CH 2

Chapter 2: Isekai Reincarnation

Posted bytheredsargeantJuly 19, 2020Posted inFun Territory Defense

Original Author’s Note: A few more chapters to follow, but I will try to keep up!

I walked through the darkening city, the lights slowly dimming.

The cracked asphalt smells burnt, so I keep my head up.(T.L. Note: Not sure what the connection was but, I guess I wouldn’t really like the smell either.)

I’m from a rural area. I was born and raised in an area by the ocean, mountains and rivers. My first experience with city life was when I moved into the downtown area of a city in order to commute to college.

I got a medium vehicles license, and later a motorcycle license, and enjoyed life in the city.

There was a job offer at the university in my hometown, but something compelled me to chose a life in the city.

However, after a few years, I couldn’t help but feel homesick. My diligence at work was appreciated, and the number of tasks I was entrusted with increased, but the amount of time I spent in the company increased as well.

I would get up early and go to work, work until night, then come home and go to bed. The same monotonous routine day after day. Before I knew it, I had lost weight.

The most enjoyable thing about city life is riding a motorcycle in the city at night. Sadly, my work fatigue prevented me from pursuing my hobby.

One day, I came home at ten o’clock at night, put my bags down and decided to finally ride my bike. It had been a long time since I’d done any maintenance on the bike, but I was able to ride it right away.

After a bit a light riding, I rode down the highway, enjoying the night view. I stopped at a restaurant facing the sea, gazing at the ocean while drinking coffee.

It’s a fairly popular tourist destination, and the buildings and ships are both lively and fun to look at. The famous glass-works are closed at this time, but most of the restaurants with terrace seats are open.

I took a break and relaxed there, and before I knew it, it was already closing time.

I can hardly remember the ride back.

The only moment I remember was the sight of the ocean passing by as I drove down a long bridge, the scene looking as though it was a picture taken long ago.

The next thing I knew, I was lying in bed.

I should have been riding my motorcycle, so I was confused as to when I had returned home. There was a high ceiling and a bed that was so big and fluffy that it was hard to believe it was for a child.

There was no doubt about it. This is a corner room on the second floor of the Marquis Fertio’s castle. In more specific terms, it is my room. The familiar stone walls and wooden pillars lined up at equal intervals, illuminated by magic crystals.

The sky was still dark, and the most beautiful starry sky I had ever seen was spreading out. I couldn’t help but raise my upper body up and look out the large window, which was the size of about two tatami mats.

I don’t know why. It’s a strange feeling.

Outside the window, I could see the lush green garden and the stone wall that I was always looking at. Behind it, the southern part of the city spreads out. In the center, the main street stretched straight ahead, with high walls and gates at the end of it.

As I stood on my bed, put my hands on the window sill, stretching and looking out, a voice called to me from behind.

“Ah, Master Van! It’s not safe over there!”

I heard a slightly distracted voice and turned around to see a droopy-eyed girl with long brown hair. She was wearing a black-based maid’s outfit and a white apron with frills on it.

She’s one of my personal maids, Till.

Despite her voice, I can tell that Till is quite impatient. It is apparent that she is desperately trying to stop me.

“Yeah, sorry. Good morning Till”

I apologized and sat down on the bed, and Till stopped dead in he tracks and froze.

“Eh, uh, no! Thank you for listening! And, by the way, Master Van? What were you doing just now…”

Till asks concernedly, and I tilt my head and point to the window.

“I was just looking out the window to observe the beautiful view”

As he replied, Till blinked open her eyes and was astonished.

“Where did you learn such difficult words, Master Van? How could it be, you are only two years old…”

Two years old? I’m almost thirty years old and what did Till…?

Thirty years old?

No, I don’t know how I came to be here. As I recall, I was so busy after I went to college and started working, I don’t think I had time for that.(T.L. Note: Not quite sure what he is referring to with “that”, maybe he thinks he on vacation in a castle?)

So I quit my job?

No, that’s not it either. Are we in Japan to begin with? I’ve never been out of Koshiro yet, but I’ve never met any people of Japanese descent. They are not that big, actually being rather slender, but none of them have a Japanese facial structure. (T.L. Note: Koshiro might be the name of the castle, I am not 100% sure. What I do know is that he is confused at the distinct lack of Japanese people)

A castle full of halflings? In the first place, are there castles made of such stones in Japan? It is clearly different from a church, and the soldier who walks in the corridor has armor and a sword.

It’s a huge violation of the swords and firearms law.

“…..Ah, um, Van-sama?”

While I was thinking about it, Till called my name and looked at me.

Hmm? Yes, it appears I do have a name.

“My name is Van Ney Fertio, right?”

“Well, Master Van. Can you tell me even your family name already? Master Van is so smart…”

Till happily started to praise me, but I’m not so sure about her praise.

”My father is Jalpa, Marquis Fertio and my brothers are Murcia, Yardo, and Sesto. Is that it?”

After he tilted his head and asked, Till looked surprised and answered.

“Yes that is right. The head of the family is Marquis Jalpa Bull Ati Ferto. Your brothers are Murcia Elago Felto, Yardo Guy Fertio, and Sesto Ele Fertio. How do you know even the names of Master Yardo and Master Sesto who you don’t see often?”

I crossed my arms and snarled, leaving Till stuttering.

“Do you think it’s Coco?”(T.L. Note: I don’t know, I really don’t know. Who the heck is Coco, and why do you appear here and never again?)

When asked that, Till blinked at him.

She took me to the dining room to say it was a meal, and I saw my father and his two brothers, Yardo and Sesto, in the ridiculously large dining room. I sit. The table is so large, one has to speak loudly in order to have a conversation.

One maid would be near each person’s seat to help with the meal. There was a separate serving staff, and the butler, Espada, stood quietly at my father’s side.

There are three maids around me. Yarde, who is ten years old, and Sesto, who is eight years old, can now eat quietly with the help of a single maid. I squirm a bit, but I eat quietly due to my father’s silent pressure.

I’m two years old. The maids chop up the tender meat and potato soup ingredients into even smaller pieces. They even let the soup cool with their breath so it doesn’t burn my tongue.

Hmm, good for me.

Joking aside, it seems that I’ve been reborn in this world with my memories of my time in Japan intact.

I still don’t understand it, and it still doesn’t feel real, but this carrot-like vegetable has a strong flavor. Delicious.(T.L. Note: So easy to distract, maybe he inherited the mind of a two year old as well?)

“Well, Master Van. I’ll make sure you eat your vegetables, too.”

Great. I eat calmly and almost never spill.

Till and the two young maids feed me with great, great food. Is this a cabaret? Am I a VIP customer in a cabaret?

I’d give you up to 30,000 yen.

Yardo and Sesto looked upon such a situation with envy.

“….Yardo. What will you learn today?”

Suddenly, my father asked Yardo. Is it a nobleman’s tradition, or is it so among the children, that children basically do nothing in the morning. They get an age-appropriate education at noon during which they learn swordsmanship and such.

There are only two meals, one before noon, and once at night when the sun goes down. The eldest son, Murcia, is already 14 years old and is treated like an adult and is busy with enforcement training in the field, etc. .

At any rate, everyone under the age of ten seems to be the same, but I asked my father what he does at lunch and what his day is like at dinner. That is the daily routine. (T.L. Note: …Is it just me that finds it weird that he is non-nonchalantly making conversation with his father when he is just two years old? Just me?)

Yardo, who was suddenly addressed, hurriedly opens his mouth.

”Ha, yes. Today we will learn about the fire magic and of formations used in warfare”

“Right. What will Sesto do?”

My father nodded and turned the conversation over to Sesto. Sesto was recently appraised as having an aptitude for fire magic, and he’s somewhat happy to be studying magic.

Then my father finally asks me the same question, even though he doesn’t usually ask.

“…Van. What are you going to do today?”

I open my mouth to the question, not really thinking about it.

“There are so many things I don’t understand, so I’m going to try to learn about the country upon which I have been birthed”

The moment he answered that, the two brothers, including his father, each maid, and even the butler, Espada, froze in stunned silence.

In the silent dining room, the one word that Till muttered sounded strangely well.

”Ya, I knew it……..Van-sama is a genius…….”