Reiko cleared her throat and addressed the room. "Now, we have the amended document ready for review by the Forest Grove and Gormana representatives, so they can do that while we discuss how we are going to roll out an entirely new currency into the city.
The basic changes shouldn't be too difficult, just a switch to entirely cashless with the cards. They can withdraw fractions of a unit, correct?"
Wolfe nodded. "You can withdraw as little or as much of the energy as you wish, but it will round down to the nearest hundredth of a unit on the display. Now, the actual value of the units is a bit different from what Morgana has been using, as our measuring system is based on the minutes needed by a Peak Rank One witch to cast a spell.
One minute is one Unit. So many of you won't be able to reach that standard, but many of the children will be there very soon, and then they will surpass that standard, so they will be able to create value of more than a unit a minute."
The Council considered his words.
"So, what you're saying is that if we base wages and prices on the new system, the average worker's wage would go up to ten units an hour instead of two units an hour, paid as twenty credits?" The Finance Department's Advisor asked.
Cassie handed over a list of prices and wages as they were in Forest Grove so that the Accountant could see it and adjust to the new balance.
"Alright, I can see how this would work. But by my calculations, rough mental calculations that is, the conversion will make us equivalent to a developing nation. We won't have much money compared to the Forest Grove faction after our mana-based currency is converted. But how did you work this out with the human nations like Gormana?" The Advisor asked, preparing both a notepad and a recording device for the answer.
"We didn't fully convert them right away. Instead, they are using it as a foreign currency at this time, and only the Frozen Wastes, Sylvan Coven and a few of the villages in the Free Covens region are using it as their local currency.
The others use it to trade with us, as we pay them for goods with it, and they can use it to buy goods from us. So, we did do some currency exchange, which allows us to back it with other currencies if the need should arise.
Mostly those are the Fae and Demon Realm currencies though, as their population is much higher than ours, so it makes sense for us to work with them and carry enough of their currency to back any trades that they would want to make with us.
It gives the currency stability."
Pens scratched furiously as the assistants and Advisors took notes.
"And how did you get enough Demon Realm Currency?" One of them asked.
"We traded them Saint Rank magical goods for their cash, then locked it in a vault." Wolfe replied with a smile.
"Well, I suppose that would do it. A couple of those defensive spells that you're throwing around like candy would have bought half the city a week ago." The Finance Minister chuckled.
Reiko tapped the desk as she thought. "Can you give us consideration on the exchange rate? We can enlist all the witches of the Coven to provide enough mana to purchase coins. That is the basis, correct? That these coins and cubes can be actually used to cast spells? Half an hour of maximum strength casting by the witches of the city, in addition to our existing Mana Crystals, should bring us closer to an acceptable exchange rate."
Arthur, the Gorman representative, tried and failed to convert a laugh into a gentle cough, causing every head to turn to him. Under the pressure of so many jewel coloured witch eyes, the Gormana Guardian had the decency to look embarrassed.
"My apologies. I just would like to mention that you don't quite understand the difference in scale. With myself and the new Coven Advisor added, it would be a close call as to whether our delegation or your entire city could produce more mana. If Saint Noxus were to call upon those linked to him, it would not even be close." The Gormana Guardian explained with a regretful frown for his impolite oversight.
The Morgana Council just silently blinked at him for a few seconds, and then turned to Priya for outside confirmation.
The dark-haired witch could only shrug apologetically. "He has a point. If he really gets going, Wolfe can pull a hundred thousand units a minute alone, plus the three of us and the two Guardians.
I don't know how powerful the witches of the Fortress City are, but I am guessing that there are probably not more than two hundred thousand of them, and most would be older, and not as powerful as the younger generation."
The Council Leader sighed and bowed her head. "Point taken. But if we can't influence the value of our trade that way, then what can we offer that will help balance the scales? Surely, there is something that we can do that will keep us from ending up impoverished."
Wolfe pretended to consider the fact, as if it hadn't already occurred to him that the living standard back in Morgana Fortress was a lot lower than the heavily magic enhanced lifestyle in Forest Grove.
"Well, if you had chosen to become a semi autonomous region under Forest Grove, we could have simply brought you directly into our currency without any issues, but I believe that we can work something out here still.
As you know, I have been making numerous changes and improvements across the continent, which include aid transfers to the villages of the Frozen Wastes and to some of the more desperately impoverished nations. While you have chosen to become an autonomous region and not fully embrace membership of our fledgling alliance, there is no reason that we can't include you in the aid programs, and include a currency conversion in the effort. It might not be as large as you might hope, but I can guarantee that it will be better than a direct transition." Wolfe offered.
"An aid program? That sound suspiciously like taking Favours from a Demon." One of the Council members noted.
"It's similar to that, but I'm not a Demon. I am a Magi." Wolfe agreed.
"We must discuss this." The Council Leader replied before Wolfe had even finished speaking.
They were tempted, but they were also afraid of the answer.
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