When Alaric regained consciousness, he was assaulted with a sense of weakness that gripped his entire body and mind. He didn’t even possess the strength to pry his eyes open without straining his eye muscles. His head throbbed gently, and his bones ached with an intense fatigue. The warm weight of a blanket draped over his body, and he could feel somebody dabbing a wet fever cloth on his forehead.

Where..am I? Even his thoughts felt sluggish. Alaric tried to open his eyes and move his body. He barely managed to part his eyes into a slit before the brightness of the light pierced his vision and nearly triggered a headache. Closing his eyes once again, he drew in a deep breath. He inhaled through the nose for four seconds, held his breath for four seconds, and exhaled through his mouth for four seconds. Breathing deeply for a few repetitions allowed him to feel a little better. But he dared not move his body again or open his eyes.

“Sweet child, are you awake?” a melodious, tender, female voice inquired.

“Aagh..Uh,” Alaric grunted, unable to articulate words through his mouth.

“Shh…no need to speak, now. Don’t worry, you will feel better soon.” The voice tried to reassure him and it somehow succeeded in calming him. Whoever it was, the voice felt familiar to his sluggish mind, and he could feel only positive emotions associated with it.

“Here, sweet child, have some broth. It will help you recover.” The woman gently caressed his forehead as she lifted his head. A warm spoon pressed against his lips. He smelled a mix of vegetables, spices, and meat. Eagerly, now feeling hungry, Alaric sipped on the broth and relished its taste. It tasted savory and delicious. He could feel the warmth of the liquid spread through his mouth, throat, and stomach, and it helped to cheer him up a little.

The lady gently rested his head on the soft pillow once again. He could feel the delicate hands rubbing warm oil into his feet and hands. Once his extremities were warmed up properly, he felt sleepy once again. Alaric felt safe, knowing there was somebody in the new world who tended to him. The last thing he heard before transitioning into dreamland was a melodious prayer dedicated to his swift recovery.

***

Alaric woke up to the pitter-patter of rain striking the closed windows of his bedroom. It was dark and quiet except for the sound of the rain and the muffled howling of the stormy winds outside. No, not quite. He could hear a faint snoring by his side.

Inspecting his body and senses from within, Alaric felt much better than before, albeit still pretty fatigued. It seemed the worst of his sickness was now over, but he still needed to rest for a few days. Opening his eyes, he noticed the soft glow of a few candles barely reaching the dark recesses of the large room. Some of them had been snuffed out. This bedroom is quite big. I wonder what time it is.

Discarding that thought, he decided to inspect the room in the dim light. The walls looked old with scant decoration, and the carpeted floors looked a little dusty. Although, it could just be the darkness playing tricks on his mind. There was a small study table by his bedside and a small tea table with two chairs in the far corner.

A woman lay dozing on a chair next to his bedside table, which contained a glass of water and some containers. He noticed the fever bandages on a dustbin below while fresh ones were arranged on the table. The lady is still here beside me?

Overall, it was acceptable. He hadn’t expected much, being a bastard child. In his old world, many nobles fathered multiple bastards under the influence of alcohol, youthful vigor, and fleeting romance. It was pretty common for bastards to be admitted into an orphanage or be completely left on their own with their fates on their hands. In this regard, Alaric considered himself in a much better position since he had a roof over his head, clothes over his body, and food in his stomach. Sure, he had chosen the option to be reincarnated as a bastard himself, but frankly, he hadn’t known what to expect.

Reflecting on that, he suddenly became more aware of his current physical vessel. How old am I? After some preliminary inspection, Alaric decided he couldn’t be more than six or seven years old by his best estimate. He mentally groaned and a sense of irritation took hold of his mind. Aah…I should have discussed this with the administrator. What should I do when I recover…play games? He mentally reprimanded himself for this oversight.

Although, in his defense, he had never reincarnated before with his mind and memories intact. Well, at least, I don’t have to start as a toddler. I have a few years of headstart. Another thought crept into his mind. Wait…the child was sick. Did I take over the soul of this body after it died? Or was my soul always the rightful owner of this mortal shell and I just gained the knowledge of my reincarnation and all of my previous memories?

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He shook his head. No, dwelling on this is pointless at this stage. There is no way to confirm any of the hypotheses. Alaric decided to believe the second conclusion, for the sake of his mental peace.

Pushing those thoughts aside, he observed the lady who had nursed him during his illness. She appeared to be around thirty, with hints of age lines adorning her face. Long, auburn hair woven into a thick braid graced her head. Fair complexion. There were no ornaments on her ear, nose, or wrist. She leaned back on the chair, her chest rising and falling slowly. A look of tenderness and kindness was etched into her sleeping face. A knitting tool and cloth rested on her lap. She wore a brown dress that was nothing too fancy but seemed better than what most maids would wear.

Hmm…a practical woman. I wonder what her name is… At this thought, a series of fractured images and mental impressions surfaced in his mind. Memories and feelings of his childhood years, when he was just a baby. It was not comprehensive, but it was enough to produce a very favorable impression of Elara. Yes, that was her name.

She was the personal maid of this ‘bastard child’ and temporarily acted as the nursemaid during his illness. As expected, the countess didn’t deign to spend a single moment with the ‘bastard child’. And, since his own mother was absent, it was Elara who had spent the most time with him and taken care of his needs. The nursemaid or his personal maid was practically a ‘second mother’ to him. That explained the feeling of warmth and comfort he felt towards her.

Alaric felt the pull of drowsiness calling to him once again. Releasing a deep sigh, he closed his eyes, ready to get lost in the lands of dreams once again.

***

Alaric was not amused when he woke up. He had a nightmare where he found himself battling a large pink horse that refused to bark. What was that nonsense? Never in his life did he experience such an irritating dream. He could only chalk it up to the sickness or the mental impressions of a kid. A slight grin spread across his face. Well, I am that kid now.

It was early in the morning. Thick rays of sunlight pierced through the windows of his bedroom, perfectly illuminating it. In the light of the day, his bedroom looked not too shabby, but he could recognize the signs of neglect. A little bit of dust lined the edge of the door, lint and dirt clung to the sides of the carpet, and some marks on the furniture were not cleaned properly. For the first time, he detected a slight musty smell in the room. Possibly due to the damp weather. He shook his head.

Alaric was used to staying in mansions meticulously maintained without a speck of dust. They were decorated pristinely and looked after by hordes of junior sect members. After he ascended to the ‘Immortal’ realm, even a little bit of dirt, dust, and odor felt irksome to his superior senses of sight and smell. Perhaps it was the habit of expecting perfection from all the junior members that reared its ugly head back.

He decided to temper his expectations. Different worlds should have different standards. Or perhaps, it was because he was the bastard child that the servants didn’t prioritize cleaning his rooms properly. Either way, Alaric was not really upset. It didn’t bother him as much — now that he had lost his superior sense of smell and sight. He surmised that he would get used to it after a while.

Alaric scanned the bedroom and noticed Elara was absent. Maybe she is busy now. He shrugged. Feeling much better, he decided it would do him good to stretch out his limbs. He tossed aside the thick blanket and immediately felt the cold air seep into his bones. Suddenly, he hesitated to leave his warm spot on the bed. When the realization hit him that he was still just a child, he mentally groaned again.

It will take a while to get used to this body. Alaric pulled himself off the bed, a surprisingly difficult task now, considering his short height. But he managed to accomplish the simple task. Turning around, he spotted a large wardrobe with a full-length mirror. He approached the mirror slowly and took stock of his appearance.

His short, disheveled black hair matched the green of his eyes perfectly. A look of cute scowl was locked into his face. His cheeks were chubby, his neck short, and his body more plump than he’d have liked. Naturally, he was of short height like any child, with stubby arms and legs. Alaric released a deep sigh. Looks like I have to work on this body a lot. Thankfully, I am prepared to work out a lot and get fit.

With that thought in mind, Alaric tried to visualize the seven ever-present chakras of his subtle body that had been with him ever since he set foot on the path of cultivation. It was strange. The fully bloomed chakras that shone like suns in the sky were no more. He expected as much. After all, he was starting from scratch. The real problem was that he couldn’t even detect a hint of his subtle body, let alone the chakras. A thread of fear slithered into his heart and he felt his face sweating.

The more he tried to concentrate and visualize his subtle body and the chakras, the more he felt his focus slipping. His mind refused to bow down to his will. It was like trying to catch a slippery eel. He felt his heartbeat rise and his emotions getting out of control.

“What in the heavens is happening?” Alaric muttered.

“That is exactly what I would like to hear, young master.” A stern voice interrupted him.