Chapter 2

Being a one-month-old baby might not be as boring as being stuck inside another person, but the fact remains that I can barely see anything and moving my limbs feels like I am lifting weights. It might be a blessing that babies don’t remember their early years for if they could they would probably die of fear and embarrassment. Take it from me, having someone dozens of times bigger than you wiping your behind is both terrifying and embarrassing at the same time. Worst of all everything is uncomfortable; I mean I know that I was the one who asked to be sent to a world still in the Middle Ages, but I never expected that even nobles had it rough. Cold stone walls, itchy covers, scary people with wounds all over, my list of complaints is probably as long as that book my mother loved so much “War and Peace.” I admit it, living in medieval times is quite hard especially for a newborn. I honestly think that I would already be dead if it were not for the gifts the little “g” God gave me. Maybe I should give him a name, he did inhabit my dog and as such lead me to my death so naming him after her should be good enough, then again Athena is the name of a Greek God so I might get them confused. How about G, he did emphasize that a lot when we were... where was that? Anyway, from now on his name is G, not creative I know but what can you expect from a man who named his dog and life partner after a Greek God for convenience’ sake.

I remember my nephew telling me about some of those reincarnation stories, I even read a few of them but let me tell you this, those protagonists are absolute champions, I mean willingly putting your baby body through groulish training such as trying to roll over or attempting to stand at this stage of development for some goal such as becoming a master swordsman or the strongest person is beyond what I can handle. I can barely accept other people handling my body let alone doing it myself. I might become a chubby baby, but I’ve decided not to move until winter is over. It’s funny how babies can get away with anything, you can’t get mad at them if they throw up on you because “they’re babies”, you can’t call them fat because “they’re babies”, and you can’t let them be kidnaped because you guessed it “they’re babies”, wait what?

It appears as though one of the new guards my father hired to “protect” me is trying to kidnap me, I knew that that guy would try again but not this soon. I mean at least give me a chance to resist and resist I did, I cried with all my might. Since I was born, I rarely cried except for food or when people where handling me in the wrong way. I am sure that this guy never thought that I would start walling for no reason, but there is a reason, two of them in fact. The first is that I am fully conscious of my surroundings and by that I mostly mean me being able tell that you are trying to kidnap me. The second is that no one other than my mother, her ladies in waiting and my nanny have ever carried me, that includes my father, the few times he tried he regretted it, I threw the biggest tantrum ever, sorry old man but shave your beard if you want to hug me. In the inside I can’t help but laugh remembering his dejected face. I honestly don’t mind acting my age in other words like a newborn, after all no one knows that including my past life and the 9 months I spent in paradise I am a 30-year-old adult. But back to the kidnapper he apparently had accomplices and now that they are discovered the logical next step is to put a knife at my throat. Well maybe I should have thought of something other than making a scene, I mean his life and freedom are probably worth more to him than the baby in his arms or the money he could get from delivering me to his employer, or so I thought.

"Leave the child and surrender, you are surrounded you stand no chance of escaping." "Put the baby down or lose your life."

"The lord will skin you alive if you hurt the young lady."

Dumbass!!! Don’t threaten him, don’t you see that he’s holding a knife to my throat. Buddy, I know you mean well but think before you speak, I mean I am already bleeding although the wound keeps closing every few seconds but that doesn’t do much as the knife continues to bore into

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me every time he moves. The guards can’t do anything but surround them, I think they are too scared of me getting injured, for once that they actually use that thing inside their skull. They can only maintain the status quo, and I can’t do anything, Hahaha yeh right, G gave me powers that in my view put me on par with a god. Then again there are a few reasons why I have yet to use them. Reason number 1: I am not sure what will happen to me if I use destruction to kill or at least remove the kidnaper’s hands from me. Reason number 2: I have never killed anyone... directly at least (we are all responsible in one way or another for the deaths of others, even more so when you were a billionaire). Reason number 3: if I use my power to create something like a fire I too might be affected or it would result in me getting hurt whilst falling and maybe worst, you want to tell me that falling from a bit over a meter is easy even for a newborn, yeh right, you can say that because you aren’t the newborn in question dammit!! Ok I am panicking, lets calm down, come-on, I even survived an attempted assassination in my past life. Finally, reason number 4: Whatever I may do just about everyone will know that I was the one responsible and this will create suspicion and maybe even fear, I can probably protect myself from a person holding me but if someone wished me dead then I will be dead. Honestly dying once is enough for me, forget reincarnation, the fear of death is something we mortals can’t truly get over even in my case where I know what comes after.

Consequently, the only option left to me is waiting for someone to come and save me, and save me she did. From what my blurry vision has allowed me to see, someone jumped from the stairs in the right and kicked the one holding me in the neck? Did she aim right or did I see it wrong? Not sure I can barely see but I can smell and the women who caught me before I hit the ground has the smell of the forest on her, but that scent is eclipsed by the smell of her not washing herself for days if not weeks. Yikes she reeks, I know I have to appreciate the fact that she just saved me but is taking a bath too much to ask for? The mystery woman made a sharp turn and then ran behind the knights and guards surrounding the kidnapers whom I should rename as corpses because the moment they confirmed that they could not take me away with them, they turned their swords on themselves and committed suicide. I remember reading that the Middle Ages is based on a system of oppression, dominance and loyalty where one is expected to oppress whilst the others of expected to surrender to the domination of the oppressors. This is a perfect reflection of that system, the kidnapers failed the task assigned to them and as such willingly decided to turn their swords on themselves out of loyalty to the dominant power, in other words the Duke of Gondar.

Quite early but I received my bloody baptism, well it’s not like I am used to seeing people dying in front of me. Even in my past life we could see missiles exploding, guns firing and the aftermath of those attacks, but rarely do we see the real result, the dead bodies or worst a video with someone being shot and the pain that causes them, the suffering they go through before their deaths. We all got used to seeing death as no more than numbers you read some ware on your way to the office or an announcement you hear during diner whilst watching the news, the impact one should feel upon hearing about the passing of a person is gone, to truly see someone draw their last breath in front of you is... sobering. I used to make fun of those protagonists who avoided killing others but now I can understand it, even I, a heartless bastard who stepped over others to achieve what I desired, going as far as bargaining with a god like being, felt something when I saw those people dying in from of me and for the first time in my like I cried without ulterior motive, I cried for those who wished me harm, I cried for their passing and hoped for them to find peace if some after life does indeed exist. I know that death is a preordained event but dying accomplishing nothing is something that I would never allow. They tried their best to take me from my new home and that is something that should be respected, they died with a purpose, they died with conviction. When I came to this world, I knew that I would turn it on its head, that I would change everything resulting in countless deaths, you can even say that was my plan from the very beginning but after this... this... I don’t know. I have years to ether get passed this event or live a life I could never have imagined, what one would call a peaceful life, in other words something I have always found revolting. I will probably have to wait until I learn more about this new world of mine and live a few years amongst these people to know what I will make of this life.

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Following that chaotic night many things happened, first the woman who saved me was actually a slave, no wander she smelled bad. Anyway my father freed her and offered her the right to work in the castle if she so desired which she did, she actually became my personal maid. Her name is Ariel and before becoming a slave she lived in the northern kingdom of Halmhan, she told me many stories about herself and her people. She was an orphaned at the age of 8 which is also when she became a slave taken after a war, they lost against a neighbouring kingdom resulting in her being was sold by the victorious party to slavers who, in turn, solder her to others of their kind until she found her way to one of my father’s vassal who made her a gift to his liege. She was nonchalant about it all, I am guessing this is how different the culture and common sense of this world is when compared to mine, I mean slavery is unimaginable in the modern world even if in fact it does still exist in one way or another, from one of the latest briefings I was given before my death we were discussing our response to a certain country that served as a transit point to what can only be seen as traditional slavery; something one wouldn’t expect from the modern world I use to live in. Ariel tends to speak to me often, I probably serve as her personal diary combined with my cuteness being the perfect stress reliever. Thanks to her I wasn’t as bored as I use to be, not that the nanny and the ladies in waiting were boring per say but the most interesting thing I’ve heard from them is that fur imports are getting more expensive. Ariel’s more realistic perspective fit my character more than bedtime stories and childish antics. I started acting spoiled and made it clear that I like her more than the rest which lead my mother to intrust her with my care in other words, Ariel is now my nanny which is weird since from what she’s told me she has yet to even reach 20.

A few months passed along with winter, when spring started in earnest Ariel started carrying me to the garden, that is if you could call a piece of land with nothing but rocks and grass a garden. By the way our home is in a medieval castle made for sieges and repelling outside threats rather than comfort, as such there were few rooms with any luxuries and everything in the castle is in one way or another related to defence with a focus on efficiency and practicality. I think that G sent me to an early medieval world. Ariel also took me to the top of the central tower that rose from the keep. That was the first time I saw the castle town and honestly, I was somewhat impressed of the size of it, after all I’ve seen I couldn’t help but imagine the castle town being small in size with little activity but it was bigger than anything I imagined and it was also quite active, I could see a bustling market, stalls every ware and people prancing around from place to place. From that I could guess that my father was a good lord but to be honest this castle we’re living in is unbefitting of a Duke even if we are in the early Middle Ages. I travelled often for work but I always took the time to visit the famous locations in any of my work-related destinations, that means that I’ve seen many castles in England, France, Germany and even Egypt, Morocco, and Japan, therefore I can attest that this home of mine is too small and that it has too many flaws. I will have to correct that when I grow up. I will latter learn that the small size of the castle is due to this being the former secondary castle, former because it has become the main castle of the duke and his family since the war 50 years ago when we lost our primary castle at Arenfort when my grandfather lost a territorial war against a former marquis who now calls himself the Duke of Aren. I want to see what a true Duke’s castle looks like in this world, but I guess I will have to make do with this place until I grow up and amass enough power and wealth to retake what was once ours... and more. Yes, I know I am quite greedy but then again greed and envy are necessary if one is ever to reach a goal. I am actually a believer in sin, I once read about the seven deadly sins and how they came to be regarded as mortal sins and at the time I couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Those sins and virtues they speak of are what make us human, renouncing half of your nature is the same as denying one’s humanity (instinct) and restricting every one’s very potential. Sin and virtue work in tandem they help lead you in the right path, this is why I never believed in God although I always thought that there must be higher being, one that wouldn’t bother with insects like us or if they did then they would only observe us, like nature documentary. I got offtrack but I have plans to improve my life but at the same time I wish that the world would not advance too much, if tools of war like gun and cannons were to be created, I might just turn everything to ash and start over, I should be capable of that right? I mean I have God like powers, although I have yet to test them, yes, I am very patient... ok

ok I admit it I am rather reluctant to turn my room into ruble. I am actually dying to find out what I can do.

Something else that almost happened is my father almost going to war, he probably would have if it wasn’t for the financial situation of our family. After the war we lost 50 years ego much of our territory was taken and many of our vassals betrayed us and became vassals of duke Aren, well at least they didn’t do that before the war although I have doubts about that, my father is quite chagrined the events following the war, he is in his late 50 and spent his early childhood in that castle, losing his birth place made him obsess over reconquering our former territory and regaining the honour of our house. I am now 13 months old which means that I can speak if only barely, can you guess what the first word I spoke in this world was? I bet you can’t, let me give you a hint it drove my mother half mad and almost cost somebody their freedom, again. Yup I said “Ariel” you should have seen my mother, she was so pale that she almost fainted, when she recovered, she gave Ariel the harshest glare I’ve ever seen. It was as if she was going to murder her in her sleep. At that time, I truly feared for Ariel’s life so I said “mama” to appease her, I know I wasn’t supposed to start talking outright but I couldn’t let my mistake cost an innocent girl her life. But that was a good experience, I learned my lesson, never mess around with my mother, it’s truly my luck, both my former and current mother are tigers in human flesh.

You might have noticed but my father is quite old or at least he would be if he wasn’t a noble, something I’ve learned in this world is that nobles are blessed with many advantages including a longer lifespan and a naturally healthier body; although not to the same level as me. A Noble could live for up to 100 year without too much trouble but that is not the reason why I was born so late, apparently my father was married for more than twenty years and never had a child not including the two still births. I suspect foul play since my father’s former wife was the niece of Duke Aren, it could be that she poisoned herself to remove the possibility of birthing an heir and thus turning the land we still hold into a possible venue for expansion, although this is only conjecture and nothing more. My birth in this late stage of the game might be another reason why that relative of mine wished to kidnap me, I might just be the most valuable piece of the game. There were some more suspicious events in the past year but I even survived a poisoning attempt, I don’t know who tried to kill me but I doubt it was the Duke of Gondar or any other relative of mine since they would benefit more from me being alive than dead, so I came to the conclusion that it was the duke of Aren as he likely wishes for territorial expansion more than acquisition of a semi- independent duchy; a perk from being our neighbour.

In a way you can say that in this world the nobles have a real reason to stand above others, a longer life is only the first of many powers and privileges they possess. Those who can use magic are extremely rare, only amongst nobles can one expect to have a magic user in every two or three generations, as for commoners one being born in every dozen large scale cities is seen as the mark of great luck. Another gift mostly found amongst the nobles is the power to use Aura, very few nobles lack the power known as aura which is usually meant to be used to improve one’s physical power amongst other things, to so much as dream of becoming a knight one needs to be able of using aura. I speak of this for no other reason than that I will soon be tested by one of two vassals of my father that are master mages. I have recently celebrated my 4th birthday and being the genius, they all think I am, my parents decided to acquiesce to my request to learn magic as a birthday present (I’ve asked for this since my 2nd birthday). Lord Adams arrived two weeks after receiving the summons, this bushy bearded old man is one of father’s childhood friends, from what I’ve been told they are one year apart and basically grew up together, there is also a tradition where those who suckle from the same woman become brothers in spirit so you can say that he’s like my uncle.