Chapter 3: Chapter 1
*7 months later*
Some time has passed, and while still a baby, I've had time to further learn and understand the language of this foreign world. I've also had the time to understand my family's relative status in this world.
My father, Arnold Raye, is a petty peddler, in terms of the societal class in this world, it's near the bottom wrungs, but not quite near that of commoners, or worse, slaves. That was another thing I'd learned about this twisted world, the enslavement of others, be they a human being captured from or sold by another Nation, or a fantastical being (Elves, dwarves, etc.) that was kidnapped and sold into slavery, or otherwise conquered by our nation.
Arnold hails from the nation of Salleria, a minor kingdom neighboring several other petty kingdoms and small number of oligarchies. Salleria is our where our home resides, though it seems that before my birth, my father would travel to the nearby nations to trade wares. My mother, Ornelle Raye, hailed from the nearby oligarchic Republic of Rorvik. Apparently she's of common birth, so marriage to my father was an improvement to her societal class. Much like Salleria, slavery, commons, nobility, are commonplace in her homeland, the only meaningful difference being that a handful of wealthy merchants and nobles run the nation, in place of a king or queen.
Our dwelling appears rather primitive, calling it an enlarged shack would be rather apt. The primary heat source seems to be firewood, there is no fridge, and the lighting seems to be exclusively candles.
Mother seems to have a talent for something called *magic* while father lacks such talent. Perhaps that was the reason my father had married someone of lower status than him. Class/status is very important in this world, it would appear. Nobles, wealthy aristocrats, and in some places those with an aptitude for magic, are the ones running nations, followed by religious entities, soldiers, craftsmen, traders, commoners or farmers, and finally slaves. While my family would belong to the status of traders, we're effectively glorified commoners, holding little wealth compared to other traders, though more than the average commoner, it was a meaningless difference.
According to my father, our family has been looked down upon by other, wealthier traders. Though content with their current livlihood, it is evident my family despises the position they're in.
Ornelle: "How was it today dear?"
Arnold: "Same as always, hardly anything sold and still barely enough to get food for tomorrow. *sigh* I miss being able to trade with the other nations, the people always had more money and I was able to afford much nicer meals."
Ornelle: "How can we raise our child if you're always travelling Arny? You said you wanted to settle down and teach Landyn your trade, didn't you?"
Arnold: "Aye, I did. I didn't expect Lord Oswin to increase the taxes on that isn't a priest, noble, or soldier though. I miss old lord Oswing, his son is so harsh on the rest of us!"
Ornelle: "Dear, you can't say that! You know what the nobles would do if they'd heard anyone lower than them badmouthing them!"
Arnold: "You're right, I should keep those thoughts to myself... I'll go see what food I can fetch from the markets, sorry dear."
Ornelle: "It's fine Arny, I just don't want anything to happen to you. I don't want to lose my love or our dear Landyn."
Arnold left the house to go out to the markets for food. This time I'd learned more of why our condition isn't doing so great. I'd also learned that the elites of this world are rather prideful, so prideful that they're willing to harm those they deem to be beneath them simply for making a mild critique of them.
Change needs to be brought to this world, and fast! This monarch needs to be deposed, this system dictated by wealth and power needs to change, else the ordinary people of this world may well share the same fate, if not worse than I did in my past life! There's little I can do now though, and change cannot be brought about by one, but by the will and action of many.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone