Hera slowly nodded.
“That's right, Lord. At the time, Lady Anna looked as though she was being forced to return by the people from the main residence.”
Zeldryn immediately grabbed his head.
Ugh, my head is seriously going to split open.
Zeldryn pressed both hands against his temples as he tried to organize all the information he had just received.
His mother had only visited twice during the four years Hera had worked at the mansion.
Whenever she came, Anna always spoke with him in private.
She looked sad and helpless, yet still forced herself to smile whenever she was around Zeldryn.
And during her second visit, Anna had even been abruptly taken back by people from the main residence despite clearly wanting to stay longer.
“Why does every answer I find just open another hole?”
Zeldryn rubbed his face roughly.
Every answer seemed to create several new questions.
Why had Anna been separated from her son?
Why had Zeldryn been placed in this mansion since he was a baby?
What had made Anna look so helpless?
Who had ordered the carriage from the main residence to come and retrieve her?
The more he thought about it, the more the Giorry family felt like a tangled knot wrapped inside another tangled knot.
Does anyone else get transmigrated with this much trouble?
Zeldryn thought about the protagonists from the countless comics and novels he had read.
Most of them received some kind of special ability immediately.
Some got systems.
Some somehow knew the entire future.
Some inherited every memory from the body's previous owner.
There were even protagonists who obtained legendary weapons only minutes after arriving in another world.
And him?
He woke up in a battered body, inherited the reputation of a bastard, had no complete memories, belonged to a suspicious family, and apparently had a mother trapped in some serious situation.
Damn it.
Zeldryn let out a long sigh.
For now, there was still too much about the Giorry family that he couldn't confirm.
Forcing himself to think through all of it would only make his headache worse.
He needed to gather simpler information first.
Zeldryn looked back at Hera.
“Hera.”
“Yes, Lord?”
“I want to ask about the calendar.”
Hera looked slightly confused.
“The calendar, Lord?”
“How many months are there in a year?”
The confusion on Hera's face became even more obvious.
It was an extremely basic question. Even a child should already know the answer.
But after remembering that Zeldryn had supposedly lost most of his memories, Hera quickly understood why he was asking.
“There are twelve months in a year, Lord.”
“Twelve?”
“That's right.”
Zeldryn gave a small nod.
The number was the same as Earth's calendar.
That wasn't particularly surprising.
In the novel Life Really Is Happy, Right?, the months had always been written using the names he knew from Earth.
January.
February.
March.
And so on until December.
Because of that, while reading the novel, Zeldryn had never questioned the names of the months used in this world.
The only thing he still remembered clearly was that the year system used Luna Heart Kingdom.
But now that he was actually living inside this world, he wanted to know whether the people here truly used the same month names that had appeared in the novel.
“Explain all of them.”
Hera immediately lowered her head.
“Of course, Lord.”
She took a moment to organize her thoughts before speaking.
“The first month is Frost Month.”
“Frost Month is the coldest month of the year. Snow falls heavily, and many rivers freeze over.”
Zeldryn paused slightly.
Frost Month?
He had never seen that name anywhere in the novel.
“The second month is Thaw Month. During that month, the ice begins to melt and the air gradually becomes warmer.”
“After that comes Earth Month. The ground that had previously frozen becomes fertile again, and farmers usually begin planting their crops.”
Zeldryn listened carefully.
Apparently, the names of the months weren't chosen randomly.
Each one was connected to the seasonal changes or natural conditions that occurred during that period.
“The fourth month is Bloom Month. Flowers begin to blossom and the forests come alive again.”
“The fifth month is Gale Month. Strong winds often sweep across many regions during that time.”
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“After that comes Sun Month. The days become longer and the sunlight is at its strongest.”
Zeldryn slowly nodded while memorizing the order.
“The seventh month is Ember Month. It is the hottest month of the year. The air becomes dry, and fires occur more frequently.”
“The eighth month is Storm Month. Heavy rain, storms, and lightning are common during that month.”
“Then comes Harvest Month. As the name suggests, it is the season of the great harvest. Many villages and towns hold festivals after the crops have been gathered.”
Hera took a small breath before continuing.
“The tenth month is Mist Month. Thick fog often covers forests, cities, and mountains.”
“The eleventh month is Dusk Month. The days begin growing shorter, and the sky becomes dark much earlier.”
“And the final month is Starfall Month.”
“Starfall Month is the last month of the year. It is famous for a phenomenon known as starfall, which can be seen from many regions.”
Zeldryn fell silent after Hera finished explaining.
So there really were twelve months.
The number matched Earth's calendar, but their actual names were completely different from what had been written in the novel.
Frost, Thaw, Earth, Bloom, Gale, Sun, Ember, Storm, Harvest, Mist, Dusk, and Starfall.
At least the names were easy enough to understand since they followed changes in nature.
“And what year is it now?”
Hera answered without needing any time to think.
“It is currently the year 245 LHK, Lord.”
Zeldryn gave a small nod.
That part he remembered.
LHK stood for the Luna Heart Kingdom calendar, which had indeed been used in the novel.
Unlike the names of the months, the year system was exactly as he remembered it.
“And today's date?”
“Today is the 10th of Dusk Month, 245 LHK.”
Zeldryn looked toward the window.
Night really had arrived quickly.
That matched Hera's explanation of Dusk Month.
So they were currently in the eleventh month, already nearing the end of the year.
“Then when was I born?”
“You were born on the 9th of Frost Month, 233 LHK, Lord.”
Zeldryn calculated it in his head.
The current year was 245.
That meant this body really was twelve years old.
And Frost Month had already passed this year, so his birthday had been quite a while ago.
Seriously?
So all this time, the month names written in the novel weren't even the names actually used by the people of this world.
Zeldryn had never noticed while reading it.
Back then, January, February, March, and all the others had simply felt normal to him.
Only after hearing Hera explain the calendar directly did he realize that this world actually had its own names for the months.
At least the Luna Heart Kingdom year system was still the same as he remembered.
Zeldryn gave a small nod.
But after thinking about the calendar, he remembered another basic thing he still knew almost nothing about.
Money.
He had already seen the mansion, the food, the clothes, and the servants.
Yet he still had no real understanding of the currency used in this world.
And even though Zeldryn knew the name of the kingdom's currency from the novel, he had only just realized that he didn't properly understand its actual value.
“Hera.”
“Yes, Lord?” Hera answered.
“Explain the currency used in this kingdom.”
Hera showed another hint of confusion.
But this time, she was no longer particularly surprised by Zeldryn asking such a basic question.
“The kingdom's official currency is called the Luna Heart Coin, Lord,” Hera explained.
Zeldryn gave a small nod.
That one he knew.
Luna Heart Coin.
LHC.
The name appeared fairly often throughout the novel.
“Luna Heart Coin is divided into four types: Bronze Coin, Silver Coin, Gold Coin, and Platinum Coin,” Hera continued.
Zeldryn still remembered that part as well.
Gold Coin could easily be called the currency he had seen most often while reading the novel.
Platinum Coins occasionally appeared when the protagonist bought something extremely expensive or made a massive transaction.
But Bronze and Silver...
Zeldryn tried to remember.
Both types of coins had definitely appeared before.
Just very rarely.
Usually in small scenes he hadn't paid much attention to while reading.
“Start from the lowest,” Zeldryn said.
“Bronze Luna Heart Coins are the currency most commonly used by ordinary people for daily necessities,” Hera explained.
Hera began counting on her fingers.
“One Bronze Coin is usually enough to buy a loaf of bread, cheap porridge, or several vegetables.”
Zeldryn slowly nodded.
So its value was that low.
No wonder Bronze Coins had barely received any attention in the novel.
“Twelve Bronze Coins are equal to one Silver Coin,” Hera continued.
Zeldryn, who had simply been listening until then, frowned slightly.
“Twelve?”
“That's right, Lord,” Hera replied.
She then continued her explanation.
“Silver Coins are used to pay wages, buy clothes, pay for lodging, or purchase goods of moderate value.”
“One Silver Coin is roughly enough to cover a skilled worker's daily wage or several days of simple meals,” Hera added.
Zeldryn began paying much closer attention.
This was far more detailed than anything he had ever considered while reading the novel.
“And after that comes Gold?” Zeldryn asked.
“That's right, Lord,” Hera replied.
“Twenty Silver Coins are equal to one Gold Coin.”
Zeldryn fell silent.
Twenty Silver.
So...
Twelve Bronze became one Silver.
Twenty Silver became one Gold.
That meant one Gold was worth two hundred and forty Bronze.
Zeldryn frowned slightly.
“What kind of system is this?” Zeldryn muttered.
Hera looked slightly confused after hearing him, but said nothing.
Zeldryn was still calculating everything in his head.
While reading the novel, he had never thought about things like this.
Gold Coins appeared so often that he had unconsciously started treating them as ordinary currency.
The protagonist paid for meals with Gold.
Bought equipment with Gold.
Paid for all kinds of things with Gold.
Only when the numbers became much larger did Platinum occasionally appear.
But how many Bronze made one Silver?
How many Silver made one Gold?
Zeldryn couldn't remember at all.
Maybe it had been explained.
Maybe it hadn't.
With a novel over five thousand chapters long that he had finished in only three months, something that minor obviously wasn't going to stay in his memory.
“Gold Coins are normally used for large transactions, such as buying horses, weapons, land, houses, livestock, or making payments between wealthy merchants,” Hera continued.
“One Gold Coin is roughly equivalent to one month's income for an ordinary worker.”
Zeldryn immediately looked at Hera.
“Wait.”
Hera stopped speaking.
“Yes, Lord?”
“One Gold is worth about one month's income for an ordinary worker?”
“More or less, Lord,” Hera replied.
Zeldryn went silent.
Scenes from the novel immediately flashed through his mind.
Gold.
Gold.
More Gold.
The protagonist of that novel had used Gold Coins for practically everything.
Back when Reka was reading it, he had never thought there was anything strange about that.
To him, it had simply been generic fantasy currency.
But now that he knew its actual value...
Zeldryn was beginning to realize that the sense of money he had developed from reading the novel was completely distorted.
That protagonist was actually pretty damn rich.
“And Platinum?” Zeldryn asked.
Hera became slightly more careful when mentioning the highest denomination.
“One hundred Gold Coins are equal to one Platinum Coin,” Hera answered.
Zeldryn immediately stared at her again.
“One hundred Gold?”
“That's right, Lord.”
Zeldryn remained silent for several seconds.
A single Gold Coin was already worth roughly one month's income for an ordinary worker.
And one Platinum contained a hundred Gold.
Only now did he truly understand just how valuable a Platinum Coin was.
“That's a ridiculous amount,” Zeldryn muttered.
“Platinum Coins are indeed extremely rarely used in ordinary transactions, Lord,” Hera explained.
Hera lowered her head slightly before continuing.
“Many commoners never see a real Platinum Coin in their entire lives.”
Such coins were usually owned only by the royal family, Dukes, wealthy Marquises, nobles who controlled large territories, royal banks, major merchant associations, or magical organizations.
Platinum Coins were also used to purchase rare artifacts, magical weapons, magical armor, mansions, merchant ships, and various other things whose value was too large to conveniently calculate in Gold Coins.
“An ordinary merchant might even refuse payment if someone tried to use a Platinum Coin,” Hera continued.
“Why?” Zeldryn asked.
“Because they wouldn't have enough money to give you change, Lord,” Hera replied.
Zeldryn almost laughed.
Makes sense.
Paying for a loaf of bread with a Platinum Coin would probably be just as insane as buying a piece of candy with an enormous stack of high-value bills.
“So Platinum transactions are usually handled through royal banks, treasurers, payment notes, or written contracts,” Hera continued.
Zeldryn slowly nodded.
At least now he finally understood the basic value of the currency that he had only ever seen in passing while reading the novel.
One Silver was equal to twelve Bronze.
One Gold was equal to twenty Silver, or two hundred and forty Bronze.
One Platinum was equal to one hundred Gold, two thousand Silver, or twenty-four thousand Bronze.
Zeldryn stared blankly ahead for a moment.
Now he was beginning to understand why Bronze and Silver had barely received any attention in the novel.
That story followed the protagonist's life.
The stronger the protagonist became, the larger the transactions around him became as well.
Gold became ordinary.
Platinum started appearing.
Meanwhile, the money ordinary people actually used to buy bread, pay for meals, stay at inns, or receive their wages was only mentioned occasionally in minor scenes.
Reka had never cared about it either.
Why bother calculating the price of a loaf of bread when, a few chapters later, the protagonist was buying a weapon for dozens of Gold Coins?
But things were different now.
Zeldryn wasn't reading that story anymore.
He was living inside it.
Bronze, which had once been nothing more than an insignificant number, could now buy food.
Silver could represent someone's wages.
Gold, which had once seemed like ordinary fantasy money, was actually worth a considerable amount to common people.
And Platinum, which the protagonist occasionally threw around to buy expensive items, held a value that most people might never touch in their entire lives.
Zeldryn slowly rubbed his chin.
Turns out seeing the world through the protagonist's perspective completely screws up your sense of money.
If he wanted to become wealthy in this world, he couldn't simply rely on his memories of how much Gold the protagonist used to spend.
He needed to understand money from the bottom up.
Starting with Bronze.
Not Gold.