I was seeking change in a life that seemed monotonous and unchanging.
I wanted to live a life different from others. Even though I thought about it, I ended up being just another cog in the societal machine, wasting time at work, drinking with friends, and making foolish small talk.
That was pretty much the only enjoyment I had. No, when I was younger, there were countless sources of joy.
But as I grew older, those joys gradually diminished. My body became sluggish, and even moving felt like a chore.
I used to be good at sports.
Even in love, I would strategize with friends to woo women. I cared about my appearance, and since I didn’t have much money, I worked part-time jobs tirelessly. Even when I finally had a girlfriend, I still had the drive to pursue other women.
But all of that became constrained by ethics, rationality, and the reminder that I was no longer young.
I couldn’t do anything that would trouble others.
I just quietly worked, earned money, spent it on small pleasures, and waited for old age. Was this really the life I wanted? The sudden doubt brought anxiety, and I longed to immerse myself in something, so I picked up a book.
Recently, e-books and web novels have become more popular, allowing me to escape reality and lose myself in stories.
Among them, I particularly loved reading novels about war, filled with strategy, tactics, schemes, and political upheaval. But I wasn’t serious enough to become an otaku, nor did I actually learn any strategies or tactics.
I simply admired the heroes in the stories and wanted to go on adventures like them, to shine in my own way. Or perhaps, I wanted to be reborn as the child of a wealthy family and live without a care in the world.
Or maybe, I wanted to be a villain, delivering cool lines before meeting my end.
Every character was an object of admiration. If I were ever reborn, I wanted to be like them.
Peace is a virtue, and being born into a peaceful world is a blessing. That much is certain. But I was just an ordinary person with no potential to become a hero.
What did happiness even mean to me?
♢
“Waaah, waaah!”
I realized something had changed when I heard the cry of a baby.
(Huh? What’s going on? I can’t move. My vision is blurry, and moving feels so difficult that I can’t even recognize my own body.)
“Oh my, Fly is such a crybaby. Your brother didn’t cry this much.”
As soon as I heard a woman’s voice, I was suddenly lifted into the air.
(What?! She’s picking me up? Is this a hospital or something? The nurse is incredibly strong!)
I struggled to open my eyes, and in the blurry scene, I saw a young, beautiful woman with reddish-brown hair and Western features I didn’t recognize.
Her white skin and crimson eyes left a strong impression as she smiled at me.
“Here, it’s time for food.”
Suddenly, the woman pulled aside her clothes and exposed her chest! No, this is wrong! A young woman shouldn’t be exposing herself to an old man like me! I tried to raise my hand to stop her, but I couldn’t move at all.
Had I been seriously injured and left immobile? Was I being forced into this infantile roleplay because I couldn’t move? Ugh! Her chest pressed against my mouth, and I was made to drink milk. I must have looked ridiculous.
But, oh God, I have something to say to you! God, you really do exist!
It was then that I realized—I was the baby! The mouth touching her chest was tiny, and the hands clutching her were those of an infant.
I understood that I had become a baby, but I had no interest in being fed milk by a young woman! Couldn’t my consciousness have returned a bit later? God, you really need to read the room!
But, strangely enough…
“Fly, I’m your mother~ Drink up and grow big and strong, okay?”
She was my mother? Was that why? The warmth from her made me feel happy. I couldn’t taste anything, but I had wished for change, and God had granted it.
It was a sensation I had long forgotten.
“Fly, you are the second son of the Eltor family. You were born to support your older brother. Grow up healthy and strong, and fulfill your duty!”
The days after I regained consciousness flew by in an instant.
♢
Let me sort out my situation.
My name is Fly Eltor. I’m currently five years old.
Though it was embarrassing, I drank the milk my mother gave me. It’s not like I wanted it from the bottom of my heart. No, not at all!
As a reincarnated person, I have decades of memories, and my hobby is reading. I loved immersing myself in the worlds of stories.
And the world I woke up in is the world of the novel I was reading before my reincarnation—The Chronicles of the Fargulia Continent.
In the Fargulia Continent, a great war that would engulf the entire land was destined to break out in the future.
In the midst of the war, many heroes would rise and fall.
It was a story filled with tragic drama.
But I had no recollection of a character named Fly Eltor.
Well, the Eltor ducal family is one of the highest-ranking noble families in the empire, ruling over a quarter of the continent, and they do appear in the story.
But there’s no trace of a character named Fly Eltor. In other words, I’m a mob among mobs. Even if my life has been reborn, does that mean I’m still destined to be ordinary?
Still, I was born as the second son of a wealthy family.
And in a fantasy world, no less.
A world on the brink of war, filled with swords and magic.
How could I not be excited? It’s impossible for me not to be. I’m thrilled. Should I train like crazy and become the strongest? Or should I master magic since I have the time? No matter what path I choose, I can start over—how amazing is that?
I wouldn’t mind being reborn like this as many times as possible.
♢
Haha, did you think my personality would change just because I was reborn? No way.
I’m now fifteen years old, but I’m still as ordinary as ever.
I did try to put in the effort.
I tested the common trope in web novels and light novels—that using up all your magical power would increase your mana pool. But no, before you even run out of mana, you get headaches and nausea, and it’s incredibly exhausting.
Then, what about training in swordsmanship from a young age to become the strongest? That’s even more impossible. No matter how much I swung my sword among burly adults, I never got any stronger.
If anything, I just got knocked around, and as the son of a duke, I only received basic instruction.
No one took me seriously. Well, at first, swinging a sword was fun, and I got really into it for a while, but I never became strong.
I thought about using my knowledge of war stories to learn tactics and strategy, but I didn’t remember any of it, so I had zero talent as a strategist.
I had hoped to be called a prodigy, but at home, I was just seen as a quiet, absent-minded boy.
So, I was raised as an ordinary second son of a noble family.
Well, youth is a wonderful thing. With the guidance of the teachers assigned to me, I managed to learn manners, history, basic magic, and swordsmanship to a decent level.
Long live youth.
I didn’t need to force myself to increase my mana pool or push myself to the point of muscle soreness. Just by going with the flow, I managed to become somewhat competent.
“Fly! Do you have no ambition?”
“Brother, that’s not true. It’s just that I’m your replacement. Both Father and Mother have raised me to support you.”
“Is that so? Aren’t you frustrated?!”
My brother is a passionate man. He throws himself into everything with full force and has the honesty to follow through on what I say.
When I was training to exhaust my magical power…
“What are you doing? Why are you forcing yourself to run out of mana like that?! Do you think you have multiple lives to spare?!”
“Brother, this is to increase my mana pool.”
“That’s not how it works! No one ever taught us that!”
“Brother, you’re still a child. You’re just a good kid who listens to what adults say.”
Back then, I was full of reincarnator superiority. I took advantage of my youth to provoke my brother.
“Hmm, maybe I shouldn’t just listen to what the teachers say all the time.”
“See? Why don’t you try it too, Brother?”
“Uh… but running out of mana gives me headaches and nausea…”
“Are you scared?”
When I provoked him, my brother always took the bait.
“I’m not scared! I’ll do it!”
My brother was seven years old at the time. He was so cute.
