When I came to, I realized I was being bathed in warm water.
Ren tried to open his eyes to survey his surroundings, but no matter how hard he strained, they wouldn't budge. Not only that, he couldn't put any strength into his body at all.
"The young master is quite lively, isn't he? Don't you think so, Madam?"
The voice of an elderly woman reached his ears.
"Yes. It’s a relief to know he’ll grow up strong."
A younger voice followed. It sounded somewhat exhausted.
Though Ren was bewildered, he felt his heart calm slightly. It was likely because the two voices were so gentle and serene.
What’s going on here?
With his mind racing in confusion, Ren tried to sharpen every sense other than his sight.
The sensations were far too vivid to be a dream; he couldn't convince himself that this wasn't reality. However, his mind struggled to grasp the absurdity of an adult suddenly becoming an infant.
While Ren wallowed in his confusion, the two women continued to chat about him, but he was in no state to pay attention.
No way—
As unlikely as it seemed, he recalled the game he had been playing until just a moment ago: The Legend of the Seven Heroes.
Specifically, he thought of what had happened right after he discovered the hidden skill, Magic Sword Summoning.
Special download content... starting a Special Story...
It seemed ridiculous.
But because this situation felt too real to dismiss as a mere dream, he arrived at an outrageous conclusion.
Have I been reincarnated?
Ren was well-versed in fantasy tropes, so the theory crossed his mind instantly.
Whether he could accept it was a different matter entirely, but the sheer clarity of his non-visual senses lent the idea a terrifying weight of reality.
...I see.
This is incredible. This really is a Special Story from that special DLC.
Ren muttered to himself, feigning a composure he didn't quite feel.
Then, a wave of belated shame washed over him.
If he really was a baby, that meant he was currently stark naked, being scrubbed in a basin. For someone who had been an adult until recently, the embarrassment was unavoidable.
The problem was that he had zero power to resist.
He tried once more to see if his limbs would move, but the result remained the same—he succeeded only in delighting the two women with his flailing.
I want to understand the situation better, but...
Ren was surprised by how quickly he’d regained his cool.
Perhaps it was because the situation was so surreal that his mind had simply shifted into survival mode, or perhaps he’d just given up on everything else since he couldn't move anyway.
At least let me know my name.
Ren thrashed his tiny body as if in prayer.
As if answering him, the elderly woman spoke to the younger mother.
"Madam, have you decided on the young master's name?"
"Of course."
"That's wonderful to hear. Now, Madam, the bath is finished. Please, take the young master and call him by his name."
Ren felt his body being wrapped in soft cloth and lifted into the air.
Soon, he was enveloped in a comforting warmth. Realizing he had been gathered into the younger woman's arms, he waited for her to speak.
"This child's name is—"
Ren set aside his confusion for a moment, his heart swelling with anticipation.
He had to be an important character in The Legend of the Seven Heroes. There was no doubt about it; the Special Story began with a hidden skill, after all.
He was practically buzzing with expectation when she finally said it.
"Ren. This child's name is Ren Ashton."
Ren froze.
Because that name belonged to...
I-I'm that guy?!
Ren Ashton was the protagonist's friend, but more importantly, he was the one who triggered a catastrophic incident in The Legend of the Seven Heroes II. He was a character absolutely riddled with death flags.
Because they shared the same name, Ren had occasionally felt a sense of kinship with the character while playing.
Now, however, he was gripped by a whirlwind of complicated emotions.
I don't understand! I suddenly reincarnate, and it’s as a high-risk character? What am I supposed to do?!
There was no convenient narrator to answer his questions.
Ren’s voiceless scream echoed endlessly within his mind.
Neither a day nor a week was enough time for anyone to answer Ren's questions.
Eventually, he became able to open his eyes. All he could confirm was that he was indeed a baby and that his current home was a drafty, somewhat dilapidated room.
Six months passed in this new life.
There's no room for doubt anymore. I've been reincarnated as Ren Ashton.
At this point, it would have been harder to believe it wasn't real.
Ren—no, Ren—had finally accepted his reality. He resolved that he would simply have to survive in this world.
Furthermore, he felt as if a new self was beginning to emerge within him. When he was first born, he had desperately wanted to return to his old world, but over the last few weeks, that desire had faded.
You are Ren now. It is only natural for you to live here.
It felt as though the world itself was whispering these words to him.
I'm going to live a peaceful life. I refuse to be hunted down by the Emperor.
Ren nodded to himself.
If he really was the Ren Ashton from the game, he just had to avoid the path the original character took. He made a vow to live a clean, honest, and perfectly ordinary life.
Right. It should be about that time.
Ren noticed the sky outside the window beginning to brighten and turned his attention toward the door.
A moment later, it creaked open, and a woman stepped inside.
"Oh my, were you waiting for your mother?"
Her name was Mireille—Ren's mother.
She was a beautiful woman with brownish-black hair, much like Ren's own.
From the scraps of conversation Ren had gathered over the past half-year, he knew she had recently turned twenty-one.
"Come now, time for breakfast."
Mireille picked Ren up and began to unbutton her clothes.
In the beginning, Ren had felt a profound sense of aversion toward breastfeeding. After all, the woman was roughly the same age he had been in his previous life, and she was a married woman to boot.
For a man who had already resigned himself to a life without a girlfriend, it was a shock to his system before he could even process any "ulterior" thoughts.
Well... it’s not like those thoughts ever actually developed.
He probably knew it instinctively.
He had been born from this woman, Mireille. It was impossible to harbor such feelings for her.
Once he’d cleared that mental hurdle, things became simple. Ren followed his instincts and his appetite without further hesitation.
Today was no different. He ate his fill and settled in for a post-meal rest.
Since he couldn't express his gratitude in words, he gave Mireille a wide, toothless grin instead.
"Such a good boy. Now, let’s get you back to sleep."
A short while later, he was tucked back into his crib.
Mireille gave him a final smile before leaving the room.
Left alone, Ren let out a tiny sigh and stared at the ceiling.
"Auu-a."
I'm bored, he’d tried to say, but the pronunciation escaped him.
I can't even move properly. I guess I'm stuck until I grow up.
His options were severely limited.
He could sleep, stay awake, or listen to the sounds of the house to learn about his environment—though he hadn't learned much so far.
However, Ren couldn't accept just sitting around and waiting for years to pass.
He had the advantage of his previous life's memories.
Perhaps because of that, he had already mastered crawling and could even sit up on his own. Lately, his favorite pastime was sitting up in bed and staring out the window.
But more importantly, there was something he had been dying to test.
The hidden skill: Magic Sword Summoning.
I haven't touched it yet because it seemed too risky.
He had no idea how the swords would appear. If one manifested directly above his head while he was immobilized, it would be a very short reincarnation.
He had waited until he had enough physical control to react if things went south.
So...
The question was how to trigger it.
In The Legend of the Seven Heroes, he just had to press a button to open a menu. He could use items or cast healing magic with a simple click.
In reality, there were no buttons.
He tried thinking phrases like "Status Open," but nothing happened.
"Abaa..."
He slumped, dejected.
How am I supposed to summon anything? Ren clutched his head.
He repeated the words Magic Sword Summoning over and over in his mind. He focused on it like a prayer, then like a command, until finally—
"Auu!?"
A bracelet tumbled out of thin air and landed in his lap.
It was perfectly sized for an infant's wrist, crafted with silverwork as delicate as fine jewelry, and set with a large, clear crystal.
What is this?! Wait... the reflection in the crystal!
He was briefly disappointed that it wasn't a sword, but when he picked up the bracelet, his eyes widened at the text shimmering inside the crystal.
It read:
Ren Ashton
Job: Eldest Son of the Ashton Family
Skill: - Magic Sword Summoning (Level 1: 0/0) - Magic Sword Summoning Arts (Level 1: 0/100) Gain proficiency by using summoned magic swords.
Level 1: Can summon one magic sword. Level 2: Gain the effect of Physical Ability Boost (Small) while a magic sword is summoned. Level 3: ***
Acquired Magic Swords: - Wooden Magic Sword (Level 1: 0/100) Enables attacks equivalent to Nature Magic (Small). Attack range increases with level.
- Iron Magic Sword (Unlock Conditions: Magic Sword Summoning Arts Level 2, Wooden Magic Sword Level 2)
It was a status screen, displayed right there in the crystal.
Unlike the game, however, there were no numerical values for his level, health, mana, or attack power.
In the game, those numbers were just a way to communicate strength to the player. It made sense that they wouldn't exist as literal numbers in a real world.
Magic Sword Summoning Arts? Is this a sub-skill?
Similar mechanics existed in the game. For example, the Guardian job came with built-in Sword Arts and White Magic.
And I think I need Mana Stones to raise the level...
The "0/100" listed next to the level likely represented his proficiency.
Ren surmised that the reason "Magic Sword Summoning" itself didn't have a level was that the system focused on the proficiency of the individual swords.
And I can unlock more swords by meeting certain conditions.
Right now, his only option was the Wooden Magic Sword. He’d hoped for something more impressive—a sword that could conjure flames or summon lightning—so he felt a bit let down.
Well, I guess it would be weird to be overpowered from day one. Still, a wooden sword? Is it just a training weapon? No, wait...
Ren focused on the text for the Wooden Magic Sword.
It wasn't just a piece of wood.
Nature Magic... if I remember correctly, that involves manipulating plants to fight.
He recalled several enemies from the game who used it.
Specifically, the Elves in the forest. Between their natural physical prowess and their ability to bind players with conjured vines, they were a nightmare to deal with.
The Elves were strong, but the "Small" in parentheses here is a bit worrying.
He decided it was best to assume this was a weakened version of the magic.
Now for this.
Ren’s eyes moved to the Magic Sword Summoning Arts section, and he finally felt a surge of joy.
He’d been worried he wouldn't be able to do anything without Mana Stones, but it seemed he didn't need them to level up the "Arts" portion of his skill. His future was looking a lot brighter.
He was curious about the redacted text for Level 3, but he figured it would reveal itself once he got stronger.
Time to test it out.
He had resolved to live in this world, and that meant he needed to understand his means of self-defense.
I can't live a peaceful life if I can't protect myself from monsters.
He repeated Wooden Magic Sword in his mind like a mantra.
Nothing happened.
Just as he was about to give up, he looked at the bracelet.
Maybe...
On a hunch, he brought his right arm close to it. The bracelet snapped onto his wrist instantly, as if it belonged there.
"Auu!?"
Startled, Ren tumbled backward.
The bracelet was now firmly latched onto his tiny arm.
Okay. Let’s try this again.
He suspected the skill wouldn't work unless the bracelet was equipped.
He was right.
As soon as Ren thought Wooden Magic Sword, a crack split the air in front of him.
A wooden blade slid out of the rift as if being drawn from an invisible sheath.
The sword fell onto the bed beside him with a dull thump.
"Auu—?"
Ren’s heart leaped with excitement, but his jaw dropped when he saw the "magic sword."
It’s tiny...
Calling it a sword was a stretch. It wasn't even long enough to be a dagger. It looked like a common kitchen knife made of wood.
There were no carvings or magical glows—just a plain, functional-looking wooden knife.
Well, it's only Level 1. And it can still use Nature Magic...
Despite his disappointment, Ren reached out and grasped the hilt.
Suddenly, he felt a wave of lethality and a throbbing headache. He tried to ignore it, gripping the knife tightly to practice a swing.
He’d never even held a wooden sword in his previous life, so he figured he should start training as soon as possible.
But his body wouldn't cooperate.
A baby’s muscles weren't built for swordsmanship, no matter how small the weapon.
The headache... it's getting worse...
The dull throb intensified into a sharp, agonizing pain. His entire body felt as heavy as lead.
Guh... ah...
Unable to endure the strain, Ren’s eyes drifted shut.
His consciousness began to slip away.
Still gripped by the crushing headache, Ren slowly lost himself to the darkness.