Otherwise, the little kid wouldn't recognize it either.
But the words the little kid said next shattered some of Asher's thoughts.
"This lord... I don't know if he's considered very powerful, but from time to time, other alchemists do come to the town to communicate with him."
"This Millet bird was a gift from some visiting noble to him."
A gift, it must be precious. Otherwise, it wouldn't meet the standard of being a gift.
"What exactly happened... mm, not sure, there are many versions."
"Some say the lord cured the noble's illness, others say the lord created an extremely powerful weapon, and some say the lord took the noble's child as an apprentice..."
"In short, there are many versions, both true and false."
The little kid shrugged with a very knowledgeable look.
"A weapon is probably impossible. I haven't heard of any new powerful weapon in the past two years."
"This alchemist lord probably doesn't have that capability."
From the little kid's mouth, Asher obtained quite a bit of useful information.
Although the little kid himself didn't really realize it. But Asher still learned a lot from it.
Most importantly, Asher had a simple understanding of how these people defined familiars. Taking living or non-living things, training or modifying them alchemically, and making them into alchemical lives that possess a certain level of intelligence and serve humans.
Doesn't that sound a bit like beasts?
At least from Asher's perspective as someone from a future era, there are similarities.
Not small ones either.
Thinking of this, Asher let out a long sigh and hoped to find a few more people to talk to about this absurd situation.
Unfortunately, he couldn't.
Asher could only digest this information by himself.
After the little kid finished speaking, he looked at Asher with wide black eyes, not blinking, with a deep desire in his gaze.
Asher: "..."
A chill ran down his back. Coming back to his senses, Asher finally remembered the little kid still waiting beside him.
Asher rubbed his forehead and looked at the little kid.
The light in the little kid's eyes grew brighter.
'Gold coin, gold coin!'
'The gold coin that's about to be mine!'
Asher's expression didn't change.
"Do you know what this is?", Different from what the little kid expected, Asher took out a round item, but it wasn't a gold coin.
It was the bronze-like currency Asher had given to the old woman before.
The little kid was stunned at first.
Then he quickly reacted.
"This is...", Although what Asher took out wasn't the gold coin he had been thinking about, the little kid didn't forget what he had promised.
To help Asher understand things, he stood up and tried to get closer to look.
Asher directly pushed the bronze coin in front of the little kid, making it easier for him to examine.
Just a simple gesture.
Asher didn't expect the little kid to look at him with a complex expression.
Asher: "?"
Before Asher could interpret what that look meant, the little kid sat down with the coin in hand.
Asher thought for a moment but didn't say anything.
Instead, he waited for the little kid to give an analysis.
"Mm... I haven't seen it before, but I've heard of it. This should be a badge symbolizing an alchemist's identity," As he spoke, the little kid nodded and even gently rubbed the pattern on it.
"Different alchemists have different shapes, patterns, and colors for their identity badges, but they all use the same type of mineral-metal material."
"It contains a certain amount of gold, but it's extremely hard to extract separately."
"This kind of metal is used by alchemists and some important people to make badges that symbolize status."
Asher frowned.
'Hearing it like this... this thing should be pretty valuable, right?'
Looking at the number of badges in his spatial pouch, not too many, but at least twenty or thirty.
Otherwise, Asher wouldn't have mistaken them for currency at first.
The little kid played with the badge in his hand for a bit, then looked up at Asher with a rather strange expression.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end didn't.
Logically speaking. Based on the little kid's guess of Asher's identity, Asher should know what the badge is.
This is different from the situation in Tana Town.
Alchemist badges are well known to anyone who has learned about alchemy and has basic common sense.
At most, people would be a bit confused when they first see one.
Asher also thought of this. But Asher didn't bother to explain it.
No need. The more you explain, the more you're covering up.
Just leave it half said. Let others figure it out, that's the better choice.
Asher looked at the badge. He was thinking about another question now.
'Why did Amelia leave me so many badges?'
'Is there a reason?'
'Or does these badges have some other use?'
With only shallow knowledge of alchemy, Asher's head was suddenly filled with conspiracy theories. He shook his head, trying to clear out those unreliable ideas.
Overthinking hurts the brain. Regardless of whether these badges had other uses... Asher was confident he definitely wouldn't be stuck here forever.
Asher subconsciously touched the spot on his chest.
That broken piece resembling a compass or badge had been placed there.
Unfortunately, it disappeared after arriving here.
Asher thought he might still be able to find it.
Maybe if he found it, he'd also find the way home.
"This is the agreed payment for you," Setting aside those chaotic thoughts, Asher took out a gold coin and pushed it in front of the little kid.
The moment the gold coin landed in his palm, the little kid's face showed disbelief.
'A gold coin!'
'This is a real, solid gold coin!'
For ordinary people who are not alchemists or alchemy apprentices, the monthly living cost is around fifty to one hundred copper coins.
Want to live a bit better? Depending on the standard, it could cost more.
But even then, it wouldn't exceed one silver coin per month, that's five hundred copper coins.
One gold coin can be exchanged for over a thousand silver coins... not exaggerating, it could sustain a basic living for a hundred years.
"You...", the little kid held the gold coin, his face looking very complicated.
When the money hadn't arrived, he didn't really feel much. He even had some doubts the deal would really work out.
Thinking there'd be some mishap at the last minute.
But now...
"Is there anything else you need me to do?"
"I promise to be reliable."
"Even if I can't do it, I'll find a way to help you."
The little kid patted his chest loudly as he spoke.
He had no choice. Otherwise, he wouldn't feel at ease taking the money.
'It's too much!'
Doing something would make him feel he deserved it.
Asher chuckled.
He could understand. But if he really had something he needed the little kid's help with... Asher rubbed his chin.
"There is one thing, but it might be a bit troublesome."
The little kid looked at Asher with sparkling eyes.
Without saying a word.
But Asher easily understood what the little kid meant: 'Trouble? Trouble is the least of my worries!'
"Do you have paper and pen?"
"Wait here."
The little kid jumped off the stool.
Zoom zoom zoom down the stairs.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh up the stairs.
Paper and pen were delivered to Asher.
Asher: Emm... once again, he felt how underdeveloped this era was in some ways.
Of course. It might also be because the tavern didn't have quality paper and pen.
The paper was yellowish, rough straw paper.
The pen was a stick of carbon sharpened into a writing tool.
Simple, convenient, not user-friendly.
Asher went silent.
He carefully held the pen and began to sketch on the paper.
'A bit difficult... okay, very difficult.'
Asher endured and kept drawing.
As a science student... well, half a science student, Asher's line work was decent, but when it came to patterns and symbols.
Let's just say you could barely recognize the shape.
With edits, Asher spent over half an hour just to draw a passable picture.
"This is roughly the shape. Can you find it?"
Asher pushed the drawing based on his memory of the fragment to the little kid.
"Broken? A cracked plate?", Seeing Asher finally finish drawing, the little kid leaned in for a look.
Then he immediately showed an expression of deep disdain.
'What the heck is this?'
The expression on the little kid's face completely conveyed that emotion.
Asher coughed awkwardly, trying to hide, "It's not that bad... right?"
Under the little kid's scornful gaze, Asher added a filler word.
The little kid's disdainful look didn't go away at all.
Disdain is disdain. Bad is bad.
Asher could only helplessly shrug, "My drawing skill is like this. I really can't draw it any better."
"And this paper and pen..."
Asher still wanted to find more excuses for himself.
But the little kid already snatched the paper and pen away.
Swoosh swoosh swoosh a few strokes.
Using Asher's mess of a drawing as a reference, mm, let's just say that, the little kid refined and modified it.
A picture that looked 70-80% like the original fragment appeared on the paper.
The parts that didn't match were only because the little kid had never seen the original and had to rely on Asher's version as reference.
"...Cough, fix this part here," Asher directly stepped in.
The little kid didn't delay either. Wherever Asher said was off, he corrected it.
Another ten-plus minutes later.
A lifelike drawing appeared.
"This is probably as close as we're gonna get," Asher nodded and sighed in admiration.
Say what you will. The little kid's drawing skills, seriously impressive.
The little kid looked at Asher's admiring expression and couldn't help rolling his eyes slightly,"Now I'm sure."
"You definitely aren't an alchemist."
"No alchemy apprentice would take you in."
Asher: "..."
"Alchemists have to draw too?"
'Are you sure this is alchemy, and not civil engineering?'
Asher and the little kid stared at each other, both showing the same confusion and uncertainty.
Fortunately, the little kid was just letting off a bit of steam.
Didn't plan to dig too deep.
Just with all the flaws Asher exposed, there were plenty already.
Considering Asher had money and gave him money, the little kid figured no need to be so strict.
He's a good guy overall.
Just a bit dumb.
That was the little kid's most lasting impression of Asher.
Asher: '...Don't wanna hear it.'
As for how much Asher trusted the little kid, not that much.
He simply wasn't afraid.
Compared to Amelia, who had abilities and was an alchemy apprentice. This little kid, in identity, status, and capability, wasn't yet able to threaten him.
Maybe one day.
But who knows if Asher will still be here by then.
For now, Asher needed a quick way to gather information, and this not-so-threatening little kid was the best option.
A kind of mutual benefit, in a sense.
Asher decided to skip this topic.
As long as both sides were clear about the situation, that was enough.
Digging deeper wouldn't be wise.
"This thing in the picture is what I'm looking for," After thinking for a bit, Asher added, "A complete one is fine too."
What he had picked up, the fragment, had brought him to this place.
Doesn't that mean, somewhere in this era, a complete version of this compass, this dish, might exist?
And maybe... it could send him back?
It's not that Asher was overthinking, there really was that possibility.
The little kid nodded and patted his chest loudly, "Don't worry! I got this!"
"But it might take some time."
"Do your best," Asher had no objections.
Asking someone else to help was just a sudden idea.
A spark of intuition.
Still...
"Finding it might not be easy," As he spoke, Asher took out... two more gold coins from his pouch.
As soon as the coins came out, before Asher could speak, the little kid gave him a look, like he was looking at an idiot.
Asher: "..."
'That's too much.'
'Seriously too much.'
Little kid: 'Dumb, rich, too much?'
Asher let out a helpless laugh, "I'm not a good Samaritan, but I also don't know how much effort you'll need, how many people you'll have to hire to help find this thing."
"There'll definitely be costs."
Asher didn't think he was some saint.
Nor some heinous villain.
Just going with his conscience.
If that fragment really involved space or time travel... Asher even suspected it might've been made by those alchemists.
Naturally, getting it wouldn't be easy.
Even just gathering information would take effort.
Two gold coins, not much.
"If you get news, find a way to contact me."
"If the money's not enough, I'll figure something out."
Hearing Asher's words, the little kid looked at the paper on the table like he was looking at a fairy tale.
'Seriously?'
'This thing?'
'Just this thing?'
[T/N: Tomorrow's chapter has 6000 words.]
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