The memory came like a flash, pulling me into a room lit by candles.
The walls were made of thick, dark wood, each board worn by time but still solid, exuding the scent of old resin. The shelves around the room were filled with scrolls, oil vials, and small bronze ornaments, signaling that this was the space of someone who valued both functionality and decoration. Thick rugs with geometric patterns covered the floor, muffling footsteps and bringing a sense of warmth to the room.
The weak candlelight flickered over solid wood furniture. A large table with carved edges dominated the center of the room, while simple yet sturdy chairs were arranged around it. Next to it, a two-door cabinet, tall and narrow, displayed carefully folded clothes. In the back, a bed adorned with colorful quilts and an animal hide looked inviting.
The candlelight reflected off the ring that Elion Rustel held before me.
"Little Eclivel, my dear son..." he said, his voice deep and solemn. He seemed larger under the candlelight, his upright posture and serious expression giving him an air of unquestionable authority. "This is the inheritance of our Rustel family, a gift from a mage. Your grandfather once helped a mage in a brutal experiment that he survived by luck, and in return, the mage gifted him this ring."
My eyes fixed on the ring. It was simple, yet unusually beautiful. Made of a black metal that seemed almost alive under the light, it had a small red gem at its center, which glowed softly, as if pulsing with its own energy.
"This ring is a promise," Elion continued, his dark eyes fixed on mine. "If any of your grandfather's descendants have the talent for magic, they could use this ring to enter a magical academy for free! I give you this ring now, hoping that you may become the pride of the Rustel Family and defend our legacy..."
The weight of his words hung over me, even in the memory. It was a solemn moment, heavy with expectations.
Suddenly, the memory faded, pulling me back to the deck of the airship. The thin air filled my lungs as I raised my right hand, feeling my heart race.
"Shit, the ring!"
My hand instinctively moved to one of my pockets. When my fingers touched something cold and metallic, I let out a sigh of relief. There it was—the ring.
I held it for a moment, feeling its solid, polished surface against my skin. It was intact, exactly as I had received it in that memory.
"Good..." I thought, scanning the deck and the young people around me. No suspicious glances. "Either these people around me are forbidden from stealing by someone, or this ring is enchanted in some way, preventing others from taking it."
With a slight smile, I put the ring back in my pocket, adjusting my posture.
As I reflected on everything that had changed, a growing sense of excitement and curiosity took over me. I had been a scientist in my previous world, used to dealing with the fixed laws of physics and chemistry. The very idea of magic—something that defied any known logic—was an irresistible opportunity to experiment, observe, and document.
"Research... hypotheses... experiments... As a scientist, I knew there was untapped potential, a world of possibilities waiting to be unraveled. Who knows? Maybe I could understand and even expand the boundaries of what this magical world considered possible."
Still, my head throbbed as these ideas took shape. The fresh air around me made it seem like my brain was working at full speed, but the thin environment and the pain made each thought a challenge. A challenge I was willing to accept.
"I can't go home without passing through the academy," I thought, adjusting the weight of the ring in my pocket. It was my ticket, my way to a fresh start—both to distance myself from the Rustel family and to ensure no one noticed the discrepancy between the old Eclivel and me.
"If I spend years at the academy, my transformation will seem natural." After all, mages were notoriously eccentric, and strange behavior would be expected. "Time will be on my side."
My daydream was interrupted when I felt a pair of strong hands on my shoulders.
"Are you still sleeping?" Styg's raspy voice invaded my thoughts.
"No..." I replied, shaking my head to clear my mind. However, the movement only intensified the pain, and I had to hold my head again.
When I turned to face Styg, I saw the shrewd yellow gleam in his goblin eyes and realized that he knew more than he let on.
"Dear Styg," I asked, rolling my eyes. "Why didn't you wake me up sooner, instead of leaving me lying on the ground like that for so long?"
He let out a nervous laugh, scratching his head in an embarrassed gesture. "Heh heh! I saw you sleeping so soundly that I thought you were enjoying lying there."
But I could tell he was hiding something. Under my sharp gaze, he finally raised his hands in surrender.
"Okay! Okay!" he said, almost laughing. "Dude, you literally tried to steal a kiss from Princess Cleo in front of everyone and, to make it worse, you groped her butt. As your friend, I can kind of overlook that. But, unfortunately, the entire airship is treating you like an enemy now. I didn't want to be isolated too!"
"What? The previous Eclivel did what?!" My hand automatically went to my throbbing head as the memories came rushing back like an avalanche. The reason for my pain was clear now: a brutal beating.
Cleo. Her image appeared in my mind—a 16-year-old with a well-developed body and a face as attractive as it was dangerous, framed by golden hair. Her red eyes gleamed with authority and charm.
The former Eclivel... Well, he wasn't exactly the example of a gentleman. He had lost his virginity early and, after that, accumulated a history of despicable behaviors, including seduction and coercion. His actions had already earned him a deplorable reputation in his father's lands.
I smiled, almost finding humor in the situation. "Hahaha... This is almost ironic," I thought. "I can't judge him. In my past life, I did things like that, and ended up dying right after achieving what I had so desired."
The thought of Label and how my previous life had ended brought a pang of nostalgia mixed with dark satisfaction.
When I finished diving into the memories of the old Eclivel, a sigh escaped my lips.
It was evident that the original Eclivel was an impulsive and irresponsible figure, used to causing trouble wherever he went. He had acted exactly like a predator, unable to control his desires when he encountered Cleo. Something about this reminded me of Label, the woman who crossed my path in my previous life.
"Of course," I thought, reviewing the scenes in my mind. "At first, the original Eclivel acted like any foolish young man: flirting, trying to seduce her. But in the end, he crossed the line."
I relived the memories, seeing the sequence of his actions. It was as stupid as it was frustrating. Instead of using his intelligence, he resorted to force, something that only sealed his fate.
"Idiot," I muttered to myself. "He didn't have a fraction of my scientific intellect."
The most impressive thing—depending on the perspective—was his ambition to get Cleo pregnant and force her to marry him. She wasn't just any girl; Cleo was a princess, and even though she came from a small kingdom, her social position was far above Eclivel's. It was obvious that such a plan was doomed to fail.
And he failed spectacularly.
"Young men with the same desires," I thought, revisiting the vivid images of how a group of other acolytes—those who also sought Cleo—gave the original Eclivel a lesson he would never forget... "A fatal beating. What a glorious way to bring me to this world."
In a way, it felt like my fate had fallen from the sky. I, a dead man in a technological world, was thrown into the body of a disgraced young noble in a medieval world. It was almost poetic.
With a cold laugh, I considered what this meant. "That Cleo... She's not as simple as she seems. A Machiavellian mind behind a charming face." Maybe she had orchestrated all of that, or maybe she had simply allowed it to happen.
"Well," I continued, crossing my arms as I stared into the distance. "Despite everything, I've taken over this body. And if the opportunity arises, Cleo... you won't be able to forget me easily."
As these thoughts swirled in my mind, one detail caught my attention: the memories of the original Eclivel didn't contain any mention of places or concepts from my previous world. There was no America, no units, nothing remotely resembling my past reality.
"A totally new world," I murmured, looking around.
Suddenly, I noticed something strange. The airship's deck was too quiet. I looked around and saw no one else, except Styg, who was watching me with his characteristic expression—a mix of curiosity and cunning.
"Where is everyone?" I asked, furrowing my brow.
Styg shrugged, a mischievous smile on his face. "They're probably avoiding you, man. After what you did, no one wants to be associated with the 'player.' Cleo is popular, and messing with her was like trying to bite a dragon's tail."
I chuckled softly. "Heh, never mind. It's probably better this way. I prefer them to stay away."
Styg seemed surprised by my response, but said nothing. Meanwhile, I looked up at the dark sky, the large silver moon illuminating the horizon and the stars shining like jewels in a vast black ocean.
This was my new world. And with it, new challenges—and opportunities.
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