Claire looked at Ethan in disbelief for a second and then laughed, “What do you mean? You used the ones you found and did not know what they were? But wait, how did you even manage to use them anyway? One must follow an elaborate absorption ritual to have even the slightest chance to absorb one. And you said you managed to do two?”
“Well, yes. I just held them in my hand, and they were absorbed? Or did they do it on their own? I do not know,” he chuckled. “It has all been weird after I started seeing these weird grey boxes explaining me stuff. Is it not how you see the things around you?”
Claire looked at him for a moment before answering, “No, Ethan, it is not. I am not sure what boxes you are talking about. Nevertheless, aspect seeds are a rare and coveted resource, especially the higher ranked ones, and people cannot absorb them immediately without a special ritual being enacted.”
“Well, it happens that I did just that. Please do not ask me how it worked out, I have the same question. So what are they? Some source of concentrated magic?” Ethan asked, surprised that the seeds were rarer than he thought.
Alice nodded and answered, “Exactly that. It is said that the aspect seeds are the building blocks of the world around us manifested due to magical saturation, either naturally or by some monster that appeared in the wilds.”
“Yea, I had a question about those as well. What the hell is up with all these weird beasts? Were they born or created somehow?” Ethan asked.
“No, from what I have heard from the guilders, the monsters come to be due to the magic saturation. Same as the seeds. And by magic, I mean the mana, energy that is all around us. My father explained that many generations ago, after the Great War, the first guilders discovered the first monsters and the seeds in the wilds.”
“They just went about and found them growing on a tree or something?” Ethan asked skeptically. “Actually, what war?”
“No, of course not! They were looted from the first monsters the armies of men fought after the war. It happened so that the first monsters appeared once the governing races agreed to a truce.”
“Wait, back up,” Ethan interrupted. “Governing races? There is more than one?”
Claire chuckled, “But of course! There are the humans, who cover most of the lands in Erde, well patches, really, given how much still lay unclaimed from the monsters. Then there are the reclusive dwarves, famed for their metal works but rarely seen so far north or above the ground for that matter. Elves are somewhat similar to humans but mostly keep to themselves and their forests. It is not that we disturb them anyway, so they have not been seen for a while now.”
“All right, that is a bit much to unpack,” Ethan said. “So, Elves and Dwarves are a thing? Are there any other races then?”
“Ah, right, yes. I forgot about the beastkin. As far as I understand, they are humans who lived in high magic saturation zones, such as the north, and evolved, taking on some animalistic features. Nomadic people, really. They believe in their gods and travel the lands searching for new resources and aspect seeds.”
“Right, right,” Alice chided in. “But do not forget the aspect-touched. They are rare in Morwhea and surrounding lands but much more common near the sea.”
“Oh, really? What is so special about them?” Ethan asked.
“As we understand, they are the only race on Erde born with an aspect ability without needing to find and cultivate a seed. That is a coveted trait, but almost impossible to replicate as their reproduction rate is very low.”
“That must mean that every noble and person in power is looking for a wife from their race, right?” Ethan asked jokingly.
Claire shook her head, “Not only a wife, husband as well. But they mostly keep to themselves and rarely wed outside their lands. That is why you do not see many of them running around Morwhea.”
“That makes sense,” Ethan said, nodding. “So aspect seeds are a part of reality manifested in the form of a stone you learned to use after the war that it is? What was this war?”
“It was a large conflict spanning many centuries between all races of Erde,” Claire answered. “The history books claim that the races battled over some weapon that would enable one to control all of Erde. However, before the leaders of said races discovered that there was no such weapon in the first place, the first monsters appeared along with the magic.”
Ethan scratched his chin, thinking, “And the seeds appeared with the first monsters? Must have been an arms race.”
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“What is an arms race? Is it when you run on your hands?” Claire asked, puzzled.
“That is a term where I come from. In a nutshell, it is a competition between nations for superiority in developing and accumulating weapons. In our case, it was a race for who could accumulate the most power to destroy the world multiple times over. A few key players rose to prominence, keeping most of the others in line through trade deals and other schemes. Last I heard, we still were living in this weird state of mind that the world might end one day on the whim of some old men. N one was talking about it much, not to upset the masses.”
“That must have been quite weird for you then,” Claire recognized. “For us, various leaders and warriors quickly discovered what the seeds could do and what it would mean for their personal power. Then they turned to the seers for help on how to use them.”
“How come did they know that they could be used?” Ethan asked.
“There were legends told for generations about people wielding powers out of this world once long ago. So once monsters started appearing using the same fabled powers, and people started finding these stones in the slain monsters, the theory was that it was the source of the monster’s abilities. So they decided to try and gain the abilities by absorbing the stones. After much trial and error, they were successful.”
“Many people must have died, right?” Ethan asked, curious how magic one came to be in this world.
“Yes,” Claire nodded. “It took multiple generations for people to learn how to use the aspect seeds without warping the mind and the body. However, by that time, there were more seeds, and more people were finding them. After all, it was a quick way for nobility to secure their immediate well-being and status in whatever kingdom they resided.”
“And being a successful guilder was about finding a suitable and rare aspect seed. Or multiple if you were lucky,” Alice continued. “Nobles buy them as soon as they become available to extend their lives. After all, once you start accumulating mana, you can slow aging. And for the rare few at or above paragon rank to stop it altogether.”
“So what? Those who have the most coin, pardon, tokens - are what? The future and power of your civilization?” Ethan asked, surprised that a place where personal power would enable one to rise up and beyond was corrupted by the same principles as back on Earth.
“Well, you might say that. We, however, were brought up to understand that the first nobles who risked investing in the aspect seed projects at the time were the ones who benefited the most. That is how the ancient houses across Erde survive currently - at the back of the accomplishments of their ancestors,” Alice explained.
“Though, the seeds are much more common now than centuries ago, with the lucky few who can find them in the wilds much more often, easily kicking off their guilder career,” Claire added.
“Wait, and why would people want to become one? It cannot be that just the lure of living longer than you otherwise would is enough for people to risk their lives and search for these seeds,” Ethan asked, piecing the puzzle together.
“No, of course not. Guilder is just a term for those who have joined the organization that controls the monster population. For some reason, the founder did not give it some fancy name, as the founder of Arcane order did.”
“Wait, 'Arcane order'? Is it like a club where old men wear long dresses and carry staves or something?” Ethan asked, his inner geek showing a bit more than he would like.
Alice chuckled, “Why would you think that? No! The Arcane Order is an organization spanning multiple kingdoms. They research various subjects on the practical applications of mana to everyday life, such as dimensional devices, transportation, and others. This carriage is one of their most premium products, actually.”
“And that dimensional bag you are hiding somewhere is as well, I might add,” Claire said.
“Hiding? Why would you think that?” Ethan asked, baffled.
“Where else did you get your shirt out from?” Claire asked with a pointed look.
“Oh, right! That!” Ethan said and chuckled awkwardly. “I do have a dimensional satchel. I took it off the sect guy’s hands. But I also have some weird ability that lets me store things somewhere. Part of the grey screens I mentioned.”
“Yes, right, the ‘screens,’ I am unsure what that is about. Can you show us what you mean?” Claire asked, leaning forward.
Ethan thought for a second and agreed, “Sure, why not. I am not sure if you will be able to see them, though, but let’s try.”
With a thought, he called forth his storage space and looked at it, then at the ladies who kept looking at him expectantly.
“Well?” Alice asked impatiently.
“You do not see it? It is right there, in front of me,” he pointed to the air where the grey window with his items had appeared.
They both shook their heads. Claire finally said, “No, sorry, Ethan. We cannot see anything. However, it sounds like you have acquired some peculiar abilities. You might want to visit the Arcane Order back in Veer to learn more. Maybe they could even help you get back home.”
“Really?” Ethan asked, looking Claire in the eye.
“Well, it is possible, but we have not heard of anyone traveling outside Erde. The travel across the continent itself, while rare, is possible with the right ability set or quite expensive artifact, only owned by the royals usually.”
Ethan sagged at the news, looking outside the window, and thought, Well, if there is a chance - I will find it out somewhere out there. This is a new world filled with magic and wonders, after all.