The Principle of Aetris

Our first instinct was to find a local. In a town this unfamiliar, we weren’t even sure if a clinic or hospital existed. Kyoto, ever the optimist, enthusiastically suggested we find a priest to perform a healing service. A skeptical frown creased my brow, and my doubts were soon confirmed. While there were indeed people they called "priests," their services offered little solace for curing ailments or mending wounds.

Earlier, two men in the crowd had offered their own advice. We could either hire a healing crystal or visit the Explorer's Guild medical center, but they cautioned that both options would be expensive. After a closer look at the children's injuries, they concluded that with some rest and medicinal ointment, the little ones should recover just fine.

They directed us to the nearest pharmacy, a small business tucked away in an alley just a minute's walk from the main road. While we waited for the shopkeeper to prepare the salve and for Ms. Latina to apply it, I seized the opportunity to ask about the healing crystals they had mentioned.

The question was met with perplexed stares; apparently, it was common knowledge in this world. Still, they were gracious enough to explain that it was a specific type of Aetrium Crystal, highly favored by explorers for its potent restorative properties.

My follow-up question—"What's an Aetrium Crystal?"—only deepened their confusion.

"How can you not know about Aetrium Crystals?" one of them asked, his brow furrowed.

Thinking quickly, I fabricated a backstory. "My apologies," I said, affecting a humble tone. "We're from a remote village and only just arrived today. We've never had need for such things where we come from."

"Whoa! I had no idea there were still villages in this day and age that don't use Aetrium Crystals!" They seemed genuinely astonished, exchanging a look of pure disbelief.

"I'm sorry for being such a country bumpkin."

"No, no, that's quite alright," the man replied quickly, waving a dismissive hand. "I just never would have guessed. It's a good reminder of how vast the world is, with so many places yet to be seen. I take it a traveling merchant brought you here?"

"That's right," I confirmed, finding that the lies came more easily with practice. "A trader stumbled upon our settlement and encouraged us to see the world beyond it. He pointed us in this direction."

"Ah, that explains why you were so bold with those nobles. And," he added, gesturing toward Kyoto, "I've never seen anyone of his race before."

"Yeah, me neither," the other chimed in.

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, good for you, Kyoto. You've become an exotic specimen. Perhaps an 'exotic' lady will take an interest in you." I put a deliberate emphasis on the word, implying a certain kind of woman.

Kyoto managed a sour smile, but the two locals burst into hearty laughter.

"So," I prompted, steering the conversation back on course, "could you tell us about these Aetrium Crystals?"

"Oh, right. Well, an Aetrium Crystal is a special kind of crystal that can store Aether. That Aether can then be used for all sorts of things that require energy. See that street lamp?" he asked, pointing down the alley. "It's powered by a common Aetrium Crystal. The ones used in small devices like that are the smallest and most common type. Generally, bigger and more complex machines require larger and rarer Aetrium Crystals to operate."

I see, I thought. So it's like a battery. This 'Aether' he mentioned must be this world's version of electricity.

"One of the other major uses for Aetrium Crystals is rejuvenation," he continued. "The Aether inside can be channeled into the holder's body for various benefits. Different types of crystals specialize in certain properties. Some can convert stored Aether into healing energy to accelerate regeneration, others can replenish the Aether your body has expended, and some can even be used to enhance physical or mental faculties. A crystal's specialization allows it to convert stored energy into the desired effect much more efficiently, making each type highly sought after for its specific purpose."

Wow, this Aetrium Crystal business is incredibly useful!

"But the main reason everyone wants a crystal," he added, "is that for all their specializations, they all share one universal function."

"A universal function? What is it?"

"Currency."

"Currency?"

"That's right. The Aether within a crystal is used as a form of universal currency. It can be transferred to any other Aetrium Crystal, regardless of its type. This base form of energy can only be accessed by mining new crystals that have naturally absorbed Aether from the environment over a very long time. This means it can't be artificially created or refilled with your own Aether. Some madmen have tried, but no one has ever succeeded. You have to be careful of fakes, though."

So, the Aether contained within an Aetrium Crystal was essentially a mined resource—a finite, highly coveted, non-renewable energy source. That made it an exceptionally stable basis for a monetary system. A single, fully charged, nut-sized Aetrium Crystal could be exchanged for a whole sack of metal coins.

It has that many incredible uses? This is so much more than an ATM card. This world has a currency that is both practical and intrinsically useful!

“That’s... truly amazing,” Kyoto murmured, his mind clearly racing.

"It really is," he went on, slipping into what I recognized as his business-executive mode. "It completely subverts the traditional standard of using uniformly minted coins of precious metal as currency. What they have here transcends paper money and even surpasses the utility of e-money in our world. While it might not be instantly transferable over vast distances like online credit, the fundamental utility of an Aether-based currency is simply unparalleled."

"What does that mean, exactly?" I asked. With his background, he understood economics far better than I ever could.

"Let me put it simply," he said, his words becoming more complex despite his intention. "On Earth, we use paper money, metal coins, and intangible electronic money. All of these have value because they are backed by something. E-money has value because it represents physical currency, like paper bills or precious metals stored in a vault. It's essentially a digital IOU for tangible assets, making transactions convenient without having to physically move those assets."

"Okay, I'm with you so far." Voktah had already tuned out, Ms. Latina was focused on the children, and the two locals were beginning to look thoroughly lost as Kyoto launched into his lecture.

"Now, think about physical currency. Bills, coins, even gold and gemstones. Why are they valuable?"

"Because they're in demand?" I ventured. "Because everyone agrees they can be exchanged for goods?"

"Exactly! Their value is derived from a collective 'belief' in their worth! When you break it down, paper money is just paper with ink on it. Its value is assigned by people, but it has no practical use beyond being a medium of exchange. You can't eat it or build a house with it, but you can use it to buy food or a house. Gold and gemstones are the same. They're valued simply because they are rare, mined materials that people find beautiful, but they have almost no common, practical applications. Sure, gold is useful in rocketry and a few other niche industries, but in daily life? Nothing!"

"Ah, I think I get it. The money itself is worthless without something to trade it for."

"Precisely. But an Aetrium Crystal contains this versatile Aether energy. This currency is revolutionary! The Aether itself is directly consumable for a multitude of purposes, in addition to being compact and exchangeable. It's a currency that is both a medium of exchange and a consumable good! It's like having a single debit card that holds your money, your electricity, your fuel, your first-aid kit, your performance enhancers, and your health supplements all in one!"

"Wait, fuel and supplements?" I felt like I'd missed a step in his rapid-fire presentation.

"No! That's not the point," he said, frustrated. "My point is that, unlike currency on Earth, Aether can be used directly for its intrinsic value, not just as a medium of exchange."

"Okay, okay, I get it now. That is a revolutionary form of money. It solves the fundamental problem of traditional currency's inherent worthlessness."

"Right?" Kyoto sighed, satisfied that his point had finally landed.

"You really know your stuff, young man," one of the locals commented, looking impressed.

After all, Kyoto was part of one of the most powerful corporate families in Japan, I recalled.

"I'd have pegged you for a successful merchant—a CEO, maybe? Congratulations on reaching an executive position at such a young age."

"Well, complicated things happened, and I ended up in that position," he said, clearly not in the mood to elaborate. We didn't press him.

"That's fine, no need to share if you don't want to," I said. "Everyone has a past."

"Thanks," he replied with a small smile.

"Pardon me," one of the locals finally interjected, "but what were you two talking about?"

"Sorry," I said smoothly. "Just a little inside joke from our 'village.' Nothing important."

"Oh, alright then." He let the subject drop.

"Oh, that's right," I said, remembering the purse the envoy had given us. "The shopkeeper gave us something when we left. He said it was money but didn't explain how to use it. Is this an Aetrium Crystal?" I pulled out the amethyst-like stone.

The man's breath hitched. "It is!" he gasped, his eyes, along with his friend's, widening in shock. "And an exceptionally fine one at that!"

"Fine quality?"

"Absolutely! An Aetrium Crystal of this size could fetch a fortune on its own! Standard crystals are about the size of a nut, maybe as thick as a pinky finger. This one is larger and at least three or four times as thick! It should be able to hold a hundred times more Aether than a common crystal. Only great merchants or nobles use crystals like this. For common folk like us, owning one is the stuff of dreams!" The two men stared at the gem, their faces alight with awe.

Looks like that envoy gave me something incredibly valuable. Thank you, Mr. No-Name Envoy.

"That's great. So, how do we check how much Aether is in it?"

"Oh, you want to see how much Aetris is stored inside?"

"Aetris?"

"It's the common name for the raw Aether stored in Aetrium Crystals. It's also the name of our universal currency."

"Oh, that's a cool name, kinda like Gil or Zenny," Kyoto remarked, using his own strange references. "You're saying every country in this world uses the same currency?"

"I don't know about Gil or Zenny, but yes, all nations use Aetris. Its value is constant everywhere because it's the unit of measurement for the raw Aether contained in the crystal."

"Nice. So, how do we check the balance?"

"That's easy. You just hold it and recite the identification spell. Like this: 'Galdean Aetrium, I command thee to reveal thy value!'" As he spoke, the crystal in his own hand glowed faintly, and a small hologram of foreign script shimmered into existence above it.

I mimicked him, holding my crystal and speaking the words. A much brighter hologram appeared.

"It's nearly full!" one of the men exclaimed, his eyes practically bulging from their sockets. "It's holding almost 150 million Aetris!"

"A hundred... fifty million?" Kyoto echoed, just as stunned.

"You're rich, boss," Voktah grinned. Why 'boss'?

"Don't call me boss," I muttered under my breath. "Anyway, is that a lot? How much is that, really?"

"It's a very large sum," the local explained. "Enough to live comfortably for quite some time, though not enough to buy a large estate. For perspective, a night at a decent inn with breakfast costs around 100,000 Aetris, while a more luxurious one might run you a million. A meal at a standard tavern would be between 20,000 to 50,000 Aetris. A loaf of bread is about 15,000, and a cup of water is 5,000."

"Is that roughly 10,000 Aetris to one of our dollars?" I asked Kyoto quietly.

"It's in that ballpark, yes," he replied, his tone glum. "So this crystal is holding about 15,000 dollars." He had clearly been hoping for a multi-million-dollar jackpot. To a corporate heir, it was pocket change; to a commoner like me, it was a fortune.

"No cheat starting money, huh," he murmured to himself.

"It's still a huge amount of money, isn't it?" I said, patting his back. "This should be more than enough to keep us going for a few months."

"The crystal's maximum capacity is probably around 150 to 160 million Aetris," our guide added. "This means the crystal itself, just as a container, is worth almost that much again."

"That much for the crystal alone?" That was unexpected.

"Indeed. A large-capacity Aetrium Crystal is a rare find. It's a symbol of status and wealth. Most people only ever own crystals that can hold a million Aetris or so."

"What about these?" Kyoto asked, pulling the silver coins from his pocket.

"Ah, those are just local currency for this kingdom and its neighbors. They're only used for small, trivial purchases and aren't worth much. Nowadays, the Kingdom mostly mints them for appearances, like souvenirs for visitors. Around here, only children use coins, since they're not considered old enough to own an Aetrium Crystal yet."

"So they're just chump change!" I laughed, realizing the true value of what I held. "You three almost got robbed of pocket money while I had the gold bar, hehe!"

"Alright, alright. We're glad we came back for you."

"I suppose so."

Our conversation then shifted as the locals gave us recommendations: good places to eat, safe inns to stay at, and which areas to avoid. We properly introduced ourselves, finally establishing a rapport. The two kind-hearted men, Farhan and Caelus, were grocers whose stall was on the main thoroughfare of the Residential District. They had come to see what the commotion was about earlier and felt guilty for not being able to help during the confrontation. They were impressed by our defiance of a noble and wanted to at least help us get the injured children treated. It was a relief to know there were good people in this city.

They warned us that while not all nobles were cruel, some could be tyrants. And although there was no systemic discrimination against demi-humans in this era, human supremacists like the noble we'd encountered still existed, and they were capable of great cruelty. Farhan and Caelus personally despised that kind of thinking, calling it an outdated relic from the Human-Therian war, which had ended long ago.

Just as I was about to ask about this war, Ms. Latina, who had finished her work and was sitting on a long bench in the shade with the children on her lap, called out to us. "She's waking up!"

We turned to see the older girl stirring. She blinked slowly, her eyes darting around timidly as she took in her surroundings. Her anxious expression softened into one of relief when she saw the younger child sleeping peacefully beside her.

"It's okay," Ms. Latina said in a gentle voice. "We're not going to hurt you. You're safe now."

"That's right," Kyoto added with a reassuring smile. "We beat up the bad men who hurt you."

One of the villagers confirmed it with a nod. "It's true, kid. You were lucky these folks were around. I hate to think what might have happened otherwise."