Ethan spent the next several days walking through every district of the capital. He examined the markets the guild halls and the administrative courts where nobles issued decrees without consistency or procedure. The mages who summoned him watched closely and helped him gather information but even they seemed shocked at how quickly Ethan identified the core weaknesses in their system. Ethan wrote notes constantly using the parchment they provided because his modern habits refused to let anything be forgotten

The biggest issue was fragmentation. Each region operated as if it were its own small kingdom. Currency did not move across borders taxes shifted without warning and guilds treated their sectors like private fiefdoms. A tailor guild could decide that all cloth must pass through them and enforce the rule with private mana enforcers. A blacksmith guild could block imports if they felt threatened. These actions created shortages price spikes and constant uncertainty for ordinary people

During one meeting in the mage council hall Ethan stood in front of an old map carved from wood. It showed the kingdom’s territories with their borders marked by colored stones. Ethan pointed at each region one by one

Your kingdom is trying to survive with dozens of mini economies each fighting the others he said. You think you have one kingdom but in practice you have a patchwork of isolated markets

A young mage frowned. But we trade between cities

Ethan shook his head. No you barter between cities because your currencies are incompatible and your taxes inconsistent. That is not trade. It is desperation

The council murmured nervously. Ethan could see in their eyes a fear he knew well. It was the fear leaders felt when they realized their system was not simply flawed but fundamentally unsustainable

He continued. I analyzed your currencies. Some cities mint coins infused with basic mana. Others use paper stamped with magical seals. Some use crystals as a unit of exchange. None of these can function as a unified system. They are unstable impossible to regulate and too vulnerable to manipulation

He then placed several examples on the table. A glowing mana coin from the western territories. A translucent paper note used in the south. A small crystal cube from the northern mountains. The council stared at the objects like they were relics from rival worlds

Ethan explained further. When currency is not trusted people hoard it. When they hoard it trade falls. When trade falls production stops. When production stops the entire kingdom collapses

He could feel the tension rising in the room but he kept going. He had to make them see the truth before he could suggest change

There is another problem Ethan said. Your taxes are unpredictable and subject to noble discretion. A farmer might pay one tax rate this season and double the next season simply because a noble declared it so. How can anyone plan for the future under those conditions

One older mage rubbed his temples. We thought giving nobles flexibility would allow them to respond quickly to local needs

Ethan replied calmly. Flexibility is good. Unpredictability is not. If policy changes without structure people cannot trust it. And trust is the foundation of any functioning system

The council fell silent. Ethan saw fear confusion and growing respect in their eyes. His words were landing not because they were magical but because they were logical

After the meeting Ethan walked outside to clear his mind. He stood by the balcony overlooking the capital. Sunset painted the sky in warm colors and mana lanterns began to glow in the evening light. Yet despite the beauty the city felt fragile. Every stall every merchant every worker behaved like someone living under unstable conditions

A small girl approached her mother asking why food was more expensive again. The mother gave no answer because she had none. That silence cut deeper than any argument Ethan had heard

He realized then that reform was not just about numbers. It was about people. It was about giving them a world where they did not live in fear of the next coin shortage or tax decree. A world where effort and planning matter more than luck or guild politics

Ethan returned to his chamber and spread his notes across the table. He wrote three words at the top

Currency Incentives Trust

These three would be the pillars of his first reform wave. But he also knew something else a truth he had learned from studying history. Every reform created enemies. The guilds would fight him. The nobles would resist him. And the mages might lose influence if he succeeded

A knock on his door broke his concentration. It was Lira the young mage who often accompanied him during his studies. She looked nervous as she entered

Professor she said softly. The nobles have heard rumors about your ideas. Some of them are already planning to confront the council

Ethan looked up calmly. So the pushback begins

Lira hesitated. Are you not afraid

Ethan smiled faintly. Change always starts with resistance. If no one opposes you it means your ideas do not matter

She blinked surprised by his confidence. He continued writing as she watched. In that moment she realized Ethan’s strength was not magic or power. It was clarity. He saw systems the way mages saw mana flows. And he understood how to rebuild them piece by piece

Outside the first winds of political resistance were beginning to rise. But Ethan welcomed the challenge. Reform never came easily and he had crossed worlds to make it happen. The diagnosis was clear. The treatment would begin soon