A year has passed since my rebirth.
Time stretched endlessly, day after day, month after month. I was tired of planning for the future, stuck in the body of a baby. My mind was sharp, but my body resisted the temptation of sleep. I was bored out of my mind, frustrated with my helplessness.
"I want to grow up faster! This is so frustrating! I can't do anything like this!"
All I could do was drink milk from a bottle and sleep when it was time. Each time I needed a change, Reineza, my nanny, would come to replace my diapers. It was an excruciatingly embarrassing experience for me, with the mind of a grown man trapped in this tiny body. Accepting that I couldn't control basic human instincts was humiliating.
My daily routine had become a monotonous cycle.
Pass, pass.
A woman entered my room. It was the mistress of the house, Dalia Flower. With her emerald hair and sharp gaze that graced her pointed nose, she exuded a blend of seductive charm and maternal warmth. It was no wonder the others called her the "Forest Fairy."
"Have the preparations been completed, Reineza?"
"Of course, ma'am. Today is the day the young master 'wakes up' fully, so I've paid special attention to everything."
"Good. Then let's go immediately."
I realized today was my birthday.
In the Flower family, children undergo a special ritual called 'awakening' on their first birthday. This ceremony involved ancient formations that would cause the baby to crawl into them, entering a dormant state until their blood powers awakened. There was a superstition that the time it took to wake represented the child's future and destiny. The Flowers held a strange obsession with this belief.
Dalia picked me up and carried me to the central hall of our castle.
In the center of the room stood a man with his arms crossed. It was my father, Raion Flower, the strongest duke of our era.
"Father."
This was the first time I had seen him since my rebirth. After achieving the highest rank known in the current world, he was rarely at the castle, always off fighting wars or training in remote locations to ensure he never brought shame to our family.
"And knights."
I had learned the language of this world in just four months, enough to offer my greetings appropriately as I entered the ritual room. The twelve most powerful knights of our family were present, their expressions a mix of anticipation and admiration.
Despite my past experiences with many kinds of people, I felt like an ignorant child in their presence, but I could sense their excitement as they awaited my performance. My chest tightened, recalling the suffering I had endured.
"Dalia, put Raimon down."
At my father's command, Dalia placed me gently on the cold marble floor. A shiver coursed through my tiny body as I took in the sight before me.
Two meters away were the objects for the awakening ritual. Ancient formations surrounded two cups, each holding a single drop of blood, and over twenty different types of swords pierced the floor, adding an ominous flair to the setup.
I had to crawl through this treacherous display.
This is insane. I thought, reflecting on how terrified I would have been in my past life. Back then, I was too young to fully grasp the implications of such rituals; they seemed reserved for the occult. But now, witnessing it firsthand, I was astounded. They expected me, a baby, to crawl through a gauntlet of swords and enter a state of dormancy?
In my previous life, I would have run away screaming if taken to such a terrifying place. It was no wonder all the children of the Flower family grew up fearless; they were subjected to these rituals just a year after birth.
"Now, come on in, son."
As I began to crawl into the sword formation, the eyes of my family members glinted with anticipation. They were curious to see how long it would take for the Duke's eldest son to awaken. Would I match the record of the previous duke, who had taken a full hour, or would my time be different, shorter or longer?
With every tense gaze on me, I crawled toward the center of the deadly array.
Ba-dump. Ba-dump. My little heart raced with excitement and fear.
The weapons were arranged in a circle. My target lay at the center.
As I moved, I passed by the nearest sword, and the observers widened their eyes. Even for a child of the renowned clan of sword and fighting masters, most babies fell asleep almost immediately upon entering this training.
But I zigzagged through the maze of blades, each movement eliciting gasps and silent prayers from those watching.
"Could he be… about to fully awaken his blood on the first try?"
With every near miss, I could see my parents' expressions flicker with hope and trepidation. My father's eyebrows twitched as I brushed past another sword.
"Gah gah!"
Finally, I began to succumb to sleep right in the center of the formation. My blood surged with energy, pulling me into a quick slumber.
Unlike the blood test I had undergone thirty days after my birth, this ritual was meant to awaken my powers, not test my fitness.
The gaze of everyone shifted slowly from my sleeping form, jaws dropping in disbelief. Seconds turned into minutes of inactivity, and a nervous tension filled the air. By the time two hours had passed, a collective sigh swept through the hall.