Becoming a magical priest in a seriously gender-imbalanced world

"I'm glad to see everyone still so eager to learn even at this stage of your curriculum", the lecturer comments dryly before launching into a monologue.

Maximilian tuned immediately out. He had trouble believing what had happened and was happening to him. A moment ago, he was dying at a hospice and now he was sitting at a lecture hall. At first Maximilian marvelled at his eyesight and hearing - he could hear every word that the lecturer said as clear as if the man had been talking right next to him as well as admiring the number of cuties populating the circular room. Then it him - it wasn't just his eyes and ears, it was everything!

He had hair on his head again! All his teeth were in place and they were real! His skin was smooth instead of wrinkly! He felt strong! Somehow, he had ended up being reincarnated into this young man. Maximilian couldn't help but grin stupidly. There was life after **** and he had gained a second chance!

"Right, that concludes the lecture part. Let us move on to your questions then", the lecturer announced. Maximilian winced internally as he hadn't heard a word the man had said. Hopefully, it wouldn't end up biting his ass.

"Professor, I was thinking about the seven prayers of Bosen and their effect in limb restoration", some guy asked from the front row, earning a nod from the professor. "That's a good question Xendric indeed. The short answer would be that each prayer is basically a layer of divine magic, built upon one another", the lecturer demonstrates with his hands, "and thus each servers a specific purpose. For something as complex as full limb restoration, all seven must be carefully put in place and in the right order. We would not want skin to form before the veins, wouldn't we?"

There's a little chuckle that answers his rhetorical question but Maximilian didn't join it. In fact, he had to use all his willpower to maintain his poker face.

MAGIC?!

Several more questions followed the first one and this time Maximilian paid careful attention - this was his best opportunity to learn about what was going on.

MAGIC was not only real; it was somewhat common. Roughly half of humans were capable of tapping into magic, most of them having affinity for a single type of magic. A small minority had affinity for two types with few exceptional individuals capable of three types. However, existing talent was only a starting point as careful study and intensive practice were required to fully unlock that potential and, just like with the types, only few people had the biological capability of reaching truly powerful levels. Just like anyone could train to run fast, only few people could sprint 100 meters in less than 10 seconds.

TYPES of magic were numerous. There were the four elemental magic types - fire, water, earth, air - which had been the first types to be discovered, centuries ago. Then there were the more complex types which had been discovered more recently: abjuration, transmutation, conjuration, divination, enchantment, illusion and necromancy. Finally, there was the Holy or Divine type, the only one which was capable of healing people. And this type had so far only manifested in men, which explained the large number of white-robed priest acolytes in the auditorium and was the leading explanation for the great gender imbalance problem.

GENDER imbalance problem had started three centuries ago, roughly around the same time as the more complex types of magic were discovered. Boys became rarer and rarer. While the Imperial Census was not as accurate as some Church theorists would want, they proved that the number of boys reaching adulthood became smaller and smaller compared to the number of girls. For over a century now, the ratio had been 1 to 9. This had obviously had significant impact on society. Monogamy was all but gone with polygamy taking its place. Not all men had nine wives of course, and there were individual differences in different regions of the Empire. Gender norms had also changed, with female promiscuity becoming common place. A bashful prude would probably never find a boyfriend when competition had become hyper fierce!

EMPIRE was the state that ruled over all known lands. There was an Imperial Senate, an Imperial Legion, an Imperial College, and several other institutions. Unfortunately, very few students asked questions about the Empire and Maximilian only gained these titbits as students asked about possible assignments.

"Very well, that is all the time we have available for now. After lunch, Professor Mallo will go over cosmology and run a second questions and answers session, which will be the last one before your final exam. Remember, while there are no classes tomorrow, I would recommend everyone to attend one of the meditation sessions as it's a good way to mentally prepare yourself. Dismissed", the professor - whose name Maximilian still did not know - announced and, without further ado, stepped through the same door he had entered from. Everyone started getting up and leaving the auditorium. Maximilian noted with interest that many of his fellow male acolytes were joined by one or two female ones as students filed out. Nobody approached him except for his saviour from this morning.

"Come on Max, let's get some grub. Hope you're feeling better?" He asked and Maximilian nodded. There was no way he could explain that he is actually a dying geriatric from a different universe. The poor boy would have him institutionalized or worse. He couldn't even ask his name!

So, he ended up eating lunch in silence but his friend more than made up for it as he invited a trio of female acolytes to join their table and the foursome engaged in lively chatter. The lunch in question was a bit of a shock to Maximilian too, as it was just a simple soup with potatoes, carrots, lentils and onions, with a piece of tough bread on the side. No butter and no salt. The ladies were not wearing any makeup either. All of their clothes were very simple. Their robes were linen and held closed by large buttons. At least his undershorts were cotton and comfortable. The canteen was a large stone hall, the tables were rough wood as were the benches. Light was provided by both stained-glass windows and candles on tall, metal holders next to the tables. Maximilian had no idea what the significance of the images on the windows were but they were quite beautiful.

The most important bit of knowledge he gained during the lunch was that success in the final exam directly correlated with one's eventual assignment. The valedictorian would choose first, then the runner-up and so on until each student had chosen their assignment. But of course, there were fewer assignments than there were students and the girls all seemed very worried about being among the 'losers' who would have to find their own way in the world.

"Well, there's always the Labyrinth", Maximilians new-found/old-existing friend said glibly, which sparked his attention.
"The what now?" He asked, trying for a nonchalant tone of voice. What followed was a torrent of legend and hearsay about some sort of quasi-magical place discovered several decades ago in the middle of nowhere, filled with treasure both mundane and magical, valuable reagents for all sorts of artisans, and a veritable gallery of lethal monsters. Unfortunately for Maximilian, a steward came in to ring the bell which caused everyone to grab their wooden bowls and spoons and make for the exit. He followed suit but an idea was brewing in his mind.

The afternoon lecture was fascinating. Maximilian had always been interested in learning and Professor Mallo went over the main points of cosmology with admirable vigour. Maximilian learned that the Prime Material plane was surrounded by the four Elemental Planes and it was from these Planes that elemental magicians drew their powers. In addition, there were unknown number of Infernal and Celestial planes surrounding the five inner planes and these were the sources for the more complex magic types. Most important was the Celestial Plane of Elysium where the God of Healing, Enki, resided. He was the source of healing magic and for some unknown reason, only granted this power to men.

As soon as the Q-and-A portion started, Maximilian grabbed the opportunity:
"Professor, would it be possible that the Labyrinth is actually connected to one of the Outer Planes?"
Mallo, having found the question interesting, answered in quite length going into much detail about the Labyrinth and Maximilian made sure to pay close attention, though some students gave Max dirty looks for seemingly wasting everyone's time with such an unimportant question. Apparently, the Labyrinth was not very high on most students' priority list for exam review time. In any case, Maximilian learned that the Labyrinth was indeed magical and defied Laws of Nature but it was not thought to be connected to any of the Outer Planes, at least not directly, as it did not resemble any of the known ones. Multiple attempts to seize control of it or to open new entrances over the years had failed and while parts of the Labyrinth were well known, most of it was still shrouded in mystery.

All the other questions dealt more directly with topics related to the upcoming exam and Maximilian, despite his best efforts, could not maintain full attention. His brain had so much new information to assimilate. Eventually the lecture ended and Professor Mallo wished them all good luck.

"Hey Max, how about we hit the baths after supper?" His new/old friend asked. Maximilian agreed and they made their way back to the canteen. Supper was, to Maximilians' relief, stew with some actual meat in it in addition to a wide mixture of root vegetables. They ate in silence, the candlelight casting long shadows around them as the sun went down and the windows became dark.

"Hey Max, hey Will, fancy a little study session later tonight?" A lanky young man asked with an easy smile as he walked up to them. Finally, Maximilian had a name to with the face of his friend!
"Oh, hi Nat", Will responded. "We were actually going to take a bath but we could quiz each other there if you don't mind?"
"Sure, I'll grab some stew and ask couple of the other lads to join us", Nat nodded to them both.

Maximilian wasn't ready for the next surprise. Intellectually, he knew that things were different here than on Earth but it hadn't really sunk in until he disrobed with Will and followed his friend downstairs to the bath area - which was surprisingly very similar to old Roman baths that he had read about - and saw naked men and women freely mingling together, talking and chatting, washing each other and just relaxing. This was followed quickly by another realization - he was definitely in an 18-year-old body instead of his old 92-year-old one since his cock hardened without any manual input. Embarrassed, Max quickly got in the nearest pool. Thankfully, either nobody noticed in the dim light that the candles were giving off, or nobody cared.

Once their study group got together, Max pleaded tiredness and managed to sit out. Listening to the lads quizzing each other made him certain that he had very little chance to score well in the upcoming exam. Eventually everyone had had enough and they rinsed off before heading out. Several of the group announced their plan to head to a nearby public house but Will decided not to, much to Maximilians satisfaction as he had no idea where his room or dormitory was! Like a happy puppy, Max followed Will into the three-story building across the courtyard. As they climbed to the top floor, Will stopped in front of a thick door with his name on it. He produced a thin metal card from a pocket and pressed it against the door, making it open.

"Remember my offer Max, feel free to come talk to me at any time if you feel like it", he said, nodded good night to his quiet friend and stepped inside, leaving Max alone in the corridor. Looking around, Maximilian spotted a door with just MAX engraved on it and he fished around in his pockets for a key. He found a similar looking card but there was no card reader on the door or a slot to insert in. Mimicking Will, Max pressed the card against the door and
_it shocked me
_he kept pressing and could feel almost something like a pull from the door. Concentrating on the card, he tried to push into it and, to his surprise, he felt some sort of energy move through his arm to the card and the door swung open.

Inside was an austere chamber that would have been perfect for a Catholic monk. There was a wooden cot, a small opening in the stone wall serving as a window with a wooden slat covering it, and a large wooden chest with iron studs. There was no table or chair or wardrobe. Clearly, it was a place to store his possessions and to sleep. Maximilian could barely see as it was quite dark but he did notice a candle on a tin holder. He grabbed it and went back to the hallway, lighting the candle from one of the bigger candles outside. Returning inside, he noticed that there was a parchment on his bed. Out of curiosity, he sat down to read it.

May ye know that I did not commit suicide on a moment of weakness. The **** of my parents merely proved the emptiness of this existence. I hate this place and everyone here and I have felt thus since the moment I arrived. Tiffany, you should have said yes to me. Now my **** is on your conscience you stupid bitch. Will, I hate your smug face. Don't think I don't know how you're always looking down on me. My only regret is that I could not find a way to bring all of you to Oblivion with me. MAX.

Maximilian was utterly shocked. He burned the letter, watching as the strips of ash fell on the stone floor. Now things about his awakening made more sense. Seems that this Max fellow had jumped from the roof of this building and somehow Maximilian took over his body. Instead of a broken husk, it was fully healed before Will had woken him. Any sense of regret of taking over someone else's body had evaporated. The original Max clearly had not been a very good person.

Mentally and emotionally exhausted, Maximilian blew off his candle, lied down on the cot still in his robes and closed his eyes. He could think more of this new world tomorrow.