The white light is slowly losing its pallor. It is fading out slowly. And then I see…
Lush green trees all around me. I am in some kind of huge forest. The canopy is competed for by a diverse kind of tree, which allows adequate sunlight to pass through. I think that's the reason why despite coming here in bright noon, I don't feel much heat touching my skin. The branches and greenery allows a comfortable amount of light to pass through. This the perfect climate for people who like to picnic while trekking on the mountain trails. The wind that passes by gives a pleasant feeling to my nostrils. The air is so pure that the oxygen feels fragrant. I think gods don't have much variation when it comes to building the flora of their worlds. If I think of this world as a different planet, it pretty similar to earth except that the aura it emits is pollution-free.
Ahhh...With every step that I take, every blade of grass that I touch, the sensation I feel gives euphoric feelings that reverberate inside my body and probably inside the soul too. I feel alive with every step. So many people on earth must be walking right now without looking around them, taking their movement for granted. I raise my hands to a patch of land where sunlight is pretty strong.
The rays hurt my hands, and I feel the pain. But it feels pleasurable to bear it. Because I feel alive. One step, two-step, ready...Run! I begin to chase the air around me, hoping and skipping like crazy. If someone sees me and thinks of me like a maniac, let them think like that. I honestly don't care right now. Oh gosh, moving feels so fantastic.
"Who are you?" I hear a shout from behind.
I slowly turn back while being surprised. Who is here in such a wilderness?
A man with a wavy moustache is staring at me while holding his sword in my direction. The blade seems real. It is a large, thin barbed blade wrapped in red-scaled leather. It's dual-edge and sharpness is noticeable even from a distance of approximately 200 metres.
"I thought you were a monster, because of your odd clothing. Where did you even find such clothes?"
The man asks in a adult-like tense but kind voice. He doesn't seem like a problematic man. He pushes the sword back into the sheath that was mounted on his pouch-belt. He wore a loose baggy brown coloured T-shirt with a maroon pant that seems to combine the elements of both jeans and a pyjama. He has long brown hairs which don't look combed. I feel as if he is just a common man from his outfit. Or most probably an NPC of some sort if I look at this world from the perspective of a videogame. I use 'Scan' on him.
Name: Sylvester
Age: 28
Race: Human
Status:
Attack - E
Defence - E+
Agility - C
Magic - Z
Magic Defense - Z
Skills: None
"What are you looking at? Are you one of those types… interested in men."
"No. NONONONO. I was just surprised to be called out suddenly and you had blade with you too."
"Oh, sorry about that. As I said, I thought you were monster of some sort from far away but when I came closer you seemed human. So I was perplexed because I haven't seen anyone with such clothes. It seems fit and comfortable. Where did you even find it?"
"Ah… I purchased it from a trader from a nearby town."
I came up with a reflexive lie.
"Hmm… That's weird because I am coming from the Libeccio as well. I never saw these clothes being sold."
"It was a single unit. And I had to spend a large number of golden coins for it."
I am keeping a kind smile on my face. But sweats have already begun to be formed on the forehead. His clothes seemed medieval and based on the gut feeling that in no modern world a person would travel along such a desolate path, I guessed this world must be using currency like gold and silver coins. And my guess seems right.
"Oh my. A gold coin. Is it that costly? You must be a pretty rich traveler. I can live in the town's inns for a whole month despite doing nothing with that amount. And then… there are brothels too…"
"Eh…"
"Uhmm… anyway. If you had that kind of money why didn't you purchase a weapon first and foremost? It's good to be fashionable but the forest is full of monsters and clothes won't save you in time of need. These blades will."
He unsheathes his sword again. Striking a confident pose, he comes near me and shows the gesture to shake hands.
"Hi, my name is Sylvester. I am traveling to Basindhole village. Are you going there too?"
I remember Yua telling me about it. She gave me the mission to go to the village near to the place where she will send me. So Basindhole is it? Why do these names sound so European? Even Sylvester seems a European name. I have to go there and win a competition to… marry the girl of the lord. Damnit.
"Yeah, I am going there too. I have heard there's some festival taking place in the village."
"Oh, you don't know about the full-moon festival of Basindhole village."
"No, I come from a village that is too far away. So I don't know much about the places around these parts."
"It's no problem. Due to demonic invasion, more and more people from the Southern ends have been migrating too faraway places. The southern nations are in a very poor state."
"The demonic invasion?"
"You don't know about it. The demon army has been growing in strength lately and has begun to expand its territories. It has already subjugated the southern coasts and is slowly moving towards the major nations. I thought you were one of those many people who are leaving those territories for your safety."
"No. I just wanted to travel, and so I left home at an early age."
"Nice. You have guts. Most boys of your age are busy chasing skirts and getting rejected. The youth of today is in sorry state too."
"What about the festival, can you tell me more about it?"
"Well, full-moon is considered to be auspicious for the villagers and they celebrate the night when the moon is full of great pomp and passion. But this time, there's even more exciting news…"
"What…?"
He lowers his voice as if he is going to tell me a secret that can decide life and death if I revealed it.
"The lord of the village is holding a competition and will marry his daughter to the person who wins it."
"So, that means a lot of nobles would be participating in it."
"No, there are a lot of people but there are no nobles."
"No nobles? How's that possible?"
"I don't know. Despite the fact that Basindhole is the poorest of the villages, no lord would marry off their daughter to a commoner, especially when it's their only daughter. But Lord Saurflaw has explicitly stated that this competition is only for commoners. Not even the city guards or Knights can participate in it."
"That's weird. But it's a good chance for commoners, I guess."
"Yeah. Commoners can get hired as guards and rise in ranks but its as rare as seeing a blue phoenix, that a commoner can get a chance to become a lord."
Is this why Yua told me to do this task. If I get to become a lord, this may be the first step towards my goal to become the emperor of this world. It still feels a farfetched dream. I get goosebumps thinking about the responsibility that has been placed on my shoulders. But, this is the chance for me to make up for all those lost years. I don't know yet if I am capable of accomplishing the task given to me. But the previous life's experience had taught me one thing. I need to do everything while living my life to the fullest. Even if it's a selfish thing on god's behalf they gave me this life and gave me a life with meaning. Instead of getting lost in numerous faces whose visage dissolves in the soil, I have got a chance to do something incredible. Something that may make me remembered in history. I miss mom, I miss dad but this is my world now. This is the place where I have been birthed. It's my responsibility to do everything in my control to make it blissful.
"Care to tell me more about the regions of here while we walk to the village."
And thus, Sylvester who I have come to understand as a very talkative guy, tells me various things about this world to give me a rudimentary knowledge about the customs, tradition, and history of this world whom these people call - Omlur.
Omlur is said to have been a single united nation since the time different races begin to form civilizations. Yes, there are races like Beastkin, Elves, Dwarfs, Sylphs, Fairies, and Humans here with subdivisions in each of them. Except for humans, other races seem to have come first and Humans evolved from the animals. It's not stated which animal, so I guess preaching theory of evolution would make me a heretic here. I have promised myself that I would stay silent on these topics.
This is rule 4 of 48 laws of power - Always say less than necessary
Persons who cannot control his words shows that he cannot control himself, and is unworthy of respect. But the human tongue is a beast that few can master. It strains constantly to break out of its cage, and if it is not tamed, it will run wild and cause you grief. Power is in many ways a game of appearances, and when you say less than necessary, you inevitably appear greater and more powerful than you are.
I wouldn't take it to that great extreme but being cautious of my words will be necessary. That's why I hide the questions that may raise suspicions on my common sense with respect to this world, with vague euphemisms. Luckily Sylvester is one of those who doesn't think twice before saying anything and has been pumping me with all kinds of info.
The societies here are mostly divided into 4 classes - commoners, priests, warriors, and royal blood.
Commoners as the name states are the common people further divided into peasants, woodcutters, merchants, guards, knights (in rare cases), etc. In short, they are subjects in the end who live their life doing menial works and give taxes to the people who own their lands i.e lords. Lords send the money to kings who give them incentives from it.
Priests aren't like the priests of our world. They are warriors too, though they are skilled in magic and can become a healer, a support mage warrior or regular priests who do the rituals and all like marrying off two people.
There's some weird part about how warriors and royal blood work. Royal blood is mostly composed of lords and Kings but many of them who can't acquire the positions of authority end up becoming knights, generals, etc or in short - they get a position which still has them becoming protectors of people but as one can guess, a vast majority of them are entitled feudalists who abuse their power and harass others.
"And this is Basindhole village."
Sylvester points towards the village that seems to have appeared out of some high-quality fantasy visual novel that the artist has spent days polishing up. It is twilight by the time we arrive here. The rays have turned orange and golden.
The way it applies its contrast on the cute small brick houses, several rocky wells adorned around fruit-laden trees in full bloom, mesmerizes me and I stand on the spot. From far away I can see children running amok the muddy streets. Animals that looks like a cow but with the elephant-like body are spread on some green pastures happily chewing the emerald green grass.
Some older women in loose tops and long baggy skirts are talking among themselves.
"It's usually more silent here but today's the time of festival so people are excited. C'mon, let's go."
Sylvester taps on my back in a friendly manner.
"Okay, let's go. Even I am very excited now."