“Gahh!!”
I couldn’t help the scream as I jumped from the floor.
My breathing was rough as I looked around, and I found my new surroundings to be both unpleasant and soothing.
Hills of grasslands spread as far as my eye could see. It was a bright sunny day with a cool breeze that served to calm me down.
But I still didn’t know where I was. Combined with the shocking experience with that robot truck, I wasn’t exactly in the right frame of mind.
I slowly stood, assessing my condition, which was perfectly fine. In fact, I felt great, as if I had been rejuvenated.
I gradually calmed down.
But then, I suddenly felt my hand start burning.
“Agh! Damn!”
I clutched my wrist and saw what was happening.
It was like a tattoo was being seared onto the back of my right hand. I saw a ring of 13 stars appear.
“Huh? These stars, they’re kind of like the Betsy Ross flag. I guess it's not the worst tattoo to get, but damn did that hurt.”
I rubbed the ring of stars. The pain had luckily faded. It just felt tender now.
“But this still doesn’t help me. Where the hell am I?”
I was worried as I saw nothing but grasslands. I didn’t know where I was or how the hell I got here.
After a while though, I just started walking.
I walked for close to two hours in a single direction, seeing nothing but grasslands and the occasional patch of trees.
After getting over a hill though, I suddenly saw signs of civilization.
“Village!”
I jumped when I saw the structures in the distance. There was also farmland, and I could see people moving around.
But it was a village, which is what worried me. Where on Earth did villages still exist?
“I guess if it's Ohio or something where all of three and a half people live. But how did I get to Ohio?”
I mumbled while walking toward the village.
But as I got closer, I noticed more and more oddities.
For instance, the rough stone houses, the medieval clothing of the residents, the water well in the center of the village that was actually being used.
“Amish?”
I smiled weirdly, walking into the bounds of the village.
I naturally caught several eyes, many people keeping their distance. I was like some kind of exotic animal that they were all wary of.
And at least they weren't speaking Spanish or something. I could understand them fine, though their accents were different.
“Hey, you.”
I reached out and tapped a man’s shoulder who was passing by with hurried steps. He jumped and turned around, looking at me with caution.
I rolled my eyes, thinking he was just a condescending ass.
“Can you tell me where this is? Like what state and city?”
“I… I must go…”
He had a strained smile as he dodged my question and walked away.
“Dude, seriously? I thought the Amish were nice! Whatever.”
I sighed before walking further in.
And after catching enough attention, I was finally approached by a tall man with a full beard. He seemed like a man of authority, so I smiled in relief.
“Hello, sir.”
“Greetings, traveler. What brings you to this humble village?”
“Yea, I’m lost.”
I scratched my head.
“Can you tell me what state we’re in?”
“State?”
“Yea, or city?”
“...I’m sorry, but the nearest city isn’t for a few dozen miles. To the north you’ll find the City of Haelsverg.”
“Haelsverg? Where am I, in Europe? Nevermind, do you have a phone that I can use? I lost mine.”
“...A fone?”
He looked at me with a dumb face, and suddenly I was a bit more skeptical about my situation.
I narrowed my eyes.
“Hey, what year is it?”
“Uh, I believe the calendar year is 622, sir traveler.”
“622… Ah, shit!”
I remembered the words of that insane robot truck.
“Did I seriously?! Dammit! What the hell is this?! Fucking… Hey, what the hell is this anyway?”
I suddenly brought up the back of my right hand and pushed it to the guy’s face.
After being flustered, he concentrated and saw the 13 star ring. Then, his eyes bulged.
“Oh, esteemed Magus! Forgive my rudeness!”
“The hell?”
I was baffled as the man fell to his knees, the others with him following suit.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m terribly sorry for not realizing sooner, great Magus.”
“What the hell is a Magus?
“...I’m sorry?”
He raised his head, seeing my irked face.
“I’m asking what the hell a Magus is.”
“...A Magus is one who had been blessed by the Holy Ghost. That Crest is the sign of your blessing, and it grants you special power.”
“Oh? What special power?”
“I-I don’t know, great Magus. All I know is, there are three types of Magi. The Warlocks, the Summoners, and the Knights. Which one your crest makes you, I can’t know.”
“Is that right? So I’ve been brought to a primitive magical fairy land. Fantastic.”
I sighed while wrapping my head around my situation.
I was seriously murdered by a robot semi-truck and dropped into this world.
A place where I had no friends, no family, not so much as an acquaintance besides this man who was probably the village chief.
I was all alone, with nobody to rely on, in a new place that I hadn’t the slightest clue about how it worked.
The only thing that gave me any reassurance was this crest on my hand.
The reality hit me, and for a long moment, I processed it all.
And then, I closed my eyes.
“...Fuck it. It is what it is. Hey, village chief.”
“Yes?”
The man rose to his feet cautiously.
I spoke with a deadpan face.
“How do I get to the city?”
……
…
It was 3 days later that I realized I may have misspoken.
When I had said city, I meant the nearest city. But apparently the village chief thought I meant the damn capital city at the center of whatever kingdom we were in.
Well, at least travel was fast.
Besides the crest, it was the village chief who introduced me to the first fantastical thing that confirmed this wasn’t Earth.
Our rides to the city were on giant birds with saddles on their backs. These things had a wingspan of at least 20 meters, and they were more than capable of flying with cargo.
With only some essentials, the village chief and I each jumped on a bird and took off.
And I must say, that was the second scariest thing that’s happened to me besides the freak robot truck murder.
To soar in the sky 3 thousand feet above the ground was thrilling. Even after three days of travel, I didn’t get bored of the sights of landscapes that we passed over.
And then, we arrived at the city.
And it was something else.
I thought it was going to be a run down stone forest with dull gray colors and primitive living conditions.
But it seemed this magic shit was more prevalent than I thought.
There was a single giant tower that stood in the center of the city, a tower that rose hundreds of meters in the air with flying mounts like birds and carriages landing on pads across its body. It was a magic tower no matter how I looked at it, with a body of night blue stone and a top of sparkling crystal.
And next to it was a grand palace formed of marble and gold, no doubt where the king and queen of the kingdom lived.
It was called the Kingdom of Dragon’s Tongue, and according to the village chief, it was the best magic kingdom in the world.
Of course, living in a village constrained his worldview, so I wasn’t sure how valid that statement was. Still, anything was new to me, so I didn’t care.
If anything, I was enraptured by the mystical sights and atmosphere of the city.
We landed on the outskirts of the city where the wall was, touching down outside the gate where hundreds of people constantly came and went.
I let the chief approach the guards who manned an outpost, and he talked for me.
“Good sirs, I come with a guest who doesn’t have citizenship. He would like to apply.”
As I had told the chief about how I was a foreigner with no background, he knew what to help me with.
“Temporary visas are 50 coin, and you must head to customs in order to apply for citizenship.”
“Here.”
The chief paid the 50 coin, and he was easily handed a card, which he passed to me.
After that, we entered the city. I glanced at the man who led me.
“I’ll pay you back, once I get my hands on some money.”
“Oh, no worries at all, John.”
He waved. Honestly, the only reason I was letting him do anything for me was because I had nothing to my name and no direction to go. I was in a desperate situation, so I could only leech off this man.
But I wasn’t going to let this go without reimbursement. His goodwill would be repaid, someday.
“So you said I should enter the Magisterium?”
“Yes. There you’ll be able to find a path in life, one that hinges on your crest. It's the most prestigious institution in the kingdom that accepts just about every Magus, at least for the first year.”
I had been briefed on this Magisterium, which was basically a magic college.
It was a place that taught magic to all three types of Magi. It taught the Warlocks how to spell cast, the summoners how to summon, and the Knights how to fight.
But of course, it did all this for a reason.
And that was to fight the existential threat of the world.
They were called the Scourge, a non-human race of humanoids and beasts that sought nothing but the destruction of humanity.
Humanity had been at war with them for hundreds of years, but year after year, the battles only got worse, and the contenders only got stronger.
The Kingdom of Dragon’s Tongue was one of two kingdoms that fought the Scourge. The other kingdom was one that the chief knew nothing about.
So, with the ever present threat on their doorstep, the Magisterium was the world’s leader in churning out powerful Magi for the cause.
And it would be my first step forward in this crazy world.
“You won’t be able to join immediately though. There are about five months before the new year starts and entries are accepted.”
“Huh? So what do I do for five months?”
“Well…”
The chief looked around as we walked through the city.
Plenty of shops, and bills didn’t pay themselves.
I sighed.
“I guess I better find a job.”
“Don’t worry, there’s always work to find in this place. I’ll stay with you for a few days until you find one, and then I’ll need to head back to my village.”
“Thank you, chief.”
“Hey, kid!”
My head spun to the right at the sudden shout, my eyes landing on a man who seemed to run one of the shops.
He leaned on the doorway as he eyed me, his mouth chewing on a small toothpick.
“You lookin for work?”
“Depends.”
I crossed my arms, prompting him to lay out the offer.
“I’m a delivery man, and I need more runners. You get paid by the job, and the schedule isn’t uptight like other jobs. I’ll even give you a starting bonus, since you seem to be new here.”
“Huh. What do you think, chief?”
I glanced at the chief, who was rubbing his beard.
Then, he shrugged.
“It’s up to you, John. It’s either that or working in a bakery or a store as a counter clerk.”
“Hm, I guess I’ll take this then. Alright guy, I accept.”
I walked over, and as shaking hands seemed to be the symbol it was on Earth, I shook the stranger’s hand.
He smiled.
“The name’s Plex.”
“John.”
“Come inside, John. I’ll show you what we do here.”
“Alright.”
I nodded, but before leaving, I turned back to the chief.
“I don’t think you need to wait for me, chief.”
“Eh, I might as well stick around for a day or so. The capital is fun to visit. John, if you need anything, find me at the Moonlight Inn.”
“Right. Thanks chief. You’ve helped me more than you know.”
“It was nothing, John. Now go on. You know where to find me.”
He waved me off, so I went with Plex into the shop.
Thus began my first job in this new world.
“Gahh!!”
I couldn’t help the scream as I jumped from the floor.
My breathing was rough as I looked around, and I found my new surroundings to be both unpleasant and soothing.
Hills of grasslands spread as far as my eye could see. It was a bright sunny day with a cool breeze that served to calm me down.
But I still didn’t know where I was. Combined with the shocking experience with that robot truck, I wasn’t exactly in the right frame of mind.
I slowly stood, assessing my condition, which was perfectly fine. In fact, I felt great, as if I had been rejuvenated.
I gradually calmed down.
But then, I suddenly felt my hand start burning.
“Agh! Damn!”
I clutched my wrist and saw what was happening.
It was like a tattoo was being seared onto the back of my right hand. I saw a ring of 13 stars appear.
“Huh? These stars, they’re kind of like the Betsy Ross flag. I guess it's not the worst tattoo to get, but damn did that hurt.”
I rubbed the ring of stars. The pain had luckily faded. It just felt tender now.
“But this still doesn’t help me. Where the hell am I?”
I was worried as I saw nothing but grasslands. I didn’t know where I was or how the hell I got here.
After a while though, I just started walking.
I walked for close to two hours in a single direction, seeing nothing but grasslands and the occasional patch of trees.
After getting over a hill though, I suddenly saw signs of civilization.
“Village!”
I jumped when I saw the structures in the distance. There was also farmland, and I could see people moving around.
But it was a village, which is what worried me. Where on Earth did villages still exist?
“I guess if it's Ohio or something where all of three and a half people live. But how did I get to Ohio?”
I mumbled while walking toward the village.
But as I got closer, I noticed more and more oddities.
For instance, the rough stone houses, the medieval clothing of the residents, the water well in the center of the village that was actually being used.
“Amish?”
I smiled weirdly, walking into the bounds of the village.
I naturally caught several eyes, many people keeping their distance. I was like some kind of exotic animal that they were all wary of.
And at least they weren't speaking Spanish or something. I could understand them fine, though their accents were different.
“Hey, you.”
I reached out and tapped a man’s shoulder who was passing by with hurried steps. He jumped and turned around, looking at me with caution.
I rolled my eyes, thinking he was just a condescending ass.
“Can you tell me where this is? Like what state and city?”
“I… I must go…”
He had a strained smile as he dodged my question and walked away.
“Dude, seriously? I thought the Amish were nice! Whatever.”
I sighed before walking further in.
And after catching enough attention, I was finally approached by a tall man with a full beard. He seemed like a man of authority, so I smiled in relief.
“Hello, sir.”
“Greetings, traveler. What brings you to this humble village?”
“Yea, I’m lost.”
I scratched my head.
“Can you tell me what state we’re in?”
“State?”
“Yea, or city?”
“...I’m sorry, but the nearest city isn’t for a few dozen miles. To the north you’ll find the City of Haelsverg.”
“Haelsverg? Where am I, in Europe? Nevermind, do you have a phone that I can use? I lost mine.”
“...A fone?”
He looked at me with a dumb face, and suddenly I was a bit more skeptical about my situation.
I narrowed my eyes.
“Hey, what year is it?”
“Uh, I believe the calendar year is 622, sir traveler.”
“622… Ah, shit!”
I remembered the words of that insane robot truck.
“Did I seriously?! Dammit! What the hell is this?! Fucking… Hey, what the hell is this anyway?”
I suddenly brought up the back of my right hand and pushed it to the guy’s face.
After being flustered, he concentrated and saw the 13 star ring. Then, his eyes bulged.
“Oh, esteemed Magus! Forgive my rudeness!”
“The hell?”
I was baffled as the man fell to his knees, the others with him following suit.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m terribly sorry for not realizing sooner, great Magus.”
“What the hell is a Magus?
“...I’m sorry?”
He raised his head, seeing my irked face.
“I’m asking what the hell a Magus is.”
“...A Magus is one who had been blessed by the Holy Ghost. That Crest is the sign of your blessing, and it grants you special power.”
“Oh? What special power?”
“I-I don’t know, great Magus. All I know is, there are three types of Magi. The Warlocks, the Summoners, and the Knights. Which one your crest makes you, I can’t know.”
“Is that right? So I’ve been brought to a primitive magical fairy land. Fantastic.”
I sighed while wrapping my head around my situation.
I was seriously murdered by a robot semi-truck and dropped into this world.
A place where I had no friends, no family, not so much as an acquaintance besides this man who was probably the village chief.
I was all alone, with nobody to rely on, in a new place that I hadn’t the slightest clue about how it worked.
The only thing that gave me any reassurance was this crest on my hand.
The reality hit me, and for a long moment, I processed it all.
And then, I closed my eyes.
“...Fuck it. It is what it is. Hey, village chief.”
“Yes?”
The man rose to his feet cautiously.
I spoke with a deadpan face.
“How do I get to the city?”
……
…
It was 3 days later that I realized I may have misspoken.
When I had said city, I meant the nearest city. But apparently the village chief thought I meant the damn capital city at the center of whatever kingdom we were in.
Well, at least travel was fast.
Besides the crest, it was the village chief who introduced me to the first fantastical thing that confirmed this wasn’t Earth.
Our rides to the city were on giant birds with saddles on their backs. These things had a wingspan of at least 20 meters, and they were more than capable of flying with cargo.
With only some essentials, the village chief and I each jumped on a bird and took off.
And I must say, that was the second scariest thing that’s happened to me besides the freak robot truck murder.
To soar in the sky 3 thousand feet above the ground was thrilling. Even after three days of travel, I didn’t get bored of the sights of landscapes that we passed over.
And then, we arrived at the city.
And it was something else.
I thought it was going to be a run down stone forest with dull gray colors and primitive living conditions.
But it seemed this magic shit was more prevalent than I thought.
There was a single giant tower that stood in the center of the city, a tower that rose hundreds of meters in the air with flying mounts like birds and carriages landing on pads across its body. It was a magic tower no matter how I looked at it, with a body of night blue stone and a top of sparkling crystal.
And next to it was a grand palace formed of marble and gold, no doubt where the king and queen of the kingdom lived.
It was called the Kingdom of Dragon’s Tongue, and according to the village chief, it was the best magic kingdom in the world.
Of course, living in a village constrained his worldview, so I wasn’t sure how valid that statement was. Still, anything was new to me, so I didn’t care.
If anything, I was enraptured by the mystical sights and atmosphere of the city.
We landed on the outskirts of the city where the wall was, touching down outside the gate where hundreds of people constantly came and went.
I let the chief approach the guards who manned an outpost, and he talked for me.
“Good sirs, I come with a guest who doesn’t have citizenship. He would like to apply.”
As I had told the chief about how I was a foreigner with no background, he knew what to help me with.
“Temporary visas are 50 coin, and you must head to customs in order to apply for citizenship.”
“Here.”
The chief paid the 50 coin, and he was easily handed a card, which he passed to me.
After that, we entered the city. I glanced at the man who led me.
“I’ll pay you back, once I get my hands on some money.”
“Oh, no worries at all, John.”
He waved. Honestly, the only reason I was letting him do anything for me was because I had nothing to my name and no direction to go. I was in a desperate situation, so I could only leech off this man.
But I wasn’t going to let this go without reimbursement. His goodwill would be repaid, someday.
“So you said I should enter the Magisterium?”
“Yes. There you’ll be able to find a path in life, one that hinges on your crest. It's the most prestigious institution in the kingdom that accepts just about every Magus, at least for the first year.”
I had been briefed on this Magisterium, which was basically a magic college.
It was a place that taught magic to all three types of Magi. It taught the Warlocks how to spell cast, the summoners how to summon, and the Knights how to fight.
But of course, it did all this for a reason.
And that was to fight the existential threat of the world.
They were called the Scourge, a non-human race of humanoids and beasts that sought nothing but the destruction of humanity.
Humanity had been at war with them for hundreds of years, but year after year, the battles only got worse, and the contenders only got stronger.
The Kingdom of Dragon’s Tongue was one of two kingdoms that fought the Scourge. The other kingdom was one that the chief knew nothing about.
So, with the ever present threat on their doorstep, the Magisterium was the world’s leader in churning out powerful Magi for the cause.
And it would be my first step forward in this crazy world.
“You won’t be able to join immediately though. There are about five months before the new year starts and entries are accepted.”
“Huh? So what do I do for five months?”
“Well…”
The chief looked around as we walked through the city.
Plenty of shops, and bills didn’t pay themselves.
I sighed.
“I guess I better find a job.”
“Don’t worry, there’s always work to find in this place. I’ll stay with you for a few days until you find one, and then I’ll need to head back to my village.”
“Thank you, chief.”
“Hey, kid!”
My head spun to the right at the sudden shout, my eyes landing on a man who seemed to run one of the shops.
He leaned on the doorway as he eyed me, his mouth chewing on a small toothpick.
“You lookin for work?”
“Depends.”
I crossed my arms, prompting him to lay out the offer.
“I’m a delivery man, and I need more runners. You get paid by the job, and the schedule isn’t uptight like other jobs. I’ll even give you a starting bonus, since you seem to be new here.”
“Huh. What do you think, chief?”
I glanced at the chief, who was rubbing his beard.
Then, he shrugged.
“It’s up to you, John. It’s either that or working in a bakery or a store as a counter clerk.”
“Hm, I guess I’ll take this then. Alright guy, I accept.”
I walked over, and as shaking hands seemed to be the symbol it was on Earth, I shook the stranger’s hand.
He smiled.
“The name’s Plex.”
“John.”
“Come inside, John. I’ll show you what we do here.”
“Alright.”
I nodded, but before leaving, I turned back to the chief.
“I don’t think you need to wait for me, chief.”
“Eh, I might as well stick around for a day or so. The capital is fun to visit. John, if you need anything, find me at the Moonlight Inn.”
“Right. Thanks chief. You’ve helped me more than you know.”
“It was nothing, John. Now go on. You know where to find me.”
He waved me off, so I went with Plex into the shop.
Thus began my first job in this new world.
