The arrogant son of a noble family, acting as if he were a king. That was how everyone knew him. This title belonged to Ed Rothtaylor.
Many feared him, others despised him. To many, he was the embodiment of the devil, and not without reason. He committed terrible deeds: abusing power, humiliating the weak, and ruining lives with impunity. But, as they say, karma always catches up with those who deserve it. During one of his schemes, he was caught red-handed by none other than Princess Phoenia herself. After that, he was expelled from his family, stripped of his inheritance, and even evicted from the academy dormitory. It seemed that he was one step away from being expelled from the academy entirely.
But there was one "but."
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Sylvania Academy—the most prestigious magic academy in the world, located on a vast island. It was renowned not only for its teachings but also for the elite of society who studied there. Graduating from Sylvania guaranteed a prosperous and honorable life.
Sitting on one of the benches in the academy courtyard was none other than Ed Rothtaylor.
Students passed by, some glancing at him with disdain, others with curiosity, and a few with a hint of fear.
"Look, that's the disowned heir of the Rothtaylor family," someone whispered.
"Shh! Do you want something terrible to happen to you?"
"What can he do to me? He's no longer a noble, just a castaway."
"True enough."
The whispers didn't stop. Each one was like a dagger stabbing at Ed's pride. But the problem lay elsewhere.
"I understand," he thought, clutching his head in his hands. "Your anger is justified. But I'm not that Ed!"
He took a deep breath and looked around. One thought spun endlessly in his mind:
"I was just playing my favorite game, The Failed Swordsman of Sylvania. Everything was going as usual until a bright flash occurred. And then… I woke up here, in the body of this third-rate villain—Ed Rothtaylor, who's about to be thrown out of the academy!"
Ed jumped up from the bench, clenching his fists. His face was distorted by anger and despair.
"This isn't fair! What kind of sick joke is this?!" he shouted, as if addressing some unseen force. "I've always lived a simple and modest life! No luxury, no wealth…"
His outburst didn't go unnoticed. A group of students surrounding him erupted into jeers.
"A modest life? You? Do you even have a conscience?" someone in the crowd shouted.
"This is outrageous!" added another.
"Let's go, guys," said a third, waving dismissively.
The group dispersed, leaving Ed alone. He sat back on the bench, lowering his head and staring blankly at the ground. His thoughts darted around like restless birds, and a strange heaviness grew in his chest. He began to recall everything he knew about Ed Rothtaylor and his fate. It was a difficult task, as the character disappeared from the game's plot almost as soon as he was introduced.
However, a single memory surfaced in his mind. An illustration showing the future of Ed: standing in ragged clothes, his eyes hollow, begging passersby for coins.
"Hah, no surprise," he thought bitterly. "That Ed was an arrogant fool who knew nothing about the real world. He's lucky he even managed to survive."
Ed lifted his head and slowly scanned the empty courtyard before him. Questions buzzed in his mind like irritating flies: "How did I end up in his body? Why me?" But he knew he wasn't likely to find answers.
Clenching his teeth, Ed decided to close his eyes and try to process everything. "Enough complaining. I need to do something. If this Ed was doomed to a miserable existence, then maybe I can change his fate."
He clenched his fists, preparing to stand, but suddenly he heard a strange noise from within. It was a low metallic sound, like the movement of gears.
Around his body, tiny particles of light began to swirl, growing brighter and denser. They completely enveloped him, forming a cocoon. Moments later, a pillar of light descended from the sky, engulfing Ed entirely and hiding him from view.
Ed didn't know what was happening, but he felt his body vibrating strangely, resonating with something unseen. His eyes remained shut, but his ears caught the sounds—the gears continued turning, their echo filling the air.
If he could see his reflection now, he would notice a large glowing gear in each of his eyes, spinning rapidly.
When he finally opened his eyes, his breath caught. Before him stretched an infinite cosmos. Vast and boundless, it was dotted with bright stars, enveloped in absolute silence.
Ed realized he could no longer feel his body—no bench beneath him, no ground. He was floating in the void, as if his existence was no longer tied to the physical world.
He tried to scream, but no sound escaped his throat. Even his voice seemed stolen by this strange reality. Steeling himself, he calmed down and began to look around, only to realize that he was not alone.
Surrounding him was a line. A line of copies of himself. He was just one among them.
Turning his head back, he saw younger versions of Ed Rothtaylor standing behind him. The farther back he looked, the younger and more carefree their faces appeared.
When he looked forward, he saw the opposite. The Eds closer to the front of the line were much older. Their faces were weathered, filled with exhaustion. Many bore scars, others looked emaciated. Some were missing arms or legs, and others were covered in blood. One Ed even looked as if he had been crushed by a massive boulder.
However, there was something that united all these older Eds—their eyes. They burned with a fierce determination. Even those who appeared broken and frail exuded an inner strength that Ed, in his current state, lacked.
Suddenly, one of the older Eds, standing far ahead in the line, stepped out and began walking toward him. His steps were steady and confident. Ed froze, watching him, feeling a strange sense of foreboding rise within him.
Who were these Eds? Why were they here? And most importantly—what role was he meant to play?
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Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Unfortunately, you'll have to wait a couple of days for the next one.
By the way, I wanted to add: Ed both has and doesn't have a system. The reason is simple—I couldn't figure out how to write it properly. I read a terribly translated novel with a system, and I couldn't fully understand what it was capable of.
Well, that's all for now! I'll have to part with you for a little while.