To Wage a War

Alex O'Brien has few ambitions in life. He wants to garden, to keep his friends close, and to help birth a new world as the old one dies.

In the process of doing all three, he dies too. But a mysterious, imprisoned entity offers him a simple bargain: a second chance at life, in exchange for seemingly nothing at all. Accepting eagerly, he finds himself in the role of the main character of some badly-written isekai fiction he had been reading and mocking.

But where the original main character had joined hands with lords and princesses and the powerful figures of the new world he'd found himself in, Alex sides with the downtrodden and oppressed, wielding his status and his sword with equal enthusiasm.

And in the process, he discovers ancient secrets, battles terrible monsters, faces deadly opponents, and plots political transformations. And he discovers more than a few things about himself too.

What to expect?

A light LitRPG system integrated into the setting

A world full of magic, monsters, and mysteries, with developed, detailed peoples and societies

Combat, intrigue, politics, and economics

The struggles of building a new, more equitable society

Messy personal drama and personal growth 

No harem but the possibility of multiple romances