The campfire still burned, casting a warm orange glow amidst the darkness of the night. The forest was quiet, broken only by the chirping of crickets and the rustling of leaves. Darwin and Liriel sat leaning near the fire, full from their meal, the air calm and peaceful.
Darwin glanced at Liriel, who looked serene as she stared up at the star-filled sky.
"Long day, huh…" Darwin murmured.
Liriel nodded slowly. "But it was nice. I can't remember the last time I ate and laughed like that."
A few seconds of silence passed before Liriel broke it, turning slightly toward Darwin.
"Darwin," she said softly. "After this… where will you go?"
Darwin thought for a moment, then answered, "I'm heading to a human city. Need to buy gear, a proper weapon, clothes too…"
Liriel lowered her head slightly, her soft voice barely above a whisper. "I see…"
There was a trace of disappointment in her tone, as if she didn't want their time together to end so soon—just as they were getting to know each other.
But suddenly, her eyes lit up with a spark of inspiration.
"Darwin," Liriel said with newfound enthusiasm, "in that case… why don't you come with me?"
Darwin turned quickly, a little confused. "What do you mean?"
"I'm looking for my sister… she was captured by humans. I can't do it alone. But after seeing your strength—I think you can protect me. I… I'm willing to pay you fairly."
Darwin raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. But Liriel looked down again, trying to hide the growing blush on her cheeks. Deep down, she was thinking:
'If he agrees… maybe I can grow closer to him… And if everything goes well… perhaps… we could swear our lives to each other…'
Her face flushed even redder at the thought, and her heartbeat quickened.
Smack!
Liriel slapped her own cheek.
"Eh?!" Darwin flinched in surprise. "Are you okay?!"
Liriel quickly shook her head, though her cheeks remained red. "I-I'm fine…"
Darwin then smiled and said,
"Well… if you need help, I'll come with you. I accept your offer."
Liriel widened her eyes in disbelief. "Really… you don't mind?"
"Yeah," Darwin replied firmly.
But then Liriel hesitated again. "If you're with an elf like me… humans will probably turn against you. Are you really okay with that?…"
Darwin just chuckled. "Doesn't bother me. I don't have any connections with humans anyway. So I'm free."
Liriel stared at him with wide eyes, then slowly lowered her gaze… and looked at Darwin with pity, her eyes welling up.
Darwin panicked. "Huh?! Wait! Why are you crying?! I said I'm fine!"
Liriel wiped her eyes, her voice slightly trembling. "It's just… sad to hear that. So… you were isolated? Alone?"
"No, no!" Darwin quickly clarified. "Not isolated. I just… haven't really gotten close to anyone yet."
Liriel stopped crying, though her eyes were still damp. She let out a relieved breath. "Oh… I see. That's a relief. I thought…"
Darwin sighed in relief too, glad the misunderstanding was cleared up.
Liriel lowered her gaze, then slowly smiled… a genuine smile she hadn't shown before.
"Then it's settled," she said. "You'll come with me until I find my sister."
Darwin nodded. "Deal."
The campfire was beginning to die down, leaving only warm embers glowing softly. Under the light of the moon, the atmosphere felt calm and peaceful. After agreeing to travel together, Darwin and Liriel sat side by side, finishing their conversation for the night.
Liriel pulled a small pouch from her leather satchel and placed it in Darwin's hand.
"As a start, here's your payment," said Liriel. "Twenty silver coins. That's enough to live for a month in a mid-tier city."
Darwin opened the pouch and saw a pile of gleaming silver coins. His eyes and thoughts immediately focused, but at the same time, he was confused. He didn't yet know how much money was actually worth in this world.
He wanted to ask her directly about the currency system… but he was worried Liriel might realize he wasn't from this world. It was still unclear how people here viewed "outsiders." They might hunt him down or consider him a threat.
Darwin quickly thought of a plan.
'If I say I have amnesia from what happened in the dungeon… would Liriel believe that?'
"I… to be honest," Darwin said as he put the pouch into his inventory, "after what happened in the dungeon, I lost a lot of my basic memories. Including… stuff about money. Heh…"
Liriel stared at him sharply, her face filled with curiosity. But she didn't deny Darwin's claim. She simply raised an eyebrow and asked softly, "Amnesia?"
Darwin nodded quickly. "Yeah. When I woke up, I could barely even remember my name. I'm slowly starting to remember things now, but… some stuff is still hazy."
After a few seconds of silence, Liriel finally gave a small nod. "Alright then… I'll explain the currency system of this continent."
"In this continent, especially in human territories like where we are now, there are five common types of coins," Liriel said, pointing to each coin in her hand one by one.
1. Copper Coin – The lowest value. Usually used by farmers or villagers for daily necessities.
➤ 10 copper coins = 1 silver coin.
2. Silver Coin – Used by city dwellers or low- to mid-tier adventurers.
➤ 10 silver coins = 1 gold coin.
3. Gold Coin – Used by nobles, large merchants, or high-level adventurers. One gold coin can pay for a month's stay at a high-end inn.
➤ 10 gold coins = 1 platinum coin.
4. Platinum Coin – Rare, mainly used in noble-to-noble transactions or for buying property.
5. Mithril Coin – Almost never used except in international trade or for legendary items. Usually only kingdoms or major guilds have these.
After hearing the explanation, Darwin finally understood… and suddenly remembered something.
'Wait… in my inventory… I've got more than 50 gold coins from the dungeon loot…'
His eyes widened a little, though he kept his expression neutral.
'If 1 gold = 10 silver… then… I have enough money to live for years?!'
Darwin smiled inwardly with satisfaction, though he didn't let it show.
"That's the basic explanation," said Liriel, wrapping up. "Any other questions?"
Darwin turned to her again. "Yeah, one more. Where exactly are we right now?"
Liriel took a breath, then began to explain.
"We're currently in the continent of Aetherium, a vast land mostly inhabited by humans. There are five major kingdoms here. Right now, we're in Quill Forest, one of the wilder, untouched areas. Sometimes merchants pass through this forest as a shortcut, and bandits operate here frequently. It's located near the border of the Kingdom of Torain."
Darwin nodded, taking it all in.
"And…," Liriel continued, her voice growing heavier, "there's a high chance my sister was taken to that kingdom. Torain is known for its trade… including slave trade. They don't care much about race as long as they can fetch a high price."
Liriel's voice lowered. Her expression darkened.
"I've been gathering intel and tracking leads for months… but still nothing…"
Darwin looked at her seriously. "Don't worry. You're not alone anymore."
Liriel looked at him, her lips curling into a small, soft smile full of hope.
"Thank you, Darwin."