New York City, April 1913
The response, when it came, was not a letter or a telegram. It was a heavyweight cream-colored envelope, delivered by a private courier, bearing the crest of a Bostonian art dealership Alan had never heard of: the Prescott Gallerand. Inside was a stiff invitation, engraved in elegant script, to a private auction of rare cartography and antiquities. It was a social event, not a business meeting.
Alan understood immediately. This was the language of old money, a world of proxies, tests, and indirect communication. A direct approach would have signaled need. This invitation was a summons, disguised as an opportunity. He was being invited into the antechamber of power, and he would be measured from the moment he stepped inside.
He spent the next two weeks preparing, not like a guest, but like a general before a campaign. His first order was to his finance team: "Liquidate everything that is not a bank or a goldfield."
The Great Lakes shipping concern, the various inherited properties, the municipal bonds—all were sold with a speed that shocked the market. He accepted offers that were slightly below market value to ensure immediate cash settlement. His accountants were aghast, protesting the lost potential profits.
"We are not seeking profit," Alan told them, his voice cutting. "We are building a war chest. Cash is speed. Cash is opportunity. I would rather have ninety dollars in my hand today than a hundred dollars promised to me tomorrow."
Simultaneously, he commissioned a private intelligence report from the Pinkertons. The subject: Baron Édouard de Rothschild, the head of the de Rothschild Frères bank in Paris. Alan didn't want financial data; he wanted the man. His passions, his frustrations, his recent speeches, his preferred vacation spots, the name of his favorite horse. He learned the Baron was a keen art collector, a master of understatement, and was privately deeply concerned about the rising tide of nationalism in Europe and its potential to disrupt the intricate web of global finance his family had spent a century building.
When Alan arrived at the Boston auction, he projected an aura of quiet seriousness. He was impeccably dressed but wore no jewelry save for a simple, unadorned watch. He ignored the champagne and the polite society chatter, focusing instead on the items on display. He moved with a purpose that separated him from the other dilettantes.
He bid on only one lot: a rare, hand-drawn 17th-century map of the Andes mountain range in South America, rumored to detail lost Spanish silver mines. His bidding was calm and decisive, ending with a final, firm nod that quashed all competition.
As he was arranging for the map's shipment, a man approached him. He was in his late forties, with silvering temples and eyes that seemed to miss nothing. He introduced himself as Lucien Dubois. His English was perfect, with a faint Parisian accent.
"A fascinating choice, Mr. Mikaelson," Dubois said, his tone casual. "Most collectors at your age are drawn to more... bombastic pieces."
"I have little interest in bombast," Alan replied, turning from the clerk. "I am interested in potential."
"Indeed," Dubois smiled faintly. "As are my associates. They were most impressed by the efficiency of a recent Belgian transaction. It is rare to see an American bank move with such... European discretion."
The game had begun.
"Efficiency is merely the removal of waste," Alan said. "My father left me fifteen banks. I saw sixteen entities. The fifteen banks, and the inefficiency that ran between them. I am removing the sixteenth."
"A laudable goal," Dubois acknowledged. "But consolidation carries its own risks. What of the political currents? The winds blowing from the Balkans, for instance. Such instability is not kind to finance."
This was the true question. The invitation to the dance.
Alan paused, looking Dubois directly in the eye. "Instability is only a risk if you are unprepared. War is a messy, unpredictable business for those who rely on public information. But the greater risk isn't the war, it's the peace that follows. Governments are notoriously poor debtors."
He let the statement hang in the air. "Financing a nation's war with the promise of repayment in its own currency, in its own bonds... that is a fool's errand. It is a bet on the continued honesty and solvency of politicians."
He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping. "I would only ever be interested in financing such a venture if the payment was rendered in assets that are immune to politics. Tangible things. Gold, for instance. Or better yet, the undisputed deed to the land it sits in."
Lucien Dubois's polite smile did not change, but Alan saw a flicker of intense concentration in his eyes. He had just articulated the core of the Rothschild family's own centuries-old philosophy: own the real, not the promise. He had spoken their language.
"An unorthodox philosophy for one so young," Dubois said softly. "But a fascinating one. The Baron would be... most interested to hear of it."
Dubois gave a slight, formal bow and melted back into the crowd. There was no business card exchanged, no promise of a future meeting. None was needed. Alan had been weighed, measured, and found to be made of the right material. He had passed the test.
End of Chapter Summary
Period: Q2 1913
Mikaelson Family Estimated Net Worth: ~$21,500,000
(Note: Net worth reflects the full liquidation of non-core assets into cash, bolstering Starbank's capital reserves.)
I. Financial Holdings (Starbank)
Commercial & Retail Banking: Branches: 15 (Consolidation process is 75% complete. A single, centralized treasury is now managing capital flows.)
Combined Total Assets: ~$12,000,000 (Boosted by ~$2M in liquidated assets now held as cash.)
Investment Banking / Stock Underwriting: None.
Asset Management / Mutual Funds: None.
Insurance (L&H, P&C, Reinsurance):: None.
Private Equity & Venture Capital: None.
II. Gold Holdings (Mikaelson Gold Consolidated)
Fields: 2 (Nevada, California)
Estimated Bullion Reserves: Reassessment ongoing.
Current Market Value (estimated): ~$9,500,000
III. Luxury Goods (Elysian Holdings)
Brands: None.
Boutiques: None.
IV. Gaming (Pixel Palace)
Arcades/Major Retailers: None.
Acquisitions This Chapter:
Company Name: None.
Mentioned Families & Alliances:
Rothschild Family (Finance): Est. Net Worth: [Classified]. Status: Formal contact established. Alan has successfully articulated a shared financial philosophy, passing their initial test.
Morgan Family (Finance): Status: Mentioned as the prime example of traditional government bond financing, contrasting with Alan's hard-asset strategy.