Both parties so signed agree that, pending the agreement of the Central Territory towns, the following terms of trade apply:

That neither party will levy more than a total of one tenths tax on any goods originating from the other party's region above and beyond the tax on substantially similar goods originating signing party's region

Tax on passage of goods originating in other regions are exempt from this restriction

Detailed criteria for the determination of origin is elaborated in subclause A

That the Minmay region agrees to lower the total tax on imported grains and textiles of all kinds and variety from the Central Territory regardless of origin to no more than one twentieth

That the Central Territories will not levy a total tax greater than one twentieth on imported steel, steel machinery or magical devices of any kind from the Minmay Region

That the Central Territories will allow the Bank of Minmay to establish an independent branch

That financial loans to the Mayors of the Central Territories will be provided at no more than the lowest rate of interest offered to any guilds, companies or commercial interests within the Central Territory

That the Central Territory agrees to underwrite the loans so taken with assets and tax income

That the Central Territory as a whole will create a mechanism to guarantee the loans made by each town within one year

That the Minmay region and the Central Territory agree to a future meeting no later than six months from this day to create an official set of currency coins with a defined value and fixed gold or silver quantity

That said coins shall include the range from one hundredth of a telin to one rime

That said coins shall by law be accepted across the two regions and may not be refused as a means of settling a debt incurred

That said coins shall be accepted by both parties as a means of paying taxes

That the Minmay University shall create a branch in the Central Territories, and expend reasonable effort to ensure the branch provides training and expertise to the Central Territories guilds, companies or commercial interests of comparable quality to that received at the Minmay University

That said branch shall share information and technologies freely with the Minmay University

That said branch shall provide education and training at no cost to no less than ten persons a year so named by the agreement of the Central Territories

That said branch shall involve no less than thirty persons named by the agreement of the Central Territories in research, education or training, in a position or manner no less favourable than equivalent employees in Minmay University

That the Minmay Guards will provide support and training for a period of one year to an equivalent organization in the Central Territories

That both parties agree that the other party shall receive equal or greater tax, tariff or technology advantages that any future treaty, agreement or understanding with a third party would grant

Minmay Region Chancellor

Central Territory Representative

"An anti-penetrating shield, huh?" Landar mused, "come to think of it, the shield penetration works because the power at the point of impact is much lower than the bolt's. "

"The tests did show that more power is required for penetration for denser shields, after all" Cato nodded.

"So all we need to do is make a shield that concentrates its power at the place where the bolt hits," Landar said, "I'll run the standard disruption detection lines used in firebolts and space it across nine squares on the surface of the shield. Set the magical power to concentrate in the square being hit. Nine is still too easy to break through but we can make more for the real version. "

She casted the spell as she thought aloud, taking her time to build it right. The wall of magic glittered with lines, crisscrossing the front of the wall.

At her nod, Cato leveled the spell cannon at it and fired a low powered but fast disruption bolt.

It punched right through.

"Huh," Landar mumbled to herself and repaired the wall, making the lines denser. Poking at the front with a thin tendril of power, they observed the power travelling into the central area in the rough shape of a square. "It's working," Landar frowned.

"Again?" Cato asked, aiming the cannon. Landar let her power go and waited for the wall to settle down into a uniform evenness before nodding.

The fast moving bolt still went through the wall with just as much ease as the first. Even though the bolt was weaker this time.

"Again, and weaker," Landar snapped.

It took nearly five tries before they managed to stop a single bolt. And the penetrating bolt was so weak that it wouldn't penetrate a normal shield anyway.

"Do you think perhaps the magic just isn't moving fast enough?" Cato asked, he touched a disruption rod to the wall, a simple magic tool that held a low power and very precise disruption spell at the tip. The magic flowed into the affected panel visibly but quickly. But not as quick as an accelerated bolt could move.

"So we have to detect the bolt earlier!" Landar perked up and nodded to herself, "I'll have to make the spell cover a larger volume and run the lines further forward. Let's see it. "

The new shield was the shape of an odd box. The active side faced the spell cannon with control lines on the surface, while most of the shield power was concentrated at the back. When the front of the box was hit, the shield would concentrate power into the corresponding square at the back. Cato could already see potential failure modes with angled fire but went ahead with the test anyway.

He leveled the makeshift spell cannon and fired a normal penetrating bolt. And it still went right through.

Landar stared at the penetrating bolt plowing into the ground in the distance. "What in the world did we build?" she said, a complex mix of pride and frustration on her face, "and how does it do that?"

He raised an eyebrow, was she picking up some of his expressions? "You wanted to weaponize the bolt that we used to penetrate the shield, so now you have a shield penetrating spell," Cato said, "I don't really think it's as dangerous as Minmay says it is though. "

Landar raised an eyebrow, "but it is true. I mean, if someone pointed one of those at me and I didn't have time to prepare a ridiculously strong shield, even I'll get killed. Just the fact that I could punch through my father's shield when it was already casted means that no normal knight could survive a surprise attack with this spell. It doesn't take much fire to kill you. "

"This is very much like a gun on Earth. Or like one of Morey's guns, which I might add is already known," Cato explained, "point a gun at someone and fire a few shots, and people die. Mostly. Getting away with it is much harder and I don't think Inath tolerates murder any more than Earth does. For the same reason, even though theoretically someone could walk up to anyone else and kill them, doesn't mean it will happen very often. "

"I can think of a few people and nobles who might just disappear one day if I sold this design," Landar mused, "making magical weapons more deadly wasn't what I want-... well, what I mean is that Minmay has got a point. "

"He can't stop you if you did sell the design though," Cato said, "the Order of Knights will certainly back you. "

"Only because they won't have any choice but to be first," Landar retorted.

They looked at each other but Cato didn't find anything else to say.

"Let's just see if we can make the shield work. We have the entire journey back to Minmay to do that in. "

Arthur took Minmay's heavy travelling coat and passed it to a waiting servant to be cleaned. He narrated the report as Minmay changed out of his travelling wear.

"And so the Borehole is stalled at 170 meters after a wall collapsed three days ago. Three miners were killed and the clearance work will delay the project by a week. The Ironworkers are showing off their new unidirectional flow steam engine after work on the valves was completed, they're using it to drive an elevator between the top and the bottom of the shaft so the miners can get down more quickly. "

Minmay nodded, "delays are not unexpected. I trust there have been no problems in organizing the repairs?"

"None sir, only minor scheduling or supply issues within expectations. "

"Alright, I'll keep an eye on it. "

Arthur followed Minmay into the dining room, pulling out the seat and serving the plate of roast piyo strips waiting on the trolley. Truly, Cato's design of the castor wheel was a mark of genius and perfect for light loads indoors. The maids in this house used their three trolleys for meals, hauling cleaning buckets and laundry... just about every single bit housekeeping work in the large mansion. A number of larger workshops had also ordered them.

Arthur idly wondered when Cato's promised vacuum pump could be completed. His description of a vacuum cleaner had the maids practically begging Arthur for one.

After the short meal, Minmay nodded at Arthur, sipping at a glass of wine. "Anything else?"

"The first round of income tax was assessed. The workers are unhappy, a number of smaller guilds and companies have submitted protests. They claim that a twentieth is too high and the workers can't survive. "

Minmay sighed, "any that I should be worried about?"

"Probably not. All the major guilds had agreed to it, with the Minmay Guards bearing witness to formal contracts, they have not raised any complaints. Yet. In any case, with the Guards around, I doubt anyone will attempt anything drastic. "

"Give me a list of everyone who gave the collectors trouble or protested in some way, I'll look at it later. Anything else?"

Arthur nodded, "Cato's experimental workshop has moved on to making wagon wheels and axles now. They have been making spare axles that require no fitting with any of their wheels. "

"That's more useful than cheap furniture. I think the Minmay Guards could do with some, the supply team will be happy to have it. " Minmay said.

"Sir, there might be some issue with that," Arthur noted, "a number of carpenter workshops have started a trade war with Kalny. "

"Any reason why Kalny doesn't just absorb them? He's big enough to do that, the carpenters aren't very well organized," Minmay pointed out.

Arthur paused then said, "Cato told him not to do that actually. He specifically instructed Kalny not to employ any master craftsmen. Part of the complaints, besides undercutting the market and accusations of inferior product, is that Kalny is stealing their apprentices. "

Minmay looked up with a frown, "you're telling me Cato's experimental workshop has been building tables and now entire wagons without a single master?"

"Not precisely, there are two master craftsmen on retainer by the firm. However, if I understand it correctly, they are advisors and consultants only, none of them are involved in any production, did Cato not tell you?"

"He complained that the masters didn't want to follow his procedures, but no, he never actually said he wasn't employing them," Minmay mused, "hm, to be honest, I never thought he could pull it off. The idea that you can just write down whatever a master knows and have untrained people make things is just too preposterous. But now that he's succeeded, that could get to be a problem. "

"A problem? The woodworkers are too disorganized and too few, like you said. The Minmay Guards can keep them in control, and Kalny can hold his own against them," Arthur said, "besides, the work is too shabby to be a real threat. "

"Is there a sample?" Minmay asked.

Arthur nodded and gestured for the two waiting servants to bring in the table.

The small square thing was a plain angular affair with four rectangular legs fixed to the corners. In contrast to the delicately carved dining table with its wavy lines along the edge and down the legs, Cato's workshop table was crude. But according to Kalny, the true cost of the table was a third cheaper than the common simple ones sold in carpenter shops, and it was getting cheaper.

Minmay couldn't tell whether the poorer city dwellers would actually buy such tasteless tables but if they did prefer the lower cost, things could get ugly.

"I don't see how any person would want one of these," Arthur said.

Minmay rapped the surface, which rang with surprising solidity. The table didn't totter when he tried to shake it either. He huffed and hopped up onto it, much to Arthur's surprise and alarm, but the table held under his weight with only a slight creak.

It was well made, surprisingly. Maybe all those procedures Cato insisted on checking every little thing actually worked?

But the table was still as ugly as a Reki's face.

"It's built solidly," Minmay noted, looking down the dining from his high vantage point. The roof was much closer from here. He stepped down and noted with some amusement as Arthur began to breathe again. "If a family is not too well off, they might buy it. "

"May I ask what has you worried?"

"Was I that transparent?" Minmay smiled at Arthur.

"I have served you for more than ten years, sir," Arthur replied, "since before the time we still held Ode's Corridor. It's not like you to take such risks. " He pointed at the table.

Minmay waved all the other servants out. Then had Arthur check if any were loitering around to listen in.

"Indeed, you know me too well," Minmay sighed and grew more serious, "please arrange for meetings with each of the major guilds in Minmay. I wish to speak to them, individually, without the presence of Cato. I need you to arrange private settings. And for those that can be influenced by such, food and minor gifts of no more than one Rime in value each. Remind me to give you a list tomorrow morning. "

Arthur's expression didn't change but Mimay knew him well enough to tell that his butler was very surprised. And even more concerned.

"I may not be a visionary like Cato," Minmay explained, "but I am not completely blind to what he is trying to do. "

Minmay sat down at the dining table again and gestured for Arthur to take a seat across from him. "Cato envisions a world where every transaction down to the lowest peasant is not mediated by trust but by an exchange of currency. I know it sounds crazy but it is true. Furthermore, he thinks of a world where each person can purchase more than just their own food, where each worker is a specialized craftsman... no, not craftsmen. Workers are organized into production units with each worker specialized into their own small tasks, which produce a greater whole. "

Minmay looked at the square table meaningfully, "I did not truly believe this was possible until I saw this table. Now I know it is. More than just tables, the idea of fixed, interchangeable processes to produce a consistent product, this idea I feel will change the face of everything more than flashy weapons like a better bolt launcher or the best assassination weapon under the light of Selna. More than even the Borehole project. Already, we see signs of this in the Ironworkers' steam engines, all working examples are built by multiple teams working on each part. They are even being called the piston team and the boiler team and so on. "

"It will not be without its enemies," Minmay said, staring at the table and trying to see into the murky future and why he was so apprehensive of what was to come. "The idea that untrained peasants can be trained to produce well made finished products, even if not decorated, will be a threat to many people. Or is it the fact that craftsmen will no longer be the masters of their craft, only slaves to a process? There is a reason why none of the master craftsmen managed to achieve his goal of interchangeable parts for months when twenty hardworking peasants did it in three weeks. And when these craftsmen are threatened, the guilds they comprise... oppose the companies or organizations of the new workers. "

"I will move to preempt this. The guilds can be controlled by their leaders. Not completely, but the leaders can be promised bribes and positions in the new arrangement. They stand to benefit from it and with their cooperation, they can push the new ideas and silence the ranks. The Guards were built from the ground using the same principles, I see that now; the Order of Knights will be a threat, or a potential asset. " Minmay was thinking as he spoke now. "I cannot predict what will happen, or which trade will be most impacted. But I have to act now. Once the threat becomes visible to me, it will be too late. That is what I feel, preparing the ground to gain the support of the peasants and the workers will be required and cannot be done quickly. It turns out Aesin was right with her feeding the poor. "

Arthur sat there stonily until he asked in a quiet voice. "Why are you doing this? What does the Chancellor have to gain from spreading these ideas?'

"Change is coming," Minmay muttered, "for better or worse I cannot say. But I have to survive it, the Chancellor has to survive it. And regardless of what Cato says, I at least want Arisacrota to inherit a Chancellorship that is more than just a title. "

Cato looked at the empty notepad on his desk, tapping it with a crude pencil.

It wasn't often he got some free time. Returning to the University meant returning to the endless meetings between merchants, guilds and other people who all seemed to want his help. Honestly, Cato didn't feel as if he was helping all that much.

All other times, Cato would find himself in Landar's lab, where they and the two alchemist assistants drew more magic circles for just about every magical device anyone could think of. And some that only existed in Landar's head, which often didn't work.

But tonight, Landar was sleeping after spending too much magic again. And so Cato found himself alone in the University office with nothing to do.

Hmm, well Landar might need some help... nah, who was he kidding? Landar was better at this magic business than Cato would ever be. Her years of training and familiarity, as well as her own sharp intellect, made magic as easy as breathing for her. With the kind of power that only the summoner clans had.

Speaking of Iris... Cato recalled the words of her father. Just who was Landar to him anyway?

A friend? Yes, definitely. But a lover? Definitely not. But was it that simple?

Romance stories always made things sound so simple. Lovers always seemed to swoon or blush or get giddy feelings when they thought of their partners. But did he feel anything like that? No, not really. It would make the answer much simpler if he did.

But was she only a friend? Somehow he couldn't bring himself to just say yes. Were they something more? Again, neither yes or no felt correct. Feelings weren't going to help here apparently.

Cato looked down at the paper and wrote "Friend vs Lover". As a friend, they worked well together. A plus, yes. Romantic tensions might hinder magic research? Cato tapped the pencil. Maybe.

Did he even look at her in a romantic fashion? An image popped into mind, of the wagon ride back from their expedition. And the few times she stamped her feet and pouted in front of her father. Cato snorted. Alright, she was cute, in a way. But not really beautiful, Landar was not famous for her personal tidiness.

He tapped the pad again, any more points?

Landar could be surprisingly childish when it came to her parents. She was intelligent, strong-willed and independent, traits that her father did not appreciate when he was trying to arrange a comfortable noble-like marriage. But Landar's single-minded opposition to her father's control... that probably stemmed from her younger days. Hm. Cato smiled and tentatively marked that as a potential issue.

What about Landar? Did she look at him as a friend or something more? Cato thought a bit, trying to recall any significant events.

Landar reacted to the twin-flowers. A positive for that end. But she was also rather unmindful of Cato. Well, not that Cato could point at her when he was also guilty of unintentionally invading her personal space when they were engrossed in drawing diagrams or building something.

Well, no answers there without asking her directly. And Cato hadn't even decided if he wanted to or not.

Cato blinked and looked down at the pad he had unknowingly filled with scribbles. He sighed. The sun had gone down without him even noticing, leaving only the dim candlelight in the room.

Ah well, some other time. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day.

Landar knocked on Cato's office door and pushed it open when she got no answer.

Standing on the desk was a folded up sheet of paper with the words "out for meeting" scribbled on it. Oh, well.

Polankal had told her she hadn't seen Cato leave last night and Landar was about to scold him for sleeping in the office again but it didn't look like he had done that.

She glanced around the office before the open pad of paper caught her eye.

Polankal sighed mentally, reminding herself that the alchemist sitting across from her poking at the sandwich plate was her employer's wife. Even if they hadn't really admitted it yet.

"So what is wrong with this?" she said, indicating the sheet of paper.

"I don't know but I don't like it," Landar sighed and finally chose a bite sized piece of sandwich to stuff into her mouth.

Polankal suppressed her urge to tell her off. Employer's wife. She repeated that to herself again. "So Cato has been thinking about who you are to him," Polankal took a bite of her own, "what's wrong about that? "

"Ah, so that's what it was," Landar brightened and snapped her fingers. Polankal blinked, that action was something that didn't exist until Cato had been seen doing that a few times. Then Landar wilted visibly, "does he think we shouldn't be friends any more?"

"I don't think that's going to happen," Polankal said mildly.

Landar glared down at the paper then shrugged, "why am I so worried about this?"

"Maybe you see him as more than friends?" Polankal ventured. Would she? Would she not?

Landar tilted her head and thought for a very long while, other sandwich pieces lying ignored on her plate. "I don't know," Landar said, "they say lovers do things like kissing and sleeping with each other... but I've never thought about Cato that way. "

Oh. Polankal paused halfway through her sandwich. Were they really not? She glanced at Landar. The woman did seem to be genuinely confused, she was even frowning at the bread as if it was about to get up and walk away.

Hmm.

"Why don't you write one as well?" Polankal said lightly.

Landar drummed her fingers on the table and nodded, "mm, I think it might help. "

No, it won't, Polankal kept that thought to herself.

"It's only logical to get my priorities in order. Cato's done the same and I think I should as well," Landar nodded to herself again.

Polankal suppressed another sigh.

The carpenter looked suspiciously at the handful of coins the Guard had given him. It was one of those new coins the Bank had minted. One of the first rounds of minting, since it was so soon after the announcement. So they were paying the Guards with this now?

"You know it is the law that the coin has to be accepted right?" the woman said.

The carpenter sighed and pocketed the coin. The law said that the coins had to be accepted in cancellation of a debt, not in a trade. But he wasn't about to argue in front of a Guard. While they were not as scary as a knight, they did have a lot of friends. He picked out the most rickety stool he had hidden away in a corner and gave it to the woman. Curse his luck.

At least he wasn't one of those bartenders who allowed his customers to run up huge tabs. They must really be cursing the Chancellor now.

Or one of the Guards, who were now all paid in coins of such tiny value. The carpenter didn't know if anyone would accept a hundredth telin coin. What could you buy with that? Maybe a single piece of bread, and only because bread was ridiculously cheap nowadays.

"Oh, the Chancellor has told us to say this," the woman continued, "um, he says that he will be collecting all taxes from next month onwards in these new coins. Only. "

The carpenter felt the blood drain from his face then stop as he had a thought. That wasn't actually too bad. It was a way he could get rid of these worthless things for something like their face value. Ha, the Chancellor really was screwing himself over now. Fine, let him have the worthless coins.

He just had to find a way to persuade his customers not to use the coin too much or he would end up with too many of them.

Or... he had another thought. Then looked up at the Guard with a smile and a nod. She left.

After all, he could just raise his prices a bit more for those who insisted on paying coins. And pay the woodcutters with his excess coins.