"Sir, what should we do?" In the Northland Bank, opposite Liyue Bank, Ekaterina anxiously looked across the street at the growing presence of Liyue Bank.
As a receptionist at the Northland Bank, Ekaterina had made it a point to familiarize herself with Liyue's prominent business elites. Many of them were key figures in large chambers of commerce and crucial clients of the Northland Bank. However, it now seemed that these business leaders were choosing to transfer their cooperation and deposits to Liyue Bank. If this continued, even the Northland Bank would face severe consequences.
"You ask me, but who should I ask?" Tartaglia growled in frustration, slamming his fist onto the table. The once-sturdy surface shattered under the sheer force of his anger.
Managing financial affairs was not his strong suit, let alone handling something as complex as the Northland Bank's operations. Even when it came to matters concerning the Heart of God, Tartaglia often found himself at a loss. If it were up to him, he would solve everything through combat alone.
"Inform Pantalone of the situation and let him handle it himself. I have no way of fixing this mess." Tartaglia sighed, rubbing his temples. He had a gut feeling that even if Pantalone came to Liyue, he wouldn't be able to outmaneuver Ningguang.
Just as Ningguang would have difficulty competing with Pantalone in the economic battlefield of Snezhnaya, the same principle applied in Liyue.
Fortunately, the Northland Bank had an advantage: its presence spanned across all seven nations. For merchants engaged in international trade, the Northland Bank remained an appealing choice.
"Also, if customers want to withdraw their money, let them. The reputation of the Northland Bank must not be tarnished," Tartaglia instructed firmly.
"Yes, Sir!" Ekaterina nodded.
Meanwhile, the citizens of Liyue marveled at the sheer volume of Mora being transported into Liyue Bank. Hundreds of carriages carried Ningguang's wealth alone, further emphasizing her immense financial influence.
Not just Ningguang, but Keqing's family, the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce, the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, and other major establishments followed suit, depositing vast sums into Liyue Bank.
On this day, the employees at Liyue Bank spent their time endlessly counting Mora. Given the overwhelming amount, rather than counting them one by one, they resorted to weighing the coins in bulk.
A New Currency System
Smith: "Liyue Bank is nearly full. Liyue truly lives up to its reputation as a commercial powerhouse. If even more merchants and private citizens deposit their Mora, we might run out of space."
Ningguang: "Thank you for your kind words. However, most major chambers of commerce have already deposited what they can. Unless we collect all the loose Mora in Liyue Harbor, we are reaching capacity."
Smith: "Even so, handling so much physical currency is inefficient. @Morax, why not introduce Mora with different denominations? For example, we could have 1 Mora, 10 Mora, 20 Mora, 100 Mora, and even 1,000 Mora denominations.
Since Mora itself is an alchemical material, adjusting its density and composition should be possible, right? By compressing the materials, the same volume could hold greater value."
Morax: "That is an interesting proposal. It is certainly worth testing."
Ningguang: "If this is feasible, we should also consider color-coding the denominations for easy identification. It would be helpful to mark their values clearly as well."
The idea greatly excited Ningguang. Though she adored the sight of massive piles of Mora, handling such a vast quantity in daily transactions was cumbersome. If this proposal succeeded, the efficiency of Liyue's financial system would increase drastically.
Zhongli: "However, changing Mora's structure is not a decision I can make alone, even if it is clearly beneficial.
Mora became the universal currency of Teyvat under the collective witness of the Seven Gods. Though I possess the spirit of contracts, I cannot alter its nature recklessly. This would require another meeting of the Seven Gods."
Smith: "So, we need a proper opportunity to initiate this change?"
Zhongli: "Precisely. This is a matter that demands the consensus of the Seven."
Ganyu: "Would this mean convening a new meeting of the Seven Gods?"
Ganyu's expression brightened at the prospect. She still remembered assisting the Geo Archon in organizing past meetings and relished the idea of aiding in another historic event.
Zhongli: "The time is not yet right. Other nations are facing their own struggles. Most notably, Sumeru's internal issues remain unresolved."
Sumeru's Struggles
Nahida: "I apologize for not managing Sumeru well. I never intended to cause problems for everyone."
Zhongli: "You are not at fault. You are a god who was born into this role, and despite that, you have grown remarkably fast.
When I was newly born, it took me over a thousand years to become fully accustomed to my divine powers."
Smith: "Nahida, you have the potential to change Sumeru. If necessary, I can accompany you there.
If the situation calls for it, we can ensure that those corrupt sages meet their end swiftly."
Yelan: "That would indeed be feasible. According to my investigations, Sumeru's governing body—the Akademiya—lacks a military force of its own. They rely on manipulation and control rather than direct enforcement."
Sumeru appeared to be one of the weakest nations in terms of defense. Unlike other regions, it lacked a standing army dedicated to protecting the nation. The sages of the Akademiya exercised authority, but they neither held military power nor provided opportunities for individuals wielding the Vision of Dendro to rise within their society.
From Yelan's perspective, the nation's internal problems ran deep.
Nahida: "No, I want to reclaim my position through my own efforts. I need to earn my people's faith rather than forcing them to accept me through violence."
Smith: "A noble sentiment. In that case, we simply need to let the Fatui's Doctor continue with his schemes.
The more chaos he sows, the greater the public's dissatisfaction with the Akademiya will become. Although many individuals within Sumeru still blindly follow the sages, if those sages continue treating the people as mere tools, resentment will only grow.
Your role will be to step in and save them at the crucial moment."
Nahida: "But wouldn't that be deceptive?"
Smith: "Would it? At most, it's using their plans against them.
The sages have long aligned themselves with the Fatui, and no one collaborating with the Doctor can be trusted. I wouldn't be surprised if this was part of the Tsaritsa's grand design all along."