Chapter 1- Wriggling
◆ The Beginning of My Life
The world I was born into seemed like something out of a medieval fantasy world. And my birth was in a family with a rare status in the kingdom, holding the title of Knighthood.
In my memories, the title had a different meaning than what I had known. No, it originally had a different origin, but over the long, long period of feudal society, I later learned that the title of Knighthood had evolved and become more established.
Yes, a Knightly House was meant to bridge the gap between the nobility and the common folk.
--- The world I was born into was nothing like the one I had known in my previous life.
It was a place that could hardly be called a civilized society. The so-called democracy, the concept of equality, the ideology of helping the weak, the way of worshiping a god... everything was a phenomenon from a different world that was completely separated from my past life. To be born into a completely different world where freedom of action was suppressed in everything, was it? All the things recorded in the soul had become events from the distant past of a dreamlike realm. In other words, useless memories.
I see. If the things in the memory are completely inapplicable in this world, then such memories would only serve as an obstruction. Moreover, for someone who had lived a satisfactory life in the previous world, this situation would indeed be seen as a punishment.
Even if one were to honestly speak about what had happened to them, the events would be so absurd that, in a world where psychology did not exist, no one would be able to understand. It was clear as day that they would be treated as a madman.
It was certain that, with no permission to speak and their knowledge rendered useless, they would strongly feel a deep longing for the joyful and prosperous life they had lived in their previous life. Having not been commanded to "accomplish something" and unable to find any meaning in their existence, being cast into loneliness, this world could be called a purgatory for them.
―― Yet, oh God of my past life.
It was unfortunate for you.
For me, it could not be called a punishment. My heart, which did not even feel a trace of nostalgia for the previous life ruled by emptiness, actually felt a sense of affection for this world. To me, this punishment could even be called a blessing.
If there was nothing, then I would acquire it. If the knowledge from my past life was useless, then I would gather knowledge in this life. I simply felt as if my heart had been freed from malice and harm. Forgetting everything from my past life, I had a chance to redo everything in my life.
--- If this isn’t to be called a blessing, then what else could it be called?
The day I was born, I awakened. As time passed, I gradually understood my position and began learning about this world. Just like any other child, I learned about this world, writing each letter carefully on a blank notebook, one by one.
Thanks to the memories of my past life, I had a slight advantage. I deeply understood the importance of learning. While I was recognized as a well-behaved child, I was simply absorbed in learning about this world.
This was misunderstood in a positive direction. I became known as a child who was easy to manage, quiet, and unremarkable. This was my position in childhood. Being the youngest in the family, in a sense, it was a place prepared for me to fully enjoy the love and affection of my family.
To learn was to know. There was no need to flaunt my knowledge. And so, I spent my childhood in silence. Without being neglected, all the necessary things for daily life were provided, my brothers cared for me, and my parents raised me properly.
In my previous life, it was a joy I could never have hoped for, an unexpected delight. Although it was a rough form of affection, I was never neglected, and they did care for me properly. Being from a knight's family, which was always busy with various matters, the rough treatment was unavoidable, and I understood that well. Perhaps because of this, I was seen as a well-behaved, silent, and quiet child.
^ ^ ^ ^
Compared to the world of my previous life, this world was a stagnant place, endlessly so, and one where magic—a mysterious force—existed. The thousands of years of societal stagnation had led to the continuation of an absolute monarchy and a nobility system, with distinct social classes that were ever-present.
Even among the common folk, there were strict and rigid social classes, with divisions between merchants, artisans, and farmers. The existence of a slave class, a truly inhumane aspect, was also a reality. It was a multilayered, overlapping hierarchical society. In this world, following the rules was vital to surviving.
The kingdom in which we lived was ruled by the King and the supreme royal family, who symbolized the authority of the state and controlled everything.
As a fact, it was common sense that had to be accepted. In this world, like many countries including this one, the high-ranking nobles operated under a council system, assisting the royal family's authority and driving the country's governance. The middle-ranking nobles acted as the hands and feet of the high-ranking nobles, handling the administrative duties, while the lower-ranking nobles took actual action and pushed forward the nation's politics.
--- Centralized, autocratic rule was the standard in "this world."
In my previous life, a society from the late medieval period to what is considered the modern era had continued uninterrupted. Why was that possible? The answer was simple. Yes, in this world, there was mana and magic. Social instability could be forcibly resolved through mana and magic.
For me, who retained memories of my past life, it was something like a mysterious power —something incomprehensible. However, in this world, "mana and magic" determined a person's value.
--- Yes, to protect oneself from the forces of nature and establish society.
A collective feudal system ruled by the powerful. It was truly the way things should be. Those without power had no voice, and without a voice, they couldn't change the social system.
Even if a smart awakened person became a leader and sought "social change," it would be swiftly suppressed by those who wielded the absolute power of vast internal mana and used magic (the royal and noble classes). If they hated that, they had no choice but to escape the eyes of the kingdoms and dwell in the vast and deep forest that covered the world teeming with monsters.
Even if they attempted to carry it out, their group would disappear into the annals of history within a few generations. This was because the ecosystem in those regions was so harsh that even the powerful had given up on cultivating it. The scattered human territories nestled in the gaps of the Demonic Forest that covered the world were constantly exposed to threats.
Thus, the people of this world all felt it deeply—they were being protected by those with power.
---
The king possessed an unimaginable amount of internal mana, and the magic he could wield exhibited overwhelming power.
The king’s magic was so powerful that it could even interfere with the heavens and the weather (All of Creation). The hierarchy of nobility was structured as follows: the King (royalty), Grand Dukes and Dukes (semi-royalty), Margraves and Marquises (high-ranking nobles), High Counts and Counts (mid-ranking nobles), Viscounts, Barons, Baronets (low-ranking nobles), and finally Knightly Lords (the lowest rank of nobility). This hierarchy was determined by the amount of internal mana and the potency of their magic.
Those who ruled had to flaunt their power and ensure the peace and security of the people and the kingdom. They had to stabilize the territories inhabited by humans and devise ways to survive. They had to work with other countries to reduce the natural threats as much as possible. They had to strive to expand the human survival area, no matter how small.
Even if it resulted in war with other nations, the expansion of one's own country was considered a permissible act in the face of the supreme mandate to secure a viable living space.
So clear was it, even to children, that the magnitude of mana and the power of the magic one could wield were crucial factors in determining a person's worth. Therefore, ordinary people (the citizens) who couldn't wield magic could never rise up. With few exceptions, social status was fixed.
On the other hand, for the citizens, those who had nothing, the ability known as Skill was highly valued. In the church, they would place their hands on a crystal ball to learn the Skills granted from above. Based on these Skills, their social rank was determined.
Thus, there was still some fluidity between classes. However, because a parent's Skills passed down to their children, it was nearly fixed.
High and middle-ranking nobles who protected the many citizens and maintained the state's structure. Lower-ranking nobles who defended habitable regions and faced the brutal forces of nature. Citizens who struggled tirelessly to keep their lives going. Many such kingdoms, including those of other countries, existed in this world.
The awakened "commoners" with idealistic visions of a dream world were not permitted to exist in this world.
The existence of powerful monsters and magic beasts in the "Demonic Forest" did not allow for that. In this world, the idea that all people were equal was a problem even before it could be considered a fantasy. Those with power gained everything... that was the prevailing social norm in this world.
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