It was a warm night.

et location of this place was certainly not the cause.

Towards the South, in the corner of a little city called Bellum, sits the Lower Magic Academy of Paschendale.

 And in the abandoned corner on the third floor of its Apprentice Dorm is room 211.

Blankets are thrown up in a flurry.

And as they were mid-air, a blond-haired, thin and frail-looking young man sat up with a jolt.

The light of a magical lamp shone in through the glass window panes, casting a pale purple sheen onto his face.

“Have I really reincarnated?”

Everything would seem it is so. But is that all real?

The young man's head was in chaos. Utter chaos.

That was also because there are two sets of memories within his head.

The first set, matching his personality and his name Peter, is from the Earth. But the second set of memories is from Martin, a young noble who studies at this very academy.

Actually, Martin died of heart attack.

Three nights ago.

And it was three nights ago when Peter came into this world; yet he still was not able to fully accept the reality.

Afterall, couldn’t it be just a very, very long dream?

Dream of magic, warriors and a game system? Dream of being an impoverished baron from the Western Forests in Kingdom fo the Isles, with no talent in currently known magic?

Martin learned only one single thing during his 2-year long stay here.

A ‘spell’ called Trick, a level-0 apprentice spell, a really basic one anyone normally learns during his first few months.

You know what it does?

It releases a crack of magic in the air. Probably enough to kill a fly, except that the flies on this world are much more capable that those from Earth.

So no, it can’t even kill a fly, or conjure anything.

Jumping down from the bed, without even bothering to put on any shoes, Peter strode over to the calendar hanging by the table. Clearly inscribed on the calendar was today's date.

The War Ages: The Year 948, the 9th Day of the 10th Month.

There was a reason for this very name - exactly 948 years ago, the rule of an empire collapsed, and the world broke into several kingdoms.

But because it is a magical world, such a thing would alone not be able to do much. The issue is actually that the problems are quickly piling up. It’s as if the world is running out of luck.

For example one of the kingdoms in the very East lately got problems with invasion from another world and it is rumored that few powerful necromancers will soon attack another one.

Putting his apprentice uniform on, Peter, now Martin, sprang up from his bed and went to the breakfast.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

It is a service anyone can enjoy.

But for Martin, we should emphasize his ‘impoverished’ part here.

Recently, the fort and land of his family was overrun by an army of ogres, and he was told to return back.

Afterall, his results were very poor.

Going by this logic, this would be among his last breakfasts here.

It is something to regret, really - such a breakfast buffet can’t be found simply anywhere, even taking into account the posibilities of this world.

“One does not simply leave an awesome breakfast buffet.”

With a silly thought, Martin started chewing an orange banana porridge, which tasted between the known version from Earth and an ice lolly.

He must think of something, and he must think of it fast.

As he found out that after all those years behind a computer, he thinks more easily when writing his thoughts down, he pulled out a paper and a pen from his pocket.

First, he wrote ‘What I got’: 

* Game system

* Identity of apprentice mage

* Knowledge from Earth

 Then, he wrote his ‘challenges’:

* Family wants me to return

* No usual magic aptitude

* No money left after 5 days

There was a reason he wrote that he doesn’t have any ‘usual’ magic aptitude.

Since he in fact doesn’t have it, true - no magic aptitude for elements, no for the enhancements, and no such thing for magic production skills either.

He was officialy branded as one of those rare examples of people having magical power, yet seemingly no aptitude.

So why was the reason Martin has stayed in this academy for two years?

It was because he yearned the respect a mage gets; the fair treatment he receives here, despite having no talent; and the idea that he could forge a path for himself.

His family in Western Forests is rather power-oriented. Meaning, the stronger combat skills you got, the better treatment you would receive.

Which led to limiting the growth of initially weak people under the strong and fearful attitude of the citizens, as the family spread this atmosphere to the whole land under their rule. A lot of people stayed in their area only because they had to, or because of the very rich resources the land possesses.

Peter started to think that he is a lot like Martin.

Why would he return to a family like that?

Even if he were to have a hope of changing things, at present he does not have the neccessary endurance or skills to do so.

So that can wait.

But what can’t wait, is his utilization of the game system.

Name: Martin Lockheart

Occupation: Rank 0 mage

Skills profficiency: Sword skills rank-1, Staff skills rank-0

Magic aptitude: White magic (S rank aptitude)

Combat aptitude: Swords (B rank aptitude)  

Seeing this, he found few game-changing things.

First, while Martin abandoned his sword skills because of becoming a mage, he got no talent in using the combat staff.

Rather, he got a really nice talent for swords. But have you ever seen a mage with a sword at any magic academy?

Peter decided he will give that a try; afterall, he should find his dignity in his own path, not in what others think of him.

And the best, yet worst issue is of course the white magic.

Best, because that kind of aptitude is ridiculous. He’s a genius.

Worst, because there are no known spellbooks, no academy training, and he does not know where to begin.

So yesterday, he decided to be bold. In a lot of ways.

He can confirm that usual magic classes don’t work for him - so why bother?

Instead, he enrolled in few very advanced courses which could help him to understand how to train his unique aptitude.

And, he got a job.

A job most magicians would frown upon. A job which was never taken by a magician in the recent history.

He will become a receptionist of the Lower Magic Academy of Paschendale.

Martin was a very kind person. However, he was pressed by the mentality that he has to be overly cautius about what the others think. 

It was due to his upbringing - in the territory of his family, your reputation implies your combat skills, and so he was taught to be very focused on it.

But Peter does not have any issues.

He did reincarnate and he does have magic - so why not find the fun in it? What Martin found empty, he sees as a life of infinite posibilities.