You showed [xiaochou.name] Aziz’s slave contract—a barbarian boy bought for a single gold coin, barely able to speak the empire’s tongue, now nearly part of your household. Whether property or family was another matter. “It’s coin, coin that binds strangers like us together… Humans are such foolish creatures. If we don’t know how much a man has—or what he’s worth—we scarcely know how to speak to him! That’s the convenience of it. That’s why gold coins flowed ever faster between humans, why its grip grows ever tighter.” Did your twisted logic satisfy [xiaochou.name]? You hardly cared. You were already off to ask what a brute like Aziz might fetch in the market now—after all these years, had you turned a profit?

Conditions:

• Slot #2 Has Card = Aziz

Result:

• Adjust Tag (Physique) of Slot #1: Add 1
• Counter (7000707): Add 1

You took [xiaochou.name] to watch [s2.name] train—shattering the skulls of dummies, knocking sparring partners into the sand, the bruises left by blunted blades on flesh. "Behold, this is human at its rawest, oldest, truest—a pack of brutes swinging steel." You picked up a weapon and joined [s2.name] in the drill: "Only when we built a society upon coin did we finally find a way to contain their violence... We pay to keep that violence idle, to preserve a life more peaceful, more comfortable. So don’t curse coins! Your should know that human nature is far worse." [xiaochou.name] pondered your words, silent and still...

Conditions:

• Any
  • Slot #2 Has Card = Nabhani
  • Slot #2 Has Card = Roaming Swordsman
  • Slot #2 Has Card = Jabal

Result:

• Adjust Tag (Sociability) of Slot #1: Add 1
• Counter (7000706): Add 1

You took [xiaochou.name] to meet this infamous thief—and recounted their past exploits in detail. "Look at these scraps of metal," you said, plucking a coin from [s2.name]'s pocket by force. "No name, no mark, even blood washes right off! Whether spent by a saint or a cutthroat, it’s all the same—that’s the design. Meant to pass from hand to hand. The dullest brute can crack a sage’s skull and empty his purse! It was made this way so even the worst, most worthless of human could use it!" Your twisted logic left [xiaochou.name] speechless. Had [xiaochou.gender] grown more disillusioned with human—or understood them all too well?

Conditions:

• Any
  • Slot #2 Has Card = Jemor
  • Slot #2 Has Card = Hamar

Result:

• Adjust Tag (Combat) of Slot #1: Add 1
• Counter (7000707): Add 1

You took [xiaochou.name] to see [s2.name], to watch [s2.gender(her,him)] toil. "What's so special about this? Aren’t these just common folk in your land? How does this relate to our discussion?" [xiaochou.name] questioned.

You told it that this was how human ruled their countless kin—like cattle, with coin as the goad. Every labor, whether selling skill, sweat, flesh, or dignity, was priced by the rulers—the nobles. They toiled endlessly, yet comfort, survival, even the price of freedom always stayed just out of reach. "You see humans enslaved by coin because coin was forged to do so!"

As [xiaochou.name] pondered, your own words stirred something in you... Then what, pray tell, was the tool that bound [player.name] in turn?

Conditions:

• Any
  • Slot #2 Has Tag (Slave) = 1
  • Not Slot #2 Has Tag (Noble) = 1
• Not Tag (Animal) = 1
• Not Tag (Monster) = 1

Result:

• Counter (7000706): Add 1

A strange thing happened in your manor—all the mirrors ceased to reflect. Servants brought the mirrors to you, their surfaces coated in a peculiar gray-green grime. You scraped off a bit and held it to your nose. A rich, overpowering fragrance shot straight to your skull. Though no expert on spices, you were a noble who had tasted and seen many rare delicacies—so you knew at once that this "grime" might be worth a fortune. And, most likely, it came from [xiaochou.name]. That’s its way of expressing satisfaction with the meeting you had arranged. Soon after, a bewildered spice merchant from the market was brought before you. The moment he stepped into your chamber, his nose twitched. Then, after tasting the powder you’d scraped into a small dish, his eyes bulged nearly out of his head. "Cloves… vanilla… cinnamon… Oh, by the god! Name your price—how much more do you have?!" You showed him all the mirrors. On his knees, he painstakingly cleaned each one with a handkerchief, leaving you a hefty bag of gold. And then—he spread the tale far and wide in the market, burnishing your already somewhat mysterious reputation even further.

Result:

• Coins: 8
• Counter (7100004): Add 1
• Adjust Tag (Survival) of Slot #1: Add 1

Action:

• Enable Event: The second question from the wise man: Small-scale fundraising starts.