An Unintentional Bias (1)

Of course, I wasn't managing my connections only outside Brien. I was simply focusing a little more on the Empire right now, since opportunities to reach out there were extremely rare otherwise. In the process, I naturally didn't avoid making acquaintances with people from Brien and the other kingdoms that came along. However, as I tried to mingle broadly with representatives from various nations while centering on imperial figures, a certain bias emerged in the areas I hadn't been able to pay proper attention to.

“I hear you only associate with people who match your station.”

Zieg narrowed his eyes at me, speaking in that precarious tone that hovered somewhere between accusation and mere observation. In short, it meant that among the nobles of each country, I mainly associated with those who already held some real influence.

“Even when I just stand still, people approach me, and dealing with them alone takes all my energy. And it turns out that everyone who approaches the Saintess comes from a family with real standing, so that's how it ended up.”

This was by no means intentional on my part. From an efficiency standpoint, it made sense to build my network around count families or higher—especially those with something substantial to offer—but that didn't mean I had deliberately selected people to befriend. On the other hand, it would have looked strange if I had rejected those who approached me first and gone out of my way to seek out those from ambiguous or insignificant houses.

“I heard your auction partner this time is Prince Peter again.”

At this point his eyes narrowed even further, the look now unmistakably interrogative. Given that he came from a noble family that wasn't particularly prestigious, his sensitivity on this matter was surprisingly unexpected.

“The Brien Kingdom is currently the most aggressive in promoting the Gold Coin. They're planning to auction off more than two thousand that have accumulated, so of course I need to bring Brien's crown prince as my partner. Who else would I choose?”

It was already October 15th. Barely three months had passed since we began using the Gold Coin, yet the Church's official exchange rate had already climbed to one Gold Coin for four Imperial gold coins. If this were the modern era, when the financial industry had developed some structural sophistication, such runaway growth would never have happened. There would have been organized checks and balances—everyone has eyes, after all, and a currency's fundamental nature invites scrutiny rather than the treatment given to rare commodities.

But in this age when international finance was closer to haphazard guesswork than organized systems, the Gold Coin—which had suddenly begun influencing the entire world—laid bare the fact that it had no immunity to the aggressive policy of a special currency backed by religion and miracles.

Honestly, even I was starting to feel the burden at this point. This wasn't some shitcoin; it was a currency grounded in physical gold and land collateral, and its value had skyrocketed roughly four hundred percent in just three months.

“That is correct.”

“You treat Yulia well. It's fine if Yulia falls for you, but you must not fall for Yulia, Zieg.”

“Do I look like the type to fall for anyone?”

“Yes, exactly. As the Hero carrying such a heavy burden, those shoulders of yours must be quite weighed down.”

He let out a deep sigh that rose from the bottom of his heart at my consideration. After persuading Zieg and kindly taking his circumstances into account, it was already time to head to the theater for the auction preparations.

“Shall we go, then? Lucia?”

“With pleasure, Peter.”

The reason we could hold an auction for a currency with a clear official exchange rate from the Church was that the minted coins—limited by the Church's minting capacity and the value it could guarantee—fell far short of actual demand. Since I alone held two thousand of them, it was only natural that people's eyes would burn with anticipation, wondering when they would finally be released.

At the current exchange rate, one Gold Coin could purchase a warhorse worthy of a knight on ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the battlefield. Two thousand, therefore, represented enough value to outfit several knight orders. Maintaining them, of course, would be another matter entirely.

“Heavens, so many Gold Coins.”

“Aren't they magnificent? Just look at how they shine with miracles and divine grace.”

Despite having emphasized to the nobles that these were currency rather than holy relics when encouraging their auction participation, the statement was rather shameless. Yet when faced with this towering pile of gleaming golden light, it was easy to see why so many people would sense something sacred in them.

One might call it capitalistic divinity. If a god—or a god's apostle—could feed five thousand grown men with only five loaves of bread and two fish, then wasn't it equally miraculous that gold coins, recognized at several times their face value through the Church's economic authority, could pour forth in droves?

The rest of that particular story involved the leftovers filling twelve baskets, after which the most famous prophet in human history grew disappointed by the people's fascination with such abundance and departed. But I would never be disappointed if people were captivated by this golden light. On the contrary, that was precisely what I hoped for.

“Just think how much can be accomplished with this alone...”

“We must think big, Peter. The Gold Coin is a miraculous currency whose demand only increases the more we mint and release it. And the kingdom that has ridden this wave most successfully is Brien. The higher the Gold Coin's value climbs, the greater Brien's prosperity will become.”

“Hmm, yes. You're right, Lucia. You possess a wisdom that truly sets you apart from other young ladies.”

“You flatter me. Suppressing the desires that surge at the very last moment like this is itself a tremendous feat.”

Though I had said it to maintain a cordial relationship, I wasn't speaking empty words. How many people ruined their lives because they couldn't control their desire for what lay before their eyes? One might think a crown prince would naturally be able to restrain himself, but history showed plenty of heirs who failed to do so. In that sense, Peter had already cleared at least one condition for avoiding the path of a tyrant.

“From now on, it will be time to generate profit by leaning into that very desire.”

“Indeed. By the way, how many Gold Coins have you gathered, Peter?”

“I believe the royal treasury holds around three hundred. I personally hold about a hundred more, so... the price for requesting a miracle from you was one hundred and fifty, correct?”

“If it's to fully regenerate a severed arm, leg, or any other body part, yes. Since the cardinals rarely step forward themselves, my miracle fees are set rather high. Of course, for you, Peter, I'd accept a hundred.”

“The royal family has decided to expand the application of Gold Coins and encourage their use while refraining from excessive accumulation. As you know, our goal is for Brien's own gold coins to eventually be recognized at the same value as Imperial gold coins.”

“Isn't that fortunate? If the royal family had joined the scramble to collect Gold Coins, the amount circulating among the public would have been extremely limited.”

One Imperial gold coin was enough for an ordinary household to live on for a month. Dock workers earned slightly more than one but less than two per month, which meant a Gold Coin—now worth four Imperial coins at the official rate—had already become an astonishing item for commoners simply by being in their possession.

Of course, the so-called Copper Coins, named as currency for the lowly, still circulated for their sake. For those the Church classified as poor after assessing their assets, miracles purchased with Copper Coins—which had only one-tenth the face value—were calculated at the same worth as Gold Coins. In terms of rarity, Copper Coins were currently even scarcer than Gold Coins, but since the wealthy couldn't have them accepted by the Church, the demand was sufficiently met. Ultimately, the truly expensive item remained the Gold Coin.

A currency whose value soared simply by being hoarded. And one minted with the Saintess's proposal and the Church's approval? In a world where divine power breathed and lived, everyone would want at least one.

The Brien royal family kept their collection of such Gold Coins to a minimum, anticipating that the currency's value would eventually be “corrected,” and focused instead on elevating the value of Brien's own gold coins.

“Would you like some help? For priest-level healing, we can also accept Brien gold coins.”

“Now that is a truly tempting offer. Not as much as your beauty and wisdom, but it would make for an excellent match until the moment defeat becomes certain, Lucia.”

Wow, what a line. Given ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the era, all flirting sounded like that. Conversely, it meant this was an age in which such lines actually worked rather well. When paired with Prince Peter's devastatingly handsome face and the pleasant low voice that perfectly suited it, I suspected it would have been effective even in the world I originally came from.

He was so handsome it didn't even occur to me to feel jealous. Women would lose their minds, desperate to devour that face. I could finally understand why the Pope had said what he did.

“Actually, if we're counting only the frequency of actual miracles performed, priest-level healing is by far the most active. If you ever need it, just tell me. If you're willing to use your shares in the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Brien Royal Golden Association as collateral, I'll guarantee a very reasonable and generous rate.”

“I now understand exactly where the Church's recent aggressiveness comes from.”

“Right? Though up until now, the Church has been so passive it was almost pathetic. Still, thanks to that, we get to see this now.”

“Hmm. For a Saintess, Lucia, you speak rather harshly about the Church.”

“It's not slander—it's simply the truth. Oh, it looks like everyone is taking their seats. Shall we sit as well?”

“Let's do that. Come, Lucia.”

Do I really have to place my hand on his arm like that? My mind was full of such thoughts, but outwardly I smiled sweetly and slipped my hand into the crook of his arm, resting it lightly between his forearm and elbow. This was the basic etiquette. It was the standard escort position that allowed the man to draw his sword with his right hand at any moment to protect the woman. I didn't particularly like it, but at least we weren't linking arms.

“We'll begin with units of ten and increase gradually. How about it? Would you like to secure the first ten?”

“Hmm, that sounds entertaining. While most people are probably here mainly to see your beauty, Lucia, there will certainly be desire for the Gold Coins as well.”

As we sat together and conversed, I could confirm that the crown prince was actually less authoritarian than the Hero, Ziegfried. Zieg basically looked down on anyone he considered beneath him. That didn't mean he abused or insulted them without reason, but belittling was his default. Peter, however, would still show respect to the extent that a person deserved it, even if he viewed them as lower. Even untitled commoners received respect from him as their ruler.

Of course, because his inner thoughts were less transparent than Zieg's, it was unclear whether they truly matched inside, but he was clearly different from Zieg, whose feelings often showed even on the surface.

As the auction began, the emcee poured out all sorts of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠flowery words while introducing the Gold Coin that everyone already knew. Surprisingly, every single phrase was quite convincing. All the Gold Coins on offer had been received as payment for the miracles I had shared, so they could indeed be seen as proof. They had also originated from my proposal, so they truly came from the Saintess. And since the Pope had approved their issuance and distribution, they could be considered blessed by the Pope as well.

Such content flowed like clear water from the emcee's mouth. Even I—who knew the true origin and substance of these Gold Coins better than anyone—felt slightly enchanted by the description.

“He speaks quite well.”

“Much smoother than most provincial heralds. I wonder why talents like that aren't working for the royal family or noble houses. What do you think, Lucia?”

“In cases like that, there's usually one very clear reason.”

“I'm curious. Your insight is bound to be correct, as always.”

When he put it like that, it became rather embarrassing to give the answer. It might be a societal truth, but it wasn't exactly something to say after receiving such praise.

“It's nothing profound—it's because of money. That position simply pays better, so that's why he's there. Usually.”

“An answer that seems obvious yet carries deep insight. I see. Why didn't I think of that?”

Watching him accept it with what appeared to be genuine admiration, I couldn't help thinking, This guy is for real. Yes, he was still just a sixteen-year-old boy after all. It was typical for that pitiful creature called man to reduce his brain's thinking ratio the moment he met someone he liked. I knew that feeling very well.

“Don't be so embarrassed, Peter. It's really not that impressive.”

When I pretended to be shy, he finally smiled awkwardly and let out an embarrassed laugh. No matter how I looked at it, his face was stunning. When I glanced toward where Yulia and Zieg were sitting, I saw the two of them conversing far more amicably than expected.

Hmm. Still, Zieg wouldn't actually let himself get seduced by Yulia, right? If it were the other way around, maybe.

Meanwhile, the auction had begun. The first ten Gold Coins—each officially worth four Imperial gold coins according to the Church's exchange rate—were already exceeding ten Imperial gold coins apiece.