Sean lived a quiet, predictable life, working an unremarkable office job while enjoying his evenings gaming. Recently, he had been trying out a game his friend sent him based on war and conquest called Before the Banners Fall. The game places the player at the helm of feudal states to develop, raise armies, and ultimately prepare for the coming continental war.
The game drew Sean in with its visuals and depth to the point he spent days on it. Of course, who could have thought that he would end up inside it.
"My lord."
Sean woke up to a beckoning voice, holding his head.
"My Lord, wake up," a man wearing a black butlers uniform was calling at him"
Sean looked around the room in confusion. He was sitting at his desk a few minutes ago playing the game, but now he was waking up in a very fancy room.
"Who..?" He asked.
"My Lord, its me Alfred, are you alright?" The man responded with a confused look at his lord.
Sean looked at a mirror on the wall and nearly gasped. His reflection was strange. No, he looked strange. His black hair replaced with a bright red pigmentation and his face looked quite young, possibly around twenty years old.
"Um, Alfred, could you tell me who I am?" he asked while his focus continued on the mirror.
"Pardon, my lord? Of course you are Cedric Valemont, the current count of the Valemont territory. Are you okay? Do you need me to call the physician?" Alfred responded with a slight worry on his face.
The moment the name Cedric Valemont came out of Alfred's mouth, he realized where he was.
He thought to himself how this could happen but, there were more pressing matters at hand.
"Alfred," he asked, "What's the current year."
"It's currently 1444 of the Post Imperial Rule," Alfred spoke.
1444? Okay that makes sense, I do look younger than the Cedric at the start of the game. That means there is about 7 years before the Great Continental War, Cedric thought to himself.
Before the Banners Fall starts at 1450 PIR and finishes in 1470 PIR. The continent never reunified after the empire fell, with nations vying for power. The game had twenty years of content, with majority of it being in the Great Continental War. Cedric Valemont stood at the helm of a powerful county, however, disasters would consume the county prior to the game start leading to its decline.
Cedric found it fortunate as now he could prepare, especially for the coming famine which ravaged the continent and ultimately the Valemont territory.
His territory was quite large and rich in resources and had access to the coast on its western side, though it lays undeveloped. To the north is the Great Forest, holding mysteries and benefits. To the east and south, multiple feudal lords skirmish repeatedly as royal power barely exists in the kingdom. The king is bedridden while the princes stand at each other throats, ready to take the throne.
"I'm fine now Alfred, I'll get ready," he told Alfred.
Alfred bowed and left the room leaving Cedric alone sitting on his bed.
"Status Window," Cedric called to the empty room.
A translucent window popped up in front of him, though its quite different from the one he knew in game.
Strange, it looks barebones but what is this technology tab? He thought to himself and using it finger to open the tab.
Before him lay hundreds of technological advancements, both regular and magical.
W-what is this? The game never had a function like this… These technologies aren't even available to the player. He stared at the screen in confusion. But this works, if I can gain an edge, I'll survive everything that comes my way, and it only uses gold which this territory plenty of.
Cedric got up from bed and got dressed before exiting his room. His thoughts lay slightly tangled, however he has hope with his system that he can survive the coming storm.