章 1: Grantt Maximilian
????: [Breaking news! Grant Maximilian, the owner of the largest corporate giant in the world, had died in a car accident!]
How unfortunate.
????: [After crashing, Maximilian's car had reportedly exploded into flames!]
The news was full of it. They were never able to find the truth behind such an event. It will remain a secret.
I died, but more specifically, I was killed.
It was no mere accident. It was orchestrated to bring down those who remained at the top for too long.
I might have been too arrogant.
Far too disillusioned and confident, struck at the back of the head. I was just too late to realize it.
If I were to be given another chance to rise once again, I would take it. I would grab it, and I would make sure that everything would be flawless.
The world behind me was ruthless. They would do anything to bring down those who were at the top, and with millions who were full of envy and spite, I, who was at the top, gained their hate. An obvious outcome, but a worthy achievement.
This obsession of mine for success will never be satisfied. It's a guilty pleasure to greed.
However, it all faded to black.
An angelic voice born from nothing, speaking to the non-existent me.
Angelic Voice: [Will you take the chance to be reborn?]
Of course, I would.
In a world I alone can rule, that is.
Angelic Voice: [You will have to strive to gain what you desire.]
In any world, I will. That is obvious.
Angelic Voice: [Will you bend a broken world, to your will?]
If your unknown omniscient self will allow it, then I shall, I will and I can.
That is confidence and skill, that I bring to you.
Without it, I am nothing but an ambitious man.
Angelic Voice: [Then, let us grant us your new life. Grantt. Become the messiah of this world.]
From a black-clad world, new life was breathed into me.
With golden hands that came to pull me out from this translucent water, I was reborn.
[May your new life bring a miracle to this broken world.]
△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼
[———]
[...M——]
???: [Master Grantt!]
My eyes open up widely. I could remember dreaming about dying. However, there was but a thin lining between those thoughts I had.
They were both me, but at different times, finally fusing.
Why did I think of dreaming when I had died, the me that had once here became traces of the past, lifting the illusion of my "old self."
Some voices called out, their blurred faces above mine, looking closely as I come to.
They looked like those victorian maids I've read about in books. They were dressed up exactly like how I would imagine some characters in a novel.
Why would I think of such a thing though? I knew that they had served my family for a long time, and I am the sole surviving heir of such nobility.
Female Voice: [Master———!]
How annoying, they scream like I am on the verge of death. I should forget the thought of waiting for them to calm down before making a move. A sudden change in my behavior might make them suspicious of who I truly am.
Let us provide a short recap of the memories engraved in this body.
I, Grant Maximilian am the sole heir of the Maximilian Nobility. After receiving the title of a marquess, my father, Julius Maximilian was appointed as a vassal of this land, Hellsburg, a doomed land.
Father aspired to receive land but land like this was like placing a new player on extreme difficulty, whereas a simple mistake would lead to decline.
In any way, his wealth quickly decline in search of a solution for the drought that plagued this land. He had to spend, if not thousands, then millions on food and medicine due to the unstable weather conditions of the place, through winter and droughts.
However, as it continued to plague them, their mother was the one to suffer an illness along with the residents.
She died a year after giving birth to me, a child born from the white snowy skies and the drought land of Hellsburg.
Father would regret even receiving a land right after her death, thinking that he would be finally able to create heaven not just for his family, but for those who sought it.
He brought me up on his own, teaching me the ways of a noble, with the help of the maids that never seemed to age.
When I became 15 years old, my father suddenly died after being attacked by a monster while helping the villagers dig the ground in search of water.
I didn't cry that day for it was his wish for me to become happy. "I'm sorry, I failed them," he said as his last words.
However, I had different plans. I didn't want to become a failure. It was not because being a failure was bad, but it was something that I would never accept as an outcome.
It was depressing to think, even for the villagers who had their lord die. Their hope was almost close to nothing, however, the previous me before 'I' had transferred was able to ration the food for the villagers that would last for two weeks, a kind and naive move.
He left nothing for himself, an idiotic sentiment if I were to judge the previous consciousness. He decided that it was a good idea to die from hunger? Don't make a fool of me. A person wielding my name should never die a dog's death.
Maximilian: [I have to clean after your mess…]
Female Voice: [Master Grantt?! Don't push yourself! You haven't eaten for the last three days! You shouldn't have given all of that food to the villagers!]
There was one extremely enthusiastic maid, she was the loudest of them all as they talked over each other. I shared her sentiment. That move was idiotic after all.
She was Jai, a maid in charge of the gardening, and was one of the twenty maids that were tasked with most errands. Her short emerald hair and sapphire eyes would be the distinct appearance of all the servants.
Maximilian: [You're right. I shouldn't have done that.]
They all turned their heads to the side as they looked at each other.
I suppose it was something that they didn't expect from 'Grant Maximilian,' however, I didn't want to play pretend for long.
Aside from the fact that I am completely a person, they will now know that I will be changing my ways to run this place.
Another Female Voice: [Master Grantt… you must rest for now. Your head might be in shambles.]
I tried to keep my composure from a simple remark. It must be because of their way of speaking, but this one has specifically had the nerve to say something like that. I'll accept that as a bitter truth for now. I do feel nauseated and weak.
The one who had the nerve to speak was Lilith as my memories return. She was the head maid of this run-down mansion we are in right now.
She would handle the financing of the mansion, except there were only a few to be managed. We don't have the luxury to maintain the corroding parts of the mansion except for the garden which could be handled very easily.
Lilith was the most satirical of them all, and her rude remarks would always somehow prove to be useful most of the time. She was smart but unfortunately, the reason why her personality is like that is unknown.
In anyways, I must consider this as a booster for my progress. They were both maids that would be vital in executing basic planning.
A secretary and an adviser would suffice for now. They were all loyal despite the Maximilian being this worthless. It was suspicious that I needed to take note of but put it aside for now. Whatever they try to conspire, I will take advantage of them.
For now, I need food to feed my weakened self. I wouldn't be able to move and think properly with starvation screaming on my stomach. It was only a miracle for this body to live this long. For that, I just had the idea.
Maximilian: [You, get at least a loaf of bread from the villagers. I must replenish myself.]
I know that the way I speak might sound odd, but I was trying to follow how they dictated their words and pronunciation. It was only somehow unusual how they can speak the language that I speak in my old world.
Jai: [You want to steal one from them? Sure!]
Jai was enthusiastic about that idea but I didn't mean that. Was she really that in for such a cruel plan? I thought that we were all on the same page when I requested so.
Maximilian: [No! Ask for it. Tell them if they give me a loaf of bread, it will be returned a hundred-fold in a year.]
For now, it was a small loan I was willing to take.
Even if that trade-off is a loss on my side, in the future, losing a hundred loaves of bread is nothing. That's something they would want, after all.
That's what I thought. But, maybe I was still not thinking in the right state of mind.
Jai: [Master… we've asked all of the villagers but they all rejected. They didn't even bother opening the door.]
It had been almost three hours since they went out to request food for me, but everyone rejected them.
This was expected. Everyone is desperate to keep themselves alive. I must have been born at a time when they are at their wit's end.
They became too dependent on the lord that they had forgotten to work. This will be needed to change in the future.
An unlucky encounter, but it's just an obstacle I can overcome.
This is the dark age of Hellsburg. This is just the beginning.
I must stay true to my objectives. Famish will not stop me from becoming at the top once again.
For the time being, let us recap the history and geography of Hellsburg.
Found at the top right of the map, Hellsburg is a small march that was under the Kingdom of Hestia.
At the top right of Hellsburg, miles away from it, there was the border of the Kingdom of Khan. Hellsburg was technically a meat shield against the Kingdom of Khan.
Hellsburg was once a wealthy march due to the civilization being built around several rivers that had bountiful minerals but as time passed by, the rivers mysteriously dried up.
Extreme drought would plague the place and the extreme snow weather would only bring weeks of winters before the soaked land would become dry once again after three days.
It was unstable weather for civilization after the rivers had dried up.
The weather only allowed the remaining residents to hunt for animals and lesser monsters for food but it didn't last a year before those creatures have been depleted as well.
It became such a disaster for a place.
According to the books that I've read in the mansion library, Hellsburg was 'abundant' in soil minerals and farming could be possible if it wasn't for the instant drought and long winters that would kill the sprouts before they have the chance to grow.
However, along with this knowledge, I have learned that magic existed in this world.
A force capable of bending the laws of the world into your own hands.
This was revolutionary. Just like those novels I have read, this is becoming more and more interesting.
There were six levels of magic that existed in this world. Beginner Magic, Livelihood Magic, Intermediate Magic, Saint Magic, Saint-God Magic, EX Machina Magic.
Beginner was self-explanatory. It was the basic principle of summoning a small amount of the element for light if it was fire, etc.
Livelihood Magic was a higher tier of magic that involved being able to summon larger amounts of elements for either daily use or defense.
Intermediate Magic was then an offensive and defensive tier that would be considered the 'higher-than-the-average' tier of magic due to the difficulty that comes with mastering a certain element at such a level.
It would be as twice as large as Livelihood Magic and it would also involve controlling large bodies of elements existing within the user's range.
Saint Magic would be an upgraded version of the Intermediate Magic, a higher tier of magic regarding each element.
This involves the control of many aspects of the world, including weather.
Saint-God Magic was the second to the strongest magic available to all intelligent life in this world, capable of wielding all highest tiers of all elements and even becoming a Quad-Mage who can control all four main elements.
The ability to wield all elements was already as impossible as everyone thought it was. The ability to fly may also be one of the abilities gained when reaching this level.
EX Machina Magic was a certain level of magic that existed but a description of its capabilities was not written. At the end of its page, all that was written was;
"The magic that the Gods hold."
If it existed within the books, it means someone had seen and experienced it.
There was the last page, yet it was torn as if someone took it.
[Unique Magic.]
It was the only words that were left as the remaining bottom half of the page was not there.
Maximilian: [Ack. I could use something to eat.]
As I read the books, I was able to find out that the element I was aligned with was water.
I summoned the droplets into my palm, even drinking them immediately to quench my hunger even for a small portion, I continued to summon and drink them until I was satisfied, but I also felt a certain sense of exhaustion that came.
It was better than I thought. I was able to move from my bedroom to my library, slipping away from the careless maids that had to continue their routine.
How come they were able to work without eating though? I doubt that they are even human.
They were moving normally, better than I am doing. If anything else, they look energetic for someone who hasn't eaten for three days.
I have already summoned a pitcher full of water for later but this will not last for long. I will have to summon more later. I had already hit my limit for using magic again but I had a small capacity to let it grow again.
Continuous depletion would increase it bit by bit, according to books, that is.
This is nothing compared to my past life—No, I guess this would be harder.
However, this world offered more possibilities. It provided me with many potential ways to rise again.
I tried to walk outside, but I still felt a bit weak and hungry. I needed at least something to eat.
That thought plagued my mind. I couldn't think clearly with my stomach growling.
I sat in the middle of the garden, thinking that breathing in a fresh set of air would make me forget this hunger for now.
I could only stare at the forest that had withered trees.
Will they bloom again once this land is replenished? I could only wonder. I never had experience in gardening. I always left that to the experts.
There was snow dropping on my head but the hunger had made me numb. Even the cold didn't bother me, it was just me sitting on an icy bench without a care for the world.
It felt like death itself was preparing to embrace me, but I didn't want to die just like that.
Maximilian: [Ahahah…]
I could only laugh at my life expectancy.
Whoever sent me to his world, give me a break.
Maximilian: [——?!]
From the right, there was something that moved in the bushes. I didn't have the energy to jolt all. I could only speak out from my position.
Maximilian: [——Reveal yourself!]
If this would be a hostile being, I'm dead.
But, I was confident in my odds.
Young Boy: [Awh. I was caught already.]
To my surprise, it was nothing of the sort. It was someone harmless. Someone that looked very small.
It was a child. If not, it would be a child a year younger than me.
Maximilian: [——What are you doing out here, kid?]
His brows met. I suppose it wouldn't be right to call someone when you are one yourself.
Why is such a child outside in this weather? He was wearing thick clothing with animal fur but his hands were riddled with frostbite. Despite that, he was smiling.
Little did I know, this child would become the solution to my problems.
[I'm here to deliver a message from heaven above!]
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