Part 1
Dawn's first light slipped through the heavy curtains of Philip's bedchamber, painting golden stripes across the ornate ceiling. Philip surfaced from sleep like a diver ascending from warm depths, consciousness returning in gentle, pleasant waves.
The pleasant haze lasted precisely three seconds.
Warmth—all-encompassing, decidedly feminine warmth—pressed against every conceivable surface of his body. Philip's eyes snapped open. He'd claimed his usual territorial dominance of the mattress during sleep, arms spread wide in classic starfish formation. What he hadn't accounted for was the equally assertive territorial counter-claim currently draped across him like the world's most attractive blanket.
Natalia had apparently designated him as her personal body pillow. She lay half atop him, her head nestled into the crook of his neck, arms wrapped around his chest with possessive determination. One impossibly perfect bare leg draped across both of his, pinning him with an effectiveness that would have been endearing if not for his body's rather inconvenient morning response.
Think of something distracting, Philip commanded his traitorous anatomy. Think of... quarterly tax assessments. Compound interest calculations. That time John lectured me about fiscal responsibility.
His body, demonstrating the selective deafness common to its kind, responded to Natalia's unconscious shifting with increased enthusiasm.
Escape. He needed to escape. Immediately. Before she woke and noticed his... predicament.
Moving with all the grace of a newborn giraffe attempting ballet, Philip initiated extraction procedures. First, he attempted to gently lift her arm from his chest. She mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like "mine" and tightened her grip, somehow managing to press her generous curves more firmly against him.
Plan B. Definitely need Plan B.
Perhaps the leg? Surely that would be simpler. He reached down carefully, face already warming with embarrassment, and attempted to lift her silken thigh just enough to slide free.
Her leg twitched. A soft giggle escaped her lips. Philip jerked his hand back like he'd touched hot iron, and his elbow connected with the bedside water glass with the subtlety of a cathedral bell.
The crash shattered the morning stillness.
"Mmm?" Natalia stirred, her voice thick with sleep. Her eyes fluttered open, focusing first on his hand hovering near her thigh, then traveling up to his face, which had achieved a shade of crimson typically reserved for particularly ambitious sunsets.
They stared at each other—Philip frozen in shock, Natalia blinking away sleep's lingering fog. Then, like sunshine breaking through storm clouds, a smile of pure satisfaction bloomed across her face.
"Master," she said, her voice carrying that particular tone of innocent observation that invariably preceded disaster, "if you wished to engage in morning intimacy, you need only ask. There's no requirement for such hesitancy."
"I wasn't—that's not—I was merely attempting—trying to get up!" Philip managed, each word a struggle against his tongue's sudden rebellion.
"Oh." She tilted her head, studying him with those impossibly blue eyes that seemed to see straight through his fumbling explanations. A trace of something almost like disappointment flickered across her features. Then, with the fluid grace of a stretching cat, Natalia rolled away and rose from the bed.
Philip seized the opportunity, launching himself toward the bathroom with speed that would have impressed even his old college track coach, and firmly closed the door behind him.
An hour later, having restored both his composure and normal blood circulation through liberal application of cold water, Philip found himself seated in the garden pavilion for breakfast. The morning air carried the perfume of roses and fresh-cut grass, while somewhere in the meticulously maintained hedges, birds conducted their daily territorial negotiations with cheerful violence.
Natalia sat across from him, looking impossibly fresh in a morning dress of pale green that complemented her eyes perfectly. She applied butter to her toast with the focused attention of a master craftsman, as if achieving the optimal butter-to-bread ratio was a matter of scientific importance.
"Master," she observed, not looking up from her precision buttering, "your facial coloration has returned to standard parameters. The earlier crimson was quite pronounced—I estimate a 73% increase over baseline."
Philip choked delicately on his coffee.
"Perhaps we could... forget this morning's events?" he suggested, once breathing became possible again.
"Of course," Natalia agreed with serene acceptance. "Though I must note that it was quite enlightening. Chapter Twenty-Seven of 'The Aristocrat's Companion' mentions that gentlemen often experience increased blood flow during morning hours, but witnessing the practical demonstration provided far superior data to theoretical descriptions."
Philip's second attempt at coffee consumption proved no more successful than the first.
It was at this precise moment—as he desperately attempted to breathe, maintain dignity, and avoid Natalia's innocently curious gaze simultaneously—that his eyes fell upon the sculptures surrounding the pavilion. Perhaps it was his urgent need for any distraction, or perhaps the morning light cast them in particularly sharp relief, but for the first time since arriving at the estate, Philip truly saw them.
The nearest depicted a young woman drawing water from a well, captured in a moment of quiet contemplation. Every fold of her simple dress, every strand of hair escaping from beneath her kerchief, every droplet of water suspended from the bucket's edge—all rendered with such exquisite detail that Philip half-expected her to complete the motion and continue about her daily tasks.
"Remarkable," he breathed, earlier embarrassment momentarily forgotten.
Lydia, who had been overseeing the breakfast service with her usual quiet efficiency, followed his gaze. "Ah, Master Philip has noticed the Fontaine piece. Twenty-three years Master Daruk Fontaine devoted to that single sculpture. They say he spent six months merely studying how water behaves when disturbed, dropping thousands of buckets to capture that precise instant."
Philip's fork paused halfway to his mouth. "Twenty-three years? For one statue?"
"Indeed." Lydia's tone remained matter-of-fact, as if decades devoted to a single artwork were as unremarkable as Tuesday following Monday. "His life's masterwork. The Duke—your grandfather—acquired it at considerable expense. A great honor for any craftsman, to have their masterpiece grace a Duke's garden."
Something in her casual delivery struck Philip like a physical blow. He set down his fork, appetite suddenly fled, and truly looked at the garden for the first time.
Dozens of sculptures dotted the landscape, each a masterwork in its own right. A bronze soldier captured mid-stride, his face frozen in that precise moment between courage and terror. A marble child reaching for a butterfly, wonder and futility carved into stone with heartbreaking clarity. A complex piece depicting two lovers, their bodies intertwined in what might be a dance or an embrace—the ambiguity itself part of the artistry.
Each one, if Lydia's words held true, represented years—perhaps decades—of someone's life. Each one the culmination of countless hours of practice, failure, refinement. Each one a craftsman's desperate bid for immortality through stone and bronze.
And here they stood, decorative elements in a Duke's garden, as noticed and appreciated as particularly well-shaped topiary.
The parallel to his previous life struck with unexpected force.
How many financial models had he built in his former existence? The memory surfaced unbidden—hunched over his desk at 2 AM, the office lights creating halos around his bloodshot eyes, perfecting an analysis that would receive thirty seconds of attention before vanishing into digital oblivion.
"Fifty billion under management," his boss had announced at the last all-hands meeting he'd attended, champagne glasses raised in celebration. The number itself had become victory. Philip remembered the hollow sensation in his chest, wondering if anyone else noticed that even their best-performing fund had actually lost money that quarter.
He thought of James from his derivatives pricing course—brilliant mind, could spot market inefficiencies like a bloodhound catching scent. Last Philip heard, James had quit to become a barista. "At least when I make coffee," James had said over drinks, "I see the end product."
Then there was Sarah, who used to triple-check every calculation until her manager labeled her "inefficient." She learned to work faster, care less. Everyone did, eventually. The ones who didn't burned out or got pushed out.
But it was the invisible erosion that haunted him now. All those unmeasurable qualities—the careful risk assessments that stopped happening when everyone was too busy chasing speed, the thorough reviews replaced by rubber-stamp approvals, the true understanding of operations sacrificed on the altar of efficiency. The system was like an iceberg melting from beneath, invisible until it went down with a bang.
The vital processes happened backstage, where no one bothered to look. Risk analysis, compliance, research, quality control—dubbed "cost centers" rather than the foundations they truly were. Each year brought new cuts, new "efficiencies," each justified by metrics that captured everything except what mattered. Only when thousands of small issues built over time cumulating in a financial crisis do people take note and wonder how they were so blind sighted. The financial crisis had been merely the most visible symptom of a disease that infected every industry—decades of quality compromised for quantity, substance sacrificed for speed, until the whole system teetered on foundations of sand.
The sculptures stared back at him, frozen in their eternal moments. Twenty-three years for this single piece. In his old world, spending even twenty-three months on one project would have been career suicide.
"Philip?" Natalia's voice pulled him from his reverie. "You've ceased consumption and adopted what reference materials categorize as 'existential contemplation.' Is something piquing your interest?"
Philip smiled faintly. Months ago, she would have simply asked if he was sad.
"I was contemplating the sculptures. The craftsmen who created them."
"They demonstrate exceptional technical proficiency," Natalia observed, then paused, her head tilting in that familiar gesture of processing. "Though... that's not your primary concern, is it? You're contemplating their lives, not their techniques."
Philip looked at her, surprised by the insight. She ducked her head slightly, a gesture he'd never seen from her before.
"I've been practicing," she admitted quietly. "Understanding subtext, reading beneath surface meanings. Lydia says it's important for... for being useful to you."
"Master Philip," Lydia interjected gently, "your eggs are cooling."
Philip blinked, returning to the immediate present. Here he sat, the inheritor of wealth built on the bent backs of craftsmen whose names history forgot. The Duke who could acquire a lifetime's work with the same casual effort most people used to purchase groceries.
"Lydia," he said quietly, a thought taking shape, "do we know their names? The sculptors?"
She looked mildly surprised, one eyebrow rising fractionally. "Some pieces bear signatures, Master Philip. Shall I compile a list?"
"Yes," Philip said, the word carrying more weight than its single syllable suggested. "I'd like that."
He picked up his fork again, though it somehow felt heavier than before.
He was so absorbed in thought that he didn't notice where his contemplative gaze had drifted until Natalia's voice sliced through his reverie.
"Master," she said, her tone carrying that particular quality of innocent curiosity that often preceded directness, "you appear quite fascinated by that particular sculpture. Do you prefer that aesthetic style?"
Philip's consciousness crashed back to the present. His eyes focused, and mounting horror bloomed as he realized he'd been staring directly at a statue of a mermaid captured mid-transformation. The sculptor had frozen her at that exact moment between fish and woman—her upper body fully human and entirely bare, generous curves of marble catching the morning light, while her lower half showed the agonizing metamorphosis from tail to legs. Cascading waves of stone hair flowed down her back, her expression twisted in a grimace of the transformation's agony.
Most striking were the legs—fully human from hip to ankle, every muscle and curve rendered with loving detail. Only below the ankles did scales remain, as if the sculptor had captured the final instant before complete transformation. A strategically placed conch shell preserved decency while leaving those perfectly sculpted legs entirely on display.
Philip's face, having just recovered from its morning adventures in the crimson arts, immediately began working toward a new personal best.
"I wasn't—I mean, I was appreciating …" He gestured wildly, nearly upsetting his coffee cup. "The power of love to overcome… uh… ordeal… and… "
"The legs?" Natalia supplied with helpful precision. "They are quite remarkable. The sculptor clearly prioritized anatomical accuracy in the human portions. The quadriceps definition is particularly well-executed—observe how the tension from the transformation process is captured in the muscle striations. It's fascinating that they chose to emphasize metamorphic agony rather than romanticizing the process."
Philip made a sound somewhere between a cough and a wheeze. "Exactly! The artistic choice to emphasize realism rather than idealization. Very meaningful."
What am I saying… realism? Philip felt heat inevitably rising to his cheeks.
"I was genuinely contemplating economic inequality!" Philip blurted, immediately regretting the words as they escaped.
"Of course you were," Natalia agreed with that serene acceptance that somehow made everything worse. "Just as you were contemplating existential philosophy that morning when you were slowly stroking my torso."
Philip's face blushed furiously. "That was entirely different!"
"I see, understood," Natalia replied agreeably, though something in her tone suggested she was filing this information away for future reference.
Philip's groan could probably be heard in the neighboring estate.
Then, a familiar shimmer materialized beside the mermaid statue. The System appeared in full aquatic glory—shimmering tail catching nonexistent ocean spray, strategically placed shells, auburn hair flowing as if perpetually underwater. She draped herself against the statue's pedestal with theatrical flair, striking a pose straight out of a romance novel cover—one hand trailing through her hair while she gazed at Philip with a wink.
"Oh my dear prince," she purred, voice dripping with mock tragedy, "have you forgotten me already!" She pressed one hand to her lips and blew him a kiss that somehow managed to be both ridiculous and seductive.
Philip's face temperature reached volcanic proportions. Not now! he screamed internally, desperately studying his eggs as if they contained the secrets of the universe.
The System's sultry expression cracked, replaced by her characteristic mischievous grin. "What's wrong? She's art," she gestured grandly at the marble mermaid, "but I'm inappropriate? Such scandalous double standards!"
Philip maintained his intense outwardly examination of his breakfast, trying desperately to ignore the System.
"You know what's fascinating?" The System performed a lazy barrel roll through the air, ending up floating beside him. "Your grandfather didn't inherit this garden. He built it, piece by piece. Auction by auction. Fighting other collectors tooth and nail, sweet-talking artists' widows, sometimes waiting years for exactly the right piece."
She gestured expansively at the surrounding sculptures. "All precise things requires constant effort to maintain, Philip. Gardens need weeding. Estates need managing. Privilege and fortunes are no different."
"I'm aware," Philip muttered under his breath, still avoiding her gaze.
"Are you though?" The System's voice shifted, carrying an unusual note of seriousness. "Because from where I'm floating, it looks like you're still trapped in survival mode. Your grandfather didn't just survive—he thrived. There's a difference."
She executed an elaborate flip, positioning herself uncomfortably close to his face. "Want my advice? When feudalism finally gives way to capitalism—and trust me, darling, it will—make absolutely certain you're wealthy. In your old world, the middle class replaced aristocracy by gradually making money matter more than bloodlines. It will happen here too."
Philip couldn't suppress a bitter laugh. "'Middle class'? Don't tell me that's what history called the capitalist class. God, that term has fallen far. My parents were 'middle class' before they died, and I remember them choosing between rent and groceries."
"Ah, the delightful inflation of terminology," the System replied cheerfully, performing a graceful pirouette. "Just like title inflation back at your corporate world! Give it a century and 'barely surviving' will probably qualify as 'upper middle class.' But my point stands—striving demands proactive cultivation, not reactive scrambling. Embrace change before it embraces you."
"Speaking of embracing change," Philip said, grateful for any shift in topic, "I've been considering Natalia's suggestions from last night."
The System's eyes lit up with genuine delight. "Oh my precious pumpkin is finally rising to meet his destiny! Let's discuss business before your attention gets hijacked by more tantalizing statuary, shall we?"
Part 2
Sunshine spilled through the study's towering windows like liquid gold, pooling across luxurious carpets and illuminating dust motes that danced with indifference. Philip settled into his leather chair while the remnants of breakfast warmed his stomach with the comfortable weight of privilege.
Natalia glided into an adjacent chair with the fluid grace of someone whose meticulously proposed plan was finally receiving the consideration it deserved. Since he'd announced over breakfast his intention to analyze her market insights from the previous evening, she'd been radiating satisfaction like a particularly pleased cat who'd cornered the cream.
"Master Philip," Lydia's voice preceded her entrance, carrying that particular tone of efficiency that could organize chaos itself. Albert followed in her wake, arms laden with ledgers and documents that landed on the mahogany desk. "As you requested, we've gathered all current financial statements for both your personal accounts and the Redwood Estate Trust."
"I've also prepared summaries of the Trust's current assets and outstanding obligations," Albert added, adjusting his spectacles with the precise gesture of a man who found comfort in numerical certainty.
Philip opened the first ledger—his personal finances—and immediately wished he hadn't. The numbers glared back at him with the unforgiving clarity of a mirror held up to poor decisions.
The System materialized beside him, this time manifesting as a curvaceous accountant in a pencil skirt. "Well, well, someone's finally taking the finances seriously! Though really, Philip, for a supposed finance professional from the corporate world, your resource allocation could be more effective."
"What do you mean?" Philip inquired, though he suspected he wouldn't enjoy the answer.
"Think about it," the System purred, leaning over his shoulder in a manner that would have been thoroughly distracting if he hadn't developed immunity to her theatrical displays. "You're expending all this mental energy analyzing your personal portfolio of a few hundred thousand Continental Dollars when the Redwood Estate Trust commands nearly five million. Same effort, vastly different impact. It's like... oh, what's that delightful phrase from your world? Stepping over dollars to pick up pennies?"
The revelation struck Philip with the force of economic epiphany. She was right—infuriatingly, undeniably right. In his previous life, the economy of scale had been paramount. A billion-dollar portfolio commanded more attention than its million-dollar cousin. The absolute gains from analyzing substantial holdings dwarfed any clever optimization of pocket change.
"The trust's assets," Philip said, his voice carrying newfound purpose as he turned to Albert.
Albert's nod held the satisfaction of a butler whose master had finally asked the right question. He produced a leather-bound ledger with ceremonial gravitas. "Of course, sir. The Redwood Estate Trust's current holdings consist of: this estate, various securities and Guaranteed Investment Certificates, and..." He paused with the timing of a master storyteller. "The Sapphire Sanctuary Suburban Living Development."
Philip's stomach performed an acrobatic maneuver typically reserved for circus performers. "The what now?"
"The 167-house residential development project," Albert explained with the careful tone one might use when discussing a terminally ill relative. "All detached homes in a prime suburban location. It was... your initiative, Master Philip. From when you were still with Lady Rosetta."
The memories crashed over Philip like a wave—impressions from the original Philip. Grand visions of transforming agricultural land into modern suburban paradise. A desperate gambit to impress Rosetta with business acumen that transcended mere aristocratic inheritance. An attempt to prove himself as a man who would shape the future rather than merely inherit the past.
"How much did it cost?" Philip managed, though the words emerged more as a wheeze than a question.
"Total cumulative investment currently stands at 1.8 million Continental Dollars," Albert replied with professional detachment. "Current valuation is... complicated."
The System leaned forward, her expression shifting to one of gleeful anticipation. "Oh, this is the good part!"
"Your initiative was valid, you just didn't cash out on time. At the height of the real estate boom three years ago," Lydia interjected gently, as if cushioning an inevitable blow, "the development was valued at 2.2 million Continental Dollars. But you decided to delay the sale of the units due to … price optimism."
"And current valuation?" Philip asked, though every instinct screamed against hearing the answer.
"Approximately 1.7 million," Albert finished with finality. "The real estate market has... softened considerably."
The words landed like a physical blow. Philip clutched his chest with theatrical anguish. "Oh, my balls hurt..."
The reaction was instantaneous. Lydia dropped her teacup with a crash, her face shifting from composed housekeeper to concerned caretaker in nanoseconds.
"Master Philip! Albert, call the urologist immediately! We need the best!"
"Wait, what?" Philip yelped, realizing his linguistic misstep too late. "It's just an expression!"
Lydia froze mid-stride, her expression undergoing a metamorphosis from maternal concern to arctic disapproval that could have flash-frozen tropical seas. "An... expression?"
"Uh… yes," Philip improvised with the desperation of a drowning man clutching at increasingly implausible straws. "You know, when an investor take a significant loss, he or she usually says..."
"Where did you acquire such vulgar expression?" Lydia pronounced each word with the kind of icy precision that made Philip feel approximately six years old and caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "Master Philip, please refrain from making light of such critical matters. Your 'balls' are of paramount importance to the continuation of the bloodline."
"In fact," Lydia continued, warming to her theme with the enthusiasm of someone who'd found their calling, "given the vital nature of hereditary succession, you should be aware that nascent preservation technologies now exist. The Imperial Medical Academy has pioneered methods to extract and preserve the, ahem, seed of life in tiny stasis chambers. A prudent precaution against potential accidents during military service or—"
"Absolutely not," Philip said firmly, his face burning.
Lydia crouched down beside his chair with surprising agility, her expression shifting to professional concern. "Master Philip, I must insist on at least a cursory examination. I am a certified nurse, registration number YN-4847, issued by the Provincial Medical Board. It would only take a moment to ensure—"
"Lydia!" Philip's voice cracked. "I'm fine! Everything is... functioning normally!" "Can we please," Philip begged, "return to discussing the catastrophic real estate investment?"
Albert cleared his throat with diplomatic timing. "Perhaps we should indeed return to the financial analysis."
Philip seized the conversational lifeline with both hands. "Yes! We need to figure this out."
He rose from his chair and began pacing, his analytical mind finally engaging with the problem at hand.
"The causal chain here is clear. Based on what I have read, we are seeing the steepest jump in military spending commitments in decades. The European conflict, the pressure from Continental Republic—everyone's ramping up defense outlays."
"Which means larger fiscal deficits globally," Natalia added, her voice carrying the quiet satisfaction of watching someone arrive at conclusions she'd already mapped.
"Exactly!" Philip's pacing accelerated, his hands beginning to gesture as a macroeconomic view took hold in his mind. "And how do governments fund deficits? Sovereign bonds. But here's the problem—we're already mired in a stagnation environment where imported inflation prevents central banks from lowering interest rates or increasing government bond purchases. So these new funding requirements must be satisfied from the existing pool of investable capital within the financial system. In other words, we're approaching a new supply and demand equilibrium that will inevitably push the cost of capital higher."
"So the overall market yield will be pushed upward," Albert said, understanding beginning to dawn in his expression.
"Precisely," Philip continued, warming to his theme with the enthusiasm of a professor discovering engaged students. "And when sovereign bond yields rise? The required yield on all other asset classes must rise in tandem, triggering a comprehensive revaluation of asset prices. Downward. This cascade occurs as money gets drained from the financial system into government bonds, leaving other borrowing entities to compete for a diminished pool of available funds."
"So bank deposit rates must rise to remain competitive, and mortgage rates must increase too to maintain profit margins," Lydia observed with surprising financial acuity. "And that's before we even consider the structural inflation from the impending trade and supply chain fragmentation."
"The Middle Eastern situation adds another layer of complexity," Philip added. "Energy supply chain disruptions are inevitable."
"Plus automation of jobs, friend-shoring, reshoring—each element adds incremental cost to the system," Philip said, his voice carrying the weight of economic inevitability. "Central banks desperately want to cut rates to support declining growth, but they can't because inflation refuses to cooperate. So we get 'higher-for-longer' policy rates, which absolutely devastates housing affordability."
He stopped pacing and turned to face them, his expression grave. "Globally, we are already looking at flat-to-falling real house prices. But in highly leveraged, rate-sensitive markets? Like, say, suburban detached housing in the Greater Yortinto Area?"
"Significant price declines with no recovery in sight for the foreseeable future," Natalia finished with calm confidence.
"It's a perfect storm of adverse conditions. And we're sitting on 167 detached houses positioned directly in its path." Philip concluded.
The room fell silent as the implications settled over them like a shroud.
"So we need to sell, and soon," Philip declared with newfound resolution. "especially given how the Trust is already heavily exposed to the real estate market from this estate alone."
"But how do we execute?" Albert asked, voicing the practical concern. "Selling 167 houses individually would take months, not to mention sending panic throughout an already declining market."
"We could sell the entire project to a commercial developer," Lydia suggested thoughtfully.
Philip shook his head with immediate rejection. "They possess superior information channels and stronger bargaining positions. They'd lowball us mercilessly—probably offer 1.4 million or less, knowing how we think."
He was about to suggest exploring creative alternatives when the System cleared her throat with theatrical emphasis.
"Your analysis is brilliant, Host. Just one tiny detail..."
A chill descended Philip's spine with the inevitability of winter. "What?"
"Oh, nothing major," the System said with elaborate casualness, examining her perfectly manicured nails. "Just the small matter of garbage in, garbage out. You know the phrase, right? Even the most sophisticated analysis is only as reliable as the data upon which it's founded."
"What are you implying?"
The System's grin transformed into something positively predatory. "Well, let's just say the data quality in this world is... how shall I phrase this delicately... notoriously unreliable. Especially the public data. Often outdated, sometimes deliberately skewed. You know, typical bureaucratic incompetence seasoned with a generous doze of imperial propaganda."
"For example?" Philip asked, though dread was already pooling in his stomach.
"Oh, I don't know," the System said with exaggerated nonchalance. "Perhaps the minor detail that the Empire publicly claims a population of 400 million?"
"That's wrong?"
"You have a subscription to Statisticum Imperium, don't you? One of those thoughtful birthday gifts your grandfather bestowed upon you years ago that you never bothered to utilize?"
Philip vaguely recalled something about that. "So?"
"So if you actually aggregated the detailed population records for all regions of the Empire, the real number is..."
She paused with the timing of a master showman.
"615 million."
Philip's world tilted on its axis.
"Six hundred..." His voice cracked like poorly fired porcelain. "That's over 50% higher than the official figure!"
"Which means," the System continued with evident delight, "that the Empire's proudly quoted GDP per capita is actually..."
"Dramatically overstated," Philip finished, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Bingo! But contemplate the other implications as well. If the population exceeds official reports by 50%..."
Philip's mind raced through the cascading consequences. "Tax base is larger. Military recruitment pool runs deeper. Consumer market dwarfs projections. Labor force is—" He stopped abruptly. "Wait. If the real population is that much higher, then housing demand..."
"Might be significantly underestimated?" the System suggested with feigned innocence. "But it isn't manifesting right now, because there's no free movement of population between the Empire's various regions. Unaffordable legal costs associated with changing permanent residency."
"So your point?" Philip pressed.
"Oh, just that perhaps you could leverage this information?" the System added with a theatrical wink. "Say, you present your discovery to potential corporate buyers and then... well, lead them to the see the implications and convince them that they are getting a good deal."
"So should we sell at a discount?" Albert asked, blissfully unaware of Philip's parallel conversation with the System. "Alternatively, we could hold them until this market downturn passes, given that several hundred thousand dollars in the Trust's GICs will mature next year," Albert began with measured consideration.
Philip's mind spun through the implications like a calculator. The fundamental logic remained sound—defense spending was rising, rates would stay elevated, housing affordability would suffer. Even if the population truly was 615 million, demand remained systematically suppressed. After all, travel barriers don't crumble easily in bureaucratic empires.
"What is the upkeep cost of this development?" Philip inquired, forcing his voice to remain steady.
"Approximately $15,000 per annum, given that most of the houses sit empty and all titles remain in our hands," Albert recited with the cool confidence of someone quoting figures as familiar as his own name.
"What is the best term deposit rate our funds could secure from the banks?" Philip continued.
Albert adjusted his glasses with scholarly precision. "Depending on the amount of funds deposited and our negotiation efforts. However, assuming approximately $1 million from the proceeds are allocated across multiple institutions in tranches of $100,000 to $300,000, a minimum of 4% is virtually assured."
"Then we sell," Philip declared with a firmness that surprised everyone, including himself.