The sun shone brightly on the filthy mud road. A young man trotted through the narrow street, paying close attention to avoid the smelly waste on the edges of the road.
He calmly glanced at the sallow people going about from the corner of his eyes.
“The Lord has raised taxes again,” said a middle-aged woman standing in the corner of the street.
“The harvest also hasn’t been good this season,” said another, pudgy, middle-aged woman with a dim expression.
The young man calmly passed by them, ignoring the extended hands of the beggars at the side of the road. After crossing a few more intersections, he arrived at a slightly cleaner and wider street.
This is the western district, also known as the commercial plaza. Unlike the eastern district, where most people are sallow and malnourished, the people here had slightly rosier cheeks and a brighter light in their eyes.
Ren walked forward, stepping on the cleaner gravel path, avoiding the pedestrians in his path.
“Apples! Here are some fresh apples! Buy them before they’re gone!” Yelled a slightly dark-skinned uncle standing behind a stall filled with apples.
“Cheese! Fresh cheese! Come and get it before it’s gone!” Shouted a middle-aged man.
The street was filled with the shouts of hawkers and people coming and going.
Ren looked at the side of the road filled with stalls selling various foods and objects, from fruits to cheese. From fabrics to tools and equipment for various trades and crafts, the prosperous trade scene stands sharply in contrast to the desolate slums in the eastern district, filled with serfs, beggars, and poor people.
Unfortunately, this is a standard scene in this middle-ages like world. Ren has gotten used to it. He continued moving forward, ignoring the noisy surroundings, and crossing the street to move to a slightly quieter area, still filled with people, but much less than before.
“Get out of the way! Make way for the guards!” Ren looked to the side, looking at the majestic guards wearing studded leather armor, patrolling the street. The four guards walked forward majestically, reaching the end of the street as the people made way for them.
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Ren looked at the guards disappearing at the end of the street with twinkling eyes before moving forward again and entering a tailor shop.
“Mom! I’m back.” Walking to the back of the store, past the counter. Ren walked up the wooden stairs to the second floor.
“Welcome back, Ren. There’s food on the kitchen table; you can eat first. I’m busy for now!” His mom shouted from a room at the end of the wooden corridor. It seems that she’s busy dealing with textiles. It’s probably a new order.
Ren walked to the storage room, grabbed a towel, and then trod down the stairs again and into a room near the courtyard. He grabbed a wooden ladle, scooped water from a wooden bucket in the corner of the room, and washed his hands.
As a transmigrator from modern times, he is aware of the terror of diseases in the Middle Ages, so he always makes sure to maintain proper hygiene.
After cleaning the dirt and dust from his hands, Ren walked to the kitchen and quickly ate his portion of food.
“Mom, I’m done! Your portion is still on the kitchen table. At least eat lunch before continuing to work!” Ren said loudly.
“Sure, honey. I just need to finish this piece of fabric.” His mom, Susie, shouted back from the second floor.
“I knew you would say that,” Ren muttered to himself as he packed up his dishes and cleaned them before walking to his room.
‘It’s been almost a year, huh?’
Ren thought as he lay on his bed. It has been nearly a year since he transmigrated into this world. A year ago, he was no more than a broke college student, worrying about the incoming exams and looking forward to his future.
However, he didn’t know how, but after falling asleep in his dormitory, he woke up in this boy’s body upon waking up. Ren Fatum, a 13-year-old young boy.
His father died a few years ago, and his mother raised him alone. The original Ren died while playing hide and seek with his friends in the grove near the eastern district. Even now, the original Ren’s memories show just a dark, blurry shadow before he lost consciousness.
His friends were the ones to carry him back. Ren remembers that the first thing he saw upon transmigrating into this world was his mother’s worried and terrified face.
The sight of him in a coma nearly scared her to death. It wasn’t until later on, as he regained mobility, that she got better. He strictly remembers her admonishing him and warning him to never go to that grove again.
“Now that I think about it, it’s because of the love and care that I received from her that I quickly integrated into this world.” Ren thought absentmindedly.
It’s been almost a year, and as his fourteenth birthday approaches, he is not only learning more and more about this world but also getting used to it.
Ren stood up and walked to a small wooden desk. He grabbed a piece of parchment paper and then sat at the desk. He closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment. At the next moment, a strange pen appeared in his palm.
Ren calmly looked at the obsidian black pen filled with golden lines. This could be said to be his ‘cheat’. This pen appeared in his mind after transmigration, along with a thin black glove.
Thinking of this, he stretched his palm again and concentrated. The next second, the thin glove appeared, covering his hand.
“This ability is quite handy.” Although this wasn’t the first time he tried this, Ren was still amazed. The fabric of the glove is also quite magical; he doesn’t feel like he is touching anything. It’s as if his hand is still bare.
He isn’t sure about the origins of these two items, but he’s almost certain about their abilities. After all, he has spent the past year exploring and testing them.
“This pen and glove will serve as the cornerstone of my rise in this world.” Ren held the pen tightly with his gloved hand, his eyes flashing with determination. The nearing guards’ test will serve as his first step towards transcendence.