My guide told me I had a few choices to choose from on where I could be placed. My options were as followed:
-Reborn as a child in a noble family
-Take over the body of someone who recently died at the exact point of death
-Lastly, Literary be dropped off in the woods, close enough to a settlement, and I could figure out a way from there.
Man, who would want to be dropped off in the middle of the woods to fend for themselves. Why would anyone choose that option. Though in all honesty the other options weren’t that great either. I had zero interest going through puberty again, so the first option was out. I had invested a significant amount of points to dramatically increase my energy pool and both my health and energy regeneration rates so the idea of inhabiting someone else’s body didn’t appeal to me either. Plus, I added some cool dragon race aspects and other alterations to my body to make my form in top shape and arguably I looked much younger in appearance due to the overall health benefits I selected. One of the rules of life is to be yourself, unless you can be a dragon, than be a dragon! So, inhabiting someone else’s body seemed like a really bad idea and a waste of creation points. Not really a fan of any of these options. Maybe I can negotiate a 4th option.
“Any chance I could go with a hybrid option?”
“I thought you might never ask!”
I groaned, “That doesn’t sound good.”
“Quite the contrary. Let me explain…”
After listening to my guide’s proposal, I had much to think about. I was told about a prince that was sent away from the royal family due to failing health issues as a baby. A secret prophecy about their son only shared with the king and queen. The prophecy stated should the king and queen send their only son to this hidden valley isolated from everyone, that on his naming day he shall return stronger than ever and lead the kingdom into a golden age. So, with heavy hearts the king and queen sent their baby to an isolated estate in a hidden valley. The baby was to be cared for by their two most trusted servants, a husband-and-wife adventurer team who would give the child the parental love the king and queen could not.
The climate was mild in the small valley but the weather along the one pass to get out of the valley was very harsh and well hidden, as such left the valley tucked away completely isolated. Being the first born he should have a right to the throne, but the royal family was told the child must remain in complete isolation and only if he managed to survive to his naming day would the risk be averted, and the prophecy could be fulfilled. The loyal adventurer duo left in the darkness of night with the royal family’s first-born son. They avoided all towns and people to ensure no one but the king, queen, and a handful of trusted allies knew the location of this isolated valley on the edge of their kingdom.
Sadly, the boy would not survive to see his naming day, as of this moment he was breathing his last breaths. Even more tragic, the husband-and-wife caretakers had just passed away, dying of old age. This did, however, also mean I can assume the prince’s identity without having to take over his frail body and no one would be the wiser. I was skeptical but there was something about the story that touched me down to my core. These parents lost everything; they may not be my family, but I could honor their sacrifice.
The two servants sent to watch over the child were towards the end of their lives and died recently of old age. The frail prince was about to pass on as well. Leaving me the opportunity to not just step into the role as the prince but to honor these people. I spent some additional points to gain the knowledge of the prince and the sweet old couple who gave a child who was not their own a loving home. One, I figured the information would be useful but more importantly I felt like such honorable people should be remembered. I also spent some points on gaining the history of the kingdom and knowledge of the current geo-political information of the surrounding area.
What I learned made me giddy, the kingdom did not just have humans but also elves, dwarves, beast-kin, and a few other races! An honest to God fantasy-anime world! Most importantly I learned my soon-to-be family was respected and well regarded as an honorable family. The family had a history of treating all with respect and caring for all their citizens. Now that was a family, I could be proud to join. That was saying something cause I loved the family I came from; they taught me so much that helped mold me into the man I am today. That will be the hardest of living in a new world, missing my loved ones. Perhaps, after I have mastered this world and my powers, I can eventually travel back to see them.
Well, that’s enough time spent on things I can’t change right now. Best to put my focus on where it will do the most good, on the path forward. Which brings me to another odd fact I learned, in my youthful form I looked uncanny like a younger version of the king. In fact, when I brought it up to my guide, he just had this big grin on his face. Like he knew I’d go for this option. It made me feel like I was being played in some way or some strings of fate were being pulled that I did not yet understand.
Now that I knew the family resemblance was so clear I better understood why my guide was adamant I would fit in. As I wasn’t one that would delay once I made up my mind, I figured it was time to get a move on, I would learn nothing more here. I bid my guide a fond farewell and stepped through the portal to start my new life.
GUIDE’S PERSPECTIVE
The guide watched his special charge step through the portal to start his new life. What he could not tell him was he knew why he had so many creation points and just how special he was. Hopefully it would be enough to overcome the difficulty that would arise from the change coming to that world. The Dark would claim that world.
“Perhaps he is the one that can shift the balance.”
The guide had followed orders and seen to the delivery of that prophecy to that kingdom. They did not know all of what it fully meant but mortals rarely could comprehend such things. Free Will was important tenant to protect and it would be up to this unique man to choose.
“Yes, God truly works in mysterious ways.”
Neither the Dark nor the Light could truly force anyone. As long as no one from either side did not override Free Will then the other side could not act. Choice is what it will come down to, each side banking on what they believed was human nature to do their will.
“He is smart as he suspected that this path was already set for him. Be yourself, it is the only way to survive boy.”
He was the first to spring forth. The Dark gets first shot at him. A man with royal blood and has been given great power and authority; such things have led to even greater corruption in the past. The Dark is betting on his fall, it is only a matter of time.
“He is now set on a path, but he will not be the last. Change is coming, prophecies will be fulfilled. Now to attend to the other matters.”
JAMES’ PERSPECTIVE
What felt like waking up from a dream, I found myself laying down on the floor. After standing up I realized I was in the prince’s room, well I guess my room now. Luckily my guide said the prince’s body would be completely vaporized leaving no trace of another person here. It makes a man wonder why the prince’s body would be vaporized, what kind of illness would do such a thing. Things were not adding up and there was clearly more going on here than I was being told.
My attention might have been hijacked the moment I saw my reflection. I checked myself out in the giant mirror in the room, damn I am ripped! My oh my, investing creation points in one’s body has its benefits. I also noticed my eye color had changed. My left eye had a purple iris, and my right eye had a green iris, it looked pretty cool if I do say so myself. I may have spent longer than normal admiring myself and how invigorated I felt.
After a moment of self-admiration, I decided no time like the present to get started in this new life. I turned around from the giant mirror and left the room, or at least I attempted to leave the room. One small problem... as I grabbed the door to open it, I happened to squeeze the door handle and rip the door off its hinges!
“Whoops! Guess I have to get used to my new stats. They really don’t warn you about needing to moderate the amount of pressure you use when one’s strength is off the charts. This will be interesting.”
Putting the door back as best I could, I decided to explore the rest of this cottage home. Having learned my lesson with my door, I carefully applied the smallest amount of pressure as I opened each door I came across. I found the sweet old couple in their bed when I peered into the only other bedroom. They had died in their sleep holding hands, with the knowledge I possessed about their lives I knew it was a true blessing they both passed in their sleep together. I do not think either could have survived long after losing their other half. Finding such a lasting love was something to be treasured and remembered.
Using a reverse gravity spell, I lifted both their bodies in the air and wrapped them in their fine white sheets. I would find a place to bury them after I found the right place to do so. Bringing the bodies outside I placed them on the only cart I saw available at the estate. It was at that moment I turned and saw the rest of the valley.
The estate sat on a small plateau that allowed you to see across the whole valley as well as the pass leading out of the valley. It was breathtaking, the way the sun shined down on the small valley, the well-maintained garden on the side of the estate, the rolling hills with cattle, and a small forest of trees along one side. Truly a peaceful place to retire in, which in a way John and Susan (the old couple that passed) had been able to do, retire here in peace with their adoptive grandson.
It was at that moment I decided these two deserved to be buried here in this valley. After making that decision I found a nice plot of land not too far from the garden to bury them. I used earth Magic to move the ground and create a shared grave for the honored couple. I stood over the grave and said a silent prayer that they would finally be at peace.
Their spirits were long gone but after I buried them, I felt a light sense of peace. I realized this feeling was coming from a combination of my abilities with soul magic and a sixth-sense sensitivity to their spirits. This awareness let me know they let go of the small tether connecting their souls to their bodies. As they were moving on, they conveyed their appreciation of my sentiment.
With that done I returned to the house. The knowledge from the prince and old couple let me know exactly where everything was in the house. I planned to use that information to gather the items I wanted to take with me. From the memories I gained, John had been informed via raven that the king and queen dispatched the captain of the royal knights and a contingent of soldiers to escort the prince home to the capital. They were to arrive the day after the prince’s birthday marking an end to his imposed exile. By my understanding that would place their arrival three days from now. Plenty of time to get a lay of the land, practice my powers and start an exercise routine.
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First things first, I created some water in a bucket inside the estate, checked out the garden and the stored food in the cellar. Putting my new cooking skills to the test I prepared a gourmet meal of seasoned beef and vegetables paired with a nice wine that the couple had been saving for when the prince came of age.
“Hey, I am of age.” I told myself. Seeing how I was the prince now I felt it was appropriate.
“Time to celebrate my new life!” I exclaimed as I took another bite of the rather amazing meal I prepared. I mean man this is delicious!
“Worth every point spent learning culinary arts skills!”
After my meal, I went outside for a combination of physical training and magic practice. The first thing I realized was how different I felt! Most of my life I had been pretty active but towards the last few years of constant lockdown and minimal activity I had the start of a dad bod. Feeling the rush of the wind on my face as I ran at speeds, I didn’t even know was humanly possible was exhilarating! Then I realized something even cooler, I could fly!!!
I mean come on, of course flight was one of the first abilities I spent my creation points on. Taking to the skies was like a childhood dream fulfilled. Talk about sense of freedom, not to mention the view. I flew high enough to see beyond the valley and mountains. I could see the treacherous pass with its high winds and what seemed to be eternally cold weather. A forest butted up against the mountains on the other side. There wasn’t another town for miles, and I can see why no one would even bother messing with these mountains based on how steep and unforgiving they looked. No wonder this valley remained so secluded.
Sightseeing over with I returned to the estate and decided to peruse both the library and my room. It was clear based on the state of my room how much the prince loved to read; never mind I already knew that from his memories. He read all sorts of subjects from magical theory to history, legends, and adventure stories. Not being able to go anywhere and trapped in one place can give one a bit of wanderlust or at least a growing interest in adventure. I continued to get an understanding of the various books in the library. The selection was impressive, it was clear the king and queen wanted their son to be well informed and learn as much as he could. This works for me as many of the books were about magic which I can use to explain my proficiency in magical arts.
Over the next few days, I fell into a routine. I would cook, train/exercise, practice my magic, and then read, explore the valley while performing a combination of attack moves and spells, and at the end of the day read some more. I found with my increased mental and physical stats I not only recovered extremely quickly but also found it easy to speed read through the books. My eidetic memory allowed me to fully retain the knowledge and compare the information to what I already knew at record speeds. The three days passed by in the blink of an eye.
Today was supposed to be the day after my naming day. In this world, a person’s naming day was society’s acknowledgement of adulthood. It was at this point in their life that one could decide what they wanted to do with their life or name the direction their life would take. Some entered an academy, or joined a guild, or started an apprenticeship to learn a trade. It was at this point they could no longer blame their parents for the choices they made.
From my knowledge of the royal family, it was tradition to enroll at the Royal Academy. At the academy a person could learn magic, combat, and/or a wide range of curriculum from governance and economics to farming. It was all up to one’s aptitude and interest. I was beginning to get excited about truly starting my new life. Time to see where these escorts are.
I decided to use a beast-bonding spell I learned with creation points. This spell allowed me to form a connection with several birds that could act as my eyes and ears. I set up a few sentry birds on patrol who kept an eye on both the forest on the other side of the mountain pass as well as the pass itself. It came in handy being able to see what they saw.
“Very convenient indeed! Man, I love Magic!” I couldn’t help but say as I looked through each of their eyes. It was like watching multiple split screens on a tv. At first it was disorienting until I realized I could let the knowledge wash over me and my new avian friends would ping me if they caught something of interest. Obviously because of this, it was no surprise when I saw the knights and soldiers approaching well in advance. What did surprise me, however, was how many people there were. My birds spied several armored men on horseback and on foot marching, some with swords, some that looked like archers. The entourage seemed to be escorting a fancy passenger carriage.
“I’m guessing that’s for me. Man, that thing is gaudy!” I commented to myself.
Towards the back of the knights and marching soldiers my birds also detected a few horse-drawn carts that looked to be carrying supplies for the convoy. All in all, I counted 30 knights, 30 hunters/archers, 50 soldiers and a bunch of non-combatants supporting everyone in the convoy. Man, the king and queen were taking no chances in my retrieval. The caravan seemed to be a bit tired, it was clear they had kept up an arduous pace to ensure they arrived on time.
It took them a significant amount of time; more than I think they were planning to get through the pass. The supply carts and fancy carriage had to be left behind, which from my bird’s eye observations the captain was not happy about.
“Ugh, all these delays. I hope John and Susan can forgive our late arrival.” My birds heard one of the knights say.
Meanwhile the knights and soldiers near the forest were catching their breath and observing their surroundings. One of the men attending to one of the carts turn to ask their comrade, “Hey this forest sure seems to have a decent amount of ravens, it is kind of creepy. No wonder no one tries to venture here. I feel like they are staring at us.”
“Quit your yapping, they are just birds. Do not be so paranoid. The journey here may have been a pain, but it was uneventful. Stop worrying so much.”
Time to get ready. I have two separate dimensions, one was a true greater demiplane with a luxurious mansion filled with any comforts I may require with surrounding land that can generate creation points over time, the other dimension was my very own private storage space. The storage space was a citywide empty space that made New York look like a tiny suburb in comparison to the size of my personal inventory. I planned to use it to store anything and everything I need as I discovered it’s better than a refrigerator when it comes to preserving food and had zero weight impact on me, talk about convenient, but than what self-respecting gamer didn’t love an awesome inventory system. When I was back with my guide, I created my personal inventory, the visualization practice helped me in the design of my greater demiplane and mansion. I had big plans for me greater demiplane, so I wanted to make sure I got it right.
Now that I had an idea of how long it would take them to get through the pass, gave me plenty of time to prepare for their arrival. I took this time to store food, all the books in the house, and other supplies in my pocket dimension. I also took the time to get ready to travel, putting on a heavy winter cloak that I could remove after we get out of the pass. I could regulate my body temperature and am resilient against cold but no need for them to know that. I figured it would be best to gradually reveal my capabilities over time.
When the knights finally arrived at the estate, they looked a bit haggard, you could tell they were not looking forward to going back through the pass. However, in their eyes spoke of a dedication and determination to carry out their duty. They brought with them 3 horses without riders, I imagine for myself and my two caretakers.
I waited for them outside by the entrance to the estate. Once they all got close enough, they seemed a bit surprised to see me waiting for them, but they quickly hid that under a mask of practiced discipline. They dismounted and all kneeled before me. The captain of the royal knights, Sir Reginald Spears, introduced himself and the other knights.
“It is an honor to meet you, my prince. My name is Sir Reginald Spears, captain of the royal knights. The man next to me is my second in command on this journey, Knight-Lieutenant Simmons. We were not expecting you to greet us upon our arrival, you do us a great honor.”
“Arise noble knights. Captain Spears, I was informed of your upcoming arrival today. I am ready to go when you are.”
Captain Spears noticed I was alone and asked, “Where are your retainers my grace? I would think they would be by your side.”
“Sadly, they passed in their sleep a few days ago, shortly after we received the king’s raven informing us of your arrival. I buried them out by the garden.” I said as I pointed in the direction of the garden, “They so loved that spot, and I could not bear to leave them in their bed after they have done so much for me.”
The captain and his knights all held faces of shock and sorrow, with a hint of something else I could not place until the captain spoke up. “My prince, you should not have dirtied yourself to do such manual labor. Though, it does speak well of your character to do so for your retainers. It pains us all to know you suffered alone, if only we arrived sooner.”
The other knights all nodded their heads in agreement with the captain’s words.
“First off captain, I have learned and practiced many things living out here in the middle of nowhere. Secondly, though I do appreciate your sentiments, I did not exactly dirty myself, I used earth magic to make their graves, so worry not.”
In unison several knights blurted out before catching themselves, “You know earth magic?!”
The captain looked back with a stern look at his knights for speaking out of turn and not properly addressing their prince, but I could tell he too held a mixed look of being surprised and impressed.
“Of course, as I said earlier, I have learned many things out here, as there is not much to do other than learn and practice. Do not forget that John and Susan were S class adventurers and masters of the sword and magic.”
“Of course. I am sure they taught you many amazing things.” Captain Spears replied.
‘Let them think that. Technically I do have their memories, but they were not the only ones I learned from. Best to not tell them that though.’ I thought before I replied to the captain.
“If you and your men are ready captain I would like to get through the pass before it gets dark. The pass gets far worse after sunset.”
That seemed to light a fire under them as they all quickly moved into action.
“Of course, my prince! Do you know how to ride? If not, you can ride with me.”
I loved riding horses ever since I was a little kid, no way I was going to not ride myself. “I learned to ride on the old steed before they were put out to pasture.” ‘Never mind that was when I was a kid on my home world, but once again, they don’t need to know that.’
Knight-Lieutenant Simmons brought one of the horses over to me. He offered to help me in the saddle, which I graciously accepted with a nod.
After I was firmly situated, I thanked the man for his help. “Thank you, Lieutenant.”
The rest of the knights mounted up and without another word we headed for the pass.
As we made it to the other side of the pass, I erected a quick ward to prevent anyone from returning through the pass. I didn’t want anyone disturbing John and Susan’s final resting place. Plus, the place grew on me even though I was only there a few days. They were my first few days in this new world and so what if I wanted to preserve it.
After making it down to where the rest of the caravan and soldiers made camp, we dismounted and joined the other knights in a quick meal.
“I want everyone to eat up before be begin our long journey back to the capital.” Captain Spears commented as he took some slices of meat for himself.
“Captain, I appreciate the dedication, but it is clear the men are tired. I would prefer we not rush but ensure our people have enough time to catch their breath.”
Captain Spears nodded, “The men will appreciate that, very well.”
Several relieved sighs could be heard across the camp. “Oh thank the light.”
As we finished our simple meal, the captain insisted I get in the fancy carriage, but I flatly refused. “Captain, if we are attacked do you not think it best if we don’t place a giant target on my back?”
Captain Spears seemed hesitant, “You do have a point sire, but it just seems wrong your grace.”
All the other knights and several soldiers seemed very uncomfortable with this development as well.
I knew how to read the room, “How about a compromise Captain? I ride inconspicuously until we get close to the capital, then I’ll use the carriage. Sound fair?”
That seemed to make everyone a bit more comfortable. The captain still did his best to follow proper etiquette. “More than fair. Thank you, your grace, for indulging our concerns.”
I decided to help further ease his concerns on proper decorum.
“Lighten up Captain. Don’t worry, I learned proper court etiquette, I know how to act when the time comes. Just try to remember I grew up on an estate in the middle of nowhere, we didn’t stand much on formalities, and I won’t stand on such formalities on our trip.”