085 Chapel Days · Scene 3
Chapel Days
Chapel Days · Scene 3 · Money
The Chapel ~ Interior ~ Bed and guest
quarters
Early Autumn ~ Morning, Clear and breezy
Early Autumn ~ Morning, Clear and breezy
“M
|
oney?”
“That’s right. Money.”
The word piqued Chain’s curiosity and she and Drop backed
away from Finch where they had pinned her against a hallway wall. Though she breathed
a quiet sigh of relief at the return of her personal space, Finch did not
relent in her explanation.
“The sheets that you’re worried about damaging can be
replaced if you just buy new ones, but that costs money. The Chapel gets most
of its funds from donations and what we trade with salvagers out here in the
wild. But you want to be an adventurer, don’t you?”
“That’s right. I want to be the most renowned adventurer ever
and to see all sorts of amazing things.”
“Well, adventurers get paid for taking on requests so you can
earn the money to buy new sheets by doing what you want.”
“Really⁈ That’s amazing!”
“It is most convenient!”
Joining Chain in surprised exclamation, Drop marveled at the
scenario laid out before them. Excited as Chain and Drop were though, something
was bothering Finch.
“You know, first you two freak-out over a bed, and now money.
I’m finding that just a little weird.”
“Heh heh. Well…”
Chain scratched at her left check with an embarrassed laugh
and looked away from Finch. Awkwardly she tried to explain.
“I never really thought about money and adventuring going
together. It just never crossed my mind. I don’t remember thinking about it growing
up either. Of course that could just be because my thoughts and memories are
everywhere but in my head where they belong. Eh–⁈”
Noticing Finch’s disbelieving stare, Chain lost her train of
thought. Lost as her train of thought had become, Chain did not forget how to
speak and queried of the reason behind Finch’s expression.
“Did I say something wrong?”
“I can’t believe you’ve never thought about money! What type
of life did you live to never think about money⁈ Wait! Don’t tell me you were being
raised as a nun too⁈”
“Actually, I was being raised as an engineer craftsman and
lived above a functioning plant.”
“Wha–? Wha–? WHAT⁈”
Finch could not hide her surprise and further disbelief as
she shouted out loud and earned the looks of several passing nuns. She did not
notice them at all as she was too astounded by the simple seeming maid before
her. As a girl obsessed with ancient technology and a prodigy of mechanical
tinkering, Chain’s words blew her mind. Engineer craftsmen were the most
important of all people in a world that blended steam industry with magic and
the wonders and technologies of the ancients. Without their expertise modern
civilization would collapse and the technology it relied on would become
useless. Of that technology, nothing was more valuable than a plant as the
simply dubbed things were facilities of the ancients that performed nearly
every task a city could need. Electricity, plumbing, manufacturing, farming,
mining. They were miracle facilities, but as valuable as a plant was it was
even rarer to hear of a fully functioning one. The very mention of a craftsman
engineer and a plant in the same breath pretty much turned Finch’s eyes into
spinning coins as she stared bright eyed at Chain.
“No wonder you didn’t worry about money. If you lived in a
city with a functioning plant you would have been living a life of luxury
compared to just about everyone else on the Face of Icarus. It’s a shame you
were infected by the Foreigners.”
“Not really. I wanted to be an adventurer and see the world
anyway, and if my memories aren’t too out of order, I think a Foreigner city
fell on it before going back up into the sky.”
“What…⁈”
“It seemed to be a problem where I’m from. I kind of remember
seeing one sitting in a ravine too before I met you.”
“Where did you live exactly…?”
Though she asked the question, as she could not believe what
Chain was telling her, Finch did not really want to know. Chain was too weird
of a person to her, wanting to be an adventurer despite growing up as a
valuable person in a state of luxury, the sights she had seen, the weird
fractured state of her mind, and somehow not having slept in a bed since spring
even during her first trip on the Chapel. Though it would be fair to point out
that Chain hadn’t slept in a bed then because she was too engrossed with the
books in the mobile fortress’ library and had locked herself within. Still,
none of that mattered and to keep herself from being overwhelmed by what did,
Finch tried to steer the subject back to money.
“Well, that doesn’t matter now because you’re here. And since
you are here, money does matter. It’s not only important but it’s useful too.
There are so many things you can buy with it, and the more you have and spend
the better and more you can buy. There’s food!
“Ooh~!”
“There’re nice beds!”
“Ooh~!”
“There’re nice clothes!”
“Um…”
Throwing a strike on her third comment, Finch failed to get
Chain and Drop to continue oohing. It was little surprise that she did, Drop
was too small for any legitimate clothes and Chain’s chainmail had already been
the cause of shredded bedding. As she couldn’t remove it due to the nature of
her Foreigner infection, it was unlikely any clothes she wore would fare any
better than the bedding. Finch did not like the loss of enthusiasm and emphatically
insisted they share in with an accusatory finger point.
“That’s something to cheer at you two! Now again! Clothes!”
“Heh heh…”
Scratching nervously at her cheek as she could not summon up
one drop of enthusiasm, Chain let out an awkward laugh. Finch didn’t seem to
want to give up though and tried a different category.
“Hot springs!
“What?”
“Adventuring gear.”
“Ooh~!”
“Dolmen components!”
“Hmm~…”
“Treasure maps…”
“Ooh~!”
Bouncing back and forth between things that interested her
and interested Chain, Finch struggled to keep at it based on Chain’s
conflicting reactions. Regardless, she was still finding success in drilling
into Chain’s head the importance and power of money. As that was her goal, her
enthusiasm returned as she began marching towards the Chapel’s lower levels
with Chain and Finch in tow. She eventually ran out of things to list and
simply started circling over, with Chain and Drop joining in on later repetitions
of the list. The marching trio naturally earned looks from the nuns going about
their business, but it was already too late. The value of money was instilled
in Chain’s mind and she knew in her future adventures she would need as much as
she could get her hands on. The thought of everything she could do with it
between adventures and to lead her to greater adventures left a massive smile
on her face as her eyes shimmered.
.
Copyright © 2019 Joshua D Tarwater
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