Contrary to expectations, the minister did not ask out of objection or curiosity. He simply had no desire to deal with those consequences any further. If change was inevitable, then he had no objections. In any case, this position had become nothing more than a burden in the empire's current state. The empire was collapsing, but he had no intention of collapsing with it—or before it.
"Also, it will be announced that the old currency will remain legal tender and accepted in the markets alongside the new one. Exchange rates will be determined according to the purity of the silver or gold contained in each coin. This will continue until the main bank begins operations."
"After that..." I took a sip of water before continuing. "Since the central bank is part of the Financial Pillar, it will gradually handle the process of withdrawing the old currency through major merchants and provincial administrations, instead of forcing everyone to rush to the capital."
That way, the bomb could be dismantled before it exploded. However, everything depended on how quickly a central bank could be established.
Unfortunately, banks in this world had developed in different forms—guilds, for example. You could even say that banks, in the commonly understood sense, didn't really exist here. The merchants held enormous power, and that had led to significant losses when many of them chose to pull out of the empire to avoid further risks.
Their banking methods were fairly ordinary and somewhat outdated. A merchant would deposit money and receive a certificate, then redeem it in another city if necessary, allowing him to avoid carrying large amounts of cash and attracting bandits. Of course, that only worked as long as nobody stole the certificate itself.
There was nothing particularly imaginative about what I was proposing. I was simply transferring that same process into a centralized bank and placing it under the empire's authority.
It wasn't as though nobody had attempted something similar before. A state-run institution of that kind had existed in the past, but it had been placed under the Ministry of Finance. The procedures had become cumbersome because the system itself was dysfunctional, which eventually led to chaos.
I don't know how things worked in other countries, but in this empire, this type of institution had been one of the first things to collapse.
Even the building that had once been used for that purpose still existed. It only needed a few repairs and some cleaning before it could be put back into service as the new central bank. This time, however, its authority would be separated from the Ministry of Finance.
That was why I explained the function of this pillar in detail, ensuring that the Minister of Finance understood exactly what kind of personnel I needed there.
It seemed that my own knowledge and the rabbit's knowledge had somehow merged together within my mind, creating a strange kind of complementarity. Fortunately, that was working in my favor.
"I want you to transfer part of the Finance Department staff to this pillar. Also, prepare a report on every employee who is suitable for administrative work. For the time being, I will personally oversee this pillar until a suitable candidate emerges."
"Your Majesty, what about—"
The minister stopped before finishing his sentence.
Well, what's with that look?
Does he think he's qualified for the seat?
Sorry, you're not getting it even if you beg.
If you're smart enough, you'll understand the hint, see where all of this is headed, and start distancing yourself from that group of traitors.
"The positions will be reorganized later. Whoever is truly suited for a seat will obtain it naturally."
They might be fools, but they weren't idiots. They would understand what I meant.
Change was coming, and clinging to a damaged system was simply another way of falling with it. No matter how bad the situation became, the Emperor's authority still remained.
"In any case, today's meeting is meant to inform you of the changes that are coming. For now, we'll focus on the Financial Pillar, beginning with the central bank, the printing press, and the treasury. Afterward, I want information on anyone you believe would be suitable for this administration."
In truth, I didn't actually need that information.
I'd already assigned the students to gather it, and I had another plan for attracting talented individuals from other cities.
Still, who knew?
A gem might emerge from a pile of garbage.
Some minds here were still worth using.
Fortunately, dealing with intelligent people was much easier than I'd expected.
Everyone quickly grasped the purpose of this pillar.
I hadn't revealed the other pillars yet, but through my answers to questions about them, they had begun to understand just how important those pillars were—especially the Sixth Pillar and the central bank.
The central bank in particular functioned much like a court. It would decide how much money should be printed and oversee the new currency, the banking system, and the state's financial liquidity.
However, it would have absolutely nothing to do with taxation or the Minister of Finance's policies.
Its authority was far greater than it appeared at first glance.
The responsibility carried by the Pillar's Deputy alone was enough to make the minister back down. He had realized that he simply wasn't the right person for that position.
Not that I'd considered him suitable in the first place.
Everyone sank into thought.
An hour later, the meeting came to an end, and preparations for the coming changes began.
I still hadn't left the palace.
Even the final verification of the new currency had been handled through Sysilin, who had delivered the finished product.
But now I needed to leave and inspect the building that was supposed to become the central bank.
I ordered a carriage to be prepared.
Returning to my room to change clothes, I expected to find the usual outfits waiting in the wardrobe.
Instead, I found a surprise.
The entire selection had been replaced.
"Morgana?"
That was impressively fast.
As though she'd sensed me thinking about her, a knock sounded at the door.
When it opened, Morgana stood there and casually asked,
"Your Majesty, I heard you're going out."
"Yes. I need to inspect a building and confirm whether it can be used. Did you change the clothes in the wardrobe?"
"I thought you didn't like the old ones. I apologize for doing it without asking your permission first."
"What's this? An apology out of courtesy? On the contrary, I'm grateful. Give me a moment and I'll get changed."
She nodded quietly.
I picked out what seemed suitable and headed to the bathroom to change.
After all, the room was being monitored.
Once I came back out, perhaps it would be time to talk.
Unfortunately, I didn't have much time.
"Finished?"
"Do you have something you want to tell me?"
"Yes. I want to accompany you."
Morgana fidgeted with the edge of her robe as she spoke, her bright eyes following Ray's movements.
"Let me come with you. We can finish our pleasant conversation."
Why didn't she just say that from the start?
Was she disguising her intentions because of the surveillance?
She made a subtle movement with her eyes, as though indicating the room itself while I had been changing.
I see what you're trying to do.
"Very well. Are you allowed to leave the palace?"
"I don't have much to do at the moment. The head maid already has authority over the servants, and the palace steward handles the affairs of the palace itself. Even with the seal, all I really do is review paperwork. In any case, wait for me in the carriage. I'll prepare quickly and join you."
"Alright."
Was it just my imagination, or was she no longer treating me like a stranger?
Still, this wasn't the right place to talk.
I quietly left the room, adjusted my clothes, and continued through the palace.
Long corridors stretched endlessly, reflecting the immense scale of the palace before finally leading outside.
Contrary to expectations, the sky was far clearer than my heart.
The air was slightly cold.
With all the troubling reports I'd been reading, I had expected the empire itself to seem shrouded in darkness.
Instead, it was as though the world couldn't care less.
A bright morning.
Cold winds announcing the approach of winter.
And another piece of news ready to ruin my mood.
This year would be the Black Winter, a phenomenon that occurred only once every five years.
Putting the Black Winter aside, what I really wanted to know was when normal winter would begin.
After all, the Black Winter itself was merely a phenomenon caused by the Red Moon.
Right now, I honestly wished weather forecasts existed.
I only hoped the weather wouldn't suddenly worsen before the New Year.
That left fifty-three days until the start of the new year.
And fifty-three days until the Night of the Red Moon.
Let's hurry and get things organized.
I let out a quiet sigh, expelling some of the bitterness weighing on my mind.
A short while later, as I waited beside the carriage, Morgana emerged.
She wore lighter clothing beneath heavier outer garments.
She looked beautiful.
But wasn't she cold?
In any case, I helped her into the carriage before climbing in myself.
Sysilin took his seat beside the driver without a word.
He knew exactly what was about to happen, so he remained silent as the carriage set off toward its destination.
Morgana raised her hand.
A magic circle appeared and spread outward, causing the walls of the carriage to darken into a deeper shade.
Was that magic?
...Amazing.
"We can talk freely now. No one will be listening."
She looked at me.
"Aren't you curious about the future?"
"No. Not at all."
I paused.
Perhaps there were a few things I was curious about.
"No, wait. I take that back. Do you know when it's going to snow?"
Morgana's expression shifted from shock to surprise before a smile spread across her face.
"I don't know."
"Then there's no point in knowing the future."
If I'd known when the snowfall would begin, it would have helped me determine the priority of the plans I'd prepared.
Ray let out a sigh and leaned back against his seat.
"You're strange. Most people would do anything to learn the future, but you're just ignoring it."
I see the future as nothing more than a collection of possibilities.
Who knows? Maybe it would be useful if you had something like the Time Stone, like Doctor Strange.
Other than that, if you look into the future, it will change even if you repeat the exact same actions. That alone means nobody can truly see the real future.
Sure, you possess some knowledge, but that knowledge belongs to a timeline where I'm already dead.
"...That sounds strangely reasonable. Who is Doctor Strange?"
"Someone who likes medicine."
Ray closed his eyes.
"Let's end this conversation. I'm going to take a nap."
"Wait. Aren't you going to tell me anything about yourself?" Morgana frowned.
"Alright. I'm not from this world. I was on my way to receive yet another rejection, and then I suddenly found myself an emperor."
He shrugged.
"In short, I'm the protagonist of a story nobody will ever watch. Thank you for listening, and see you later."
"What does that even mean?"
"As Bruce Lee once said, be like water."
Ray shifted slightly in his seat.
"Since I've found myself in this situation, I'll just go with the flow of the river and enjoy the ride. Wake me up when we arrive."
And in the end, Ray didn't explain anything at all.
"Seriously?"
Morgana sighed, then looked at him again.
He had changed his clothes, straightened himself up, and washed his face, but the exhaustion was still obvious.
Morgana moved closer to him, only to freeze when Ray suddenly spoke. She had assumed he was already asleep.
"Oh, right. I forgot to ask."
Ray opened one eye slightly.
"Who is it that you want dead?"
"What kind of question is that?"
"Well, in time-travel stories, revenge is usually the motivation. That's why I'm asking."
He looked at Morgana with genuine curiosity.
"Could you stop speaking in riddles for once?"
"Fine."
Ray's gaze remained fixed on her.
"What would you do if I decided to execute your father?"
"I don't care what you do to him."
Morgana's expression grew cold as she adjusted her posture.
"I don't hate him, and I don't love him either. He's just a stranger to me."
She lowered her eyes for a moment.
"He abandoned me before, and he abandoned me in the future as well. He used me and threw me away. That's all there is to it."
"So you're telling me you don't feel any anger toward him?"
Ray paused before continuing.
"Your eyes say otherwise."
"Didn't you say you weren't interested in the future?"
Morgana forced a smile.
"Just get some rest. I'll tell you when we arrive."
She tried to change the subject as though there was something she didn't want to talk about.
"Now you've made me genuinely interested."
Ray opened his eyes slightly wider.
"What happened to you after the rabbit died?"
"I don't want to talk about that."
For the first time since the conversation began, her answer came immediately.
"Please."