Finn's eyes fluttered open as the first rays of morning dawned on him. He got up and looked around still feeling uneasy and unsure of what happened to him.
Finn's stomach growled loudly breaking the silence, "Oh! Too bad I don't think I have anything in my shabby home. Looks like we're starving today. It's alright; once I get into the academy I can do anything but for now, let's try to hold out."
Stretching his arms and legs Finn headed back to his hut. "What other talent would I get? Dark of the Night was a pretty fun talent, being able to hide and pop out of the shadows, I'm going to miss that feeling. Now let's head off to the city."
----
"Good morning, sunshine!" Daniela chimed, poking her head into Wyge's face. "Time to rise and shine."
"Aargh, black-haired princess, no, someone please wake me up from this dream, please" Wyge groaned as she covered her face hiding her agony.
The Steinfeld family was known for their 'Reflux' talent. Until the 'Celestial incursion', fifteen years ago. The entirety of the Steinfeld family was wiped out all except for Wyge because she was too young for war.
During the aftermath of the war, distant relatives of the family instead of offering her aid, tricked the child, into stealing her rights to the family treasures and was cut off from her family resources.
However, Wyge held on and continued, becoming the youngest four-star mage at the age of twenty two and mastering the Reflux talent. Daniela approached her asking for her powers in return and would help rebuild her family. But now that the princess has announced her resignation from the battle for the throne, Wyge felt betrayed.
"Wyge, please don't worry, I told you I'll help you, there is no way I am going to go back on my word, I promise on my honour as Ro- 'ahem' as Daniela."
'Blech,' Rose thought cringing inwardly.
"Now let's go join my brothers and daddy for breakfast, shall we?" Daniela spoke, her voice filled with joy, her face lightening Wyge's sombre mood.
"Uhh... princess did you just say daddy?"
"Yes I did", 'Oh my god this gonna be harder than I thought. How do I speak like them?'
"Princess I know you will keep your word; hence I shall continue my services without fail." with a resolute nod she stood up from the chair she was seated on. She then walks out of the room with a straight posture.
As she reached the door, she turned back and asked, "Ohh, princess, what dress would you be wearing today?"
'Ohh, I forgot I now have access to Daniela's large wardrobe of expensive clothes, I'm going to enjoy my life.'
"Get me the simplest pair I have" replied Daniela, her face gleaming with curiosity.
----
"No kid, we're not hiring anyone, maybe check out the tavern at the city square." the restaurateur said, kindly.
"Alright, thanks mister," Finn said stepping out of the restaurant, the doors behind him closing on their own.
'Alright, what's the bar at the city square called? Aah, Yes, the Iron Heart. I remember the owner—a decent guy.'
Citrina City, the city of green, sprawled out in front of him, bustling even at an early hour. The city was so immense in size, that it was one of the first to adopt a hybrid governance system. It was taken care of by both the Merchant Association and The Aurumae Empire.
The Merchant guild—Meridian Tales, maintained trade and economic stability, while the Viscounty of Valoria took care of the welfare of the citizens.
But the main reason for the growth of the city was Morgen Forest. The lush greenery provided the city with rich and valuable resources.
As Finn navigated through the busy streets, occasionally bumping into people, he finally reached the tavern. The Iron Heart sign swayed in the morning wind.
Finn pushed open the oak door. Upon entry, Finn noticed that the tavern was quite empty.
"Welcome to the Iron Heart" a voice boomed from behind the counter. It was a sturdy man with warm hazel eyes, short chestnut hair streaked with grey and a sharp moustache that framed his face. He was seen diligently wiping the counter clad in a worn linen shirt and a brown apron.
"Good morning sir, is there any job vacancy here? I needed some ryū as soon as possible and I heard taverns and restaurants are always hiring."
"Sorry son but I've got plenty of hands here already. Another would only add to my expense."
Finn's shoulders slumped slightly, but he nodded "It's alright. Do you perhaps know anywhere else?"
The bartender paused considering. "Nope, I think you'll only waste time if you look around for work at restaurants and taverns, are you willing to do anything else?"
"Yes sir, anything would be great," Finn replied excitedly.
"Oh you seem quite high spirited, if so then head south outside the city, just beside the gate there is this cabin all alone with a small fence. There you will see this lumberjack with brown hair. Ask him if he needs any help; I'm pretty sure he was having a hard time delivering."
"Thank you mister, I'll never forget this kindness" yelled Finn as he rushed out of the tavern.
"Jack could use a bit of company", chuckled Vlad as he got back to wiping the counter.
----
"Do I look elegant enough, Wyge?" enquired Daniela as she twisted and turned looking at herself in the mirror. 'This body looks good even if I were to wear garbage, true beauty, I'm jealous. All I wore was a white shirt and a black pant but I already looked different. To think this is the body of a seventeen year old.'
"Yes... what is the odd speech style Princess?" After a short pause, Wyge replied, confusion evident on her face.
"What are you talking about?"
"Never mind, Princess"
'Sigh',' I should be more careful, this is so hard I'm not improving but rather mixing up the two styles. What could I do I've only seen old English on TV and that's not even half right, see I'm mixing it up even in my thoughts. Well, time to meet my family.'
As Daniela stepped out of her room, she was instantly greeted by the sight of a beautifully adorned long hallway with intricately designed chandeliers. The red walls with the bewitching designs were complemented by the golden accents.
She prepares to walk but is stopped by Wyge, "Princess where are you going? The dining room is the other way."
"Oh! Yes... I was just looking at the ceiling, beautiful art, right?"
"Mm... Yes indeed, but we are going to be late, shall we?"
"GASP"
A few collective gasps could be heard from the maids who saw Daniela. "The princess, what's up with her? Has she finally gone mad?" spoke, one of the maids.
"Sshhh, she might hear you, you could lose your head?" whispered another maid.
There were many more surprised gasps. Wyge winced at the comments but Rose couldn't care less, she was lost in her world too free to care about what was going on around her.
'The fabric of this shirt feels so good, is this what premium stuff feels like, I could get used to this, I wonder what's for breakfast. Meat, veggies and then after breakfast rich, creamy desserts.' Daniela's mouth watered at the thought of the royal delicacies.
'Now, back to reality I've got a lot to solve; starting with daddy Arwan, Daniela was quite hard on him after the queen's death. I remember and quote, "I don't have a father, that bastard killed my mother." Uhh, so chuni. Although it's not true the emperor was deeply hurt.
'He did try to reconcile with her but this girl-boss bitch just shut him off, and the brothers who asked her why she was doing this also got cut off from her life. Since then she hasn't talked with them unless it was for official matters.'
'This led to the stagnation of the relationship between the father and the children. She took everything she had for granted, she had a family of a loving father and two lovely brothers and yet she avoided them.'
'And the system I received was utter trash, the quests were basically telling me to live like Daniela and get back on succession. Honestly I'd rather not use the system since I'll never obtain any of my desired outcomes if I follow the system.'
'Is this hallway neverending or something? I've been walking for a long time.' They finally reached the door, two massive doors with a glow that defied nature," Princess, I wish you luck" said Wyge as she placed her hands on the doors and pushed open the massive doors.
----
After thirty minutes of walking, Finn finally reached the city gates. Two knights stood guard at the massive wooden gate, left open to welcome early travellers. They wore black uniforms with silver lining, adorned with an insignia of a tree on their shoulders, and swords on their hips. One of the knights noticed Finn's presence and turned to catch sight of him.
"Boy, what are you doing here?" asked one of the knights, his tone rigid but kind.
"Sir, I was looking for this lumberjack that lived around here somewhere, do you perhaps know him? He has brown hair." Finn replied trying to sound as respectful as possible.
"Oh, the kid's talking bout Jack, yeah just outside this gate" one of the knights said pointing towards a lone cabin that stood out a few hundred meters away, "What business do you have with him?"
"I wanted some money and someone told me the lumberjack needed some help delivering wood" Finn answered, without hesitation.
"Proof of citizenship, you got any?" the knight asked showing his open palm.
"Oh, yes I do" Finn replied, searching his pockets. A few seconds later, "Here you go sir," he extended his hands, a small black empty card filling his small palm.
The knight takes the card from Finn's hand and taps it on his golden watch. A small hologram of information pops up from the watch's dial. The hologram showed a picture of Finn, and below the picture, his information, ranging from his name to information about his blood.
"It says Finn Zen Tenebrion here, sounds like a noble's name, you a disowned noble or something kid?" the knight asked, handing back the black card.
"Hehe... No sir, it's just a fancy name" Finn laughed awkwardly, trying to change the subject, as he accepted his card back.
"Alright, go on then." the knight gave a nod of understanding.
"Oh! Boy, entrance back into the city costs five hundred shin so just keep it in mind" the knight spoke out. Finn, who had already walked a few meters away, upon hearing the words flinched but decided to turn back and give a nod of agreement.
Upon exiting the gate Finn glances back to take a proper look at the gate. The gate was adorned in lush greenery with the words 'WELCOME TO CITRINA' written in deep green.
The outside of the city was remarkably green, the ground covered in what looked like a natural carpet of grass. As Finn got closer to the cabin, a rhythm of axe striking wood could be heard.
The rhythm grew louder the closer he got to the fence. A small fence surrounded the cabin. The fence was about five feet tall with a small gate that creaked as Finn pushed it open and stepped into the yard.
A man was seen chopping wood, his axe striking the wood and splitting it apart with a proficiency that seemed mesmerizing. His shirt was damp with sweat from the labour. Finn couldn't help but admire the beauty behind the work.
'The way he's holding the axe, that's very similar to how martial artists hold them. Was he an old fighter or something?' Finn contemplated the unique method the lumberjack was using.
The man paused, sensing someone nearby, and turned to see a young boy standing beside the fence. He looks at Finn with curious eyes, as if he knew why the boy was here.
'Wait I've seen this face in my past life, but who? I can't seem to remember, was he a knight? That could explain the way he was holding the axe. Let's think of it later.'
"Morning lad, can I help you?" asked the man, his face shining with his smile.
Finn was easily disarmed by the bright face. He steps forward trying to be respectful, "Good morning sir, I heard you needed some extra hands with delivering wood. I needed some ryū as soon as possible and I'm willing to work hard "
"I didn't need much help. Vlad must have sent you, right?
"Vlad? Oh, yes, the bartender at Iron Heart, Yes he did", Finn replied after thinking for a moment.
"Since you're here, you can work and I'll pay you." the man nodded in affirmation to Finn's plea.
'I should ask him how much I'll get paid. I'll need to get paid at least five kō by the end of the day or I'll never get enough ryū for assessment and it seems like I won't get paid much since he told me he didn't need any help." Finn paused for a second before replying.
"Sir, I don't mean to be rude, but... um... how much are you willing to pay?" Finn raised his thought, trying his best to not seem disrespectful.
"Oh, yes I forgot about that, well I was thinking of one ryū, how is it? Do you need more? Oh I know, I'll also pay for the city entrance fee." the man enquired.
'One ryū, holy shit, and entrance fee, that's a jackpot, that's more than what I was expecting. Is he really giving me that much?'
"Yes sir, I'll take it." Finn replied without hesitation.
"Aren't you full of life kid?" chuckled the man as he placed down his axe and pointed towards a cart that rested a few feet away, "Bring that cart over here, and I'll load it up for you."
"Oh, I'm Jack, what should I call you?"
"Finn."
----
Author's Note:
The Ryū Currency System
In the world of Murim, the Ryū (RY) is the standard currency used across the realm. Let's break down how this system works:
Primary Denominations:
- Ryū (RY): The basic unit, equal to 1 gold coin, for significant transactions.
- Kō (KO): Worth 1/10 of a Ryū, used for everyday deals, similar to a silver coin.
- Shin (SH): Worth 1/100 of a Ryū, often used for smaller purchases.
High-Denomination Coins:
- Dai-Ryū (DRY): Worth 10 Ryū, used in large-scale transactions.
- Hyaku-Ryū (HRY): A rare coin, valued at 100 Ryū, used for major trades.
Special Coins:
- Ryū-kin (RYK): A pure gold coin, equal to 1 Ryū, often used for ceremonial gifts or as a symbol of status.
- Kō-kin (KOK): A refined silver coin, worth 1 Kō, commonly used by traders.
Additional Detail:
- Exchange Rates: 1 Ryū (RY) = 10 Kō (KO) = 100 Shin (SH).