The Rothschild’s main mansion.
It must have been decades for Odin.
However, it had been less than a month for Dresner. He risked his family’s fate on the Day of Advent even though Odin had warned him not to do anything stupid. Nevertheless, it seemed to be his last chance to restore the old glory of his family. During that time, many financial forces were busy disposing of their assets despite the club’s determination.
Anyway, joining Odin’s side to form a defensive line ahead of other financial entities on that day turned out to be a wise choice. When other forces saw that Odin’s defense was holding strong, they started joining him. On the other hand, Dresner’s family had been with him from the outset, and though the journey was difficult, the outcome was immensely satisfying.
His family was getting closer to their old glory. Then, he received a call from Jonathan Investment Finance Group.
Only the caller had changed from Odin to Brian Kim, and they basically talked about the same thing. It was a direct threat that if Rothschilds went against Odin, then they would go to hell with China.
Dresner chuckled hopelessly after putting down the phone. The current state of the Rothschilds was so dire that even threats from one of Odin’s subordinates, not Odin himself, didn’t provoke any anger. This starkly proved just how far the Rothschild Family had fallen in the past decade.
Dresner had believed that Odin held some fondness for him and that, through the Day of Advent, he had been able to recover some of his family’s assets. However, it appeared that the Rothschilds were still being looked down upon.
He turned his head to where Kubera[1] was devouring financial books and magazines. His real name was Samuel Rothschild, but he insisted on being called ‘Kubera,’ one of the gods of Indian mythology. Therefore, Dresner called him that way.
“Kubera, that was from the club.”
Kubera didn’t take his eyes off the book, then nodded.
“As you can see, this is the reality of my family. You must be very disappointed.”
Kubera closed the book and looked up at Dresner.
“Wasn’t it obvious that our family’s situation was getting worse from 2008? It was a great decision to participate as a defender on the Day of Advent. I wouldn’t have done that either.”
Dresner grimaced. “Thank you for saying that.”
“I mean it. I would never be able to wag my tail after getting screwed by them. I’m not a dog.”
Dresner offered a feeble smile in response. He thought it was pointless and absurd to tell Kubera that they were in the same predicament.
Kubera continued while Dresner stayed quiet, “Just like China, we should have let the world collapse. If the situation remains unchanged, then the Rothschilds will be forever bound to Odin’s control, down through the generations. We are slaves in all but name.”
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Despite being the one who mentioned the slave label, Kubera frowned as he thought about the microchip that was soon to be implanted in the Awakened.
Fucking microchips.
It was only a matter of days before that damn device would be injected into his skin.
“I just realized that you have endured a difficult time. We should have let the world go to ruin? Hahahaha. It seems you have not fully grasped the situation yet. Take your time. I won’t rush you.”
Dresner added, “Look. Odin’s defensive line didn’t even budge a little. They were like a black hole as they devoured everything that was being sold in the market. We were fortunate that we entered the line before the other forces as we could recover a bit. Do you know how long Odin had been preparing for the Day of Advent? Don’t doubt it. He was born a financier. He hopes the current order will be maintained.”
Kubera nodded on that point.
The only reason China endured the turmoil was because of gold. China was the world’s largest producer and consumer of gold, so the government encouraged its citizens to stockpile the precious metal. They also stored the gold they imported from other countries, essentially acquiring and mining gold solely for the purpose of hoarding it.
With their substantial reserves of gold serving as their weapons, China was even daring to take the hegemony of the world. All the other countries had to do was to seize their gold.
However, Odin didn’t do it. Kubera was unhappy, as it was clear what would inevitably happen if China, which had the hegemony, was suppressed by the world. There would be a slow trickling of forces starting in China and eventually happening in Europe, Asia, and America, marking the beginning of the world of the Awakened.
What exactly was the Day of Advent, and what did the Awakened learn and gain from there? They learned how to exert control and prepared themselves to seize power in their homeland.
However, Odin’s move was quite the opposite. He announced that Awakened would go into outer space and instead made the Awakened slaves. Although there were efforts to let Awakened live an extraterritorial life, Odin’s move was definitely not like the Awakened.
Well… Odin had no motivation to conquer the world by force since he already held mastery over it. Additionally, he had a deity to address the grievances of the Awakened.
Kubera had a burning sensation in his stomach. Dresner said to Kubera’s stiffened face, “So you, Awakened, will have to get used to Odin’s order. Odin wants you guys to be incorporated into capitalism.”
“That’s why you are still alive,” Kubera snapped.
Dresner laughed. “I can’t take care of all my blood relatives. Some I wish to protect, while others hold little importance to me.”
“...”
“You have likely been privy to all the privileges of the family. Reflecting on the past serves no purpose. What is important is what lies ahead, like tomorrow. If you cannot understand this, then I see no need to spend any further time with you.”
“So what are you going to do now?” Kubera asked.
Dresner shrugged. “China’s gold standard will fail. They would have succeeded if they waited a few more years. Well, of course, Odin wouldn’t have stood by for that either. Anyway, China’s gold standard will soon push its economy to the brink. But do you think China is still carrying it out because they don’t know about it?”
“You love to ask a lot of questions. I think I already answered that,” Kubera answered insensitively.
Dresner smiled. “Yes, they are trying to co-destruct by using their economy as a suicide bomb and exploding themselves against the dollar or whatever.”
Dresner moved in front of Kubera. Although Kubera’s eyes glittered with murderous intention, Dresner wasn’t afraid of him. Kubera comprehended and attempted to follow Odin’s rule. In order for Kubera to wield the same level of power as he had during the Day of Advent under Odin’s orders, he needed to ally with the Rothschild. With the same blood!
“Then what are you thinking about?” Kubera asked the face that was staring at him fearlessly.
“Where did all the assets that were liquidated during the Day of Advent end up? Gold. The notorious elites are among those who possess it. If Russia and these families collaborate and push for more gold, then China will conclude that their gold standard would be effective.”
“That’s interesting.”
This meant the world could be reorganized into a China-centered order. Which one would gain public confidence? The renminbi that could be converted into dollars? Or the dollar that could be printed indefinitely on a computer?
If China’s gold standard were to succeed, then the dollar would no longer be able to maintain its status as the primary currency, ending the era of ‘bring dollars if you want to purchase oil.’
“Oil is being traded in dollars now, but if a currency that could be converted into gold appears, then that order will be broken.”
Dresner indulged in reminiscence after finishing what he had to say. During the time of his education as the heir to a family with a history of consolidating world power into the dollar, he had to memorize the reasons why a select few families were able to dominate the world.
His family was great at the time as they shared the U.S. Central Bank with a few other families and printed dollars at their will. They were more reckless since the gold standard had been abolished.
However, it was all in the past. The U.S. Central Bank was now in Odin’s hands, and dollars had become his exclusive possession.
He ended his thoughts there as Kubera sarcastically interjected, “Why? It’s getting interesting, so keep going. You stopped after saying that you could betray Odin.”
“Odin gathered Russia and the elites before things happened to warn them. Then, he also warned them right before everything began.”
Kubera barked out a laugh. “Heh heh. But you still want to betray him? Amazing, man. This is amazing.”
“You must have really lost your touch. I’m talking about the greatness of gold.”
“...?”
“Odin is holding a knife in one hand and money in the other. I can’t think of a way to knock down his knife, but gold is the way to cut off his hand that holds the money. Have the Awakened really stopped growing?”
“Yes.”
“Mmm…”
“Go on.”
“I’m going to risk our family’s destiny this time just as I have done on the Day of Advent. I will put everything to be with Odin.”
“Gold?”
Dresner nodded. “Exactly. Our family will also pillage China’s gold. We will amass gold and wait until our family’s primary source of power becomes gold. It’s my responsibility to gather gold, so I need you to gather the swords. This is also something that Odin advises, so there’s no need to be concerned.”
“Heh heh. Do you think that’s enough?” Kubera asked.
“I know it’s not, but I heard the last moment was very short, wasn’t it? The majority of the Awakened had no choice but to be massacred unilaterally on the stage. But after all, Odin is also a human like you and me.”
“Those who had mistakenly thought so also died the fastest. It’s a shame when I think about it after coming this far. Our conversation would have been much better if you were an Awakened too.”
Dresner remarked, “You also worship Odin like god.”
Kubera grimaced. “He is the devil. The absolute demon.”
“So collect the knives and look for the devil’s kryptonite[2].”
“...”
“I think it’s better to look for his relationship with others first.”
Kubera was impressed by Dresner due to the presence of a traitorous usurper hiding behind a clown’s disguise. Such individuals were destined to become leaders during the Stage of Advent. Kubera was uncertain, but he believed that if Dresner had been Awakened, he would have been among the thirty seat holders.
Dresner made his last statement, “Start with his family.”
1. The king of the yakshas (nature spirits) and the god of wealth. ☜
2. A fictional substance that weakens and incapacitates Superman due to its detrimental effects on his powers. ☜