“I’m going to collect 100 of them and go outside!”
Evangeline boldly declared that she would gather 100 Davis coins to go outside. However, it was, of course, not as easy as it sounded.
“…So, how many have you collected so far?”
“I only have this one!”
“Sigh, I figured as much…”
Beatrice shook her head while sighing at Evangeline’s bright smile as she admitted to only collecting one coin. The Davis coin was inherently a rare item to obtain. Since the distribution cycle depended entirely on Davis’ whim, it was nearly impossible to get one unless something special occurred.
Given that Beatrice had been working here for about two years and had received the coin only twice, that should be explanation enough. Considering the frequency, it roughly averaged out to one per year. Of course, this was partly because Beatrice had never accomplished anything worthy of earning a Davis coin, but nonetheless, it was rare to receive one without any extraordinary circumstances.
If Evangeline planned to consistently collect coins from now on, it would take her at least a few decades to gather the remaining 99.
“…At that rate, you might just grow old and die before you gather them?”
“Hehe, that’s why I’m thinking of doing errands and collecting coins from others as payment!”
It seemed Evangeline at least had some idea about it and devised her own plan. Indeed, exchanging the Davis coins with others was permitted. However, receiving coins in exchange for doing errands…
With the knowledge acquired through books, Beatrice, who had a certain understanding of economics, felt that even that sounded like a difficult feat. Most of the slaves spent their received coins on the very day they got them, just as Beatrice had exchanged her two coins for a day off.
To put it in economic terms, Davis coins were a limited, consumable good. It was exceedingly rare for anyone within this mine to hold onto such consumables instead of using them right away, meaning there were hardly any available for exchange in the first place. Moreover, even if someone had coins, would slaves really give them away just for some run-of-the-mill errands?
In Beatrice’s view, the value of a Davis coin was relatively high. Transactions required a fair mutual understanding to succeed. From her books, Beatrice knew that some female slaves had even received Davis coins in exchange for offering their bodies for a night.
In a situation where such transactions were possible with coins, how many slaves would actually be willing to pay for Evangeline’s simple errands? If there were no special circumstances, it seemed likely there wouldn’t be any.
“I’ll have to work hard to gather them! Hehe!”
“…Yeah. Good luck, Eva.”
However, how could Beatrice possibly say anything discouraging toward Evangeline, who looked so brightly determined? Realistically thinking, she had no choice but to cheer on Evangeline’s seemingly whimsical plan.
*
Then, one day, a terrible accident occurred. During work, about ten slaves were killed when a cave-in happened. It was the largest accident since this underground mine began operating. However, rather than mourning the many casualties, the slaves instead cheered.
“Really? They’re giving out three?”
“Haha, I guess we should be thankful to those who died!”
“Long live Davis! Long live the master!”
Davis, the owner of the underground mine, had summoned all the slaves, urging them not to be afraid and to keep working hard, all the while distributing three Davis coins each under the pretext of cheering them up.
While it was indeed unfortunate, something good had come out of it. By distributing coins, Davis managed to lift the previously tense atmosphere among the slaves back to normal within moments. After all, it was quite unusual for all the slaves to receive a large quantity of coins all at once.
Thus, perhaps it was because of this unprecedented event that Davis had decided to temporarily restrict the coins that each slave received, likely to avoid complications that could arise if everyone spent theirs at once immediately after receiving.
As a result, surplus coins naturally accumulated among many slaves.
“Eva…! It’s an opportunity! Now’s the time to gather the coins!”
“Ah, that’s true…!”
This was perhaps the best chance Evangeline would get, one that might never come again. Beatrice urged Evangeline along and hurried towards the slaves who had coins.
“Excuse me!”
“Hm? What are these kids doing?”
“Is there any errands you need doing? We can handle all the chores like cleaning or laundry!”
“Huh? Really? For free?”
“It’s not free! If you give us one Davis coin, we’ll do it!”
However, as expected…
“Wow, just for a mere errand, you want one coin? You kids are bold as brass, huh?”
The slaves reacted as if they couldn’t believe what they were hearing. They were taking apart the economics of the proposal.
“Hey kiddos, with one coin, you could take a day off work, buy a pack of cigarettes, or even spend a night with that pretty girl over there. Do you really think that’s a fair trade?”
“Hey, bald guy, wait! You said you’d do anything, right? How about this: instead of that girl, you spend the night with me, and I’ll pay!”
“Tch, you crazy bastard… You got caught for harassing kids outside and ended up here, and you still have the gall to think like that? Anyway, kiddos, just make sure you don’t get caught up with these crazy bastards while being greedy. Just go take a nap or something.”
No matter where they went, Beatrice and Evangeline heard the same sort of responses. Except for a few slaves who showed interest in their bodies, everyone else just told them not to talk nonsense.
“…I didn’t think no one would be interested.”
“Hehe, it can’t be helped! I can’t force anyone to give me errands! Besides, with three coins, we’re only 96 coins away!”
Despite having roughly anticipated this wouldn’t yield much, Beatrice felt sour in her mouth. To make matters worse, she saw Evangeline smiling and comforting her, further adding to her discomfort.
“…Then, should we part ways for today?”
“Yeah, Bea! See you tomorrow!”
Just as Beatrice and Evangeline were about to say goodbye without any gains…
“Hey, you kids over there. Can I ask you something?”
Someone called out to them. It was the bald male slave who had first proposed they run errands.
Stopping Beatrice and Evangeline in their tracks, he inquired.
“I’m curious, what are you gathering those Davis coins for? Now that you got three, you shouldn’t need more for the time being.”
To that question, Evangeline replied with a smile.
“I’m collecting them so I can go outside!”
“What? They’re letting you go out if you collect those?”
“Yes! Davis said if I gather 100, he’ll let me out for 5 minutes!”
When the man heard “5 minutes,” his expression went blank.
“…5 minutes? You’re collecting 100 just to go out for only 5 minutes? What can you even do in just 5 minutes…?”
“I’ll go out and see the sun! My dream is to paint the sun. Hehe!”
As Evangeline replied honestly, the man’s expression gradually hardened.
“…So, you’re the rumored kid who was born here? And that’s why you want to see the sun… Ah, damn… Huh…”
He hardened his face, muttering something to himself as he squirmed, and then, as if coming to a resolution, he asked Evangeline.
“What’s all this about… Ugh, fine… Hey, kid. Do you have any special talents?”
“Talents?”
“Yeah, no errands needed, just show me some talent. If I like it, I’ll give you one.”
The man brandished a Davis coin from his pocket and said that to Evangeline. Her response was bright and cheerful.
“Can I draw you a picture since I’m good at that?”
“A drawing? Sure, go ahead and draw one here.”
Evangeline picked up a nearby stone and began to concentrate as she sketched something furiously on the ground.
The moment her drawing was completed, it was clear what it depicted. Given how slick that head looked…
“Is this… me?”
“Yes! What do you think, do you like it?”
As Evangeline nodded and smiled broadly at the man, he chuckled for a moment and then burst into laughter.
“Ha ha! Yes! I like it! It feels nice to see my face drawn by someone since I only see it on wanted posters! But hey kid, you have some talent in drawing! You made it look more like me than the wanted poster! You could’ve made me a bit more handsome, you know? Right?”
He seemed genuinely pleased, laughing for a while, and handed a coin to Evangeline.
“Here, kid. That’s what we promised. And from now on, don’t say you’re doing errands, just say you’re drawing. Your artwork is worth much more than a pack of cigarettes.”
“I’ll think about it! Thank you for the compliment! And I’m not a kid, I’m Evangeline!”
“Hehe, is that so? Alright, Evangeline. Now go on and take care. Make sure to fulfill your dream.”
After receiving such kind words from the man, as she walked back, Evangeline had a bright expression for a long while.
“Did you see?! Bea, he said I’m good at drawing! Plus, I got a coin!”
“…Yeah, good for you.”
“Hehe! I’m so happy! Now I just need 95 more!”
It seemed that more than earning the coin, what pleased her most was that someone praised her drawing. Watching her joyful expression, Beatrice thought.
While they had managed to earn a coin today, it was unrealistic to continue earning them like this. The bald slave they encountered today might have just been a lucky find, and harboring hope that others would act the same was a foolish thought.
Still, seeing Evangeline so happy warmed Beatrice’s heart, and that night she quietly prayed.
“Please, may Eva be happy again tomorrow.”
And perhaps the gods heard her prayer.
From the next day, astonishing events began to unfold.
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