I sat down on the chair placed near the window and looked toward Historia.
Last night, I had given her only one task—
to gather as much information about this world as she possibly could.
"So?" I asked.
"The task I gave you last night… is it done?"
Historia nodded without hesitation.
"Yes, Master," she said.
"And today, I will first tell you about the geographical structure of this world."
As she spoke, my eyes fell on the papers spread across the table.
At first glance, it might have looked like just a map—
but the longer I looked at it, the more I realized it wasn't merely a play of lines and names.
It was the backbone of this world.
The Ashen Sea—a vast, dark-colored ocean—
spread across the very center of the map.
And along its shores lay the empires
whose stories were still completely unknown to me.
The Western Lands
My gaze moved to the western part of the map.
At the very top—
Ashkara Vault.
Snow-covered towering peaks, as if tearing through the sky itself.
Historia explained that it was believed to be a sealed continent of fallen gods.
The moment I heard the name,
a strange sensation stirred lightly in my chest.
But nothing happened.
Just below it stretched the
Old Vasovar Republic.
A republican nation.
A blend of history, tradition, and freedom.
And further south—
the Eldisgrar Desert.
A desert.
A place where only the harshest of people could survive.
On its edges lay the
Kaldrath Baronies—
fertile lands, feudal rule, and internal conflicts.
Eastern Dominance
The eastern side of the map felt far more rigid and organized.
In the north—
the Cauptes Dominion.
A region where order and authority stood above all else.
And at its center—
the Guptes Empire.
My home.
A vast empire, regarded as a symbol of stability and prestige.
In history books, it is referred to as a pillar of balance.
Bordering Guptes were the
Gurrm Kow and Cyrran Duchies—
small, but strategically crucial territories.
Beyond them—
the Rawl Kingdom.
A land of courage and warfare.
And at the farthest edge of the map—
the mountain ranges of Norfeli.
Tall, inaccessible, and almost untouched.
The Secret of the Center
But the true center of this entire world…
lay right in the middle of the map.
The Holy City.
A sacred island located in the heart of the Ashen Sea.
Surrounded by water—
and above it, religious cities of the gods.
For the first time, there was a slight pause in Historia's voice.
"This isn't just a single city," she explained.
"Different empires and nations depict this continent differently in their maps."
"For example, in the Guptes Empire, the Goddess of Knowledge and Light is worshipped.
That's why, in Guptes' world maps, this place is shown as a Holy City."
"But in reality," she continued,
"this is a continent where sacred cities of many different gods exist."
I thought to myself—
This world is far larger
than I had imagined.
And far more dangerous.
Historia took a short breath, as if organizing her thoughts.
"The task you gave me last night," she said,
"I couldn't complete it… not entirely."
I looked at her.
"Why?"
A faint, tired smile appeared on her face.
"Because now I also have a human body," she replied.
"And with it comes fatigue. I couldn't work for long last night."
Then she changed the subject.
"But," she continued,
"I learned how to read and write the native language spoken in the Guptes Empire.
And before sleeping, I also gathered basic information about this world's economy."
I nodded, signaling her to continue.
"In this world," Historia explained,
"there is a single global currency.
You can use it in any country."
"The smallest unit is called Kauri," she said.
"20 kauri make one copper coin.
Four copper coins equal one silver coin.
And four silver coins equal one gold coin."
"The gold coin," she emphasized,
"is the highest-value currency in this world."
I interrupted, "But why don't different countries have their own currencies, like in our world?"
Historia frowned slightly.
"I don't yet know the complete reason," she said honestly.
"But according to the information I found… around 180 years ago, there was an Empire in this world."
Her tone grew serious.
"At that time, it was the most powerful Empire in the world.
The reason was simple—it possessed the largest reserves of gold and silver."
"Whenever it needed something, instead of producing it itself,
it directly bought it from other nations."
I listened silently.
"But gradually, their monopoly began to collapse," Historia continued.
"That Empire kept fighting other nations with its military,
expanding its territory continuously."
"The real problem began," she said,
"when their gold and silver started running out."
Historia explained that the Empire drastically reduced the minting of gold coins.
Copper began to be mixed into silver coins.
"Even then," she said,
"whenever they traded, they passed these mixed coins off as pure silver."
I unconsciously furrowed my brows.
"To fund military pensions and expenses," Historia went on,
"they started taking loans from other nations and banks."
She paused briefly, then said—
"When people discovered that their currency was adulterated with copper…
the Empire went bankrupt."
"But it didn't end there," Historia added.
"Because that currency was global.
As its value collapsed, the entire world's economy was destabilized."
Now the picture was clear.
"That's why," Historia concluded,
"a single, tightly controlled currency was adopted across the entire world."
I asked, "And paper notes?"
"They aren't used," she replied.
"The current global currency is considered stable enough,
so paper money isn't seen as necessary."
She looked at me.
"If you want," Historia said,
"I can research this topic further."
I nodded.
"For now," she added,
"this is all the information I could gather."
I set everything aside for a moment.
"All that can wait," I said, looking at Historia.
"First tell me—did you find anything about this halo?"
She paused slightly, perhaps deciding where to begin.
"According to the information available," she said,
"you've had it since the moment you arrived in this world."
"A golden ring-like structure…
with a red, noble-cut diamond set in front."
"Its design isn't simple,
nor does it resemble any common artifact."
Unconsciously, my fingers moved toward the halo.
It truly was mysterious.
"I will definitely gather more information about it," Historia added.
"But for now… you should go downstairs.
It's time for breakfast."
I nodded and walked downstairs with her.
The dining hall was decorated as always—
a long table, heavy chairs, and the same familiar faces.
I sat down and quietly started eating.
Then my eyes fell on the person sitting across from me—
Narco Desk.
He had returned during the night.
"So?" he asked me, his voice as restrained as ever.
"How did yesterday's exam go?"
I paused mid-bite.
Right… I had gone to give an exam.
But an exam for what?
I didn't even know whether it went well or not.
I cleared my throat lightly, as if the answer were stuck there.
"It went well," I finally said.
Narco Desk nodded.
"Worrying too much about everything isn't good, Jona."
I laughed inwardly.
Since when did I start worrying?
As I ate, my gaze shifted to Rose Desk sitting across from me.
She was undeniably the lady of this house.
But she asked few questions—and showed even fewer emotions.
My old memories were clear—
she never particularly liked my mother.
But hatred?
No.
Not toward me, nor toward my younger sister.
She was more attached to her own children, that was true.
But that didn't mean she didn't care about us.
She just… didn't know how to express what she felt.
Or perhaps—
she simply didn't want to.
After breakfast, I returned to my room.
Honestly speaking—
there was nothing I urgently needed to do in this world right now.
No pressure to study.
No weight of responsibility.
So I decided to simply wait for the evening.
Because in the evening, there was a cheese party.
Time passed unnoticed.
The sky outside the window slowly began to change color,
and before I knew it, evening had arrived.
I put on new, expensive clothes—
a white shirt and neatly tailored pants.
When I looked at myself in the mirror,
I felt strange for a moment.
Ready, I stepped outside.
Everyone was already prepared for the party.
Four carriages, each pulled by two horses, stood outside—
clearly belonging to our house.
I sat in one of them.
After a short while, Historia joined me in the same carriage.
Immediately after that, my younger sister Moon stepped inside.
The carriage began moving.
I looked out through the window.
So this is the capital of the Guptes Empire—Magadh.
A vast, prosperous city.
Greenery everywhere, palaces stretching far into the distance, wide roads.
This wasn't a chaotic place—
this city was being lived with planning.
Soon, we arrived at the party location.
A palace…
only slightly larger than our own.
This was the residence of the Blackwood family.
The head of the Blackwood family—Rowan Blackwood—
was a member of the Senator Council.
A prestigious noble family.
Today was his son's first anniversary.
In this world, when a noble family celebrates the first anniversary after marriage,
they import unique dishes from across the world.
That's why it's called a cheese party.
The carriage entered through the palace's main gate.
The garden area was beautifully decorated.
At its center stood a grand fountain,
and right in the middle of it rose an eight-foot-tall white statue of Rowan the First.
Our entire family stepped down into the garden.
My eyes moved to the tables laid out ahead—
countless dishes.
I had never seen so many types of food together.
I've eaten the same kind of food my whole life,
I thought to myself,
and without overthinking, began tasting everything one by one.
I stopped at one counter.
A maid standing there smiled at me.
I felt like…
I had seen her somewhere before.
The memories were there,
but no recognition.
I turned my attention away and started looking for Historia.
She had also come to the party with us.
After some searching, I realized there was a separate area for servants,
where they could eat together.
There were so many maids at this party
because everyone was busy serving their masters.
Finally, I spotted Historia.
The faces of noble women standing around her were clearly filled with jealousy.
Her beauty irritated them.
Girls her own age didn't even want to look at her.
"Who brought her here?"
I heard someone mutter.
Historia came up to me.
"What do you need?" she asked.
I glanced around, then asked seriously—
"Where can I find pizza?"
She paused for a moment, then replied—
"Pizza wasn't always considered luxury food.
In old times, it was food for the poor and middle class—
simple flatbread with a few vegetables."
"Over time, people started adding more things to it,
and it became popular."
With a faint smile, she added—
"But royal families don't eat it."
I nodded.
So in this world too,
status decides what is eaten—more than taste.
I wandered around the party aimlessly.
Laughter, music, and the scent of alcohol filled the air.
The same fake smiles on noble faces—
the kind that only appear in places like this.
Everyone was busy trying to prove something to someone.
Then—
suddenly, the atmosphere changed.
An unusual disturbance rippled through the crowd.
My gaze instinctively lifted upward.
That man…
was standing right on the head of the eight-foot statue.
The white statue of Rowan the First—
which moments ago people had been viewing with reverence—
was now beneath his feet.
Silence fell everywhere.
Without any sign of panic, the man uncorked the wine bottle in his hand.
Red wine slowly spilled down the statue's head—
as if it were being deliberately humiliated.
"Who are you?!"
The voices of armed soldiers echoed—
men in card-adorned uniforms, weapons raised from all sides.
The man smiled.
Then he raised his hand.
From his wrist hung a string of eight Rudraksha beads,
sliding loosely downward.
Each bead was different—
old, rough, and filled with some strange power.
He grabbed the first bead.
In a slow, heavy voice, he chanted—
"Give me your protection…
Black Curtain."
The moment the words ended,
the entire palace was enveloped in a black dome.
Light vanished.
Screams echoed.
A chill ran down my chest.
He grasped the second bead.
"Vampire Moon… Absorption."
Inside the black dome,
a red moon rose—
blood-colored, pulsing.
In its light, every face turned pale with fear.
Now the third bead.
This time, his voice was even deeper—
"Death God…
Give me your slaves—
zombie summoning."
The ground began to shake.
Hands emerged from between the stone floor.
Human hands.
Dead hands.
People stumbled backward.
Some fell.
Some couldn't even scream.
The man stood atop the statue, laughing.
He tossed the wine bottle into the air.
And with it—
"The game begins."
His voice echoed throughout the black dome.