Comfortable Life in the Dungeon

The Dungeon was much nicer than Annan had imagined.

At dinner, the deputy warden, whose attitude had changed, heard that Annan was sleeping poorly and brought him a pile of dry, odorless grass. After suffering through the damp and the hard floor, lying on it felt as pleasant as basking in the afternoon sun.

Meals were no longer limited to bread and meat. They now came with a vegetable salad, a bowl of fragrant Mushrooms soup, and a small glass of wine.

Then there was the astonishing speed at which Annan could make money. To earn 500 Gold Coins, he would have to sell fifteen Spinning Machines, while Aunt Susan's family would have to work for four hundred years. Here, it was the price of one roast chicken.

At dinner, Annan asked Blackiron Reis if he wanted anything else. The unscrupulous merchant suppressed the urge to spend more and retreated to the edge of the dungeon, but he could no longer swallow his original "food."

In the dark, damp Dungeon, Annan sat on his throne of grass and set aside half his food for Katarina.

The glass of wine went untouched because neither Annan nor Katarina drank.

Lifting it, Annan looked toward the figure in the corner. His gentle voice echoed through the Dungeon. "Black Iron Reis, would you like it?"

"I... no, thank you."

The timid reply drifted out of the gloom.

That roast chicken had sobered him up considerably, reminding him of both his hunger and his purse.

"Are you sure? This Red Wine from Grogda costs only..." Annan decided not to squeeze Blackiron Reis too hard and named the same price as a whole loaf of bread. "One hundred Gold Coins."

"You're not lying to me?"

Realizing how foolish that sounded, Blackiron Reis hurriedly added, "I'll take