Across the horizon lies what seems to be the Great Wall of Vosgant that spans across the mountain range valley, towering above the plain bright green grass with almost no trees nor bush to be spotted.

A wavy river, however, passes through under the wall, creating a somewhat sore gap in its magnificent structure. It is this river from what I’ve heard what makes this place special and gives life to the capital city of the Reinhardt fiefdom. The river forms a flat land or valley amongst the slippery tall mountain range, providing a place for cargo ships to sail.

Coupled with the clear sky, everything looks wonderful, as if it is trying to Impose its fucking ideals and “happy thoughts” when everything is fucking meaningless.

After two weeks of journeying around and we finally almost reach Elras’s hometown, just a few more minutes in Elras’s carriage and we’ll pass the city’s gate. The city’s name is Karvent, I think.

I don’t really have any sort of concrete plan on what to do here. Maybe I should learn the superior, noble way of combat magic? Yeah right… It’s already too late. Re-learning everything up to intermediate mastery will be quite challenging, however, the real challenge will be in progressing further after that level. Which is next to impossible without a proper form of education…

Ah, whatever. A place far away from Renald’s mother’s grasp is as good as any. I just need to sort out my thoughts and plan on what to do here…

Heck, what the hell am I doing? Why am I even still alive? I didn’t request a second chance to live and here I am failing miserably as I did in my past life. What’s more, I’m doing so inside another one’s body.

「 Renald, 」Elras calls me,「 how long are you going to stay at my place again? You know I won’t be able to accompany you on your stay here right? 」

「 You’ve told me this before Elras. In two weeks I will be on my way to join Professor Mayer’s with his archeological expedition. What are you going to do anyway for you to be quite busy anyway? 」I ask back.

「 For goddess sake, I’m the one who’s supposed to ask that question, 」his palm makes its way to cover his forehead as he lets out a sigh,「 what the hell are you going to do in my place? It’s just a mining hub for the numerous manaritium and other mining resources throughout the Vosgant mountain range. What’s more, it’s quite dangerous with the constant skirmish we have with those damn elves across the mountain range. 」

Stress added in those few last words; Elras as always.

「 And as a Reinhardt first and foremost, 」he continues,「 I must hold into my honor in protecting the land from those arrogant savages. So I will be at the border for most of the vacation period most likely. Only staying in the city to meet with my family and others for at most a day or two. 」

He always mentions them. Elves. They are similar to us humans, with their key characteristics of long pointy ears and green-haired. There were also some theories of how elves might be closely related to humans. A fitting analogy would be how back on earth scientists come to a conclusion of how apes and humans share the same ancestors.

But this time, instead of apes as the lesser beings with their lack of intellectual capability, the elves in this world excel in magic far more than humans. Making us the more inferior creatures, even though we have superior numbers. Well, I’m not sure how to feel about that, it’s not like I’m going to dare myself to be involved in the elven skirmishes and face an elf.

「 I rarely go outside my fief and the capital city throughout my life, so I thought it would be a great change of pace to explore around and see what the world could offer. 」I say back to answer his prying question.

Why bother completely lying when you can just tell a half-truth?

「 You could’ve traveled to Bonhart city, south to the capital city, famous for its wonderful beaches. The Armant city is also an interesting option, holding the greatest cuisines the kingdom has to offer.

「 Or knowing you, perhaps the wonderous Ordsors city fits your liking much more than what I previously mentioned. The city has the largest magical library in the whole continent and the《Associations of Magicians》headquarters reside there too. There’re a lot of interesting destinations for adventure and yet, you decide to settle down in a boring mining hub and military city? 」

Elras eyes squint a bit as he asks me another question. It hurts when somebody distrusts you for as long as I can remember

「 You say it’s boring, but the great wall we are heading to says otherwise, 」I turn my head, looking outside the carriage window, 「 The wall from afar looks like any typical defensive wall, but up close right now, I can see the unique motifs and designs embedded in its architecture. Most importantly the numerous small statues of a man with a sword and his other hand casting a magic rune.

「 It’s definitely not as fancy as the royal castle, but it’s on equal terms in regard to its mightiness or even more. The creator of such a great wall wouldn’t bother putting extraordinary time and effort into building it in a boring city. 」

「 You really know how to flatter people huh Renald… 」Elras says, feeling prideful so it seems,「 But yes, my great ancestor, the first Reinhardt was the one who designed the Great Wall of Vosgant around the city for protection against the barbaric elves when they first settled here. 」

「 It must’ve been a distinguishable heritage from your family lineage right? 」I ask back, trying to stroke his ego.

「 It is. The Great Wall of Vosgant for the people is a symbol of what the Reinhardt people truly are – robust. A reminder of the great sacrifices the first settlers did in building a massive fortress for the protection of future generations. 」

「 I see… That’s good to know. 」

We close into the opened gate amongst the other carriages filled with people or mining excavation resources. Peasants, and others riding horses rampant in the road.

The thunderous harmonic melody of trumpets engulfs the once noisy road. Out of bewilderment, I peak over from the carriage window and look up to find numerous guards blowing out shiny gold trumpets on top of the wall. I immediately sit back normally, Elras expression takes a wild turn as he seems to be in a mixture of displeased and annoyed. Must be because of my previous gauche and peasant-like behavior.

The people surrounding us seem slightly bewildered with the sudden triumph trumpets sound, but they kept their pace. Surprisingly, some seem to be even happy with the sudden turn of events.

「 ELRAS-SAMA HAS ARRIVED! 」

As if nothing happens, the carriage keeps its pace and passes through the quite humongous gate that could perhaps fit five carriages side by side.

As we pass through it, soldiers stand side by side, saluting their long waited young lord, Elras. Their appearance seems to be more rigid — battle-hardened — compared to the guards in the capital city. Capped with a mix of black and brown leather uniform, without any steel armor. Very different compared to the flashy red and white uniform of the royal magician army when they don’t wear steel armor.

Wait a minute… what are they holding? Those aren’t the familiar spears that I’ve known of or other kinds of polearm. There’s some kind of a steel barrel in them… Don’t tell me…

「 Hey Elras… 」

「 Yes, Renald? 」

「 W-what kind of weapon are they holding?! 」

Those are firearms! I thought they didn’t exist in this world? How come magic is still the de facto way of combat or warfare then?!

「 Oh yeah, It’s not that strange for you to never know this type of weaponry, it’s called a bayonet musket. What makes it distinct compared to a normal spear is how it can launch a projectile, a small ball of lead in the blink of an eye through a steel tube thanks to a small explosion ignited from black powder. Creating holes or wounds into a target. Quite similar to the《Corum》spell, if you know it of course. 」Elras adds, seemingly not interested.

「 For such a revolutionary weapon to exist, how come I did not know this? 」

「 Where do I even begin with… 」Elras says as he ponders on what to say, 「 It’s not that revolutionary. The bayonet musket we design is based on a much superior bayonet musket way back of an ancient human civilization out of the continent. The art of creating such weapons was lost and forgotten. The engineers weren’t able to reverse engineer it so they were forced to scrape out what they barely understood and create a much more inferior bayonet musket.  」

「 How come I get to know this kind of weapon in your fief instead of… Let’s say in the capital city? 」I ask, inciting my eager enthusiasm.

「 Let me finish Renald… 」He lets out a sigh,「 the bayonet musket is unique to my fief. As far as I know, nobody else in the continent equips their soldiers with bayonet muskets. If you were paying attention to class you would’ve known it takes at least three years to train a combat-ready basic magician. Compare that to bayonet muskets which only require the user to aim and pull a trigger, three months is all they need.

「 Although bayonet musket combat prowess wouldn’t compare to a full-fledged magician, its much swiffer training is very crucial in keeping up with the constant attack from the elves. Thus, when onii-sama found this type of weapon existed, he immediately created a whole new regiment solely based on non-magician commoners in using this new weapon. 」

A burst of small laughter and smiles make their way to Elras face. But shortly afterward is replaced with a deadpan expression.

「 Back in his glory days, he termed the new common infantry regiment holding such weapons as the Ishkar Common Regiment. Named from the river that gives life to my people that live here. 」

Back in his glorious days? What does he mean?

「 Relax, I’ve known ahead what you’re probably thinking, 」before I can even ask, he cuts me off,「 he was killed in action from an elven ambush four years ago. 」

「 I’m… I’m sorry for your loss. 」I say back, not knowing much about what to say.

「 It’s been a long time. 」Elras says as he mindlessly gazes through the window,「 so although it’s truly not needed… Thank you for your concern. 」

Silence remains.

「 If it’s alright to ask you again, what differentiates between ancient bayonet muskets and the current one? 」I ask again, breaking the silence. Hopefully, it will divert his gloominess.

「 Uhhh… Do I look like an engineer to you Renald? 」somehow a thin smile makes its way through to his face,「 …something about the special usage of manaritium and other unknown materials. And the inner working of the tube is very complex, some even say incomprehensible. 」

The inner working of the barrel…? Maybe what he means is rifling. Not so sure about the rest though. If there’s manaritium embedded in the gun then there’s still some magic working in a supposed modern firearm I guess. What kind of effects does embedding magic do to the inner working of firearms?

All in all, perhaps the current musket in this world is the same as the one in my previous world.

「 So why is a bayonet musket inferior compared to magic? 」

「 Renald. 」A short but deep pause in Elras connotation,「 it’s just a commoner’s weapon. Why are you so intrigued by such a flimsy weapon? 」

Why wouldn’t I?

It’s the type of weapon that changed the course of history.

The usage of gunpowder in warfare allowed the early adopters, often Europeans, to conquer and colonize much of the newly discovered world.

It wasn’t gunpowder alone that caused such massive changes as there were structural, organizational, and logistical innovations that came along at the same time but one cannot argue against gunpowder being crucial in these endeavors, be it conquering the land, conquering people, or simply genocide against a population that used cold weapons.

But I couldn’t tell that to Elras. He would start to question how come I have these weird ideas. I don’t know what will happen if the news that I was from another world would spread out. And I definitely don’t want to find out.

「 Fine… Since you have such an eye on this type of weaponry, perhaps a demonstration is needed. 」He says brimming with enthusiasm somehow.

What kind of demonstration is he talking about? Is he going to compare the damaging effect between firearms and magic?

He opens the wooden window that passes through the carriage helmsman.

「 Change of plan. Go to the nearest guard post. It’s time for an unannounced visit. 」

 

…..

 

Here we are at the outskirt of the guard post of the wall.

Ten soldiers in total are in a formation of two rows with the front row kneeling. Every single one of them raises their muskets, aiming at the mockingly confident Elras, encased by a seemingly thin yet powerful golden spherical magical barrier. 《Quont》spell was it… Supposed to be another basic aegis magic. Yet, I’ve never heard of it…

These poor soldiers aren’t even holding the musket straight and are shaking a lot…

I mean, of course, they would. It’s their young lord for fuck sake, one slightly wrong outcome and at best they will be hanged.

「 Ready. Now fire! 」Elras says.

No gunshots or anything… Just their muskets shaking more to the point of vibrating.

「 I said fire! Do you understand?! 」Elras shouts.

A single shot fired, startling the rest and prompted the rest to follow, firing in a disorganized manner.

The gunshots were so loud that I blanked out for a second. Dammit, I shouldn’t stand near the soldiers.

Grey smokes rushed out, filling the air with its hazy smoke and the smell of freshly burnt gunpowder.

Elras surprisingly still standing proudly with no scratch whatsoever, and his magic barrier still radiating its glim gold unscratched.

「 It’s only twenty meters and yet only four shots hits my magic barrier! I know all of you are fresh meats but come on, even a young female elf shoots a crossbow straighter than you pussies! What’s next? All of you can’t piss straight?! 」Elras shouts, his face filled with extreme annoyance that I’ve never seen before.

But this language… I’ve never known Elras would say such foul language…

「 You should all be thankful I have a guest to tend for and Commander Wolyen Wolf is in the frontline. Or else every single one of you will receive severe punishment! Now go back to your previous duty! 」Elras yell.

The soldiers scramble back to their post, each of their faces pales seemingly as if a ghost sucked out their souls. But nevertheless, each of their movements is disciplined like they are marching out.

「 Let’s go back, Renald. Our job here is done. I’ll tell you more on the way back. 」Elras says nonchalantly as if nothing significant has happened. Even though he was being shot seconds before.

「 Now you see why? 」Elras continues,「 just simple basic aegis magic blocks a musket volley fire. Bayonet muskets users wouldn’t stand a chance against a magician. 」

「 Yes, now I understand the supremacy of magic. But was that really necessary? 」

「 Hmph, 」Elras says as he lets out a small laugh,「 I admit it’s redundant. But I did it in order to also see the regiment conditions. More so for the new recruits. I need to make sure everything is in order since my father doesn’t put his attention fully on the Ishkar Common Regiment, opting out to focus on the more conventional magician regiment. After onii-sama passed away, I’m the one in charge of this new regiment. 」

「 I see… Back in my family, I was never in charge of anything, so I was left to roam free. Anyway, so what did you find out? 」I reply.

「 A single visit won’t give me a big picture, Renald. But for now, the soldiers at the very least are instilled with discipline. What’s left is the experience in battle. Although I’m not sure how they will react when they face an elf for the first time. Perhaps they will need to get used to the chaotic nature of the battlefield before they are placed on the frontline. 」Elras says.

「 If that’s the case, I assume you’re going to check on them again at one point. By the way, where are we going? 」

「 To my personal small mansion. There are several empty guest rooms you can stay in during your stay here. 」Elras answers.

The carriage is ready in front of us, as we get into the carriage-

「 What a wonderful demonstration Elras-sama. 」

A clear but rather deep voice came out of nowhere, slightly startling both me and Elras. When we look at the direction of the voice, a bald man appeared wearing fine jewelry throughout his body that contrasts his simple common apparel.

「 And who might you be? 」Elras asks.

「 It seems Elras-sama has forgotten this humble merchant, 」the man bows down quite deeply,「 Gelael O’dinn at your service. My esteemed customers dubbed me, the man of pleasure, or the master of a thousand slaves. 」

 

Previous Chapter — Next Chapter

「 Ahh~! Yes, Master~ Please… 」

「 Please what? Please go faster? Harder? Answer me, cheating slut. 」

「 Nnngh~! Please stop~ 」

「 Ohhh, I absolutely won’t stop. Seeing your sexy body and your beautiful face only for that excuse of a man you called husband. No, You need this. You need to be broken down into my fuck toy because let’s face it, I’m better than that husband of yours.  」

「 Y-yes master~ Why did I ever married to that man instead of you master~ ♡  」

 

Why… Why did you cheat on me, Karin? 

All this time, I thought we were meant together…

Was it all just a play — a gimmick for you?

Have you ever truly loved me in the first place?

 

…..

 

I wake up; sweats all around me. I then realized it was yet another nightmare that has been haunting me for as long as I can remember in this whole new different world. Why am I having these dreams? Love is just a big fat lie anyway.

I’ve been stuck in this shitty world for about two weeks with no choice but to continue living. Counting almost every minute passing by. Probing myself whether to continue living when no matter how hard I did and follow what’s expected of me, everything is pointless and nothing good comes out of it.

They say pursue the things I’m passionate about, so I pursue history for my bachelor’s degree. Yet, they daringly also say to pursue the things that will contribute to society, so I switched studies and pursued industrial engineering — a field I hate and love simultaneously.

They say it is the man’s duty to love and cherish his wife. To prioritize his wife’s happiness in return for the husband to be happy. But what I got in return is bitterness.

I would lay awake and stare at the ceiling contemplating my past life — reflecting on the choices I’ve made, questioning the way I see the world.

Those facades she put on to me. Her innocent smile hides her devilish lie. Her hidden lust never shown to me before.

What did I do wrong? Why did she cheat on me? How could all of this happen?

Until it, all… starts to make sense. I cringe at my younger self who’s full of naivety and delusional.

Of course, she will pick that man over me. He has everything I don’t have. Wealth? He has a luxurious car, costing more than my house mortgage. Status and power? He has his own business project that surely earns him millions of dollars, compared to me who’s just a lowly system engineer.

It all stems down to one undeniable truth I wished I have known way earlier. That true love does not exist. Women will always choose the more alpha men in a heartbeat. I can’t really blame them. I mean, men would’ve chosen prettier girls too. It’s just how the world works.

To gain love, men must be both powerful and wealthy. How did I not know this in my past life when there’s plenty of occurrence on this matter? Young hot girls would swarm over to rich and powerful old men. Society would think those girls are very shallow but the ones who said that are definitely the very people who don’t have power and wealth; overly jealous of those men.

All of this reveals an unpleasant truth. But it’s alright. At the very least now I know how to overcome it and improve myself to perhaps be worthy to feel love once more.

I arose from my bed and went to the table. On it were several papers and books lying around, with some of them were my notes from previous intense studying. I start reviewing my notes. These past few days I’ve been trying to learn as much about this world as possible. The writing system in this world is interestingly quite similar to Japanese; minus the mind-boggling kanjis. Because of that, and thanks to Butler Drake’s help, understanding writings came effortlessly and only took half a day.

He was quite shocked by the rapid speed of my learning. He muttered about how I really did change once during training. It doesn’t really matter, rather than worrying about my social image, I need to get ahead of learning magic.

The ‘Introduction to Magic’ book that I found lying around in the house’s library went into a brief explanation about this world’s magic. Magic in this world is defined as the art of manipulating mana energy at one’s own will. Mana exists inside all living beings with some races being blessed with it more than others. The people who dedicate their lives studying and mastering magic are called Magicians.

The art of magic is very vast and some forms of magic are inherent to a single race. The organization 《Association of Magicians》 categorizes magic as seven different schools of magic.

The《School of Aegis Magic》 —  The magic art of using mana to protect oneself and others. The embodiment of defense and protection magic. Aegis Magic is famous for its powerful and even unbreakable magic barrier spells.

The《School of Assault Magic》 — The magic art of using mana to attack. The embodiment of offensive and assault magic. A master of assault magic for example can plummet the world with a rain of fireballs.

The《School of Alteration Magic》 — The most versatile out of all schools of magic. Affecting the world by altering the laws of matter. The most common spell is transmute, the ability to turn copper to gold and shaping materials to any kind of form.

The《School of Miracle & Blessing Magic》 — This form of magic is only granted to the followers of Maria through her blessings; Allowing even the most half-baked person to wield magic, as long as they are devout enough to Maria’s guidance.

The《School of Wits Magic》 — The art of magic centered around the mind and sentient intelligence. Using mana to influence the mind and control information. The most common spell is Telepathy, mostly used for communication.

The《School of Enchantment Magic》 — The art of embedding mana to objects such as swords to increase their combat potential. And even non-combat items such as mirrors or other catalysts for communication across distance.

And last but not least.

The 《School of Alchemy》 — The art of brewing various herbs and other materials into drinkable potions with magic properties. These potions are usually used to transfer magic properties to other beings as aid or support.

To understand magic, one must be prepared to bear the heavy endeavor it will take. Since magic takes a lot of effort to understand, magicians practice and study to the tiniest detail to make sure the sounds they chant are absolutely correct and the magic runes they have to imagine are remembered vividly.

One slight mistake in the chant’s tone or the rune’s shape will result in heavy consequences. Mana going out of control results in a fiery explosion and might even endanger one’s life. For Magicians who specialize in combat, this becomes an even harder task in the heat of combat.

This makes a combat magician, the one who delves into either 《School of Aegis Magic》or《School of Assault Magic》or even both to be very sought after. Causing them to have both power and status in this new world. Therefore to not repeat the same mistake in my previous life, I will relentlessly pursue this path. Even if it means always gambling my life.

To standardize magic capability measurement, the《Association of Magicians》came up with a measurement system categorizing magic mastery into six levels. From lowest to the highest, they are:

Basic > Intermediate > Advanced > Master > Doctor > Supreme Doctor

It is said, each kingdom or country has about 3-5 Supreme Doctors serving them, demonstrating their superpowers and only utilizing them as a last resort.

 

Knock, knock…

 

「 Excuse me, Renald-sama. Your instructor has arrived. 」

「 Okay. Let him wait in the guest room. I’ll come soon. 」

「 Understood, Renald-sama. 」

And finally, the day has come, the day my magic instructor has arrived. No more will I get bored with nothing to do other than contemplating about life and reading books.

Feeling excited to learn magic, I immediately exited my room and went to the guest room, where my instructor is waiting. Upon arriving there, my “mother” and that instructor are sitting across from each other, with butler Drake standing next to her.

I was expecting a very stereotypical magician from your typical fantasy fiction stories; a skinny old man wearing a big pointy hat and baggy robe with a wooden staff. Instead, the instructor has a muscular body with slightly red skin and thick pitch black horns, a Rengda. One of the many non-human races in this world.

「 Good afternoon, young lord. The name’s Kalish. 」

「 Good afternoon, Kalish. You don’t need to call me ‘young lord’, just call me by my name, Renald. 」

「 It’s an honor to be able to call you by your name, Renald-sama. 」

「 Son… Are you sure you still want to be trained by this Adventurer instead of an official Magician? 」

「 What’s wrong, mother? 」

「 I’ve talked with this man before you arrived. Not only is he a Rengda, but he also doesn’t even have any advanced magic capabilities. How could I let this imposter teach my son magic? 」

She has somehow become quite talkative… Strange, is it more because he’s a commoner or the fact that he’s a Rengda? Seems like racism is rampant in this world. Well, it’s not like my previous world did not have it either.

「 Excuse me, lady. Although it is true I do not have any advanced magic capabilities, I’m very confident in my skills in teaching your son the basics of magic and strength training. It might be improper to say this, but your son is quite skinny and in dire need to grow some muscles.

「 What type of magic do you want to learn, Renald-sama? 」

「 Preferably, Aegis and Assault Magic. 」

「 That’s perfect. I have Intermediate capabilities at both schools of magic. With my vast amount of combat experience, achieving your goals in learning magics, especially the combat variant would be as easy as baking an apple pie. 」

To be honest, I’m quite skeptical about this man. I mean, to learn magic, shouldn’t you learn from the masters itself? But he does have a point regarding combat and he clearly knows how to sell himself.

「 Okay, that’s great. Butler Drake, have you discussed his compensation for training me? 」

「 Kalish will provide Renald-sama training every day, for half a day. And every week he will be paid two silver coins. 」

Two silver coins? That’s enough to support a peasant family with four members for two weeks. If that’s the price just for learning basic magics, how much would higher tier magic education cost? No wonder there are very few magicians.

「 Can we start now, Kalish? 」

「 I’m ready anytime, Renald-sama. 」

「 Renald, can we please talk a bit just the two of us? Before you start training. 」

Why does she want to speak alone with me? She barely even talked to me after my transmigration. Why now?

「 Sureee Mother…  Butler Drake, accompany Kalish to the courtyard. I will go there as soon as I’m done with my mother. 」

「 Understood. Now if you excuse me Kalish, please follow me. 」

「 Sure thing. 」

After that, they left the room. I was finally able to sit across her. Her eyes looking downward, and her fingers fidgeting. Seeing how nervous she was, I took my time drinking the herb tea that was provided on the coffee table between me and my mother.

The tea interestingly is red, unlike the brown or green tea I’ve known of. Must be due to the leaves and other fancy herbs that have been put into it. And similar to its color, rather than slight bitterness taste, it has a spicy feel on it. Fragrant too, as my mind drifts with the excitement of my soon to come magic endeavor. If I remember correctly this is a luxury item since they have to import it from a place far away across the ocean.

When I had almost finished drinking my tea, my mother starts talking.

「 I-I’ve been a bad mother haven’t I? 」

Well… This is unexpected. I thought she’s going to tell me to be careful or whatever as a typical overprotective parent would. Noticing how this conversation might be serious, I finish my cup and put it down.

「 What do you mean mother? 」

「 Can you sit next to me first dear? 」

「 Okay. 」

Not wanting to delay my training much further, I began circling around the table. My movements are fast, yet somehow time seems to stretch out…

It was only until sitting beside her I was reminded that she is — although I refuse to think so — is in fact, my mother.

She hugs me right as soon as I sit beside her. Her warmth and pleasant fragrances force me to recall the time I first stumbled upon this world. But this time my mind drifts away and feels blissful, unlike the confusion and anxiety I felt before.

「 I’m sorry for being such a bad mother, Renald. 」

「 W-why are you like this mother? You did nothing wrong. 」

「 No, I did, and don’t you ever think otherwise! I’ve been neglecting you for a long time. Ever since that day. 」

If I have a familiar who has forgotten his or her memories and become a totally different person, I would probably act the same way as her.

「 Just because you were the polar opposite of Renald I knew, I’ve ignored you for a long time, thinking that my boy from before is gone — replaced with a completely different person. And now look at what happened to you.

You busied yourself in your room or in the library. Alone, without any person to support you, Renald. I’m so sorry for what I’ve done, son. 」

「 It’s fine, mother. I very much like it. 」

「 Look, there you go again. With how you call me, you don’t even consider me as your mother now do you? 」

This woman sure is quite perceptive. But what could I do? You’re not my real mother and I never even had a mother in the first place. Perhaps, due to her sensing my tension, she pulls away from me, her hands still on my shoulder.

We stared at each other, her eyes blue as clear as the sky, unlike what I’ve seen back on Earth. Her silky straight hair that reaches her neck is as blue as her eyes. Several minor freckles can be seen around her smooth face, miraculously adding womanly charm. It is at this moment I truly realized how I never put much thought and notice into this woman.

「 That’s why I want us to restart all over again. Learning what you love and hate, your hobbies, and much more. Let’s get to know each other, Renald. 」

「 Okay… 」

Without notice, she pecked my cheek. Sound included.

「 That’s my boy, now go to your magic training. You don’t want to leave that instructor waiting right? I still don’t like that instructor, but I’ll make an exception if he can make my boy into a fine Magician.

「 Let me know all the cool things you learned in your training, okay?  」

Heat starts creeping up around my cheek, as I cover the slightly moist spot with my hand.

「 Okay… Mother… 」

Feeling a little redemptious, I returned the favor to her. Her tomato face makes it all worth it.

「 Wh-what are you doing?! Hurry up and go! Idiot son. 」

She yells at me — failing to hide the tenderness in her voice.

「 Bye mother! 」

I wave my hands towards her as I ran towards the courtyard. True love? It only exists in the form of parental love.

In the courtyard, I saw Kalish doing warmups with what seemed to be his gear set on the floor tidily. Preparing for what’s to come soon.

「 Please begin the training, Kalish. 」

「 First thing, first. I just want to get this matter out of the way. My training will be hell and my behavior might offend you, will that be alright Renald-sama? 」

「 Huh? Yeah, go ahead. As long as it will make me master magic faster. 」

He then clears his throat and takes a deep breath. Why do I have a bad premonition on what’s about to happen…

「 From now on, I will address you as Renald, and you will address me as ‘Sir’. Understood?!  」

「 Understood. 」

「 You will end every last sentence with ‘Sir’. Say it again. 」

「 Understood, Sir. 」

「 Louder! Your small voice is proof that nobles are soft pussies! 」

「 Understood, Sir!! 」

「 Not bad, for a spoiled brat. Let’s go for a run to the forest! three miles up three miles down. What do you say?!」

Is this really how you were supposed to learn magic?

「 Yes, Sir! 」

「 Let’s go! If you fall behind, we’ll run another three miles! 」

And so, me and my instructor… or should I say drill sergeant starts running.

Did I bring this upon myself? How did wanting to learn magic lead to me getting yelled at by a damn drill sergeant?

Ah, Whatever. Maybe with this, I’ll pass out to the point nightmares won’t come out anymore. But this shit still better be damn worth it.

 

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「 Oh, dear Renald… How could this happen to you… 」

It is at this moment, I hear a mysterious female voice. The voice sounds quite soothing, yet sobbings could be heard through the suppressed sound of hiccups. I couldn’t really hear what she’s saying but it is as if it’s directed towards me, desperately calling me. Why am I hearing a woman’s voice? Unconsciously, I open my eyes. The scene which greets me was out of place.

Upon waking, I found myself burrowed in a soft, warm sheet. The roof is made with what seems to be fancy marble common in luxurious residences. The freshness of the air, which contrasts with the once sour air, forces me to fully awake as I start to raise my body. On the left side of the bed, a woman with what seems to be in her mid-30s is looking at me with her watery eyes; tears flowing down her otherwise beautiful cheek.

「 Bless the goddess Maria! You are awake! 」

In a flash, her arms wrap around my shoulder as she pulls me closer. Her warmth feels comfortable yet unfamiliar.

「 When the maid carried you over to your bed, and the butler Drake told me you fell off a tree; I became so worried. 」

She tightens her hug and sobs even louder. Who is this woman? Where am I? Why is she hugging me? How is it possible I’m still able to breathe and think?! When seconds before, the excruciating tight pain surrounded my neck was the only thing I could think of. Now, a crying stranger is hugging me as if I’m her most loved one.

「 Who… Who are you…? W-where am I? 」

She stops tightening her arms as she pulls away.

「 Oh dear goddess, a-are you okay my baby? 」

I stare into her eyes, tears still dripping on her cheek. Oh god, why is she crying? Is she crying over my failed suicide attempt? But why is she calling me her baby?!

Silence remains, with only her sobbing echoing through the room. Perhaps, from sensing my clueless expression, she tries to breathe in more in the midst of her hiccups.

「 It’s me Renald, your mother. How could you even forget your own mother?! Oh, dear goddess are you really okay?! 」

What the heck, who’s Renald? My name is Yoshinobu Ryo. What’s going on?! Am I dreaming? Am I in another person’s body?

「 I can’t believe this. I’m so sorry but I-I… 」

She jumps away from me and with her hands lifting her skirt, she runs away.

BAAMM!!

The door shut closed. With the sound of the sharp steps fading away.

What happens with my suicide attempt? How am I still alive? And she’s my mother? Did she mistake me for his son, Renald? I need to figure out where exactly I am.

I get off the bed as I plant my foot on the floor, I noticed it is covered with smooth carpet. I stood up and felt my body composition feeling weird and unfamiliar; as if I became much smaller. Noticing there’s something wrong with my body, I worriedly looked through a mirror near the bed encased in an artistically carved wooden frame. The reflection it gave to me is a young teenage boy with an innocent babyface. Short blue hair with black eyes.

This can’t be… I-I can’t believe this. No, I refuse to believe this.

I shove my hands all over my body as I looked into the mirror. My movement and senses were aligned perfectly with the reflection.

Unless this mirror is broken, the only assumption I could think of is that I really did move to another person’s body. And that person was that woman’s child, Renald. Which is now gone, somehow replaced by me.

Fuck… Wasn’t I supposed to be dead?! Hanging by the rope or buried down in a coffin with my family crying over my suicide?! How the hell did I somehow possess a child’s body?! Not only that, what’s with this weird blue hair?!

Is this some kind of a sick joke from God?! After all the things I did to commit suicide, God wants me to continue my suffering?! Why the hell did I try so hard to kill myself then?! Just let me die already, goddammit.

So, hell or heaven doesn’t exist? Only reincarnation?! But how the fuck did I reincarnate to a boy?! Why do I still have memories from my past life?! Didn’t the Buddhists believe in complete reincarnation?! Ahhh…. I wish somebody would just explain what the hell is going on!

 

Craack…

 

The door behind me opens with its hinges letting out a small but noticeable squeaky noise, forcing me to stop my thoughts.

「 Renald-sama. It seems that you’ve awakened already. 」

I turn my back and see a man wearing a black suit like a typical butler, bowing fully. His hair and his trimmed beard were white. His black eyes were rather sharp, but what I feel is respect and a gentle attitude towards me.

「 Excuse me, but w-who are you…? It looks like I’ve lost my… my m-memories… 」

I tell him deliberately that I have forgotten my memories. I can’t let them know that the child they used to know is instead replaced with a stranger.

「 Indeed… Looks like Lady Heva-sama’s concern was true. 」

「 Lady Heva-sama… Is she… Is she my mother? 」

「 Heva Alderhide, the wife of the great Earl Falben Alderhide. Please don’t call her Lady Heva-sama. She’s your mother and should be treated like that. 」

That woman is my mother? And her husband or ‘my father’ is an Earl? Am I in the middle age time period?

「 I’m butler Drake, assigned by your father Earl Falben Alderhide to take great care of you and Lady Heva-sama.

「 I know everything is confusing for you right now. I’ve already dispatched the maids to prepare a carriage. Now, let’s go to the carriage, Renald-sama. 」

He extended his hands towards me and so I held it as we walk out of the room. I have no idea where we are going, but I need to follow along to not raise any suspicion.

Shortly afterward, we got outside the building we were in before. As we walk, I saw a heavily decorated carriage with the most noticeable sign is a roaring lion. And besides the carriage, there are two women wearing black and white clothing — the very image of a maid.

Butler Drake opened the door and offered his hand again to help me get into the carriage. I reached it and leaped my body to the carriage.

「 Go to Saint Brastow Cathedral. 」

「 Yes sir. 」

The butler then went inside the carriage, sitting across me.

 

HIYAA! Followed by a crack; The horse neighs as the carriage starts to move.

 

「 We are going to Saint Brastow Cathedral, Renald-sama. Hopefully, the priest’s blessing will help you recover your memories. Do you have any questions while we are on our way, Renald-sama? 」

Strange, I thought. Why go to a priest instead of a doctor to recover my memories? From the looks of it, perhaps I went back to history, where scientific thinking is still a foreign concept. The usage of carriage and horses further proves this. At this point, I just hope the priest won’t think of me as a demon possessing someone’s child.

「 My name is R-ronald… Is… that correct? 」

「 Your name is Renald Alderhide. Please remember your name, Renald-sama. 」

「 Where am I…? By that, I mean… the city or the place we are currently in. 」

「 We are in the Kingdom Veinard, Count of Alderhide, in the City of Quondartz. You really did forget your memory and even who you are, Renald-Sama. 」

What?! Kingdom Veinard?! I’ve never heard about that kingdom before. And I’ve studied a bit of history back in my first year of college. Where exactly am I?! Not only that, Count Alderhide? According to the middle age time period, then that means I’m in a noble family.

「 I’m sorry… How was I before I lost my memory? 」

「 You used to be a very energetic kid, simple-minded and short-tempered. Instead of studying, you loved to explore the countryside and play around with your friends, who I believe are commoners. I remember there was a time when Lady Heva-sama shouted angrily to you because you skipped studying in favor of spending your time exploring the city.

「 You only started studying until your mother agreed to give you sweets if you pass her test. A stark contrast to you right now, who I observed to be quite mature and relax-mannered. 」

「 Seeing how you were able to tell how different I am from myself in the past… How can you still be calm about this, unlike my mother? 」

「 As a butler of the Alderhide family, it is my duty and responsibility to stay calm regardless of the situation. Although this might offend Lady Heva-sama, I find you right now to be much better than before. Very fitting to bear the name of Alderhide. 」

「 This reminds me. Am I a noble…? 」

「 Yes, you are. You are the son of the great Earl Falben Alderhide. 」

「 Do I… have… any siblings? 」

「 Yes. You are the youngest with three older brothers and two older sisters. 」

Oh great, looks like I’m in the era where feudalism and nobility still exist. With five older siblings, my chances of inheriting the land, and wealth that goes along with it are very minuscule. But then again, it’s not like it matters right now anyway if I can’t figure out what exactly is going on.

「 How about… my… my mother? Is she fine? 」

「 Lady Heva-sama is still grieving about your lost memory — fearing the worst. I consoled her and suggested she let me check you in with the priest. 」

Not knowing what other topics to talk about, I lean my head to see the view outside the carriage window. Rows of houses and small buildings could be seen next to each other to form a straight line. In those buildings, there are numerous shops, from shops that sell fancy clothing, to a small open market with creative sign illustration.

Along with it, I could see all sorts of people walking around. Showcasing the livelihood and the city’s vibrant. This whole thing reminds me of the European early renaissance era aesthetics. Yet, everything is too pristine for this time period and paved stone roads seem to be quite common here. So even if the building’s aesthetics resemble early renaissance architecture, I can’t confidently say that I’m in the same time period. It just begs the question of where and when exactly am I.

「 Have you remembered anything about this city, Renald-sama? 」

「 Huh? Oh sadly, no. But I must say… this is a beautiful and lively city. 」

「 It is. Thanks to your eldest brother, Elric-sama, for clearing the forest southwest of the city out of wolves and beasts; merchants have an easier time coming to the city to trade. Thus, boosting the city’s economy. And also… 」

While listening to him talking, I realize there is something strange… Why are there a few people with horns and tails among the crowds?!

Is there some kind of Halloween festival going on? But I’m very sure people back then didn’t try to imitate devils or other weird creatures. Or perhaps this is another way for them to commemorate the festival of death, which is what is known as Halloween back then.

「 By the way… How could those people have horns and tails on them? 」

「 Oh dear goddess… You even don’t know that? 」

Who’s goddess are you talking about?!

「 So… are you going to explain or not…? 」

「 Oh yes… I’m terribly sorry for my rudeness, Renald-sama. Anyway, those people with thick pitch black horns are Rengda. While the one with horns but also has a tail is dragonkin. I hope that answers your question, Renald-sama. 」

What?! Dragonkin and Rengda?! Where exactly am I?! Oh dear god, the more I ask, the more questions I got in return.

While I was thinking about what sort of place I’m in with these weird people, the carriage stops and the door opens.

「 Excuse me, my Lord, we have arrived at the Saint Brastow Cathedral. 」

Outside, there’s a man who helmed the horses bowing deeply.

「 Let’s go, Renald-sama. 」

「 Okay. 」

And so I exited the carriage. The cathedral in front awes me with its humongous structure and its usage of what seems to be silvery marble. On the cathedral, lies numerous nine-sided stars, enneagram stars. Strange, it should’ve been a cross normally. There’s a religion with a deep emphasis on this kind of star?

With the accompaniment of butler Drake, we go inside the cathedral. The inside was rather dark with several streaks of light shining from the windows of the roof to illuminate the inside, giving off a serene atmosphere. Several people could be seen sitting in the rows of benches with their heads down and their hands joined flat together; others, in contrast, are standing up with their heads up and their arms open. Hushed whispers filling this place.

In the midst of praying, a single person stood out the most. A shaved old man wearing a white robe. The front of the robe has an enneagram star emblem on it. In his left hand is a white wooden staff, with another enneagram star emblem on the tip.

With so many occurrences of enneagram stars around here, it must have a big meaning in this religion. However, throughout my study, there was no mention of religion with a deep emphasis on this emblem. Great, another key element that I don’t know which would have hinted to me on what time period I’m in.

「 Excuse me, priest. I implore you to check the son of Alderhide with Her goddess, Maria’s blessings. He fell off a tree and went unconscious, as soon as he woke up, he could not recall any memories. 」

「 Oh dear goddess, that sounds terrible… Come closer to me, my child. This goddess servant will impart Maria’s blessings onto you. 」

I come closer to the priest. Hoping, whatever happens, will not result in anything unsavory. At first, I thought he would only say some prayers or make me partake in some strange religious ritual. But instead, he makes unseen-before hand gestures as he says:

「 Wrap thee in cotton…
Bind thee in love…
Protection from pain and all things evil…
Impart thee with Maria’s Blessing;
『 Sanitatem 』」

Circled runes with complex symbols and patterns sprung out of his hand as lights flickered around towards me. As amazed I was, I just stood frozenly. My eyes focused on this never-seen phenomenon. When all of the lights are fully dispersed, I can feel much more calm and peaceful. All of my wandering thoughts seem to vanish instantly.

「 Now, my child. Have you remembered your memories? 」

「 I don’t really feel any difference… other than me feeling calm and peaceful. And I certainly don’t remember any memories… 」

「 That’s odd… But then there’s nothing more this goddess servant could do… Perhaps, this is what our goddess, Maria, intended from the beginning. 」

「 Priest, Please… 」

At this moment, I wasn’t paying attention to any of the conversations between the priest and butler Drake. All the weird and different things that I’ve experienced so far made me come up with a revelation. That, perhaps, I’ve unknowingly transmigrated to a whole new different world…

 

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