The transition from a digital credit system to a physical, asset-backed currency brought an unexpected, grinding friction to the streets of the capital. It was one thing to declare economic independence in the quiet, stone-walled confines of the palace registry; it was another to watch that independence collide with the raw, cold habits of the marketplace.
Elara stood at the high arched window of the lower treasury office, her eyes fixed on the long queues snaking through the courtyard below. The morning air was bitter, carrying a frost that coated the cobblestones in a slick, treacherous sheen. Down below, merchants from the outer boroughs stood wrapped in heavy wool blankets, their breath puffing into white clouds as they waited to trade their digital slates for the new copper and silver tokens.
