31. To world domination! I mean... Peace!

Some of the old laws, regarding marriage and sex relationships, were hard to change in one go. But step by step, it happened as well.

The unified world gradually lost its old rules not because they were banned abruptly, but because society had changed so much they had become irrelevant.

It took us a few more years, but Aster was able to spend some time at her family estate with her father and brothers in peace. We didn’t dare to ask why they had a Robot-Silvia in waiting, that looked like Aster when she was younger. That would have been impolite, or awkward.

Aster was also an aunt now, with the cutest little girl, after ours, also wishing to be a brave knight like her someday. So cute!

Aster’s family ended up welcoming me, with mixed feelings and some jealousy.

Yeah... Sorry I didn’t end up marrying your boys but your precious girl...

King Albert VII of Denmark didn’t really care, so there wasn’t much shame brought to the Murgarden family, thankfully. That king blessed our wedding. He was a smart man.

And after a while noble families were becoming lax enough to let their children marry whomever they wanted, regardless of gender. Because the eugenistic and political competition was over.

We were the first couple celebrating our union in this new era.

Peaceful times and prosperity incited to relax. A rich and stable society allowed it without consequences to its eusocial metabolism.

Aster’s father looked for one second at his grand-daughter and forgave me everything on the spot. Or rather, he forgot everything, now having only eyes for her and his other grand-children. They were so cute playing in the garden, I could understand him.

One of these summer afternoon, we were having tea and watching the children play.

Aster was beaming gently. I leaned toward her.

S - See, I kept my promise.

A - Oh Silvia...

Ok her brothers and father were still a little embarrassed when they saw us kiss. Sorry! We were a merry couple!

~

As our commercial empire had risen steadily for decades, we had bee. at the forefront of every step toward unification. Our international trade associations swallowed the world economy long before we did the same politically. People were free, and so were wealth and goods everywhere.

This also gave jobs to young mages all over the world helping produce, handle and freeze preserve excess food stocks in depots all over the world. Simply put, they were giving steady jobs with little concern, while increasing the stocks levels of everything useful to avoid any kind of crisis or epidemic in the future. Even if a warehouse of preserved food were to spoil sometime, it didn’t matter as it was just a stock for security, without commercial value.

They were also building stocks with commercial values however, more ferociously managed by our mercantile ambitious sages, like Dominika and Josephine.

Over the years, as they flooded the world markets with competitive food, household items and new technological goods invented in utopia, they gradually gained control over the finance of every nation and group.

They became a monopoly, buying out every competitor before they could even feel under pressure, and never forced rationalization upon them.

Little entities they bought, like the political powers infiltrated by the Robot-Silvias, were not threatened in their existence, but just slowly losing influence. Until the people themselves chose to go for the easy way to happiness.

The wider and cleaner the roads we built, the more spontaneously people chose to follow them. We avoided all acts of coercion or threat. It took more time and a whole lot more power, but it worked.

Why that wouldn’t have been possible in my old world was no one had our cumulated power. Here countries were dripping their laws against economic monopoly, because we were politically pushing behind at the same time.. The Josephine and Dominika Empire swallowed everything before anyone could realise what was going on.

The change rates between the different countries’ currencies gradually eased out... Until all money became equally worthless.

Then came a bold transformation even I didn’t think possible.

And I would never have expected Josephine to be the one to bring it up at a council.

J - Why don’t we cancel currency?

D - What do you mean?

J - Now that we basically control all the flows, and that no one can fall into need anymore... Everyone could just keep continue their work as they do, buy the thing they normally want and... Not exchange coins anymore. I mean the value put on money has always been virtual, but now we’re reaching the point where people don’t really need to even prove anymore they have money, by exchanging the account numbers.

F - Silvia? Would that be possible in your knowledge?

S - I... I never considered it could go that far... I don’t know...

D - There would be some disturbances. People grabbing everything luxurious they can, others stopping work to become lazy... Money helps smoothing these comportments.

S - Well... I agree, that may be a risky step too far, for now... However, what we could do is change the shape of money using the banking system of the empire... Money is always virtual, so instead of accounting values, it could become a resource and energy reference? We ought to index currency over reality eventually. Maybe now is the time.

O - We coule also offer to remove its constraint for the willing people. Let us manage your money entirely with our banking system, and you won’t even need to bother counting it, or carrying a anything with you.

S - True. I think if we can first reach a point where every transaction is cash-less, then we would have a better foothold to rule out money entirely and only account resources and energy.

A - I like the idea of a world where you just dutifully do your work, and humbly pick up what you need in stores, and live on like that without thinking about money.

J - I think we can reach that ideal too. Even if it takes many more years of work.

S - I’m... So proud of you Josephine!

C - Yeah, I’m shocked too... What happened to you during all these years?

J - I grew wiser.

So she said, smiling smug, puffing out her generous chest, that still beats every other sage today. Wiser... Damn you!

O - Did you find a good husband Josephine?

J - Mind your own business!

Oh boy. Someone was a late bloomer on the other side... Sorry Josephine...

Josephine kept snapping her fingers after that, I was not sure why. She was just ticked off I guess.

At least they kept smiling at each other like good old friends, so it was all good.

D - Mm... Moving on! Next order of business is the obervahnn... Observatory...

S - Ah yes, now that dragon technology has been shared with the other species, I’m looking to open a space program from another island. I think we could start considering moving into the next steps of technological revolution gradually...

~

Long live the seven sages they began saying in the streets.

And there are statues of the Radiant Firebond and Trinity, now standing over the grand square of the island. The skirts were too shorts and the statues too high... Geez... Who thought that would be a good idea? That was embarrassing.

What most people didn’t know was that like the nanites, we were walking invisibly among them.

Aster and I were unrecognisable with our smooth black hair, and the others chose similar paths of deageing over the decades, although you don’t want to know what they all chose for appearances to blend in!

So we were all able to meet in a restaurant here or there in any country, and share a good drink and cheer without a care or worry.

F - To the success of utopia!

D - And to the seven wise sages, a cheer!

Everyone cheered with a grin in the pub we were in. Without giving us a second look.

I sighed, in a good way.

Aster kissed me. My daughter gave me a peck on the cheek, maybe jealous.

Afterward we’d return home... Wherever we wanted to be.

All was good.

~