Frederick awoke in a cold sweat one morning, possibly with an illness of some kind. His parents were very concerned. His mother took care of him, but he could hear her sobs from another room when she was not at his bedside. He felt pretty terrible, but it seemed similar to a cold or perhaps a minor flu in its potency - certainly nothing that should be fatal with proper care… Well, unfortunately, people in this world didn’t know how to treat even basic illnesses without magic, and so if there were no healers nearby, they could only pray that their loved ones would survive.
Two days later, Frederick’s fever worsened, and he began losing consciousness often. His sister Veronica came often as well but kept a bit of a distance. Perhaps they knew that illnesses could spread in this world as well, albeit not how to prevent their spread. Frederick tried to stifle and cover his cough as much as possible to not transmit whatever illness this was through the air if he could avoid it.
A day later, just as Frederick began to worry that this illness would be the death of him in his short time alive again, a faith magic user passed through the village. They took the time to stop by my parents’ abode and heal my illness, speaking some form of incantation in another language - a language my parents didn’t teach me, one that I didn’t know of. This confirmed that more than one language existed in this world, and also confirmed the existence of magic.
“His fever and illness are gone, but his body will need a couple nights to recover fully. I am not very advanced in faith magic yet, as I recently began training. Please be sure to give him a lot of water,” the priest spoke, instructing Frederick’s family about how to care for his recovery.
That barely qualifies as basic advice for someone who’s already healthy, Frederick thought. Veronica hugged him tightly, tearing up in what seemed to be relief that her brother would live. “I was so worried, Fred… so worried.”
Frederick smiled weakly at his older sister. She doted on him far more than he deserved, and he felt bad that she was worried for his sake to the extent that it caused her such pain. “I’ll be back up and stronger than ever in no time, Ver. Thanks for staying by me.”
Veronica began to cry, more from what seemed to be happiness than worry or sadness. Frederick’s parents also seemed to be trying not to cry, putting on a brave face for him. His father spoke first. “I have high hopes for you, son. You’ll grow up to be a strong man one day.”
Frederick nodded in affirmation, which seemed to please his father, and then he6 looked at his mother, who was the one to seek the healer’s help. “Thanks to you, I will live to see my next starday. Thanks for getting the healer’s help.”
His mother couldn’t hold back her tears any longer, and wrapped Frederick up in her arms, perhaps a bit forcefully, as his sore body felt a fair amount of pain from her tight embrace. Frederick returned her hug and patted her back. “Thanks mom.”
The next morning, after being cared for by his family, Frederick felt energetic and well again. However, something weighed on his mind now, knowing what he knew from his previous life. There was no magic of any kind or any sort of supernatural abilities in the world he came from, which confirmed his suspicions that this world existed not only in a different place than his own, but a different universe altogether. And so, the laws of physics as he knew them may not apply here, even the elementary ones he could still remember.
Over the course of the day, he began testing some things. Forces like gravity and energy transfer seemed to exist, and seemed to function similar to the forces of his own world and universe, but he noticed that objects fell to the ground much more quickly in this world. So, if gravity worked in a similar way, it was likely that this world was much larger than earth and had greater gravity as a result.
However, why was he still of normal height for a human his age? And why did females, who had smaller frames, not end up becoming shorter and more sturdy of frame due to the increased gravity? His only conclusion is that they must have evolved in this world in such a way that their physical structure was quite different from the humans he knew previously. He asked his parents what their bones were made of, but this question only seemed to confuse him.
“Bones are made of bone, you know,” Veronica answered. “It’s easy to hurt someone on the outside, but our cores are harder than most swords.”
This little bit of information from his sister answered an important question for Frederick. She had stated that bones were harder than most swords, and based on what he assumed was a limited understanding of material composition due to his family’s overall lack of formal education and the primitive knowledge of such facts in this world, he wagered that human skeletal structures were denser than steel of the same volume, just as they were in his own world. However, the question was how much denser?
Creatures like insects and birds existed in this world, though they seemed much rarer than from his previous one. Probably due to a combination of the increased gravity and lack of suitable prey causing the environment to be inhospitable toward them. As much as he’d like to answer these questions, right now his ability to observe the natural phenomenon of this world is very limited. He continued to exercise and grow stronger out of sight of his parents every day, but his sister eventually caught on to his training while she was doing chores around their farm.
What should I do now? I can’t let our parents know. How do I convince her to keep quiet? “Please forget you saw that, Ver. I’m trying to get stronger, but it won’t be helpful if others know.”
Veronica shook her head. “I can’t just forget,” she replied.
Great. Now what do I do? “Please, Ver. Is there anything I can do for you so that you will keep it a secret?”
Veronica smiled mischievously, as if she’d won some huge prize. She clearly wants to hold this over me, but I don’t mind being blackmailed in this situation, considering she’s still a child at heart. Whatever she wants can’t be too terrible. However, if she thinks I’m okay with it, she won’t agree to it and might increase the conditions to something worse for me. “You have to give me your sword and train me how to use it like you do. Then, I’ll keep it a secret… got it?”
Kids were selfish and petty as expected, Frederick thought. I guess we’re not too different in this world than from my previous one, at least mentally. However, Frederick knew that agreeing to this demand readily would not actually satisfy her. He likely needed to form some sort of resistance or argument to trick her properly. I guess I’m not one to talk, considering that I can’t be honest with my own sister. “Giving you my sword is too much. Can’t you just learn with a broomstick?”
Veronica visibly seemed to pout. “It’s not like you won’t be using it. I just want ownership so that I can use it whenever I want.”
Whenever she wants, huh? That could actually cause problems if our father found out, “I’ll give you half ownership, but only if you never use the sword in front of mom or dad. Get caught and the deal’s off, since they’ll find out what I’m doing anyway at that point.”
Veronica smiled smugly, but seemed to not understand something from her expression. “Half-ownership? Does that mean you can take it back? What good does that do for me?”
Although it’s just a piece of wood, it wouldn’t be good if I lost too much ground here. Her demands could become much more unreasonable in the future, otherwise. Perhaps I can let it go, but not yet. “How about this, then? If you keep your end of the bargain until our next starday, I will give you full ownership of the sword, as well as my normal starday gift that I’d be giving you. But only if you keep my secret and only train in secret with me.”
Veronica seemed to ponder for a bit, but also it was clear she was satisfied she’d gotten her effort’s worth in this negotiation. She held out her arms. Frederick was a bit confused. “What?”
Veronica frowned. “Hug me. We seal promises with a hug in the family.”
Different from the customs of my own world, but then again, she said family, so it’s probably different between strangers as well. He’s going to need to learn social customs to make it in this world someday. “Okay, sorry I didn’t know,” Frederick said as he returned her hug. Their mom walked outside with a hand towel as they stopped hugging. “Breakfast is almost ready. Finish your chores quickly and get inside, both of you.”
“Yes mom,” both siblings said almost simultaneously. Their mother seemed irked but voiced no complaint at what she likely felt was a bit of rebelliousness from them. She went inside and closed the door a bit harder than normal. Frederick nodded at Veronica. “I can take care of the chores myself. You go practice with my sword in the barn. The first step is to just swing it up and down smoothly with two hands and build up your arm strength.”
Veronica grinned. “Thanks. But you mean our sword, right?”
Frederick sighed. “Yes, our sword. Anyway, you saw what I was doing right? Copy that motion. If you need help with the form, I’ll help you later today.”
Veronica chuckled a bit. “You better keep your promise!”
Frederick shook his head. “You’re my sister, Ver. I won’t break a promise I made to you.”
Veronica seemed taken aback by this, a bit embarrassed in fact. Kids aren’t good at dealing with these kinds of words, huh? I guess what I said was a bit too mature for my age. She probably wasn’t expecting that response. “Of course, if you break your end of the deal, that means I can break mine without penalty, so be careful,” Frederick added, hoping it would clear her suspicions and ease her feelings.
“Yeah, yeah. I’m older than you, at least give me some credit. Let’s get this done and go eat.”
Frederick soon finished the morning chores on his own, having to work a bit faster than normal due to Veronica not dealing with feeding the animals like she normally does, although she did give up on swinging the sword quickly and helped fetch water with him. They went inside, and their mother seemed to be a bit miffed, as though breakfast had been ready for a while already.
“Were you two messing around outside or doing your chores like I told you? What took so long?”
Veronica pouted. “We weren’t messing around!”
Their father shot Veronica a sharp look. “You don’t talk to your mother like that, young lady.”
Frederick bowed his head a bit, sensing the tension and also knowing this situation wouldn’t turn out peacefully if he remained quiet. “I’m sorry, mother, father. I was curious about some bugs that flew by and I kept asking Ver about them… we lost track of ourselves a bit, but she told me we had to hurry and finish our chores when she noticed.”
His father looked at Frederick with suspicion, and his mother sighed. They clearly knew he was covering for her. “That doesn’t matter. Veronica, you better apologize to your mother right now, unless you want to be punished. I won’t tolerate you disrespecting your mother or myself in our own house.”
Veronica bit her lip. She isn’t going to apologize. I have to do something, quickly, or things in our family would be tense for quite a while. “Please. I’m sorry. I lied. She was trying to get me to help with the chores. She was doing them the whole time but I was being lazy. I’m sorry. Please don’t punish her for my mistake. I won’t do it again. I’ll be good and help out from now on.”
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Frederick’s father glared at him sharply for a moment, his expression one of rage, as he definitely knew he was being lied to, even now. However, after a few moments, he seemed to regain his composure. “I don’t know why you’re defending her, but I’ll take your word for it. This time only. Don’t do it again, or you’ll be punished severely, both you and your sister. You will respect us in our own house.”
Frederick bowed deeper and did not make eye contact any longer. “Yes. I’m sorry, and thank you.”
Their mother heaved a sigh of relief. Clearly she didn’t enjoy the tense atmosphere, either. “Ready to eat? Then let’s sit down and give our prayers. Veronica, you have it memorized now, so you can lead it right?”
Veronica seemed to feel better after hearing this. “Leave it to me, mom!” She sat down at the table first, followed by the rest of the family. “Dear lifebringer, we are grateful for your bounty that you have bestowed upon us. Even as life grows harder and food grows scarcer, we know you will protect us. We thank thee and will now break our fast,” Veronica recited, clapping her hands together in prayer at the end. “Let's eat!” she said with a giddy smile.
Their father grinned. “That’s my girl. But mind your table manners, children. We’ll be hosting a special guest someday soon and I want you both to be polite.”
A special guest? As far as Frederick knew, that meant they were either a member of the family with more resources, or someone of higher status than themselves that their father had become associated with. I should be sure to make a positive impression, but not too much that it causes suspicion. He finished his food quickly, even despite it being bland oat gruel thickened by poor-tasting ground water.
However, though he didn’t like the taste, he was accustomed to being able to hide his dislike for food from his previous life. Back then, he was not spoiled for choices, as he had very little money, and no one wanted to help a wretched person like himself, especially not as old as he was. They’d long given up on him. He didn’t want to ever experience that again in this life… He would be better as a person, no matter what he had to do, and he’d be kinder to his friends and family, so that he could live a more fulfilling life.
Perhaps that’s a selfish motivation, but it’s all I have for now, Frederick thought. Maybe someday I’ll find a reason to live my life for others’ sake. I will figure it out as I use what I know already to learn what I need to know here to be successful and live a better life.
After breakfast, Frederick and his sister were tasked with cleaning the dishes. Veronica would have voiced a complaint since that normally isn’t their responsibility, but it seemed that she thought better of it. Likely due to the situation earlier. I doubt she wants to confront our father again. Even though their father was normally kind and warmhearted, he could have quite a frightening and fast temper, it seemed.
Over the next few days, Frederick continued to exercise his body and train with his sister in secret, making sure only to show her enough that they weren’t late finishing their chores. It seems children are held to stricter standards in this world than they are in mine, and the punishments sound like something that would happen if your parents were angry generations before I was born in my previous life, Frederick pondered. I wonder if this is what my grandparents would have known back then? Speaking of which, do my grandparents even live in this world?
He was likely overthinking it, because not even two days after they began training together, their mother caught Veronica swinging the sword around. Their father called them both inside together. “You know why I called you both here, right Frederick?” he asked.
I figure it’s to determine the punishment we deserve based on our reactions. Even so, I should do my best to lessen the strain on my sister. She’s just a child, after all. “I… have an idea. But please, I understand that you must punish us, please be gentle to Ver at least nonetheless. It was my idea for us to learn to swing the sword.”
Their father seemed taken aback by this. Then, he chuckled. “You silly kid, why would I punish you for trying to better yourselves? Rather, what I wanted to know was why you didn’t ask me to teach you? You know that fathers protect their children, right?”
Frederick was genuinely surprised and caught off-guard. Possibly, for the first time since he was reborn. “What do you mean, father? I know you are stronger and more experienced. But, you’re not mad that I trained and even tried to train Ver behind your back?”
Their father sighed. “Don’t think I forgot about you lying to me before, even if it was for good reasons. And hiding things from me, even for a good purpose, is also bad. However, I weigh whether to punish or praise you based on the results of your actions, not the actions themselves. Remember this, my son: the world is all about results. Your intentions can be noble, but if it causes a bad result, you will be punished. However, so long as your intentions are not evil in nature, even if you use unconventional methods, it’s fine so long as you achieve good results.”
This was an unexpected bit of fatherly wisdom, but it definitely will come in handy later. Perhaps I ought to learn to tread the lines, but do so carefully, so that I can achieve better results. However, knowing this, Frederick can’t help but feel that his results would normally be considered lackluster. I took the sword forms from some basic eastern sword forms from my previous world. Does that mean that sword arts are primitive in this world? “Father, I do not wish to sound overconfident, but I want to know - are the sword forms I invented good enough to be developed further?”
Their father nodded. “Also, from today onward, you have both earned the right to know our names. Parents normally bestow their own names to their children when they come of age or when they accomplish something of value earlier, and it seems this accomplishment counts for that. You will still refer to us as mother and father, but you can also know us by who we are now. Are you both ready to accept the responsibility that comes with that?”
Frederick looked at Veronica, who nodded. Should I agree, it’s likely that more expectations will be placed on us. That would normally be something a child would jump at in order to seem more mature, but it’s really a trap as we will almost certainly fail to succeed at this ‘responsibility’ that he spoke of. Yet, not accepting could offend everyone here, and possibly make their parents angry at him. However… “I don’t know if what I achieved is worthy yet, father. I would be happy to accept, but I want my deeds to be worth it when I do. Could you show me how you use a sword, so that I can improve myself before I make that decision?”
Both parents seemed surprised, but they were not angry. “Are you sure? Veronica here will be allowed to know, but you will have to wait until the next opportunity if you let this chance go. That could be a long time from now, son. Can you wait until then?”
Frederick nodded. “I am grateful, and if necessary I will wait, but I hope I can achieve something even bigger in the meantime. How many stardays until we come of age?”
Their mother decided to bring out some kind of primitive calendar which used small wooden tiles. “You will each come of age on your twelfth starday. For Veronica, there are five more stardays before she is of age. For you, Frederick, seven are left. Either way, it’s a long time for children like you to wait.”
Frederick sighed. I was an old man by the time I began to regret my mistakes in my last life. However, I won’t let this life pass me by, at the very least. Taking a back seat and waiting would be easy, and probably would allow me to get more use out of what I already know, but… “If I accept this, what would my responsibilities be?”
Their father seemed overjoyed to hear this question. “You make me proud, son. Though other children sometimes ask their fathers this, it’s usually asked by children who are closer to coming of age. My son is even smarter than they are, it seems”
Am I supposed to blush in this situation? I don’t even know how. Regardless, his words do make me a bit happy. “Thanks father. But, uh, you didn’t answer my question.”
Their father cleared his throat. “Before that, I want you to know that your expectations will be different from Veronica’s. Not more or less, but different, because you are a boy and she is a girl. Understand?”
I nodded. Strange that any sort of medieval culture would be advanced enough to even place societal expectations on women, but I am sure that it probably is done this way here for a reason. Or perhaps many reasons. Either way, I’ll find out more later. “Understood. Are we allowed to know what is expected of each other?”
Their father nodded at their mother. Then, their mother stepped outside for a moment, taking Veronica with her wordlessly. Their father shook his head to answer the question. His expression seemed both pained and a bit sad, yet he shed no tears, as he also seemed resolute in what had to be done.
“No. The law forbids it. You’ll learn more about the law later, but for now, know that if something is forbidden, you cannot do it, under penalty of death if you do. Each person’s life responsibility is their own, and no two people are allowed to share what theirs are. Even though a parent bestows it, they are required to go to the nearest sacred temple afterward and have that part of their memories cleansed. So, what you must do is something that you and you alone will know. It’s that important.”
Frederick nodded. Knowing early what he was expected, but also knowing neither his parents nor anyone else would know was an advantage. He would be able to test certain limits, as well as to learn more about how this world functioned. It was a golden opportunity. “Understood. I accept my responsibility, and the pain that comes with that choice.”
His father nodded. “My son has an expansive vocabulary for his age. A word of warning to my son, though: Don’t allow other commoners to take notice. Nobles are one thing, and you may even impress them with it, but commoners will only give you grief if you’re wordier than you should be. As clever as my son is, he should know what this means, right?”
There is a phrase from this world that fits this situation that his father has used before. “If a pillar stands too tall it will crumble under its own weight, right?” Frederick replied.
“Good. You seem to understand. Honey! Bring Veronica back inside!”
The door opened, and their mother and Veronica reentered the room. “Are we ready?” she asked.
“Yes. We’ll reveal our names, and then we will separate and share their life tasks with them. As law and tradition dictates, both the son and daughter will have to reveal our own names to us separately at a later date, as proof of this. Until then, they are not allowed to use our names at all and must refer to us only how they already do. Is that clear, children?”
Frederick and Veronica both nodded, though Veronica was quicker. Their father began. “I am Edward Gallantis, the current patriarch of the Gallantis family. This means that all previous generations of my family are gone, unfortunately. But I will do my best to be the strength that you can both lean on regardless, as your father.”
Their mother smiled proudly at these statements. “And I am Christina Foreweather, the next in line to be the matriarch of the Foreweather family. My older sister is the current matriarch - she is your aunt, and you’ll meet her later.”
So women do not take the last name of their husbands by tradition in this world. That makes the lines of genealogy easier to figure out, at least. “Are we nobles?” Frederick asked.
“Not even close. We’re as close to slaves as peasants can be without actually being so,” Edward retorted. “But everyone alive originates from some form of nobility. Those who can remember their family name could perhaps rise again, should their fortune be good.”
Interesting. Although it is probably limited, there is upward mobility in society in this world. To an extent. How that works is something I’ll need to figure out at some point. “Understood. What do we do now?”
Christina looked at Edward. “Should we select where to go now?”
Edward bowed slightly. “After you, my wife.”
“To the village well, for us. It’s the nearest site of clean water.”
Edward nodded. “Then Frederick and I will take a bit of a hike. As we should. Be sure to bring you wooden sword along, Frederick.”
My wooden sword? A test, most likely. “Yes, father.”
Their mother Christina took Veronica and gathered a few things before leaving. Frederick went and put on his shoes, which he was only allowed to wear when they left the farm. After grabbing the wooden sword he’d received on his fourth starday, he met his father at the front door of their farmhouse. This must be a day of especially important significance to the people of this world. I had best not mess this up.
Edward, his father, seemed to be carrying a real sword in a scabbard, sheathed in a sword belt. Although I have noticed a few village duels where real swords broke in only a few strikes. What use could such brittle metal be in a real fight? “I’m ready, father.”
His father nodded as he opened the door. “Then let’s go. We will climb a nearby mountain today, but we’re going to stop a bit after we reach the base. Stay alert from now on — your life is in your own hands, even though I will try to protect you as much as I can. Fight every animal as if your life depends on it, even if it’s a small one.”
So the wildlife was considered quite dangerous in this world, then? I should take extra care to treat every woodland creature as a potential enemy. This is also a chance to try and sharpen my senses. I can’t rely on my father too much for this, even though he is likely strong enough to ensure I’ll escape at least. “Understood. I will take great care,” Frederick replied. He had his wooden sword belted, but decided to carry it in hand instead after hearing his father’s warnings.
“Very well. Since you are taking this seriously, I will give you another piece of advice: Always aim for either head or neck when possible. Most creatures have weak spots there. Even a wooden sword held by a child can do great damage if you hit a weak spot accurately.”
Frederick nodded as they began walking. This is the first hurdle. I have to give it my all. In my previous life, I would have depended on my father if something went wrong in this situation. I can’t do that here, even if the option exists… This is the only way I’ll be able to change and improve as a person. It starts today, at this very moment.