"All of it?! All of it?!"

Semilia cried out as she stared at the handful of "gold" coins in her hands.

"Not all. A fourth of it is usable. The rest, however, is in a complicated situation..."

The Guildmaster said as he flipped the gold coin in his hand.

"It's ingenious, really. To think that the Black Mage's Alchemy is such a crude one..."

He tossed the coin towards Stefan, who caught it in his hand with a twinge of pain on his face.

"As heavy as a regular gold coin, right? But worth only a fourth of its value."

The Guildmaster said softly as he leaned against the table in his makeshift office.

Creak. Sirius looked around the spacious room requisitioned by the Adventurer's Guild in the inn that housed some of the wounded. It was stuffy. The itchy scarf, the suffocating cloak, and the stuffy room itself made him wriggle around his seat. The treasure sat in two piles on the table. It was from the treasure pile of Arachnea, and it was enough gold to satisfy a family of ten for a decade. Or, so it seemed. He looked at the pile of gold and silver coins before him.

He picked one up and examined it closely. Gold. It looks like gold, feels like one as well... He bit down on the coin a few times. It's as hard as gold and tasted like gold. The Guildmaster took out a large knife, and with the Skill [Slice], swung it down onto the gold coin on his table. With a muffled crack, the coin split into two down the middle as the blade bit into the wooden table. The coin looked like a gold coin, but the problem lay within it. There were holes and empty spaces within it and its inside looked like the inside of bones or that of a beehive.

"Ah... I see."

Riel spoke in an awed tone as she looked at the coin.

"It's a trick. The Black Mage must've split apart gold and silver coins into smaller pieces before using Alchemy to enlarge them to their regular size. Is that even Alchemy?"

"The metal originally used for this transformation was lead and iron, so it's Alchemy. We're not sure how the Black Mage managed to exactly create this kind of coin, but there is no Spell, Skill, nor technique I know that could do something as sophisticated as this."

The Guildmaster said with a smile.

"So what do we do with all of these? Melt all of it down?"

Stefan asked as he stared at the pile of gold and silver coins with a slightly sad expression.

"Yes, actually. The gems and a handful of the coins are worth their full value. The guild will have to requisition this treasure pile and issue the appropriate amount of pay to your party."

"Haaah... What a pain. If only a fourth of this haul is worth somethin', our profits would've been the same as us takin' on a Griffon nest."

"Meaning we didn't earn much from that dive..."

The three of them sighed as a receptionist carted away the pile of coins out of the room.

Money. It was a strange thing to wrap his head around. Gold and silver were just shiny pieces of metal meant to showcase a Chief's power. It was not meant to be used for trade. It was a weak metal, not meant for weaponry. It was good for trapping adventurers who chase after the metals and risk their lives for it. It was stupid for Goblins to steal gold and silver from one another since it has no use other than shiny trinkets in Goblin culture. Food and weapons, sometimes slaves, would be a better target for raids. Weapons the most prized amongst all things. He scoffed and shook his head.

The coins in this world are always mixed with something. He knows this not because he has the [Appraise] Skill, but because he could smell the copper or nickel or whatever metal is mixed into the damn things. He made note of it in both his head and his notebook. He wanted to learn more about this "trade" thing and how people deal with money in cities. Of course, he needed to first deal with his now useless stash of gold and silver. He let out a heavy sigh as he walked towards the table with one of the Bags of Holding on him and he plopped it onto the table with a muffled thud.

"Money... In here."

The Guildmaster raised a brow at him.

"We're not the Merchant's Guild, you know? We do not store adventurers' money in our vaults..."

His hand was already inside the bag while he said those words.

The Guildmaster took out a silver coin and examined it carefully. He tapped it a few times with his finger. The Guildmaster muttered something under his breath as he placed the coin on the table. His knife blurred as he brought down his arm onto the silver coin. Sparks flew outward as the knife's edge glowed and cut into the silver coin before it sent the two halves flying outward and onto the floor. One of the halves bounced a few times before finally landing near his feet. He bent down to pick it up and to his surprise, found that the silver coin was solid.

"Sir Sirius, would it be alright if you were to leave that Bag of Holding of yours?"

The Guildmaster smiled as he held up the other half of the silver coin.

"I'd have someone appraise the contents of the bag, though it may take a few hours for us to properly do so."

The Goblin blinked at him then at the three adventurers that stared at him with jaws wide open.

"Uhh... Yes? Money should be counted... Correct?"

"Well, of course! But it may take a while with yours... For now, visit Lho'thrain in the Library since I heard that he wants to speak with Sir Sirius here."

"W-Wait! This money... What do guild do with it?"

The Guildmaster looked at the Bag of Holding and tilted his head.

"Normally, we assess the value of the gold and silver coins brought back by adventurers. Once we determined the quality and the exact composition of the coin, we make a record of it before issuing the appropriate amount of currency to the adventurers. Minus tax, of course."

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The Goblin nodded as he took a mental note of the process.

"Of course, there are other things that need to be done like coordinating with the Artisan's Guild and the Merchant's Guild and running a background check on the adventurer or adventurers to see if they have any outstanding debt in other branches."

"In other words, it's a complicated process."

Stefan said as he patted the Goblin's shoulder.

"The Library, do we just show up on their doorstep or is there some protocol we need to follow?"

"If you've been summoned by Lho'thrain, that means you've been summoned by the Patron. Just go in, ask for Lho'thrain, and do whatever they tell you to do."

The Guildmaster said with a smile as the four of them took their leave.

Beds. There were beds everywhere and receptionists darted everywhere as they refurbished the large inn for their needs. The beds around them were meant for adventurers who need to recuperate and rest. Those who needed to be tended to daily and treated were in the inn just across from them. The four of them stood around a bed with a familiar, foul-mouthed, spear using adventurer. His entire body was wrapped in bandages with wooden splints supporting his limbs. He grumbled and shouted back at Lea, who also shouted at him incessantly. The other girls around him had bandages as well, but at least they were all strong enough to walk around and also shout at him.

"You fucking shit! How many times do I have to tell you you can't fucking take off these splints?!"

"Shut up, bitch! Do ya' know how fuckin' itchy it is havin' these fuckin' pieces of wood sticking to ya'?!"

Jared shouted at Lea as she tightened the splint around his leg.

"Oi! Don't talk like that to Lea, you brat! She was up all night tending to us and the others here!"

"At least thank her or something..."

Ella said softly while Mina glared sharply at the young boy on the bed.

"Can you two take your fight somewhere else? I need to focus on my journal log."

He turned his eyes towards the girl that sat in the bed next to them. Her upright and straight posture told him that she knew how to carry herself. The only problem was that her appearance betrayed that prim and proper aura of hers.

Only her left arm was movable. The rest of her body was covered with thick bandages, splints, and cloth. The top of her head was covered with bandages. She reeked of medicinal herbs and Healing Potions. Still, there was an air of beauty to her. Her long eyelashes and bare shoulders with pale, white skin that looked soft to the touch felt alluring. He gulped. This was a Plat- Gold Ranked adventurer, one who wants to see him and his kind dead. He looked away from Katherine and towards Semilia.

"Stay outta' this, Kat. This- Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!"

Jared squirmed in his bed as Ilyana pinched his broken hand.

"Sorry about this dumbass over here, Miss Katherine. We'll try to keep it quiet."

The Druid smiled as she continued to pinch Jared harder while Lea simply watched in silence.

"Thank you. Anyways, what brings the four of you here? Did the Guildmaster asked you to check on us?"

Katherine asked as she closed the journal. Stefan shook his head and glanced at the many bandages on her.

"No. We came here on our own and to thank Miss Lea for Healing me. Are all of you doing well, by the way?"

"Do I fuckin' look like I'm- Owwww!"

Mina lifted one of Jared's broken fingers with a kind smile on her face while she faced Stefan.

"Yes, we're doing fine. Ella here can't run for a month but other than that, we'd be up and about and ready to kill some Goblins after two months of rest."

Mina said nonchalantly while Lea, Katherine, and Stefan looked away uncomfortably. After a moment, Mina's smile faded as she stared at him.

"O-Oh, right... I'm so sorry. Err... Uh..."

"It's... alright. Not mind."

Sirius smiled while his shoulders deflated.

"A-Anyway, I can treat you guys to a round of drinks later as thanks."

Stefan said with a clearly forced smile.

"Drinks? If we're talking hard liquor, I don't think any of us here can drink any. If it's wine with some cheese, I'm sure they'll let us drink a bottle or four."

Lea said in an attempt to lighten up the mood.

"A little party then, to celebrate the fact we're all battered but not dead."

Ella said with a slightly cheerful tone.

"I guess it's better to die from drinking than to succumb to my wounds... Very well, I shall join-"

"Ya' have no choice, Kat. Ya' can't even move yer legs, so how the fuck will ya' get outta' the bed?"

Katherine glared at Jared. Mina smacked Jared over the head as Lea gestured something foul and threatening towards him.

"Well, we'll be leaving before this gets nasty. We still have business at the library and with Sir Lho'thrain."

"Good luck with yer' fight, or something."

"Goodbye."

The three waved as their farewells were drowned out once again by shouts and cussing. Sirius waved as well before he tagged behind Riel. He really wanted to see how those two will fight.

----------------------------------------

People paid them no heed as the four of them walked briskly through the streets. Rubble lay everywhere; ash-covered roofs, charred walls and toppled buildings, a heap of stone in the middle of an empty street. Guardsmen and city people dragged large carts. What's in them, he could easily tell from the smell of dried blood and charred meat. His yellow eyes turned towards Riel; cold sweat dripped down the back of her neck and goosebumps could be seen all over her nape. She stayed close to Semilia, a good distance away from him.

A Guardsman brushed against him as the person ran towards the many tents by the side of the street. Inside was a family with an unconscious child in their midst. Two women cried softly as the father wiped the blood from the child's head. He'll live. The wounds were not that severe, but it will take time and effort from those around him. Still, he felt a throb in his chest at the sight of how the child's family cared for him in his time of need.

"The Library is larger than the castle, huh?"

Stefan said casually.

"Now that you mention it, it does seem larger."

Semilia remarked as she looked at the two buildings that loomed over the city.

"It's probably three floors high, with each floor having three rooms at most. Do you know why that is, Stefan?"

Stefan shrugged at Semilia's question.

"Not sure. Lho'thrain probably knows the answer. But the Library is still a sight to see, huh?"

Stefan said as he stared up at the high tower that stood near the Library.

It stood like a monolith that looked as if it held up the heavens with its tall, spiked roof. Large rocks floated around its top and revolved around it. Its black exterior looked as if it sucked up the light around it while the large runes carved all around it glowed from time to time. He could see the magical winds and mana that swirled around it continuously from a distance. But above all else, the detail that captivated him the most was how similar the tower is to the dungeon's design.

He looked at Stefan and Semilia. They were talking about something he did not really care about. Something about quests and jobs. A sigh left his lips as he looked towards the other large structures that caught his eye. In the distance are two large buildings surrounded by buildings and houses untouched by the devastation. Strange. They were simply strange buildings. Ones that demanded the attention of the city. He let out a yawn as he caught a glimpse of the many birds that flocked around one of the strange buildings.

"It's a temple to the Aelfen Gods."

Semilia said as she looked at the building.

"It's strange seeing one this far east of Alfheim, but not a surprise since one of the city's prominent citizens is a High-Elf. They even built it beside the Aren River, right across a Church of Illyria."

"Are you religious, Semilia?"

Riel asked softly while Semilia continued to stare at the temple as they walked. She tucked away a strand of her green hair before she gave Riel a slight smile.

"... No. Low-Elves are not the religious type."

"Oh. So am I."

The two said while he just walked in silence behind them.

"So am I..."

He whispered softly as he glanced at the two places of worship. Like the tower and the castle, they both stood tall amongst rubble and building alike.

In silence, he continued to walk behind the three of them as he thought deeply to himself. There were things he was yet to understand. So many strange things to learn about the world around him. Yet there were things he did not want to learn. He glanced at the temple and the church as he walked behind Riel. A growl left his lips at a certain memory. Still, he made sure none heard him as he uttered a curse in Goblin Speak before he turned his head away from the place of worship and proclamations of death. Death to him and his kind.