Chapter 1: Book I : Chapter 1 – Boredom and Meaning

Year 3488 of Prophet Sicarus Calendar, Turman Empire, Imperial Capital Turman City

"Haah! What to do again?"

My name is Hilt Platinum. Yup you're right. My family name is based on a very rare and precious metal. It's all because of my great-grandfather, who when becoming highly successful in his merchant venture of selling precious metals and stones in the Imperial Capital, renamed our surname to platinum as it symbolized our profession. Also that it sounded cool.

Because of this I don't even know what our previous surname was, though I've a hunch that my father knows and he will only tell me when I inherit his businesses (since I'm the first born).

Yeah, I know the surname 'Platinum' sounds really uninspiring (or is it?), but what do, my family thinks its something to be proud of since it symbolizes our wealth and status. Or in my opinion it should be called "money status"? When I asked my father what was so attractive about a bunch of metal bars, coins and money, he started to look at me as if I was some kind of otherworldly person. I guess I'm the odd one out here. But he's not wrong. This whole city, yes I'm talking about the Imperial Capital, revolves all around money. The more money you have, the more you are respected. Doesn't matter what kind of person you are. I guess that is secondary to the people of this city.

Are you sure I was born at the right place? It looks like I'm the only one who thinks like that.

Now enough about the matter about my surname, let me talk about this city and this empire.

In my frank and humble opinion, this empire is weird. Why? Let me explain. Have you ever seen a baby goat have a female sheep as his mother and a male goat as his father, or a female goat as his mother and a male sheep as his father? No, right. Have you ever seen a baby wolf have a male tiger as his father and a female wolf as his mother? Or more correctly, are progeny of such couples even possible? And if it is, what grotesque children would these animals produce? But hey I guess it doesn't apply to us beasthumans, right? Take for example my family. My mother, like every beasthuman, has mostly human features, except for having two mismatched forehead horns. One of her horn is white in color and conical in shape similar to what you would find on a demon rabbit's forehead and the other one is something I can't even define, as it is dual colored in red and green with zig-zag shape. Maybe a combination of various genes from various beasthuman ancestral races such that I can't even trace who they were. Hmm... I guess that's why people are obsessed with money then. If you can't even define yourself, you would need something else to define it for you and money kind of acts as a perfect tool for that. More money means you're rich so you can belong to the rich social group. It also gives social power as an added bonus, at least in the cities of this empire.

And like the case with mother's not-so-traceable roots, the same applies to everyone of my family including me. In fact, this applies to everyone of this Imperial capital city and all the major cities of this empire. Don't know about the towns and villages. Though I've heard there still remain certain pure blooded beasthuman tribes who can perfectly trace their bloodlines back to their ancestors till ancient times and are currently living in unknown isolated areas of this empire. The Night Church however does have a policy to send their missionaries there once they do get caught in the empire's notice . Don't know why they do that. Maybe to try convert them since they follow their own ancestral customs and are a threat to the Night Church?

"Such a round about way of gaining power and even that is unstable."

I sat up as I was getting bored from resting in my bed for hours (however comfortable that bed may be). Moving and tilting my neck in various directions so as to make all the stiff neck muscle tendons (probably?) present make those clicking sounds, I finally stood up from the bed, put on my leather slippers and moved out of my room into the hall's first stairs corridors.

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Our family's house is large considering it is a two story mansion with enough space to have 10 rooms on the first floor and 10 rooms, a dining hall, and a kitchen on the ground floor. Our property also has a large well maintained garden and a servants quarters in our premises. The quarters are for the servants hired to maintain this place, since I don't think our family had the numbers and the skills necessary to maintain such a huge property. And by family I meant my parents and my siblings. My grandparents were now living off their savings (which would last them the rest of their lives even if they lavishly spend them however they wanted) outside the Imperial Capital city, in a suburban town, after they passed down their majority of their businesses to my father, the heir. My uncles and aunts got the rest of the remaining businesses so they weren't as wealthy as my father but wealthy enough to still be recognized as decently rich families themselves. I wonder how rich my father is then, considering how he got the majority of my grandparents' businesses. I guess it's a food for thought for me.

Coming back to my present situation. I was now having breakfast with my family on our really large dining table in the hall's ground floor. My two brothers and sister could be seen discussing among themselves about stocks, betting events (such as a horse racing event) and status of minor businesses that we had started together (though I quit having anything to do with them after some years, leaving them to my siblings). My parents on the other hand silently ate without batting an eyelid on their conversation.

Talking about my parents, even though they looked regal during home, I've also seen them with flattering and cunning expressions when they dealt with their clients and other high status members of the imperial capital. I can't ever imagine myself doing that when I grow up though. Looks like I've to make a decision soon.

*********

"If it's going to be this dull boring life even if I do inherit my father's businesses, then I better leave this place as quickly as possible."

Finishing dinner with my family, I was back in room upstairs lying on my bed as I thought to myself about my possible path in future since I had already reached the age of 18. I had already quit helping my father in his businesses since a year ago as it was so boring that I just plainly refused to do so in front him. Since then our relationship has become strained, the main reason being that I was the first born and also the best in business acumen among my siblings. My father considers it to be a waste of talent and thus thinks my decision is a foolish one. And I know what he says isn't really wrong.

"But the problem is, father, you don't even know that the way we live our lives is fundamentally wrong."

Well, it doesn't really matter what he thinks, since I've already made up my mind. The only regret would be that it would make my only cute little sister sad. My brothers though would probably get surprised initially, but they would understand afterwards. They know me pretty well from the time I've worked with them in our minor businesses which we started together. As for my mother, I think she would be furious. If only she was the type to cry tears of sadness on hearing her eldest son leaving the family. Hehe, who am I kidding? Though from the books I've read, such emotional type women used to be common place in cities in history. And I've heard one can still find them in towns. Though emotional type women are considered weak in this empire. At least in the imperial capital, as far as I know.

Now that I've decided to leave, I should be making preparations and plans for the future of what I would be doing. One thing is for sure. I will be travelling this whole empire to understand what it is I want and to find what I feel wrong with the way we live our lives, at least in the imperial capital of this empire.

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