Several days had passed since I found myself in this world. I still don't fully understand what's going on. It seems I've been reborn into a family—in the body of a baby…
Damn it, how did it come to this? I kept grumbling to myself, rolling from side to side in the cradle. And why did I have to reincarnate as a child? I have no idea what I did to deserve this.
I thought this «goddess's reincarnation» meant something like transferring my body to this world, but no, that blasted goddess decided to stick me into the body of an infant!
It's tough. If I've been reincarnated like this, who could Liana be now? What if she ended up reincarnated as a guy? Letting my imagination wander, I started to picture her in a man's body.
No, no, no. Oh, gods, what did I just imagine? That couldn't have happened, could it? I hope not. Surely not… right?
My thoughts were interrupted. Two women entered the room—one with silver hair, the other with reddish hair. My mother in this world and our maid. Their names were Marika and Ellina.
Ellina approached the cradle and, seeing me rolling back and forth, struggling to get up, exclaimed:
—«Oh my, isn't he just the cutest!» she said enthusiastically.
She picked me up from the cradle.
—«Let's go outside.»
—«Yes, madam.»
We headed out. Once we were outside, a beautiful view of this world revealed itself. It was the first time I'd truly been outside, experiencing it all firsthand rather than looking through a window. It was stunning. Compared to my previous life, where even a sunny day was considered a luxury, this place was like a dream. I couldn't recall a single day like this from my previous world.
A forest could be seen in the distance, and closer to it was a vast wheat field. A small road ran through the field, leading to a town visible on the horizon.
We moved a bit away from the door and sat on a small bench in front of the house. Before us was a small garden with young trees that bore small green fruits—green apples. Another delicacy from my previous life. To afford even a few apples back then, I'd have had to work for a week without spending a single cent. And here… there were so many of them.
As I gazed at them, I couldn't help but drool. Ellina noticed.
—«Ruen, do you want an apple?»
I didn't understand a word of what she said. I just stared at her with a blank expression. She pointed to the apple trees and repeated:
—«Do you want apples?»
I started piecing it together. She was asking if I wanted an apple. My eyes lit up. Excitedly, I began nodding.
—«Marika, make him some apple puree a bit later.»
—«No problem, I'll make it right now.»
—«Alright, then.»
Marika headed back into the house. At that moment, my father returned from the town.
—«Darling, you're back,» said Ellina to Rey.
—«My dear,» he said, hugging her and giving her a kiss. At this time, I was cradled in Ellina's arms between them.
Honestly, the sight wasn't very pleasant. Imagine a 35-year-old man in a child's body, watching his so-called parents, who were at least 10 years younger than him, kiss right in front of him. Add to that the fact that in my previous 35 years of life, I'd never experienced anything like this myself—it was envy-inducing, to say the least. They were so full of energy. Liana, I will find you someday. Ahem, ahem.
Once they finished greeting each other, she sat back down on the bench.
—«Dear, I'm going to practice with the sword for a bit. I'll be back soon.»
—«We'll watch you. Right, Ruwen?»
I didn't understand much of what she said, but I watched my father as he drew his sword from the sheath on his belt. I realized he was about to practice his moves. Finally, I'd get to see the combat style of this world.
He drew the sword and raised it in front of his face. In an instant, he shifted into a combat stance, moving one foot backward as he dragged it across the ground. He pulled the sword hand back while extending the other hand slightly forward at face level. Not bad. He made a few thrusts, and I noticed his speed was quite impressive. His movements were smooth. These techniques were clearly the result of years of practice. He was skilled.
He kept repeating his thrusts, one after another. Each time his sword cut through the air in front of him, it seemed as though his speed was increasing. He wasn't using any external forces—just his abilities and honed mastery. I continued to watch Ray with admiration.
Ray glanced at me and saw the way I was marveling at his sword skills. An idea crossed his mind: he decided to show me something truly special.
—«Ruwen, watch closely. I'll show you a really cool technique.»
—«Darling, are you sure it's safe to use that here?»
—«Don't worry, you know I'm an expert at this.»
—«Mmm, yes, I know…» —she replied, her tone hesitant.
—«That time was just a mistake, okay?» —he added, scratching his head.
I continued to watch his training enthusiastically. Ellina noticed my excitement.
—«Alright, but be careful.»
—«Of course,» —he said with confidence.
However, there was a trace of uneasiness on Ellina's face. Was she worried something might go wrong?
Ray returned to his starting position. Holding the sword in front of his face with both hands, he lowered it to stomach level, preparing himself. A strange aura started enveloping him. It was invisible yet tangible—I could feel it. It was a terrifying aura, something I'd never encountered before. And yet, I felt a thrill of anticipation—what was he about to show us?
Ellina, meanwhile, sat quietly, her face revealing no surprise. She had clearly seen this before.
The strange force seemed to wrap around Ray's hands and legs. I expected it to be similar to the aura of my previous life, where we infused mana into the sword, enhancing its destructive power. But here, it was different. He wasn't enhancing the sword—it seemed like he was empowering his limbs. Interesting.
He finished his preparation and executed a single thrust. Fast. Precise. Powerful. His strike was devastating. The air itself seemed to split apart. It was an awe-inspiring display. I stared at the scene in amazement, while Ray stood proudly, waiting for my reaction. He looked genuinely happy to see my admiration.
Unbeknownst to me, a storm was brewing behind me. As I enjoyed the show, a menacing aura began emanating from Ellina.
—«Darling!» —she said in a chilling tone.
—«Eek!» —Ray squeaked.
Ray visibly trembled.
—«Y-Yes, dear?» —he replied nervously.
—«You said everything would be fine, didn't you?»— she continued, her voice just as ominous.
—«Y-Yes, I mean… everything seems fine? Right?»— he stammered.
—«Oh, of course. Everything is perfectly fine. But look at what you've done!»
Turning my gaze, I saw the aftermath of his strike—several apple trees in the garden had been cut down. About three of them had toppled over, and a few more had broken branches. Nooo, my apples! I hadn't even gotten to enjoy them, and now they were destroyed. Why is life so cruel, even in my second life? Apples remain an unreachable delicacy.
—«Um, well, I…»— Ray started, but before he could finish, Ellina cut him off with a scolding.
—«I'm sorry…» —he muttered, now sitting on the ground, thoroughly chastened.
—«Ugh,»—Ellina sighed.
She approached the trees, raised her hands, and began chanting something incomprehensible. Her words were strange and disconnected, nothing like the language I'd been trying to learn.
As she spoke, a green light surrounded the damaged trees. Particles of light descended onto the broken parts, and in an instant, all the damage was gone. New branches had grown where the trunks had been cut, and everything looked as if nothing had ever happened.
—«That's better,»—she said, satisfied.
I stared at the scene in disbelief. What just happened? What did she say? What was that? This was… beautiful.
She turned to me, noticing the amazement on my face.
—«You liked the magic, didn't you?»
Magic? Magic? That's what it's called? If I could learn this, it might not be a bad idea. After all, I'm in a new world—why not try mastering this power?
—«Haha, I can see you're fascinated. When the time comes, I'll definitely teach you magic. Maybe you'll even get into the academy.»
—«I think he's better suited for the sword. He'd make a great swordsman like me,» —Ray declared, still recovering from Ellina's earlier reprimand.
—«What?!»—she said in that terrifying voice again.
Even I shuddered. Realizing her effect on me, Ellina turned and picked me up.
—«I'm sorry, Ruwen. Did I scare you?»—she asked gently, stroking my back.
Any man held in the arms of such a woman would be overjoyed, especially with her soft, soothing tone.
Not long after, Marika returned to announce that the apple puree was ready. I delighted in the familiar taste of this delicacy from my previous life. Though it was just simple apple puree, the happiness it brought was beyond words.
I wonder how Liana's life turned out in this world…
In the past, we could only dream of such things. I hope we meet again soon.
…
…
…
Two more months have passed since I ended up in this world. I finally managed to walk, not very well, but I can walk. I also can now understand this language very well. It turned out to be not as difficult as it seemed. Now I can understand almost everything people say to me.
Although I understood everything, it was still difficult to speak. Every day, while I was alone, I tried to speak, but it was hard.
Marika entered the room. I was lost in my thoughts and didn't notice her. I continued to practice speaking. I said my first word.
— «Magic.»
The first word I said was «magic,» no matter how strange it might have sounded.
Surprised, Marika grabbed a book from the shelf, where she dusted it off.
— «What?» — she said, surprised.
— «Did you say a word?»
— «Magic,»— I repeated.
It wasn't bad to say something not too complicated. I think with a bit more effort, I'll be able to say something simple.
— «Amazing,»— she said, running out of the room.
That day, everyone was very happy that I said my first word already by the second month of life. Almost another month passed, and now I can speak simple phrases or sentences. Not bad. I can also walk quite well now. Although my body still doesn't always obey, I can walk decently now.
At this rate, I'll soon be able to explore this world and find Liana.
…
…
…
End of Chapter 4.