(Ola's Soliloquy)
I know what it’s like to have power—to feel your words and actions determine the prosperity or destruction of thousands. To my father, power was equivalent in weight to the responsibility that came with it; nothing more needed to be considered.
I wish I had siblings. Preferably brothers. I’m not saying I’m lonely, just bored with my current responsibilities… and maybe a little lonely—so little, in fact, that it’s practically negligible, so no need to ever mention it again.
Anyway, recently I’ve taken a fancy to mysticism. I’ve heard rumors from some of the minor High citizen houses that there are people with incredible abilities. Father said not to listen to such people who had no respect for order… but father also never said they lied. Mother certainly believes in mysticism. Our devotion to the Church of Midnight gives these claims credence. I always wear the charms of concealment from the church; not because Mother insists I do anymore, but because I’m starting to think they might not be useless trinkets.
**Ola's P.O.V**
It’s been eight days since I left home. I didn’t leave Father a letter declaring my intentions—sometimes, you have to know when to run away to avoid being denied permission. I emptied my savings, a considerable amount, if I may say so myself. In an ideal world where I had no ambitions, this would have been enough to set me up for a lifetime.
Since then, fate has been kind to me, for I have met a gifted man in my travels. His mind is sharp, and his interpersonal skills are unparalleled. I suspect something wonderful lurks in those forgotten memories of his. But he is troubled. He grumbled a lot the first couple of days after the coachwoman talked him into traveling with us before trying to kill himself.
It failed, and he woke up without his memories, but because of it, I was able to peek into the great well of talent that went underappreciated. That, and the fact that I believe he is involved with mysticism. I’ll be honest, befriending him was impulsive. Who knows what mischief led him down a road that had suicide as the only conceivable path left to take… but I’m willing to see how this plays out—and I promise it’s not because I’m looking for excitement! I’m a Lady.
I’ve also met a brilliant child. Her spirit remains true even though she grew up in the slums. I can tell she’s worked for every meal she’s had. She’s been tricked and lied to before, yet she bears no malice. Her spirit holds no malice, and her heart bears the weight of ambition, a desire to walk the path of engineering. The child is running on nothing but faith and duct tape with a smile on her face—it’s all a farce; she’s terrified. I can tell that her decision to head to Astrohelm was just as impulsive as mine… I have decided to fund her endeavors. Maybe it’s because I see a kindred spirit in her or most likely it’s because I’m simply benevolent. The chains of rulership still bind me even though I have traveled so far.
When evening arrived, I got the child and my friend to sit and listen to the wisdom of their better.
"We are to arrive at Astrohelm tomorrow afternoon. You shall both reside under my auspices... unless you have prior arrangements," I said, adding the last part only because this was a new way of life. A way where people wanted to feel like they had choices. A land of freedom. It isn’t pretty from what I’m seeing, but I suppose freedom was never created with aesthetics in mind.
My friend nodded like he already knew what I was going to say. And to that I say: As It Should Be! As a Friend of Ola, the least he could do is read my mind.
The child giggled as she always does. I can’t find fault in such innocence. The day I made an offer of friendship was also the day I offered to be her ‘backer,’ as the laymen say it.
“Splendid! We shall take our leave after showing our gratitude to the coachwoman. I shudder at the notion of rumors of misconduct tarnishing my good name.”
“I’d like to say thanks for the ride too,” my friend responded with that foreigner charm of his. I took a second to ponder whether that’s what gets people to open up to him.
---
After meeting with my nascent council, I went over to Bitrus, for he was good company for the evening. A fine gentleman with tales filled with rogue freedom, adventure, and obvious not-so-obvious disdain for the crown. Just how I like them. His wife, the finest weapons handler in the empire, or so he claimed, was back home tending to the lands she loved while he barreled down toward the smell of steel, oil, and machinery.
---
We left the temporary camp before sunrise, earlier than usual, but I was glad for it. Getting to Astrohelm when all establishments were closed would only bring about unnecessary delays.
My friend seemed to be tying up loose ends in the simple bonds he formed over the past few days. I continued dispensing knowledge of Mother’s Universal Language to the fine child. A valuable investment should she gain a favorable impression of me. It’s not enough to warrant her absolute loyalty, but it’s a start. I also have a gut feeling that she has great potential for making me a lot of money someday.
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At midday, the scenery gradually changed as the city came into view. The amount of sunlight reduced as a great number of clouds filled the entire horizon. I was certain a storm was coming until the child rejected the sentiment.
“It’s smog. A mix of smoke and fog. The smoke comes from burning coal. It’s common in any city that prides itself on its industrial progress. I’m still fiddling with ideas that will make coal obsolete, Miss Ola.”
‘Yes, definitely a promising investment.’
We made it to the city after a casual security check. Father’s duchy entrance checks were more thorough. The coachwoman stopped at different places, dropping us all off. My council and I were dropped off in a quaint neighborhood. It looked like the equivalent dwellings of High citizens back home.
As for the coachwoman? This was the first time I’d heard her speak since she found me at the train station and asked that I use her carriage instead. Normally, I would consider that nonsense. A train would cover the same distance in a day or two, be ten times cheaper, and be about a thousand times more secure. But she mentioned that she sought no compensation and would see to my meals. She also promised that I would acquire destiny heavier than that of kings… In hindsight, it does seem rather dubious. Why did I consent to join her?
Oh well, all’s well that ends well.
After exchanging platitudes with the coachwoman, my friend decided that the first thing he should do was get rid of his ignorance and headed to the poor excuse of a library on the ground floor. I approve of his priorities.
I walked over to the finance section, picking up a random book on banking. I too was in desperate need of re-education.
As for my golden goose? Well, she went to sleep.
---
It took a couple of hours, but I finished reading the book. Three thousand pages of nothing but excuses for what amounted to a Ponzi scheme.
“If I go to work, I’ll get paid, right?” I asked my friend.
“Well, I suppose so. You work to get money here.”
“Right. Right… so if I hypothetically work a lot and have a safe underground with hired security, it would mean I have a lot of money that is safe. Why would I need a bank?”
My friend had no response. I kept thinking about this, though. A deposit: money given to a bank. They made promises of safety and convenience, but I have reason to believe banks existed before the functions were created. So the functions exist to excuse the existence of banks, not the other way around.
“Banks don’t exist for the sake of ‘safety and convenience services.’ ‘Safety and convenience services’ exist to excuse the existence of banks,” I whispered in realization. I found it necessary to decode these terms used to fool the masses so as to tailor them better for my own exploitation. This is a land of freedom, is it not?
Deposit: A loan I give to the bank.
Account Balance: An IOU note for how much the bank owes me. HEY! I’m the one that’s supposed to set the interest rates on the money I’m lending them! …This is going to be fun.
The masses grant banks great purchasing power for peanuts in return and superfluous promises of safety and convenience. Of course, the money can’t be stolen when it’s already been used.
Interest: Peanuts given to pacify the masses.
With so much purchasing power, they can own anything without using a cent of their money. Interesting. I wonder what they buy with that much power? Loans… that’s actually pretty brilliant! They set the interests after loaning out money they borrow from the public.
“My friend, if I take a loan of a thousand Rubies, will it be given to me in cash?”
He looked up and took a look at the banking book I had been reading earlier. After flipping through it for a while, he said;
“That’s a lot of money, Miss Ola. I don’t think it will be given in cash, but your bank balance should reflect that you have it.”
The plot thickens!
“So they don’t even need to have the money before buying my promise to pay them back. With interest! The audacity!… I love it! I see why everyone’s so obsessed with freedom now! It’s like a fat, slob of a man but with
a great personality. He isn’t pretty by any stretch of imagination on the outside, but once you get to know him, you can’t stand being away from him.”
“That’s quite the analogy, Miss Ola,” my friend laughed.
“Oh, come on. You see it too, don’t you? The scheming, the lying, the robbing, the pollution, the murders are all ugly affairs not present in a society built on the premise of order above all else. However, the cathartic relief of doing whatever you please and the rush you get whenever you succeed more than makes up for it. This is a brutal game, but a game we enjoy nonetheless.
“Now the big question is, do I take over an existing bank or do I start mine from scratch?” I asked rhetorically.
“Why not both?” my friend proposed with a smile as he went back to reading his history book.
I nodded thoughtfully as I began smiling. Indeed, why not both?
---
I switched to some light reading after making rudimentary plans for my domination of the Duchy. It was too long a day to focus on the complicated.
The magazine was a product of innovative use of the press. A periodic publication containing various mundane topics. The latest issue was focused on ranking the beauties of Astrohelm.
I nearly laughed when I saw the images on the ranking table. None of them would have the prerogative to appear on the same page as I, should I deign to participate. Well, the number one on the list could probably weasel herself into the footnote. “Jiang Hall.” I shall remember the name. I care not for what brand she represents, but the idea to use the ‘desire to appreciate beauty’ as a way to make a profit did settle at the back of my mind.
“I’ll look for my own place tomorrow, but I’ll still visit often,” my friend announced over dinner. I was… reluctant to let him go, to say the least, but I also understood that being in my presence can be daunting. He wouldn’t get anything meaningful done unless I decided to start wearing a veil over my face.
“Let me know where you’ll be staying, big man. I’ll come visit whenever I can.”
“You’re both welcome. I’ll head to the library and see if they are hiring tomorrow morning.”
“Oh great, I’ll go with you. I have to get in touch with the Society of Engineering anyway.”
I looked at the two people that made up my nascent council and smiled. I liked this. They were mine. Not some people hired to serve me or people intimidated by my higher standing in society.