“So you want to become a strong Qi master? You also want to learn the sword?” Chris asked.

“No way! Why would I do that? I just want to become really fast. I already can run the whole day and not get tired, but there is this movement technique that I will be able to perform only after I become a Qi master and strengthen my Qi pathways in a special way. Therefore I have to train more.” Nick explained.

It sounded a bit strange, but the three guys were already used to his different approach to things.

“But I am training to become the strongest Qi sword master in the history!” Zia confidently said.

“Oh, did you learn few sword techniques and got your sword already? I bet he palace’s treasury has some really good moves and excellent swords to choose from.” Steven joined the conversation, “If you started this year, it means you started one year earlier than us.” He pointed at Chris and Mason.

“Nick doesn’t allow me.” Princess seemed upset, “He says I need to become stronger first.”

“Why are you upset?” Nick asked her, “Did you see Andrew in the arena? He has been training Qi and sword techniques for a few years. And what’s the use of it? I didn’t even hit him. If it was a real fight, he would’ve been stabbed multiple times. And I doubt there is a real use of armor when Qi sword masters fight. The theory is that you infuse your weapon with Qi and make it super sharp and indestructible, therefore the only technique you need to know is to poke once and the enemy is dead. You simply need to be fast enough!”

“That is right, but also wrong.” Chris argued, “It only applies if you are much faster than the other party. But if both of you are at similar speed, then the one with a better techniques wins.”

“Yes, but if we are at similar speed and I am simply stronger, your techniques won’t help you much either.” Nick smiled.

“So you mean …” Chris had enlightenment.

“Hahaha, you got it.” Nick laughed, “Techniques are very important and interesting subject to study. But it is rare for two Qi masters of equal strengths or speeds to meet. Just overpower the other side or be faster than them. If you can’t, then start relying on techniques.”

“Zia!” He pointed at the pouting princess, “She is a natural born genius! It would be a waste for her to try learning any techniques now – she can always train those later. But she would never have the time when the simple exercises that we are performing would have such impact to her general physical development.

“But I still want to carry a sword!” Zia tried to persuade him.

“Look at you – you are only nine years old. What can you really carry? A toothpick? Why don’t you grow up a year or two and then you will be able to choose and carry a real sword. I am not completely certain, but the legend is that if a swordsman meets his destined sword and never parts with it, even sleeps alongside it, his power can multiply several times! What can happen if you now carry some random short sword? You’ll grow a little and after a year pick another sword and so on. It is just a waste of time.”

Nick didn’t really have any idea how that actually worked, but he read in some books how real swordsmen did exactly what he just described and judging by Zia’s character he thought it would suite her very well.

The group was deep in thoughts. There were some of the things their teachers have said before, but to train only physical body was kind of boring. On the other hand few days ago they saw how an eight year old could knock out twelve year old Qi practitioner who had already picked up the sword.

“I want to see some swords anyway! I will ask my father to show some from the royal treasury.” Zia stood up, “Nick, are you coming?”

“Not interested, run!” He smiled and waved her off.

After Zia left, the four boys continued to chat for a while.

“Do you hang out with her to be allowed to live here?” Steven directly asked a question the three young aristocrats were pondering about already for a while.

“Hahaha, not really. In fact, me living here has nothing to do with her.” Nick laughed, “It’s just … have you ever seen any royal or aristocrat as honest as her? It is very simple around her, I don’t need to pretend or scheme. Mostly I feel like she is my younger sister.”

“But she is older than you!” Mason was confused.

“Ye, but have you seen her?” Nick replied with a question and all of them laughed. Zia was really something else.

In the morning, when Nick met Zia, she was angry, upset and furious at the same time. Turns out her father refused to show her swords from the royal treasury. Nick had a suspicion that it was because the king knew he would not be able to refuse her begging for a specific item or may be even several. Therefore he gathered all his willpower and directly refused the easiest thing he could – the entrance to the treasury.

They had almost left the kitchen, when Zia’s eyes suddenly lit up, she grabbed Nick’s hand and pulled him around the palace just like the last year. Nick was a bit confused, but soon he started to have a bad premonition. They finally arrived to a place Nick hasn’t been to yet.

“See, that’s the treasury. I know you can think of a way for us to could get in!” She whispered.

‘No way!’ Nick thought to himself, but didn’t say anything. He silently turned around and walked away while Zia was left pouting. He was not that insane – he still wanted to enjoy this life.

The next day he was ordered to report to the king in his study.

After exchanging few pleasantries, king asked, “Nick, I have heard you sold the production method of your secret ingredient and cooking recipe of pizza as well.”

“You are well informed, your majesty.” Nick didn’t deny, “Except I didn’t really sell it, Myles Meyer accepted my proposal to provide me with free meals till the end of my days.”

“How could you be this stupid?” King furrowed his brows, “You could have earned a lot of money!”

“What for?” Nick smiled, “I have everything I need. I don’t intend to live my life in a huge mansion on a pile of money. I would rather let someone else bake pizza for me so I can eat it whenever I want it.”

“But what if you someday will want to start a family?”

“Your majesty, in case if that really happens, you can be certain I will think of something. But I am confident that you know it better than anyone that having a lot of money isn’t at all equal to enjoying happiness.” Nick continued to smile at the king.

“Are you really eight years old?” King furrowed his brows and asked, “Anyway, you could’ve given the recipe and production method to the kingdom. I could have fed you for free as well. After all I already provide you with a premium lodging.”

“I am sorry, your majesty, but I disagree.” Nick shook his head, “I think that king and his ministers should govern and cover the expenses from taxes rather than doing business.”

“Sigh.” King sat back deeper in his chair, “I obviously know that, but after the war we haven’t yet recovered and the Sand kingdom is starting dangerous activities. Lori kingdom is supporting them and we have suspicions that even Nestri empire might be behind all of it. We need funds! Do you even know how much it costs to feed tens of thousands of soldiers across the country every day? … and then there is the equipment and logistics … sigh.”

“There are other ways to fill treasury than just taxes or doing common business.” Nick smiled again. While living here for over half a year, he analyzed the differences between the worlds many times. Of course, the monetary system, business practices and banking were only few of those things.

“Speak and don’t play around! I’m not Zia.” King seemed to be angry, but, in fact, was surprised, ‘Don’t tell me this shrimp really has a passable idea on how to fill our treasury!’

“Well. I got this idea during the Midsummer festival. Enormous amount of merchants trade their goods across the country and then go back home with a big sack of money. Not everyone comes from one town, sells their wares and then spends all the earned money to buy different goods to sell again in another place. Most people are happily left with sacks of silver or may be even gold and now have the pleasure and risk of returning home. Despite the relatively good security in the Sun kingdom, there are many bandit gangs and even sects like Holy Order that fill their pockets with the money of these merchants.” Nick laid out his idea while king attentively listened and nodded from time to time.

“There are merchants who hire mercenaries as bodyguards and in bigger caravans travel from city to city. But that does not guarantee the security and some mercenaries might often even work with the bandits or run away during the danger. Bandits usually don’t blindly murder everyone, otherwise instead of investigators and guard squads, you would simply send army troops to clean up the mountains even if it costs a lot. Therefore merchants normally keep their lives, but loose their wealth.”

“So,” Nick finally came to main point, “what if there was a system, when merchant could deposit his money in a specialized governmental office in, let’s say, Aurora, get a recipe and then withdraw his money back in his home town, minus a small tax, of course. It would be absolutely safe and even if the recipes would be robbed, stolen or lost, he could claim the money at the governmental office in his home town anyway, it just would take some time to verify the data and he may be will have to pay additional tax. Although it might take month or even longer in few cases, it is still better than to loose all the money on the way. In addition, merchant wouldn’t need to pay for mercenary protection and buy a spot in caravans in these cases.”

King was deep in thoughts. This system sounded extremely convenient from a merchant’s point of view, but it was not clear how much it would actually bring in to the kingdom’s treasury.

“In addition, if any a particular office in any city is lacking funds, you can almost without any additional cost transfer them using the army. Most definitely there are army troops that rotate, move provisions and equipment. No one will pay attention to few boxes of extra ‘equipment’ if sent along. And no bandits would attempt to attack the army squads.”

Nick scratched his head, “Also there is an important point – if you decide to do this, you should monopolize this system from the start and the king’s word would act as guarantee. If Myles Meyer learns of this idea and tries to replicate, with their financial power they could quickly establish such services.”

“There you go, your majesty.” Nick smiled again, “If you take five or may be ten percent tax on this service and you have monopoly over it, after this system gains popularity you won’t have lack of funds. There is only one thing – this service has to start to operate throughout the country at the same time, there has to be a promotion and the citizens have to be educated about it, with posters, fake or real examples and may be even at the level of rumors in taverns, about government helping poor merchants or something like that.”

“Let’s call this service ‘banking’ and the government offices that provide it – ‘banks’.” For some reason Nick started to hysterically laugh. Although it was impolite, he was a child after all so king didn’t care for it.