1 Chapter 1: Clueless (Edited)
"This was just a part of my memories. I can no longer recall who I am and where I'm from. But there's a sentence that keeps coming up in my mind."
[All wars happened for a reason]
[As for what reason it was... Perhaps it wasn't known in the first place because there's no need for a reason. Nobody knows. Even I am not interested in learning or searching for the answer to this question]
'It seems that the battle I was a part of did not happen because we had a reason to fight. Instead, it happened because we're using it as the reason to start a war.'
'The further my thoughts went around inside this emptiness, the more I lost my sense along the way. Even the hint of blood in the air, sweat, and stench was gone.'
'I felt blind, but it wasn't darkness. It was a ray of light that overwhelmed me. Perhaps I should say that I was bedazzled instead of blinded.'
'With all my senses gone, I couldn't even determine that I was standing or lying down. The circle of my view had started to get smaller.' The bedazzling sight soon fades along with my consciousness.
'Until...'
[Hespar]
'This was the first word I heard. It was a name, I guess.'
'I slowly regained my sight as the blurry image became much better. In the meantime, the feeling of something soft rubbed across my eye, helping me get rid of the filth hindering me.'
'When my sight finally returned to normal, I was surprised that this wasn't the battlefield I thought I was in. I couldn't even get an answer if this was a dream or a reality. All I know is I am now nestled in between a woman's voluptuous chest as she made me choose one side to devour.'
'Standing beside her was a man. Since he might be the father of this body, I'll hesitantly agree with this fact.'
'With that pair of doting eyes on their expression, how can I feel anything else but love? Even I was unsure what condition I was in presently.'
'Did I get reincarnated?'
'Reborn, perhaps?'
'Or traveled through time?'
'What does all this even mean? My memory was hazy as I barely recalled what happened during the blackout. I thought I was a soldier. I imagined I was on a battlefield before this happened.'
'But right now, I was here, inside this weak body of an infant, with a relatively good-looking father and gorgeous mother. My mom looks like a noble if I consider all the dangling things around her.'
'Then, the exhaustion overcame my mind as I collapsed again between the two soft pillows that were about to suffocate me. My memories about growing up remained hazy as a glimpse of childhood came and went along with the time.'
'Still, I knew that I am special. It's just I have no idea what this is really all about. I mean... How can I feel contradicted from the moment I opened my eyes?'
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Five years later.
"Hespar! How many times have I said about the dirty laundry? I'm going to make sure your buttock suffers today so you won't forget my words again!" a woman yelled after coming into the messy room.
The furniture and their placement were the same as five years ago, except for the baby's crib in the middle of the room. Now, it was replaced with a bed instead.
The one called "Hespar" naturally belonged to the infant born five years ago. He's also known around the neighborhood as the son of 100-men leader Hector. It might be weird, but since they're not noble, it was typical for them not having a family name.
It was said that only nobles, meritorious individuals, and special delegates would be granted a family name by the king.
And in this small village known as Lavos, Hespar's father was one of the few people with absolute power granted by the lord ruling over this place.
Lavos Village might be small in the eyes of the adults. But for the five years old Hespar, this was his sanctuary.
The village was located just south of Lavorian Lake, the villager's lifeline. The water and food sources mainly came from the rivers connected to the lake. Passing through the lake would lead to a wave of mountains high enough to be seen from the Lavos Village.
As for the village's left and right, it was surrounded by forest abundant with natural resources. Both young and old villagers rely on the food provided by the woods, and it was customary for the villagers to learn by foraging foods from a young age.
Next is the concerning matter mainly coming from the south of Lavos Village. It is also why Hespar's father, Hector, was posted here as the leader of the 100-men squad.
From what he was taught, the south of Lavos Village is the access to the border leading to Fennis Empire. The empire encompassed the kingdom from the south of the village until the northeast.
While in between, there are many forests, hills, and unexplored regions infested with monsters of all sizes. In short, this world was one in which only the strong could survive, just like Hespar's current situation.
"Here you are!" the yelling woman placed her hand under the bed and pulled Hespar out. Being just a five-year-old, weight less than 20 kilograms, he's no different from the lamb leg the family roasted yesterday as dinner.
The woman's skill was world-class as she placed Hespar lying on her legs with his belly facing down. Without noticing when his pants were already taken off, Hespar had his buttock spanked by his mother until it was red all over.
"Aargh!" Hespar could only cry for his life as the slapping came down like a torrent of a hailstorm. He kept hopping around like a jumping vampire even after all the spanking.
"Don't you know what time it is right now? Quickly wash your face and go collect something from the forest. You'll be having your first class about swordsmanship from today." said Hespar's mother.
"What! Is today the start of the class?" Hespar replied. He had forgotten everything he was so excited about yesterday night from all the daydreaming. On a side note, he's officially five years old today.
This means he's now compulsory to attend the public lesson on swordsmanship and primary education, which consists of reading, calculation, and basic knowledge like farming, cooking, and hunting. Some other topics might be taught based on the settlement's specialty, such as mining and fishing.
But for Lavos Village, the two mentioned specialty was not a profession but more of a hobby.
The classes may sound boring, but it was a compulsory subject until they reached the age of graduation at fifteen. After that, they would be considered an adult and allowed to make more choices.
To the boys, choosing to join the guards was one of the more favored professions. This is also a faster ticket for them to rise in their social ranks. But there would still be some who prefer to inherit their parent's jobs or businesses.
Still, nothing attracted Hespar more than wielding a sword and going into the battlefield. Joining the army also somewhat translates to following in his father's footsteps.
...
Hespar immediately left the house after he listened to what his mother said. The foraging sack with tools needed to collect some forest goodies was in his hand as he made his way to the eastern forest in a hurry.
Although there's no reason for him to be hurrying, Hespar had a more mature mindset after getting trained by his father. He was indoctrinated by his father when he was strong enough to hold a wooden sword.
He knew that while the forest doesn't limit how much food it could yield daily, being early is always better than being late. Furthermore, Hespar's competitors weren't just the villagers. The wildlife living in the forest also has to be accounted for.
With around a thousand people living in this village, Hespar had to compete daily against a fifth of them. And the number would only grow with time.
While the food supply won't be disturbed even if he's lazy, having a fuller stomach every day is better than a hardly filled one.
Armed with the tools and knowledge Hector taught Hespar, he made his way into the forest as usual. He searched for mushrooms and fruits from one tree to another until the sack was filled to the brim.
It was already close to the time for class when Hespar came out of the forest. Without requiring any reminder, he quickly made his way to the academy. He joined the rest of the children about his age in the class.
As Hespar quickly grew into a fine-looking young man, such life lasted steadily for ten years. Everything his father drilled into his mind also helped turn him into the class's top student.
