Chapter Forty-Four: Wonderful Problems
Daniel sat on the edge of the wooden bed, in front of an open chest where he had placed everything Rozia had given him: the badge, the two rings. He looked at them as if each piece carried the weight of a decision about his coming fate.
He turned the badge between his fingers — a quick glance enough to judge its plane, its weight and precise size: a small square badge, roughly two centimeters on each side, its yellow a little wan, and a slanted black crown on its surface that did not touch the edges. It was a badge that signified some kingdom.
Then he examined the other ring Rozia had given him with the badge when Daniel had tried to learn about it through the Tower's screen.
He was stunned until he shouted loudly, "Whaaaaaaaaaat?!" His cry rose sharply; he barely got the sound out before astonishment flooded his chest. The echo in the wooden room sounded like a door slamming on a world one could no longer easily return to. He fell back onto the bed for a moment, staring at the screen, his eyes widening and adrenaline rushing through his veins as if he had discovered a buried treasure.
[ Eira: Spatial Ring ]
[ Mana: Special — can be used with all types of mana elements ]
[ Rank: A ]
[ Level: 9 ]
[ Restricted and modified to be usable by those of lower rank ]
[ Mana required: {modified — the amount of mana needed scales with the user's level; results vary in speed and in the number and size of items moved in and out depending on the mana} ]
[ Dimensional size: 5 × 5 × 5 ]
[ Some properties: it is a spatial ring able to store items inside but cannot contain living beings ]
[ More details ]
"Eira!!!!!!!!! So it's genuine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
The words left his mouth in a tone of incredulous impossibility. The sound resonated through the chamber like an announcement in a public square; excitement and dread blended at once.
"Rank A!!!!!!!!!!!! Level nine!!!!!!!!!!!!"
He repeated the phrases as if to prove to himself that his eyes had not deceived him. The numbers throbbed in his head like a racing pulse.
"Truly — this is madness."
Daniel was astonished: it was not a Nira but an Eira, the spatial Eira, a dimensional place-ring of Rank A and Level Nine — he had never known of a ring like this before; there were no words.
According to the books he had read, Eira were worth more than the kingdom he now lived in — more valuable than the entire realm itself.
After this shock, Daniel calmed himself and then examined the last ring; his heart full of curiosity. It was an Eira too, and here Daniel was struck by an even greater shock that almost stopped his heart.
He sat for a moment, breathing hard, trying to steady his thoughts; then he reached for the other ring, which in his eyes seemed to condense all remaining secrets. His heart nearly stopped from surprise, then resumed struggling to beat as he closed his eyes and opened them again to make sure he was not seeing a dream.
[ Eira: Appearance-Altering ]
[ Classification: S ]
[ Level: 9 ]
[ Restricted and modified to be usable by those of lower rank ]
[ Mana required: {modified — the amount of mana needed scales with the user's level; results vary in speed and in the number of items moved in and out depending on the mana} ]
[ More details for each level ↓ ]
The lines on the screen were now lightning: rank "S" — a classification beyond "A" by orders of magnitude — and the solitary letter changed every calculation. Level 9 — the same level shown on the previous ring — but here of a far higher category. Advanced technical data streamed like chess pieces announcing that he was now the owner of an instrument of immeasurable value.
Daniel drew breath with difficulty. (An authentic Eira of Rank S — I own an authentic Eira of Rank S and Level Nine.) His breath rang on the room's walls: "I… own an authentic Eira of Rank S and Level Nine." Doubt twisted in his chest: should he keep this, or would such a burden bring greater troubles?
(Even an Eira of Rank D at level one is worth two gold coins.)
(Now I own these two.)
For a while Daniel was in chaos, similar to a man who wanted to rise at his job to increase his monthly wage from $1,000 to $1,500 and suddenly finds himself CEO of a company worth about five billion; the reality would be a psychological and physical problem for him to bear. {Author} [I hope God grants me this kind of delightful psychological problem.]
While Daniel sat on the edge of the cheap wooden bed, trying to steady the tremor in his hands, there was a soft knocking at the door like frightened heartbeats. The knocks were hesitant, broken, mingled with shallow breaths from the other side.
He rose heavily and went to open it. The woman he had tasked with buying food stood in the dim corridor. She trembled with cold; her breaths fogged the damp air. In her swollen, work-roughened hands she held the food wrapped in oiled paper; the warm scent of meat escaped like a promise of survival.
Daniel looked at her and said in a hoarse voice, "Good… you're quick. That's good." Then, noticing her trembling gaze shifting between his face and the food bag, he continued, "I want you to do a simple task for me… tell me: what are the most important new rumors spreading in the kingdom lately?"
The woman hesitated, fear tightening the tendons of her neck like bowstrings. Daniel noticed she had grasped her little one, who was hiding behind her tattered skirt, clutching her clothes with a dirty small hand, and in his other hand he still had a bit of dry bread he was biting at with hungry eyes.
(Inside her: What will I do now? If I refuse… he might kill me if he is a criminal. And if I agree… will I be helping a criminal? The Order Knights will punish me! If something happens to me… my child will surely die.)
Daniel spoke quickly before she could step back, reaching into his inner pocket: "I'll give you a full silver coin for this service. What do you think?"
The woman answered in a voice trembling like an autumn leaf: "O-o-okay… I'll do it." Her body shook like a bird fallen into its first winter.
Daniel put the coin in her cold, stiff palm with a faint smile: "Good… that's fine." He added, nodding at the food in her hand, "Oh, and also… I'm not hungry right now. You may do as you wish with that food."
The woman's pupils dilated as if two doors had opened onto a surprising world. She said as if she could not believe it: "Th-thank you… thank you very much!" Then she hurried back to her small adjoining room, clutching the food like war booty, whispering to her child in a muffled, tear-stained voice.
Daniel watched her and thought, (Curse all the lowly in this world.)
He entered the room and closed the door slowly. He took the food from his leather satchel and ate it without appetite. Afterwards he decided to refine the magnificent Eira Rozia had given him.
By the end of the day, Daniel had succeeded in linking the Eira to himself. All information about the items stored within the spatial ring flowed into his head like a raging river.
He was greatly astonished by this sudden invasion of his awareness. He was more stunned when he discovered the ring's contents: he learned that its dimensions were 5 × 5 × 5 meters in every direction, filled with water and fresh food that did not spoil, and various garments of luxurious silk and wool — for both men and women.
He also discovered about nine hundred sixty-eight gold coins stacked like a wall of pure gold. The number shocked Daniel so much that he closed his eyes and counted again: "This is enough to buy a small town…"
Daniel slept upon what passed for a bed — two wooden planks and a ragged blanket — thinking about what he should do. After a moment spent mourning Malik and Risha and imagining their faces in their last moments together, he set his priorities: to learn Lucas's fate (had he survived the beam of light?) and to find out what had become of Rozia.
(Inside: I won't be able to do anything looking like this…)
Therefore he decided: tomorrow he would go out to find a new appearance, thanks to the Eira.