“Whoa!” Ben exclaimed, glancing across the courtyard where a loud shockwave erupted. Two steel-clad knights appeared to be in the heat of battle. A magical aura surrounded their armor, and whenever their weapons struck, sparks of energy exploded.

Le’Vieux coughed and cleared his throat. “Excuse me, Ben. I’m certain you will have plenty of time to watch the battles at another time.” With the courtyard being more lively, hearing him was hard.

Hey, I was watching that!

Ben shrugged and moved closer to the Grand Marshall.

“Usually, the first thing we do with recruits is to put them into combat training and see if they are worthy of becoming soldiers in our standing army. Since you only set foot in this world yesterday and are a unique addition, I think it would be beneficial if you knew a little about who we are, what we stand for, and how things work around here.” Le’Vieux started.

“That makes sense… Since arriving here, I couldn’t help but notice your order has many similarities with the old knights of Earth. The spoken and written language, and even the currency, are similar to those used in England during the Middle Ages. Let's start with your origins, if you don’t mind?” Ben asked, tilting his head forward, eager to learn more.

A smirk filled Le’Vieux’s face. “Interested in our history, I see… very well. As you can imagine, there is much to cover with this topic and to be honest I’m not a historian so I can only give you a basic explanation. You are correct about the similarities, as all the humans on this planet originated from Earth after all.”

Ben nodded. “That seems to add up more now.”

“You mentioned old knightly orders as if they are non-existent on Earth anymore. Did machines like that make us obsolete?” Le’Vieux asked, motioning toward the van.

“I wouldn’t say they are non-existent. Some do exist, but their role is more for ceremonial purposes now. The shift wasn’t as sudden as you might think. Still, it took almost seven centuries of technological development, and machines have replaced many societal roles in the military and civilian industries. Regarding warfare, soldiers and commanders still need to operate the machines and serve as the boots on the ground, but the need for knights faded a few centuries ago.” Ben explained.

Le’Vieux paused, taking the time to soak in the information. He then exhaled a long-drawn-out sigh before responding. “As much as I am intrigued by your machines and want to see them implemented here, I feel they have the potential to destroy our way of life, something we have held on to since The Great Migration.”

“The Great Migration?” Ben asked, scratching his head.

Le’Vieux nodded. “Let me explain… Our people arrived here almost seven centuries ago when our people were known as the Knights Templar. They spent almost two centuries protecting the pilgrims of Europe and built an empire of commerce and finance. They were stabbed in the back by the leaders of your world. Betrayed, they faced death. Those who could escape did so on a fleet of old ships from the Crusades. They were lucky to have an artifact, like the one you used to get here, in their possession that summoned Blue.”

Knights Templar! Damn, I had a feeling they would be connected!

Ben stroked his chin, remembering something he had read a few years back when he had gone down a medieval history rabbit hole. “I don’t suppose this has something to do with the fleet at LaRochelle.”

Le’Vieux nodded. “Indeed. It seems you know a lot about your history for someone who is a courier. Many scholars here believe your people destroyed any trace of my ancestors from how they were treated.”

“Well, they don’t teach about it in any academic institutions. On Earth, our technology has developed to the point where most information is widely available. We have devices that allow us to read whenever we wish to.” Ben paused, biting his lips, before asking, “There are many conspiracy theories regarding what happened to the fleet. You don’t mind telling me how you got here?”

“No wonder you’re far more intelligent than any couriers here… As for the fleet, they negotiated with Blue, and once they agreed to help him with his plans, he opened a giant portal and brought them here. And that’s why we call it The Great Migration.”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

“Hang on… If Blue was able to bring all of you here, then why can't he take me back?” Ben asked.

“Since then, our enemies have become stronger and, through their efforts, have weakened Blue to the point where that won’t be possible.”

“At least that puts that to rest. From what I’ve seen, Blue seems capable of feats that we, with our superior technology, can't replicate. Surely, he isn’t human, is he?”

“His magic is something else, I tell you. Many high-ranking officials, including my predecessors, believed him to be a Djinn—the same race as those pesky scorpion riders you encountered in the desert but vastly more powerful. The reason is that they all seem to have that blue aura in their eyes. But don’t take my word for it. No one exactly has the balls to ask him for fear he may take offense. Unless your steel pair wants to take that risk?” Le’Vieux chuckled at the end.

Ben shook his head. “I’m still a little shaken up by his buddies who tried to blast me off the face of the planet… So, I think my steel bollocks are alright the way they are.”

Le’Vieux nodded with a cheeky smile. “You don’t understand how lucky you were. My people had it much worse when they came here. We had to fight entire wars against the Dark Fairies, not to mention hordes of creatures and wild beasts. We would have perished if it hadn’t been for Blue, who endowed us with the Seeds of Power and the system. Only through hard work and persistence have we achieved what we have. As you saw on the map in my office, there is still much for us to do before Great Malle is truly safe from the enemy.”

Ben nodded. “I’m sure I’ll be finding out more about those Fairies and Seeds of Power… Your people have been here for centuries, so I assume your plan could take time, resources, and an imperial ton of money to implement.”

“Well, that’s where the artifact was supposed to come in. From what little we know, it’s supposed to grant the user abilities beyond the power of the seeds. Our goal was to use its power against our enemies in the north and bring the Feruslands to heel. Are you certain you don’t feel any different?”

Ben shrugged. “I don’t feel that much different.”

Le’Vieux gave Ben the side eye and shook his head. “Are you sure you know nothing about a Mechanical Mage Class?”

What the heck!

Ben felt sweat start to run down the back of his neck. He raised his hands and stepped back as if he had been caught red-handed. “How did you know that? Can you read my mind or something?”

Le’Vieux chuckled. “Don’t worry, I can’t read your mind. Understandably, you chose not to share that information as we had just met. I have a skill that allows me to see your entire system profile. You must think me a fool for parting with five skill points. It was the only reason I upped my offer.”

Ben scratched his head. “I’m assuming these classes must be rare then.”

“Indeed, they are. Only around a dozen people in the Canrich Kingdom have access to one. Combined with the artifact's power, I believe you could become very powerful one day. And don’t get me wrong, it won't be easy. You must work hard, level up, and progress through the system.” Le’Vieux paused, taking in a breath. “Earlier, I mentioned I had something in mind to see what you can do with your van… I want to take you to a place we call The Proving Grounds. Once there, I can teach you more about the system and how it works, not to mention some combat training in case you find yourself in a situation where you can’t use your van.”

Ben nodded. “I hope I can live up to the expectations. But before we go there, I have a few questions floating around my head that I need answers to.”

“I’ll answer one more before we need to move from here. There will be plenty of time to answer questions once we are on the road. As you can imagine, I have a busy schedule, so it’s better if we get that over and done as soon as possible.”

“I do have a few… Anyway, I noticed a new section dedicated to your currency since your system integrated with mine. Now that I know your people originated from the knight's templar, they must have had some Englishmen, which is why I recognize the currency. But I have no clue what it’s worth.”

“As you can see, I’m a military man, not an economist. The best thing you can do is to look around and see for yourself during your travels. As for why we used the English standard, the order's treasurer during migration was an Englishman. He stuck to what he knew best; thus, it stayed the same when the Canrich Kingdom was formed.”

Ben crossed his arms. “At least tell me the conversions… back on Earth, a hundred pennies make a pound, and the use of shillings is long gone.”

Le’Vieux sighed. “Alright… One gold is equivalent to twenty silvers, and one silver is equivalent to twelve coppers. Don’t worry too much about that. Thanks to the Bankers Guild, your system will automatically convert the currency once the threshold has been met. For example, if you are given fourteen coppers, it will automatically convert to one silver and two coppers.”

They have guilds here, too!

Ben nodded. “Appreciate the info… Now, what’s the deal with The Proving Grounds? Why are you taking me there?”

Le’Vieux nodded. “Come on then, show me how to get inside that thing.” He pointed at the van. “I’ll tell you about it on the way there.”

Ben walked up to the passenger side door and pulled the handle. “Just sit on the seat… hang on, let me put something on the seat.” He was about to put his jacket there so Le’Vieux’s armor didn’t damage it when he suddenly realized he could repair it with the skill. “Never mind, that won't matter now.”

Le’Vieux jumped in before Ben shut the door and hurried into the driver's seat.