A World of Power and Cruelty

As the throbbing pain in his head intensified, Durian's consciousness was flooded with a colossal wave of memories. He could feel the thoughts and experiences of his predecessor merging with his own, unraveling the mystery of his new identity in a world unlike his own. It became clear to him that he had been transported to another realm, a cruel and unforgiving world where the strong preyed upon the weak—a world that seemed perfectly suited to someone like him.

He discovered that he now inhabited the body of the youngest son of the Knight family of Blackwood, a young man who, in a curious twist of fate, also bore the name Durian. In this new reality, the Knights were revered as powerful beings, the elite warriors of the kingdom. While they could be considered minor nobles, the Knight families also recruited commoners to join their ranks and trained them to become soldiers. Durian learned that the strength of the Knights was ranked into various tiers: Knight Initiate, someone who had just begun their training and possessed no remarkable powers beyond those of a regular human; Knight, an individual who had mastered the art of breathing techniques, fortified their flesh with magical energy, and possessed a few formidable fighting skills, easily able to dispatch regular people and be seen as superhuman; and Grand Knight, whose bodily strength had reached astonishing levels, rendering regular iron weapons ineffective against them. Armed with an extensive knowledge of combat, a Grand Knight could effortlessly slay thousands of regular soldiers in battle without breaking a sweat.

The most astonishing revelation for Durian was the existence of magic in this world. Although he lacked detailed information about magicians, he knew that even a hundred Grand Knights would be no match for a single Mage. Moreover, the prestigious magic academy was reserved for high-ranking nobles only, adding to the allure and exclusivity of the magical arts. This realization further fueled Durian's ambitions, as he recognized the potential for unparalleled power that lay within his grasp.

In this intricate hierarchy, Knight families served as vassals to the Baron families, who in turn served the Count families. The Counts, in their position as vassals, were beholden to the Marquis families, and only the Marquis families were vassals directly under the Royal family. Power struggles among the nobles were a prevalent feature of this world, where strength dictated one's place in society.

Initially, Durian harbored a sense of resentment at finding himself at the bottom of this food chain, confronted with the dangers that lurked in every corner of this treacherous world. However, the thought of the power he could amass in this new life quickly transformed his apprehension into exhilaration. The potential for dominion over others, an opportunity unimaginable in his previous existence, now lay within his grasp.