"How are we even living in a gas giant's ring, anyway?" Olivia asked me while we were riding in a carriage heading down to the town of Wortrest. It had been a year since she confided in me about her past life and ever since then she's started talking about weirder and weirder things. Her eyes were looking out the window at Sailest's rings that arced across the sky which could be seen even during the day despite Sailest only coming out at night.

"What's a gas giant?" I seemed to be speaking in questions the more time went on.

"It's…a planet made of clouds." I could tell when Olivia simplified explanations for me since she would have to pause and think about how to say it in a way someone not from her previous life could understand. Though, I liked that she still tried to humor me. "The rings we see are made up of rocks and ice that get trapped in Sailest's gravity. But from my understanding, a habitable planet like the one we live on can't form or survive in a gas giant's ring so I'm curious to know how it's possible."

"Wouldn't it be because the gods grace us?" Over the past year, I successfully learned to read and write at a basic level so I moved on to learning theology to deepen my understanding of magic. However, Lucus refused to go too deeply into any one subject and forced me to study a variety of topics which meant I only knew the basics. "It's said that the gods live in Sailest along with the souls of those who lived a virtuous life. Lord Zulm governs space and time so he's probably keeping us safe from whatever dangers a normal planet would face in a 'gas giant' ring."

"So it's a literal version of Christianity's Heaven?"

"What's Christianity's Heaven?"

"…Never mind." Olivia wouldn't explain everything to me and she'd brush off topics that she thought would make me uncomfortable. I still remember the time she tried to explain what an 'internet' was and it felt like my brain was turning to mush trying to keep up. "I guess since gods are real, here, then it could work. Status." Another thing she did was randomly say the word 'status' and start poking at the air in front of her.

"What are you doing?" I had never asked her about it before since I figured it was just a weird thing she did to organize her thoughts, but she was doing it enough that I got curious.

"Looking at my stats," she replied without looking up from whatever she was doing. "My swordsmanship skill improved and my aura capacity is growing at a nice pace, but I'm still not happy with where it's at."

"But, you're just poking at the air."

"Don't you also have a stat screen?"

"What's a screen?"

"…" Olivia stopped poking at the air and looked up at me with a curious expression. After taking a moment to collect her thoughts she muttered, "But all the characters had stat screens in-game." While she never went into it, I was able to piece together that the prophecies she received in her previous life came to her in the form of a 'game' she could occasionally mutter about. She leaned back in her seat and asked, "How do you…check up on your abilities? How are you able to know how much magic you currently have and can store within yourself?"

"I'd use soul reflection."

"Soul reflection?"

"Yes!" While rare, there were times that I knew more about something than Olivia did which meant I was able to teach and be of help to her. She primarily focused on training her body rather than her mind and was mainly relying on the knowledge she'd gotten from the prophesies. Enthusiastically, I repeated my mother's explanation, "Soul reflection is an inherent ability everyone has that lets them see their current condition. It tells a person their strengths, weaknesses, magic or aura capacity, and some other things that the person wants to know."

"So, it's called soul reflection," Olivia mumbled as she internalized what I told her. "Then, what are your numbers?"

"…Soul reflection is, like its name, a reflection of a person's soul. Since you're really smart and mature you see things as numbers, but it's different for everyone."

"How so?" I guess the Duchess never taught Olivia about it since it seemed she inherently knew how to use it already.

"Well," I tapped my chin as I recalled the examples my mother told me when teaching me how to use the skill, "A lumberjack might see the stump of a tree and be able to read the rings to tell their condition, a fisherman could see a collection of fish, knights might see a set of armor or weapons, and other things like that."

"Then, what about yours?" Olivia was getting excited and she leaned forward while staring at me with expectant eyes. "I'm curious to know what your reflection is!"

"…It's a garden," I partially lied.

"How innocent," Olivia chuckled. "You must really like flowers, then. I'll have to remember that for your next birthday."

"…Yeah." While my soul reflection was a garden, it was a garden of thorns. I activated the skill and bitterly watched as the inside of the carriage became overgrown with a thicket of briars. I hated my reflection, and I hated what my garden did even more. Whenever I used soul reflection while around Olivia, the thicket of my soul would begin to stretch and wrap itself around her. I tested if this happened with anyone else, including my mother, but nothing special would happen. As Olivia gave me a warm smile, the briars of my soul started wrapping themselves around her arms and legs. One of the vines slowly wove its way around her body and up to her neck. "I'll look forward to what flowers you'll bring!" I buried the briars back into my soul and returned Olivia's smile. No matter how close we had become, I couldn't tell her about my soul reflection. If that ugly thicket truly represented my soul, then I really was a hideous person and I didn't want Olivia to see me that way. Though, what confused me was how gentle it was despite being so unnerving. The thorns never pierced Olivia's skin and would only gently weave around her. It was a gentle embrace, as gentle as a thorn could be.

"Hmm, ah, we're here!" Our conversation killed the remaining time of our trip and we were now in town. Wortrest was formed near the Helker River which was a massive river that snaked through the entire kingdom, making it a major trade route between the provinces. The river ran west until eventually emptying out into the ocean at the port town of Solfin, but most of the duchy's trade was conducted in Wortrest since it was the seat of the Duke before passing through to the rest of the kingdom. As such, Wortrest was a bustling town that stretched from the river bank all the way to the base of the hill Castle Wortrest stood upon. Various shops, inns, and restaurants made of wood and stone lined the cobblestone streets that our carriage rode upon as we made our way deeper into the town. "Honestly, this architecture looks more like a Renaissance Era city than it does a Medieval one," Olivia would always muse to herself whenever we went out to town.

"I like the feel of Wortrest." She never went into much detail on what those words meant.

"True," she agreed as we passed the park that was at the center of town, "The mix of Medieval villages and Renaissance towns definitely gives off a fantasy feel. And it is quite coz-…?" Olivia's words faded out as she stopped talking when something caught her eye out the window.

"Oli-?" Olivia jumped out of the moving carriage. "Olivia!?"

"My Lady!?" The coachman pulled on the reins of the horses to stop them and Mary, who was sitting next to him, jumped down and rushed after Olivia who was making her way to a large stone building. "My Lady, please don't jump out of moving carriages!" Mary pleaded when she caught up to Olivia. Once the carriage stopped, I also jumped out and ran after them. "Why did you jump out!?"

"…" Olivia didn't answer as she silently stared at the stone building and a flag that hung from one of the windows; the flag depicted a green ship surrounded by a yellow background. "Trent," she whispered to herself. Looking up at the sign above the door revealed the building to belong to the Trent Merchant Company. "Lucina," she turned to me and I saw a glint of inspiration in her eyes, "I know we were supposed to go shopping today, but do you mind if we do something else?"

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"I don't mind." I didn't recognize the name of the company, and I didn't think Olivia was into trading companies either, but the eagerness in her voice made me want to see where this was going.

"Mary, Father gave me a blank cheque to pay for our outing today, right?"

"…He did," Mary sounded uneasy as Olivia turned back to the building.

"Then, let's make some new friends," she declared as she walked into the building with Mary and I following close behind. The entrance hall was filled with people moving to and fro and it looked like the employees were still unpacking and setting up business. We continued inside and headed to a large desk against one of the walls.

"Hmm? Oh!" A man in uniform saw us waiting and rushed behind the desk. "My apologies for the wait." He gave a respectful bow. "Welcome to the Trent Merchant Company regional office. My name is Justin, how may I help you today?"

"I'd like to make an investment in Trent," Olivia happily replied and she smiled up at Justin.

"An investment?" While his expression didn't change, there was a shift in his eyes as he sized up Olivia and I, and his voice became skeptical, "Are you on business for your parents?"

"No, I would personally like to invest." Olivia seemed unfazed by Justin's change in demeanor.

"I see," Justin seemed annoyed at having to deal with children he probably believed didn't know what they were doing. Then again, what were we doing? "Well, I can help you from here, so how will you be investing?"

"Shouldn't we go somewhere private to discuss our business?" Olivia asked with a knowing smile on her lips.

"As I said, I can help you from here," Justin refused to budge or give us any serious consideration.

"Very well," Olivia gave a shrug and looked to Mary, "Mary, please show him the cheque so he can validate its authenticity."

"As you wish, my Lady," despite controlling her facial expressions, Mary's voice bled with annoyance directed at Justin.

"Hmm, let's see here," Justin grumbled as he took the blank cheque and started looking it over. "Paper's fine. Payor is Richard Or-…!?" He froze. Justin read and then reread the information on the cheque and panic started creeping onto his face.

"Yes, Richard Ordrin's my father," Olivia said with a smile that could crush souls, "I'm his daughter, Olivia Ordrin."

"…P-Please wait a moment, my Lady!" Justin stammered out before bolting up a flight of stairs to the second floor.

"Should…we have stopped him?" I asked since he had just ran away with a blank cheque.

"Wait for it," Olivia playfully said as she folded her hands behind her back. After a few seconds of silence, it felt like the entire building shook from fright.

"No other young ladies in Wortrest have pure white hair, you idiot!" Everyone turned to the stairs as the voice of a young girl echoed through the building and, a moment later, a ten-year-old girl in a clean simplistic dress raced down the stairs towards us with the blank cheque in her hand. Her short black hair was messy from the speed at which she was running, and her green eyes were filled with both anger and fear. "My deepest apologies for the rudeness you had to endure, Lady Ordrin!" The young girl gave a deep bow and extended her hands out to offer the cheque back to Olivia.

"My, I didn't know the Trent group employed children?"

"We don't, I am Margaret Trent, daughter to Oscar Trent and heiress to the Trent Merchant Company!" Margaret's voice was completely professional despite how winded she was from running.

"I meant the man from earlier." It sounded like Olivia was having fun.

"Once again, you have my deepest apologies about him! He will be receiving disciplinary repercussions for his actions against the Duke's daughter, please rest assured." Despite being ten, Margaret held herself well while talking with Olivia.

"I see, then can we continue discussing business? I was told to wait here to do it~." Olivia took the cheque and gently held it to her cheek.

"Please, follow me! I will personally assist in whatever you need!" Margaret led us up the stairs to the second floor which was filled with offices. Because of the earlier commotion, the employees on this level were failing horribly at hiding their interest and were taking not-so-stealthy glances at us as we followed Margaret into an open office. As she entered the room, Margaret snapped her fingers and two employees brought in freshly brewed tea that was probably made right before she ran downstairs. Mary stood by the door while the rest of us sat down around Margaret's desk. "I apologize for the mess as we've only recently arrived in Wortrest and are still setting up in the building. My father is out with a trade ship right now, but I hold his full authority in matters related to the company while he's away."

"That's perfectly alright," Olivia said while sipping her cup of tea. "I realize I stopped in without notice with my friend, so you don't have to feel pressured too much."

"Friend?" In her rush, Margaret had completely blanked me out of her mind but Olivia's mention caused her to look at me.

"Yes, I'm Olivia's friend," I did my best to sound mature, straightened my back, and copied Olivia's movements to drink tea. "Lucina Felswore."

"Fel-…!?" Once again, Margaret's face became flustered and she bowed her head. "I apologize dearly for the rudeness the Count's daughter faced, Lady Felswore!"

"…It's fine." It was weird having someone bow to me while apologizing with such sincerity. Since she knew who my family was she must know about the rumors of my birth which were still floating around despite Lady Alm's temple giving an announcement thanks to Elder Arkin. Even if it was proven false, you can't erase five years of unchecked rumors. But Margaret didn't seem to let that get in the way of her business sense. She reminded me of Adam, in a way, which was good.

"Now that introductions are out of the way, let's talk business, Lady Margaret."

"My family are merchants with no ties to nobility, Lady Ordrin, so just Margaret is fine."

"I couldn't possibly disrespect a future business partner like that, Lady Margaret," Olivia said as she grabbed a pen and started filling out the cheque. Margaret's expression softened slightly at hearing Olivia's words and I saw some of the tension she was holding in her shoulders lessen. "You said your father was currently away? Is he doing business in one of the other duchies?" Olivia probed. She left the amount on the cheque blank.

"No, he's actually sailing across the ocean to the kingdom of Yulash to try and discover unearthed treasures in the land's old ruins." Margaret's tone lightened as she talked about her father and the mood in the room followed suit.

"He's living up to your company's crest, I see."

"You know the story behind it, Lady Ordrin?" Margaret couldn't hide her astonishment at Olivia's words.

"The Trent Merchant Company that returned from across the ocean with chests filled with jewels to the point that onlookers said it was like staring at a ship made of emeralds. How could I not know such a mesmerizing tale that provokes the imagination for a newly established company?" Olivia's compliment caused Margaret's professional demeanor to falter and she lightly blushed.

"I-I'm glad you think so, Lady Ordrin."

"Is this his second trip to Yulash?"

"It's his third trip, actually," Margaret was becoming relaxed while talking with Olivia and her tongue was slipping. "While I haven't gone, myself, my father tells me Yulash is a beautiful land."

"He must have established a trade deal with them if he's visiting so frequently, then?"

"Not yet, I'm afraid," Margaret admitted. "Their ruler is quite stubborn, and my father has to fight tooth and nail with the nation's merchants to get what he can to bring back to Urldrusk which we're still preparing to sell."

"Really?" Olivia's smile changed and I saw a confident glint in her eye. "Because I'm pretty sure the Sultan refuses to trade his nation's wealth to anyone without an official charter he personally grants to foreign merchants."

"…!?" Margaret flinched. Now I understood why we were here; this was related to the prophecies. There's no way Olivia knew the trade dealings of Yulash, some distant kingdom, considering her study habits so this information must be something she learned from the prophecies she received in her past life. In that case…

"So, did Lady Margaret lie to us?" I innocently asked and turned to Olivia.

"W-Wait-!?" In a panic, Margaret tried to speak up.

"It would seem so," Olivia said and gave me a fake saddened smile. "I guess she also isn't taking us seriously."

"I-I wouldn't dar-!?"

"So, should we look somewhere else to invest?" I asked and watched out of the corner of my eye as the color left Margaret's face.

"Not yet," Olivia said before turning back to Margaret. "I'd like to believe Lady Margaret just misspoke. After all, there was a rather embarrassing incident earlier that's probably still weighing on her mind, and she's probably still learning the ropes of business. Am I right, Lady Margaret?" The smile that could crush souls returned as we awaited a response.

"You…are correct, Lady Ordrin." Margaret swallowed a lump in her throat before continuing, "I am still learning under my father, and there is so much on my mind that I misspoke."

"Good, a misspeak I can forgive, but I hate liars the most," a subtle venom dripped from Olivia's voice.

"Lady Ordrin, I wouldn't dare lie to-"

"Margaret," Olivia's tone was serious despite the smile on her face, "The number of zeros I write down on this cheque entirely depends on you."

"…My father finalized a trade deal with the Sultan during his first trip." Margaret's face still looked pale, but her voice was getting back under her control despite the occasional stammer from how nervous she was. Even if it was embarrassing, she couldn't miss this opportunity to make a connection with the Duke of Holst. "To keep the deal, we have to constantly be on the move with our ships which has allowed us to bring in treasures from Yulash and begin expanding our operations. However, the royal family of Urldrusk only gave my father an exploration charter, not a trade charter. My father submitted the paperwork for a trade charter, but the bureaucrats in the capital have been dragging their feet," she sounded bitter and was doing her best to not direct that bitterness toward us as she continued speaking. "If we stop trading and wait for the capital's charter then we lose the deal we have with Yulash, and the Sultan isn't known for giving foreign merchants second chances."

"But, trading without a proper charter is illegal," Olivia mused which caused Margaret to squirm in her seat. "This building's next to the center of town, it must have cost quite a lot. Have you been selling on the black market?"

"No!" Margaret shot up from her seat and put her hand on her chest. "I swear by the Trent name that we have conducted no illegal dealings within the kingdom, and especially not within your duchy! We…bought the building on credit that we'll pay off once we receive the charter and can sell the goods my father's been bringing back."

"So, are the goods just sitting in a storehouse?"

"…My father also bought many storehouses along the Helker with credit." Margaret was obviously uncomfortable with revealing these secrets, but the cheque on the table was too tempting for her.

"Thank you for being honest with me, Lady Margaret," Olivia said and finished writing the cheque. When she handed it to Margaret, I watched the ten-year-old's eyes light up with shock as she stared at the cheque.

"Th-This amount!?" I glanced at the cheque and saw it was made out for five thousand gold coins which was the equivalent to two years of Gauldrin's harvest trade returns; far more money than a non-noble would ever see in a single cheque.

"Also," Olivia said as she and I stood up, "Did you know that Dukes can issue trade charters?" Margaret's eyes shot up to Olivia. "While they only authorize you to trade within the duchy the issuer rules, it sounds like a great temporary solution until the capital gets back to you. Come visit me sometime and I'll treat you to some tea, Lady Margaret."

"I-…The Trent Merchant Company will forever remember your generosity, Lady Ordrin!" Margaret bowed even lower than before and she was holding the cheque as if it were a holy artifact. After we left and returned to the carriage Olivia gave a tired chuckle as she sank into her seat.

"There goes five years of my allowance, but I'm so glad cheques exist in this world."

"Was it worth it?" I asked as we started riding back to the castle since Olivia would need to explain to the Duke what she had just done. While the duchy wasn't hurting for money, such a large transaction had to be reported as soon as possible.

"The Trent Merchant Company will one day lead Arlexia's foreign trade and bring in untold wealth. I learned from the prophesies that they would sign a trade charter with my father one day along with receiving an investment of five thousand gold, so swooping in and doing it myself to get on their good side now is a worthwhile investment."

"But, we're in Urldrusk."

"…I know." Olivia was still confused about why her prophecy was about an Empire of Arlexia when no such empire existed, but we both agreed that something might happen later that would cause a change on the continent. "Even still, if I can get them on my side early on then I can reap the most benefits later. They'll never forget the hand I extended to them, and I need more allies who can help me." A somber air filled the carriage as we rode back to the castle in silence. Olivia was right; she needed people who could help her…and I wasn't one of them. I would need to change if I wanted to continue standing by her side, and I knew just the way to do it.