The reason behind the copper toll was not only to keep coins circulating and skim steady profit.
It also jogged memory. Ghosts were not all spawned equal. The newer ones needed habits carved into them, routines drilled until they became instinct.
A few had been trained alongside the older attendants, learning how to count, how to record, how to move through crowds without creating panic.
For the Terrace, it was three birds with one stone.
Inside, the first sight stole breath.
Goldman had never seen treasure like this in his life. Spirit stones stacked along the walls, swirling faintly with inner light, tens of thousands at a glance.
Not hidden. Not sealed away. Displayed. Offered to the eye like bait.
Even Tiberius and Gregodor were caught for a heartbeat, awed not only by the amount, but by the way Eldric showed it.
Wanton. Confident. Almost insulting. It was a blatant show of force.
Like saying, come. Here it is. Take it if you can.
