Erakuni, Book I: Depth of Memory

Matt was a bitter and lazy old man who'd given up on life, having somehow lived into his late seventies despite his complete apathy and total lack of genuine human connections.

Yet, he only had himself to blame for his past. Somehow retaining healthy cognitive functions despite his advanced age, he often thought about his past. If such a grimy and worthless person like him received a second chance, could he even make good use of it?

Perhaps he would find the answer to that sooner than he'd hoped

Laziness is agony. A fact that Matt was far too familiar with for his own sanity. Yet, even that fell far short of the despair he felt at having accomplished nothing in his long life. He'd become an old man in his seventies with very little wisdom to share, a fact that he regrets deeply but chose to continue living with even in spite of countless opportunities for personal change and growth slapping him in the face. Figuratively, of course. Sometimes the easy way out is far too attractive... or such was Matt's excuse for remaining set in his ways, even to the day he died.

Well, the day his heart refused to beat again, and failed to revive his worn and broken body. He had torn himself apart neither by helping others nor by achieving results he could take pride in, but by his own inaction forcing his muscles and bones to weaken over time. His mind slipped into madness long ago, and his only conversation partner most days was the voice that he created in his own mind to argue with him over pointless things.

Little did he expect that he would die from heart failure just by turning over in his sleep, yet anyone with a shred of common sense could have watched him for a single day and have expected that result. He put effort into nothing, and spent energy for no one. He had been dead long before the coroner announced it and his chilled corpse was thrown into a heated furnace. He had no last words. In fact, he had no last thoughts, either.

And so as he awaited his inevitable judgment, his soul conscious only of the fact that his wasteful life was finally over, he knew he would be judged harshly, both by his few despicable actions, and by his unforgivable lack of actions thereof. If his judge were to be some sort of "God", they would surely not forgive his self-indulgent laziness. He lived life with no hope, no joy, no anger, no conviction, and no morals or principles to speak of. If there was anyone who could not be redeemed, surely he was at the top of that list.

As his soul floated among the vast void of infinite darkness, he eventually noticed a small, dim light. His soul was at rest already… would this light grow? Would it approach him? Was something about to occur in the afterlife? Pointless thoughts for a mere soul awaiting judgment. Yet something within the soul that used to be known by the name Matthew believed, albeit momentarily, that he could grasp the feeble light, should he only reach out to touch it with his fingertips.

He dismissed the thought quickly, realizing that his formless, seemingly gaseous soul had no limbs, hands, or fingers to speak of. However, he could move through the void, albeit slowly, if he exerted his soul a bit with his will to move a certain direction. The light began to fail, flickering and becoming dimmer. Matt knew that this light could be a trap, or perhaps even a result of his own madness in later life, but he also knew that to leave it alone would mean merely existing without any further meaning until the day of his judgment. He had already lived a pointless life, and died a pointless death. He didn’t want to suffer the despair of helplessness even beyond the veil.

Matt exerted what little willpower remained within his soul, in order to attempt to approach the fading shimmer. It remained weak and frail, but as he approached, its flicker ceased and it became more stable, faint as it was. He hesitated for a few moments, trying to understand the meaning of this. However, before he could come to any conclusions, the tiny glowing orb began to show cracks, its damage seeming to reflect his own lack of initiative. Matt knew he had to do something, anything.

He willed his soul with all of what remained in it to approach the atrophied spark of hope. After all, what good would his soul be when all that remained in store for it was the eternal suffering and pain of damnation? He struggled against the painfully thick fog of pure darkness as he exerted himself, perhaps for the first time ever, to the utmost extent of his existence. The shadows sheared away his soul’s protection, and his eternal existence seemed to fade the closer he came to the light.

Yet, even as his own future faded, the shining orb expanded, growing exponentially. It seemed to chase away the dark, threatening the expanse of the void itself. The gravity of the afterlife seemed to pale in comparison to the splendor of that great sphere of possibility. Matt burned his soul’s last parts in order to form a single fingertip to reach and touch the light, connected to the very core of his soul’s essence by a thin strand of pale purple light. Light that had been corrupted by the darkness of his own soul. Could someone as horrible and pointless as him be reborn?

The light seemed so great and so close, yet so distant and so far out of reach. Matt finally decided to bet his soul’s very existence just to touch the edge of that shining dawn, a sun of dreams and potential. He began to unravel the tiny core of his own soul, his souls consciousness even, to throw his extended finger at the light with everything he is and everything he was, and even betting everything he could ever be. This was his one and only chance.

As his consciousness faded completely and his soul’s core unraveled fully, his fingertip finally made contact with the light. It was no longer a stretching void of endless suffering, but a massive expanse of infinite outcomes. Yet the most attractive part of those outcomes were not the outcomes themselves, but all of the trails, paths, and roads that led to them. Matt’s soul was being reconstructed, his unraveled core of existence being repaired. By whose will, he had no idea and couldn’t fathom, but it was happening.

Eventually, when his soul was recovered enough for him to regain consciousness, he could see the beautiful, inexplicable scene of myriad futures extending from below where he floated. He couldn’t understand it, and so he merely drank the sight in with his very essence. This was one experience he prayed fervently that he would never forget, even as his soul was judged and cast into the eternal pits of despair and suffering. Even as he wailed and gnashed his teeth. If only he could have seen this sooner, he would have dedicated his entire life to living as a better, stronger person. He would have not only lived for his own selfish desires, but for the sake of others.

However, he knew that was too much to ask for, given his failures in life. Both his wicked actions and his self-indulgent inactions. He blamed others for it all, and the results were that all who knew him came to despise him or pity him, even those who had previously shown compassion. He was the one who pushed them all away, and he knew that now. He could admit that now. But that doesn’t change who he was in life, and who he died as.

“You finally began to learn, even if only slightly.” echoed a small, almost imperceptible voice. “However, will it be enough? That is up to you.”

And then, everything was so blinding and deafening all at once that Matt could perceive no more and his consciousness collapsed.

As a soul begins its journey in a physical form, it receives a name. This name is given by the creator of the soul, rather than by those who would nurture the form it physically resides in. Matt somehow retained the memories of his previous existence as he opened his eyes for the second time, born again. He was human, or something similar, but as he tried to use his voice, it only came forth as infantile cries. He was lifted by a young woman, seemingly his mother or perhaps another woman who was present at his second birth. He couldn’t tell.

Yet one thing was certain to him, even though he couldn’t make heads or tails of his situation. His vision was undeveloped, but even so he could tell with his limited senses that the woman and man who doted over his tiny form cared for him. He was in a loving home, not unlike the one he was born to in his previous life. Despite having a physical form again, and retaining his memories from nearly eighty years of life, he wasn’t able to do much with his current body. His motor control was essentially nonexistent, and his senses were practically useless. His vocal chords could only make high-pitched cries and wails even if he strained them to their limits.

Where was he, he wondered? His vision was too blurry and undeveloped for him to tell. And so he decided to allow time to pass and meditated in the time he was conscious about what he would do as he grew. Even so, his infantile brain wasn’t developed enough to explore complex thoughts for long, and he found himself tiring his mind quickly and falling to sleep. Days seemed to last mere minutes, and weeks blurred into one another without much noticeable change.

At about six months old, his senses began to develop enough for him to see somewhat and hear as well. The language of his new parents was very foreign to him, yet his “young” mind soaked in every word like a very dry sponge laps up water spilled in a desert. He began to be able to form short chains of thought, exercising his mind enough to determine that he needed to also exercise his body.

From what information his limited senses could gather, this was not a modern world with all the conveniences he was previously accustomed to. It seemed more medieval, perhaps even around the time of the “Dark Ages” of his own world. There didn’t seem to be anything like plumbing or electricity, and although it’s possible gunpowder could have been invented and utilized, he didn’t notice any signs of it or of any kind of complex machinery. Engineering must have been very primitive here.

At one year of age, he was able to begin to understand his parents’ language enough to reply to their words in his own rudimentary, infantile way. They seemed overjoyed by his responses, as basic as they were - a feeling that felt foreign to him from his previous life. In all of his memories, he only seemed to remember the disappointed looks of his parents in their sadness and their anger. The looks of hatred from his enemies, and looks of pity from those who dared to call themselves his friends despite the trouble that caused them.

His thoughts were becoming more complex than before, and he could focus on a series of thoughts for about two minutes or so now, by his own reckoning. Time was measured differently in this place as well. In fact, they didn’t really keep track of time, and relied merely on the passing of light and dark times of day to perform certain tasks. He seemed to have an older sister who was a couple years his senior, but that was of no consequence as of yet since he couldn’t really communicate with her.

His motor skills were still very poor, though he had learned to walk for short distances before he fell over again. However, his reflexes didn’t allow him to protect his head from impact, and so he would try to lean his body when he fell so that he didn’t hit his head. His name was Frederick, and his sister was Veronica. His parents didn’t speak their own names in his presence, only referring to themselves as mama and papa.

Time passed, and by the age of two he could speak small words, equivalent in meaning to words like yes, no, please, and thanks. In his previous life, he’d had a decently developed vernacular, albeit not impressive by any means. And certainly below average for someone who’d lived to as venerable an age as he did. His motor skills had improved enough for him to walk freely, but not enough for him to run without risk of falling yet.

However, he could move with somewhat of a decent pace. He exercised his body as much as his small body could tolerate without injury, although he failed to prevent self-injury a few times as he tested his limits. But his small and young body recovered rapidly, healing injuries from the previous day overnight. Small cuts and scrapes would seem to heal the same day or night he acquired them. His parents didn’t seem surprised by this at all, so apparently such behavior as well as such healing traits must have been common to youths here.

Even though he had limited ability to communicate with his sister, and she was often frustrated by his lack of vocabulary, he had decided he would be good to her. Far better than he ever was to his siblings in his previous life. He would at least try to right the wrongs he’d previously committed by being nicer to people in general, especially those close to him. Although his words didn’t convey his feelings much, his sister seemed to understand that he cared and warmed up to him after a while.

By the age of three, Frederick began to be able to speak in short sentences. But the thing that surprised him most was that he has an abundance of energy and his balance and basic motor skills improved drastically. Over the year or so he spent being three, by his own reckoning of time, he was able to learn to read from the children’s stories his parents read to him at night, and he was able to run around their small farm most of the daylight hours.

With his knowledge of his previous life, he had at least known some basic exercises he could do to strengthen himself, such as jogging and running, as well as bodyweight exercises like push-ups, sit-ups, squats, and jumping jacks. He never did learn any complex forms of exercise in his prior life, nor did he have access to modern exercise equipment to rapidly gain strength. However, he did learn how to wield a sword a bit before at some point, and he began to practice swinging around short-handled brooms and other light sticks when his parents weren’t watching… or so he thought.

On his fourth birthday, which here was called a “starday”, he received his first starday gift from his father - a small wooden sword that he’d carved for Frederick. By this time, Frederick had learned to read quite efficiently, though since his parents didn’t know how to write, he lacked the opportunity to learn how aside from mimicking the shapes of letters and characters in the children’s tales he read with his family.

Also, his “starday” was the same as everyone else’s, which was another difference in tradition from his own world. Regardless of age or time of birth, everyone became “one star older” on the same day each year, and it seemed that the years consisted of exactly a thousand dawns and dusks. Seasons existed as well, but they seemed to be unrelated to the way people kept track of the passage of life’s events here. Time was a phenomenon that existed only abstractly in the minds of the people living in this world it seemed.

Small amounts of time were measured in steps, heartbeats, or other natural phenomena that occurred rapidly. Reasonably long periods of time seemed to be recognized only by major events that occurred, such as wars, droughts, or major events that lasted for long periods, such as revolutions or rebellions… The latter was the same as the former in essence, only named the way they were by the winning side of the conflict.

Frederick was a peasant, born to a peasant family. However, that didn’t mean that being born a peasant prevented one from rising in society. Either by wealth, by deeds, or by connections with the powerful, one could rise to great heights in this world. Apparently, even a few former slaves rose to the rank of leading nations in the folklore of this world, which essentially served as this world’s form of historical record. Most events were passed down in song or word of mouth - only the most important historical events were physically recorded in any way.

Another thing Frederick learned as he grew into his role as a normal peasant child was that the resources of this world were fairly scarce, and agriculture was highly undeveloped. They had no form of crop rotation, something that even ancient peoples of his previous world had discovered early on. Thus, they were highly dependent on the seasons and the conditions of the weather, as well as the absence of crop-damaging pests.

Also, it seemed that although peasants were allowed to bear arms, few possessed any form of real martial prowess, and disputes with weapons quickly devolved into bare-fisted brawls when their poorly-crafted weapons broke. Also, it seemed that fights rarely resulted with the loser leaving the fight alive, and it was accepted practice to kill your opponents in any violent dispute here, both legally and morally.

These were a few parts among many others that he didn’t like about the world he now lived in, and so he had to live cautiously and use his words carefully. He walked a fine balance between being respectful and not being self-deprecating, as any sign of weakness welcomed enemies who would take advantage of it. He learned all of this before his fifth “star day”. The days and nights were shorter by his own reckoning, possibly about half as long as a normal day in his previous life, but the fact that each “star cycle” contained 1000 days and nights was a fact that threw his calculations into disarray.

However, he had a height and weight similar to a typical six-year old boy in his previous world. His sister was two star cycles older, but seemed closer in height to an eleven-year old girl. Eventually, Frederick determined that a star cycle was approximately five-hundred full day cycles from his previous world. That made his life a bit easier, as he contended with both the memories of his previous life, as well as everything he learned in his new one.

Frederick awoke in a cold sweat one morning, possibly with an illness of some kind. His parents were very concerned. His mother took care of him, but he could hear her sobs from another room when she was not at his bedside. He felt pretty terrible, but it seemed similar to a cold or perhaps a minor flu in its potency - certainly nothing that should be fatal with proper care… Well, unfortunately, people in this world didn’t know how to treat even basic illnesses without magic, and so if there were no healers nearby, they could only pray that their loved ones would survive.

Two days later, Frederick’s fever worsened, and he began losing consciousness often. His sister Veronica came often as well but kept a bit of a distance. Perhaps they knew that illnesses could spread in this world as well, albeit not how to prevent their spread. Frederick tried to stifle and cover his cough as much as possible to not transmit whatever illness this was through the air if he could avoid it.

A day later, just as Frederick began to worry that this illness would be the death of him in his short time alive again, a faith magic user passed through the village. They took the time to stop by my parents’ abode and heal my illness, speaking some form of incantation in another language - a language my parents didn’t teach me, one that I didn’t know of. This confirmed that more than one language existed in this world, and also confirmed the existence of magic.

“His fever and illness are gone, but his body will need a couple nights to recover fully. I am not very advanced in faith magic yet, as I recently began training. Please be sure to give him a lot of water,” the priest spoke, instructing Frederick’s family about how to care for his recovery.

That barely qualifies as basic advice for someone who’s already healthy, Frederick thought. Veronica hugged him tightly, tearing up in what seemed to be relief that her brother would live. “I was so worried, Fred… so worried.”

Frederick smiled weakly at his older sister. She doted on him far more than he deserved, and he felt bad that she was worried for his sake to the extent that it caused her such pain. “I’ll be back up and stronger than ever in no time, Ver. Thanks for staying by me.”

Veronica began to cry, more from what seemed to be happiness than worry or sadness. Frederick’s parents also seemed to be trying not to cry, putting on a brave face for him. His father spoke first. “I have high hopes for you, son. You’ll grow up to be a strong man one day.”

Frederick nodded in affirmation, which seemed to please his father, and then he6 looked at his mother, who was the one to seek the healer’s help. “Thanks to you, I will live to see my next starday. Thanks for getting the healer’s help.”

His mother couldn’t hold back her tears any longer, and wrapped Frederick up in her arms, perhaps a bit forcefully, as his sore body felt a fair amount of pain from her tight embrace. Frederick returned her hug and patted her back. “Thanks mom.”

The next morning, after being cared for by his family, Frederick felt energetic and well again. However, something weighed on his mind now, knowing what he knew from his previous life. There was no magic of any kind or any sort of supernatural abilities in the world he came from, which confirmed his suspicions that this world existed not only in a different place than his own, but a different universe altogether. And so, the laws of physics as he knew them may not apply here, even the elementary ones he could still remember.

Over the course of the day, he began testing some things. Forces like gravity and energy transfer seemed to exist, and seemed to function similar to the forces of his own world and universe, but he noticed that objects fell to the ground much more quickly in this world. So, if gravity worked in a similar way, it was likely that this world was much larger than earth and had greater gravity as a result.

However, why was he still of normal height for a human his age? And why did females, who had smaller frames, not end up becoming shorter and more sturdy of frame due to the increased gravity? His only conclusion is that they must have evolved in this world in such a way that their physical structure was quite different from the humans he knew previously. He asked his parents what their bones were made of, but this question only seemed to confuse him.

“Bones are made of bone, you know,” Veronica answered. “It’s easy to hurt someone on the outside, but our cores are harder than most swords.”

This little bit of information from his sister answered an important question for Frederick. She had stated that bones were harder than most swords, and based on what he assumed was a limited understanding of material composition due to his family’s overall lack of formal education and the primitive knowledge of such facts in this world, he wagered that human skeletal structures were denser than steel of the same volume, just as they were in his own world. However, the question was how much denser?

Creatures like insects and birds existed in this world, though they seemed much rarer than from his previous one. Probably due to a combination of the increased gravity and lack of suitable prey causing the environment to be inhospitable toward them. As much as he’d like to answer these questions, right now his ability to observe the natural phenomenon of this world is very limited. He continued to exercise and grow stronger out of sight of his parents every day, but his sister eventually caught on to his training while she was doing chores around their farm.

What should I do now? I can’t let our parents know. How do I convince her to keep quiet? “Please forget you saw that, Ver. I’m trying to get stronger, but it won’t be helpful if others know.”

Veronica shook her head. “I can’t just forget,” she replied.

Great. Now what do I do? “Please, Ver. Is there anything I can do for you so that you will keep it a secret?”

Veronica smiled mischievously, as if she’d won some huge prize. She clearly wants to hold this over me, but I don’t mind being blackmailed in this situation, considering she’s still a child at heart. Whatever she wants can’t be too terrible. However, if she thinks I’m okay with it, she won’t agree to it and might increase the conditions to something worse for me. “You have to give me your sword and train me how to use it like you do. Then, I’ll keep it a secret… got it?”

Kids were selfish and petty as expected, Frederick thought. I guess we’re not too different in this world than from my previous one, at least mentally. However, Frederick knew that agreeing to this demand readily would not actually satisfy her. He likely needed to form some sort of resistance or argument to trick her properly. I guess I’m not one to talk, considering that I can’t be honest with my own sister. “Giving you my sword is too much. Can’t you just learn with a broomstick?”

Veronica visibly seemed to pout. “It’s not like you won’t be using it. I just want ownership so that I can use it whenever I want.”

Whenever she wants, huh? That could actually cause problems if our father found out, “I’ll give you half ownership, but only if you never use the sword in front of mom or dad. Get caught and the deal’s off, since they’ll find out what I’m doing anyway at that point.”

Veronica smiled smugly, but seemed to not understand something from her expression. “Half-ownership? Does that mean you can take it back? What good does that do for me?”

Although it’s just a piece of wood, it wouldn’t be good if I lost too much ground here. Her demands could become much more unreasonable in the future, otherwise. Perhaps I can let it go, but not yet. “How about this, then? If you keep your end of the bargain until our next starday, I will give you full ownership of the sword, as well as my normal starday gift that I’d be giving you. But only if you keep my secret and only train in secret with me.”

Veronica seemed to ponder for a bit, but also it was clear she was satisfied she’d gotten her effort’s worth in this negotiation. She held out her arms. Frederick was a bit confused. “What?”

Veronica frowned. “Hug me. We seal promises with a hug in the family.”

Different from the customs of my own world, but then again, she said family, so it’s probably different between strangers as well. He’s going to need to learn social customs to make it in this world someday. “Okay, sorry I didn’t know,” Frederick said as he returned her hug. Their mom walked outside with a hand towel as they stopped hugging. “Breakfast is almost ready. Finish your chores quickly and get inside, both of you.”

“Yes mom,” both siblings said almost simultaneously. Their mother seemed irked but voiced no complaint at what she likely felt was a bit of rebelliousness from them. She went inside and closed the door a bit harder than normal. Frederick nodded at Veronica. “I can take care of the chores myself. You go practice with my sword in the barn. The first step is to just swing it up and down smoothly with two hands and build up your arm strength.”

Veronica grinned. “Thanks. But you mean our sword, right?”

Frederick sighed. “Yes, our sword. Anyway, you saw what I was doing right? Copy that motion. If you need help with the form, I’ll help you later today.”

Veronica chuckled a bit. “You better keep your promise!”

Frederick shook his head. “You’re my sister, Ver. I won’t break a promise I made to you.”

Veronica seemed taken aback by this, a bit embarrassed in fact. Kids aren’t good at dealing with these kinds of words, huh? I guess what I said was a bit too mature for my age. She probably wasn’t expecting that response. “Of course, if you break your end of the deal, that means I can break mine without penalty, so be careful,” Frederick added, hoping it would clear her suspicions and ease her feelings.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m older than you, at least give me some credit. Let’s get this done and go eat.”

Frederick soon finished the morning chores on his own, having to work a bit faster than normal due to Veronica not dealing with feeding the animals like she normally does, although she did give up on swinging the sword quickly and helped fetch water with him. They went inside, and their mother seemed to be a bit miffed, as though breakfast had been ready for a while already.

“Were you two messing around outside or doing your chores like I told you? What took so long?”

Veronica pouted. “We weren’t messing around!”

Their father shot Veronica a sharp look. “You don’t talk to your mother like that, young lady.”

Frederick bowed his head a bit, sensing the tension and also knowing this situation wouldn’t turn out peacefully if he remained quiet. “I’m sorry, mother, father. I was curious about some bugs that flew by and I kept asking Ver about them… we lost track of ourselves a bit, but she told me we had to hurry and finish our chores when she noticed.”

His father looked at Frederick with suspicion, and his mother sighed. They clearly knew he was covering for her. “That doesn’t matter. Veronica, you better apologize to your mother right now, unless you want to be punished. I won’t tolerate you disrespecting your mother or myself in our own house.”

Veronica bit her lip. She isn’t going to apologize. I have to do something, quickly, or things in our family would be tense for quite a while. “Please. I’m sorry. I lied. She was trying to get me to help with the chores. She was doing them the whole time but I was being lazy. I’m sorry. Please don’t punish her for my mistake. I won’t do it again. I’ll be good and help out from now on.”

Frederick’s father glared at him sharply for a moment, his expression one of rage, as he definitely knew he was being lied to, even now. However, after a few moments, he seemed to regain his composure. “I don’t know why you’re defending her, but I’ll take your word for it. This time only. Don’t do it again, or you’ll be punished severely, both you and your sister. You will respect us in our own house.”

Frederick bowed deeper and did not make eye contact any longer. “Yes. I’m sorry, and thank you.”

Their mother heaved a sigh of relief. Clearly she didn’t enjoy the tense atmosphere, either. “Ready to eat? Then let’s sit down and give our prayers. Veronica, you have it memorized now, so you can lead it right?”

Veronica seemed to feel better after hearing this. “Leave it to me, mom!” She sat down at the table first, followed by the rest of the family. “Dear lifebringer, we are grateful for your bounty that you have bestowed upon us. Even as life grows harder and food grows scarcer, we know you will protect us. We thank thee and will now break our fast,” Veronica recited, clapping her hands together in prayer at the end. “Let's eat!” she said with a giddy smile.

Their father grinned. “That’s my girl. But mind your table manners, children. We’ll be hosting a special guest someday soon and I want you both to be polite.”

A special guest? As far as Frederick knew, that meant they were either a member of the family with more resources, or someone of higher status than themselves that their father had become associated with. I should be sure to make a positive impression, but not too much that it causes suspicion. He finished his food quickly, even despite it being bland oat gruel thickened by poor-tasting ground water.

However, though he didn’t like the taste, he was accustomed to being able to hide his dislike for food from his previous life. Back then, he was not spoiled for choices, as he had very little money, and no one wanted to help a wretched person like himself, especially not as old as he was. They’d long given up on him. He didn’t want to ever experience that again in this life… He would be better as a person, no matter what he had to do, and he’d be kinder to his friends and family, so that he could live a more fulfilling life.

Perhaps that’s a selfish motivation, but it’s all I have for now, Frederick thought. Maybe someday I’ll find a reason to live my life for others’ sake. I will figure it out as I use what I know already to learn what I need to know here to be successful and live a better life.

After breakfast, Frederick and his sister were tasked with cleaning the dishes. Veronica would have voiced a complaint since that normally isn’t their responsibility, but it seemed that she thought better of it. Likely due to the situation earlier. I doubt she wants to confront our father again. Even though their father was normally kind and warmhearted, he could have quite a frightening and fast temper, it seemed.

Over the next few days, Frederick continued to exercise his body and train with his sister in secret, making sure only to show her enough that they weren’t late finishing their chores. It seems children are held to stricter standards in this world than they are in mine, and the punishments sound like something that would happen if your parents were angry generations before I was born in my previous life, Frederick pondered. I wonder if this is what my grandparents would have known back then? Speaking of which, do my grandparents even live in this world?

He was likely overthinking it, because not even two days after they began training together, their mother caught Veronica swinging the sword around. Their father called them both inside together. “You know why I called you both here, right Frederick?” he asked.

I figure it’s to determine the punishment we deserve based on our reactions. Even so, I should do my best to lessen the strain on my sister. She’s just a child, after all. “I… have an idea. But please, I understand that you must punish us, please be gentle to Ver at least nonetheless. It was my idea for us to learn to swing the sword.”

Their father seemed taken aback by this. Then, he chuckled. “You silly kid, why would I punish you for trying to better yourselves? Rather, what I wanted to know was why you didn’t ask me to teach you? You know that fathers protect their children, right?”

Frederick was genuinely surprised and caught off-guard. Possibly, for the first time since he was reborn. “What do you mean, father? I know you are stronger and more experienced. But, you’re not mad that I trained and even tried to train Ver behind your back?”

Their father sighed. “Don’t think I forgot about you lying to me before, even if it was for good reasons. And hiding things from me, even for a good purpose, is also bad. However, I weigh whether to punish or praise you based on the results of your actions, not the actions themselves. Remember this, my son: the world is all about results. Your intentions can be noble, but if it causes a bad result, you will be punished. However, so long as your intentions are not evil in nature, even if you use unconventional methods, it’s fine so long as you achieve good results.”

This was an unexpected bit of fatherly wisdom, but it definitely will come in handy later. Perhaps I ought to learn to tread the lines, but do so carefully, so that I can achieve better results. However, knowing this, Frederick can’t help but feel that his results would normally be considered lackluster. I took the sword forms from some basic eastern sword forms from my previous world. Does that mean that sword arts are primitive in this world? “Father, I do not wish to sound overconfident, but I want to know - are the sword forms I invented good enough to be developed further?”

Their father nodded. “Also, from today onward, you have both earned the right to know our names. Parents normally bestow their own names to their children when they come of age or when they accomplish something of value earlier, and it seems this accomplishment counts for that. You will still refer to us as mother and father, but you can also know us by who we are now. Are you both ready to accept the responsibility that comes with that?”

Frederick looked at Veronica, who nodded. Should I agree, it’s likely that more expectations will be placed on us. That would normally be something a child would jump at in order to seem more mature, but it’s really a trap as we will almost certainly fail to succeed at this ‘responsibility’ that he spoke of. Yet, not accepting could offend everyone here, and possibly make their parents angry at him. However… “I don’t know if what I achieved is worthy yet, father. I would be happy to accept, but I want my deeds to be worth it when I do. Could you show me how you use a sword, so that I can improve myself before I make that decision?”

Both parents seemed surprised, but they were not angry. “Are you sure? Veronica here will be allowed to know, but you will have to wait until the next opportunity if you let this chance go. That could be a long time from now, son. Can you wait until then?”

Frederick nodded. “I am grateful, and if necessary I will wait, but I hope I can achieve something even bigger in the meantime. How many stardays until we come of age?”

Their mother decided to bring out some kind of primitive calendar which used small wooden tiles. “You will each come of age on your twelfth starday. For Veronica, there are five more stardays before she is of age. For you, Frederick, seven are left. Either way, it’s a long time for children like you to wait.”

Frederick sighed. I was an old man by the time I began to regret my mistakes in my last life. However, I won’t let this life pass me by, at the very least. Taking a back seat and waiting would be easy, and probably would allow me to get more use out of what I already know, but… “If I accept this, what would my responsibilities be?”

Their father seemed overjoyed to hear this question. “You make me proud, son. Though other children sometimes ask their fathers this, it’s usually asked by children who are closer to coming of age. My son is even smarter than they are, it seems”

Am I supposed to blush in this situation? I don’t even know how. Regardless, his words do make me a bit happy. “Thanks father. But, uh, you didn’t answer my question.”

Their father cleared his throat. “Before that, I want you to know that your expectations will be different from Veronica’s. Not more or less, but different, because you are a boy and she is a girl. Understand?”

I nodded. Strange that any sort of medieval culture would be advanced enough to even place societal expectations on women, but I am sure that it probably is done this way here for a reason. Or perhaps many reasons. Either way, I’ll find out more later. “Understood. Are we allowed to know what is expected of each other?”

Their father nodded at their mother. Then, their mother stepped outside for a moment, taking Veronica with her wordlessly. Their father shook his head to answer the question. His expression seemed both pained and a bit sad, yet he shed no tears, as he also seemed resolute in what had to be done.

“No. The law forbids it. You’ll learn more about the law later, but for now, know that if something is forbidden, you cannot do it, under penalty of death if you do. Each person’s life responsibility is their own, and no two people are allowed to share what theirs are. Even though a parent bestows it, they are required to go to the nearest sacred temple afterward and have that part of their memories cleansed. So, what you must do is something that you and you alone will know. It’s that important.”

Frederick nodded. Knowing early what he was expected, but also knowing neither his parents nor anyone else would know was an advantage. He would be able to test certain limits, as well as to learn more about how this world functioned. It was a golden opportunity. “Understood. I accept my responsibility, and the pain that comes with that choice.”

His father nodded. “My son has an expansive vocabulary for his age. A word of warning to my son, though: Don’t allow other commoners to take notice. Nobles are one thing, and you may even impress them with it, but commoners will only give you grief if you’re wordier than you should be. As clever as my son is, he should know what this means, right?”

There is a phrase from this world that fits this situation that his father has used before. “If a pillar stands too tall it will crumble under its own weight, right?” Frederick replied.

“Good. You seem to understand. Honey! Bring Veronica back inside!”

The door opened, and their mother and Veronica reentered the room. “Are we ready?” she asked.

“Yes. We’ll reveal our names, and then we will separate and share their life tasks with them. As law and tradition dictates, both the son and daughter will have to reveal our own names to us separately at a later date, as proof of this. Until then, they are not allowed to use our names at all and must refer to us only how they already do. Is that clear, children?”

Frederick and Veronica both nodded, though Veronica was quicker. Their father began. “I am Edward Gallantis, the current patriarch of the Gallantis family. This means that all previous generations of my family are gone, unfortunately. But I will do my best to be the strength that you can both lean on regardless, as your father.”

Their mother smiled proudly at these statements. “And I am Christina Foreweather, the next in line to be the matriarch of the Foreweather family. My older sister is the current matriarch - she is your aunt, and you’ll meet her later.”

So women do not take the last name of their husbands by tradition in this world. That makes the lines of genealogy easier to figure out, at least. “Are we nobles?” Frederick asked.

“Not even close. We’re as close to slaves as peasants can be without actually being so,” Edward retorted. “But everyone alive originates from some form of nobility. Those who can remember their family name could perhaps rise again, should their fortune be good.”

Interesting. Although it is probably limited, there is upward mobility in society in this world. To an extent. How that works is something I’ll need to figure out at some point. “Understood. What do we do now?”

Christina looked at Edward. “Should we select where to go now?”

Edward bowed slightly. “After you, my wife.”

“To the village well, for us. It’s the nearest site of clean water.”

Edward nodded. “Then Frederick and I will take a bit of a hike. As we should. Be sure to bring you wooden sword along, Frederick.”

My wooden sword? A test, most likely. “Yes, father.”

Their mother Christina took Veronica and gathered a few things before leaving. Frederick went and put on his shoes, which he was only allowed to wear when they left the farm. After grabbing the wooden sword he’d received on his fourth starday, he met his father at the front door of their farmhouse. This must be a day of especially important significance to the people of this world. I had best not mess this up.

Edward, his father, seemed to be carrying a real sword in a scabbard, sheathed in a sword belt. Although I have noticed a few village duels where real swords broke in only a few strikes. What use could such brittle metal be in a real fight? “I’m ready, father.”

His father nodded as he opened the door. “Then let’s go. We will climb a nearby mountain today, but we’re going to stop a bit after we reach the base. Stay alert from now on — your life is in your own hands, even though I will try to protect you as much as I can. Fight every animal as if your life depends on it, even if it’s a small one.”

So the wildlife was considered quite dangerous in this world, then? I should take extra care to treat every woodland creature as a potential enemy. This is also a chance to try and sharpen my senses. I can’t rely on my father too much for this, even though he is likely strong enough to ensure I’ll escape at least. “Understood. I will take great care,” Frederick replied. He had his wooden sword belted, but decided to carry it in hand instead after hearing his father’s warnings.

“Very well. Since you are taking this seriously, I will give you another piece of advice: Always aim for either head or neck when possible. Most creatures have weak spots there. Even a wooden sword held by a child can do great damage if you hit a weak spot accurately.”

Frederick nodded as they began walking. This is the first hurdle. I have to give it my all. In my previous life, I would have depended on my father if something went wrong in this situation. I can’t do that here, even if the option exists… This is the only way I’ll be able to change and improve as a person. It starts today, at this very moment.

It began to snow. Frederick thought this was quite odd, considering what precious little he knew about the weather in this world. Is it magic, perhaps? Some kind of special climate, maybe? There is so little I know… I need to learn more, but unfortunately I am not in a position to do so yet. His choices were not the only factors that could change the direction of his own life - others had some measure of control and influence as well, and this was especially true in terms of his environment.

Am I perhaps too greedy? Am I perhaps being too arrogant in thinking I can achieve great things with a bit over eighty years of memories? Perhaps, I don’t possess eighty years of memories at all, and I am merely deluding myself into believing that? Frederick pondered his actions and their results so far. My sister and I have a decent relationship, albeit one expected of child siblings of our ages. Our parents are supportive but also strict, which doesn’t seem out of place to me… but what do I really know? These results could have easily been achieved by any normal child without the memories of an adult. All that they’d need is a small amount of luck to do so.

Frederick thought that this was probably him being too impatient, but decided he’d test this theory regardless during this trip. Father has been silent for quite a while. Frederick observed his environment, trying to sharpen his dull senses. Nothing seemed to come to his attention, but his father stopped walking as they exited the forest and a snow-covered peak stood before them. He drew his sword and turned to face Frederick. What is he doing? Frederick thought, wondering what his father could possibly have noticed that he didn’t. He turned, and there was still nothing, but as he turned to face his father again, his father had already closed the distance between them and was swinging his sword… at Frederick.

Frederick clumsily brought his wooden sword up to smack the blow away, but the weight of his father’s blade was heavy and it sheared cleanly through his petty stick. Frederick used the momentum to duck and roll through the snow and mud just in time to evade the first attack. His father seemed taken aback as Frederick flung what remained of his wooden sword at his father in response to his father’s follow-up attack.

“Ah, clever boy. You must have figured out why I brought you here,” he said, dashing in again. What the hell does he mean?? Frederick flung snow and mud at his father’s face as he leapt aside of his next incoming swing. Does he actually intend to kill me, out of sight of our family? Frederick stood but dug his left foot into the snow and mud, ready to use it as a diversion while his father wiped the mud from his eyes.

“You’re awfully accurate for a child. You must have good aim and eyes to match.”

Frederick smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I never knew filicide was common practice when your son comes of age.”

Edward scoffed. “You think too small. If this was enough to kill you, you wouldn’t survive long after this regardless.”

In other words, this world shows no mercy to the weak. “Understood. So, do I have to kill you?”

This seemed to take Edward aback, but then he laughed. “You, kill me? You’ll be lucky to leave a scratch and survive!”

Tough love it is, then… or so I hope that’s what this is. Frederick had scanned the area for rocks small enough for him to throw but also large enough to deal damage or at least serve as distractions. He waited for his father to make the first move this time, as his father was much faster than him, despite Frederick being faster and stronger than he should be by this age. The blade came down once more, aimed squarely across his carotid artery. A lethal blow, Frederick thought as he dropped to one knee and threw a pebble at his father’s right eye.

Edward brought his sword hand up to block the pebble by reflex, and in that moment, Frederick flung more muddy snow in his face. I have to disarm him, Frederick thought. But how? He is faster, stronger, and a better fighter than I am. I am fortunate that these childish tricks have worked so far, but eventually he’ll lose patience with me, I’m sure. Frederick threw two more rocks, one large enough to injure his father’s face and one barely large enough to leave a scratch, but the former was actually a trap so that the second would not miss its mark.

Edward deflected the first stone, but the second was too close to his left eye already for him to react to, so he shut his eyes tight. The stone hit him on his closed left eyelid, drawing blood. Frederick searched for something sharp enough or large enough that he could use it as an improvised weapon. There were several reasonably-sized pointy rocks in his general vicinity, all requiring him to move at least once more before he could reach them. My only option is to fight like a beast, but one that also knows the next move. Frederick tumbled and grabbed a sharp stone, but knew that wouldn’t be enough by itself to win this battle.

However, before he could scan the area again to see what was available, his father had already recovered and charged him again, despite the blood running down his left eye and hindering his vision. “You little shit! It’s time you learned to respect your elders!”

Frederick stabbed his father through his boot as he approached and raised his sword, but the strike didn’t penetrate deep enough to deal any permanent damage. However, his father let out a gasp, clearly not expecting this maneuver. I have to keep him guessing, or it’ll be over before I can do anything. Frederick wasted no time darting away before his father caught his balance, but his father seemed less than amused. He threw his sword blade first where Frederick was running to, and then tackled him. “You think you’re better than me, huh? Apologize, you little shit!”

Frederick noticed a sharp stone nearby, but couldn’t react before Edward punched him in the face full-force. He’s actually going to kill me! Frederick began to panic as Edward bloodied and bruised his face, his young teeth coming loose from his father’s blows. He bit into his father’s fish with all his might but his father seemed only mildly annoyed as he freed his fist. However, this gave Frederick the opening he needed.

He grabbed the nearby sharp rock and drug its tip across his father’s face as quickly and forcefully as he could, leaving a bleeding gash across his father’s right cheek. As his father recoiled a bit, Frederick brought both legs in and used all of his strength to kick his father full-force in his family jewels.

His father fell down now, clutching his groin and gasping for air. Frederick took the rock and started bashing and stabbing his father with it repeatedly, not allowing him a chance to react. It’s kill or be killed now. I can’t lose or I’ll die! However, despite Frederick’s vicious and relentless attacks, his father managed to recover enough to swing his left arm, brutally flinging Frederick into the snow with a strong blow to the side of his head. His father went and grabbed his sword as Frederick’s vision overlapped, causing him to feel dizzy and to see multiple copies of his father. Damn, it’s over. I’m dead.

His father brought his blade up with the point facing down, ready to run it through Frederick’s skull as he lay helpless. Frederick closed his eyes tight, not wanting to see his own father kill him. Forgive me, Ver. I couldn’t keep my end of the bargain.

A solid thud, then nothing. Nothing? Frederick opened his eyes, seeing the blade of his father’s sword protruding from the ground. “That’s my boy. You’re not quite there yet, but you have potential, for sure.”

Frederick looked up, astonished. “What?”

“Don’t make me repeat myself, son. You pass. You get to come of age earlier than planned. You’re a man now.”

All that was just a test? He almost died! Not to mention, he almost killed his own father in the process! “Are you… are you insane?” Frederick asked in shock. “I thought this was a battle to the death for sure! I almost killed you! What if you’d been a bit weaker? Veronica wouldn’t have a father right now!”

Edward stood up, pulling Frederick to his feet in the process. “If I’d been weak enough to lose to you, or you were strong enough to defeat me right now, your mother would have explained what came next. And you would be the one in charge of protecting your sister.”

Frederick paused. “What of your injuries? Those will surely hinder you for a while. Those are not small scratches, and there isn’t a healer in town right now.”

Edward smiled. “You are my pride and joy. Don’t disappoint me, son,” he replied, flipping his sword and handing it to Frederick hilt-first. “You’ll cover us on the way back, right? This sword shouldn’t be too heavy with your strength.”

Frederick sighed, accepting the sword and giving it a few test swings. Surprisingly, it’s not too much heavier than my wooden sword was. It feels like swinging a one-pound blade in my old world. “What animals do we have to worry about seeing?”

“No wolves yet as it’s too early in the season, but maybe a stray coyote pack or two. All you need to do is injure a few and they will likely flee. They don’t like prey that can fight back.”

Frederick stared at his father, who seemed to be breathing heavily still. It seems our fight wore his stamina down. I am back to breathing normally, so it’s likely he doesn’t recover very quickly from fatigue. “I understand, you can count on me, father. Wasn’t there something I needed to know here? My purpose, or whatever?”

Edward shook his head. “Your purpose can’t be revealed by such a simple test. You need to visit a Cathedral for that. The archbishop of any cathedral should be able to divine your path.”

So this was to merely prepare me for the journey, then… “Okay then. Should I lead?”

Edward smiled with pride because of his son’s progress. “Yes, son. Lead on.”

There were no wolves nor were there any coyotes on the return trip. However, the snow began to fall more frequently, blanketing the forest floor. Frederick had taken care to remember differently-shaped trees and rocks on the way to the mountain, and so had little trouble navigating back. I suppose being a boy scout once upon a time was good for something… Frederick’s father was limping in his gait, so Frederick looked for a suitable spot to rest.

Eventually, Frederick noticed some flat-looking boulders with snow on them. “That fight took a lot out of me, and it seems to be safe here. We should rest for a few minutes to recover some stamina, father.”

Edward nodded. “Good judgment call. However, only one of us can rest at a time. It would be silly to be ambushed by wolves or coyotes because we both let our guards down.”

Obvious to an adult. I suppose I should act as though that wasn’t the case, though. “Can’t I just stay alert while we both sit down?”

Edward shook his head. “No. Also, I’m going to keep watch first, since I am feeling pretty worn out. I feel like I will need more time to recover at my age.”

I fought plenty in my youth, though the fight was beaten out of me a very long time ago… and now to relearn how to fight again feels like I am treading through a bottomless swamp of bubbling tar. Frederick sighed. “I understand. Please keep us safe while I rest my legs for a bit. Thank you, father.”

Edward took back his sword as Frederick held it out to him hilt-first. He stood watch, facing toward Frederick. Likely to cover my blind spots, Frederick thought. However, it wasn’t long before Frederick noticed something was off. Why is it completely silent? Even for predators, that would be abnormal. Frederick stood. “Father, the sword please.”

Edward nodded, handing his sword over while looking around. “You can come out, we know you’re here already.”

There was utter silence. Not even a twig snapping or the sound of snow crunching beneath boots. They must be professionals. Unlikely to be bandits or robbers, it seems. But what about us two makes us worthy of the time of such people? Frederick took a deep breath. It’d be an enormous gamble, but should I reveal a hidden card or two to escape this situation?

“Father, allow me to speak to our… uninvited guests. Alone, please. I’ll meet you back at the house before sunset.”

Edward ground his teeth with a sharp, pointed glare when he turned to face Frederick. “I’m not leaving my son behind to die to save my own hide.”

Frederick wore a blank, neutral expression in response.. “Have more faith in your son. Also, it seems brute force isn’t the way to solve this situation. Please understand, father,” he replied, returning his father’s sword to him.

Edward grunted. “So be it. You’ve always been far smarter than the rest of us, perhaps too much for your own good. Being too sharp can get you into trouble later… be sure to hide your claws well.”

Frederick sighed in relief as his father began heading back. No one stepped out to impede his progress, either, it seemed. After his father was out of sight and certainly out of earshot, Frederick turned toward the northern edge of the forest path. “If you wish to speak with me, now’s a great time. You noticed something about me that seems off, didn’t you?”

A figure draped in a ragged brown cloak and wearing a potato sack with only the eyes cut out exited the treeline. “You… are you human?”

Frederick tilted his head. “What do you mean? Are there other races around here? Like… elves or something?”

The figure opened their eyes. Crimson, glowing eyes. “You speak eloquently… but I am not certain you are ignorant. Regardless, my eyes can see you are merely a human child. How do you know so much? You act far too knowledgeable for a child, even a genius one.”

Ah. In the fight with my father, they probably saw me perform far beyond what a child should be capable of… probably even with my superior physique for my age. “Let me put it this way: I am a genius who is also forced to work hard in secret, due to certain hardships. I have learned much secondhand by observation, and what I couldn’t learn there I have taught myself. The rest is due to my sharp instincts, I suppose.”

The hooded figure turned their back. The figure’s voice was neither feminine nor masculine when they spoke. Are people in this world capable of disguising their voice this well? Perhaps it could be a type of magic… regardless, he seems less than pleased with my response. I’ll have to be more careful. “Instinct… is that your final answer?” the figure questioned.

I knew it. They are trying to determine if it’s worth allowing me to leave this place alive. In that case… “Perhaps not, though the truth is a double-edged sword. If you peer into the abyss, the abyss can peer into you. I know you’re not here to play word games with me, however… is there something this abnormal child can do for you? Something that only someone like me can accomplish, I suppose?”

The figure spun, tossing a dagger as he did so. It was a blindingly fast throw, and Frederick ducked out of the way, but it still slashed open the top of his left shoulder. “Know your place. You have only been allowed to live because you could prove beneficial to us. If you fail the mission we give you, do not think that you or your family will live. I recommend you keep our conversation confidential as well, lest unfortunate innocent victims become involved.”

Frederick bit his lip so hard it began to bleed to stop himself from screaming. His shoulder was sliced open and his upper body was responding to it by shooting searing pain through his body that seemed to worsen every second. “Poison… is there an antidote for this, should I succeed?”

The figure nodded. “Good, you’re not only even more intelligent than we expected, but also wise enough to know when you’re outclassed,” the figure replied, tossing a glass bottle full of blue liquid into the snow. “A hundred heartbeats would kill an adult… at your age, more like seventy.”

Frederick dived toward the bottle despite the increasing pain and greedily drank the contents of the bottle as the figure turned to leave. “We have an accord. Do what you must to gain your freedom, then meet here again in seven sunrises to receive your mission orders.”

Frederick choked down the foul-tasting liquid but made sure to drink every drop and let none spill. His pain didn’t disappear immediately, but the poison’s spread was stopped and it seemed to exit through his pores. He oozed blood out of his sweat glands, which would normally seem a horrific sign and be incredibly painful as it was a symptom of the ebola virus in his previous world… but in this case the process actually soothed his pain.

Once his pain had subsided, Frederick stood up. My understanding of this world is far too shallow. I almost died at the mere whims of a servant who works for more powerful people… People who wish to use me as a mere puppet dancing to the tune their fingers play… I have to become more intelligent, learn more about the world, and do so with the utmost care and caution… At the same time, I must figure out how to become stronger and more powerful myself, as well. Frederick walked home with these thoughts and many others spinning in his mind. He was in such a daze that he hardly paid attention to watch for predators.

However, it seemed there was no need to, as the eerie silence followed him until he was merely a few hundred yards from his own home. The sound of crickets chirping during the early sunset was almost deafening when the sounds began again. Birds flew to their nests to sleep, and he could hear the sound of bees buzzing throughout the nearby field of flowers. My senses were heightened due to how oppressive the silence was just moments ago… Frederick covered his ears to block some of the noise until he could readjust.

Edward, Christina, and Victoria ran out of the house one after another to greet him. Victoria wrapped him up in a tight hug that was almost painful, but his parents merely stared at him expectantly, although his mother seemed more worried than impatient. So this is what it’s like to have people who care about you… I’d long forgotten how this felt. Frederick couldn’t stop himself, before he knew it, his tears were flowing without permission. “I… I’m home.”

His mother smiled weakly, and his father grinned, although it definitely seemed like he was forcing it. “Welcome home, son,” he replied.

I will have to ensure that my actions, both presently and in the future, don’t endanger this wonderful family that cares about me deeply… I could never forgive myself if I screwed it all up again in this life. Frederick hugged his sister back, patting her on the back. It seems she was crying too. “Idiot… don’t do that… I thought you died…”

I guess something still needed to be done, however. “We need to talk… inside. All four of us,” Frederick announced with a grim expression.

His father nodded. “Very well. Let us discuss this over supper.”

If I am to learn more about this world, without much context to go on, perhaps I should see if one of the ways of learning from my previous world works here. I should test the scientific method, as I know from my previous world, and find out if it can be useful in this world as well. Frederick released his sister from his hug, although she was reluctant to do so for a few more moments. “Please, Ver. It’s important.”

Veronica shook her head. “I don’t want you to leave again!”

She’s getting a bit too clingy in her affections. I treated her too well… now it’s time to put some distance between us, or else she could be in danger later. Frederick pushed her away with a bit of struggle. “Ver. This is more important than just me. If I don’t do this… bad things could happen to all of us. But if I do what I need to… We’ll be okay. Okay?”

Veronica started crying, bawling her eyes out as she ran inside. “Fine! Leave, then! I hate you!”

Frederick grimaced at those words. Why do I feel pained by this? It’s just the temper tantrum of a child after all… yet, hearing it from her still hurts. Frederick took a few deep breaths to calm himself. “I guess it will be us three instead.”

As they went inside, Frederick could hear Veronica’s muffled cries from her room. I think it might help a bit if I speak loud enough for her to overhear, but not so loud that I am obviously trying to make her hear me. “Father, mother… I need your permission to visit the nearest Cathedral, and I need to get there and back in less than six days.”

Edward looked pointedly at Christina, who sighed. “If that is what you want, then you can take the horse. Should get you to the city of Volmorata in two days. You’ll have to pass through the Village of Hiraneuz north of here before that, but they’re nice people and should let you stay the night somewhere. However, don’t let your guard down, even for a moment - the children have a tradition to steal from guests who don’t pay attention.”

So, I should pass through without rest. “Thanks for the warning. How far is the distance between here and the village, and then between the village and Volmorata?”

Edward thought for a moment before speaking up. “I believe it is about half a day to the village, and about a day and a half to the city. If you leave at sunrise tomorrow you’ll probably arrive by sunrise two days later.”

Frederick thought about this logically. I assume that’s under normal travel conditions, speed, and weather. I should probably push the horse a bit harder on the way there so that I ensure I make it within a day instead of two. No stops, unfortunately. Frederick thought of how to be most efficient and draw the least attention. I may have to circumvent the village. Going around will cost me several minutes at most, and is worth avoiding prying eyes and other possible distractions. Then Frederick realized a huge problem. I never learned how to ride a horse. Mounting and dismounting is probably possible, but how will I be able to get a horse to listen to me? “How mild-natured is our horse?”

Christina spoke this time. “What do you mean? Horses are our boon companions, always able to carry out a rider’s will. What does their nature matter if you’re not planning to ride into danger? You’re not going to do something dangerous, are you, Frederick Foreweather Gallantis?”

It seems the tradition of using a child’s full name when they’re in trouble is the same as it was in my previous world. “No… I was curious since I didn’t know if it would listen to me if it was more temperamental.”

His parents and sister all seemed confused by this logic. “I suppose even geniuses don't know everything,” his father remarked. “You'll be fine as long as you can get on and off of the horse.”

I suppose that settles it. “How much food should I take with me? Or rather, how long will I have to stay at the city?” Frederick inquired.

His mother put a finger to her lips, thinking. “You're a growing lad, but not a heavy eater either. Regardless, your father and I will ensure you have about a week's worth of meals, just in case. The only things that will last long enough are bread and jerky, and by then the bread will be questionable at best…”

Veronica entered the room, no longer crying. “I know I can't go with you, but please take this with you, Fred,” she stated, offering her brother a long object wrapped in a blanket. He unwrapped it to see a new wooden sword. It was longer, thicker, and heavier than his old one. “It's a replacement. You can borrow it while you're out there.”

She definitely thought ahead a bit. She probably wanted to give this as a gift later, so that we could train together, but I messed that plan up it seems. “I'll treasure it, Ver. It's definitely sturdier than the last one.”

These words brought a smile to his sister's face, and she waved her finger. “If you break it, father will be angry as well, since he helped make it,” Veronica retorted.

Frederick glanced at his father, who merely shook his head. “I only showed her how to carve a stick. She made that one by herself. Still, if you make your sister cry more than necessary I will be angry, as she said.”

With such a kind and loving family, how does one go down the wrong path in life? Yet, I once had people who cared without guile in my old life, too… so I suppose something happened along the way. Where did I go wrong? As Frederick pondered this, he came to a grim realization.

Even now, I've endangered them by not hiding my knowledge well enough. I should have played around as an ignorant child would have for longer… now the necks of my new family members are at risk… Frederick steeled himself with whatever willpower he could.

I have to protect this family. Even though I was the one who pushed my old family away, and that led them to tragic ends. I cannot erase my sins, but I don't want to add to them, either. I won't let anyone harm them on my account, no matter what.

Frederick’s tears fell without him even noticing. “Thank you… Thank you…”

Veronica hugged him again, more tightly this time. “You’re my one and only little brother. Make it home safe or I won’t forgive you.”

I cannot realistically promise that, with what insignificant skills and abilities I have. However… “I won’t fail. I’ll make it back alive and well no matter what,” Frederick promised. “Ask father to teach you the sword a bit while I’m gone. He’s not half bad,” Frederick remarked a bit snugly.

Edward grinned deviously. “Don’t forget, I’m still far out of your league, son. Don’t worry, I’ll keep everyone safe while you’re gone. Don’t overwork yourself and just do what you must. You’re not nearly as strong as I am yet, kid.”

He’s almost certainly right about that. It’s fair to say I’ve lived much longer than my own father, and yet he’s my superior in many ways related to life, both in knowledge and skills. This is what a person who has lived life fully looks like. “I’ll go pack some things of my own,” Frederick declared, standing up after Veronica released her death grip on him. I can’t take it easy any longer. Nor can I always take the easy way out of a situation. Frederick smiled at his sister, who smiled warmly back. I’ll never forget the warmth of these people, no matter how far I travel. Even though it still feels strange to think of them as my blood-related family, they are undeniably the most precious people to me in my life.

After Frederick and his family gathered what he needed for the trip, his father met him outside by gate with the horse saddled and ready. However, he had a gift of his own to give. A dagger? Frederick inspected the small sheathed weapon his father was holding out. “It’s yours. It’s merely a hunting dagger, good for preparing game to cook or transport, but it should also serve as a good self-defense tool in a pinch. It’s sturdy.”

He is more careful than I gave him credit for. I suppose he hasn’t survived to adulthood in this nearly-lawless world without having a care for dangers. I feel like I need to re-evaluate how much I should be respecting his knowledge and skills. Frederick accepted the dagger with a bow of respect and gratitude. “Thank you very much, father. I’ll be cautious with it. A wise beast hides their claws, right?”

Edward nodded. “Right you are, my son. However, A smart man knows how to pick his battles, as well. Remember that.”

I feel as though I’ve been judging my father unfairly, now. Not only is he skilled and cautious, he is aware of how others’ actions could provoke one another, and advised me as though I was an adult that could understand such concepts. Though I’m sure he has no idea why I’m as insightful as I am at my ‘young’ age, he’s still sharp enough to realize I have an adult’s intellect, rather than that of a mere child lacking any real experience. He may not know why, and think I’m a genius or something, but he is observant enough to see my current abilities even if I try to hide them.

“Thank you for your guidance. Where are mother and sister?” Frederick asked.

“Hm… I am not the one to say. Veronica and your mother are preparing for her coming of age test tomorrow. Perhaps in the near future we may need to send her to the cathedral as well, although I’m sure we can just give you the good news when you return.”

I may have helped her with some basic sword forms, though since I have no idea what kind of test awaits her, I don’t know if she’ll pass or not. “Ver will pass. I have faith in my older sister,” Frederick replied sharply.

Edward’s eyes narrowed. “You seem overconfident in her. Your test was more difficult than it should have normally been, for sure… but these tests aren’t a joke. Your sister… isn’t a genius like you are.”

Perhaps he’s right about that. “Whether she’s a genius or talented doesn’t matter to me. I want to believe in her. She’s my precious older sister.”

Edward sighed in resignation. “Okay then. I won’t stop you. Just be careful when choosing who to believe in.”

Frederick nodded, then mounted his horse. It understands the will of its riders, right? “Take care, father.”

With that, the horse instantly responded to Frederick’s will and began moving, and his father was soon out of sight.

Frederick’s horse began at a slow pace, but was steadily increasing as he became capable of handling himself despite the velocity. It seemed to know which direction he wanted to go and how fast he wanted it to move, and Frederick merely needed to hang on and stay mounted to achieve that. Horses in this world are quite useful, although it’s a bit sad that they don’t exert their own wills often. He thought about the horses in his own world. They were certainly more wild than these ones, less cooperative, and yet… there was somehow more joy in riding them.

Their farm only had one horse, and his father would likely be unhappy if this one died. Even so, I have little time. I must account for any errors in my planning by making it to the city earlier than planned. Within a few short hours, the village came into view on the horizon. He decided to avoid it, taking a wide circle around but increasing his pace doing so. The horse didn’t seem to be worn-out or anything yet, but he knew that even if it lacked its own will and used his, he didn’t have unlimited focus, either. In fact, my focus is likely below that of an average teenager’s in this world, so I should conserve my energy and focus on simple things.

It was a lonely ride, though. For all the time he spent with his family, in their warmth and care despite their individuality, the contrast of being alone riding a mount that had no personality of its own was stark. He wanted to reach the city in one day, and pushed his willpower and the horse’s body to do so as much as possible, but it seemed he was mentally exhausted before the horse ran out of stamina. The city was in view, but he knew from the hill he decided to camp on that it was still a morning’s ride out if he traveled at top speed.

I failed to make it to the city before the end of the day… but I suppose I’ll arouse less suspicion if I arrive in the morning anyway. I should consider the bright side. Frederick tied his horse to a tree even though, logically, it couldn’t go anywhere on its own. Although that doesn’t stop thieves from riding off with it. It seemed that horses didn’t eat or drink unless he prompted them, either. Are these actually animals? Or are they more like golems, lacking intellect and only doing as commanded?

Before his father sent him off, Frederick had asked about the ceremony to become a full-fledged adult, but he could only speak vaguely it seemed. The information is minimal and not helpful. If he spoke in riddles, I could figure out something based on the words of the riddle. If he could explain anything, I would be able to draw more information than he gave me by reading between the lines a bit. But ‘don’t forget’ is far too short considering I asked for advice. Perhaps giving information or advice is restricted for these things.

They were in a small forest clearing not far from the road but still out of sight. Frederick decided not to start a fire to stay warm and instead directed the horse to lay down so he could lean up to it and share body heat. He wrapped himself in a thick knitted blanket made by his mother in order to fight the chill that slowly crept over the area in the late afternoon. The sun hadn’t set yet, but it would soon. His consciousness slowly drifted off after he’d closed his eyes for a bit. I should stay awake until dark at least… Finally, Frederick could stay alert and awake no longer.

The sound of twigs snapping brought Frederick to his feet instantly. He couldn’t see anything, and there didn’t seem to be any lights or signs of human activity nearby. Coyotes, perhaps? Please, please let it be that or nothing at all… Frederick pulled out his dagger and picked up the wooden sword. I’m not great at using two weapons, but I need anything I can use. Frederick broke into a cold sweat. I can only pray it’s not wolves.

The horse didn’t react to the noises of twigs snapping and bushes rustling at all. It’s likely asleep, but whatever is out there is still being cautious of it. He raised his dagger and opened his mouth wide to breathe in as much air as possible, filling his lungs. “YOU WORMS, SHOW YOURSELVES! TO SNEAK UP ON A CHILD, HAVE YOU NO SHAME?!” Frederick bellowed defiantly, projecting his voice with as much force as his small, developing young lungs could muster.

It took not even ten seconds for someone to step out of the shadows of the trees and into the moonlit clearing. However, he was far from alone. Two… four… no, there are far too many. At least ten of them, possibly more hiding out just in case. “You’re not the ones from before huh? So you must be… highwaymen, I’d wager?”

Another man stepped out of the treeline, making the group Frederick noticed at least eleven strong. This one seemed more composed than the others, wearing a blank expression with eyes that seemed to reflect nothing. Dead eyes like that of a killer who has no hope. Damn… this is worse than when I was held at gunpoint by a mugger who was on drugs, back in my early thirties. I only escaped because I was lucky enough for someone to distract him back then… What can I do with this child's body of mine, even if I’m armed?

“You have guts, kid,” the leader spoke apathetically. “Unfortunately, they’ll be on the ground soon. Unless you hand over everything you have willingly, including the clothes on your back.”

They have no intention of sparing me either way, Frederick reasoned, seeing that the surrounding robbers were grinning deviously. But I should play along - deceptions in my best interest here. “Alright. I can’t win against more than a couple people, regardless. Can I keep my horse at least? It’s not mine to begin with and they’re probably out looking for it already, so it would be a shame if the owners found you guys instead of me.”

Something changed in the leader’s expression at that moment. This looks bad. Frederick sheathed his knife slowly, and then re-belted the sheath. He’s probably going to kill me even before taking anything. Whatever I said wrong, I guess it’s do or die now..

However, the bandit leader sheathed his sword. A curved blade. And then he unwrapped several layers of cloth from his face, revealing his grisly visage. Terrible burns over murky, dark green eyes. Where it’s not burned, his skin is quite pale… fallen nobility, maybe? However… It's hard to tell if his hair color is black naturally or because of the fires that burned him. It seems quite dirty and greasy, even for a peasant or highwayman.

Frederick noticed a multitude of fairly long, wide scars from cuts and slices that intersected with his burned flesh as well, and his left eye had a fair amount of the surrounding flesh burned away entirely, revealing the musculature beneath and exposing his entire eyeball. Any normal child would have instantly thrown up seeing this… but this is merely a slight disturbance to me. He’s no doubt judged my reaction already… What should I do? “They’re no ordinary robbers…” Frederick remarked before he realized he’d even spoken his thoughts aloud.

The leader gave a slight smile. “Astute… far too astute for a mere child. Everyone else, stand down, as I have questions that need answers,” the leader directed. Everyone else stepped back into the darkness of the trees until they vanished from sight. The leader then stared directly at Frederick. “What are you? Are you even mortal?”

Frederick was taken aback by this line of questioning. I have a feeling that if he senses deception here, he will kill me for certain. “I… don’t know. I have already died once, however. Here I am regardless.”

The leader tilted his head. “You died before? And what was the result?”

I shouldn’t give the full details, but I shouldn’t lie here, either. “I was born again, as a newborn infant. It’s been a while since then, though, so I’m not sure if it will work out again as it did before.”

The leader seemed to be evaluating something. “Born again, eh? Where did you learn that phrase?”

I’m not sure what he’s getting at here, but it must be that the phrase exists in the language of this world, as well. “I lived a long life previously. I heard it then.”

The leader took out a whistle. “Cover your ears.”

Frederick put his hands over his ears, and the leader blew the whistle very forcefully. The shrill, sharp screech of the whistle hurt Frederick’s ears even despite him covering them well. But he soon sensed that things in the area had become less quiet… insects began to make noise again. Did he just… “Did you just send them all away.”

The leader nodded. “My name is Eric Tennels. Or at least, it was. You came from Earth as well, didn’t you?”

Earth?! This man is also reincarnated? Frederick couldn’t hide his shock to learn this. So I’m not even the first one to be sent here, eh? I suppose it was arrogant to think I was even a little special… “Yes… It seems you’ve been around here for a while as well, though. How many years?”

Eric shook his head. “No, that’s not it. I just woke up in this body yesterday. I’ve had to catch on quickly to my situation, just to survive as the ruthless leader of this bandit group.”

Impossible! Or… I would say that, if this world’s rules made any kind of sense to begin with. “Weird. If we were reincarnated at different times, and in different ways, that means there could be others who were brought here in different situations as well. This world is far more dangerous and unpredictable than I gave it credit for.”

Eric closed his right eye and covered his left with his hand. They must be trying to picture or remember something that requires such focus that they need to block their own sight. Frederick pondered on what to do. I should probably try to trade what information I can with him, as it is undoubtedly valuable to them and will likely give them a reason to keep me around and alive longer.

“Eric, was it? My name in this world isn’t really what’s important between us. Instead, I’ll give you my original name. I was Matthew Miller in my previous life, and I died at the age of seventy-eight. In my time here, I’ve learned that time not only functions differently here, but also that common folk don’t measure time precisely at all. It was quite difficult and took years to learn the time difference between this world and Earth.”

Eric’s right eye opened a bit and he removed his hand from his left eyeball. “What do you want from me, since you’re telling me this?”

Frederick stood his ground, but knew he couldn’t win against Eric if they fought. It was obvious. Fortune favors the bold, or so I pray right now. “There are many other important things I know about this world that can only be learned through experience or study, though it’ll take some time to impart those to you. I know I’m not in a great position to negotiate, but would you agree to let me live if I agree to share as much knowledge as I can whenever I’m able to? I have many goals in this life, and I might need my head still attached to my shoulders in order to achieve them.”

Eric seemed to think about it for a few moments. Yet, that’s clearly an act. By his actions, I can already tell that his decision has been made. I just need to wait for the answer. “I agree. That’s not a bad idea. However… how do I know you won’t just run off and never come back?”

Of course he’d want some assurance. However, this is easy. “I won’t say exactly where I live, but the nearby city is two days by horse northward from my home. The village to the south is about half a day. We can meet somewhere near the village… Perhaps the nearest grove to the east of the village would be convenient? Also, I’ll need about one lunar cycle between our meetings before I can give you any significant updates.”

Eric seemed to consider this for a bit. “Despite my appearances, I’m not actually cruel enough to involve someone else’s family. I was a family man myself… once. Anyway, if that’s what you want to do, we can meet up and talk shop in whatever this world’s version of a lunar cycle is… well, how many days is that here?”

He didn’t even have time to figure that out since he was reincarnated today… he’s really quick to adapt, however. “There are ten “months” in a “year” here. Each “month” is one hundred “days”. If you have more questions…” Frederick began to explain, but since he’d been watching the area behind Eric, he noticed as the shadow of someone approached. “We’ll have to pick up our talk later. We both are very busy. I suppose for your sake, you can name me your “spy” or “lookout” or whatever suits your needs.”

Eric didn’t bother to turn around. “Hanthorn. What is so urgent that you’d interrupt?”

Frederick’s eyes widened. He was able to not only sense the person’s presence, but also exactly who it was without even turning around? I wonder how he did that… enhanced senses, perhaps? I’ll have to look into that. Frederick took one step back and gave a short bow. “I’ll have a fair deal of good news later, boss.”

Eric nodded. “Allow the child to pass. He’s our ‘eyes and ears’, for now… at least until we find someone better at what he does, or he makes a foolish mistake.”

Hanthorn, a gruff man with a beard who wore two enormous axes strapped to his back, merely shrugged in agreement before holding up a fist and then waving his other hand once forward to signal. The other bandits gathered and then grouped with Eric. “I’ll be seeing your work shortly. Don’t disappoint me.”

I know that’s for more than just looks. He’s expecting a lot from me because he also believes I’m capable… Whether or not that’s true, just receiving this kind of chance is a victory for me. “I won’t. Count on me.”

Eric nodded, and signaled two muscular bandits to come to attention. “Make sure my new talent safely exits this forest. Make sure to bring any wild animals you’re forced to kill on the way, we could use the extra meat and pelts. Try not to break too many bones on those animals or we may lose materials.”

The bandits saluted Eric. The taller, slightly less muscular of the two spoke first. “Of course, leader! We will be certain to carry out your orders perfectly.”

Eric glared at the tall bandit murderously. Clearly not something he wanted me to hear, Frederick mused. “If you cannot… I will find someone else. You’re merely replaceable brigands, so keep your wits about you.”

The two bandits began to tremble in fear as if they were faced with an enormous, bloodthirsty predator. His reputation alone is enough to strike fear into his subordinates. That glare lacked any actual blood lust, or else my child’s body would have also been instinctively affected at this distance. Even in the fight with my father, his killing intent was much more tangible. Frederick walked away casually, waving on his way out.

The two bandits followed Frederick, staying close enough to react to danger but not so close that they were overbearing. After Frederick entered the forest, he turned to thank them, but they were already walking back the way they came. I suppose their generosity only goes as far as completing their orders. I can’t blame them, though… who would trust a suspicious child who is suddenly favored by your ‘leader’?

Frederick took a mental note of the things he had to do to survive in the immediate future, and prayed that the unfortunate encounters he had to have wouldn’t ever overlap. If I am ever found to be a thorn in the side to those with greater power or influence, my entire family and I will likely be silenced permanently.

Frederick tightened his resolve as he repacked his supplies and prepared to depart with his horse. I cannot let that happen, no matter what. No matter how many corpses I have to step over on my way, I’ll protect those precious to me in this life. No matter how many people I must harm or kill, I’ll shield those closest to me.

Frederick let out a sigh of relief once he mounted the horse and it began moving at a reasonably-quick trot. However, I need to become a master of manipulation, so good at deceiving those who would use me for their own gain to the extent that even I won’t know the difference between the truth and a bold-faced lie, if not for knowing my own thoughts.

Frederick sped up his trot as the first hints of dawn began to show on the horizon. The blackened sky began to turn a deep, dark purple as the great blue orb of fire began rising in the sky. Sunrise is much quicker than in my world… Despite this, based on the star that this planet revolves around being a pale blue hue, I’d wager it’s a blue star in the main sequence of its life cycle… of course, assuming this universe follows any kind of similar logic to my own.

While Frederick was absorbed with various academic thoughts and theories, his horse came to a stop, snapping him back to his current situation. The horse had stopped about fifty or so yards from a fortified gate and stone defensive walls. There was a narrow moat circling the outside of the walls as well, likely to slow invading forces and as a method of disposing of waste. There were a fair number of armed and armored guards at the gates, as well as several patrolling guards holding crossbows atop the walls.

Frederick dismounted his horse and brought it up to the gate by the reins. He was greeted by one of the guards who had just cleared another traveler for entry, and it seemed Frederick wouldn’t be the last to enter, as a wagon was approaching behind him a fair distance away.

The guard eyed Frederick with suspicion. “You’re a long way from home, kid. Why are you here?”

Frederick took out a sealed letter his father had prepared with the “seal of trials” stamped on the back in green wax.

The guard nodded. “You’re a lot younger than most who come to prove their worth. I’d wager you’ll need directions to the cathedral, then?”

So there isn’t a gate toll… I assumed this could be the case, since father didn’t send me with too much money on hand. “Yes, sir. That would be very helpful.”

The guard chuckled. “Been a while since I’ve been called, sir. You know what kid, you’re funny enough I’ll give you a good tip, too. Steer clear of the slums… it’s normally not dangerous for adults, but at your size, you would be an easy target for some… unsavory types. Anyway, we have a stack of city maps for those who are supposed to take their personal trials… if you’re being sent here at your age, I assume you can read one, at least?”

Frederick nodded. “I’m still new to it, but I can manage,” he lied in order to act humble.

This seemed to please the guard, who went to retrieve something from the tower for a moment, leaving Frederick under the watch of two other guards temporarily. After he returned, he handed over a map. “Not everyday we get such young visitors who are as bright as you. Even so, I’d advise caution. Better to act ignorant than to show your intellect in some cases around here. Best of luck with your trial.”

Well, that at least confirms there is some kind of test required to obtain my freedom as an adult. “Thanks for your support, as well as the kind warning. I’ll take it to heart.”

The guard waved Frederick past as the next wagon approached, clearly used to doing this kind of thing and wanting to move on to his next task. Frederick led his horse into the city by the reins, figuring it was a good time to find a place to stay and also to allow his horse to rest. Before that, however, he’d need to locate the cathedral.

He took a look at the map of the city the guard gave him, noticing that the main streets were neat lines that overlapped near the central square, but that many adjacent areas were not well-organized, and the buildings seemed to be built with the river running east-to-west through the city in mind when concerning the layout. He noticed a few larger buildings that stood out among the rest, albeit one was far larger than the rest.

That’s either the cathedral, the keep area, or a medium-scale training grounds, most likely. Frederick noticed that his presence wasn’t taken note of by anyone around him, as they seemed too busy with their own work or tasks to care what he was doing in the street. A few vendors eyed him occasionally, probably trying to size him up as a potential customer for their stalls. I need more info, and buying from the local markets can’t hurt to establish a connection or two.

Frederick approached a stall that was selling various meats, checking to ensure his coin pouch was still attached to his belt. Good, no one has robbed me yet at least… Frederick knew he had a silver coin inside among the copper and tin ones, but that would draw too much attention to himself for even pulling it out, so he made sure to keep it near the bottom of his pouch. Additionally, he chose to carry less coinage in his pouch than he had, storing the rest in his backpack so that his pouch seemed somewhat empty. No need to seem like a mark for others to steal from.

Frederick eyed the meats under the watchful eyes of the stall owner, a somewhat muscular middle aged man with a protruding belly and a long, bushy brown beard. He seemed somewhat weathered for his age, as well, his face showing signs of wrinkles and his medium-length dark brown hair having gray strands mixed in. Frederick noted his appearance, in particular, because of his attitude of being watchful but not showing any signs of disdain or hostility to Frederick despite his intentional bit of ‘window shopping’.

Eventually, the stall owner spoke while Frederick was eyeing the various meats. “See anything you like, kid? Though, most of the meats here are pricey. There’s a shortage of livestock this season.”

He even gives a bit of unsolicited information to prospective customers. Someone with good business acumen like this is worth taking note of. “Which are your cheapest meats?”

The stall owner stared at Frederick for a moment, likely performing some mental calculation. “Five coppers per small box of the dark meats you see over there. They don’t spoil as quickly as others here since they’re cooked a certain way, but they’re already stale and don’t taste great to begin with. I have some slightly more expensive meats that are fresher as well, running up to around a tin piece per small box… depending on which meats you’re interested in.”

Ah, he’s likely trying to draw my attention away from those cheaper meats now that I’ve shown interest in buying something. However… taste isn’t that important to me now. “If I were to pay for ten small boxes of the cheapest meats, could I take one now and bring proof of purchase before I leave the city for the other nine?”

The stall owner adjusted his expression to a neutral one, nodding. “No problem. I am not the best writer, but I can tell my own handwriting. Bring my order note back when you’re ready for the other nine. For now, I’ll pack the first one for you as you wish. That comes out to fifty coppers or five tin pieces, but I can give you a discount since you’re buying in bulk… How does forty-five copper sound?”

Frederick pondered the price for a few moments. I have more than enough, but I should probably still haggle a bit to see if I can do so successfully in this world. “Hm… I’m only taking one box with me now, and by the time I leave the other meats will have aged a bit more. How about forty?”

The stall owner shook his head. “Lowest I can reasonably go is forty-two coppers.”

Frederick held out his hand for a handshake, which confused the stall owner. “Uh, you have to pay first, kid.”

So the handshake isn’t a known gesture in this world… or at least, not locally. “No, it’s called a handshake. You grip my hand the same way I grip yours after extending your hand in response. It’s a sign of trust among people who trade, or at least it is where I came from. We do this when a deal is made.”

The stall owner seemed a bit baffled by this, but reluctantly performed a handshake with Frederick. The man’s hands were much larger, so when his hand closed on Frederick’s, it seemed like his childish hand disappeared. Then, Frederick released his grip, and the stall owner followed suit. He’s clever enough to recognize foreign signs of trust as being potentially beneficial as well, Frederick noted as he opened his coin pouch.

He collected four tin coins and two copper once, equaling the value of forty-two copper coins as agreed. He also pulled out an additional three coppers. “Forty-two coppers for the meats, and an extra three if you’d be kind enough to tell me where a reasonably priced inn or tavern is that I can stay for the night tonight.”

The stall owner grinned as he collected the coins from Frederick. He placed them into a slit in his stall’s surface, likely dropping the coins into some kind of box below. “No problem at all. I’m happy to help,” he replied before taking out a map of his own. It was similar to Frederick’s, but older and had several locations marked on it. Frederick took out his own map to compare. The stall owner smirked as he noticed this while spreading the map out atop an empty space on the stall’s surface. “This is where my stall is. There are four nearby inns on this street that are decently inexpensive and not too poorly maintained,” he explained as he pointed out his stall, marked in green, and the nearby locations he mentioned, which were marked in red.

The stall owner then pointed at a building on the map that was much further away, but Frederick also noted it was closer to the largest building in town, which he needed to visit today regardless. “This is the cheapest inn in town, albeit I wouldn’t recommend it unless you need to go to that area already, since they have some of the worst food in town. Their ale is terrible too, but their water is decent enough I guess. You’ll probably have to eat your own food there, that’s how unpleasant it is. Also, even though the rooms are cheap, they charge for drinking water. Regardless, it’s an option and I don’t want to deprive a paying customer.”

Frederick bowed his head a bit in gratitude. “Thanks a bunch. One more question. Where is the local cathedral?”

The stall owner chuckled. “Not from around here, huh? You can’t miss it. It’s the largest building on the map, and if you keep going up the hill on this street, it’ll soon come into view. I won’t pry, but I can take a guess as to why you’re here now. Take care and good luck. I’ll be ready to get the rest of your meat packed into boxes when you return.”

Frederick smiled and waved as he turned to walk away. He observed his surroundings, as well as the nearby people, just in case anything was awry. However, this time at least, no one was watching him or taking any note of him as he walked by. That doesn’t mean I can relax yet… I’m in a new and unfamiliar place. Better to stay vigilant and not regret my laziness later. Frederick pondered this thought for a moment.

Regret my laziness? I remember decades passing where I did nothing significant and put no effort into life, but in this life I’ve been different. At least, so far. Frederick noted the various styles of clothing people wore as he passed by, also noticing several groups doing business that seemed to be either foreigners or non-local residents of the territory. Various discussions could be heard as well, albeit from the safe distance Frederick remained at, he could only hear snippets and a few words on occasion. Nothing important or noteworthy stood out so far to him.

The poor and working class seemed to wear woolen clothes, or sometimes low-grade leather items such as their shoes or boots. Few seemed to wear gloves, and at even the two blacksmith shops he’d passed so far he’d noticed no aprons and a scarcity of raw materials about. I knew this world was short of usable resources, but I didn’t think it was really to this extent. In that case, how astronomical must the expenses of having built the enormous cathedral have been? Frederick viewed the twisted spires and ornate peaked towers of the Cathedral as he walked uphill and the building came into clear view. It’s also reasonably close to reach on foot, thankfully.

Frederick continued walking and observing his surroundings without being too obvious about it. Around twenty minutes had passed by his own world’s reckoning of time when he’d reached the area surrounding the cathedral building proper. Looked for the main entrance for a moment, finding it easily by how overly-decorative the archway around the double doors was. As he approached, a woman wearing simple brown robes was sitting on a simple stool. She appeared a bit cautious of Frederick, a child who seemed abnormally fit and carried a heavy load.

But moreover, she took note of his horse. “There is a stable around the left side, but you can only use it while you’re here. Return here once you stable your horse.”

Frederick nodded, leading his horse around the side of the Cathedral to the stable area as instructed. It was a fairly clean stable, but then again, the stable having been attached to a cathedral likely meant there were extra hands to do the chores and cleaning. There was another younger girl who was wearing simple gray robes, likely an apprentice or trainee of some kind. She noticed Frederick enter and came up to him with a curious look.

“You’re not from this area,” she stated. “I don’t see many kids around my age here from outside of town.”

Frederick handed the reins to her with a neutral expression. “I’m a bit unusual, since I’m here for my personal trial this early.”

The girl shook her head. “Unusual? Not at all. Rare to see those as young as you do so, but I don’t think that’s weird or anything. You’re certainly not the youngest to have done so recently.”

So, there are others who are gifted enough to qualify. I wonder if they’re also reincarnated here, or if they’re simply young geniuses from this world? “Thanks for your kind words. I’ll be back when I’m finished.”

The girl closed her eyes for a few moments in silence, then opened them again. “I pray for your success. Do your best to survive.”

Survive? That must mean the trial is either dangerous to people my age, or dangerous in general. I’ll have to be extra careful. “I appreciate it, farewell for now,” Frederick responded as he turned away.

The young girl’s very plain appearance was mismatched with her kind and friendly demeanor. She was around his own age, and had short hair as well as freckles here and there. Perhaps people with plain or undesirable appearances were not discriminated against as naturally here as they were in his previous world, but he decided he would look into this in more detail later to see if it’s just individual traits of the people he’s met so far, or if there are cultural or societal factors at play.

It took almost two days to get here, and will likely take as long if not longer to return home since I’ll need to be extra careful to avoid trouble. That means I can’t stay more than two days in the city if I am to keep my word and arrive in time for the clandestine appointment I set with those menaces that accosted my father and I. I should prepare in any ways that I can. Frederick returned to the front entrance where the woman in brown robes was no longer sitting, but standing by the doors with her hand on one of the handles.

“For what purpose have you come to this Cathedral of the Sacred Light?” she questioned.

Frederick took out the envelope with the green seal once more, showing it to the woman. “I am here for my coming of age trials.”

The woman nodded as she opened the door. “Enter in silence and remain standing aside the doors as there is a service happening right now. When the pews begin to empty, only then should you approach the Bishop who stands at the altar and show him your letter. Speak no words within unless spoken to first—that is one of the laws outsiders must observe here.”

Frederick nodded silently in response, not wishing to endanger his stay by responding verbally. The woman opened the massive wooden door and allowed him entry, though doing so seemed to take her a fair amount of effort. The door closed slowly behind him, creaking loudly as it did so. Despite this, not even one person in the service turned to face him, and the person who was speaking at the altar continued their speech uninterrupted. The speaker seemed like an average citizen, while the Bishop stood off to the right-hand side of the Altar in silence from Frederick’s point of view.

The bishop wore simple white robes, and though white fabric itself was fairly scarce in this world, there were no jewels or embroidery or any kind of designs on his clean robes. The worshippers here must not enjoy opulent vanity as much as the priests in my own world did… Although, that makes me curious about why the architecture of the building itself seemed so grand by comparison. It may be worth asking around for information about the building later.

Frederick stood in silence as he stepped quietly to the left of the doors. He listened to the speakers and sermons half-heartedly, knowing that people who firmly believe and are outspoken about it are usually zealots, and those who are merely followers don’t have much to say about their religion while they live their day-to-day lives. The service continued for what seemed like all day, but by Frederick’s sense of time, couldn’t have taken more than a quarter of the day’s light.

I need to develop a precise way to measure time in this world at some point. It will be an enormous advantage when it comes to managing my daily activities. He noted repeatedly during his time in this world, as well as his observations in this city, that nothing similar to a clock exists here. It’s likely that such an invention hasn’t even been considered at this time, but seeing as others aside from myself reincarnated here… well, it’s only a matter of time before one of them invents a timepiece.

After the last speaker, the Bishop offered some closing words, after which a closing prayer was offered. Frederick respectfully bowed his head and closed his eyes, even if he didn’t know anything about this world’s religions. I did read about the Sacred Light briefly in a few childrens books a while back, but there wasn’t much said there other than that a ‘blessed hero’ once vanquished the darkness after much tragedy. The Bishop looked around as people left, chatting to one another quietly. I supposed the silence rule doesn’t apply to people attending the service, Frederick noted as he made eye contact with the Bishop.

The Bishop beckoned Frederick with a smile. “What can I help you with, child?”

Frederick pulled out his envelope, still stamped with the green wax seal, and handed it to the Bishop after approaching. “I am here to attempt my trials today.”

The Bishop’s smile vanished, replaced with a look of concern. “Are you certain? No youth should have their future cut short this soon unless necessary. Are you absolutely certain?”

Frederick stood resolutely. “I am. I have my reasons.”

The Bishop sighed, running a hand through his thinning, short gray hair briefly. “You are the second youth so young to attempt their trials this week. I pray you will succeed where they did not. No one can assist you, so once you enter the chamber, you must find your way alone.”

Someone my age tried and perished in the process, it seems. The Bishop led him to a plain wooden door set in a simple frame stone bricks without decoration. Clearly the area for undergoing the trials was meant to showcase humility. “Beyond this door, your trial will begin. Enter when you are ready,” the Bishop instructed. He then walked away, leaving Frederick alone.