Valerian has previously appeared to be a god-like figure, characterized by his apparent benevolence and complete control over what happened at L'Arbe de la Croix. But Son’s defiance of Valerian’s orders punctures that veneer. Son and Valerian essentially argue about the role that money should play in relation to labor. According to Valerian, money gives a person justified power and privilege. Son, in contrast, argues that labor, rather than money, should grant a person that kind of power. Son supports his argument by showing how people like Valerian have accrued money, and therefore power, through systemic exploitation of people who work for them.