Azul comments on Jamil not having an interest in money or influence and this seems to be the case: when he donates his prize money in Book 5 he says, “I was never in it for the money anyway.”
Despite how his autonomy has been directly influenced by money, with Kalim family buying him the position of housewarden (and possibly Kalim’s entire enrollment), which has had significant influence on Jamil’s freedom at NRC, Jamil seems to underestimate the power that Kalim wields as a result: Azul explains to him in Book 5 that Kalim’s family’s wealth “represents a power magnitudes greater than any magic. Why, it borders on omnipotence,” but it is not until Book 6 that he seems to seriously consider it.
Jamil says, “Sure, the Asim family possesses great wealth and power. I’ll grant you that,” and Leona explains, “Money’s more tangible than magic. It commands a lot of power and has no uncertain or ambiguous factors. You should know all about that. Better than me, even.”
In Jamil’s dream of Book 7 his family has gone from working for the Asim family to employing them, with Jamil making comments such as, “The Asim family owes the Viper family more money than (Kalim) could pay off with a lifetime’s worth of work,” “My family’s treasury is bursting with artifacts collected from all over the world,” and referencing how his is the “richest family in town.”
A dream-Kalim convinces Jamil to stay asleep by promising him land, freedom, and money.
In Book 7.5 when Azul says, “I thought you weren’t the type to take an interest in money or influence” Jamil responds, “I thought so, too…until I saw the dream Malleus gave me. Having everyone in town kneel before me, getting to put a foolish ruler in his place from atop an elephant…that felt incredible! Our dreams were exaggerated and distorted in weird ways…but they were still our wishes, in part. Once someone has a taste of nectar, they can’t help but want to taste it again. That’s just human nature,” so Jamil may have discovered a newfound appreciation for money after Book 7.
Jamil might be especially sensitive to how much it is that things cost, with a Fairy Gala line of, “The shirt has a nice texture, doesn’t it? It’s made from high-quality fabric. I’d rather not think about how much it costs.” He says, “The best way to avoid wasteful spending is to bring a shopping list.”
When encouraging Idia to return to NRC at the end of Book 6 Jamil tells him, “50,000 thaumarks wouldn’t even begin to cover” the amount of damage that the CHARON did to Ramshackle, and later he explains that the VDC prize money from Vil went to plumbing, replacing the water heater and other appliances. When Kalim says “I wish we could’ve put in a fancier chandelier,” Jamil responds, “That chandelier would’ve eaten up our entire budget.”
When Kalim gets an Albert chain from his treasure room for Lilia to wear during Phantom Bride Jamil cautions Lilia against making “any drastic movements,” emphasizing how expensive the chain is (“Ack! No poking it! Or swinging it! Just don’t be careless!”).
In a vignette Jamil explains to Ortho how Kalim is putting together a parade for his birthday but he seems stressed by the idea, saying, “Do you have any idea how much parades cost?…If the parade’s a bust and Kalim goes, “Let’s have a do-over tomorrow,” that’ll send the labor and expenses through the roof.”
When Jamil needs help with decorating Scarabia for one of Kalim’s parties he goes to Vil with cloth that “is worth so much that a family of four could live off it for a month,” which he emphasizes to both Vil and Kalim (“The cost of a single bolt of that fabric is so expensive that it could easily feed, house, and clothe a family of four for a month, but fine”).
During Firelit Sky Jamil intervenes when Grim wants to spend 100,000 madol (1,000 thaumarks) on a lamp that he reveals to be a fake replica of a legendary artifact. Jamil guesses that the lamp is “worth 50 to 100 thaumarks, tops,” ultimately haggling the vendor down to 7,000 madol (70 thaumarks), plus a piece of cloth to wrap it in.
Afterwards Jamil asks to go to an antique store to sell the cloth he received, saying, “The drab beige color makes it look dirty, but this is a premium fabric made with a very rare dye. If I sell it to a more discerning vendor, I could get enough money for 30 of those lamps.”
Malleus praises Jamil for his eye for aesthetics and how he “swindled-ah, acquired” the cloth without revealing his intentions and Jamil explains it is from how Kalim will pay the asking price for things he buys unless Jamil speaks up.
We see this happen during New Year when Kalim assures Jamil that he will not “buy out entire shelves or the whole store,” only to assign Jack and Floyd to doing his shopping for him. Floyd begins picking out items with “a LOT of zeroes,” but when Jack asks, “What if Jamil finds out?,” Floyd responds, “So what if he does? We’re just givin’ Sealie what he wants.”
In Book 7.5 Jamil makes Kalim choose between treating him as a servant or treating him as a friend rather than a conglomeration of both (where he is a friend who can’t say no), and when Kalim argues Jamil says that he will return to speaking in a more familiar manner in exchange for Kalim’s gold bracelet, a gift to Kalim from his mother.
After Kalim agrees, however, Jamil responds, “That was a joke,” saying, “I urge you to consider the value of things more. If I sold that bracelet, I could buy a luxury home in a prime location in Silk City. If you carry on in this manner, one of these days someone might take you for every last sorcent you’re worth.” Kalim asks, “Are you going after my fortune? Like in your dream?!,” and Jamil replies, “Who could say? But if you continue to adhere to your present status quo, there will be no treasure in the world easier to take than yours. Surely you have learned by now that there are no absolutes. There could be a snake in the grass near you already.”
Jamil says that all the expensive purchases that Kalim makes have taught him how to recognize quality, and when Vil compliments him for having a good eye he explains, “Fabrics and textiles are major industries in Scalding Sands, so I’m pretty familiar. And I’ve been around a lot of luxury goods.”
He recognizes the quality of curtains at Luxe during Tapis Rouge, saying that they are “Vintage, to be sure. Handwoven using traditional techniques. I can only imagine how long they took to make…I’m impressed. The rich tonality is positively riveting.”
Jamil almost comments on the quality of textiles during the NBC event. When Vil says that they are “all so DRAB” Jamil replies:
“Let’s not grouse about it. I mean, it’s obvious enough how drab it is without highlighting it. It’s drab all the way down. No flair whatsoever. But if you look at it more closely, you’ll be able to tell this is quality fabric. It looks old at a glance, but it’s well-made and finely woven. The thread has a luster to it as well. It looks like it could hold up to plenty of everyday wear and tear. This is all sturdy, high-quality material.”
When Ace balks at a 100,000 madol (1,000 thaumark) T-shirt Jamil initially responds “That’s a normal price for brand goods” but then observes, “This stitching is…rather poor. The cotton is low quality too. They absolutely shouldn’t be selling something like this at such a high price.” Jamil explains the difference in quality of cottons and judges the rest of the clothes in the shop they are in as “all designed well…it’s just the fabric that’s all poor quality.”
Staff refuse to allow Ace or Jamil to try on any of their clothes while allowing “a rich-looking old guy” to do so, saying, “It’s not as if a mere student could afford it anyway, so what’s the point? Why don’t you two run along before you make a scene? We don’t have time to deal with the likes of you.”
Later, however, the same shop staff approach Jamil for an autograph after seeing him with Vil (“Isn’t this one of the guys we chased out of the store yesterday?!”) and invite him back to their store. Jamil refuses, saying, “As you said yourselves, there’d be no point in me trying anything on. If you’re about finished, would you mind leaving? Before you make a scene. I don’t have time to deal with the likes of you.”
Jamil says that, while he is used to spending Asim family funds to buy things for Kalim, he sticks to a strict budget for his own purchases, he is “more concerned with getting good quality, regardless of price, and is currently hoping to get a “good quality leather jacket.”
During the Tapis Rouge event Jamil visits a store alone to confirm the quality of clothes he’d seen in a window display earlier on, approving of a jacket in a casual design, good fabric and fine needlework. Jamil reflects that the 50,000 madol (5,000 thaumark) price is “a big purchase” for him, but ultimately chooses to buy it: “When am I going to be in the Crystal Galleria again? It feels like fate. I shouldn’t let this chance slip away.”
