As I walked back to my room, my hands holding three books, a mix of excitement and anxiety filled me. These books might finally answer some of the many questions swirling in my mind. Yet, my thoughts kept returning to what my mother had told me at lunch: my cousin was now a baron, and our family was to be given lands to rule. The thought of ruling over people unsettled me. How could we, a family that had only ever worked regular jobs in our world, be expected to govern?
My cousin was a carpenter, my uncle the same, and my other cousins worked IT jobs. My parents worked at a local supermarket. None of us had any experience in managing people or land. But then again, I wasn't completely lost. While it wasn't the same as real life, I had played enough fantasy and strategy video games to have a basic idea of what might be expected of us. Still, the whole situation felt surreal.
With that train of thought, I finally arrived at my room. I immediately sat down at the small desk by the window and opened the first book. Each of these books promised to shed light on different topics I was eager to learn more about. One was about Aerithan, another about the Fallen Lands—some phenomenon that supposedly birthed monsters, according to what Claudia had briefly mentioned—and the last was an old, worn book on abilities and skills.
I decided to start with the most intriguing: the book about Aerithan. I hoped it would give me some insight into why I shared his name and whether there was any deeper connection. The book was long and took me almost the entire afternoon to finish. But when I finally closed it, I couldn't help but feel disappointed. Most of it was filled with what seemed, and I hoped were, exaggerated tales of Aerithan's tyranny and oppression, little more than what Claudia had already mentioned during the lesson. The only useful detail I found was that Aerithan had a unique skill called "Information Box," which allowed him to see information about others and the world around him—exactly the same ability I had been using.
That alone was valuable, confirming that my suspicions weren't unfounded. This skill was unique to Aerithan, which meant there was likely a deeper connection between us. But the question remained: Was I him in a previous life? Had my family been summoned to this world because of me? Was this all some bizarre coincidence? Was this the world of a game?
I decided not to dwell on it for now and turned my attention to the other books. By now, night had fallen, and my stomach grumbled in hunger. I went to the hall to ask one of the maids if they could bring dinner to my room. After she nodded, I returned to my desk, waiting for the food to arrive while I opened the second book, the one about the Fallen Lands.
As I read, my dinner arrived on a small cart. I ate as I continued reading, becoming engrossed in the content. The Fallen Lands were described as a phenomenon with unknown origins, a place that drained magic and life from its surroundings, using that energy to create monstrous creatures. However, the most startling piece of information was that the Fallen Lands first appeared around 800 years ago and had been gradually expanding ever since. Occasionally, they were pushed back by armies or mages, but these victories were short-lived.
What truly shocked me was that during the time of the Empire, the Fallen Lands had almost disappeared entirely. This was the only recorded period where the expansion of the Fallen Lands had not only been stopped but reversed. No one knew why this had happened, and it remained a hot topic of debate among scholars. But I had a feeling Aerithan had something to do with it. His abilities were no joke, even though I still only understood a fraction of what they did. Perhaps he had single-handedly halted the spread of the Fallen Lands in some way. But for some reason, no one seemed to know the truth.
This information added more questions to the pile. My connection to Aerithan, the mysteries of the Fallen Lands—there was so much I didn't understand. Still, I didn't care much about the plight of this world right now. My priority was to figure out who I was and what role I played in all of this.
Finishing the second book, I looked out the window and noticed the moon. It was full, glowing with a reddish hue yet retaining the familiar pale white of the moon back in my world. I briefly considered going to sleep, but the mounting questions refused to let me rest. The last book, the one about abilities, seemed like it might finally provide some clarity.
With the moon's light casting soft shadows across the room and the palace eerily silent, I began reading the final book. According to its contents, there were two types of abilities in this world: inherent and acquired. Inherent abilities were passed down through bloodlines and could weaken or even disappear over generations. Acquired abilities, on the other hand, were gained through specific actions—like a farmer developing farming skills after years of work, gradually improving as he honed his craft.
There seemed to be a skill for every possible situation—from improving memory and enhancing reflexes to simply increasing strength. Everything seemed possible. The only aspect that couldn't be improved was mana, which was determined at birth and could not be changed.
As I familiarized myself with the content, I decided to review my own skills. I realized that many of them had been deactivated, waiting for me to use them. Among them were abilities that improved my strength, memory, speed, and many more. I sat there for a while, pondering what to do with this knowledge. I now understood what most of my abilities did, and the thought of activating them tempted me. But I knew there would be consequences.
If I used them, people would notice, even if I tried to be discreet. On the other hand, if I didn't use them, there were no immediate consequences—at least for now. I decided it was too dangerous to use them, not yet. If there was one thing I knew from my life back in the old world, it was that power had a way of changing people. Once I started using these abilities, I wasn't sure I'd be able to stop.
Setting the books down, I gazed out the window, feeling a strange mix of exhaustion and excitement. I had never studied so intently before. Back in my world, nothing had ever really interested me. After high school, I didn't care much for further education, nor did I find a job. I spent most of my time playing video games, finding comfort in those virtual worlds. But now, for the first time in my life, something had ignited my curiosity. I had a purpose. And I couldn't rest until I had uncovered the truth.
I couldn't help but grin at this realization. But then, something caught my eye—a familiar figure in the garden. The red-haired woman I had encountered the night before was walking alone, seemingly lost in thought. I watched her closely, noticing the bored expression on her face. Suddenly, she lifted her head and looked directly in my direction, her eyes filled with intrigue.
Panic surged through me, and I instinctively ducked out of sight. My heart raced as I tried to make sense of the situation. Had she recognized me? I waited for a few moments before cautiously peeking out the window again. But she was gone.
I searched the garden carefully, scanning for any sign of her, but there was no one. Maybe it had just been a coincidence that she looked my way. I could only hope. After waiting a bit longer, the garden remained as quiet and serene as before.
Exhaustion finally overtook me. My mind was buzzing from all the reading and the flood of new information I had absorbed. I collapsed onto the bed, falling asleep almost instantly, still haunted by the thought that the red-haired woman had set her sights on me.