Maximus! Don't make a mess." Screamed Aeliana when she noticed that Maximus was climbing a shelf to get a book.
Maximus spent his first months in the world learning about his new environment. He watched his mother as she went about her daily chores, taking care of him and working in the fields. He observed the animals that he had never seen before around him, fascinated by the way they looked and interacted with one another. He has also learnt how to read and write.
As time went on, Maximus began to develop his motor skills. He learned to roll over, crawl, and eventually stand and take his first steps. But as he grew more aware of the world around him, Maximus began to realize that he was different from those around him. He saw his mother use magic to heal his wounds and make the plants around them grow. He watched in awe as she summoned gusts of wind to cool them off on a hot day, or to send a message to someone far away.
"I know that I possess magic too. I feel there is something coursing through my veins along with my blood, but I cannot control it at all" Max was frustrated. He has spent months trying to control magic, but all of his attempts failed.
Throughout these months Max had learned a lot about the village, and realized that everyone seemed to avoid his mother, Aeliana. "It might be because my dad disappeared some time ago before my birth, but why are they ignoring her and acting so hostile? It does not mean he is dead." - Wondered Max. "This world is in the Kingdom era, and because of magic usage, people are not relying on technology to improve daily lives, so peasants are suffering and dying. Because of what is happening to mother, I can assume that widows are looked down upon, especially those who have children."
His mother in fact, appeared to be the only person in the village who could use magic. When she did not work on the fields and looked after him, she was helping the rest of the villagers healing their injuries. The population of the village was fifteen hundred people, all commoners who work in the fields, but because of their cold environment, they could only grow crops for 3 months a year.
The reason this village was this poor is because of the environment that it was. Because of the limited amount of time villagers have to grow the crops each year, their produced amount is very low. The other reason was that this village is located in the territories of Baron Roderick, who was known for his cruelty and greed. This Baron requests high taxes, and if not enough are paid, he could even slaughter a village without anyone complaining, as strong reign supreme in this world of magic.
That was another lesson that Max had learned. Do not go against a strong opponent if you are weak or against a mage if you do not have magic because you will be killed and your family most likely punished, killed, or tortured. Because strong reign supreme, slavery was also active in this world, since those who were weaker, when caught, could only obey, or be killed, so commoners who could not pay back on their loans or pay taxes were often enslaved and sold to slave traders.
Although this was difficult to accept for Max, a person who had never truly seen violence in his home world, as he was a simple and naive kid pursuing the epitome of the sport that he loved dearly, he quickly realized that this was how the world works, and if he wanted to change it, then Maximus needs to stand at the very peak of the world and possess power that was unmatched by anyone else to change this world and society for the better.
Unfortunately for Max, he is in for a shock, because this world is hundreds of times bigger than Earth and anyone who wants to even reach the upper echelons of society, he would need to possess an incredible magic talent and go through enemies, wars, and kill thousands who stand on his path, simply for an opportunity to touch upon the upper echelons.
For Maximus, the path ahead of him is long and arduous, as he was currently only a fledgling with nothing but ambitions that could not be backed up by anything along with a weak mindset from his past peaceful life, that will only bring him to an early downfall if he fails to adapt to his new life.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Maximus sat quietly, lost in his thoughts. The knowledge he had gained over the past few months had transformed the once dreamlike world into a harsh reality. A world where strength determined survival and the weak were doomed to a life of servitude or worse.
He thought about the cruelty he had witnessed. The commoners toiling away in the fields for a measly subsistence, their existence completely at the mercy of the unkind seasons and the cruel whims of Baron Roderick. He remembered the hopeless despair etched onto the faces of those enslaved, torn away from their homes and families due to circumstances beyond their control.
Maximus reflected on the ill-treatment his mother had received, being ostracized, and treated with disdain despite her relentless efforts to support the village. He could feel a silent fury bubbling within him. This was a world that dismissed kindness, exploited weakness, and praised brutality.
Looking up at the sky, the stars twinkling like distant dreams, Maximus couldn't help but be reminded of his earlier life. The gentle hum of the pool parlor, the friendly camaraderie of the players, and the simple joys of life on Earth now seemed so distant. Here, in this world of magic and power, the only rule was survival of the fittest.
Yet, Maximus found a strange resolve amidst this cruelty. If this world was a battlefield, then he would have to become a warrior. If the world championed power, then he would amass it. And if the world dismissed the weak, then he would stand up for them. His path was indeed a steep one, paved with challenges and perils, but he was determined to rise above it all.