“...So, let me get this straight.
“You are offering to give one of us a second shot at life as long as we are willing to help you rule your empire?” Asked Dr. Ian, the old man, after I told everyone my offer.
“Not just another shot at life, another shot at life with your memories intact. Though there are downsides to it like I said. The most important of them being the fact that you will be an immortal.
“Though, I want all of you to once again consider what being immortal means, as while living forever may sound good on paper, the mental strain of living for even a few centuries will chip away at the mind of the most astute of us.” I told them once again.
I had already told them my offer, and I’ve been just informing them of the realities of the world they will face, like all 6 Tiers, the basics of magic, and how its just a game to entertain some gods.
“...So, it’s a proper fantasy world, huh?” The high school student, Satoshi, muttered, and turned towards me.
“Mr. Damian can I be the one to—”
“Nope, rejected.”
“B-but I didn’t even...”
“Look Satoshi, I can already guess you want to be the one to be selected to be reincarnated right?”
“Y-yes?”
“And what help could you provide to me in defending my empire and people from monsters in the coming monster wave? Can you pick up a sword and fight, wield a bow and snipe the monsters from away, or become the best mage in a matter of months?”
“W-well I can’t do those, but I have knowledge that will help your empire?”
“Oh? Do you know how to make gunpowder then?”
“Yes, I do! You only need some potassium nitrate, sulphur, and charcoal to make gunpowder!”
“Awesome! So, do you know how to make a gun? Even a flintlock one?”
“Umm... n-not really—”
“Or do you know how to make functional steam engines? Roads that can last for decades with minimum maintenance? Alloys that are close to in quality to their modern counterparts?”
“W-well, in theory I do.”
“And I do so as well! But neither I, and clearly nor you, have enough information or expertise on the subject to actually put those things in practice.
“And even if you had more in-dept knowledge about those things, and actually made steam engine by yourself, I still wouldn’t actually choose to reincarnate you because I need someone experienced in fighting and military matters to help me.
“Not a person who spent far too much time on Wikipedia, clicking through articles.” I said, and the kid seemed crestfallen, and maybe on the edge of crying even!
Though, it was better to shatter his hopes early as, while I would’ve liked to give him another shot at life, I really needed someone that was going to be beneficial to my empire, and my people in the next year or two.
Not someone that might be beneficial in the next decade or two.
“Well then... if you need someone that knows how to fight, I’ll generously offer my help, even to a demon like—”
“Sit down Xan Ma, I have no need for a cultivator like you.”
“...What did you say you little—" The cultivator immediately became angry, but I cut him off before he could say anything more.
“Its clear even from a glance that you do not have the interest of my people in your mind, and rather the power and status you’d gain from being the first advisor to the emperor, and having at least some control over the military is what motivates you.
“And even if I am wrong about your intentions, I know what you, and other cultivators are like! Only a bunch of extremely corrupt people with powers slightly beyond normal you people are!
“No way you, or anyone like you could have good intentions, and because of that I am more likely to choose Satoshi to be reincarnated in my empire, as while he is simply unneeded right now, at least his heart’s in the right place!”
“...You...” He said angrily once again, but relented, and sat back down. Deciding that no battle against me would be meaningful.
“Wait, so you just don’t have any intentions of choosing us normal people?” Asked the gym rat, Kyle.
“Sadly, no Kyle. I’ve never had any intentions of choosing neither you, nor Satoshi from the very beginning as you two just didn’t seem like you were people that would have the skills to help me.”
“Then, what about me Mr. Damian? Am I one of the candidates to be the one to reincarnate?” Asked Dr. Ian.
“Sadly doctor, you are not. Though your expertise in medicine interests me, and while I believe given enough time, you’d have the capacity to produce some excellent alchemical concoctions for the empire, I still am in dire need of someone that knows how to fight well, and can help lead my forces.”
“Ah... I see...” The doctor muttered, and nodded. Though sadness was visible in his face, like Satoshi’s, at losing the opportunity to reincarnate with their memories.
Though he’d probably be fine as he seemed like a good person at heart, and would probably make it into heaven.
“It seems we are the last two to not be eliminated. Exciting, is it not?” The mage, whose name I couldn’t catch, told to the swordsmen who wouldn’t say his name.
“Hmmm...” The swordsmen acknowledged, and nodded his head, and both of them turned towards me, their eyes locking onto mine.
“The 2 nameless ones remain then. Let’s start with you introducing yourselves, shall we?” I asked them both, and the mage stepped forward.
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
“My name is Arsène Luc Donnadieu, your majesty Damien Gastrell.
“I am a... I was a practitioner of the arcane arts in my life, who worked for the 12th tower in the eastern kingdoms as a warmage before moving to a life teaching by joining the Astrian Imperial Academy, one of the best in the whole continent.
“In the few decades I spent in the academy, I teached everything from alchemy to golem making, to how to silent cast your spells. And I do believe that if you chose me to be your first advisor, and party member, I’d bring about a golden age of magic to your empire, even though the spells I’ve worked on for the better part of my seventies may prove uncastable in this new world.” Arsène said, and I nodded at him.
It was clear as day that he was a magician from the moment I laid my eyes on him, but seeing as he has an educational background, it may be a good idea to choose him to reincarnate to be the minister of education for the whole empire!
Afterall, who can tell what wisdom a proper mage in his seventies may bring to my empire?
Turning my head towards the swordsmen, I waited for him to introduce himself and talk about his skills...
And waited...
And waited...
“...Ahem... are you going to... introduce yourself?”
“Ah, sorry. Didn’t realise we had moved onto my introduction...” He said, in an almost lethargic manner.
I thought for a second if he was just making fun of me for... some reason, but decided to ignore that part of my mind for now and focus on him as, if he was making fun of me, it’d be revealed soon enough.
“I was the captain of the second demon hunter brigade positioned in the north-western front.”
...
...
“... That’s it?” I asked, as I inspected the man closer.
He looked like just some normal man you could find anywhere really. He had black hair and black eyes. And, while his body seems like well-defined with probably a lot of muscle beneath those clothes, he didn’t look anything impressive.
Are demon hunters in his world something like adventurers or conscripted soldiers?
“I think so.”
“...You didn’t tell me your name.”
“Oh... I don’t have one.”
“You don’t... have a name?”
“Yes.”
“...Did you forsake your name or something?”
“No. I never knew it in the first place. The village I was born in was destroyed by demons, and ever since I’ve been aware of my surroundings, I’ve been a nameless orphan thrusted into the great war.
“Just another nameless, unimportant soldier amongst thousands of others.”
“Were demon hunters in your world just conscripts or common soldiers?”
“I wouldn’t know, but if they even let in someone like me, they must be so.”
“...Can you describe me how you became the captain of the second demon hunter brigade in bit more of a detail?”
“Umm... sure.” The nameless man said, but seemed conflicted to where to start from.
He’d open his mouth, seeming like he was intend on saying something, but he’d close it once again not even a moment later, and continue thinking about what to say.
Not that I tried to rush him though. As the more he talked, the better the mental picture I made of him would be.
Then, after a few minutes, he opened his mouth, and this time started talking.
“I saved the dukes daughter, and after that we duelled so he could test my strength, and after beating him, he found me strong enough to become the new captain of the second demon hunter brigade.”
“...That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
“And how strong was this duke you talked about?”
“Oh. I think he was... a sword saint? Or something close to that... I think.” He said, and for a moment there, a few gears started moving in my brain, electricity coursing through my neurons.
But before I could tell for sure if my hunch was correct, I needed him to clarify something for me.
“After you beat the duke, did the duke’s daughter start visiting you on the frontlines? Or did she ever call you back to their estate where you chanced open a princess or two?”
“Actually... she did. She’d call me her knight in shining armour and wanted to make me her personal knight, but the emperor’s daughter somehow found out about me and wanted to make me her personal knight instead.
“Then more and more nobles and their daughters wanted to make their knights too, and tried to offer me land for some reason. Though I just ignored them.
“I was a soldier after all, and a soldier’s place was the frontlines, not the manor of some lord, standing next to them as a knight.”
...FUCK! This guy is giving me some heavy main character vibes!
Being the captain of a demon hunting brigade? Defeating a sword saint in a duel? Daughters of influential nobles trying to woo him?
This guy was the definition of a main character! And he was an orphan to boot as well, and his village was destroyed by demons!
No one tell me that this guy is not a fucking main character from a shitty power fantasy novel you’d see being posted around the internet for being a “great power fantasy novel” even though there are at least 13 others with a plot line that is nearly the same as this one!
But him being a main character from another world may be better for me as this’d mean that he is a really strong person, who has some idea of military tactics, and knows how to fight well.
Which is, something my troops are lacking, even though we’ve tried to make a few military reforms that led nowhere.
“...Why do you want to be reincarnated again?” I asked him, and this time he answered without any delay, unlike his previous answers.
“I want to be a human.” He said, which made me perk up a bit.
“Oho? And what do you mean by being a human? Surely you hold no believes that you will still be a “human” if you are to be reincarnated into my world.
“No no no, your whole body will be changed, and you’ll become a Homonculi like me... just a tad bit red.”
“No, that’s not...” He started saying, but couldn’t find the words to explain what he was talking about, and took a few moments before continuing.
“I want to feel like a human being. All my life, I’ve lived as the lowest of the low.
“I was the bastard, the trash, the useless, the dead man walking, and in the last years of my life, I was the crazy bastard. But not once in my life have I felt like I was a human.
“My men would talk about these... dreams they had, their loved ones waiting for them to return, and when they were dying, they always wanted me to tell their relatives their last wishes.
“And I never understood... why. Whenever I asked others, they’d just push the conversation under the rug, and talk about something else.
“And I’ve just been... feeling this emptiness in my soul, that clawing feeling at the back of my head, that tells me I am missing something. Something that makes one truly human.
“Something that I was deprived of in my first life. And I want to find out what it is and finally become a human.
“It doesn’t matter if I am a Homunculi, a monster or a demon, or whatever. I just want to find out what makes one a human, and become it.” He finished, and for the first time since I’ve seen him, some emotion leaked onto his stoic face.
“...Well then, I believe I’ve found who my first advisor is going to be.” I said, and turned towards Francis.
“Sorry Francis, but—” He cut me off by raising a hand.
“I understand lord Damian.” He said and nodded, and for a moment the swordsmen’s face had a pained expression on it.
“I’ll... go to where the others are.” He said, and started turning around.
“Where do you think you are going?” I asked, confused to what he was trying to do.
“I am going to where the other rejected are. Afterall, its only normal that you’d choose the mage over me, just a random soldier.” He said, and for a moment I seriously considered just letting him fuck off as his main character energy was kind of annoying right now, but decided to not the intrusive thoughts in.
“Oh, but I didn’t choose the mage.” I said, and looked at the back of his head, and stopping in his place, he slowly turned towards me in shock, and then as our eyes met, I told him who I chose.
“I chose you.” I said, and his shock became greater for a moment, and the disbelief he was experiencing was almost palpable.
Motioning him to come over to me, I turned towards the other 5.
“While our meeting was short, it was a pleasure to meet all of you. May you find peace in after life.” I said, towards them, bowing slightly for a moment as a sign of respect, and then getting up again.
“The pleasure was ours, your majesty.”
“Please Mr. Damian, no need to bow to us.”
“I—uhh... it was a pleasure to meet you?”
“T-thank you sir!”
“...Why are you looking at me? Fuck off with your chosen or whatever.” Xan Ma said lastly, and after a few moments, their forms became unintelligible, and they disappeared before my sight, joining the other souls in their way to the afterlife.
“And a few moments later, I once again felt my real body, and as I opened my eyes, I saw a naked Homunculi with dark red skin, and black hair sitting right in front of me, and as he opened his eyes, I could see his void-like eyes.