Card Apprentice Daily Log

Chapter 3065: Merit Pooling

Date: Unspecified

Time: Unspecified

Location: Myriad Realms, Card World, Five Regions, Southern Region, Blossom District, Sky Blossom City, TSR Tower, Penthouse Office

“Well, they are,” Jill admitted with a shrug. “Like moths to flame.”

She leaned against the desk and continued, “It’s because they understand what’s coming. The New Empire is about to enter a far more volatile period than even its founding. With that chaos will come unprecedented opportunities to earn merits… and equally unprecedented risks.”

“So they’re thinking, ‘Why keep saving when we might not even survive long enough to spend it?ʼ” She smiled knowingly. “They’d rather invest everything they have now to prepare for what’s coming. If they survive, they’ll earn far more merits than they could ever save by being cautious.”

“Personally, I agree with them.” Jill looked at me and grinned. “Getting richer has never been about saving more. It’s about earning more. As long as the return outweighs the risk, spending everything you have to seize a bigger opportunity is the smarter investment.”

Then, glancing back at me, Jill folded her arms thoughtfully before adding, “However, most of these requests are for Origin Cards. Acting entirely out of panic they’re not thinking long term.”

“Origin Cards grow alongside their Card Apprentices. The stronger the card becomes, the stronger its owner becomes with it. With the rush and lack of merits, they are forced to settle for the safest bet now instead of the safest long-term investment they can make.”

“It really pains me to see so many talents not getting the time and nourishment they need to blossom…” Her expression gradually turned more serious as she met my eyes. “… All because you’ve decided to experiment with your style of governance while our Empire is still learning to crawl.”

A faint sigh escaped her lips, as she shook her head, muttering, “You’re asking the New Empire to climb before they’ve even learned how to walk.”

“If you have complaints about the way I do things,” I said without taking offense to Jill’s criticism, “you’re more than welcome to take charge of the New Empire in my absence and run it your way…” A faint smile appeared on my face. “…that is, if you can.”

Jill rolled her eyes but wisely chose not to take the bait. Before the conversation could drift any further, Susan stepped in and steered it back to the matter at hand.

“Wyatt, I think the people themselves have found a solution for this dilemma themselves,” she said. “They’re asking whether merits can be pooled or transferred between people.”

She paused before adding her own opinion. “Personally, I’m leaning toward allowing merit pooling rather than outright merit trading. Families, teams, and organizations could combine their merits to help one another obtain higher-tier rewards. It encourages cooperation instead of turning merits into just another currency.”

“Haha… you have no idea how the real world works,” Anna said with a laugh after hearing Susan’s proposal. “Trust me, you don’t want to do that.”

Seeing everyone turn toward her, she elaborated.

“The Southern Royal Family and most major noble houses already have similar systems for managing and rewarding their branch families.” She shook her head. “On paper, they’re meant to encourage cooperation. In reality, they do the exact opposite. They divide people more than they unite them.”

“After all, what main family or ruling faction wants to be overshadowed by one of its branch families? Or worse, by a coalition of branch families working together?” Anna smiled knowingly. “No major power willingly allows that to happen.”

She continued, “Besides, our merit system already rewards departments, organizations, and families by allocating them a small percentage of the merits earned by their members. If we also allow unrestricted merit pooling, the result will be obvious.”

“The rich will become richer because they’ll have more opportunities to accumulate merits. The poor will remain poor, gradually becoming marginalized. More importantly…” Her expression grew serious. “We’d be encouraging the formation of factions, power blocs, family alliances, and exclusive circles within the New Empire.”

“Right now, we’re too busy surviving to notice the consequences. But once the Empire achieves peace and stability…” Anna’s eyes narrowed. “Those factions will become weeds halting New Empire’s prosperity. And sooner or later we’ll have to uproot them.”

Anna met Susan’s gaze before delivering what she believed was the decisive blow.

“If you ask me, we should take a page from the banks,” she said. “Let people borrow the merits they need and repay them with a reasonable amount of interest. In the long run, it would be far more sustainable, economically efficient, and empowering than merit pooling.”

Susan returned Anna’s gaze with equal calm. Neither woman blinked. To Susan, Anna’s proposal carried an unspoken message.

‘Moving a commoner into a castle doesn’t make her a queen. It only diminishes the value of the castle.’

At least, that was how Susan interpreted it. In reality, Anna meant something entirely different.

‘I’m done playing nice. If the two of you want a war. Then let’s have one.’

Anna had once been the Southern Heir. For all her rebelliousness, she had been groomed from childhood by the Southern Ruler to govern an entire region. Statecraft, economics, diplomacy, and political maneuvering had been woven into her education long before she understood their importance.

Susan and Jill, on the other hand, came from entirely different worlds.

Susan had been the manager of an eccentric yet brilliant Card Creationist.

Jill was an exceptionally talented researcher who doubled as an opportunistic merchant whenever the opportunity presented itself.

Both were brilliant in their own fields. Neither had the slightest experience running a nation.

More importantly, Anna had grown up in the heart of royal politics. Intrigue, factional struggles, hidden agendas, and power games were as natural to her as breathing.

Susan, by comparison, had lived a relatively ordinary life before meeting me.

Jill’s upbringing had been even more secluded, spending most of it alongside her reclusive father, far removed from the endless scheming of major powers.

Had Anna truly wanted to bring the politics of the Southern Royal Palace into the New Empire. She could have subdued the two of them long ago without ever resorting to underhanded tactics. She simply hadn’t wanted the New Empire to become another royal court.