Through a mirror darkly

Aldrich was reborn into a fantasy world with a system, so he did what any computer geek would do. He picked mage as his class.

Of course magic is illegal in the Shatan Empire, so he posed as a merchant and followed Hua master to a newly settled province where the empire's grip is weaker.

Then the barbarians invaded. Fortunately they weren't bothering this distant exclave. Unfortunately, the Empire recalled most of her legions to deal with the invaders and put down rebellious provinces. This left distant territories vulnerable.

Bandits are on the rise, pirates stalk the swamps, slaves are rebelling and food is growing scarce.

Thus Aldrich tries to survive.