Krano fixed his gaze upon his son, watching intently as the boy toiled away in the vast field before them. Even under the sun's sweltering heat, which beat down mercilessly upon their backs, the boy showed no complaint.
Only a few months ago, Idas was just like the rest of the children, constantly whining and complaining about every little thing. But now, something changed within him. He carried out his tasks obediently and without objection, surprising even Kranos, who hadn't needed a beating stick for months.
Idas was no longer the same child he once was. His son was growing up and was more mature than the other kids his age. Kranos couldn't help but feel a sense of pride in the young boy's transformation.
***
I never experienced a drastic turning point in my life, such as seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and never getting hit by a truck. I had a job and friends with whom I got along quite well, so labeling myself as an isekai weeb loser would be inaccurate. Though I did like reading novels, and manga in my free time.
One night, I drifted off to sleep and woke up about two months ago in the body of Idas, a fourteen-year-old kid in ancient times. The last thing I remembered was putting a game my friends had lent me under my pillow before falling asleep.
Did I have a heart attack and die in my sleep?
If this were like the average isekai, I might have been somewhat okay with it. Who wouldn't want to go around shooting fireballs? I was never much of a fan of isekai, as it became stale after a while. However, I wouldn't have minded if women threw themselves at me for no reason.
It's the kind of scenario in which I wouldn't watch a show about a rich guy with no problems in life. But I would love to be one.
"Put your back into it!" A man's yell woke me from my thoughts. It was my father, Kranos.
The sun glared at my bare back as I used a hoe to till the ground. I surveyed the vast expanse of land we still had to work on through back-breaking manual labor.
For two long months, I worked without rest! Why on earth had I been reincarnated as a farmer's son in ancient Greece?!
We lived near a lake called Lerna, which I could see in the distance if I looked up. However, the village mostly relied on a river that ran from the lake to an unknown destination (probably the sea) for its water supply.
"Hey! Are you daydreaming again?" my father yelled, jolting me back to reality.
"No, Father. I was just contemplating how fulfilling it would be once we finish this work. You have taught me so much this summer," I said, hoping to pacify him. His annoyed expression eased up at my words.
In those times, fathers were strict taskmasters, driven to impart as much knowledge and skills as possible to their sons. There was uncertainty and harshness in this life.
As I recollected, my body's original memories included a tragic incident where a five-year-old child was fatally attacked by a wolf a few years earlier. So even childhood was not guaranteed.
Even living a ‘safe’ life was difficult as there was no toilet. The only bath someone in my socio-economic class could take was to go to the river and plunge into its cold waters. Food was scarce, and spices were only available to the wealthy.
…
After laboring all day, evening was fast approaching and my body ached, especially my shoulder. My father and I trudged along rough dirt roads, returning to our house atop one of the hills. As I carried the hoe on my shoulder, I scanned my surroundings and found nothing dangerous around.
'Status Interface'
As soon as I thought those words, a translucent screen appeared right in front of my face.
Class: N/A
Traits: [Transmigrator]
Level: 1
Strength: 0.8
Agility: 0.8
Constitution: 0.9
Spirit: 2
Luck: 2
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
Skills Page ≫
Nothing much has changed since a week ago. My Constitution has increased by 0.1, but at least it's an improvement from when I first arrived here, as most of my stats were around 0.6.
I clicked on the title.
[Transmigrator]
Within you resides the essence of two souls, interwoven in an intricate dance of fate and fortune.
{+1 Spirit | +1 Luck}
Despite daily training with a wooden sword for the better part of a month, nothing had changed on the skill page. There was no convenient message explaining the status page. I only discovered I even had a gamer interface by saying dozens of words out loud before summoning it on the second day here.
"Son, you know that when I yell at you it is for your best, right?" my father said suddenly.
He had black hair and coal-like dark eyes. We looked quite similar, so without a doubt, he was my father.
"I know," I said. I didn't hold it against him when he disciplined me. These were different times, and he hadn’t used the stick on me since I transmigrated. He didn’t need to, as I wasn't making childish mistakes.
Even in my last world, every adult knew the meaning of the words ‘fuck around and find out'. Many my age had seen or experienced what that led to.
"Well, tomorrow is your birthday. So be ready, as I am in the process of preparing the gift for you. Unlike other kids, you haven't complained much about work," he said, smiling. His eyes showed pride and satisfaction.
Right, there were a couple of kids my age in the village. I had almost forgotten that. Since coming here, I hadn’t met Idas' friends. Maybe that was for the better. Memories weren't the only thing I inherited from the original Idas.
I put an arm around my father and smiled. "Don't worry about it. One day I will make us rich as hell, and then you will be thanking the Gods that you were so strict and taught me discipline!"
He smiled and lightly elbowed me. "Rich? With that kind of mindset, you would be lucky to end up as a beggar. Peasants trying to be rich always end up poor because they take too many risks."
"Beggar?" I raised a questioning brow.
"Yes, a beggar. It might sound easy, but in the big cities, beggars have to wake up early, and each has their own territory," my father explained and nodded as if approving his own words.
Though he doubted me, I knew that as long as I prepared some things, I could theoretically become rich even with the basic knowledge I had. While I knew almost nothing about crop rotation or farming, I still had enough knowledge to make me rich in a world 3000 to 4000 years behind modern times. But I needed a strong foundation before making big moves.
The last thing I wanted was to end up like Nikola Tesla, an outstanding inventor who died alone in a motel room, living on a diet of only milk and crackers. In contrast, those who stole his inventions became filthy rich and were remembered throughout history as heroes of science.
Even worse, a king could imprison me and force me to create things for him. Rulers in these times had absolute power, which they inherited from birth. If they forced me to be their invention slave, there would be nothing I could do to prevent it.
These thoughts plagued my mind until I arrived at my humble abode in this world – a stone hut with a wooden and straw roof. It was small, but other villagers had similar houses, so it was nothing special. We were poor, but so was everyone else in the village.
A woman leaned on the entrance doorway. She had dark hair tied up in a messy bun, and a couple of stray hairs fell across her forehead. Her warm brown eyes were filled with kindness. But what stood out most about her appearance was her round belly, showing she was pregnant.
This woman was my mother in this world, and she carried what would hopefully become my sibling. A part of me was excited about having a brother or sister, but I also understood the cruel reality of infant mortality in these times.
Before I could enter the house, she hugged me tightly. "How was work today? Hopefully, you weren't too tired. Does it hurt anywhere? You should sit down and rest."
Unlike my strict father, my mother was softer. She was also a worrywart who spoiled me a bit. That was why, by these times' standards, the original Idas was considered soft.
Our home had simple wooden furniture - cabinets, tables, and chairs. We sat down, and my mother brought out the food – some bland wheat gruel with eggs that we all ate.
The only sound accompanying us through this dining experience was small talk between my parents and chicken clucking outside. After transmigrating it was annoying due to the chickens, but the atmosphere grew on me and I found it quite homey.
After eating, I immediately left again. Though my mother encouraged me to rest after a day's arduous work, my father was the opposite.
"Let the boy go and do what he wants. That's how men are born," he insisted.
That earned him a glare from my mother, and he looked to the side, not meeting her gaze. As I walked out, my mother argued with my father about me being a kid, and he insisted I was a grown man.
I was used to their arguments by now, and in an hour or two, they would be back to being all lovey-dovey. During these times, husbands and wives had to work together if they wanted a chance at survival. With their lives on the line, most relationships in these times were strong.
Walking to the edge of the village, I came across a unique house made of wood with a second floor with a balcony-like structure. This was the house of the village's only hunter, Romos. He was the key to leveling up, and I needed his help.
When I thought of leveling up, killing things came to mind, but it wasn't as simple as that. Over the last two months, I had killed only two chickens and destroyed an ant colony, but there weren't enough experience points for me to level up. Also, monsters weren’t just about to spawn like in a video game, so I had to hunt them.
I knocked on the thick wooden door, specially made to keep animals out, and Romos answered. "Here again, brat?"
He was an old man with white hair, blue eyes, and a gray beard. I guessed he was in his fifties, but he never told me his exact age.
I smiled and replied, "Hello, sir. I am here again to learn how to shoot a bow and hunt."
A friendly smile had served me well in my previous life, and I hoped it would work here too. It was more difficult to be mean to someone pleasant than to someone indifferent.
Romos sighed and waved me in. Inside, the house was filled with the furs of boars and wolves, and a stag skull hung on one of the walls. Romos sat on the rocking chair I had made for him as payment for teaching me basic hunting skills.
As soon as he sat down, his lips tilted upward into something resembling a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
Heh, tsundere old man.