In the end, Michael ended up taking a bath as well.
He had asked the two youths about the cost of a bathhouse, and they mentioned that the most expensive one charged 20 copper coins per hour.
Copper coins.
This was the first time Michael had heard of this currency in the Land of Origin. However, it didn’t surprise him—he had already suspected that there might be a currency lower than silver. And he was right.
Not wanting to expose his ignorance, Michael carefully extracted more information from the two.
There were three recognized currencies in the Kingdom of Lionheart: Copper coins, Silver coins, and Gold coins.
The exchange rate was 100:1, meaning 100 copper coins equaled 1 silver coin, and 100 silver coins equaled 1 gold coin.
When Michael learned this, he was delighted—he was rich!
Even after spending some silver coins on a meal at that fancy restaurant and registering at the Hunter Guild, he still had more than 20 silver coins. That meant he had around 2,000 copper coins.
To gauge the value of copper coins, he indirectly probed the two youths for more details.
Basically, 10 copper coins were enough for a commoner to feed themselves if they were frugal.
This meant 3 to 4 silver coins were enough for a commoner to survive for an entire year.
Hearing this made Michael’s lips twitch.
He had spent that exact amount on a single meal back in the inner city.
But his wealth didn’t stop there.
One must not forget that Mage Lian had also given him 10 gold coins.
This was Michael’s true wealth.
Why?
A single gold coin was equivalent to 100 silver coins, meaning his 10 gold coins were the same as 1,000 silver coins—or 100,000 copper coins.
While this amount might not make him wealthy among nobles, compared to the commoners, Michael was rich.
With this much money, he felt a slight disdain toward using a public bathhouse, even if it was likely to be empty at this time of day.
When Ace mentioned inns also had private bathing areas, Michael immediately opted for that instead.
In fact, the two had suggested they could bathe in the river while Michael waited, but he refused outright.
Back on Aurora, he had always used clean, treated water for hygiene. Even public water sources there were safer than what these people used.
Due to his condition back on Earth, he had never even dared to step into an ocean. And even those who did swim in large bodies of water often took another bath afterward.
Though it wasn’t him bathing in the river but the two youths, Michael felt he could offer more. Considering he was about to rely on them, why not treat it as their salary?
Deciding to clean up properly, Michael took them to an inn and paid two silver coins for each of them to have a private bath.
He was the first to finish, but even when he came out, the two were still inside. They hadn’t used the opportunity to run away.
This was something Michael had expected. If they wanted to escape him, their only option would be to leave the capital entirely—otherwise, they would have to live in fear of a noble’s revenge.
The few hours he had spent as a fake one was enough to make Michael know how privileged a real noble was.
Before heading to the inn, he had also bought new clothes for Ace and Lia.
The outfits didn’t make them look any less like commoners, but they certainly looked better than before.
Lia was tall—surprisingly so, now that Michael could see him clearly. If he had to guess, Lia stood at least 6’2″ (188 cm). His frame was lean, but not weak, and his features were sharp yet ordinary—a face that wouldn’t stand out in a crowd.
Ace, on the other hand, was short, barely reaching 5’5″ (165 cm). His build was smaller, making him look almost scrawny next to Lia. His face was equally unremarkable—not ugly, but nothing that would turn heads either.
Both of them had dark brown hair and tanned skin, likely from spending most of their lives outside.
Looking at them, Michael realized something—they were utterly forgettable.
If not for the time they had spent together, he wouldn’t have recognized them in a crowd.
Michael glanced at their new clothes. While still commoner attire, they were cleaner and in better condition than the rags they had worn before.
He didn’t say anything, but he did note the difference.
They still looked like commoners, but not struggling ones.
Ace shifted under Michael’s gaze, running a hand through his damp hair. “Something wrong, my lord?”
Michael shook his head. “No. Just getting a good look at you both.”
Lia gave a small nod. “You’re making sure we aren’t hiding anything, aren’t you?”
He felt uncomfortable being so obedient to a noble but he was wide enough to know what and what he should do and not do.
Michael smiled slightly. “That too.”
Neither of them argued. They knew that Michael had a right to be cautious.
As for Michael, he now had a better understanding of who he was dealing with.
Ordinary.
That was the best word to describe them.
But ordinary people often had the most to prove.To be honest, the two felt that Michael was taking care of his servants a bit too much.
Yes, servants.
As commoners, that was essentially what they were to nobles. But their actions toward Michael had only solidified that role further.
What they didn’t realize was that Michael had been completely honest—he simply couldn’t stand to suffer through their smell.
Other nobles wouldn’t care, not because they had stronger endurance, but because they saw spending money on commoners as a waste.
Of course, not all nobles were like this. Most wouldn’t even bother dealing with commoners directly, leaving such matters to their attendants instead.
But Michael was different.
He wasn’t even a noble in the first place.