Cefran Zaibatsu

Ownership of this large commercial combine, a zaibatsu, is presumed to rest with a family sharing its name. Barely any firm information exists about the group, which appears in passing rather than through any active role. Several possible origins have been suggested for the name, among them France and its ties to luxury, the pricey spice saffron, and the Swiss franc, that last option matching a scene threaded with other currency references.

What little the combine contributes to events hinges on a single marriage prospect. Some eighty years back, a daughter of the group's leader became the subject of a courtship offer aimed at a prince named Reuven, whose realm was Esperia. The intent behind the meeting looks to have been an alliance of politics rather than romance. No union came of it, since the prince felt nothing for the young woman he was shown.

Nearly a full century ago, the person at the top of the combine had a daughter. He arranged for her schooling at Enoa Academy, from which she emerged as the leading student of her graduating year. Later, this same daughter was the woman offered to Reuven of the Esperia court, an offer the prince declined to take up.