Published: January 4, 2026
“Have you always carried it with you?”
“Yes, it’s important, so I never let it leave my side.”
“Good. Zoe.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Excuse me.”
I handed the telecommunication bill—imperial edict—to Zoe.
She received it respectfully and left the room.
I waited a moment.
While waiting, Cindy looked on curiously, so I chatted a bit about the seed shop’s details.
Though she was intrigued, Cindy didn’t press deeply and waited for the next development.
After about ten minutes, there was a knock at the door.
The door opened, and Cindy’s subordinate, acting with great courtesy, led Zoe back into the room.
“Thank you for waiting.”
“Well? How did it go?”
“Here.”
Zoe approached me and handed over a sheet of paper.
I took it, read through it, and then pointed at it for Cindy.
Though still curious, Cindy took the paper and scanned it.
“Th-this is—!?”
Her eyes widened in shock.
“It states that the Ministry of Finance will deliver cash to your main store by the end of today.”
“Y-yes… This means…”
“You used telecommunication to transfer the bill.”
“Telecommunication…”
“Normally, bills carry their own authenticity, but currently, any telecommunication issued by me is guaranteed genuine. No telecommunication impersonating me would be sent because Humbaba would never allow it.”
“Ah! That means a telecommunication of Your Majesty’s imperial edict guarantees authenticity.”
“Exactly. From here to the Imperial Capital is a journey of about ten days on foot, possibly a month round trip. But this took just ten minutes.”
“Amazing! Truly amazing, Your Majesty!!”
Cindy was so excited she reverted to calling me “Your Majesty.” I chose not to correct her.
“With this speed, business—and every kind of transaction—will be completely transformed.”
Her excitement only grew.
“There’s one more thing.”
“Huh? W-what else?”
“Telecommunication exists only within the empire, which means telecommunication bills can only be used domestically.”
“That’s… inconvenient.”
Cindy’s excitement cooled somewhat.
She took my words as pointing out a flaw in the system.
“No, that’s not it.”
“Huh?”
At that moment, Zoe spoke up for the first time today, surprising Cindy, who looked at her in full astonishment.
Cindy, who had calmed like a cold splash of water, suddenly changed expression further upon hearing Zoe’s remark.
“W-what do you mean?”
Cindy spoke respectfully to Zoe.
Zoe was older and not just a maid anymore—she had experience as a magistrate and was effectively the deputy governor of Enlil Province.
As a civilian merchant, Cindy respectfully asked the minister-level Zoe for clarification.
“A safe and incredibly fast bill usable only in our country, while other nations still rely on traditional hand-delivered bills.”
“—!!”
With a sudden thud, Cindy’s foot hit the sofa as she stood up.
Her eyes were so wide and intense it looked like they might literally split.
Once she grasped the advantage of telecommunication—how money and information could flow instantly—and the tremendous effect and superiority this created, she was stunned.
“A-amazing…”
This time, it was a deep, heartfelt “amazing.”
Just that one word, but it sounded genuinely from her soul.
“This will be a trial run for now, to identify any minor issues. Cindy, I’ll need your help.”
“Yes! Leave it to me!”
Cindy was thrilled.
☆
On the return carriage, Zoe asked quietly.
“Um… Master.”
“What is it?”
“I wonder if you might have some other aim?”
“Oh? Why do you think that?”
I found it amusing and asked her with that same expression.
“Well, it’s just a feeling, really… but I thought that if you put the bill system on telecommunication, there might be other benefits too… I can’t think of anything concrete, it’s just a vague hunch.”
Zoe said this with a very humble expression.
To be making such a groundless guess to me, her master and the emperor…
I chuckled softly.
“Hmm, well, that feeling is correct.”