Where am I?!
While I was sleeping, I was suddenly transported to an infinite space. A deep and oppressive darkness surrounded the place; beneath my feet, a shallow crystalline water stretched out infinitely, creating a mirror-like reflection that seemed to swallow my soul. The silence was absolute, broken only by the gentle sound of the water rippling over my feet. No matter how much I walked, I would never leave the spot, as if I was trapped in an infinite loop. At that moment, I thought: "Where am I?" But I couldn't find any answer; I was consumed by the loneliness of the place, until a dazzling light appeared above my head, a light that encompassed my entire field of vision. The light was so intense that it made me close my eyes.
Something happened, my vision of everything around me turned into an incredible blur of a very bright red while sounds stunned my ears. When I try to say something, the only sound that comes out is a cry. After opening my eyes slowly and painfully, my retinas were bombarded with different figures and colors, and I soon found myself face to face with a woman who gazed at me with tears streaming down her enchanting face, illuminated only by the soft light emanating from the sun. The sound of her trembling breath echoed in the silence of the environment. As I raised my eyes for the first time, I saw a man beside me who showed great joy, but something didn't feel right.
— Welcome to the world, Yuichiro! — said the woman, wiping away her tears.
After hearing those beautiful words, I felt an immense sense of peace. I slowly raised my arms and hands and began to examine them; my small, chubby fingers, like those of a newborn, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of fascination and curiosity. And then, it was as if a curtain of doubts opened in my mind and a question echoed in my thoughts. I wondered, perplexed: "Did I reincarnate?!" The man, specifically my father, began to place his index finger in my small hand, and immediately my grasping reflex (a natural and instinctive movement of babies, which causes them to grasp objects or fingers when something is placed in their hand) was activated, causing my hand to close instinctively like a snail entering its shell, holding his finger tightly
Meanwhile, my mother was lightly running her index finger over my nose, and her soft and comforting skin made me sneeze with just that gentle touch. My eyes lit up with an involuntary smile, and I grasped her finger. Her mischievous smile and sky-blue eyes, shining like crystal clear sea, showed me enormous comfort and a sense of being precious, like a rare jewel. So this is what it feels like to experience a mother's affection and love as a newborn? Anyway... My mother picked me up and placed me in her soft arms, and began to caress my head. Before I let myself be carried away by my baby emotions, I started to look around. All I saw was that we were in a spacious room with a double bed in the center and a large window that let in the incredible light of the setting sun. When she put me back in bed, I watched them carefully and saw that they wore old-fashioned clothes, medieval clothes. My mother wore a long dress with a brown color similar to the color of a tree trunk, and a very elegant white bodice with short sleeves. My father, on the other hand, wore a light brown shirt, dark red pants, and also wore well-crafted leather boots, with resistant and molded leather. Both clothes seemed to be made of light and shiny fabrics that drew a lot of attention, especially the white color, which was what stood out the most in her outfit
After reflecting a bit on my current situation, I started to think about how to act and what to do from now on. I didn't have many options or opportunities, since I'm just a helpless child with a fragile and insignificant body. One thing I had noticed was that there were leather vests hanging on the wall and, just below them, a place where several wooden swords were stored, among which there was one made entirely of metal. My new life had begun, and I would have to start from scratch. As incredible as it seems, I still have memories of my past life, my knowledge, and also my consciousness. However, for now, I'll have to keep this a secret. Maybe it's not out of fear that they won't believe me, but rather because of their reaction to discovering that they're raising a child with the consciousness of another person - a thought that seems disturbing to me, especially considering that I'm a baby with the mind of a 19-year-old adult. My current name is Yuichiro Mizuki, and apparently this surname comes from my mother, Emília Mizuki. The Mizuki surname has Japanese origins, and I don't know if there's a significant connection or if it's just a coincidence, considering that I'm not of Japanese descent. However, I was cultured enough to know the origin of names and surnames. In fact, I used to read many Japanese magazines. Although I wasn't a big fan of anime, I knew it was something highly appreciated by most people
— Say 'papa', my son Yui. Can you say it? — said my father with a smile on his face while holding me high up.
I looked around to see if I could spot any sign of my queen, and then she appeared with an adorable laugh and started playing: — He's just been born, Andrey! I don't know what's going on in your head, expecting a newborn baby to talk, but those are just details. —
At first, I thought my father was a pretty serious guy, but it turns out he's actually more energetic than he seemed. I had a wrong impression of him. Sometimes, he seems a bit crazy smiling at me, which can be a bit unsettling just thinking about it.
Sometimes, when my mother sat me at the table, I would start observing him while he ate. He seemed like a formidable warrior, with several scars on his arms, but his dark green eyes caught my attention in a different way. Additionally, he had a well-groomed beard, which seemed to be his trademark. It was as if he cared more about his beard than his own appearance. This seemed curious to me, a man so dedicated to his beard.
Every day, my father trained in the backyard with a wooden sword. He was incredibly agile in his movements, which intrigued me deeply. While I watched him, I noticed that his hands seemed to shine for an instant, changing to a red color, as if they were enveloped in a red aura. Immediately after, he became even faster and stronger.
There was one time when he ended up destroying the tree that my mother had personally planted on the day of my birth, a tree that she always took care of with affection and that was a symbol of celebration for our family, which earned him a scolding. Really, he was very strong, and I wasn't wrong about that.
While I was sitting by the window, watching him train - it was my only pastime -, he ended up launching a strong attack in the air, which made all the plants move and leaves fall from the trees. One of them came to me and stopped in front of my face; I got scared and ended up falling unintentionally from the window, hitting my head hard on the ground.
— Yuichiro! Are you okay?! — She ran to where I was and hugged me. When she looked into my eyes, she seemed relieved and then caressed my head with affection.
I was emotionally out of control, my expression reflected desperation and panic, probably due to the intense fall I suffered. My head throbbed intensely, and when I tried to move, I realized I didn't have the strength to get up again. However, since my mother didn't seem very worried, I deduced that it probably wasn't anything serious.
My mother sat me at the table and rested her hand on my head, while I looked at the window from which I had fallen. I realized it was a considerable height, especially for a baby like me.
— Just to be safe... —she said, "mea, amor meu, sanitas tua" - Heal!
Suddenly, a green light appeared in front of me, it wasn't like a bandage or a kiss on the forehead, when I looked up, I saw that my mother's hand was emitting a sweet aroma and a very beautiful green phenomenon. The headache started to decrease gradually and, although I didn't know what it was or the name of this phenomenon, I knew it was something completely new and unusual. I felt a sense of calm and tranquility that I had never experienced before, as if the pain and fear were being absorbed by the green light.
My mother seemed to be channeling a special energy. While she channeled this energy, she sang a soft and melodious song. I didn't know if it was necessary to do this for the phenomenon to emanate from her hands or if she was just trying to calm me down with her calm and comforting voice.
"My son, my dear,
You are my love, my refuge too.
I love you with all my heart,
And I'll do everything to protect you, with love and devotion."
— There, there, — she said with her sweet voice and her adorable smile on her face. "Did you know that your father and I used to be great adventurers?" she said with a tone of pride.
Right after that, my father came into the house, wiping his sweaty face with a towel, and saw my mother holding me in her arms.
"Did something happen?" he asked with a calm voice and a carefree air, but with a slight shadow of concern in his eyes.
I looked at my mother, who had a severe expression on her face, but with a warm glow in her eyes. I knew she was angry with my father, but I also knew she loved him deeply.
The laugh I gave was more a reflex of my happiness than anything else. I was starting to feel like I belonged to something bigger than myself, something that made me feel at peace, without worries and complicated problems. And that was an incredible feeling.
As incredible as it seems, my parents' room was scary, especially at night, similar to a satanic ritual room. This is the place where I'm stuck right now. Yes, this is what I expected from a world that is not mine, in the past, where Albert Einstein didn't exist.
Every time my mother went to the city to shop, she always carried me in her arms, I watched carefully all the stores and merchandise, people coming and going in the city, there were even armed adventurers, what caught my attention the most was the weapons store, it had a big sign with two swords stuck behind a shield, I'm sure that was a weapons store, so I pointed to it fascinated. I felt a mix of curiosity and interest. I was always fascinated by my father's stories about the battles he had fought.
— What is it, Yui?! — she said while letting out a low and admiring laugh. "You're interested in the weapons store?! Honestly, you and your father are definitely alike."
I could see a glint in her eyes, a mix of pride and concern. She knew I was destined to follow in my father's footsteps - at least that's what she thought - and that made her both happy and anxious.
Observing all the shopping and the quality of the merchandise every day, I realized that the prices are quite reasonable. I learned that in this world, there are three types of coins, each with its specific market value.
The bronze coin is the least valuable of the three and can be used to buy food at restaurants, like a simple lunch or dinner, or acquire drinks and medium-quality objects. Additionally, it's possible to exchange bronze coins for silver or gold coins at currency exchange houses or banks, although there's an exchange rate of about 10 bronze for 1 silver and 100 silver for 1 gold.
The second is the silver coin, which is more valuable than the bronze one. With it, it's possible to guarantee a week's worth of lunch or buy replicas of jewelry. It's also possible to acquire better meals, but the cost would be higher, probably requiring a silver coin and some bronze ones.
The silver coins are widely accepted in commercial establishments and are used as a form of payment in many places.
Finally, there's the gold coin, the most valuable of all. With just one of them, it's possible to rent a house, and with two, buy a house. From what I understood, only people glorified by kings or those who complete S-class missions from the adventurer's guild receive gold coins.
The gold coins are rarely seen in circulation and are considered a symbol of wealth and status.
Considering these values, my family must be middle-class, which isn't bad.