Chapter 2: Reincarnation
Translator: Soafp
I feel like I’m drifting through water.
I hear something, I see something.
But all I can hear is a blur.
My eyes are a little fuzzy too.
Where am I ……
Who am I? Huh?
Whatever.
I surrendered myself to the pleasant sensation and stopped trying to think…
The first time I regained consciousness from that sensation, I was being held by a young girl with chestnut hair?
(Where am I? I remember I was working overtime at the office… What happened?)
Still with a foggy mind, I tried my best to understand the current situation.
(What’s going on? I heard a strange sound while working overtime. Right, then I felt a severe pain in my chest and collapsed. Maybe someone else was there? Perhaps a security guard came on patrol. And they saw me collapsed and called an ambulance…)
I looked around for evidence that this was a hospital, but from my eyes, this appeared to be a stone-built structure reminiscent of medieval Europe. It didn’t seem like a modern hospital at all.
To be honest, I wanted information, but I couldn’t even muster the strength to sit up. How long had I been unconscious? My muscles seemed to have atrophied to the point where I couldn’t even move properly.
The chestnut-haired woman said something to me.
(Eh? What language is this? It’s not English, right? But it doesn’t sound like Chinese either. Well, I can’t speak English or Chinese, so it doesn’t matter.)
As usual, the woman continued to hold me and spoke while smiling.
(Wait a minute! I’m 173 cm tall (5’7″), you know. To hold me like this, how tall is this person? Over 2 meters (6’6″)… maybe 2.5 meters (8’2″)…)
Even the objects within my limited field of vision, like chairs and tables, seemed to be the perfect size for the woman.
“Giant.” It was beyond belief. My thoughts were racing, but there was no sign of a solution.
(For now, can you put me down?)
I tried to get out of her arms, but my body wouldn’t move as I wanted.
(Damn, how much have I deteriorated…)
I looked at my own hand, and there was a chubby hand there.
(Eh?)
I wiggled my fingers.
(They move…)
I wiggled them again.
(They really move…)
Once more, I wiggled my fingers.
(…)
My chubby hand moved cutely.
(Hold on, hold on! It’s not time to panic yet! Calm down, me!)
I took a moment to gather my thoughts.
(I was working overtime at the office and heard a strange sound. Then my chest started hurting, and I collapsed. That’s fine… And then I realized I was being held by a giant girl with chestnut hair… That’s also fine… And when I looked at my hand, it’s chubby… I’m here right now.)
I tried desperately to make sense of the situation.
(…)
(Wait a minute. This is definitely not good at all! My chest hurt, and I collapsed! This is bad! Am I going to die? A giant girl with chestnut hair? And she’s carrying me! My hands are chubby! I feel like a baby!!)
A baby! That thought came to my mind, and it was exactly the right word for it.
(!! A baby?!)
I moved my hand a few times.
(Is this… a dream? Could it be…)
I swung my arm! Actually, I just moved it a little, but in my mind, I swung it with all my might!
My hand hit a button on the woman’s clothing.
(Ouch! That hurt… Is this not a dream?)
I averted my gaze from my hand and looked at the chestnut-haired woman. She was looking at me affectionately.
(Have I really been reincarnated? Could this chestnut-haired woman be my mother? She’s young and beautiful. Maybe around 20?)
“Reincarnation.” If I think about this word, my current situation makes a surprisingly clear sense.
(Calmly thinking… Maybe… I died from that chest pain. It sounds unbelievable, but could it be that I’ve been reincarnated?)
I tried to think more calmly.
(Crap… I’m in trouble… I’ve really been reincarnated…)
Understanding the situation didn’t mean I could solve it. It was the moment I keenly felt the harshness of this world.
(What am I going to do? How… can I deal with this?)
My mind may be that of a 34-year-old man, but it seemed that my infant body was still taking over. Even as I thought about random things, drowsiness suddenly overwhelmed me.
I let out a big yawn, and the chestnut-haired woman (she’s not officially “Mom” yet) gently laid me down on the bed.
(I can’t keep my eyes open… I’m so sleepy…)
As I prepared to go to sleep, I suddenly felt something strange next to me.
Struggling against my drowsiness, I looked to the side and saw a baby…
(A mirror? No, that’s not it. A real baby. A genuine baby. Are we siblings? I don’t know…)
I tried to think more, but I couldn’t fight off the drowsiness, and my consciousness faded into a doze.
One month later…
It took me a month to fully grasp the situation.
Firstly, it seems like I’ve been reincarnated. Most likely, I died due to that chest pain. Probably a heart attack or something.
What’s intriguing is that voice. It felt like it resonated directly in my heart. It wasn’t words, but I definitely heard it.
Could the owner of that voice be a god…? I don’t know.
I believe that maybe they heard my complaints like, “I want to be reincarnated,” and granted my wish… but trying to fathom the thoughts of a god is futile.
I hadn’t completely despaired of reality, but I did feel a sense of stagnation, and I was somewhat excited about this situation.
I do feel sorry for my parents, but since I can’t contact them, there’s no point worrying now. I’ll have to move forward!
As for the baby who slept next to me, he was probably my twin. We always sleep in the same bed, and when I saw him during diaper changes, he was right there, so we must be siblings!
Then, it appears that this house is inhabited by many people. There are still some people I haven’t seen before. I think my mother (or at least, someone who seems like her) and a maid take care of me and my brother (or at least, someone who seems like him).
As I suspected, this isn’t Japan. My mother (or whoever she is) and the maid (or whoever she is) have Western-looking faces, and I can’t understand their language. Their attire also resembles that of medieval nobility.
The cultural level here is also different; there’s no electricity, and they use something like lanterns (with glowing stones inside) for illumination.
Apart from the glowing stones, there were other instances that made it clear that this wasn’t Japan. A few days ago, I was drinking bre*st milk as usual, and after emptying my stomach, I was getting my diaper changed before taking a nap.
Being cradled in the maid’s arms and trying to bury my face in her chest had become a daily routine. But it always led to a fierce battle when they tried to lay me down on the bed, and I didn’t want to let go. I couldn’t let go with my baby’s strength! I clung with all my might! I really held on tightly! At that moment, I heard a cracking sound, and then intense pain! It hurt so much! I cried out loudly!
That’s when my mother (I think) suddenly rushed over with a sharp expression on her face, unlike her usual calm one, and she came running to my bed. She immediately wrapped my injured finger with her hands.
I thought she muttered something incomprehensible, but then I noticed that my right finger was glowing, and the pain gradually disappeared. My finger had healed… My finger, which should have been broken, was now perfectly fine.
I know you might not understand what I’m saying, but…
At first, I couldn’t understand what had happened, but then it dawned on me.
This is probably magic. It seems like I’ve been reincarnated into a world with magic.
Magic…
Magic, huh…
My dreams are coming true!
By the way, is the maid my mother? She was in tears as she was being lectured to. Sorry, your bre*sts are to blame! (Tehepero)
8 months later…
Finally, he is able to understand words.
The amount of information is much greater when I understand the language.
It seems that this place is the Blue Ring Barony of the Fosterque Kingdom. The Blue Ring family consists of Lord Balza, his only son Joshua, Joshua’s wife Rafina, myself, Aldo, and my twin brother Elphus.
The name “Blue Ring” is quite literal, and while it may sound like a joke, our ancestors received this surname from the King himself for possessing a blue ring with hidden powers, which is now considered a family heirloom. I haven’t seen it myself, but I suspect it might be hidden somewhere in the basement to protect it from fire or theft. Someday, I plan to find it and investigate its abilities.
Let me introduce you to my family, the Blue Ring family:
Our lord, the grandfather, is either very busy or rarely seen. It seems he lives in the capital and only returns home a few times a year.
My grandmother passed away shortly after giving birth to my father, Joshua, due to an epidemic. She was just 20 years old.
Despite being urged by others, my grandfather adamantly refused to remarry, as there was only one heir. However, it’s rumored among the maids that his real reason was that he realized having a wife would limit his freedom as a bachelor noble, so he secretly sneaked out of the mansion at night. Nevertheless, he visits the church every month on my grandmother’s death anniversary, holding her heirloom necklace, so perhaps human hearts aren’t so simple.
My parents, on the other hand, are quite the lovebirds! They are always affectionate whenever they have spare time. Just the other day, during a family dinner, they even did this silly thing.
“Okay, Al, Aaah… Now it’s El’s turn, Aaah… And finally, d-e-a-r, Aaaah…”
They even teased me like this in front of their 34-year-old single son! I almost shouted, “Stop teasing me!” But when I think about it, both of them are quite young. My mother is around 21, and my father is about 24, which is equivalent to college students or new employees in Japan. So, I find it somewhat endearing…
Anyway, even these two, while always lovey-dovey, know when to stop.
After mastering crawling, my latest hobby is exploring the mansion. I like peeking into Dad’s study and checking out the maid’s garden.
By the way, my father looks really cool when he’s working in his study. He’s thin overall, with a somewhat gaunt face and narrow eyes, but he has that “classic bureaucrat” look that seems to appeal to the ladies.
When he’s handling documents and giving orders to the butlers, he exudes a capable aura. And indeed, he’s popular with the ladies! I know it. Some of the maids approach him! When they bow, they subtly emphasize their cleavage, gently brush against him, or look at him with dewy eyes… etc.
And I feel Mama’s anger…
My mother’s anger is terrifying. Her usually gentle eyes turn into the icy gaze of a carnivore. From there, she drags Papa into the bedroom for a few hours, and when they finally emerge, Papa looks exhausted while Mama looks radiant.
I have no idea what happens during that time, and my 34-year-old self remains utterly clueless.
In this manner, Mama’s anger is appeased.
By the way, the maids don’t receive any particular punishment. It seems to be all part of the… well, let’s just leave it at that.
Surprisingly, Mama is a member of the Mage Division. She started as a commoner, became an apprentice mage at the age of 10, and by the time she was 17, she was adventuring on the side as a mage.
Through her accomplishments in subjugating monsters within our territory, she was scouted by the Mage Division, but she was spotted by Papa, who was impressed by her skills. That’s how they met.
After that, she quickly joined the Mage Division, married, and gave birth to me. Now, she continues her research on magic in the Magic Research Lab, a subdivision of the Mage Division, as taking on official missions would be impossible with her role as the Baroness.
She seems to enjoy her research work quite a bit.
Lastly, there’s my little brother, Elphus.
In a word, he’s incredibly cute. He inherited our father’s eyes (narrow eyes), has plump cheeks, a mouth with teeth that haven’t fully grown yet, a smiling face, a pouting face, and a crying face – all adorable!
I’ll do anything for my little brother! This creature is dangerously cute! It’s like I’m being overwhelmed by moe!
When I see him sleeping peacefully next to me during our nap:
“Ahh, this is so soothing…”
After going through a series of moe-induced emotional breakdowns, sleepiness slowly overtakes me. I roll over, searching for a comfortable sleeping position.
Then, some trivial thoughts start to surface and fade away in the empty void:
“Even though it’s a baron’s title, it’s still genuine nobility. But only one of us, either me or El, can inherit it.”
I ponder this for a moment, gazing into the empty space.
“Alright, I’ve decided! In the future, I’ll leave the Blue Ring family. I’m not really interested in being a noble, and I’m not good with all the formality stuff. Besides, in this world, adulthood seems to start at 15. So, until then, I’ll rely on them. But after that, I want to explore this world.”
It seems that until the age of 15, I’ll be under their care, and then I’ll leave the house.
“I wonder how I’ll earn money here? Can I make a living with magic? Money is still important even in another world. Not much different from Japan.”
And thus, the moment when a 0-year-old arbitrarily made important decisions about a baron’s house with a long-standing history since the founding of the Fosterque Kingdom arrived.