Dollar stepped out of the bookstore as Gherm’s words echoed off the walls. Mitsy fell back, her eyes resting on Dollar, and he could see sympathy in them. The information to help Bill would cost ten gold, which was a veritable fortune compared to what they had. She had already accepted the possibility of Bill dying.

Then Dollar saw her hesitate.

He knew that what Mitsy saw when she looked at him was a calm gaze and calculating eyes. Dollar’s every step exuded confidence, drawing Gherm’s gaze. The receptionist breathed a sigh of relief as Mitsy fell silent.

So Mitsy doesn’t have the money. Ten gold coins. That’s more than I’ve ever held in this life, but not much in the grand scheme of things. Dollar thought. It’s not an impossible goal. Most of the artifacts I have on me would probably sell for enough.

The necklaces of water breathing might not, but Agni and the storage ring would sell for the amount he needed. He was certain that the gravity bracelet would sell for far, far more. A veiled artifact was worth less than a veiled artifact since the gravity symbol itself was worth a fortune to the right buyer.

However, each artifact was invaluable to him.

Eventually, learning their secrets would let him create infinite duplicates. He wasn’t just selling their current worth, he was selling the worth of all future products he could make by examining them.

That price is too high to pay. Dollar decided.

“How much is the cure?” Dollar asked, his voice cutting through the tension.

Gherm hummed and tapped his chin pensively. The receptionist’s demeanor was more respectful now that Mitsy was standing next to him. Gherm likely didn’t want the silver-ranked adventurer to blow a fit. She wouldn’t harm an employee of the fisherman’s guild, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t make his day worse.

“Ten gold will get you the information,” Gherm said.

“No, not that,” Dollar should his head. “Does the cure cost more money? Because if we buy the information and find out we need to pay more to cure our grec, then that’s not worth it.”

“It’ll cost you,” Gherm said. “One silver.”

A silver coin dropped from Dollar’s palm, disappearing into Gherm’s sleeve as it hit the table.

“The cure is probably going to cost you a few more gold, at the least,” Gherm replied instantly. “You can trade in some information if you want to join. All members get cheaper prices. The higher rank, the better the discount.”

“Oh?” Dollar leaned forward, his curiosity plain to see.

“Take a broker test and trade three minor pieces of information to get iron rank. Trade three big pieces and you can even get promoted to bronze instantly. But they’d have to be pretty valuable secrets. The guild determines the value of the secret, by the way, not the individual.”

That was all the information that the man was willing to give.

“Thanks,” Dollar said.

Joining the fisherman’s guild is a suitable method for gaining power. But I have no secrets I want to give out. In the worst case scenario, we sell a necklace and alternate in using the remaining one. Dollar rejected the idea as soon as he thought of it. No. That limits our mobility and creates too many weaknesses. If we lost the last necklace, it would trap us under the dome. But…what if I…

Dollar’s lips curved into a smile and his thoughts ground to a halt. There was one item that he could sell for enough coin, but it was impossible to sell as it was. If he could get past that hurdle, then he had the solution to all their issues.

He just needed to buy a couple of things first.

“I can get you the money,” Dollar said.

“You can?”, “Really?”

Mitsy and Gherm both spoke, then glanced at each other. Dollar could see that both had doubts.

“I can,” Dollar confirmed. “But not today. Will this information still be available if we come back another day?”

“Yeah, it’s not limited information,” Gherm nodded.

“Good,” Dollar replied.

He strode past Mitsy, and she felt compelled to follow him. The moment they stepped outside, Mitsy turned to face him.

“I don’t have ten gold,” Mitsy said. “I want to have it. But I don’t.”

“That’s alright,” Dollar’s lips curled into a smile. “We have options. I always have.”

Dollar paused, taking a deep breath, absorbing the fresh air mixed with the scent of water from the moat that surrounded the tower.

“Did you get in contact with Grisham at the magician’s guild?”

“Huh?” Mitsy blinked in surprise. “Yeah, I did. Why?”

“He’s the first option to get the coin we need,” Dollar replied. “If he has it.”

Mitsy shifted, her right hand gripping her left arm protectively.

“The old man has it, but he’s not coming here.”

A catch in her tone let Dollar know Mitsy hadn’t taken that news well. She pursed her lips, her eyes growing resolute.

He glanced at her, and she blanched.

“We’re…Looking for someone. Someone dangerous. They’re never in the same place for long, but we finally got a lead on where he’ll be, and when. If Dad comes here, then that opportunity is gone. So, he’s decided he’s going to find the person himself. Without me there to help him.”

As she spoke, Dollar saw her knuckles paling, her fingers curling into a fist and her nails threatening to break through the skin. Whether it was fear or anger she was feeling, he wasn’t sure. All he knew was that she was uncertain, and now that she’d hit a roadblock with helping Bill, her composure was slipping. Mitsy was skilled at fighting, but she was still a teenager.

He wouldn’t fault her for not being perfect at everything.

Dollar’s gaze softened a fraction. “I’m sorry to hear that. I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

“The old man’s a better fighter than I am,” Mitsy said. “That’s why I was going to train beforehand. Anyway, he’ll come back to get me when he’s done, but he told me I’m too far to make it to him, even if I left now.”

Dollar remembered her mentioning that they were planning to go to the central continent, Joie.

Which meant their destination was across the Grai Ocean, in the opposite direction to the City of Tiber.

“There’s another thing,” Mitsy admitted. “Dad always took care of our coin. He had all the purses on him when the ship blew up.”

“How much money do you have?”

Mitsy pulled out her coin purse, dropping a single silver onto his palm.

It’s not the best pile of money I’ve ever seen. Dollar curled his fingers over the coin. But enough to get us started.

His expression was calm, but internally excitement was flaring up. This new world had been tough on him. It had sent gods to assassinate him, and monsters had charged at him. Even his own family was trying to kill him. Now, the world had sent a new challenge his way.

It had made a serious mistake. Making money was his specialty.

And now that the world had invited him to do business, it couldn’t complain when he didn’t play fair.

“Ha, like I said,” Dollar smiled. “I’ve got a plan. Wait for me here. I’m going to haggle.”

Dollar turned around before Mitsy could protest, but then he paused and looked back at her.

“I’m going to need you to buy a few things. So, listen carefully.”

****

The southern section of the City of Tiber was home to luscious pastures and dozens of farmsteads, each farm spanning countless acres of land. Fields of blue grass fed thousands of animals, with several herds of grecs being a mainstay of the scenery. A herd of grecs was called a poppet, and looking at the poppet was like seeing ten thousand Bills, all merrily striding across the fields and oinking up a storm. Most had the emblem of House Tiberius on their flank, denoting them as the household’s property.

A rustic farmer in green overalls leaned on a seven-pronged pitchfork, chewing a long stem of blue grass as she took in Dollar’s story.

“Yeah, that sounds like dragonsleep,” the farmer said, her eyes watching her herd. “Dunno what causes it, but it’s not contagious. Anyway, did you check your grec’s tongue? Always check a grec’s tongue when it's sick.”

“I did not,” Dollar said. “But if it is dragonsleep, is there a cure for it?”

Dollar forced a tear out of his eye. He couldn’t quite put on a pitiful expression, but his youthful body was working wonders for him today. A confident customer would get information in a guild tower, but for country folk, it was better to pretend he was an unfortunate and struggling child.

“We usually put down grecs suffering from the affliction.” The farmer was genuinely sorrowful. “Dragonsleep is a slow and costly death sentence. And everyone around here isn’t willing to spend the coin used to find a cure when they can sell the meat while it’s fresh and buy a new grec. Have you tried checking the fisherman’s guild?”

Dollar held back a sigh.

Two dozen farmers had spoken with him since he’d left the fisherman’s guild. All of their replies had been the same.

“Have you tried the fisherman’s guild?”

Typically, in Ioa, the household in charge of the region would have an agriculture office of some kind to turn to. However, House Tiberius didn’t have the infrastructure or manpower to dedicate people to that task, so they outsourced most of the farmland management to the fisherman’s guild. It was a beneficial relationship since it allowed House Tiberius to focus their manpower on golem and artifact production to make money that way.

It also made the fisherman’s guild the only source of information in the area for matters involving animals.

“Do you know anyone that’s cured their grec of dragonsleep, or had a grec recover naturally?” Dollar tried his last ditch effort.

The farmer shook her head sadly.

“Well, thank you for your time. If you remember anything, I should be around the area in the upcoming days,” Dollar said. “Or maybe leave a message at the adventurer’s guild. Send it to the adventurer named Mitsy.”

Another dead end. Dollar thought.

Information was valuable, but that value was different depending on who wielded it, and who was asking. What might seem like a rare disease to one person might be common to another, and he had hoped that other people held the information he needed and placed less value on it.

Sneaking one last look at the grecs and farmland, Dollar began the trek back to the abandoned port, Gershwain, where he’d agreed to meet up with Mitsy.

Trudging along the dirt paths of the southern section of Tiber City was enlightening. From here, he could see the true backbone of the city, the workers and laborers that supplied the city with food.

Today, he’d learned a lot of valuable information.

The city of Tiber was almost entirely self-sufficient. The shops on the lake were used to transport commodities and luxuries, but the ever-present danger of monster attacks meant that the cities of this world had learned to keep themselves safe for emergencies.

However, in the city of Tiber, the people in charge of these supplies were the fisherman’s guild. Which meant the farmers and essential workers didn’t have any loyalty to House Tiberius.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Most didn’t care who was running the city because the fisherman’s guild took care of them. House Tiberius was an afterthought to them, and most of the farmers had never interacted with a single member of the household. Some didn’t even know who led the household.

They have no allegiance to Parelius, so, if someone else took over, then it would be possible to do so without disrupting the management of the food supply. Dollar noted. Good to know. If there’s a change of rulers, there’ll be less chance of famine and minimal disruption to the non-Tiberius members of the city.

That structure was how the previous household had run things, and it was how House Tiberius had built a fully functioning city so quickly after taking over.

Every sweep of his eyes yielded new information. The types of crops that the region yielded. Which districts held the most civilians. The state of the city and whether its population was content or flirting with rebellion. Even the different powers that had their eyes on House Tiberius.

If somebody wanted to take over House Tiberius while minimizing public disturbance, then this information would be incredibly valuable.

Honestly, the best way to cause trouble for my uncle would be to block the lake somehow. It would lead to minimal issues and cause havoc on his reputation. People complain the most when they lose access to luxury goods because they don’t have to worry about finding food to stay alive.

Dollar frowned.

Then there’s this successor ceremony business. Good. Very good. But also, very worrying.

Jasper Tiberius.

Dollar’s fingers clenched into a fist, then unfurled. For once, he wasn’t sure what he should be thinking. One of the first things Dollar asked about was the celebrations happening all across the city. People were cooking food, and beating drums, and streamers were everywhere. All of them had a single name on their lips, Jasper Tiberius.

Dollar’s cousin had become a very popular person since he’d last seen the boy, and there was a good reason for that. Today, they would declare Jasper as the sole heir to House Tiberius.

Which meant he would also become one of Dollar’s greatest enemies.

With Christoff dead, Jasper’s only potential rival was his sister, Ayia Tiberius, but she had bowed out of contention for the heir position. Nobody knew why, though Dollar felt like a few had an inkling, but they refused to share their thoughts with a stranger. They even seemed a little scared when talking about her, with several people casting glances over the surroundings as though they were afraid they were being watched.

With Jasper being named the sole heir, House Tiberius has united on all sides, Dollar thought, which makes things tougher for me, even if Jasper seemed nice enough.

Jasper’s presence in the city and Dollar’s conversations had also led him to discover another startling fact.

It had been one month since the Zendria incident.

Not a day. Or a week. Or a fortnight. It had been exactly one month.

The cause was the preservation technique Lotan had used to bring him to the lake because Mitsy hadn’t noticed the passage of time either. It made Dollar wonder if Grisham had freaked out when Mitsy had contacted him, or if the old man had known she was alive the whole time.

No wonder I felt so refreshed and not shredded by all the damage to my body. Dollar shook his head. Maybe it’s better that way. Oh, hey, there’s Mitsy.

Dollar perked up, his thoughts scattering as he realized he’d walked the entire way back to the destroyed port. He’d barely even noted his passage through the gate.

Mitsy was sitting on a rock, gazing out onto the waters of the lake.

She reached down, playfully grasping at the rocks underneath her, picking the perfect one to throw.

“How did you go?” Dollar asked.

Dollar had sent her to check the other guilds, meat stores, and warehouses that stored grec meat. A silver-ranked adventurer could get into a lot of places if they used their influence correctly.

“All of them asked me to check with the fisherman’s guild.” Mitsy threw her rock, watching it skip across the water. “Nobody else had any answers.”

Despite her words, he saw a subtle smile on her lips, and her laid-back posture radiated serenity.

“That doesn’t sound like good news,” Dollar tilted his head, curiosity igniting within him. “So, why are you smiling?”

“A headless raksha only goes in circles, that’s what my father says. Panicking won’t help Bill, only action will.”

Mitsy leaped onto the ground, her boots crunching the sand beneath them. With a flourish of her hand, a pair of white and green trunks for Dollar and a cloud-blue swimming set for Mitsy appeared on the rock.

She raised her arms dramatically, emphasizing the clothing with pizazz.

“Tada! Swimwear. They cost a full silver, but I bought the expensive materials like you asked me to.”

“Perfect,” Dollar smiled. “This is going to save us a lot of coin in the long run.”

A common trap people fell into was buying cheaper clothing to save money. Inexpensive materials wore out quickly, and the constant replacements would cost more than a single good quality set of clothing.

That was why he’d asked Mitsy to buy swimwear.

Swimming in their regular clothes was a recipe for disaster. It would destroy the fabric and cost them dozens of coins when they couldn’t afford to spare a single one.

“So, can you let me in on your plan now?” Mitsy passed him his clothes.

There was a spring in her step, and she was vibrating with curiosity, her usual perkiness back to abnormal levels.

“Not here, in the dome,” Dollar smiled.

Dollar gazed across the wall that surrounded the City of Tiber, his gaze lingering on the area where the fisherman’s guild lay. He didn’t know how to fight, and he didn’t know how to cure illnesses, but he knew business. Ten gold was a lot, but compared to what he had in mind, it was less than pocket change. Once he got started, nobody, not the guilds nor House Tiberius itself, could stop him.

The world had poked a sleeping monster and given it a reason to wake up. And as he opened his eyes, he saw a feast of unsuspecting victims.

Soon, all of Tiber City would be his playground.

****

With a mighty swing of her arms, Mitsy sped ahead of Dollar and disappeared into the depths of the lake, forcing him to stop as he lost sight of her. He barely had time to react before Mitsy came back, her lithe form shooting past him as though she were a mermaid. The force of her ascent sent him spinning through the water.

She circled the water until she was in front of him, her golden hair flowing across the water.

“What are you doing?” Mitsy mimed the question to him, her voice unable to travel through the water.

Dollar flapped his arms in response. “How do you expect me to keep up with these tiny things?”

Sporting a grin, Mitsy kicked off against the wall of the lake, firing toward Dollar like a cannonball. His arms flailed as she slammed into him, but the impact was mitigated as she grabbed Dollar, tucking him under one arm and carrying him like a football.

Not my favorite arrangement. Dollar thought. But with Lotan gone, it’s my best option.

From there, they stuck to the wall of the lake, using it as a guide. They almost lost their way twice, but quickly found their bearings. It didn’t help that every time Mitsy looked at Dollar and saw his disgruntled expression, she giggled so hard that she spun in the water.

Knowing that Lotan wouldn’t be there to pick them up, they’d memorized the route on their first trip. At least, Dollar had. He had doubts that Mitsy knew where she was going.

Rocky ground pockmarked with coral and weeds came into view. They’d swum low enough that they could see the lakebed.

This is…strange. Was the water always this dark? Dollar stared into the abyss. And something’s missing. What is it? What’s different?

Unease crawled along his spine and gnawed at his mind, rattling his instincts. The evening sun was disappearing over the horizon, and Dollar couldn’t see anything past a few feet.

The isolation was more than a little disconcerting.

Where are all the fish? Dollar realized. And was it always this cold?

When Lotan had crossed the waters, the monster had dwarfed the area, causing thousands of fish to flee from her purview. Even then, there had been creatures that simply didn’t care, swimming in and out of her tentacles with joy.

Now, there were no fish, or other creatures, only empty waters.

Dollar pinched Mitsy’s arm and felt her thrash in response. Her emerald eyes looked down at him, blinking in pain.

“Stop.” He mouthed the word to her.

Mitsy stilled instantly, looking down at him in confusion.

Dollar didn’t notice. He was too busy staring down at the ground beneath them. Something had shifted. It wasn’t the rocks or the patches of sand. Or even the coral and other sea plants.

It was the shadows.

Mitsy and Dollar had stopped, but the surrounding shadows continued to move. Only for a moment, then they stopped too, freezing in place.

Oh hell. Dollar’s eyes widened.

It wasn’t the water that was dark.

Something was swimming above them, blocking the light of the surface.

Quietly, but with intensity, Dollar tugged at Mitsy’s arm, nudging his head toward the shadow. Her eyes drifted toward it, and she frowned. For a moment he was worried she wouldn’t see the issue, but her eyes widened, and she swam forward with a swift maneuver, kicking off the nearby wall for a boost of speed.

The shadow froze, uncertain in the face of the sudden movement, but it pursued them, catching up in an instant. When they turned, it turned. If they sped up, it sped up. Every time they moved, it moved.

Soon, it was mirroring them perfectly, tracking their every movement.

It was more than just a coincidence.

Alright. It’s alright. The gears in Dollar’s head turned. Grandma would have warned us if something deadly was in these waters. There’s no reason for her to worry about House Tiberius, but not something that wants to eat us for breakfast.

Mitsy let go of Dollar, gesturing for him to hold on to her arm as she swam through the waters. Dollar clamped his right hand onto her, keeping one arm free, the new formation giving them room to maneuver. They kept to the wall of the lake, pushing against its crags and crests to speed up their journey.

A soft red glow illuminated the depths as Mitsy activated her armbands, and Dollar’s notebook appeared in his free hand. The water instantly destroyed the chalk symbols, but the painted ones remained intact.

Dollar glanced upward, scanning the waters above to glimpse their stalker.

There’s nothing there. Dollar thought. No, it’s invisible.

With caution driving their movements, Mitsy and Dollar made their way back to the dome, the shadow trailing over them the entire way.

Its shadow isn’t acting naturally. Maybe it’s a side-effect of the creature’s invisibility? or maybe I just don’t know enough about how the sun’s light reflects things in water. Dollar’s eyes never left the shadow. Well, that’s a question for later. It feels like we should be close to the dome. Maybe...Wait, there’s that pressure I felt before. The symbol. That means we’re close to the dome.

The unknown symbol greeted Dollar the moment he entered its domain.

Dollar could feel its call in his mind. A storm of force and potential that ate at his resolve and chipped at his self-control. The symbol’s call radiated authority, promising power, and the answer to all of his problems.

Here it is. Dollar thought as the waters grew clearer.

He breathed a sigh of relief as the dome shimmered into view. Now that he had time to see it from the outside, he could see the unnatural way the waters within a mile calmed down on all sides of the dome. The area was also lush with sea life, a smorgasbord of fish, and other creatures swimming in harmony.

A glance at his feet confirmed that the shadow had disappeared.

Dollar breathed a sigh of relief.

“We made it.” Mitsy mimed.

“Despite your best efforts,” Dollar replied, wondering if she could read his lips from this angle.

Mitsy responded by raising Dollar above her head, and he let out a shout as her armbands glowed deep orange. With a swift movement, she launched him at the dome, and the water pushed against his skin as he flew through the water, stretching his face to its limits.

The dome’s wall stopped him from crashing into the sand below and breaking his neck. He sank into the sponge-like material and, when he was on the other side, his body peeled away from it like a scab.

Dollar hit the sand with a wet splat.

Okay, that was kind of fun. Dollar thought. Not that I’d ever tell Mitsy that.

Sand scattered across the ground as Mitsy leaped off the roof of the dome and landed beside him, planting her feet on the ground with a smile on her lips.

“You just thought that was kind of fun, didn’t you?” She asked.

She’s a mind-reading witch! Dollar’s mind screamed at him.

“That couldn’t be further from the truth,” Dollar lied.

“Ha, liar,” Mitsy flicked his hair impishly. “Come on. I’ll check the food. You should go relax and read those books you bought.”

Despite her calm attitude, it didn’t escape his attention that Mitsy had thrown him into the dome to make sure that any dangers had to go through her first to reach him.

The shadow had spooked her too.

What was that thing? Dollar wondered.

He was sure that if Mitsy knew, she would have told him, but she had gone straight for their food stores. Unfortunately, they bought no food in Tiber City because they couldn’t afford the loss in coins.

Taking stock of what we have just in case we’re trapped in the dome for a while. Dollar thought. Not a bad idea, especially if there’s something strange outside. But the nearby area is clear enough that we can catch fish if we have to. Besides, I have the sustenance symbol.

Dollar strode into the house, absconding to the free bedroom and changing into his regular clothes. Then he made his way to Bill’s designated room. They’d placed the grec in the sole bed inside. He paused as he walked inside and spotted Bill. The uni-pig’s breathing had stabilized, just as Levia had promised it would.

However, Levia was gone.

Grandma said she’d be out for a week. Maybe more. Is that why the shadow felt safe enough to approach us? Maybe it’s an opportunist that’s staking out the territory of an alpha predator while it left its home. No, I can’t let that distract me. Not now.

Dollar tried to push the issue to the back of his mind. The strange creature was a worry, and one he’d address, but he couldn’t tackle it immediately. He dropped the pamphlet on starting a business in Tiber City onto the bed, and then the book he’d bought on local artifact materials in the lake.

Only people who are at least eighteen years old can open and operate a business. Dollar recalled what Gherm had told him. Which means I’m out of the running. Mitsy too.

He scoured the pages of the business pamphlet, reading each line three times over and making sure he understood each law and rule it outlined. The document was an overview of House Tiberius laws, and whoever had written it had been incredibly cut and dry, with no flowery language or jokes to get in the way.

The document listed every clause, technicality, addendum, and potential change.

Soon, Dollar forgot all about the shadow in the water.

This pamphlet is amazing. Dollar thought. I wonder why it was just gathering dust. I guess some people just don’t appreciate good literature.

It took three readings, but soon he’d found what he was looking for.

A loophole.

Dollar brought out his chalk and a piece of paper from his storage ring. Then he began writing. Most of the words were in the language of Ioa, but as old habits kicked in, he switched to English. He also included the odd sketch.

It was a business model and a plan.

The image of his grandmother from Earth, Muriel, crossed his mind, the memory of her teaching him about business models clear as day. She had been smiling then, as she often did when she was around him.

Been a long time since I’ve done one of these. Dollar smiled. Brings back fond memories.

When he looked up, Mitsy was nowhere to be seen, and he could hear something rummaging through the kitchen. It sounded like a squirrel was delving through the cupboards, checking every nook and cranny to see what they had available.

“Mitsy, how are things looking at your end?” Dollar asked.

“Nope. Not good. There are cups, cutlery, and even a drawer full of rough, multi-colored strings, but no food!” Mitsy replied. “I’ve got about a week’s worth in storage.”

“I’m stocked for three days,” Dollar replied. “Perfect.”

A head of blonde hair popped out from behind the door. “Is it perfect?”

“Well, yeah, I have my sustenance symbol, so we don’t have to worry about eating,” Dollar said.

“So, I’ve been searching the entire house for nothing?!” Mitsy flew into the room, holding long pieces of string in each hand, and skidding to a halt as she found Dollar.

She had changed back into her usual clothes at some point.

“Yes,” Dollar replied.

“Why?” Mitsy asked.

“Revenge for throwing me into the dome,” Dollar tried to hold back his laugh and failed, the sound reverberating around the room. “I can’t believe you forgot about my symbol.”

As his laughter died down, so did the remaining tension.

Mitsy stepped past Dollar and sat down on the edge of the bed, its wood creaking as she rested a hand on Bill’s fur.

“Mark my words, I’ll remember this.” Mitsy propped her chin up with her free palm, tilting her head as a subtle smile crested her lips. “Right. What’s the plan?”

There was no sign of the anger or panic she’d felt when she’d first seen Bill’s prone body. She hadn’t even questioned that there was a solution. All that remained was commitment.

That was exactly what Dollar needed.

Dollar raised his hand and brought forth an object from his storage ring. One that had been in his ring since he had stolen it in Zendria, and the key to his entire plan.

A mass of bronze fell to the floor with a bang.

Mitsy’s eyes widened. “Is that what I think it is?”

“A golem of House Tiberius,” Dollar confirmed. “Mitsy, we can make that money. And we can make it quickly. There’s just one thing I need from you.”

The corners of Dollar’s mouth curled up.

“How would you like to run your own business?”