[A/N: I am sorry. I forgot to upload a chapter. So two today!]
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The Kingdom of Meiriith.
That was where Aric was currently in.
It was a kingdom particularly known for its diverse landscape and particularly rich history. It is also infamous for producing people who were either frighteningly strong or laughably weak, with almost no in-between.
The entire country was divided into three dukedoms, with the capital, Valleren, in the center of the country. Aric was around the southwest of Duke Ravenshade's territory, closer to the Dreadwoods which was home to Var'Kai, an indigenous people with ritualistic customs that Aric, in his past life or present, could only describe as deeply unsettling.
To the northwest, the land rose sharply into the jagged silhouette of the Veilspire Range, a mountain chain that marked the border with another human kingdom: the Astera Dynasty. According to the text, the mountains were home to Serakar, a titan serpent so massive its body supposedly coiled through entire valleys like a living mountain.
Aric stared at the page.
"…Titans? Seriously?"
He shook his head, indulging himself in the book further.
There were two elven Kingdoms, the Aeloria Empire and Sylveron Empire, but Aric remembered that Athoir, the king, had been introduced as the ruler of Aeloria… and yet geographically, Aeloria was two nations away from Meiriith.
So how had they waged a war here, in the west, where the only two human nations resided?
How would they wage war on Meiriith? Aric ruffled his hair, "Ah…"
He closed the book.
That was enough geography for one day.
His mind was spinning, and he still knew nothing about titans, or why the Aeloria Empire's king waged war over here.
Or why he, Aric, was seeing those memories in the first place.
He looked at Elvis, "Book." He demanded.
Elvis chuckled, already reaching behind him. "Here it is."
Aric eyes sparkled as he picked up the book. He looked at the front cover, the gleam in his eyes turning dark.
"Global… Cur..."
"-currency explained for Roeaks" Elvis finished for him.
Aric narrowed his eyes, "I was about to spell that anyway." Elvis simply smiled, familiar with his antics.
Aric grew pissed with the old man's face as he turned to the last word, his face blooming with confusion as he looked at Elvis with deadpan eyes, "Roeaks? What's that?"
A bad feeling skittered down his spine.
Elvis waved dismissively. "Don't worry about that. Just read this chapter—it explains Meiriith's currency."
Aric reluctantly looked at the page Elvis flipped to.
The illustrations nearly made him choke.
The illustrations depicted monkey-fish abominations conducting trade, bartering with exaggerated expressions… and they were very clearly standing in for humans. They looked ridiculous, absurd and annoyingly… engaging. Aric found himself drawn in despite his will.
'Is this a Roeak?'
He slowly lifted his gaze.
"Old man," he said, voice broken, "am I a Roeak to you?"
Elvis' face twisted to worry as he tried to awkwardly laugh"No! No! Don't cry Aric! It's just simple to understand!"
Damned baby voice! Like hell he would cry!
Aric contemplated violence, but there wasn't much a one year old could do.
So he continued reading anyway.
According to the book, most western kingdoms—including Meiriith—used something called the Gold Sovereign System, created about 800 years ago by one of the ancient heroes, Elowen Kestle, also known as the Golden Emperor, whose gold-fueled conquest apparently toppled multiple empires.
Regardless, the currency system itself was simple.
Everything revolved around rallods, with smaller denominations called tnecs, where:
1 R = 100tcs
Aric's brows pinched.
…That felt familiar.
Wait.
Rallods…
Dollars…
"No. No way."
He flipped the page back and forth like it would magically change. It didn't.
And tnecs?
Tnecs were just cents backwards.
Aric stared into the void.
This Elowen guy… he was just a lazy plagiarist!
Aric wasn't sure whether to laugh, cry, or mourn the financial dignity of an entire continent.
The book went on to compare rallods to bread prices:
1 loaf of bread = ~2 R
So roughly equal to modern dollars. Simple enough.
And honestly? That was one blessing he desperately needed.
The last thing he wanted was to wrap his mind around fantasy economics after suffering through the nightmare that was learning Hsil.
He dragged a hand down his face.
"Damnation…"
There was so much he needed to learn…
But.
He looked at Elvis this time, determined, "Magic."