Draconic Awakening - Chapter 23: Ember Mark

A weary historian dies and finds himself in a different world awakened in a life as the notorious young Duke of a southern state. His nation is weakened, his army underfed, and his neighbors revolve around his lands menacingly. No one believes his land is going to hold out until winter.But this newfound duke is no naive simpleton his enemies recollect. He carries with him the experience of centuries of war and empire, of starting and ending monarchies. From Caesar to Napoleon, from the Mongols to world wars, he has learned from each of them—and his strategy is to make history his very own arms.He organizes his smashed levies into well-trained formations, rebuilds his castles, and turns his villages into supply centers. Where others see defeat, he senses opportunity. As he triumphs, rumors spread: of a pennant red as winter snow that shall not go to ground, of a bloody duke who writes his name in gore and flame.Is he a savior who's constructing a new empire, or a tyrant who's going to bring the world to endless war?

15 years ago the world discovered magic as well as mythical beings (basically beings from various legends) in another dimension. Humankind learned to summon these dangerous mythical beings and use their power to great effect. Seven countries formed contracts with these “mythical beings” and gained their allegiance as a result. The mythical beings will choose their summoners on their 14th birthday and give them a stigma. Schools have been set up to train summoners and magical swordsman (basically bodyguards that give the summoners time to cast their spell) as a result.

15 years later after the finding of magic Kazuki Hayashizaki is chosen as a summoner and given a stigma to indicate that. This is surprising since males aren’t chosen as summoners due to their low amount of mana compared to females. As the first male to be a summoner Kazuki is under a lot of scrutiny by almost everyone.

To complicate matters his sister (who’s a magical swordsman) is against him going into summoner school to train there as a summoner. Because summoners and magical swordsman have a cat mouse thing going on where summoners look down on magical swordsman as inferior so his sister naturally is against him going there. She’ll stop him even if it means going to war.

Kazuki however is determined to thrive in summoner school and has already determined to give it his all. Even if he’s the lowest ranked student (ranked E) and his fellow students intend to demean him he’ll prove himself as the strongest summoner.

Originally born from a wealthy family, she ends up leading a vagrant life for fifteen years. However, when she is eventually found by her family, she falls into another devious plot and eventually dies tragically. Fifteen years after her rebirth, ravenously raging for revenge, she tears down the hypocritical mask of the foster daughter who had taken her place, and reduces her greedy stepmother and stepsister back to their original sorry states. To the jerk’s profession of his deep love for her, she only has one thing to say, “Get the hell out of my life. The love you speak of humiliates love!” Regardless of the appearances of you monsters, I’ll take in it my stride with my capability, building a business dynasty of my own, sitting in the depths of my riches, bathing in the glistening limelight of the world. A certain rich empire’s CEO: “Don’t mind me. I’m just leaving my mark here to declaring my possession rights; I’ll wait patiently for you to grow up!” The queen’s mighty return with commercial warfare fully within her grasp, she navigates the power struggles with skill and verve. When it comes to scheming conspiracies, all she has to say is, “Who are you again? Don’t even bother!”

Jack Wilson spent his life in a hospital bed — betrayed by his family, forgotten by the world, and kept alive only by the one person he trusted.Then that person put a knife in his chest.He wakes up somewhere else entirely. In a body that can stand. That can fight. That hasn't seen daylight in years.He's inside Savage Awakening, a fantasy VR world he escaped into during every waking hour of his illness.Except it isn't a game anymore.Jack reawakens in the body of a third-rate villain.A Noble Vampire with magic powerful enough to reshape kingdoms — and a hidden curse called A Villain's Fate that guarantees he dies before the story ends.But Jack isn't the Vampire.... He wouldn't die because of some measly 'Villains Fate'Jack knows this world better than anyone alive. He knows every death flag, every hidden mechanic, every secret the game's creators buried in the lore.He also knows the true villain isn't him.The question is whether a man who never had a future can survive long enough to steal one.