One year.
In the world of high finance, a year is an eternity—long enough for empires to rise, markets to crash, and for a savvy investor to turn a bankruptcy into a monopoly. In the Ravenstone Empire, it was the length of time it took for "The Wasteful Empress" to become "The Sovereign of the Ledger."
I stood on the balcony of the newly constructed Imperial Exchange, the white marble beneath my feet gleaming under the midday sun. Below me, the capital didn't look like the starving, grey city I had first encountered. It was a hive of frantic, profitable activity.
Gone were the beggars clashing with knights. In their place were merchants from across the continent, their wagons laden with Frost-Iron and Mana-Crystals, all trading in the crisp, blue-inked Imperial Credits that had become the world's most stable reserve currency.
"You're doing that thing again," a voice whispered behind me.
I didn't need to turn around to feel the heat radiating from him. Alaric's arms slid around my waist, his chin resting on my shoulder. He smelled of cedarwood and the ozone of a lingering lightning spell.
"What thing?" I asked, leaning back into his chest.
"The 'Market Dominance' look," he said, his voice a low, amused rumble. "The one where you look at the horizon and see nothing but potential mergers."
"I was actually thinking about the Social Interest Rate," I replied, tilting my head back to look at him. "The University for Commoners opens today. We have three thousand students enrolled in the first 'Introduction to Basic Accounting' course. In ten years, Alaric, the most dangerous weapon in this Empire won't be your sword. It'll be a well-balanced spreadsheet."
Alaric chuckled, his grip tightening slightly. "Heaven help our enemies. They're still training with shields while my wife is training an army of auditors."
[System Final Report: State of the Empire] [GDP Growth: +450%] [National Debt: 0 (Net Creditor to the World)] [Public Happiness: 98% (The remaining 2% are corrupt nobles still in prison)] [Relationship Status: Eternal Partnership (Interest: 100%)]
The Final Audit: The Board of Kings
The afternoon was reserved for the Continental Summit. It was a gathering that had once been used by foreign kings to demand tribute from the "weak" Ravenstone line. Today, the roles were reversed.
I walked into the summit hall, not in a restrictive gown, but in a structured, midnight-blue silk suit—a "Power Suit" adapted for the 19th-century aesthetic. My hair was pulled back into a sharp, efficient bun, held in place by a pin made of condensed Mana-Diamond.
As I took my seat at the head of the circular table, the kings of five neighboring nations fell silent. They looked at me with a mixture of reverence and terror.
"Gentlemen," I said, opening my golden ledger. "I've reviewed your applications for the Imperial Development Fund. And I have some bad news."
King Valerius of the Western Isles cleared his throat, his many rings clinking against the table. "Bad news, Empress? Our ports are open. Our loyalty is unquestioned. Surely the Ravenstone Empire can spare a few million credits for the 'Expansion of the Coast'?"
"I've seen your 'Expansion' plans, Valerius," I said, my [Venture Capitalist's Eye] glowing with a soft, judgmental blue light. "You're not building ports. You're building a fleet of private yachts for your cousins. That is a Non-Performing Asset. The Imperial Credit does not fund nepotism."
I looked around the table. "As of today, the Ravenstone Empire is implementing a Global Credit Score. If you want to trade with us, if you want our grain, and if you want the protection of the Emperor's lightning, you will submit to a quarterly audit by the Imperial Exchange."
"This is an outrage!" King Hector of the South shouted, slamming his fist down. "You are trying to colonize us without firing a single shot!"
"Not colonize, Hector," I corrected him with a cold smile. "I'm just performing a Hostile Takeover of the Global Economy. You're welcome to opt-out. But I hear the Barbarian King in the North is looking for a new trade partner, and he's very fond of 'Debt Seizure'."
Alaric, standing behind my chair like a silent, terrifying shadow, let a single spark of blue electricity dance across his knuckles.
King Hector sat down. Fast.
The Dividend of the Heart
By sunset, the treaties were signed. The neighboring kingdoms were now, for all intents and purposes, subsidiaries of the Ravenstone Empire. I had successfully audited the world into peace.
I returned to the West Wing, where Lila was waiting with a tray of tea and—bless her—a plate of actual chocolate I had "commissioned" a mage to stabilize from cocoa beans found in the deep tropics.
"You look tired, My Lady," Lila said, expertly unpinning my hair. "Even for someone who just bought three kingdoms."
"Buying is easy, Lila," I sighed, kicking off my heels. "It's the management that kills you."
The doors to the solar opened, and Alaric walked in. He dismissed Lila with a nod, then walked over to the desk, picking up one of the new coins.
"The people are calling you the Goddess of the Golden Age," he said.
"And what do you call me?" I asked, standing up and walking toward him.
Alaric set the coin down. He reached out, pulling me into the space between his arms. The "System" in my head was quiet now. No warnings. No red alerts. Just a steady, warm hum of completion.
"I call you the only person in this world who was brave enough to tell me the truth when I was surrounded by lies," he whispered. "I call you the woman who didn't just save my Empire, but saved the man I was supposed to be."
He leaned down, his lips brushing against mine. This wasn't a "contractual" kiss. It wasn't a "negotiation." It was a dividend payment on a year's worth of trust, risk, and love.
"Evelyn," he murmured against my skin. "There is one thing I haven't audited yet."
"Oh?" I teased, my heart racing. "And what's that?"
"Our future. I want to know... what is the projected growth for 'us'?"
I smiled, closing my eyes and wrapping my arms around his neck.
"The growth is infinite, Alaric. As long as we keep the books balanced."
============ THE END ============