Auren pulled himself away from his thoughts and continued reading.
The book was surprisingly easy to understand. He skipped over the basics and focused on the parts that might be useful—mostly medicinal recipes. Healing tonics, salves for burns, herbs that soothed fever. He wasn't sure why he was so drawn to it—perhaps out of instinct, or perhaps he simply wanted to be prepared.
After a while, he closed the book with a soft sigh and stood. On the corner of the table sat another one, its cover worn and dull. It looked unimportant at first glance, but when he flipped it open, he found something far more valuable than he expected.
Information.
Not much of it—but enough.
Auren leaned forward, eyes scanning each line carefully.
It was a book about this world. A general overview, seemingly written for students or common folk. But to Auren, who knew nothing of this place, it was a treasure.
"This empire is called the Lódris Empire," it began.
"It spans the entire Central Continent, ruled by a strict hierarchy."
He read on:
The highest rank belongs to the Emperor and the Imperial Family. Equal in power is the High Priest, who represents the divine order.
Beneath them are the Four Great Houses each mastering a form of elemental magic along with nobles, priests, and senior clergy.
Next come the commoners: laborers, craftsmen, soldiers.
And at the very bottom... the poor. The slaves.
Auren's eyes narrowed.
"Hmm... it's a simple caste system. But the discrimination is blatant."
He closed the book slowly, letting the words settle in his mind.
" So this world has inequality too. Just like mine.
Maybe even worse... though honestly, I don't see much of a difference. It's all just sad."
He stared down at the book for a moment, unmoving.
"It's not this world that's flawed."
"It's people. No matter where you go... they always build ladders to climb on top of others."
With a faint breath, he leaned back and murmured under his breath,
"So it's the same here too.
Of course it is."