Legend of Ransera

"Pearls of wisdom? Now that would be a grandiose claim."

Valentin pretended to waive the idea away, to present himself as humble--but the idea appealed to him. A lot. After all, wasn't he a man conceived of a higher calling, who had spent his life learning the ways of directing the affairs of empire? If he, a man entrusted by the Imperium and the Emperor himself (well, notionally trusted; he did not personally know His Majesty) with governing the property of the nation was not wise, then perhaps nobody was.

Trade, it is said, is the lifeblood of a nation. But without proper tithe and tribute, the blood sloshes uselessly in the arteries while the flesh and muscle waste away. Was he not, in fact, responsible in goodly part for the vitalization of all that national tissue? Why shouldn't someone ask him for advice?

"Well, for all that you are young, you seem to have good instincts and a willingness to seek advice. I have no reason to doubt that you will learn from every misstep and master trade. And I am, after all, more of a spectator."

Not a disinterested spectator, of course.

"But..."

"My grandfather used to tell me-" For all that Valentin resented the man, he respected him too. "-that his least favorite aphorism is 'time is money.'"

"Perhaps ironically, it took me years to understand his point entirely. He meant that you can spend time making money, but you can't spend money to get more time. That was his warning to me, that those who gave up too much of their lives chasing ever-greater fortune were idiots. They were trading an irreplaceable resource for something which would never quite buy them the joys they desired. And that's fair enough." Of course, the old man had said this while he secreted away a small fortune for his own family. This, Valentin did not mind- the hypocrisy had paid for his education and current position, after all.

"But eventually I realized that he had found his truth in the aphorism and failed to perceive another, deeper secret. And that is that money is time. Every stamped coin is a ledger of blood and sweat, from the long labor of the miners to the quick calculations I perform in my own office. Every soldier earns his pay by spending his life. Every aven a cobbler makes is a token of the time he spent making the shoes. Although I am a skilled laborer, my own pension is filled first and foremost by the ticking of the old grandfather clock in my office.' The economy is an iron law; those who would have money, they must give it their time, their sweat, and ultimately their lives."

"If you would become rich, you must break this law as often as you can. Do not ask 'which investment makes most money', ask 'which investment can I profit from with as little work as possible'. If you seek to improve your businesses, improve first and foremost the time it takes for them to realize profit. The people with the most money in this world do not need to spend an instant of their own time to make a thousand avens. Do this, grow richer while selling your time as dearly as possible, and you may live to become one of those rare people who are both powerful and happy."

Kala hadn't been expecting quite that monologue, but she did appreciate it. It was gratifying to know that even after such a relatively short amount of time, they had developed a mutual respect. If he was willing to share more advice as an expert in the field and Gel'Grandal in particular, she was going to let him say his piece.

Her mind tried to make connections, of course, and understand it all in the moment, but she reminded herself that fully comprehending his meaning might take time and more experience than she had at the moment. So, when he was done, she nodded thoughtfully and smiled.

"Thank you, Master Valentin. I will meditate upon that." And she would. True advice required it.

She finished her drink, the mixture of drinks that was alien, yet oddly familiar. Bryony would bring him that similar draught, and the connection between Starfall and Gel'Grandal would be sealed. Whether she would come back or not, she didn't know. It would take a seer to know, and she was not that.

Kala set the glass down.

"I suppose the time has come for us to part for the time being," she said with mild regret. "I will keep you apprised of the business I enact while here, and you may comment upon it at will. If you need to discuss anything with me again before I leave, I will be at your disposal. On behalf of House Leukos, I think you for your efforts. And for myself, thank you."

She smiled once more, always pleased when she came out of an interaction having found a win-win scenario. If only their nations could do the same. If only all nations could do the same.

"This has all been quite edifying."

"Well, thank you for listening.."

Valentin was aware of how much that must have sounded like bloviation, but he reassured himself silently that it could hardly be just that. He was, after all, an educated man. It wasn't only his ego, honest.

As the meeting adjourned, Valentin made his goodbyes to the Imperium's newest guest and saw her back to the main foyer, to whatever retinue she had chosen to bring. He smiled, and nodded, and gave polite little bows. Every ritual and procedure done properly.

And when she was gone...

"Master Teller."

The head teller in the foyer's own head jerked upwards, his mousey face outlined by two square spectacles, trailing little chains down the side of his cheek.

"Yes, sir, uh, master, ah, Valentin?"

"Place a note on Ms. Leukos' file, please. All reports to be delivered direct to my office. My assistant will see the chaff into the imperial files."

The head teller frowned, working his weak chin in dismay. "Do you expect a problem, sir? Only, she seems so careful, and eager to get started..."

Valentin did not reward the head teller with the kind of long-winded explanations he had favored Kala with; he simply stared at the man until it seemed as though he would wilt away to nothing, a human plant. "She seems delightful. I expect no trouble. Place the note." With that, Valentin turned sharply on his heel and walked back through the service corridors of the Bank, junior clerks scampering away as he went.

Whether or not they did anything wrong, it was useful to watch the smart people. Sometimes you could figure out what they had figured out in time to profit off it yourself.

Lore:

Kala]:
11

Valentin:
12

Points: 10 each

Injuries/Ailments: None

Loot: None

Notes: