The man's hand moved closer, and Ragnariel shut his eyes tightly, bracing himself for whatever might happen. Then, suddenly-
"Oh, is my little one feeling sleepy? Did Father disturb your nap?"
Ragnariel opened his eyes to see a man with a firm yet gentle face looking down at him. "Ah, so he's my father. All that panic for nothing," Ragnariel thought, exhaling in relief.
Moments later, more people entered the room.
"Father, is he sleeping?" asked a young girl.
"Calm down, Serenya. You'll scare him," said a boy standing beside her.
"You're the one being too noisy, Brother Kaelen," Serenya snapped at her older brother.
"Alright, both of you. Let's greet Ragnariel together," said an elegant, stunningly beautiful woman who had just entered the room.
"Yes, Mother," replied Serenya and Kaelen in unison.
They all approached Ragnariel, crowding around his crib.
"Hello, little brother! I'm your big sister, Serenya. Grow up quickly so we can play together, okay?" Serenya said with a sweet, warm smile.
"Hey, Ragnariel. I'm your big brother, Kaelen. Don't stick too close to Serenya, though you might catch her mischief," Kaelen added with a playful chuckle, earning an annoyed glare from Serenya.
The woman standing next to the man gently smiled and said, "Hello, Ragnariel. I'm your mother, and this scary-looking guy is your father." Her smile was so dazzling it momentarily left Ragnariel in awe.
"So, this is my family? They're surprisingly harmonious," Ragnariel thought to himself.
But just then, a wave of drowsiness washed over him. "Damn it, I can't even fight off sleep in this body," he muttered internally before falling asleep.
"Aww, he fell asleep. How cute, unlike someone I know," Kaelen teased with a smirk.
"You're talking about me, aren't you?!" Serenya shot back, irritated.
Kaelen laughed and bolted out of the room, with Serenya chasing after him in frustration.
"They never run out of energy, do they?" the man said with a chuckle.
"Ha ha, they get along so well," the woman replied.
"Well then, let's leave Ragnariel to rest," the man suggested. The woman nodded in agreement, and the two quietly left the room, leaving Ragnariel alone to sleep.
***
Two Weeks Later
"It's been two weeks since I was reborn into this world. At first, I couldn't get used to this new body of mine. But every time the face of that wretched god Zerathos comes to mind, my resolve hardens."
Ragnariel smirked as he continued his thoughts.
"Since last week, I've started training in the breathing techniques that once took me to the pinnacle of power. This time, though, I'll make some adjustments, perfecting the foundation to suit my main technique that I made when I was god."
Suddenly, the door creaked open, and someone entered.
"Good morning, young master. You're awake early as usual. Is it true that all babies wake up this early?" the person asked.
"This woman is Lilia. She's the maid assigned to care for me. Every morning, she comes to my room to check on me, give me milk, and bathe me. She's cheerful and always has a smile on her face, quite an interesting person."
Lilia then said, "Alright, young master, I'll go and wash your clothes now, okay?"
As Lilia left, Ragnariel thought to himself, "And after she goes, the annoying girl who constantly bothers me shows up."
BANG! The door slammed open with a loud noise.
"Good morning, little brother! Did you miss your amazing big sister?" Serenya exclaimed, bursting into the room.
"I didn't miss you at all. Can't you just leave me alone?" Ragnariel thought, staring blankly at Serenya.
"You must've missed me, didn't you?" she continued, oblivious to Ragnariel internal protest.
"She really doesn't get it, huh? Well, whatever. This is a new experience for me, after all," Ragnariel mused. "I used to be an orphan who got kidnapped by a crazy cult. This is feel... different."
Suddenly, Serenya's ear was pinched by another person who had just arrived.
"Young lady, you're not supposed to skip your lessons just to see your brother," the newcomer said sternly.
"But Aunt Nay! Can't you see my little brother misses me?" Serenya argued.
"No excuses. Come along now; you need to continue your lessons," Aunt Nay insisted.
"Nooo! Ragnariel, help me!" Serenya pleaded dramatically.
"What do you expect from a baby like me?" Ragnariel replied internally, wearing a deadpan expression. "That woman is aunt Nayla, she is in charge in teaching all my siblings, soon my time will come to face the battlefield that called study." Ragnariel explaining in his thought
"I don't enjoy noise, but I can't help but appreciate this cheerful atmosphere. It's a first for me," he admitted to himself.
A short while later, Ragnariel being carried by a woman.
"This woman is my mother, Lysandra. As for the man napping on the sofa over there, that's my father, Valerius. Mother often takes me around the house, or rather, should I say the small castle, and brings me to see Father, hoping to encourage him to keep up with his duties managing the territory. But as you can see, her enthusiasm tends to tire him out, and now he's fast asleep."
Ragnariel simply observed in silence, his thoughts drifting. "This family... they're far from perfect, but this warmth is something I've never had before. I guess I can't complain.
As Ragnariel reflected, he thought, "Over these past two weeks of wandering around with my mother, I've come to realize that our family's financial situation isn't exactly in great shape. That might be why she keeps bringing me along to cheer up my father. Well, you guys just have to wait until I grow up. I will bring this family a glory so great that you cannot even imagine it."
Ragnariel's lips curled into a sly smile.
"For now, I'll just focus on refining my breathing technique. Thankfully, it's something I can practice anywhere, though its effectiveness diminishes without the right environment."
Suddenly, a man with a towering frame, clad in sturdy armor, entered the room. His presence was imposing yet respectful.
"Good afternoon, Madam Lysandra. Good afternoon, young master Ragnariel. Just seeing the young master is enough to erase all my fatigue," the knight said with a warm smile.
"Good afternoon, Sir Garran. You're right; that's why I always bring him to see his father," Lysandra replied with a gentle laugh.
"Huh? Do I really have that kind of effect on people?" Ragnariel wondered. "I don't recall ever having such a trait in my past life. Could this world have its own unique powers at play?"
Sir Garran then turned to Lysandra and said, "Would you be interested in observing the knights' training today? There's a sparring match for new knight rankings and assignments."
"That sounds intriguing," Lysandra replied.
"This is perfect! A chance to gauge the strength of this world," Ragnariel thought, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Even Ragnariel seems excited about watching the sparring match," Lysandra remarked, amused by her baby's animated expression.
"You're absolutely right, Madam. Seeing the young master's face light up like this truly brightens my day," Garran added with a grin.
"What's with this low-ranking knight? Is he implying that I look like a woman?" Ragnariel fumed internally, feeling a tinge of annoyance. "Well, I've never seen my own face, so I don't know... and I don't care. If it turns out I'm ugly, I'll just reconstruct it later into a face all women will adore."
With that thought, Ragnariel smirked mischievously.
The trio made their way to the training grounds, where the knights' sparring matches were underway.
"Finally, an opportunity to witness the combat strength of this world firsthand. Let's see what you've got, knights." Ragnariel's anticipation grew as they approached the lively training grounds, his mind already formulating plans for the future.
Ragnariel and Lysandra watched the sparring match. On the field, two knights were locked in battle.
"Haa!" Knight 1 charged toward Knight 2, who also ran to meet him. As they closed the distance, they struck at each other's swords, their blades clashing repeatedly. After a few exchanges, both knights leapt backward and began chanting spells that enveloped their swords in fire and water.
"Take this!" said Knight 1, gripping his flaming sword.
"Don't expect this to end so easily," retorted Knight 2, wielding his water-covered blade.
They resumed their duel, their swords clashing once more, creating steam as fire and water collided. Then, Knight 1 delivered a well-timed kick to Knight 2's leg, toppling him and securing victory.
Sir Garran, clearly pleased with what he saw, turned to Lysandra. "What do you think, madam? Their skills aren't bad, are they?"
Lysandra replied, "Yes, the quality of our knights is improving."
Ragnariel, watching the scene, felt anger and frustration. "What kind of skills are those? Even children Serenya's age in my old world could do better than that. And what? Mother said the quality of our knights has improved?"
Sir Garran, noticing Ragnariel's baby babbling, smiled and said, "Even young master Ragnariel is amazed by the fight just now."
"No, you fool! I'm extremely annoyed right now. You'd better keep quiet before I break your neck along with that armor of yours," Ragnariel thought, seething.
Sir Garran, oblivious, continued smiling as he watched Ragnariel mumble in baby talk. "See? Young master agrees. These are our golden generation of knights."
"No, you idiot! I'd rather leave than watch this childish skirmish!" Ragnariel fumed internally.
Suddenly, the knights erupted in cheers for one of their own.
"What's going on, Sir Barran? Why are they cheering?" Lysandra asked.
Sir Barran explained, "It's because of that knight, madam. His name is Dheo, and he's earned the top rank, securing the position of captain."
"I see," Lysandra replied.
Curious, Ragnariel shifted his attention toward the knight. "Hoo, it seems this one is different. His posture exudes confidence, and his sharp gaze scans his surroundings. Let's see how his fight goes," Ragnariel thought, intrigued.