This Exciting Life - Chapter 16 READING A BOOK 2

As for currency, it was the same everywhere and consisted of copper coins, silver coins and gold coins. Gold also had two more grades called white gold and king’s gold.

400 hundred years ago there even was a cardinal who suggested a sixth currency called goddess’ gold, but it was vetoed in an instance and he was punished for even suggesting such blasphemy.

First of all, it was an insult to the goddess and name her after mere mortals’ materialistic needs. She was above such desires. Second, only the goddess would be allowed to use such currency if created. And third, it would throw the economy out of balance.

The currency was made up like this:

Copper

1 silver coin = 100 copper coins

1 gold coin = 100 silver coins

1 white gold coin = 100 gold coins

1 king’s gold = 100 white gold coins

God advised me not to compare the currency too much with the currency of my previous world.

It was better to just experience using it and get a feeling for its worth that way.

However, since I didn’t come into this world with a blank slate, it couldn’t be helped that I needed a reference. As such, one copper coin equalled one USD, approximately.

Depending on the place of employment, a healthy average commoner working fulltime from the age of 16 could earn between 15-40 silvers per month, if it was a man that is. Younger than 16 earned less than 15 silvers.

Women worked too but earned much less than men. They were also expected to quit working once they got married and had children, but for poor families this was not always an option and women in these situations was in risk of dying earlier than a woman from a family with more economic freedom.

Slaves didn’t receive any salary and would have to depend on their master for food, clothing and other necessities, which they rarely received anyway.

The world also had a universal language, but monsters and animals had their own languages and methods of communication. Their vocal cords were different, but it didn’t necessarily make them less intelligent. Yin and Yang were the prime examples of that.

There also existed a hierarchy and looked like this:

(Pope)

Royalty

Nobles

Commoners

Slaves

The Church of Amaranth indeed had a pope and the authority of the seat in which he was anointed, was even more powerful than the emperor who ruled The Holy Empire.

But the pope was not a ruler, he was a spiritual leader and was therefore not officially counted as a part of the hierarchy, even if he was above any ruler in the world.

Abuse of authority had happened before and still did even from the lowest authoritarian position like a local priest; who would dare to oppose the representers of the goddess, after all.

As for royalty, nobility and commoners, they were further divided into a hierarchy of their own.

Emperor / Empress King / Queen

(Regent)

Heir to the throne

Duke / Duchess

Marquis / Marchioness

Count / Countess

Viscount / Viscountess

Baron / Baroness

Knight

As for regent, it was a temporary position to guide and help the heir to the throne, in case the heir had lost both parents before coming of age. Once the heir became of age, the position as regent would loose its function. A regent was after all not the true ruler.

The top crust of nobility was usually given to the imperial or royal family’s closest kin, like a sibling, uncle and so on. It was also possible to rise a rank, but it almost never happened unless you came home victorious from a major war.

As for wealthy merchants; while they had money, sometimes even more than a noble, they were still counted as commoners. Though, unofficially they were above their fellow commoners.

This world truly was like Earth and my previous world, 500 years ago.