Elish learned quite a few things from the soldier whose memory he took, and after cross-examining it with Astra, he had gotten a good grasp of the situation he was in, as well as the condition of the world and how much time had passed since his demise as a Monarch.
It had been over 3,000 years since he died, and the world he once knew had long faded away.
Humanity had gone through several evolutions, and instead of being a unified race, they had separated and built several civilizations.
This was why he couldn't understand their language as well; they had transformed beyond what he once knew.
The current nations of the world were now known as the four Great Kingdoms: The Southern Kingdom, The Northern Kingdom, The Eastern Kingdom, and finally, the one he was currently in, The Western Kingdom.
Each of these kingdoms had distinctive features and natures, as well as their peculiar currency and language. And so, after considering all of these factors, Elish decided his next course of action.
'Since I am new to the world, I have to at least interact with it and get a good look for myself.'
The first step towards that endeavor was moving to the nearest point of civilization and blending in, or at least finding out more.
"Then, let's—" Elish paused in his speech as he scrutinized the appearance of the Fairy who stood before him.
She had tattered clothes, and her body was covered in filth. Her skin appeared roughened, and she was overall not looking presentable in the slightest.
"Ahh…"
What kind of master would he be to allow his subject to look this bad?
Certainly not a Monarch of his caliber.
"Let's get you all freshened up first," he retorted with a sigh.
It seemed Astra only recognized how she appeared once he brought it to her attention since she instantly became flushed with embarrassment.
She had the appearance of a teenage girl, about 16 by human standards, though Elish knew she must've lived far longer than that since she was a Fairy.
"Well, let's see…" Elish heightened his senses and looked around the woods for a place for her to bathe and clean herself, finding the perfect spot before long.
"Let's go," he spoke, instantly taking off in his usual calm stride.
"W-Where?" Astra, still flustered by her unsavory appearance, yelped in surprise.
The fact that he didn't even make to glance at her once, or respond to her question, instead continued his walk, showed her he wasn't interested in replying.
As a result, Astra said nothing more and picked up her pace behind him, not wanting to be left behind.
'Good…' Elish thought to himself as he watched this. He was still uncertain of Astra's potential when it came to abilities, but he was sure of one thing.
'She'll make for a good pawn.'
*********
After tidying Astra up in a nearby stream he found in the woods, Elish used his essence to generate a proper attire for her.
'I have to stop doing this since it reduces the integrity of my body, even if by a small margin.'
Elish knew he had to seek out a more sustainable method to generate the neccessities he required to survive in this new world.
Though all of that would happen in due time.
'For now, I should consider the current situation.' Elish thought as he took a good look at Astra's current appearance.
She looked absolutely stunning in her raven-black gown. Her flowing long and dark hair had red ribbons tied on both sides, complementing the obsidian hues of the gown and the crimson threads that formed a finely designed outfit.
Her dark pink eyes and pinkish shoes shone with glamor, and her light linen-like gloves took on a similar appearance.
Frankly speaking, by the standards of this modern world, she looked noble.
"All preparations have been made." Elish smiled as he looked at the woman before him.
It was finally time to leave the woods and head towards human settlement.
"Understood."
And so, Astra and Elish prepared to venture out of the forest and took the route that led to the nearest city.
'It's not too far.' Even by human standards, that was still the case.
It seemed that their current destination was also the place the soldiers that intended to sell Astra were going.
As for her wings, they had already been taken in advance and would be in the market already.
'A Fairy without her wings is quite useless,' Elish thought, so he reckoned that his first goal would naturally be to reacquire her wings.
Only then would someone like Astra be able to serve him appropriately.
'But, therein lies another problem…'
To obtain her wings which would already be in the market, a major factor was involved—Money.
Needless to say, Elish was not particularly financially stable, and Astra was pretty much the same. The little money that was currently in their possession had been plundered from the dead soldiers.
'I don't like this in the slightest…'
It wasn't as if he was completely out of options, though. If he wanted to, he could perhaps duplicate the coins that were in their possession using his essence as a base, but that would only further reduce his body's integrity.
It wasn't something he could restore if lost.
'I only have to endure this for now. If I'm able to obtain 'that', I should be fine.'
Just as Elish had deduced, it didn't take the two of them very long before they arrived at the city of Artia, also known as The Golden Town.
The City of Artia was one of the major trading hubs of the Western Empire, a place where money flowed and items were on display at every corner.
Even as Elish entered the city, he appreciated the fact that his first exposure to human civilization was in this place.
Yes, it was a little crowded, plus Elish and Astra stood out as a result of their attires, but overall the experience was not terrible.
'Humans have really come a long way, huh?' Elish smiled calmly as he made his way through the crowd of people surrounding him.
He could see people moving up and about in the city, and he noticed countless items for sale. Weapons he had never seen before were being sold, as well as minerals and precious items. They were so many that Elish wondered how long it must have taken humans to have arrived at such an economic juncture.
Still, though…
'Worthless.'
Elish could discern that most of the items being sold were not worth anything. Only a few were actually valuable, but he saw buyers purchasing even the non-valuable items for high prices as well.
If he had such amounts of money, he wouldn't waste them in such places.
"Fools," he whispered to himself with a smile.
Perhaps he was being too harsh. Ignorance was something every living entity was cursed with. They were all limited by their understanding of one thing or the other.
Mortals were ignorant of the divine.
Divine beings were ignorant of what it meant to be Mortal.
Even he as Monarch found himself dealing with ignorance.
Perhaps he too was a fool.
'In any case, if I am to obtain Astra's wings, I have to look for where the money really flows.' Elish ceased focusing on the meaningless distractions around him and calmly analyzed his current predicament.
As a major trading hub, Artia was known for its huge commerce. Even the streets were filled with commodities.
However, human nature never changes.
There should be a spot where only a select few could have access to, where only the most exquisite goods were sold.
If he were to find his prize, his best bet would be the most secluded and expensive place. That in itself still posed the same problem as before: MONEY.
"However… " Elish let out a scheming grin.
His crimson eyes took in the glorious sights of the city, and he felt a wave of certainty course through him.
"... Money isn't everything."
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[A/N]
I certainly hope you enjoy this chapter.
Thanks for reading.
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Thank you all.