BXBX NOVEL Chapter 334 333: Farewell
Kat PoV
With the guards clearing us to enter the city of Polaris, the Arese caravan moved inside with their various goods and wares, instantly getting glances from the general populace as people noted their vastly different skin tone.
The people here were fair skinned - like myself - and the Arese were on the complete opposite side of that spectrum.
Though, the looks weren\'t out of hate or other emotions; it was simple curiosity before acknowledgment of the Arese, many just nodding to themselves as they went about their day.
Finally inside the city, we were greeted with the sight of dozens of stone buildings all spaced apart, each building designed to maximize space, both for the structure and for the people to move around in comfort.
Some of the stone bricks used in the buildings had symbols and glyphs carved into them, and I widened my eyes slightly as I realized that those bricks radiated a cozy warmth, suggesting the people of Polaris City created a way to heat their homes and streets easily enough.
On the street, the people of Polaris were wearing thick overcoats and wooly scarfs, while their cheeks were tinged with a rosy hue from the cold.
Many still grinned and chatted as they walked around leisurely, unbothered by the chill in the air.
Following the Arese, we made our way towards the base of the giant statue of the Maiden Polaris, eventually reaching a giant circular plaza filled with those heated stones.
Stalls were situated all around the plaza, while shops lined the edge, their signboards advertising their wares or services to the world.
Seeing the Arese filter in, many merchants grinned as they began to rub their hands together, likely anticipating a major payday from them.
"Ah, well... Katherine, it\'s been a pleasure, but... this is where we bid farewell. Once we sell our spoils off to the people of Polaris and purchase what we need, we\'ll be departing for Scythiara immediately."
Hearing Valaka, I sighed as I nodded, understanding that this was coming.
"It really has been a pleasure, Katherine! It\'s thanks to you that Valaka and I now have Oya, Poepa, and Quarta! Besides that, it\'s been fun talking with you!"
Eyoli grinned at me, before turning to gesture at the Arese, who were dispersing into the marketplace.
"That, and it\'s also thanks to you that the Tribe will gain more from this trip than normal! Your magic really helped our hunting!"
"Well, you all still did most of the work. Also, it\'s been a pleasure journeying with you all. I\'ll miss it going forwards. Oh, and do buy something personal for the girls, alright? They deserve something nice for your first trip away."
The two nodded, before giving me a brief hug.
""Safe travels, Katherine!""
Waving them goodbye, I watched as the two Arese began to search the plaza for a merchant to deal with, conversing quietly amongst themselves as they did so.
Smiling sadly as I watched them go, I sighed again before I mirrored them, finding myself a bright, cheery woman to barter with.
Watching the Arese go was saddening, since they had helped me focus on other things besides the mission at hand while also benefiting me a lot in other ways.
Mimicking Valaka\'s technique was fruitful, as I did notice a decrease in the noise I made while walking normally, especially when I put my heart into it.
Besides that, I earned myself this rather interesting tattoo that seems to negate feeling pain, even something that would be as excruciating as having a heavy club slammed into your ribcage and fracture bone, tear flesh, and damage your organs...
Actually, could I use that ability to mess with Jahi during our-
Groaning slightly, I continued to barter with the woman as I cast that thought away, not wanting to fall into the all to familiar state of heat.
My conversation with the merchant let me know that the world utilized the same kind of currency all over the place; Copper, Silver, Gold, and Platinum.
Specifically, it was a list like this:
Copper - .01 Silver
Large Copper - .2 Silver
Small Silver - .5 Silver
Silver - 1 Silver
Large Silver - 20 Silver
Small Gold - 50 Silver
Gold - 100 Silver
Large Gold - 2,000 Silver
Platinum - 10,000 Silver
Not too complicated, since you could easily convert everything into the most common currency for people; Silver.
The reason for the lower metals - Silver and Copper - being standardized over the entire world was due to their alchemical properties, alongside them being extremely common.
No one needed to create counterfeit Coppers or Silvers since they were so easy to earn, but even if you did most people had a way to discover if it was fake through simple alchemical tests.
As for Gold and Platinum, it was much like my old world; valuable because they were pretty.
Although they did have their own alchemical properties, they simply weren\'t used for potions, pills, elixirs or any other alchemical concoction due to them not having as strong of a property as Copper and Silver.
Anyways, mini economics lesson over, I managed to sell most of my items to the merchant for 45 Gold and 67 Silvers.
Apparently, the ivory was still just as stupidly expensive here as it was in my old world, and the bones and meats sold for a good price too.
The pelts were a good half of what I made though, since I had taken the time to wash them thoroughly with Water Magic before hand, which increased their value since the woman no longer needed to go spend her own money to clean them; apparently that price was outrageous, so she gave me a little \'bonus\'.
eaglesnovɐ1,сoМ All in all, despite being sad each time I watched a tall, black skinned Arese walk around the marketplace with a frown or grin, I took a deep breath and made my way towards a bookstore, bidding the intriguing tribe farewell in my heart.
I would miss their simplicity and looks, but I needed to begin making my way home.
Before I did something I would definitely regret...