Chapter 17: Copper, Silver, Gold

Chapter 17: Chapter 17: Copper, Silver, Gold

They walked through the streets of Fallbrook, the pouch of silver coins heavy in Daniel’s pocket. The crowd had thinned out after the old man left, most people returning to their business, though a few still glanced their way with curious eyes. Daniel ignored them. He had more important things on his mind.

Like money.

"Hey," he said, shifting the bag on his shoulder. He had taken Lyra’s luggage without asking, carrying it along with his own non-existent belongings. "Can I ask you something?"

Lyra walked beside him, her cane tapping a steady rhythm on the dirt road. "You just did."

Daniel rolled his eyes. "Another question, smartass."

"Fine. What is it?"

"Currency. How does it work here? I have ten silver coins, but I have no idea what that actually means."

Lyra tilted her head slightly. "You really don’t know?"

"Nope."

She was quiet for a moment. He could almost hear her thinking. She still didn’t believe him. He could tell. Every time he mentioned being from another world, she got that look on her face. The one that said she was humoring him. The one that said she thought he was either crazy or a liar.

But she explained anyway.

"It’s simple," she said. "One hundred copper coins equal one silver coin. One hundred silver coins equal one gold coin."

Daniel nodded slowly. "So ten silver is... a thousand copper?"

"Yes."

"And a thousand copper is..."

"A decent amount," Lyra said. "Enough to rent a room at an inn for several nights. Enough to buy food and supplies. Enough to live comfortably for a week, if you’re careful."

Daniel processed this. "Okay. So what can I buy with one copper?"

"A loaf of bread. A cup of ale. A small piece of meat."

"And one silver?"

"A night at a decent inn. A new shirt. A used dagger."

Daniel nodded again. "Classic fantasy world type shit."

Lyra frowned. "What?"

"Classic fantasy world type shit," Daniel repeated. "You know. Copper, silver, gold. The whole system. It’s exactly what I expected."

Lyra’s frown deepened. "What do you mean, ’what you expected’?"

Daniel shrugged. "In my world, there are games and stories about worlds like this. Fantasy worlds. They always have the same currency system. Copper, silver, gold. Sometimes platinum, but that’s rare."

Lyra was silent for a moment. Then she shook her head. "You’re doing it again."

"Doing what?"

"Pretending you’re from another world."

Daniel sighed. "I’m not pretending."

"You are," Lyra said. "You keep saying things like ’my world’ and ’fantasy world’ and ’type shit.’ It’s all made up."

Daniel stopped walking. He turned to face her, even though she couldn’t see him. "Lyra. I’m not making it up. I’m really from another world. I woke up in a desert yesterday with no idea how I got there. I have a status screen that only I can see. I have a class called Harem Overlord. I fought a giant lizard and a massive bird. And now I’m here, walking through a town that shouldn’t exist, talking to a girl who thinks I’m crazy."

Lyra was quiet. Her face was unreadable.

"And what type of shit is that?" Daniel asked. "Do you even have slang in this world? Or do you just speak like you’re in a Shakespeare play all the time?"

Lyra blinked. "What’s a Shakespeare?"

Daniel stared at her. Then he laughed. A genuine, surprised laugh.

"Of course you don’t know who Shakespeare is," he muttered. "Why would you?"

Lyra’s lips pressed together. "It’s made up. All of it. You’re making it up."

Daniel shook his head. "Believe what you want. I’m done trying to convince you."

He started walking again, shifting the bags on his shoulder. Lyra stood there for a moment, then hurried to catch up, her cane tapping faster against the dirt.

They walked in silence for a while. The streets of Fallbrook were quiet now. Most of the shops were closing, their owners pulling shutters over windows and locking doors. A few people lingered outside the tavern, but they didn’t pay Daniel and Lyra any attention.

Daniel looked around, taking in the town. It was small but charming in its own way. Wooden buildings with thatched roofs. Flower boxes under windows. A fountain in the center of the square, its water sparkling in the fading sunlight. It reminded him of the small towns he used to visit with his family when he was a kid. The ones where everyone knew everyone, and nothing ever happened.

Except here, apparently, people got beaten up in the streets for insulting blind girls.

"The inn should be just ahead," Lyra said, breaking the silence. "It’s called The Rusty Tankard. The owner is a friend of my family. Well, a friend of my father. He might not be happy to see me."

Daniel frowned. "Why not?"

"Because I’m the useless daughter. The one they threw away. He probably knows. Everyone probably knows by now."

Daniel felt a pang of anger. "Then we’ll find another inn."

"There is no other inn. Fallbrook is small. The Rusty Tankard is the only place to stay."

Daniel sighed. "Fine. We’ll deal with it. If he gives you trouble, I’ll handle it."

Lyra smiled slightly. "You’re very confident for someone who was getting beaten up an hour ago."

"I got better."

They rounded a corner, and there it was. The Rusty Tankard. A two-story building with a wooden sign swinging above the door, depicting a dented metal cup. Warm light spilled from the windows, and the sound of laughter and chatter drifted out into the street.

Daniel adjusted the bags on his shoulder and walked toward the door.

"Ready?" he asked.

Lyra nodded. "Ready."

Daniel pushed open the door, and they stepped inside.

[Author’s Note: make sure to vote for more Chapters and faster release time, goal in the authors note]