The Principle of Aetris

Our first impulse was to find someone native to the area. In a town so foreign to us, we couldn't even be certain that a clinic or hospital existed. Kyoto, with his usual optimism, enthusiastically suggested we seek out a priest to conduct a healing service. A skeptical frown tightened my features, and my reservations were quickly validated. While there were indeed individuals they referred to as "priests," the rites they performed offered no remedy for physical ailments or injuries.

Earlier, a pair of men from the crowd had presented their own suggestions. We could, they said, either rent a healing crystal or make our way to the Explorer's Guild medical facility, though they warned that both alternatives would be costly. After taking a closer look at the children’s wounds, they came to the conclusion that with a bit of rest and the application of a medicinal ointment, the little ones would likely recover without issue.

They gave us directions to the nearest apothecary, a small establishment nestled in an alley just a minute’s walk from the main street. As we awaited the shopkeeper’s preparation of the salve and Ms. Latina’s subsequent application of it, I took the chance to inquire about the healing crystals they had mentioned.

My question was met with looks of bewilderment; it was, apparently, a matter of common knowledge in this world. Nevertheless, they were kind enough to clarify that it was a particular variety of Aetrium Crystal, one highly prized by explorers for its powerful restorative capabilities.

My subsequent question—"And what is an Aetrium Crystal?"—only served to deepen their bafflement.

"How could you possibly not know about Aetrium Crystals?" one of them asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.

Thinking fast, I concocted a backstory. "My apologies," I began, adopting a humble posture. "We hail from a very remote village and have only just arrived today. We've never had a need for such items 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 appeared genuinely taken aback, sharing a glance of utter disbelief.

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

"No, no, that's quite alright," the man replied swiftly, making a dismissive gesture with his hand. "I just never would have imagined it. It serves as a good reminder of how vast the world truly is, with so many places yet to be discovered. I assume a traveling merchant brought you here?"

"That's correct," I affirmed, discovering that the lies seemed to flow more easily with each telling. "A trader happened upon our settlement and urged us to experience the world beyond its borders. He was the one who pointed us in this direction."

"Ah, that would explain your boldness with those nobles. And," he continued, motioning toward Kyoto, "I have to say, I've never laid eyes on anyone of his race before."

"Yeah, me neither," the other man added.

I couldn't suppress a chuckle. "Well, congratulations, Kyoto. You've officially become an exotic specimen. Perhaps an 'exotic' lady will develop an interest in you." I placed a deliberate weight on the word, hinting at a specific sort of woman.

Kyoto offered a strained smile in response, but the two locals erupted in hearty laughter.

"So," I said, guiding the conversation back to its original topic, "could you tell us more about these Aetrium Crystals?"

"Oh, right. Well, an Aetrium Crystal is a unique type of crystal capable of storing Aether. That Aether can then be utilized for all manner of things that require a power source. You see that street lamp?" he asked, pointing down the alley. "It's powered by a common Aetrium Crystal. The ones employed in small devices like that are the smallest and most prevalent kind. As a general rule, larger and more complex machinery demands larger and rarer Aetrium Crystals to function."

I see, I mused. So it's essentially a battery. This 'Aether' he speaks of must be this world's equivalent of electricity.

"Another of the primary applications for Aetrium Crystals is rejuvenation," he went on. "The Aether held within can be channeled into the user's body to produce various benefits. Different types of crystals specialize in particular properties. Some can convert the stored Aether into healing energy to accelerate regeneration, others can restore the Aether your own body has used, and some can even be used to augment one's physical or mental abilities. A crystal's specialization enables it to convert stored energy into the intended effect with far greater efficiency, which makes each type highly coveted for its specific function."

Wow, this Aetrium Crystal business is incredibly versatile!

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

"A universal function? What might that be?"

"Currency."

"Currency?"

"That's right. The Aether inside a crystal is used as a form of universal currency. It can be transferred to any other Aetrium Crystal, regardless of its type. This fundamental form of energy can only be accessed by mining new crystals that have naturally absorbed Aether from the environment over a great length of time. This means it cannot be artificially produced or refilled with your own Aether. Some madmen have attempted it, but no one has ever succeeded. You do have to be cautious of fakes, though."

So, the Aether contained within an Aetrium Crystal was, in essence, a mined resource—a finite, highly sought-after, non-renewable source of energy. That fact made it an exceptionally stable foundation for a monetary system. A single, fully charged, nut-sized Aetrium Crystal could be traded for an entire 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 astounding,” Kyoto murmured, his mind clearly racing.

"It really is," he continued, shifting into what I recognized as his business-executive persona. "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 grasped economics far better than I ever could.

"Let me put it simply," he said, his explanation becoming more intricate despite his intention. "On Earth, we use paper money, metal coins, and intangible electronic money. All of these possess value because they are backed by something. E-money is valuable because it represents physical currency, like paper bills or precious metals secured in a vault. It's fundamentally a digital IOU for tangible assets, which makes transactions convenient without having to physically transport those assets."

"Okay, I'm following you so far." Voktah had already disengaged from the conversation, Ms. Latina was preoccupied with the children, and the two locals were beginning to look thoroughly bewildered as Kyoto launched into his lecture.

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

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

"Precisely! Their value is derived from a collective 'belief' in their worth! When you get down to it, 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 purchase food or a house. Gold and gemstones are no different. 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 understand. The money itself is worthless without something to trade it for."

"Exactly. 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 as though I had 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 been understood.

"You really know your stuff, young man," one of the locals remarked, 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, perhaps? 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, the purse the envoy had given us coming to mind. "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 retrieved the amethyst-like stone.

The man’s breath caught in his throat. "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 illuminated 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 term for the raw Aether stored in Aetrium Crystals. It's also the name of our universal currency."

"Oh, that's a cool name, kind of like Gil or Zenny," Kyoto remarked, making his own strange comparisons. "Are you 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 simple. You just hold it and recite the identification spell. Like this: 'Galdean Aetrium, I command thee to reveal thy value!'" As he spoke the words, the crystal in his own hand emitted a faint glow, and a small hologram of foreign script shimmered to life above it.

I emulated his actions, holding my crystal and speaking the incantation. A much more brilliant hologram materialized.

"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, equally 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 clarified. "Enough to live comfortably for quite some time, though not enough to purchase 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 confirmed, his tone dejected. "So this crystal is holding about 15,000 dollars." He had clearly been anticipating a multi-million-dollar windfall. 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, producing 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, grasping 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 offered us recommendations: good places to eat, safe inns to stay at, and which areas of the city to avoid. We exchanged proper introductions, finally establishing a sense of rapport. The two kind-hearted men, Farhan and Caelus, were grocers whose stall was located on the main thoroughfare of the Residential District. They had come to investigate the commotion earlier and felt a sense of guilt for not being able to intervene during the confrontation. They were impressed by our defiance of a noble and had wanted to at least assist us in getting the injured children treated. It was a profound relief to learn there were good people in this city.

They cautioned 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 had encountered still existed, and they were capable of great cruelty. Farhan and Caelus personally despised that way of thinking, calling it an outdated relic from the Human-Therian war, which had concluded long ago.

Just as I was about to inquire about this war, Ms. Latina, who had completed her task and was seated 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 gaze darting about timidly as she took in her new surroundings. Her anxious expression softened into one of relief when she saw the younger child sleeping soundly beside her.

"It's okay," Ms. Latina said in a gentle voice. "We're not going to harm 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 his statement with a nod. "It's true, kid. You were lucky these folks were around. I hate to think what might have happened otherwise."