It had been several months since I realized I was reincarnated, exactly eight months. I could already walk and even speak fluently. But that would make people around me suspicious, so I kept pretending to be an ordinary baby.
To be honest, I don't understand why I was reincarnated. My memories from my previous life are still intact. If I lived in an ancient era, my knowledge from the old world should be useful. But I don't know whether this world is modern or not because I have never left this room since I was born.
One thing is certain, I was born into a noble family. I know this because there's a maid who helps my mother. Even when my father visits me, his clothes always look luxurious. Then, when I turned exactly one year old, I learned everything about my family.
That day should have been my special day, the celebration of my first birthday. But something surprising happened…
It turned out I was the firstborn and the rightful heir of a king named Mayr. I didn't know because my father never wore his crown when visiting me. I had never even heard any talk about the kingdom until that day. And I only found out when I was exactly one year old, when my mother told me everything in front of the mirror.
"Arsalyr, now you're exactly one year old. Look at the mirror, you've grown taller. I think you'll grow even faster from now on. And when you're as tall as me, you will become a King just like your father. I can't wait for that day to come."
What does that mean? King? My father? So all this time, my father was actually a King? I was shocked when I heard my mother say that, and without realizing it, my mouth uttered a word.
"King?"
"Yes, king. Oh, how cute my child is. I don't know since when you've become so good at talking. Before, you could only say 'father' and 'mother,' but now you can say so many things. Your father will surely be happy to hear you say so much."
Knock knock knock. It seemed someone was knocking at the door.
"Excuse me, my Queen, the King is waiting for you."
Then mother hurriedly opened the door and told the person to come in. It was Filys, the maid who has served mother's family even before she married my father. Then they talked about something I couldn't hear. After that, mother came back to me and spoke again.
"Sorry, Ars, I have to go. You should get ready. I'm leaving Filys in your care, make sure Ars looks handsome, okay?"
After that, mother left us, and then Filys took out some sets of clothes and dressed me up. Honestly, I didn't care which clothes to wear. I was curious about what they were going to do with me. So, I mustered up the courage to ask Filys.
"Filys, where did mother go?"
"Oh my, young master, since when could you talk? Mother will be happy to hear that. Oh, that's right, mother is meeting father. And young master must look handsome when meeting them later."
Actually, my mother knew about it first, and I had seen it. Mother, who was always enthusiastic when I practiced speaking, would surely be the first to be happy.
"Handsome?"
"Yes, young master must look handsome. Because today is a special day. Everyone will come to see and greet you, and later your mother and father will show your handsomeness to everyone."
"Why?" I still didn't understand what Filys meant.
"Eh, because you are the heir who will one day lead the Kingdom of Trath. Everyone must know that, and it can reduce the unrest of rebellions. I'm sure when you grow up, you will understand."
Huh? A rebellion? Why did she mention a rebellion?
Not long after that, I heard a loud commotion, followed by explosions, sounding like fireworks. Could this be some kind of grand celebration?
Considering today is my birthday, and Filys said everyone is coming to see me, I started to feel excited and couldn't wait to see what was happening. If the system of government here is a monarchy, then I assume this world isn't modern yet. That's exactly what I was hoping for, and I'll use my knowledge from my previous life to transform this world into a modern one. I've made up my mind!!
Prepare yourself, my new world. I've been reborn as a prince of the Kingdom of Trath. The heir who will lead this world into modernity. And—
Bang! Bang! Bang! "Filys, open the door quickly!!"
Who's this rude person banging on the door like that? If he doing something bad, I'll remember his face and someday, I'll punch him!! So annoying!!
For some reason, Filys hurriedly opened the door, and I saw someone who looked like a soldier. Anyone could tell by the armor he was wearing. But what was the purpose of this visit? I noticed the soldier's expression he looked panicked and rushed. They spoke briefly, and then Filys started panicking too. She quickly shut the door and came straight to me.
"Hurry!! Take off all those clothes and grab as much fabric as you can!! Hide the prince and follow me before the rebels get here!"
Filys quickly stripped off my clothes and gathered several pieces of fabric. Then she wrapped my entire body in them and rushed to carry me out.
Their footsteps grew faster, I could feel them running down the stairs. And honestly, in this situation, I was struggling to breathe. But when I heard their conversation, I knew I had no choice but to stay silent.
"Young master, please be good and don't cry, alright? Stay quiet just like that, we'll be okay."
"This is truly a terrible situation. Almost all the citizens who came were caught in the chaos. Some of the palace guards who joined the rebellion are now looking for the prince. If I hadn't found you in time, you might've been a victim too."
So that noise and the explosions I heard earlier, was that it? Why is this happening? And on my special day, no less? Wasn't my fate in this world supposed to be different?
"What about The Queen? Why didn't you bring her? Aren't you supposed to protect her?"
"Calm down, Filys. She should be safe with the King's guards they're protecting her. Come on, this way!!"
I thought they had been running for quite a while now, and I could barely breathe. I really couldn't hold on any longer there was no air in here at all.
"Mother… mother?" I said intentionally, hoping Filys would open the cloth. At least give me a hole to breathe through!
"Please hang in there, young master. We're almost there. We'll see your mother soon, just hold on a little longer, alright?"
Not long after Filys said that, the fabric was pulled open. I saw her crying. She hugged me and gently stroked my head like a child well, I was still a baby after all.
"I'm so sorry, young master. You must've had trouble breathing, huh?"
Trouble? I could barely breathe at all!!
"Alright, we should be safe now. But keep the prince hidden just like before. Next, we'll be passing through the exit, which is currently guarded by rebels."
I had just begun to breathe freely again, but once more, they wrapped me tightly in cloth and placed me somewhere. Not long after, I felt vibrations around me. Most likely, we were riding in a horse, drawn carriage, I even caught a glimpse of it before they hid me again.
"Stop! Where do you think you're going!! Stay right there!! We're coming over!! Don't move!!"
I heard it, it must have been the rebels guarding the gate. I also heard their footsteps approaching us.
"Sorry, but please let me pass. I—"
"Shut up!! No one is allowed to leave this place."
"Wait a minute, aren't you Sir Darent? Let him speak first, we don't know whose side he's on."
"Fine! Speak, but keep it short!"
"Oh, thank you. Is that you, Mirano? Forgive me, I must be getting too old, I barely recognize people anymore."
"That's enough!! Don't waste our time!!"
"Wait, Mike! I told you, we don't know which side he's on. Let him talk! Please go on, sir."
"Seeing the two of you reminds me of my younger days, when I was still full of ambition and dreams of rising through the ranks. But fate had other plans. I never reached that goal. Even now, in my old age, I remain a mere Border Watcher."
"Forgive me, sir, but we don't have time to hear your life story, maybe another time. Just tell us, whose side are you on?"
"It's been a long time since I meddled in internal affairs, boys. I'm not on anyone's side. I'm only trying to save myself and my wife. I'm far too old for this kind of thing."
"As it seems, you truly have no reason to interfere in the affairs of the kingdom. Observers only act when there are problems beyond the borders, I remember what you used to teach me. Alright, you may—"
"Not so fast!! Maybe you know him, Mirano, but I don't. We're going to inspect everything inside the carriage!"
"You don't mind, Sir Darent?"
"Of course not. Go ahead."
After that, I didn't hear any more conversation. It seemed they were now inspecting the carriage.
"Excuse me, ma'am, please step out. We're going to check everything in here. Are you hiding anything inside? I didn't expect you to be carrying so many things, Sir Darent."
"Yes, well, my wife enjoys buying me clothes. I just didn't want her money to go to waste. And I'll be retiring soon anyway. That's all."
They examined every item inside, I heard the sounds of things being moved around. I was sure they weren't leaving a single object unchecked. And finally, just as they were about to inspect the place where I was hiding, I heard what sounded like a chest being opened. I could also feel the vibrations around me. If my guess was right, I was being hidden inside that chest.
"Now, there's only this chest left to inspect. Is this fabric? It seems you're only carrying clothes."
"Wait! Why are our clothes being messed up? That's all in disarray. How can you be responsible for this?"
"Sorry, ma'am. But this is our duty."
Filys tried to divert their attention so they wouldn't check the chest where I was hiding. Unfortunately, her efforts failed. We were almost caught.
I could feel the soldier's hands touching, quite roughly. Then the touch stopped for a moment, I was sure they were starting to get suspicious. Suddenly, the cloth covering me was lifted and...
"Mirano, may I have a word?"
"Oh, what is it, Sir?"
"Sorry, I'm too old to get involved, but I don't intend to stop you either. The fate of the kingdom is in your hands, the younger generation. Whatever your choice, I trust it will be for the best."
For some reason, he took off the cloth and closed the chest again.
"Lord Darent, I've always remembered everything you taught me. So, let me help you tidy up this messy clothing. Mike, help me."
"Huh? What are you doing? Just leave them! Why should we help them? Do whatever you want, but I refuse!"
Not long after, I heard Filys's voice thanking someone. It seemed they had finished, who would have thought we could get through the gate this quickly.
But I felt dizzy, like I couldn't hold on any longer. I couldn't breathe, could this be the end?
"Young master? Young master? Please, wake up…"
I heard Filys's voice, but I couldn't open my eyes. I had only lived for one year, was this really my fate? Slowly, Filys's voice faded, but this time I was able to open my eyes.
Where am I? It looked like a room completely white with no edges. I felt like I had been here before, but I didn't remember anything. Then suddenly, my body emitted a colorful light, that came out from every part of me. Each color flowed from a different spot, looking like strands of thread.
Then the light surrounded me and seemed to try to bind me. Every part of my body felt tied up, and I couldn't move.
The strands grew thicker until finally my eyes were covered. My vision turned dark, but I could feel my eyes slowly opening again.
"Young master!! Finally, young master... Young master.."
This time, it wasn't just Filys's voice, I saw her crying. She hugged me tightly. It seemed I wasn't dead after all. It also seemed we had managed to leave the kingdom. But where was this? Was this Filys's home? Yet when I looked around, it felt more like a healer's place? I wasn't sure.
"This child? He has strong life energy, even rejecting my healing magic, the energy pushes it away. If he is as you said, then I must protect him too."
"Thank you, Melina. You are the only one we trust to protect the prince. You must take him as far away from the kingdom as possible. I'm sure the Queen would want the same if she knew. I'm glad we found you."
"No, it feels like fate brought him here. I believe it's destined for me to care for him. I once dreamed of caring for an unknown baby. But I also saw a woman consumed by fire and—"
"I'm sure the Queen will be fine. Right now my husband is on his way to get her. She's protected by King's Guards. I believe we'll meet her tomorrow."
I didn't understand what they were talking about. They seemed to know each other. As they kept talking, their voices grew more distant.
My eyes grew heavier. What was this feeling? Wait, were they talking about something important?
Why was I getting sleepier? Finally, I couldn't hold it anymore and fell asleep.
The next morning.
I woke up to the sound of horse hooves approaching. Soon after, I heard a knock on the door, like a secret code. Filys grabbed a staff and prepared to open the door.
"I don't sense any disturbance in the barrier I set. Put down your staff, it must be your husband," Melina said.
Filys put down her staff and opened the door.
"Close the door! Maybe they're still following me!" Darent shouted.
"All right, what happened? Where's the Queen? Is she okay? And who are the-" Filys asked.
"Calm down, Filys. Let your husband calm himself first. He's even struggling to breathe," Melina said.
Soon after, everything fell silent.
"Quiet, listen. Can you hear it? That's what's chasing me..." Darent said quietly.
"Mounted troops? What did you do? How could you make soldiers chase you all the way here? Melina, can you handle this?" Filys asked.
"Of course, but that won't be necessary. They seem to have gone away, and they're not soldiers. The way they ride is rough, like bandits or some other force," Melina replied.
"I realized they've been following me from the start. They're from Thoelar village. I don't know if they're bandits or adventurers," said Darent.
"That's the perfect place to hunt fugitives. Especially since you're wearing soldier's gear. They'll definitely be after you, whether for revenge or some other reason," Melina replied.
"Whatever the case, I'm just glad you made it back safely. But what about the Queen? Could she…? Please tell me I'm wrong," Filys asked anxiously.
"Calm down, Filys. Let me explain. When I arrived, we were supposed to meet at the agreed spot. But I didn't see anyone. I thought they were still inside, but when I sneaked in... it was horrifying. The King and Queen had been burned right in front of the palace, and the soldiers loyal to them were hung and brutally killed. That—" Darent's voice faltered.
"That can't be! Are you sure the King and Queen was there?" Filys asked desperately.
"I don't know for sure, but one thing I do know, the guards who were with her weren't among the dead. I couldn't stay long or they would have caught me," Darent said.
No way... Father? Mother? Somehow my heart ached deeply, and the flood of emotions overwhelmed me. Even if I'm reincarnated, I'm still their child.
"Young master? Melina, what's wrong with him?" Filys said worriedly.
Filys was still crying as she looked at me. She walked toward me, but suddenly she was thrown backward.
"Impossible! Take Filys as far away from this place as you can. Do you hear me, Darent? Do it now!"
"Of course. Protect the young master. I leave him in your care, his safety is the priority."
What were they doing? I could hear their voices for a moment, but then they slowly faded away, swallowed by silence. I saw Darent carrying Filys, who seemed unconscious.
Then Melina directed a spell at me. My vision began to blur, everything turning dark. But I could still feel sensations throughout my body. I didn't know what Melina was doing, but my body felt incredibly hot.
The heat grew stronger as thoughts of my parents flooded my mind. The feeling surged and exploded around me until I lost consciousness.
A few minutes later..
"Father? Mother?" Those were the first words I spoke when I woke up.
All around me was destruction and debris.
Then someone, covered in blood, approached me. It was Melina. Her body was full of cuts and bruises. She lifted me up and looked at me with a sorrowful expression. I thought she might hurt me, but instead, she hugged me tightly.
"Melina, is the young master alright? Let's go, I've already prepared the carriage."
Darent said hurriedly. On the other side, Filys was running over, quickly picking me up and saying many things.
"All right, is everyone on board? Where are we heading this time?" Darent asked to make sure we were ready to depart.
"Maldvin—"
"Mithrasard. We're heading to Mithrasard. We need to treat your wounds, Melina, and Maldvindar is too far."
Filys cut off Melina's words, but Melina insisted on hers.
"Maldvindar. We have to secure the young master as per our plan. Don't worry, this wound isn't serious. Besides, that place is off-limits right now, too dangerous for the young master."
"Melina, don't push yourself. Without your strength, we can't protect the young master." Darent tried to convince Melina, who was stubborn.
After a brief argument, Melina finally relented. We continued the journey to Mithrasard.
Right now, I couldn't do anything, even with my powers, I'd only end up hurting those around me.
Right now, all I can do is observe them. I mean, with this body, it's impossible for me to do anything unusual. I'm just a one-year-old baby, and I don't want to be some kind of magical baby or anything like that.
After a few hours, we finally arrived at Mithrasard.
"Stay inside with the young master. Don't talk to anyone. No one here can be trusted."
After saying that, Darent closed the carriage door and left with Melina to treat her wounds.
It didn't take long after they left before someone came and knocked on the door.
Filys stayed silent, ready with a knife in her hand.
Inside, everything was very quiet, while the knocking continued persistently from outside.
What would happen if we went out? Honestly, I'm curious about this place.
After a while, the knocking stopped. I thought the person had left, but then I heard a conversation outside. I think there were about three people. They talked about work, guild, and things related to that.
"Alright, as agreed. I'll guard this carriage until that old man arrives. You can wait for me at the bar, we'll discuss other jobs there."
Said the first person, seems like Darent hired adventurer to guard us.
"Are you sure you want to do that? That pay isn't even enough for a bowl of mushroom soup. The union just released a new list of wanted fugitives, do you know how much the bounty is?"
The second person sounded like he was warning that guarding our carriage was a waste of time.
"If I'm not mistaken, the total is around 2,000 gold coins. But I don't believe it until I see it myself. So, we better head to the union, take the job, and make some good money. Stop wasting time on this trivial task. Finish it quickly and meet me at the bar."
The third person made it clear, then they both left.
A few minutes later, someone came running.
"Sorry, this is all I can give." It sounded like Darent's voice.
"It's alright, this is as agreed. Besides, you need this money to treat her, right? Once it's done, I'll leave."
A brief conversation, then Darent opened the carriage door and asked Filys,
"Did anything happen to you? Is the young master alright?"
"We're fine, how about you, Melina?"
Melina paused for a moment before answering Filys' question.
"…Eh, better now. But something came to mind, was that adventurer an you hired is Astorielyan? I thought their clan was already extinct?"
Filys was surprised by Melina's words, but Darent seemed unfazed. Maybe Darent already knew about it. Curious, Filys asked Darent
"Darent? Is that true? Why did you just let him go? Maybe he could have escorted us."
Astorielyan? Extinct? What were they talking about?
Darent didn't answer Filys' question, he remained silent.
"We should continue our journey soon."
Melina interrupted, and the conversation ended.
We then continued towards Maldvindar. It took a long time to get there, so I wanted to use the chance to rest and sleep. It had been 30 minutes with no conversation, and I was feeling bored. Besides, I'm sure they needed rest too.
Four hours later…
A breeze woke me from my sleep. I slowly opened my eyes and saw sunlight and clouds in the sky. Wait? The sky?! Impossible!
Right now, we were on a ship. Seems like I missed a lot earlier, sleeping was a mistake during this journey.
But here, I saw something amazing, various races living in this world. Because in my previous world, only humans existed, this place felt like a fantasy world. I mean, it's like the fantasy worlds I once read about in books.
I don't know exactly where we are now, but for sure, the ship we're on is heading toward an island with many mountains. Is that where we're going?
Then someone approached us and said, "Your fare for the four of you is 20 silver coins and 40 bronze coins. When you arrive, tell them Normand the Fisherman is looking for a worker."
I didn't understand what that meant, but I understood how much I needed to pay to ride the ship.
Not long after, the ship stopped near a spot by the island, and all passengers disembarked.
Then I saw a man carrying wood who came up to each passenger as they got off. He approached us and asked,
"What are you looking for? This is just an empty island that no one ever visits. Has the other side of the sea rejected you?"
Darent replied exactly what I heard before "Normand the Fisherman is looking for a worker."
Suddenly, the man was startled by Darent's words. With a rough motion, he led us to a small building that looked like a hidden base. His voice was heavy and full of sarcasm as he said, "This is the house of 'Normand the Fisherman.'"
We stepped inside, and the atmosphere turned eerie. The simple house was filled with a dark aura that was hard to explain. But what truly made my hair stand on end was the row of heads nailed to the walls, heads of various creatures, including humans.
"So, humans dare to come here too," a deep, heavy voice echoed from a large chair facing away from us. My heart pounded, and I wanted to turn and run immediately.
"We want to go to Maldvindar," Darent said firmly. "Can you open the way for us, Normand the Hunter?"
Suddenly, a long, hoarse laugh echoed in the room. "Hahaha! That voice... So you're still alive, old man," the man said as he stood up from the chair, his eyes burning with hatred. "Darent, the Border Guard who saved those foolish fishermen ten years ago."
In an instant, he kicked his chair with full force. The wood shattered, sending splinters flying that struck the walls and cracked them.
Tension filled the room. I knew this was not an ordinary meeting. This was a confrontation that could determine our fate moving forward.
The large, muscular figure with tangled hair was truly terrifying. This was the first time in this world I felt such fear, like he wanted to kill me.
"Isn't that all in the past? We already made an agreement, didn't we? So don't bring up things that make me look like a hero when I did nothing back then. The real hero was King Trath, and I'm here to collect the promise you made Ten years ago," Darent said calmly. Didn't he feel intimidated? Darent was really impressive.
But Darent's words didn't calm Normand at all. Instead, he stepped closer until I could feel his breath from his nose.
This time I could see his entire face, it wasn't human. I didn't know what race he was, but his monstrous appearance was truly frightening.
"I don't remember making any promises to you, Darent. Just because you're close to him doesn't mean you can demand something equal to his. Where is he? If he's not here, then get ready to become part of my wall collection."
Melina and Filys, upon hearing that, immediately got ready to face whatever worst, case scenario might happen.
"It seems you're right, his face doesn't resemble King Trath. But there's something in the energy I feel, there's no doubt he is King Trath from the future. I, Normander Huntra, swear loyalty to King of Trath and I have never forgotten my promise. Now, this place will always welcome to our Prince, Arsalyr."
Those words truly shocked me. What did my father do to him long ago? What would be our fate if I wasn't his child? But one thing's for sure, we survived this time. He even promised to protect us while we're here.
Normander Huntra, the muscular leader of the Fisharyan race and the border guardian of Maldvindar from the outside world. He is known to be ruthless towards humans, that's what the poets say, who are currently celebrating with us.
But in truth, Normand has a gentle heart. He is forced to show his fierce side to protect his people. He is truly a great leader. I want to be like him.