The wagon moved slowly along the gravel-covered road. The middle-aged man sitting at the front seat held the reins tightly, while inside, his daughter sat beside Michael.
Michael had already gathered a lot of information from them. They were currently in a country called Pentharon. Its full name was The Concord of Pentharon.
It had once been a kingdom, but three hundred years ago, after the last king died without a clear heir, a brutal civil war broke out over succession. Princes, princesses, and nobles all claimed the throne and fought against each other. The war was so devastating that, in the end, nearly the entire royal family was wiped out. Some died in battle, others were victims of conspiracies, and some deaths remained shrouded in mystery. Much of the kingdom was left in ruins.
From that destruction, new powers arose—generals, merchant families, and the surviving influential nobles.
They later united and established a new nation under the name The Concord of Pentharon. It was no longer a monarchy but an oligarchy, where the country's most powerful families shared control. The state was governed by the supreme body known as the High Council of Pentharon, currently controlled by five great families.
Each family ruled its own region—managing its economy, military, and administration. Together, they decided nation policies, laws, wars, and diplomacy.
Michael also learned that they were now in the south, territory of the Matgorat family—one of the five great houses.
From their conversations, Michael had also learned about the country's monetary system. There were four main types of coins: copper, silver, gold, and platinum.
One silver coin equals a 50 copper coins. And 50 silver is equal to one gold coin. In daily life, copper are most commonly used for everyday transactions. Silver is typically reserved for more substantial purchases or monthly wages. Gold is used for significant transactions, such as purchasing property. There is also another type of coin, which is the platinum coin. It is the most valuable. It is used by the highest-level people in the country. A platinum coin is equivalent to 100 gold coins. This is a coin that, if you see it even from a distance in your life, you can consider yourself lucky. They're used for major state-level transactions or by the elite.
And from what Michael learned, most other countries in this world used nearly the same monetary system.
Michael also knew the exchange value of these currencies through the system. One copper= €0.20, one Silver = €10, one Gold = €500,
One Platinum = €50,000.
From this, Michael realized that the 20 silver he had earned from selling his lighter was actually a significant sum—€ 200. Yet, at the same time, he also saw great business opportunities if he played his cards right.
Suddenly, the wagon slowed. The middle-aged man pulled on the reins, and the horses snorted, tossing their manes.
"Lord Michael," the man said, his voice respectful. "We've arrived at your destination."
Michael looked ahead and saw tall walls.
"Ah, is that the town you mentioned?"
"Yes, this is the nearest town, just as you wanted."
Michael had asked them to take him to the closest settlement where he could carry out his second mission. Now, he had arrived. The town was called Albham, a mid-sized townlocated only 10–15 kilometers from the Eastern Forest.
In front of its walls lay wide farmlands. A main road cut straight across the fields, leading directly to the town's gate.
Michael was about to step down from the wagon, ready to say farewell and head toward the town, when the physician's daughter suddenly spoke, her voice hesitant:
"Great wizard… if you don't mind, I've been so curious. Where do you actually come from?"
Her eyes shone with curiosity and the same simple reverence with which she had looked at Michael from the beginning.
Michael grew a little nervous. During the whole journey, he had learned much from them about this place—its politics, currency, regional powers, and the daily lives of its people. But about himself, he had revealed almost nothing. Also, he knew very little about the geography of this world to be able to tell them about any region he could make up.
For a moment, he hesitated. "Sista, help me…" he called out in his mind.
[Forgive me, host. I can't help you with this. Your current level does not grant access to that knowledge.]
Damn.
Then the middle-aged man looked into Michael's eyes and said,
"Great wizard… your bluish eyes remind me of something. I've heard that across the sea, in Grayland, there is a place called Berghof, where a tribe lives. They say their eyes are as bright blue as yours. Are you… one of them?"
His voice carried a mix of reverence and curiosity.
Michael thought he had perhaps heard of this somewhere before, but he couldn't recall. After a moment's pause, he finally spoke in a calm voice:
"No… I come from far, far away. I am completely new to this land. You may imagine it as a place beyond your maps. That is why my clothing and manners may seem strange to you. And I came here to test my luck."
For a heartbeat, silence lingered.
Then the man slowly nodded, his eyes widening not in disappointment, but in quiet awe. The girl shifted uncomfortably, exchanging furtive glances, as though the stranger's words carried a weight they could not measure.
Michael then offered them a final word of thanks for the ride and the knowledge they had shared.
After saying goodbye, they also started their journey towards their destination in their wagon.
And Michael turned and walked alone towards the gates of Albham.