As if struck by lightning, memories flooded my mind. Yes... I remember now.
There was a girl I once loved — my ex-fiancée. To prove my worth to her, I did something incredibly stupid. I gathered a group of reckless youths and led them into the Wasteland. It turned into a disaster so massive that the Veyne family had no choice but to abandon me.
I really was a fool back then.
Even now, I can't recall how everything spiraled that far. It's all a blur of pride and desperation.
So that's it. They think I'm still chasing that girl. They think this is all about her.
Truth is, I don't even remember her name anymore. She's just another shadow from a life that doesn't matter.
Seeing my silence, Darian smirked — the kind of grin only an entitled brat could wear.
"Did I hit the mark? You're really doing this for your fiancée, aren't you? Oh, right — ex-fiancée."
I looked at him calmly.
"Think whatever you want. It's not like I cared what you thought before — or now. You were born lucky, Darian. You have Essentia, you have a title, you have everything handed to you. I don't. So I have to think about how I'll survive."
The hall went silent again.
Darian's face twisted — part anger, part confusion.
My stepmother looked genuinely surprised, which, honestly, was a nice change of pace. She was gorgeous when she wasn't pretending to be indifferent.
And my father… Count Cedric Veyne… studied me with quiet intensity.
Finally, he asked,
"Why the Expeditioners? There are safer paths. You don't have Essentia — you might never awaken an ability. That's why you've avoided the ceremony, isn't it?"
I didn't answer right away. He wasn't wrong.
Everyone in the Empire undergoes the Awakening Ceremony at twelve. The amount of Essentia in your body determines your potential — and mine was zero. A cripple, they said. A waste of noble blood.
But I know something they don't. Even without Essentia, I can awaken — a Tier-1 ability, sure, but still power in my hands.
So I met my father's gaze and said, "I don't plan to live by depending on others. Even if I don't awaken anything, I'll make my own way."
Cedric exchanged a glance with his wife. Then he sighed. "You've really thought this through, haven't you?"
"Yes," I said simply.
"When will you attend your ceremony?"
"Now. Since I've eaten my fill, I'll head to the church."
"...Very well," he said after a pause. "Do as you wish."
"Thank you."
The awkward silence returned. Their eyes followed me as I stood and bowed politely. I didn't wait for another word.
Let them talk after I'm gone. I've already chosen my path.
It doesn't matter what they think or say.
My only priority right now is to get stronger — fast.
Since I plan to indulge in every physical pleasure this world has to offer, I need this young body to reach at least a minimum level of strength. A year of pure training — that's the first step.
That already cuts my remaining time down to thirty-nine years.
If I want to travel across kingdoms, taste every dish that exists, and sleep with every kind of beauty this world holds, I'll need money. A lot of it. And soon.
Let's see... if I remove eight hours of sleep from each day for the next thirty-nine years, that leaves roughly twenty-six years of usable time.
Twenty-six years to do everything I desire.
I don't have time to worry about others.
Not anymore.
✧ Meanwhile, in the Dining Hall ✧
After kael left the room, silence hung heavy between the Count and Countess.
Darian had excused himself soon after, leaving only the two of them behind.
Lady Seraphina Veyne was the first to speak.
"Are you really not going to stop him? Your son wants to become an Expeditioner."
Cedric leaned back in his chair, expression unreadable.
"Kael isn't a child anymore," he said calmly.
"But he isn't an adult either…"
"I know," Cedric sighed.
"But men need to chase their own dreams, no matter how foolish they seem. Let him go through the awakening first. If he fails, I'll step in and make arrangements. I won't let him throw his life away."
Seraphina's lips pursed slightly as she murmured,
"I'll never understand you barbaric men and your obsession with fighting monsters…"
Cedric chuckled softly, his weary smile carrying both affection and exhaustion. He reached over and gently held her hand.
"Maybe you don't have to understand it," he said.
✧ Later – Kael's Room ✧
By the time I was ready to head to the church for my awakening, a sudden knock on the door caught me off guard.
That was... new.
Someone actually knocked.
"Come in," I said.
The door opened, and an elderly man stepped inside with impeccable posture. His hair was silver-gray, neatly combed back, his mustache trimmed into sharp points. His uniform was the mark of a high-class butler — black vest, white gloves, and not a single wrinkle out of place.
He bowed respectfully.
"Greetings, Sir Kael," the old man said, bowing deeply. His voice carried the crisp discipline of someone who had served this household for decades. "Lord Count has instructed me to deliver these lumas for your daily necessities during your outing."
In his hands was a small leather pouch — worn yet polished, the kind used only for noble coin transfers. When he placed it in my palm, I heard the faint clink of metal. That sound — the sound of money — struck a pleasure center deep in my brain.
I took it without hesitation. The moment the weight settled into my hand, my fingers almost slipped. Damn, this thing was heavy.
Curiosity itched at me. "How much is in here?"
"Precisely nineteen Svarns, four Veenas, and ten Ragas, Sir. In total, twenty-two thousand lumas."
My brain stalled for a second."...Twenty-two thousand?"
What the hell?
Was I this rich before I was expelled in my past life? Four Veenas alone could've kept me living like a minor baron for a whole year. And here they were — just handing over more than half of my lifetime savings before regression as if it was pocket money!
I couldn't help but tighten my grip on the pouch, feeling the satisfying weight of wealth I'd never known before.
So this is what privilege really feels like.
Currency System of the Aurelian Empire
Base Coin: 1 Luma (₺) — the smallest and most common unit of currency. All others are measured by its value.
The Aurelian Empire's currency revolved around the Luma, the smallest and most common unit of trade used by commoners across the continent. Every other coin was valued in relation to it.
The simplest among them was the Chitra, a small tin coin worth a single Luma, followed by the Santru, a brass piece slightly larger and often used for daily market exchanges. A step above was the Thanga, a sturdy coin of nickel silver with raised edges, favored by travelers and artisans for mid-tier purchases. True wealth began with the Aureli, a thick copper coin engraved with a radiant sunburst, valued at fifty Lumas — the first coin considered noble tender.
Beyond that came the Raga, a bronze coin marked with a lion crest and worth a hundred Lumas, typically representing a laborer's daily wage.
Silver Veenas, valued at five hundred Lumas, were reserved for ceremonies, gifts, or high-end trade, while Svarns, the golden coins stamped with the imperial sigil, symbolized nobility and serious commerce at a thousand Lumas each.
Finally, at the very top stood the Dharan, a platinum coin shaped with eight edges and faintly glowing with Essentia energy — worth ten thousand Lumas and used only in major transactions such as land purchases, gemstone trades, or royal decrees.
Chitra - Tin - 1 Luma
Santru - Brass- 2 Luma
Thange - Nickel Silver - 5 Luma
Aureli - Copper - 50 Luma
Raga - Bronze - 100 Luma
Veena - Silver - 500 Luma
Svarn - Gold - 1000 Luma
Dharan - Platinum - 10000 Luma
****