Mammon

Arakiba sat in his office at the Academy, looking at the sniveling, wispy-haired old man in front of him with eyes widened madly.

"Don't you see! This is a new revelation! One that will take this city into the next age!" The old thing waved a thin notebook around in front of Arakiba's face persistently. "Not only that..." a stubby tongue flicked across his dry, cracked lips, "imagine all the gains for us personally, Headmaster."

This old man was Mammon, and he was the merchant chosen by Asael for his greedy and selfish heart. He would surely be the perfect person to bring about the advent of exploitative mercantilism in this age. Currently, he was trying to convince Arakiba to charge tuition for the Armazel Academy's classes on the revelations, with him serving as collector, of course.

Arakiba, while staying stone-faced, was cackling on the inside. These humans... even he hadn't thought of something like a tuition. Asael had chosen well.

"Alright, Mammon. I understand. Allow me to consult with the council. Though, I'm sure we'll all see eye to eye." Arakiba gave a nearly imperceptible wink to the conniving old man, before dismissing him.

Mammon walked out from the academy doors with an obsessive expression. He was already completely consumed by avarice.

...

Anak awoke with a start, the sunlight streaming onto his face through the wide window. He recalled the great fuss my by Tzipora's father when he discovered his recovered state. Even more so, he recalled the gratitude painted across Tzipora's pretty face, even as she sharply fired barbs at his pride, calling him things like 'oafish, and 'arrogant' when her father gushed in effusive praise.

Anak leapt from his bed with a broad grin. Yesterday was a good day, even with all the work. After washing and dressing in the excessively large bathroom with a bath the size of a pool, Anak slid down the railing of the stairs with practiced ease, out into the grand foyer of his opulent home. Awaiting him at the bottom were Urmu and Tzipora. He'd invited Tzipora for breakfast at his home on their way to her father's home yesterday, but Urmu stuck onto the invitation like a germ. Anak didn't really mind. He knew Urmu only wanted the food. He may be talented, but his family didn't have nearly the wealth of Anak's. They were fortunate the Armazel Academy had yet to charge for its services, though that was soon to change.

"Hey! Welcome, welcome." Anak had all his attention focused on Tzipora, just giving Urmu a cursory nod, as he beamed broadly at the beautiful girl that had bit by bit come out of her shell. Her heart once dead of hope, found itself hoping in the massive pillar that was Anak. To her he represented a way forward, and a support to lean on. Her father had even said as much the night before, much to her chagrin.

"So where's the food?" Urmu blatantly demanded, seeing that he was being ignored.

"In the dining room." Anak waved his hands at him to go, before turning to Tzipora. "Shall I lead he way?" Anak smiled an held out his hand.

Tzipora smirked and ignored his hand, walking ahead. "I think I can figure it out." She walked away with her head held high like a queen, making Urmu cackle. As Anak stared at her back, mouth agape and hand still outstretched, she glanced back his way and winked. Tzipora then skipped ahead to the dining room, enticed by the wafting aroma of delicious hot foods.

Anak laughed and chased after his pair of friends.

The trio sat side by side on cushions devouring the courses as they were set on the mat before them, brought in on platters by finely dressed servants. Edo and Eva's household was one of the few that employed servants instead of exploiting slave labor. Tzipora kept snatching food away from Anak's hands as he raised it to his mouth and eating it herself, but Anak would steal food from her plate in turn.

Edo and Eva themselves sat at the other side of the mat, sharing a large cushion, and watching Anak and Tzipora's contentious interactions with knowledgeable smiles, looking at each other with gazes of contentment and amusement.

Eventually, Edo cleared his throat to grab their attention. "Anak, are you going to introduce us, or just keep fighting over food like a starving animal?" Edo teased.

Anak and Tzipora flushed pink simultaneously, shyly setting down their food that had each originated from the other's plate. Urmu obliviously continued to scarf down everything in front of him.

"Heh. sorry, Dad." Anak abashedly muttered, before gesturing to Tzipora. "This is Tzipora. I've told you about her." Eva smiled gently at Tzipora, who shyly smiled back, not sure what to say.

"Ah, the infamous Tzipora." Edo winked at her, making her jump.

Tzipora glared at Anak. What was he telling them, to call her infamous.

"Hey, dad! What the hell are you saying?" Anak began in a panic.

Edo burst out laughing at his successful ribbing, and Anak tossed a clump of lettuce at him. Edo caught the leafy projectile with a smirk. "Hey, you may be strong son, but my father was much stronger." He arrogantly declared.

"Your father?" Tzipora asked with wide eyes. Was Anak's grandfather a supremely powerful being as well? "Is that how Anak got so strong?" She asked excitedly. She was eager to learn of this family that had come in mysteriously a year ago, and shown unprecedented knowledge, eventually birthing the powerful Anak. Did they have deep roots elsewhere?

Edo and Eva glanced at each other awkwardly. Over the course of this year, they had learned several unbelievable things about Triac through Azazel, who occasionally sent messages. They learned that he was the Most High, God of life, love, and creation, and creator of their world, among others. However, how could they explain that they were directly created by God?

Tzipora watched their reaction, and knew things were even more complicated than she imagined. "If you can't say that's okay," She quickly offered. She didn't want to make Anak's family uncomfortable at their own breakfast, one they were kind enough to share no less.

"I'm sorry, Tzipora. It's not that we don't want to tell. It's just..." Eva began hesitantly

"Complicated?" Tzipora ventured.

Eva and Edo nodded simultaneously, and Edo chuckled wryly, "Let me ask you one thing. What do you know about the Creator?"

Tzipora was startled at this apparent change in topic, some strange inklings that she immediately dismissed invading her thoughts. "You mean God?"

Edo nodded.

"I don't really know. My father says He watches out for us, that He hasn't abandoned us to the Demon King. My father seems certain, but how he would know, I have no clue." Tzipora shook her head despairingly. How great would it be if that all-powerful being intervened on her people's behalf in their time of suffering?

Urmu had paused his reckless consumption and listened to this conversation with an odd look on his face. He had similar notions as Tzipora, but he wasn't so quick to dismiss them. However, he kept his suspicions to himself.

Edo nodded at Tzipora's answer. "Suffice to say, your father is right." Edo declared confidently, once again stunning Tzipora. He said it with even more assurance than her father, who was the stoutest believer in the divine that she knew.

Tzipora remained silent as she decided to think about what she was told, instead of prying deeper.

After breakfast ended, Urmu rushed off saying he had enchantments to study, and Anak and Tzipora decided to spend the day out in the city. Anak had already gotten Tzipora off work using his parent's connections, and so she was free to do as she pleased all day. After Eva gave her some nice clothes to replace the rags she was usually relegated to, Anak and Tzipora rushed out of the house towards the merchant's quarter.

Anak brought with him thousands of small Kazur gems in a sack on his waist. Kazur gems were vital for powering enchantments over long periods, and had a strong bartering value. He intended to spoil Tzipora today, and give her more memorable moments to enjoy like yesterday.

They walked to the market chatting jubilantly about the kinds of goods that could be traded for at the market, from gorgeous works of art to mystical artifacts not made by human hands, but discovered in the wilds and the waters. They approached the merchants quarter, where the lively market square was situated, and noticed a strange atmosphere among the teeming masses.

An uproarious clamor was echoing out from every corner of the market, as customers at every stall shouted angrily.

"What do you mean, profit? What, my fish isn't good enough for you?!"

"How are you not earning a living, you greedy pig?! What happened to mutual exchange?"

Some were directed at the merchants with complaints. Other's rebutted those berating the merchants.

"What's wrong with getting something for yourself out of what you've labored for?"

"What, are you too lazy to compete?"

Shouts like these could be heard from every part of the merchant's quarter. Clearly, there had been a paradigm shift in the way the market operated, aggravating the populace.

At the center of the square, facing interrogation from every angle, stood Mammon, the weaselly merchant who had used The Manuscript of Mercantilism to convince every other merchant to operate under its guiding principles. Angry customers were thronging around him with murderous glances, but even if they killed him now it was too late. Everyone bought and sold, and everyone had some capacity for greedy impulses. The temptation of benefiting from these ideas, despite any current disadvantages, was enough to sustain the concept. The other merchants had already tasted profit, they wouldn't simply abandon it now.

"What is going on here?" A deafening voice thundered, silencing the square. Anak stepped into their midst, having asked this question. Tzipora was trotting behind as he held her hand so he wouldn't lose her in this chaos. As they caught sight of him, the numerous disgruntled people called out to Anak, desperation in their voice. As he gestured once more for silence the clamor died down, then one man stepped forward to speak.

"Sir, this Mammon," the man shot a venomous glare at the smirking old merchant, "He has conspired with the other merchants to starve us out. They claim that they must be paid more than they spent, or else it isn't worth it to sell. And they refuse to accept the barter of general goods, like fish or bread."

Anak frowned, "And there is no merchant who operates otherwise?"

The old man shook his head, "Not anymore." He glared again at Mammon.

Anak too glared at this man. He knew it wasn't a conspiracy to starve the people. It was a conspiracy to exploit them, born purely of avarice. To the merchants, they would insist there was no malice, only shrewdness. Anak couldn't just attack them either. They weren't actually breaking any laws, but no law makers had conceived of this circumstance. It wasn't an easy thing to stop.

Anak pulled out his sack of Kazur gems, and took a few out for perusal. He addressed Mammon as he did so, "Could these count as valuables worth your time?" The red gems gleamed in the sunlight, as Mammon's eyeballs nearly jumped out of his skull and danced a merry jig.

"C-count?! Why, of course they do. They more than count!" Mammon excitedly shouted as he was overwhelmed by desire for these enchanter's tools of great value.

Anak nodded, "Good." He turned to the man who was trying to trade his fish for a loaf of bread earlier, "I'll buy your fish sir. How many gems for it?" Anak's lips formed a determined line, but his eyes twinkled slyly.