Darkness enveloped Lance's vision. He also could no longer feel his body. His pain had vanished.
It didn't take him long to realize he might have left the mortal realm.
Even though he died at a young age, he has left a legacy. He believed his name wouldn't vanish.
He shouldn't have any regrets. But questions filled his mind. What if he enjoyed life more? What if he didn't spend all his time thinking about building mechs? Will he feel much fulfillment in his life?
Right now, he felt an emptiness in his heart. As empty as this darkness.
No, he doesn't regret being the greatest mech designer. It's an achievement worth being proud of. That was his dream since childhood. He just hopes that he will take it more easily, so he will be happier.
***
"Congratulations, it's a boy." A middle-aged midwife handed a small baby to a mother sitting on a bed.
The dark-blue-haired young mother holds the baby, looking at his red eyes and other parts of his face. "As you said, a newborn baby are ugly. Look at these wrinkles."
The midwife laughed. "They will become beautiful as time goes by. Trust me. That is a common thing. The one that is unusual is that he doesn't cry. I've never seen a baby like him."
"Should he cry? Should I smack his head to make him cry?"
The midwife put her hands on her waist. "You're kidding, right?"
The mother took a momentary pause before gazing at her child once more. "Yeah, I was just kidding."
Being neighbors in the same village, they were familiar with each other. But the midwife sometimes couldn't tell whether the mother was joking or not. Sometimes, that woman says absurd things with an overly serious expression like that.
"Your hair and eyes are just like your father's, my son." The mother stroked the baby's silver hair. "And I hate that."
The midwife cleared her throat. "What will you do, Ruth? I hate to bring this up, but this child's father disappeared, and you don't have a job. It's really hard to care for a child with such a condition."
"I don't know. I can't rely on my older brother to support this child forever. Eventually, my brother will start his own family and prioritize it."
It costs a lot to raise a child in that world. The mother had to work long hours, like being a maid or working in a factory.
Everything would be fine if only the child's father was present and employed.
"As I said, the orphanage wasn't that bad." The midwife sat on the edge of the bed. "You can still visit your son from time to time."
A tear fell from the mother's eye. "Funny. During pregnancy, I was always angry. I was pregnant with someone I loved, but he left me without a word. My heart hurts because of that. I thought many times about aborting this child."
"Glad you didn't do that."
"Yeah, I couldn't bear to do it. This child is a living blessing from God. If they are still alive, my parents won't forgive me if I kill him." The mother's smile bloomed. "I wish to always be there for him. Like my mom and dad, who was always there for me until the end of their life."
The midwife smiled, too. "Giving birth is a wonderful thing…."
"And this little sh*t came from my body." The mother's expression turned more serious. "If you think about it, it's a miracle. My body just grew another human."
The midwife massaged her forehead. "I've only ever met a mother calling her baby a name like that."
"I can't help it." The mother shrugged. "He's look like his irresponsible father. That big sh*t… Well, he's still uglier that her father, though."
Knocks echoed through the room's door, followed by someone's voice from outside. "Excuse me. I am Arthur Moryet. I just want to talk. Can I come in?"
The mother and the midwife exchanged glances. Their eyes widened. Arthur Moryet is a member of the high magic council which regulate magic throughout the kingdom of Celestenia.
"W-wait, sir!" The midwife got up and opened the door.
A man with slicked back orange hair and a thin beard smiled at the two women.
"Oh, you better stay in bed." The council member raised his hand as the mother from getting up. "Today might be your toughest day. You deserve to rest."
"Felix?" The mother frowned when she found another man behind the council member. "W-why are you with Sir Arthur Moryet?"
Felix, the dark blue-haired man, scratched his head. "I work for Sir Arthur Moryet. That luxury house on the outer of the village? He owns that."
Neither the mother nor the midwife could utter a word. They didn't understand why an influential person like Arthur Moryet had a house in that small village. They thought the house belonged to an ordinary noble who had too much money.
"Well, sometimes I need to calm my mind." Arthur Moryet entered the room. "And it just so happens that Felix, your older brother, looks after the stable at my second house, Miss Ruth Ashbourne."
Ruth still couldn't speak when the man approached her.
Arthur smiled at the baby, who stared back at him. "I don't have much time. I will take the caretaker of my second house to the capital. So, I'll offer you a job replacing her taking care of that place. Well, you just need to clean it regularly and report if anything broken. You can raise your child there while working. I will ensure your salary is sufficient to raise him to adulthood."
Ruth's eyes widened. That's an amazing offer. She doesn't need to entrust her child to others.
"Thank God, Ruth." The midwife patted the mother's shoulder. "You don't need to be separated from your son."
"Felix asked me for help. You should thank him." Arthur smiled, then brought his hand closer to the baby's head. "I have to go now. But before that, let me cast a protective spell on him to ward off sickness for a few days."
"Uh, oh…. Thanks." Ruth gulped.
"By the way, what's his name?" Arthur asked as his hand gave off a dim green glow.
"Lance, sir," Ruth answered in a low voice. "There is no special reason. That's just what went through my head."
"Yeah, I agree." Arthur withdrew his hand. "Lance Ashbourne. It's got a nice ring to it." He then looked at the others one by one. "Excuse me. I'll take my leave."
As Arthur walked away, Ruth finally came to his senses and said, "Thank you very much, sir! I'm indebted to you!"
"You don't owe me anything." The council member smiled again, then left the room. "It just so happens that I need a new maid."
Unbeknownst to them, the consciousness of a man named Lance Reid formed in the baby's brain. He remembered he used to be the mech designer, although many details were still vague.
In his silence, he listened to these people and assessed the situation. He concluded he had been reincarnated into a medieval-like world, evident from the room's non-modern interior.. Then, the spell used by that man is proof that this is a world of magic.
Lance had many things to ask. Yet, when he attempted to communicate, only unintelligible babble escaped his mouth.
"Hey, you finally spoke." Ruth wiped her tears. "Are you hungry, little sh*t?"
"Please." The midwife sighed. "Don't call your son that."