Staring at the rocky ceiling above me while I lay on my creaking old wooden bed, waiting for death to take me. To think I would die lonely without anyone else to mourn for my death. How foolish I was to think that secluding myself deep in the mountains would be a great idea to focus on my crafts. Indeed, it did help me improve my crafts.

I forged countless weapons that would probably sell for thousands of gold coins and be considered masterpieces. When I crafted my first Legendary weapon, it was euphoric. The sword was able to slice through stone like butter and produce blades of wind with each slice.

Not only that, but I even concocted a potion that was close to immortality, increasing my lifespan by 500 years. It was because of it that I was able to live for such a long time. I was undoubtedly the best craftsman in the world, at the expense of a life of adventuring, friends, and family. At first, I felt it was worth it.

Until now, I regret not publicizing my work and craftsmanship. I regret not becoming famous and live a life full of wealth and riches. I regret abandoning my family to continue to reach the pinnacle of crafting. Had I not done any of those things, I would be surrounded by people I care about, mourning for me as I take my last breath.

I sigh, stroking the overgrown beard with my withering, bony hands. resigning myself to death that was looming closer every second. I close my eyes and hum a tune my mother used to lullaby me to sleep when I was younger, it was one of my most cherished memories even until now, infusing his mana into the tune he was humming.

On that day, both animals and people living near the mountain heard a tune coming from deep within the mountains. The tune made them shed tears, not knowing why. Some of the villagers from a nearby village even knelt down and kowtow towards the mountains, they believed it was a god weeping from grief about matters unbeknownst to them.

At the moment of the end of the tune, I drew my last breath and passed away, as an unknown hermit and as the pinnacle of crafts in the world. Today marks the death of Kell Flint.

Or so he thought...

After the end of my little tune, I saw a faint light in the distance, it was slowly drawing closer every second. Is this what death is like? I thought to myself. Upon getting close to the light, I felt an excruciating pain all over my body, as if my body was being twisted slowly.

I unconsciously let out a scream, but what came out of my mouth shocked me. It was a baby's cry, it felt unusually soothing to cry, letting out all my grief and sorrow bottled up in my heart ever since I felt lonely.

When I opened my eyes, I got the shock of my life, I was held in the arms of a giant man! What made it worse was that he was smiling at me, was he going to eat me? I have to get away!

However, before I could get up, a wave of fatigue overcomes me and I fell unconscious. 

=====

I slowly regain my consciousness and find myself trapped in a wooden cage. Remembering the man I saw, who looked at me in a weird, but a nostalgic way. I try to get up from my lying position and find that my arms and legs were shorter than before. They were chubby and my skin was smooth, silky and white.

Before I could contemplate what was happening, a woman picks me up from the cage, cradling me in her arms, rocking me slowly. The woman talks to me in a language I have never heard of, which was unexpected since I learned to speak all the languages in the world. Her voice was gentle and melodic, like an angel... maybe this wasn't so bad after all. I looked in her eyes and find that she was looking at me in a loving way.

From what I can tell, I was probably reborn after my death as a baby. The cage I was trapped in was probably a crib, and this was my mother. For some reason, I liked this feeling, the feeling of being loved by a mother, I don't think I'll be complaining about this new life.

Suddenly, a big burly man walks into the room, holding a sword and scabbard, placing it beside the nightstand. The woman turns around, speaking to the man as she showed him me in her arms. The man gaze falls on me, staring at me while giving off a bright smile. My mother passes me into the man's arms, which I assumed was my father. My father rubs his cheeks against mine, his rough beard scratching my delicate face. Ouch!!!! It hurts! I try to complain, but I couldn't speak, so I protest in the only way I can... I start crying at the top of my lungs.

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Father looked embarrassed and my mother carries me back into her embrace, holding me tighter as she kissed me on the head. This feels much better, damn that man, rubbing his beard all over me. This time, father played around with my hand with his fingers and tried doing the ol' peekaboo to me. Although I try to ignore him by staring at mother or at the surroundings, I still haven't forgiven him for hurting me.

He looked a bit dejected and left the room, gesturing to mother about something and speaking in the language I can't understand. No matter how hard I try to comprehend the language, I can never understand it, maybe I will learn the language when I grow up. For now, I tried making noises with my mouth, voicing out the vowels 'a, e, i, o, u'.

Mother looked a bit confused when I first started making weird noises, but then she thought I was hungry and exposed her chest, breastfeeding me. At first, it felt weird and awkward to do this since I have the mentality of a 600-year-old man, but I have to admit I was starving quite a bit.

Soon, I was cradled to sleep by mother, while she hummed the same tune that I hummed before dying, this shocked me, but I came to accept it as fate. As I listened to the same nostalgic lullaby, I slowly fall asleep in her arms. I hope this lasts forever...

======

(Mother POV)

While reading my book, I saw Kell, what Ervin and I decided to name our first child waving his arms and legs in the air. It seems like he woke up.

I hurry over and pick him up, cradling him in my arms and rocking him to a slow rhythmic momentum, it was the first time I have ever taken care of a baby so I was slightly anxious, luckily I have consulted my own mother and the other villagers about how to raise a child.

I heard it was important to talk to your own child, so I try talking to Kell slowly so as to not startle him. To my surprise, he was looking at me confused, as if he wondered why I was talking jibberish. I don't know whether other babies do this when a mother talks to them since it was my first time raising a child. However, Kell slowly starts to relax as his expression softens. So cuuute! I can't help but want to snuggle him to death.

Suddenly, Ervin walks into the room, keeping his sword by the nightstand. I smile at him and show him the baby. He looks enthusiastic, but I tell him to be quiet since I didn't want Kell to get startled.

I carefully move Kell to Ervin, bringing Kell into his embrace, at first he didn't seem to mind until he started to rub cheeks with Kell which made Kell cry. Considering his beard, it was no wonder Kell cried, any baby would cry if a beard pricked them. Ervin looked a bit embarrassed as he returns Kell into my embrace.  

I tried to comfort Kell by holding him tighter and giving him a soft kiss on his forehead, not knowing how to deal with this situation. Somehow, what I did worked as Kell stopped crying and returned to his usual relaxed expression.

Ervin tries to redeem himself by playing with the baby, trying to play with the baby's fingers and even playing games with the baby while I was cradling it. However, it was all for nought as the baby ignored his actions, choosing to look at me or look at the surroundings.

After Ervin gave up, leaving the room dejectedly. He told me he had to go back on duty while waving goodbye. I was sure that he swore to redeem himself by showing that he was a good father from his personality.

After Ervin left the room, Kell started making weird noises with his mouth. I heard from mom that when a baby makes noises, that means he was hungry. I quickly proceed to breastfeed him since babies don't have teeth, so they couldn't eat food, only milk from their mothers. Kell was hesitant at first, but he continued suckling on my breast and stopped when he was full.

After drinking to his full, Kell made a satisfied expression and I cradled him to sleep while humming a tune my mother used to lullaby me to sleep with when I was younger, slowly lulling him to sleep. Not long after, Kell fell asleep and I put him back in the crib.

Was it just me, but Kell seemed intelligent... Nah it can't be, he's just a baby.

======

(???)

I watched as a shooting star shot across the night sky, it was a sign that someone of great power was born today, someone that will influence the world.

It was said that a person born during a shooting star will be the generation's shining star, shooting across everybody like the shooting star. On this same day, my child was born.

I walk back into the room from the balcony and signal to the servants to leave the room. I watched as my wife carried a baby in her arms, looking at him with loving eyes. The baby had clear blue eyes, refined facial features that fit royalty.

'How unlucky, this boy' I said to my wife.

'What? Why would he be unlucky, I would say he's extremely lucky.' she retorted

'This boy will have to go through countless challenges and be able to compete against his older siblings, rising to the top. I wouldn't be surprised if he had to murder a few of his siblings, that was the life he was born into.' I slowly explained while looking at the boy in a cold light.

She furrowed her brows and kept silent as she continued cradling the baby, as if it was the centre of the world, trying to ignore what I just said.

I snorted as I left the room, leaving the room as my wife stared at my back. I signalled the servants to tend to the baby as I headed towards my study.

As the king of this country, there was no other way for me to find a suitable successor other than exposing my own children to struggles for the throne. It was the only way that could create a powerful and worthy successor to the throne, one that would bring glory to the country.