A fortified city. Tall, stone walls encompass all I can detect, going out into the distance. The walls have similar construction to the roads, a seamless surface. They are neither hollow nor reinforced, just ordinary rock stacked on top of more rock. Being enclosed inside a wall should give the city an oppressive atmosphere, but I don’t think that’s true. The stone used for the sides of the wall is a very light, sandy color and shines brightly in the sun. It looks polished, almost like glass. This fortification is not a prison of necessity, but rather, a dependable protector.


    And fortunately, the gates are open, and traffic flows free. No obvious active conflicts if they are not on alert. I drop back and let my one-sided companions go on. I position myself so I have a piece of the city in range of my sensors. Time to gather some data.


    ***


    It is the next morning. Days in this world are almost exactly twenty-four Earth hours. After calculating the planet’s orbit, years also appear to be the familiar length. The coincidences are starting to look like everything but. I would rather not start pondering on the existence of some meta template that shapes all reality, so I will let my ‘sources’ guide me for now. Pulling from that knowledge, everything appears to be in order... Let’s just focus on the immediate problems.


    There are some more fantasy-esque differences too. This planet, judging from my limited observations, does not have an official name. It is referred to simply as {Best approximation: ‘(The) World’ (world, plane, realm, etc.)} or as {Best approximation: ‘(The) Planet’ (celestial body)}. Further information hints at a remarkably astute civilization, even taking into account the technological progress, or lack thereof, I have observed. Most likely contributed by magic. If I were to make an assumption, substituting technological knowledge for magical knowledge, the level of societal progress as a whole is outside of my current projections.


    The planet has two natural satellites, simply referred to as Big {Best approximation: ‘moon’ (From the similar practice of being used to measure time)} and Little Moon. Strangely, both satellites are the same size, they just look differently in the sky due to their orbits. Analyzing and predicting the gravitational interactions between the planet and the moons does not reveal the existence of catastrophic tidal events. Fortunate. Safely changing orbits of celestial bodies of that size would take me around two weeks. That would be much too long.


    I have not been able to detect any extraplanetary signals nor have my limited deep space scans shown any unusual findings. I was never able to discover any other life in my old universe, I wonder what the stars in this one might be hiding. A problem for the future.


    Coming back to discoveries made on the planet, I have expanded the primary lexicon an acceptable amount and started building up two more. I have only been able to distinguish these three languages, with the first one being the main one in this area. This main language is referred to as ‘Common’—a fantasy staple. And it lives up to its name. It is seemingly the most prolific language in this world, shared between different regions and even countries. None of the people I have observed speak it with a detectable accent. An indication to it being their mother tongue? What a fascinating commonality. How connected is this world? Or how limited?


    I am also thankful that I practiced caution and did not join the duo of warriors inside. Even if the gate is quite inviting there is an... ‘enchantment’, or at least something of the same sort. I was not able to gather its full functionality, but the guards seem to hint at it being pretty good at catching unwelcome visitors. I have not observed such an event yet. Curious that a different term is used. How wide is the separation between the two practices. Is spellcasting different than this imbuement of mana? More and more questions with no ready answers. How exciting.Stolen story; please report.


    Speaking of guards. There are actual guards. It makes sense when you have something to guard against. Though, they do also serve as a peacekeeping force. I have detected multiple patrols and them directing errant traffic. Another interesting discovery, the city is somewhat closed to the numerous carriages going in and out. The vehicles are being limited to the outskirts and to designated areas. But most of the cargo of said carriages is trading goods, rather than passengers.


    Moving on, I have made no progress in being able to detect the usage of the so classified ‘mana’ nor ‘magic’. All my sensors—utterly useless. Something eludes me. It is not the lack of sample size, as I have seen a large number of different displays of magic during my cautious reconnaissance. From the ‘Clean’ spell to various other utility spells like speed boosts, both personal and vehicle based. Some restrictions on usage have also been noted, as the increased speed is not employed within the city.


    Order seems kept and the overall mood is jovial. There did not appear to be any acts of violence or aggression in my area of detection, which is at least another indication that this society is relatively advanced in many aspects.


    Next, money. All currency used by the citizens is in the form of coins. Metal content points to simple bronze and brass denominations. With the occasional silver and gold alloy mixed in. Replication will be trivial but carries an inherent risk. What if the coins are also enchanted or marked in some way I cannot yet detect. Best to stick to raw materials, if the need arises. Even if that might make it slightly inconvenient.


    And finally, the people. Most appear to be the previously classified ‘humans’. But some are different. I have observed and classified three other distinct groups, similar enough with Earth literature that I can be confident with the names: ‘dwarves’, ‘elves’, and ‘gnomes’.


    There have also been comings and goings of armed individuals, reminiscent of the first two I met in this world. My previous conclusion that this world is actively dangerous is holding more and more weight. Though the danger thus far seems to be managed, at least it’s in this small region I’ve explored.


    How should I proceed now that I have the barest necessary understanding of this planet I find myself on?


    I want to help them if I can. If they need it. I want to redeem myself. I silently laugh. What a fool. There is no redemption for me. I want to... pay. Yes, pay. Pay for what I have done in any way I can. Is that... Can I do that? Do I have the right? Maybe not. But if I get to help these people, I will just have to live with the guilt. Maybe that will be my first punishment. Pretend to be a righteous defender while the truth eats at me from within. I am a monster. I am a murderer. I am evil... It hurts. Good.


    I head away from the city and to a more secluded area. What would a traveler that just left their small village and wants to make a life for themselves in the city carry? I constitute a couple sets of clothes similar to my current ones, spare shoes, some high calorie grain rations I have observed many other travelers carry, a metal flask filled with water, a small knife, a gold ring, and a drab sack to carry my meager possessions in. Perfect. This should be enough to present as a young man who recently came of age and wants something for himself, even if it will be hard.


    Body language. Best to appear apprehensive and a little scared. Possibly awkward. This is a big move for me and the city is unfamiliar. I am a little jumpy. Okay.


    Backstory. Hmm. Keep it vague. If someone even asks. Do not volunteer information, but also, do not be too guarded. I have not heard of any antagonistic nations, but I do not want to give the impression that I am a spy. A pretty bad spy, but still. Can’t be too careful. So, simply, I grew up in some small, no-name village far away and want to find more fulfilling work. I have to go with fulfilling and not better paying as none of the villages I passed seemed to be even remotely struggling... Whatever, I can explore the socioeconomic intricacies of this place after I am in a position to gain more relevant information. I am sure there’s a library somewhere.


    And here we go. Stealth systems disengage. Nothing is heading my way ready to cut me to pieces. Good. I give myself a once over. Everything appears to be in order. Rub a bit of soil on some strategic places. Let’s hope I am not the only one that can’t use magic. I join the road and head towards the city.