— Alright, let's forget about that. Tell me instead—what kind of world are you sending me to?

The god seemed to have been waiting for this question, as his face lit up like that of a teacher preparing for a lecture.

— The world you'll be sent to consists of fifteen kingdoms. Each one is connected to one of the great gods and their creation—a guardian beast.

— A guardian beast? Like… a Pokémon?

— Essentially, yes. Each guardian beast symbolizes a power that defines the magical nature of its kingdom.

— Alright, I'll go with that. Let's start from the beginning. What are these kingdoms?

The god waved his hand, and images began forming around us. Constellations sparkled on the "ceiling," while illustrations appeared on the "floor."

— The first kingdom is the Kingdom of the Phoenix. Its god is Ignis, and its creation is the Immortal Phoenix. They are the strongest due to the Phoenix's ability to rise from the ashes. Their ally is the Kingdom of Light, as they share a belief in purity and protection.

Before me, the silhouette of a massive bird engulfed in bright flames appeared.

— Whoa, that's impressive. What's next?

— The second kingdom is the Kingdom of Leviathan. Their god is Neptunis, and their beast is the Leviathan. They dominate sea battles, though their power is limited on land. Their ally is the Kingdom of the Dragon.

I saw a colossal sea serpent, its scales shimmering in shades of blue.

— Got it. Water gods. Keep going.

— The Kingdom of the Dragon. Their god is Aerus, and their beast is the Stormbringer Dragon. They reign over aerial combat, their strength rivaling that of the Phoenix.

A giant winged beast appeared before me, piercing the sky with thunder and wind.

— The skies, the oceans, and fire. Pretty impressive so far. What about the rest?

The god continued listing the kingdoms: the Kingdom of Light with its griffon, the Kingdom of Shadow with its Shadow Guardian, the Kingdom of Storms with its Storm Alligator, and so on. He described their strengths, alliances, rivalries, and their place in the world.

— The kingdoms don't just exist on their own, — he concluded. — They form alliances or wage wars. For example, the Phoenix Kingdom is at odds with Leviathan, Light clashes with Shadow, and the Stars battle the Dragon for dominance over the heavens.

— Alright, makes sense. And what about these magical beasts? Are they like spirits, or just symbols?

— They exist, but they only manifest in rare cases. For the most part, they are just symbols of their kingdom's strength.

— Got it. So, what do you expect from me? This world already has plenty of strong people. Why do they need me?

The god smiled mysteriously.

— This world has remained in balance for too long. You are the one who can shake it up.

…To be honest, his words didn't reassure me in the slightest. Now I had a mission to disrupt the world order. Just great.

— Alright, let's assume I get it. Now tell me—what kingdom am I going to? And how is this going to work? Am I starting as a baby, from scratch?

— You will be sent to the Kingdom of Light. Its god is Lumen, ruling over light and protection magic, and its guardian beast is the Griffon.

— The Kingdom of Light? Sounds pretentious. I bet everyone there wears white robes and recites prayers all day.

— Not quite. The culture of this kingdom is built on the pursuit of perfection. They value purity, order, and nobility. Every citizen believes they are a reflection of light and righteousness in this world.

— Purity and order, huh? And I'm supposed to fit in there? Hilarious.

— Not just fit in.

His gaze suddenly became more serious.

— You will awaken in the body of the kingdom's crown prince.

…Silence. I felt like my jaw was about to hit the mirrored floor.

— Wait, wait, wait. In what body?

— You heard correctly. You will become the crown prince of the Kingdom of Light!

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

…

— This is ridiculous. You're telling me I'll end up in the body of some prince?

— Exactly.

— And what, I'm supposed to walk around with a crown on my head and smile like I'm in some parade?

— Possibly. But…

His eyes glinted with amusement. I was starting to get used to his "But."

— It won't be as simple as you think.

— What do you mean?

— The crown prince you're about to become… is not a symbol of strength and greatness. He is known as the kindest yet weakest person in the kingdom.

…I'm going to explode.

— Weak?! You're telling me I'm going to wake up in the body of some wimp?!

— Exactly. This prince is considered the disgrace of his family.

— A disgrace? How is that even possible? He's the crown prince, right?

— Correct. But at the age of seven, when all noble children undergo the sacred rite of magical awakening, he failed to receive a magic mark.

I blinked several times, trying to process what I just heard.

— Wait, you said nobles always receive marks. It's like, their pure lineage and all that.

— That's precisely why this was such a shocking event. The entire court was stunned. How could a child of noble blood end up without magic?

— So let me get this straight. You want me to become this… weakling? The one everyone sees as a failure?

— Yes.

Why is he saying this so calmly?

— And how the hell am I supposed to deal with this?

I was about to say more, but he continued.

— This prince doesn't just have problems with magic. His family situation is complicated too.

— Oh, of course, family drama as well. Go on, spill it.

— His father, the king, believes the prince is too soft and weak to be his heir. He has long considered passing the throne to his younger son, who is more serious and capable.

— Fantastic. What about the rest?

— The prince's stepmother, the current queen, treats him coldly. She sees no value in him since he is the son of the previous queen, who passed away long ago.

— This just keeps getting better. Anything else?

— His younger brother despises him and does not consider him a worthy heir.

I fell silent for a moment, digesting all this.

— So, you want me to become this… walking disappointment?

— Not everything is bad. I have granted you power. Now everything is in your hands.

I closed my eyes, resisting the urge to curse.

— Hold on. I'm putting the pieces together. You said this prince was born without a mark, but you gave me the Mark of the Rose, right?

— That's correct.

— Won't that be… weird? Like, imagine being a nobody, everyone calls you a disgrace, and then suddenly you're like, "Hey, family, guess what? I have a mark now!" Don't you think that'll raise… questions?

The god pretended to think for a moment before waving his hand.

— Of course, it will raise questions. But you're not planning to run around the palace shouting that you have a mark, are you?

— Well, no, but they'll notice eventually. If someone sees—

— That's what concealment magic is for.

He snapped his fingers, and the Mark of the Rose was enveloped in a thin golden light—then vanished.

— A few simple gestures, and it's done.

…This is absolute nonsense.

— Now, let's meet your future vessel.

He snapped his fingers, and before us appeared a mirror—not an ordinary one. It glowed with a soft blue light, and through it, I saw a luxurious bedroom. A young man, around seventeen, lay on a large bed surrounded by heavy curtains.

— That's my new body? He just looks like he's sleeping…

The god clasped his hands behind his back and calmly added:

— Don't worry. He'll pass away soon.

— So, I have to watch as the owner of my future body dies…

— Exactly.

He glanced at his watch, which had somehow appeared on his wrist.

— Don't worry, it's about to happen any second now.

We stood still, staring into the mirror. The guy on the bed was still sleeping peacefully.

A minute passed.

— He's still breathing.

— Yeah, yeah, just wait a little longer.

The god checked his watch again, frowning slightly.

Another minute.

— Well? He sure is taking his time.

— Weird… He should be dead by now.

We stared at the mirror again. The sleeping prince didn't look even remotely close to dying.

— Maybe we should just take care of him ourselves?

The god perked up, his eyes gleaming.

— Not a bad idea!

He reached out his hand, and a massive panel materialized in the air before him. I could make out different options on it—one showed a giant dragon, another a meteor, and the third an enormous whirlpool.

— Whoa, whoa! What are you thinking? This castle is about to be my home! Pick something more… humane.

The god sighed and closed the panel.

— More humane, huh… Fine. How about poison, then?

— Poison? Well… that does sound less destructive.

— Perfect.

He snapped his fingers, and the mirror flickered, showing a scene: a maid entered the bedroom, carefully placed a cup of tea on the nightstand, and left.

We watched as the sleeping prince eventually stirred, reached for the cup, took a sip… and immediately went still.

— There. Nice and clean, no destruction.

— And what about your local god, what's his name… Lumen? Won't he mind?

The god waved a hand dismissively.

— Don't worry about him. That saintly fool won't suspect a thing. He spends all day reading manga. I bet he's flipping through a new chapter right now.

...I think I just heard something I wasn't supposed to.

— Are you serious?

— Absolutely. So relax, no one's going to question the details.

...I always knew gods didn't care about people.

— Well then, Reisuke, it's time.

The god clapped his hands, and the mirror dissolved into thin air.

— You're ready for reincarnation.

— Is this gonna hurt?

— Nah, you won't feel a thing.

…For some reason, that made me even more nervous.

A golden mist started swirling around us, shimmering as if alive, slowly twisting into a spiral. A chill ran down my spine, and the air turned thick, almost sticky.

I rubbed my neck, sensing something strange happening inside me.

— Hey, is it normal that I'm finding it hard to breathe?

— Everything's going according to plan, don't worry.

The god stood with his hands behind his back, watching me with curiosity, like I was some kind of experiment.

Suddenly, the golden mist rushed toward me, wrapping me in a dense cocoon. The world around me distorted. I tried to speak, but my voice was gone. My body started going numb, as if I were dissolving into the light.

— Relax.

The god's voice sounded distant, as if coming through a thick wall.

— Can you feel it? Your soul is changing form.

I could. It felt like being torn apart, but without pain—just a strange tingling sensation. Everything spun around me, like I had been thrown into a centrifuge.

…Damn, does he even know what he's doing?

— Absolutely.

His voice echoed directly in my head.

— Just trust me. Soon, you'll open your eyes in a new body.

And then—darkness. No light, no sound, not even the feeling of having a body. Just emptiness.

…

What is this feeling…? Like a faint breeze brushing against my skin. My heart suddenly pounded harder, its deep thumps echoing in the silence.

"Is this… am I alive again?"