1st of Lunaris, Year 320, Era of the Light's Awakening.
"Such a beautiful view..."
From inside a wooden house, specifically from the front where an open window faced a vast farmland, filled with wheat and other crops.
A young man with a slim and fairly tall build, standing at 170 cm, had curly brown hair, dark blue eyes, and rough skin from hard labor like farming and such.
He was Elian Starborne, a 20-year-old young man this year, with a complete family consisting of a father, a mother, and a younger sister named Mira, who was four years younger than him.
His family was financially stable, neither rich nor poor, as their farmland was always fertile and produced an abundance of crops each month.
"Brother Elian, what are you doing?" called a female voice from outside the house.
Elian gazed softly at the figure and replied casually, "Just admiring the view, while waiting for the Full Moon Festival tonight."
The female figure was Elian's sister, Mira. She walked over carrying two books and approached Elian, who was sitting by the window, staring at the farmland.
"Here, brother, read this book instead of just daydreaming while looking at the fields," Mira said as she handed one of the books to the daydreaming Elian.
Elian glanced at the book, took it from Mira's hands, and read the title: "About Aeloria."
Raising one eyebrow, Elian then looked at Mira and asked, "Did you borrow books again from the Eldergate City library? And why do you keep borrowing books about geography, history, economics, and such? Usually, girls your age only borrow romance or drama novels."
"Hmph, I have a goal to enter the Moonlight Academy and become a student there."
"Moonlight Academy? The best academy in the Aeloria Kingdom, which only admits the top 100 students each year and has a very low graduation rate? Also, isn't that academy usually filled with nobles and wizards who become the foundation of Aeloria's future, while we're just a regular farming family." Elian was puzzled by his sister's lofty goal.
"Brother Elian is underestimating Mira, huh! Well then, give that book back." Mira, with an annoyed expression on her face, tried to snatch the book from Elian.
But Elian didn't give it back so easily; he blocked Mira's attempts to take it.
"No, since you've given it to me, you can't take it back. Go read your other book. I'll read this one for a while, then I'll return it," Elian said with a teasing smile on his face.
"Hmph!" Mira stomped away angrily, heading towards her room.
"Hahaha," Elian chuckled softly, then opened the first page of the book.
---
Aeloria, the world we currently inhabit, is home to many civilizations from various races, including Humans, Elves, and other magical races.
In this world, there is only one large continent divided into two regions: the Dark Realm and the Light Realm.
Starting with the Light Realm, there is only one major kingdom called the Aeloria Kingdom. This kingdom is composed of several intelligent races, with Humans being the dominant population.
The current king is Julius Caesar. Although he is called a king, he only serves as a symbol of unity that binds the eight main races together.
Those who hold real power in the kingdom are known as the Council of Elders and the Council of Wizards.
The Council of Elders consists of leaders from various races like Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Gnomes, Dragonborn, Orcs, Vampires, and Beastfolk. They manage the kingdom's politics and ensure the prosperity of the people in Aeloria.
Meanwhile, the Council of Wizards is made up of a group of highly skilled magic users who are responsible for maintaining balance and protecting the kingdom from both internal and external threats.
The Aeloria Kingdom has three major cities: the capital city, Aeloria, the Wizard City, Aether, and the Trade City, Eldergate.
Aether is located in the western region, bordering the Dark Realm to anticipate attacks.
The capital, Aeloria, lies in the northern region, serving as a hub connecting various areas of the kingdom.
Eldergate, located in the eastern coastal region, connects the kingdom to the sea and has a river route that speeds up the distribution of goods from Eldergate to various regions.
Now, discussing the Dark Realm, that place is inhabited by a large group of creatures known as the Darkness. These creatures appear as living, moving black shadows, with glowing red eyes and incredibly powerful and diverse magical abilities.
A crucial aspect of the Darkness is their magical ability to turn living beings into part of their ranks, making them a formidable foe, as their reproduction method is vastly different from other creatures.
---
Whoosh~
The cold wind blew swiftly towards Elian, who was reading a book. He shivered from the chill and then closed the window of his house, returning the book to his younger sister, Mira.
"It's pretty cold today; I hope it doesn't rain during the Full Moon Festival," he muttered to himself and decided to retreat to his room to rest.
After all, he had already worked in the fields, helping to lighten his father's load as a farmer. His body felt weary from working under the scorching sun.
Hours passed.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Brother Elian, wake up. It's already late afternoon. Hurry up and take a bath; we'll go to Eldergate City to buy some food for the Full Moon Festival in our village." Mira stood at Elian's bedroom door, calling out to him several times, feeling quite worried about Elian's condition.
After all, Elian had a rather fragile body and easily fatigued. Yet, thanks to his spirit and determination, he didn't want to just lounge around at home while his parents worked in the fields under the hot sun.
Elian, lying on his bed, opened his eyes. He got up from the mattress and walked to the door, opening it to gaze at Mira with a tired expression from being woken up.
"Good afternoon, Mira."
"You get ready first. Wait for me for ten minutes to prepare myself before we head to the city," he instructed Mira.
After giving Mira her orders, he promptly went to the back of the house, where a well stood, drawing water with a bucket and pulley. He washed himself afterward.
Ten minutes later.
Elian emerged from his house and approached Mira, who was waiting for him in the front yard. He greeted her and then walked toward Eldergate City.
He walked along the main road of the village, greeting neighbors he passed, before continuing his journey to Eldergate City.
"Oh right, how much money did you bring, Mira?" Elian suddenly remembered they were going to the city to buy food for the Full Moon Festival.
"I brought 4 Silver Aelor Coins and 8 Copper Aelor Coins. We'll buy four pieces of meat, two baskets of vegetables, and several different baskets of fruits," Mira replied.
"Four pieces of meat cost 12 Copper Aelor Coins, two baskets of vegetables mean 4 Copper Aelor Coins, and several baskets of fruit might cost 8 Copper Aelor Coins. The total price for all that is 24 Copper Aelor Coins or 2 Silver Aelor Coins and 4 Copper Aelor Coins." Elian murmured to himself, calculating how much money would be spent on the festival supplies.
"Ah, your bad habit is surfacing again, Brother. Can you please stop mumbling? It makes me uncomfortable to hear..."
Hearing his sister's words, Elian was taken aback and fell silent, then let out a long sigh. "Alright then, Miss Starborne."
--> To be continued