Chapter 596: Currency
Taking the opportunity, Charles also shifted his attention to the coachman and spoke.
"Tell me more about this sacred gold coin, Mister. Although I have some, I don't know how much it is worth." Truthfully, Charles's other consciousness exchanged all the blood crystals for 2 Sacred Gold coins and 70 silver coins and saved him the troubles.
"Oh? If you had met any other coachman, you might have got robbed, young man. Anyway, let me tell you. Sacred Gold coins are like expensive currencies. Common people like us never even get a chance to see them. The bottom of the currency is called 'Rocks.' It's not some plain rock but made of a unique metal called 'Night Iron.'"
"With one Rock, you can't even buy a good drink. If you want to have a meal, you should at least have a minimum of 10 rocks. Next currency is called Silvers. Like the same, Silvers aren't made of silvers but a silver colored magical metal called 'Ether.' A Silver coin is equal to 1000 Rocks. With 1 silver coin, you can eat three good meals everyday and even stay in a cheapest inn for more than a month."
"Next is called 'Sacred Gold.' The unique thing about the Sacred Gold is that each coin was actually blessed by Goddess of Wealth and holds a wisp of her divine power. Some rumors even say that possession of a Sacred Gold brings more fortune. Unfortunately, I only saw that coin twice in my whole life. One Sacred Gold is actually equal to 1000 Silvers. To put it simply, one Sacred Gold is equal to 100,000 Rocks. With that, you could even buy a large house. There is also another currency used by Mystics. It's called 'Arcane Coins.'"
"Wait! Arcane currency belongs to Miracle City, right?" Charles couldn't help but interject.
"No. Arcane coins don't belong to any organization or city or Kingdom. It's a unique credit system created by the First Era Ancient Mages and still is the main currency among all mystics and mages. Every city has the Arcane Society building; you can get your official identity card over there. Ah, I forgot to mention something. If you are a Mage, try your best to keep low profile here. The people and even the Sacred Empire officials don't welcome mages." The coachman said in a low voice and continued to drive.
On the other hand, Charles played dumb and asked like a curious kid.
"What's the use of Arcane Coins?"
"I heard from a mage that as long as you register your name in the Arcane System, you will get access to some type of virtual network. With the help of the Arcane System, you can trade items with strangers, or even do odd jobs to earn money. As for its value, I heard that even 1000 Sacred Gold Coins won't be enough to get 1 Arcane Coin."
"Wow! It looks interesting." He muttered in excitement and started asking more questions.
On the other hand, the coachman didn't lose his patience and answered him politely.
Before long, the coach left West Borough and quietly entered the Central Borough.
Most expensive hotels, business stores, organization headquarters, guilds, and even academics like Radiant School were located in this Borough.
A few minutes later, the coachman stopped the carriage in front of a four-storied building and jumped from the driver seat.
"We've reached our destination, young man." He said politely and opened the door for Charles.
On the other hand, Charles adjusted his bowler hat and stepped down.
"Thanks for the help, Mister." He said while taking a silver coin from his space ring and tossing it to the coachman.
"Keep the change for yourself." Saying so, he took a step forward and walked towards the hotel.
As he approached the hotel, he was greeted by a grand entrance adorned with heavy wooden double doors. Above the entrance, a stone-carved emblem depicting dancing fishes captured the attention of passersby.
Below it was two words written in the local language.
'Mermaid's Inn.'
Inside, the lobby exuded warmth with its polished marble floors, ornate chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling, and plush velvet armchairs arranged around a crackling fireplace. A reception desk awaited visitors, where friendly staff members assisted with check-ins and inquiries.
As Charles entered the hotel and moved towards the reception desk, one of the staff members bowed his head and asked him politely in a local language.
"How can I help you, sir?"
Meanwhile, Charles curled his lips upward and spoke like a native speaker.
"I need a single room for two days. How much does it costs?"
Surprised by his fluency in Naan Language, the staff member smiled politely and answered.
"With meals, it cost 450 Rocks, Sir. 30 Rocks for each meals, and the remaining 270 Rocks for room rent."
Charles nodded while taking a silver coin from his space ring and giving it to the receptionist.
"Your room is in second floor, sir. This is your key." Saying so, the receptionist took an iron key from the drawer and passed it to him.
On the other hand, Charles took the key from his hand and started walking towards the left side staircase.
...
Meanwhile, the coachman looked at Charles from outside through the transparent glass door and was stunned.
"I thought he would come back and ask my help to communicate with receptionist. But he actually managed to book the room without any difficulty. Well, it's time for me to go back and pick up the next tourist." Saying so, he carefully placed the single silver coin into his left pocket and hopped on the driver's seat.
But as he pulled the horse reins, he felt the coach moving slower than usual.
'No, someone is inside the coach.'
"Who is it? Don't you know it is rude to get in a coach without driver's permission?" He asked in a cold tone and slowly parked the coach on the roadside.
After that, he jumped from the driver's seat, moved towards the cart's door, and opened it.
What he saw inside wasn't a single person but three people. Two were clad in silver armor and helmet, while the other wore a white robe.
The white-robed man before him seemed to be in his early 60s, with an unattractive, round face and a noticeably overweight physique. His long hair, which cascaded down in a snowy white hue, added to the impression of his age. His weight was estimated to be around 150 kilograms, giving him a robust presence. He was dressed in a simple white robe devoid of a pattern of an outstretched palm where a down rests.
'Bishop of Order!'
His appearance and attire showed that he held the esteemed title of a Bishop, signifying his role as a high-ranking clergy member.
Upon seeing that man, the coachman's face stiffened.
"Please forgive this sinful peasant, My Lord. I didn't know it was you who was inside the cart." He hurriedly bowed his head and said in an apologetic tone.
On the other hand, the white-haired Bishop gave him a sharp look and waved his hand.
"Get in. We have some questions to ask."
Although the coachman got scared shitless inside, he didn't refute and quietly entered the carriage.
As he entered inside, one of the holy knights suddenly locked the door and cuffed his hand using a metallic chain.
"This is called Chain of Truth. If you tell lie to the following questions, this chain will turn molten iron and burn your hand." The Bishop paused for a moment and continued in a chilling tone.
" Tell me everything about that black-haired young man. I want to know each and every details of him."
Meanwhile, the coachman cursed his rotten luck for being dragged into a troublesome matter and decided to tell everything.
"I don't know his name, My Lord. But I do know that he has no clue about our Sacred Empire. From what I observed, he is definitely a wizard but doesn't have Arcane Identity Card yet. I suspect that he is most likely a low rank roaming mage."
"Why do you think he is a low-rank mage?" This time, one of the holy knights asked in a pleasant feminine voice. Only then did the coachman notice the holy knight's bulging chest and realize that this holy knight was a woman.
"It's because he came from the Miracle City, My Lady. Anyone who stays in the Miracle City must have the Arcane Identity card. Otherwise, it's impossible to survive in that place. But this guy not only doesn't know anything about Arcane Coins but also have only a few sacred gold coins in his ring. I suspect that he went to Miracle City for some bright future but ended up realizing the hard truth. After all, even the common people over there are pretty much richer than the nobles here-"
At that moment, the Bishop raised his hand and interrupted him.
"Stop, we will decide if he is a Low Rank Mage or High Rank one. Tell us about your conversation."
A forced smile appeared on the coachman's face.
Without any choice, he decided to tell everything about Charles.
After hearing the whole story, the Bishop turned his gaze toward the female Holy Knight and asked.
"What do you think, Anna? Is he our suspect?"
Meanwhile, the female holy knight, Anna, went silent momentarily and soon spoke.
"Although he looks more like a country bumpkin from his words, it's better for us to keep an eye on him, Lord Clay."
"Hmm, then you should watch over him for now. If you find anything abnormal, notify me immediately." Bishop Clay said in a calm tone.
"Yes, My Lord." The Lady Holy Knight quietly raised her right hand and touched the same outstretched palm symbol engraved on her chest region.
A moment later, the silver armor shone in a golden light and turned into a normal white gown.
The Lady Holy Knight turned into a beautiful young woman within a second.
The young woman exuded an air of youthful vitality, seemingly in her early twenties. Her complexion possessed a delicate fairness reminiscent of porcelain, lending her face an ethereal quality. Vibrant amber eyes gleamed captivatingly, drawing others into their depths. Flowing locks of lustrous, sun-kissed blonde hair cascaded down her shoulders, framing her features with a golden radiance. Her glorious and curvaceous figure was accentuated by a noticeable fullness in her chest, exuding confidence and allure.
After giving one light bow to Bishop Cart, she quietly walked out of the carriage and hurried toward the Mermaid Inn hotel.
On the other hand, the coachman also walked out and hurriedly drove the carriage out of the Central Borough.
