Mafu was studying different mushrooms in his fungal pool, something he usually did when he was "idle."

  That is to say, there were no emergencies happening in the kingdom.

  It had been a few weeks since the elemental powers were added to the people, and it had reached a point where most people could use their powers.

  Of course, there were differences in application. Some could only use their fire element to light a campfire, while others could throw fireballs or envelop their weapons with flames.

  The same went for each element. Mafu had some thoughts about how to use this. The school system that was just starting up could use people who taught how to use elements.

  As he had glanced from Jod and Tenias' conversation, there was a huge difference in learning depending on who taught them.

  During the first day, the first hour even, Tenia had managed to channel her earth element into her hand. Later that day, she managed to channel it into her hammer.

  Other people only reached this point after two or three days, and some did not manage it during the weeks that had passed. So he had told Jod to gather those who seemed to naturally excel at using the elements and make them teachers at the new school buildings.

  Now, Mafu thought it was sad to use any old school building for something so... fantasy-themed.

  He went over to the construction site for the new main cathedral underground, where his central firecap would be hidden. The chamber that had been dug up was very deep. The ants had outdone themselves.

  The chamber reached over 60 meters tall at its highest point. The construction site for the temple was in the center, next to the far wall as you exited the stairwell. One would have to walk over a hundred meters to even begin to enter the temple.

  Most of the outer frame of the cathedral had already taken shape. It had a distinct gothic look to it, as Mafu had helped a little bit with memories from his old life. He had exchanged thoughts with Taressa and Athena on it, and Taressa had more efficiently mentally shown it to Bundin.

  It was made of two types of stone. A dark grey normal stone that could be found nearly anywhere underground, and the black nitram that Mafu had analyzed early on in his mushroom life.

  It had three spires adorning it, and the entrance was a very tall archway. The archway was ten meters across and thirty meters high. The entire building was very dark, except for the torches the dwarven builders used.

  The building was near two hundred meters long and about fifty meters wide.

  In braziers, built with stone into the cathedral itself, there was a plot of earth for Mafu to spawn mushrooms. He had not done so so far, as if he spawned either a forgefire mushroom or a firecap and activated them, it would increase the temperature and deplete the oxygen.

  This far underground, it would be fatal to the dwarves. Mafu briefly contemplated if he needed oxygen as well. He did not breathe like he did when he was human, but that did not mean he did not use oxygen.

  Most mushrooms on earth used cellular respiration and emitted carbon dioxide. As most plants did on earth. Yet Mafu had never "felt" himself respirate, so he could not be sure.

  He would have to make a "light mushroom" eventually anyway. Which took him back to earlier, when he had been experimenting in the fungal pool. And now he had returned to Bundin again, without the light mushroom.

  Mafu could only inwardly laugh at his lacking focus. He had been somewhat like this as a human as well, but nowhere near this bad. His mind felt both slow and fast at the same time.

  "Bundin, I need you to construct another building on the surface."

  The dwarf, who was shirtless and sweating heavily from setting some stones in place, closed his eyes and knelt. It was his way of showing to other people he was talking to Mafu. He was one of Mafu's worshippers, but not nearly as fanatical as some of the other believers.

  He believed Mafu to simply be a benevolent entity greater than himself. Mafu had been in his mind, so he knew this.

  "We are still very busy with the cathedral... can it wait a few more weeks?" Bundin asked, respectfully but honestly. He, like most dwarves, was not afraid of telling his opinion to anyone.

  They always told the truth and hid nothing. Mafu respected this characteristic of the dwarves immensely.

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  "Of course. I am simply giving you an advance notice. I wish to construct a 'Hall of Elements' where people will go to study the elements."

  "Oooh! I already have many ideas for this!" Bundin's eyes looked greedy; however, it was not personal greed. It was the greed of wanting to make something spectacular, the wish to be mentioned every time someone wondered at the buildings he built.

  In the first place, the currency system had just started. Mercury, his economist mycelium mind, had started working with Tenias's smithery to mint coins. Till had been put in charge of the minting of the coins.

  These coins were not made of silver or gold. They were made with a sturdy steel alloy that had been rapidly improving since the iron mines improved. It was not as good as modern stainless steel, of course. But it was acceptable for currency.

  Inside the currency, a small bit of mycelium was inserted and then set in place by the blacksmiths. Inside of this mycelium, mafus mana was slowly circulating at a certain frequency determined by Mercury. This made sure there would be no counterfeits in the future.

  It had the advantage of also being visible on the coin. A slight blue light seemed to move in a circle on the coin's face if one focused enough.

  There were four types of coins. The smallest coin, named a "Shroomie" by the council of dukes and Jod against Mafu's wishes. The Shroomie had one circle of mycelium on it. Ten Shroomies were worth one slightly larger coin with two circles of mycelium.

  This coin was named a "Fungal." Mafu liked this name a little bit more but still wondered if the dukes and Jod were secretly enjoying tormenting him with mushroom-themed names.

  A fungal was, in the same way, worth ten of the next coin. It was also slightly larger. It had, as one would expect, three circles of mycelium. This coin was named a "Goldcap." It was strange to Mafu, as there was no gold in there.

  The orcs were confused with the name, as they had never seen gold. The dwarves, ever the miners and delvers of deep caverns, were of course familiar with it. But it was decided after Jod mentioned that humans considered gold extremely valuable.

  After all, more humans would join the kingdom in the future. It was happening as they were speaking.

  The last coin was different from the others. It was worth a thousand Goldcaps. It was inlaid with nitram, and the mycelium patterns were not circles but rather different for each coin. The mycelium on the coin Mafu looked at had a labyrinthine pattern and was, of course, filled with much more of Mafu's mana.

  The mycelium shone in a light blue light, as if it were LEDs.

  However, the currency system was strange for the people. None of them truly understood it, but as it was Mafu's plan, most of the people accepted it.

  The basic needs of the people were already met by Demeter, Bub, and the dwarven builders.

  Demeter and Bub required no paying, of course. But the dwarven builders were the first to receive back pay. For the huge help they had been in building the buildings, they got five Fungals and five Shroomies each.

  Of course, they would get more back pay eventually. Mafu had Demeter start more projects in farming, trying to cultivate more differing foods.

  They needed luxury that someone would want to spend on. For now, Mafu did something that most of the people were angry at him for. He made the bath facility mostly paid for. The showers and the basic warm pool remained free.

  However, the sauna and some of the new facilities, such as the large swimming pool with a diving tower, were now costing one shroomie.

  The price would, of course, increase. But this was Mercury's plan to create a desire to earn the coins.

  In the adventurers guild, the receptionists got paid as well. They got a price list for monster materials, and soon the warriors came by with what they had killed to be paid, rather than just going to the butchers with it.

  It would centralize the input of materials and make it easier to manage economic activity, according to Mercury.

  Some of the first alcohol was also put behind a paywall. The dwarves were outraged. However, they soon learned it was not expensive, and their anger subsided. It had to be cheap to start with, as Mercury feared the people would not take to the new system if it wasn't.

  As it was now, all the people were being paid according to their efforts. The elderly among the people were being taken care of as well, without needing to pay for any luxuries.

  It was the same with children. Mafu did not want to keep away anything from the elderly and the children. However, if you were capable of working and chose not to, you would only live on the basics.

  You'd eat the meatshroom and vitashroom. No alcohol, no fruit juice. No luxuries at all. Meat was also paid for, at an even cheaper price than the alcohol. Meatshroom was a worse-tasting replacement for meat after all.

  Soon the people started seeing the merits of an economic system. In a week or two, phase two of the system would be started. It was where they would be allowed to set the price themselves.

  No orders from Mafu or Mercury. It would undoubtedly lead to some people being scammed and some people being unable to sell at the price they wanted. But eventually, the price would find its right place.

  After all, how much would you pay for 2 kg of meat? Mafu did not know the answer; neither did Mercury. That was the purpose of this economic system. Eventually a common perception would be formed that 2 kg of meat would go for 8 shroomies.

  Or maybe it would be 2 Fungals? As mentioned, Mafu did not know.

  As Mafu was leaving Bundin, after going on his long thought about the new economy, the system activated.

  Many people are revering your name. You have achieved the minimum amount of 'Faith.' The Faith system will now be opened.

  [Faith System] A category of skills that use the resource "Faith" to achieve their effects.

  [Appointment] Can be used to appoint a faithful believer as an extension of yourself. Commonly used names for appointed people: Priest, Bishop, Pope, Monk, Voice, and Embodiment.

  Appointees change their class to your chosen appointed name. They will keep their levels, but some incompatible skills may be lost in the conversion. The class of an appointee is influenced by your perceived divinity.

  Appointees will always gain the ability to spread your faith easier.

  If an appointee betrays you and abandons their faith in you, you will suffer a loss of experience and may lose any connected skill shared between you and your appointed.

  The number of appointees is unlimited; however, there can only be one of the highest order.

  An appointee growth will benefit you, but an appointees death or betrayal will directly inflict a loss upon you.

  Please choose a name for an appointee of the highest order.

  Mafu was stunned.