"Speech"
(Thoughts)
[Voice of the World]
「Passage of Time」
「2 Years Later」
In the past two years, nothing happened that was worthy of much attention.
Currently, I'm sitting on a chair made entirely of wood – though I cannot say that it is uncomfortable.
Before me stands a solidly made table, bearing the marks of life. Over the last two years it has served for everything – from eating meals, to being the place where my diapers were changed, to serving as an object one could stand on to clean hard-to-reach spots, or – as now – for playing Gderab.
This is a strategic game, somewhat reminiscent of chess. It features 24 different pieces:
• Infantry
• Archers
• Mages
• Cavalry
• Clergy
• Peasants
• Nobility
• Builders
• Townsfolk
• King
• Queen
• Dragon
• Demons
• Monsters
• Hound Dogs
• Scouts
• Siege Engines
• Traitors
• Mercenaries
• Elves
• Dwarves
• Oni
• Mermaid-Men
• Beast-Men
The game also includes buildings and random events. These events occur once every 15 turns – they are drawn by the players using cards, and buildings can be constructed as long as you have the appropriate resources.
The game is played on a board measuring 1 m × 1 m, in the shape of a square divided into 10,000 hexagonal fields – which means 100 × 100 fields.
The board is magically created, so each game can take place on a different terrain.
There are a total of 18 different types of fields:
• Meadows
• Forests
• Wilderness
• Mountains
• Valleys
• Deserts
• Coasts
• Rivers
• Swamps
• Tundra
• Beaches
• Plains
• Steppes
• Snow-Covered Fields
• Lakes
• Volcanoes
• Scorched Earth
• Caves
This game can be played by two to four people. Moves are made according to a pre-established direction, and each player has a certain number of moves depending on how many pieces they possess.
The game itself is about settling and expanding a kingdom, and then defeating the other players.
Usually, one game lasts around 2–3 hours, depending on the players' skills.
To be honest, I don't even know how an ordinary two-year-old could understand the rules – but that isn't a problem for me.
I officially started communicating with the "speech" with the other household members about five months ago. I decided that it was the right time, because my body was developing faster than I could have imagined. At roughly one year old, I looked like a two-year-old, and after another six months I already resembled a three-year-old. Now I look like a four-year-old, even though I am only two.
Maybe you're wondering why I say that? Well, we have something in our home that resembles a mirror – it is not made of glass, but of polished silver. It serves its purpose well enough that I can observe significant changes.
"Aaaaahhh, another defeat. Lord Rudra, how on earth are you so good at this? It's truly frustrating."
– Said a woman dressed in a maid's outfit. Her red hair reminded one of a blazing flame, her eyes were brown, and her face youthful – she was about twenty years old.
She was one of the two servants working in my house. If I were to describe her character, one might say she is the life of the party with a light, cheerful demeanor.
"Hille, it is not proper to ask such questions. It's inappropriate."
– Chided Leonard in a cold tone, the butler working in the house – the only man besides me who spends much time here.
I had come to know his character well over the past two years. He is a man dedicated to his duty, serious about his responsibilities, and at the same time understanding – he carries out the tasks entrusted to him, no matter how silly they may seem, and you can always count on him when the situation demands it. His nerves seem to be made of steel, prepared for anything.
When I asked him about it, he replied that he had taken care of my mother when she was young – it turned out she was quite a handful.
"My son is simply amazing."
– Said my mother, coming over from where she had been sitting, and hugged me so tightly I could hardly breathe.
She is a very kind and caring person – carefree, yet capable of being very serious when someone close to her needs help.
"Maybe that's true, but it doesn't explain why Lord Rudra is such a good player. We never win with him."
– Hille said, just as my victory in the round seemed certain.
"This game is just simple."
– I commented, breaking free from my mother's embrace, then rising from the chair and approaching Hille.
"You just need more practice."
To that, Hille unexpectedly turned toward me, grabbed me by the shoulders, and began shaking me.
"More practice? I've been playing this game longer than you've been in this world, and you tell me I need more practice?!?"
Her voice carried hints of frustration, sadness, regret, but also a note of pride.
"Calm down immediately!"
– Leonard said in a firm tone, abruptly standing and pulling us apart.
"You should work on your impulsiveness."
A moment later, Hille knelt down as Leonard delivered a scolding lecture. It was a bit sad, because the fact was, it was partly my fault. Unable to watch any longer, I decided to stop it.
"Leonard, you shouldn't punish her – it's partly my fault."
Saying that, I tried to look as innocent and harmless as possible.
"Sir, you shouldn't be so gentle with her, but if it is your wish, I will respect it."
After he clicked his tongue, I thought he wouldn't relent – but a moment later he agreed. Then he bowed to me and left the room.
(This man should have a stronger character.)
That was the thought on my mind, though I didn't have much time to dwell on it, for once again I was hugged so tightly I could barely breathe.
"Lord Rudra is such an understanding man that in the future he will surely become a gracious ruler."
– As she said this, tears of emotion appeared in the corners of her eyes.
(And this woman cannot control her emotions.)
If someone had told me that, I wouldn't have been able to disagree. On the other hand, sometimes I have the impression that she suffers from bipolar disorder.
When I broke free from her embrace and struggled to catch my breath, unexpectedly Giloda entered the room.
She was the other servant working in this house – a little over 30 years old, with black hair and green eyes. I would describe her character as typical of a servant.
"A letter has arrived from the capital from Mr. Kolrej to Mrs. Sonna."
She said this, then went over to my mother, handed her the letter, and then, bowing, disappeared as quickly as she had appeared.
Mother opened the envelope and, reading the message, was clearly surprised by its content. After a moment she smiled and said to me:
"Son, apparently your father will visit in three days. Are you happy?"
It was unexpected – until now, father had visited us only five times. From what I've heard, he is a very busy man in the capital because he is to be the next king and regularly helps grandpa in ruling, so he doesn't have much time. Looking at it from that perspective, grandpa seems even more busy – since my birth I have seen him only once, when I was a newborn.
"Ah, I haven't seen daddy in ages!"
– I said, feeling happy. Perhaps father doesn't visit us often, but he is not a bad man – I have some nice memories with him. Unlike my previous father, this one really cares about mother, and she cares about my happiness.
I must admit, I am really happy with my current family – I wouldn't want to lose it at any cost. However, I am aware of how dangerous this world is, so in the future I must become as strong as possible.
"Hille, please pass this information on to Leonard and Giloda."
– When mother requested this, Hille merely nodded, and then went to inform the others.
"So, Rudra-kun, what do you want to do now? Maybe we can play something?"
– Later, Hille asked me this question with a smile full of sincerity, like a caring mother.
(How I wish my previous parents were such good people.)
That thought came naturally to me, and a smile appeared on my face. Then I nodded toward mother and the rest of the day passed.
「3 Days Later, Around 06:00」
I woke up quite early, as was my habit – because I'm usually unable to sleep for long. This, in turn, is due to the fact that whenever the sun sets, mother tells me to go to sleep, so in the morning I wake up full of energy.
Once I was sufficiently awake, I stretched in my comfortable bed. As I emerged from under the warm blanket, I felt the cool air.
Dressed in a well-made pajama, I got up, changed into more casual clothes, and then began my morning workout.
It consisted of several simple exercises – jumping jacks, sit-ups, planks, burpees – which I performed until exhaustion. Though I must admit, my endurance is impressive, and my progress is very rapid.
In fact, I started training a few weeks after birth, but mother caught me then and quite sternly reprimanded me. I stopped trying for a few months, but resumed when my body began to resemble that of a three-year-old.
For a few months the "hustling" repeated until finally – at father's suggestion – it ceased. Seeing my zeal for self-improvement, he gave me a wooden sword as a gift.
However, mother forbade me from playing with it in the house, fearing potential damage.
After about an hour of morning training, I changed into my everyday clothes and left the room. As I descended the stairs, I caught the smell of a cooked meal. I was surprised – for breakfast I usually ate mostly bread and plant-based ingredients.
Following the scent, which I recognized as a kind of milk soup, I reached the kitchen, where I noticed Hille and Giloda working on the meal.
Noticing me, Giloda quickly bowed and said in a calm voice:
"I see you've gotten up quite early as always."
I merely nodded in agreement, tilted my head to the side, and asked:
"Are you cooking something special today?"
Giloda, looking toward Hille who was focused at a pot over the fire, replied:
"Today, as you probably know, your father is visiting. According to the message, he intends to test the lord today, and your mother wanted him to have enough energy for today's challenges. So we're making a hearty milk soup with rice."
This answer surprised me, as it was the first time I'd heard of it. At first, I was a little angry at mother for not telling me – a grimace appeared on my face.
Hille, noticing my expression and combining it with the information from Giloda's words, commented:
"Since Mrs. Sonna ordered such a meal to be prepared today, yet did not inform the lord about the test, she must have had some criteria hidden up her sleeve."
Hille's words made me feel that I was getting unnecessarily upset. Acknowledging my mistake, I decided to pretend I hadn't heard anything and let myself be carried away by chance.
At Hille's response I nodded with an enlightened expression, and she, seeing my mood improve, nodded contentedly and returned to cooking.
Giloda, seeing our interaction, chuckled softly and said:
"Lord, you should go to the table – we'll serve the meal shortly."
I nodded and left the kitchen, heading toward the table.
A few minutes later, mother entered the room along with Leonard. Seeing me, she greeted:
"I see that as always you get up incredibly quickly. I hope you'll have energy today, because a busy day awaits you."
The slight worry on her face betrayed that something was troubling her, though she did not wish to reveal it.
I replied:
"Yes, I'm ready for whatever today brings."
After these words, I sighed softly. Mother gave a gentle laugh and sat at the table, while Leonard lightly banged his hand on his forehead, nodding with a sigh.
A short while later, Hille and Giloda brought the prepared breakfast.
After the hearty meal, I decided to forgo my morning run and rest until father's arrival.
「2 Hours Later」
Lying on the couch, with my eyes closed, completely relaxed, I did not expect anything unusual. Suddenly, someone put a sack over my head. Instinctively, I wanted to hit the attacker, but because of the sack I couldn't see anything.
A moment later, the attacker stunned me with a quick blow to the back of my neck – everything went dark, and that was the last thing I remember.
「?」
When I woke up, I still had the sack on my head, but this time I felt that my hands and feet were tied with rope. I felt as though I was constantly bouncing and hitting the floor, and in the background I heard the characteristic sound of wheels turning on a sandy road and the galloping of horses.
"Totra, are we almost there?"
I heard a voice with a heavy, manly tone.
"Shut up, Bacza!"
Answered a slightly higher-pitched, yet still masculine, irritated voice.
Wondering what was happening, I concluded that these events were part of a test prepared by my father. Accepting that I was being transported to the test site, I tried not to show any signs of awareness.
Before we reached the place, I decided to listen in on the conversation of my kidnappers:
"Totra, are we almost there?"
– the heavy voice asked again.
"Shut up!!"
– replied a voice full of frustration.
"Almost th—"
"Ahhhh, must I answer you every 20 seconds?! I don't know how long it might be – an hour to the nearest hideout!"
The voice roared in anger.
(What hideout is he talking about, and is this really just a test?)
That thought crossed my mind, and with the surge of stress I began to move abruptly – which did not escape the notice of the heavy-voiced person.
"Hehe, our little catch is beginning to regain consciousness."
He said this, sounding amused, but I couldn't laugh – every second was getting worse.
"How the f*** did he wake up so quickly?"
Totra exclaimed in vulgar shock and anger.
"After all, that little brat is still a tall man – even though he's half-blood, still."
Bacza replied.
When Totra clicked his tongue, he added:
"This time you're right. Those damn tall people are really a race that should perish for what they've done."
His words were full of hatred.
These words terrified me, and thoughts of what would happen next made me tremble with fear. I was certain that this wasn't just a test – I had truly been kidnapped. Only one thought swirled in my head:
(What is going to happen to me now and what should I do?)
Before I had time to think about escaping, I felt a strong blow in the solar plexus. My thoughts turned dark again, but instinctively I knew I had to stay conscious – otherwise things could end very badly. With all my willpower I tried to hold back the rising darkness, and after a while it began to recede.
Then I heard something I hadn't heard in a very long time:
[Acquired Skill: Strong Will]
Only then did I feel that my body was no longer touching the floor – but a moment later I hit my back against some surface. I felt that my chest and back were burning, yet I remained conscious. In the next moment Totra spoke:
"Oh, oh, oh, oh, didn't you hit him a bit too hard? Take that sack off his head and check if he's breathing. We must have him alive."
His words sounded angrily directed at Bacza.
"Alright, I'll check."
– He said, irritated by the necessity of performing this task, but proceeded without complaint.
Soon I felt the sack being removed from my head. I closed my eyes, knowing I shouldn't open them so as not to reveal my condition.
Then it began to get lighter, the light seeping through my eyelids. The sensation of touch – a thick finger under my nose, another hand on my chest – made me hear:
"He's breathing, don't worry."
After these words, the hands left my body. When I felt them recede and the sack wasn't placed back on, I gently opened my eyes and looked around.
I noticed that I was in a covered carriage – in the right section, against the wall. Looking further, I saw a large man, presumably called Bacza. He was dark-skinned, over two meters tall, with yellow eyes like a wild beast, and his face and body were adorned with numerous scars. He was dressed in light short-sleeved clothing, exposing wounded arms. He sat on the floor on the left side, and next to him lay a long sword – apparently his weapon. Still, the weapon seemed relatively well cared for and new.
Then I noticed the person driving the carriage – Totra. Seeing only his back, based on his clothing I concluded that he was not a pleasant man. He wore bloodstained clothes, cut in many places, though I saw no obvious wounds on him – red blood on white created a stark contrast. On his back he carried two dirks without sheaths – the blades were sharp, though slightly damaged.
When Bacza turned toward me, I quickly closed my eyes and relaxed my body as much as possible. A moment later I heard him say sheepishly:
"I knew I forgot something."
He came over to me and hurriedly put the sack back on my head. As he did so, I heard him moving away from me.
(That man should have a stronger personality.)
That was what I thought, though I didn't have time to dwell on it long, because once again I was hugged so tightly I could barely breathe.
"Lord Rudra is such an understanding man that in the future he will surely become a gracious ruler."
– As she said that, tears of emotion welled in the corners of her eyes.
(And that woman cannot control her emotions.)
If someone had told me that, I wouldn't have been able to deny it. On the other hand, sometimes I have the impression that she suffers from bipolar disorder.
When I broke free from her embrace and struggled to catch my breath, unexpectedly a young woman with brown hair and black eyes removed the sack from my head. She was completely covered in mud and plants. After a few seconds, realizing that I could see her, she made a flustered face and said:
"I didn't expect you to be conscious."
Her voice suggested that she was the same girl whose conversation I had previously overheard with my father. I couldn't immediately tell who she was, so I decided to play dumb.
"Who… who are you?!"
I asked, as panicked and naturally as I could.
After my words, I noticed changes on the face of the girl standing before me. At first she furrowed her brows slightly, then visibly relaxed and smiled tenderly, speaking in a calm voice:
"Don't worry, young man, I'm here to save you."
I tried to put on a worried expression, but she paid it no mind. Then she pulled out a knife and was about to cut the ropes – however, before she could, I felt a tug, and once again the sound of clashing blades reached my ears.
In the next moment I saw a knife stuck in the floor, in the spot where I had just been standing. I turned my head toward the sound and saw that the girl and some man were crossing dirks.
After a moment the girl pulled the man out of the carriage and, in a stern voice, announced:
"I'll be right back."
Then she leapt toward the man, and I was left alone in the carriage.
All around the clashing of blades resounded – while I wondered what I should do.
My attention was drawn to the knife stuck in the floor, so despite my tied hands and feet I decided to crawl toward it and try to cut the rope.
It didn't take long before my hands were freed. I grabbed the knife embedded in the floor, pulled it out, and then freed my legs.
Now free, I decided to look around to see what was happening.
When I looked toward the front of the carriage, I saw that my father, wielding a long sword, was exchanging powerful blows with Bacza on a shallow stretch of the stream.
Even I, being totally inexperienced in swordsmanship, noticed that Bacza was moving very clumsily, and his sword swings seemed sluggish.
I decided to watch him more closely and that's when I saw – an arrow was lodged in Bacza's left shoulder. I quickly connected his earlier scream with the presence of that arrow.
In the distance, on the bank, I noticed Totra and some man dueling with light weapons. Totra was wielding dirks, and the man was using something like a short sword – in his right hand he held his weapon, and in his left a small wooden shield with obvious damage.
All of this was happening at the front. Concluding that I knew what was going on there, I moved to the back of the carriage. I quickly shifted there and saw the woman and the man I had seen earlier.
They both stood on dry ground, facing each other, knives in hand, observing one another in combat stances. Their clothes were torn in several places, indicating that they had already exchanged bloody blows.
As I wondered what was happening in their clash, the man suddenly lunged toward the woman.
The girl, seeing this, quickly jumped back. Her opponent did not pay attention and continued on, raising his knife high.
The girl assumed a fighting stance, ready to attack. As the man drew closer, he attempted to stab her in the stomach – but she parried the blow, while simultaneously trying to stab with the knife in her other hand.
He grabbed her wrist, stopping her strike. Then, without wasting any time, he delivered a kick to the girl's knee.
Unfortunately, she didn't react in time and was knocked onto her back. The man, seizing the opportunity, tried to drive his knife into her stomach using both hands.
However, as she fell, she threw the knife aside and caught the flying blade. It was evident that this caused her great difficulty, and I, watching it, felt helpless.
At that moment I realized that I couldn't just sit and watch – this had to end badly. I knew I should do something, but for a moment I couldn't come up with a plan.
My eyes fell on the knife with which I had freed myself earlier, and suddenly one simple thought came to me.
Without thinking too long, I firmly grasped the knife, leapt out of the carriage, and plunged into the river where the carriage was standing. It turned out that the river was deeper and colder than I had assumed – the water, though calm, reached up to my waist, and its temperature was truly low.
This surprised me, especially when I noticed that father and Bacza didn't have water even up to their knees. I realized that I was still just a small child.
The low temperature of the water quickly sobered me up from those thoughts, and I focused on my goal.
Struggling, I made my way toward the bank, where the woman was fending off an unknown opponent.
When I got out of the water, I noticed that the woman was losing strength, and the blade was getting ever closer to her chest.
Trying to remain quiet, I ran toward the man who was focused on killing the woman.
Once I was close enough, I noticed that the woman's eyes were fixed on me – in them I saw surprise. For a moment, I had the impression that she wanted to tell me something with her gaze, but I ignored it.
When I was sufficiently near, I made a sweeping knife strike toward the man's back. Just as the knife was about to hit, I felt a strange premonition, but before I could react, a sharp blow struck me on the left side of my stomach.
In the next moment, I felt that my body was no longer touching the ground, and then I hit it. I must have fallen at great speed – upon landing I tumbled, performing several somersaults.
After flying a certain distance, I came to a stop, colliding with a tree. Upon impact, I felt myself beginning to lose consciousness, but in the next moment I regained it.
Now conscious, I wanted to look around, but I noticed that I was about 50 meters away from where I had been before.
In the distance, I saw that the woman was now standing unarmed, and the man held two knives in his hands. One of them was bleeding heavily, and the other was the very knife with which I had freed myself.
When I tried to stand up, I felt a piercing blow – stronger than the previous one. I looked at the spot from which the pain came and saw blood streaming abundantly on my clothes. I felt that with every passing second the pain increased, and I was becoming less conscious.
Fighting the rising pain, I lifted my eyes to the fighting duo – the woman, now badly torn, was retreating under the onslaught of the man's blows. After a moment she was knocked down again. This time, as she fell, she scooped up some sand and, as the man was about to stab her, she threw it into his eyes.
The man groaned in irritation and began wildly waving his knives. The woman quickly withdrew toward me, and after a few moments, she stood beside me.
"That was very stupid! You should think more!" – she said, clearly irritated.
I, on the other hand, only lowered my head sadly, feeling chagrin at my own foolishness.
I really did not understand why I was so impetuous and unthinking. Even looking at myself in a past life, one might say I was unnaturally brave. After all, in my previous life I died fighting some oddity – any sensible person would have fled from such a threat, yet I charged at the opponent. Now, too, I charged without thinking, and because of that I was seriously injured. As I thought about all this, I realized just how foolish and reckless I truly was.
"I know." – I replied in a sad, yet frustrated voice.
The girl looked slightly surprised, but it didn't last long.
"So what now?" – I asked, hoping for some sensible answer. Unfortunately, the answer was unhelpful.
"And how should I know? That man is really strong. I doubt you can defeat him on your own." – she replied, expressing irritation.
I asked another question:
"So maybe I can help somehow?"
The girl seemed surprised, but quickly squinted her eyes and looked at me.
"You think you can do something about that wound?" – she asked, pointing at my injuries.
I clenched my fists, summoning my strength, and despite the enormous pain managed to stand up. The girl's face showed astonishment, then she said:
"You really aren't an ordinary person."
But I didn't listen – I focused on the gradually subsiding pain and the warming wound, not understanding why it was happening. The girl added again:
"Hmmm? Since you can move, you might be of some use."
I felt both irritation and satisfaction with those words – I can't explain why. I looked at her and asked in a firm tone:
"So what should I do?"
With a serious expression and determination, I added:
"From what I can see, your body is starting to slowly regenerate – in a few minutes you should be well. In that case, let's do this..."
———————————————————
Sorry for the delays, my motivation, wool and time vary.