stood up and opened it.

A bunny person and a fox person stood in the doorway. Both appeared extremely anxious, and Aki could smell their fear. She smiled disarmingly. “Come in. Have some tea.” She sat them down around her tea table. “What are your names?”

The male bunny person nodded his head. “My name is Jolly, ma’am.”

Aki replied in the demi-human trade language. “My name is Aki. I’m a red dragon, but don’t let that get to you.”

The fox person, a female with exceptionally long ears, bowed. “My name is Yeer.”

“Ah, that means “snowfall” in foxtongue.”

“Yes, it does.” Yeer bowed. “Thank you for taking us in.”

“What are your levels?” Aki had a diagnostic skill, but she didn’t deem it to be worth the effort.

“I’m a level six sorcerer.” Jolly bowed.

“I’m a level two warrior.” Yeer bowed.

“I’m a level one hundred and seventy magic beast.” Aki grinned, adding a bit of an edge to it.

Both Jolly and Yeer bowed repeatedly. “Yes, ma’am. Of course, ma’am.”

“What I say goes.” Aki continued to grin. “Get it?”

“Yes.” Jolly and Yeer nodded.

“Good.” Aki stood up. “We’re leaving tomorrow at dawn. Take care of whatever you have to, and meet me here an hour before the sun rises.” She shood them out of her house, and sat back down with her teacup.

The meeting had gone quite well. She had instilled a fear of her inside those two newborn adventurers. Now that they were part of her treasures, she would do whatever she could to maintain that. They were living beings, of course, and slavery was not allowed in the Special Economic Zone, but Aki knew how to keep people in reverence of herself. She smiled, and sipped her tea again.

Thorn. What a weirdo.