Another fruitless day. Ives's mood grew heavier and heavier. After more than five months without income, his meager wallet was about to run dry.
Asking his parents for money—not to mention whether he could swallow that shred of self-respect—wasn't really an option. Ives's parents were ordinary people too. Above them were grandparents who needed support, and below them were younger brothers and sisters to raise.
Now, with waves of layoffs and pay cuts sweeping through society, everyone wished they could split one dollar into two. Their old savings were the last safeguard against the crisis, and unless they had reached the end of the road, no one would touch them.
Unable to live off his parents, Ives returned to his rented room and stared blankly at the world map on the wall.
The map had been left behind by the landlord. Supposedly, it had been a promotional giveaway from some merchant celebrating victory in the Continental War. Frankly speaking, judging from the map, the Holy Roman Empire truly looked imposing.
Excluding regions uninhabitable by humans, the Holy Roman Empire occupied nearly a quarter of the world's land and one-twentieth of its oceans. It was one of only two world empires in existence.
Ives had once been hot-blooded too. He had dreamed of charging across battlefields amid clashing spears and galloping warhorses, then returning home in glory to become an honored noble.
Unfortunately, he had been born at the wrong time. When Ives enlisted for military service, he happened to catch the tail end of the Continental War. Before his recruit training was even complete, the French surrendered.
Forget military merit—he never even got the chance to set foot on a battlefield. He smoothly completed the final few months of his service, then left the army and went home to look