———
Even if I do say so myself, I believe my life was tumultuous.
The torture in the pretext of training, being taken around everywhere in conflict areas with a ‘going for a stroll’ frame of mind.
During those turbulent days, I had become United Japan’s 37th Special Covert Operative… …the so called ‘Agent’.
Thereupon I met my comrade, and together, I continued to fight.Spending all of my time fighting, at around the time I had passed 50 years of age, I retired and became an educator for the next generation.
‘Education’ was something that was difficult, but I believe that the days that I spent engrossed in it were enjoyable.
During those pleasant days, behind the scenes, a certain shadow organisation proceeded with secret maneuvering to have the world subverted.
The people who were to obstruct that shadow organisation’s size of an enterprise were, after great consideration, cautiously chosen.
And then… …I was selected.
I once possessed skills that made a name for me in the world; the selection is the result of my credibility and achievements.
But in reality, ‘it’s a retired ossan, so there’s little harm in it, even in the worst case scenario where he dies’… …is an afterthought based on the organisation-esque calculations of profits and loss.‘No matter how you look at it, it’s a conspiracy’… …is how my comrade objected, but I accepted that.
It is because if I succeed with the elimination of the target, my comrade was promised to become part of the organisation’s senior management.
After being made to make a blood-sealed pledge, I make preparations, and attempt the operation.
The result… …I am dead.
Although it was a drawn out telling, I want you to think of me as having had spent a life that was by far, widely removed from those ordinary people. Having also gotten older, I take pride in having an iron heart that is not perturbed by ordinary occurrences.
And yet… …I am shamefully flustered.
“Au―, Auaua―!”
Why have I become a baby!
Even though that’s what I wanted to yell, probably as this body’s vocal cords aren’t developed, even words are impossible. These surprisingly tiny hands and feet, this body which won’t move to my satisfaction even though it is my own body. Despite being an absurd state of affairs, I somehow clearly understand that I had become a baby.
No matter how optimistically I had lived my life in my previous existence, these state of affairs are unacceptable.
As my confused self and composed self quarrel with one another, a shadow is cast over my face.
“———……——……—”
A woman is looking at me and speaking.
However, without my undeveloped ears successfully picking up the words, I don’t even know what is being said.
Calm down, let’s try to sort out the situation a bit. With composure, I quickly and accurately transition to analysis. To calm myself, I look back through my memories.
At what probably became my last operation, I disposed of the man who was the target, but I had myself suffered a fatal wound. Escape had become impossible, and to also include the destruction of evidence, I chose to to disappear together with the building.
When I awoke, I was a baby.
… …yea, I’ve calmed down but ultimately I don’t get it. Even though I undoubtedly should have died, for some reason I became a baby. That I had gone through [Reincarnation] makes sense but, why do I still have my ego and memories?
Moreover, despite being able to recall the life I had led, I can’t recall the names of my former comrade and apprentices. The pinpoint holes in my memories, the situation in which I couldn’t obtain any information, and this body. In the present condition, I am unable to come up with answers no matter how much I think about it, and there’s also nobody that can give me answers either.
Stopping at the thought of ‘anything more than this is useless’, for the time being I tried observing the person in front of my eyes.
A woman with grey hair tied up in a bundle behind her head, with sky blue eyes.
There are a few wrinkles on her face, so she was probably approximately past marriageable age, but all flattery aside, she is thoroughly a beautiful person. If I wasn’t a baby, I may have made advances on her.
However, I wonder why she is wearing maid clothing? Cosplay? No, from her appearance, is this a foreign country? While I was absentmindedly thinking, she gently held me up in her arms, and started to hum something that sounded like a lullaby. I don’t understand the contents nor the words. But at her gaze filled with kindness directed at me and the restful rhythm of the humming, my awareness becomes distant.
Although there’s a heap of things that I must consider, without resisting the pleasant feeling, I let go of my consciousness.
One month had lapsed since I had awoken.
The world that I know of is still this room only.
Approximately 6.5 tatami in space, there was nothing but the low-height bed which I slept on, a table and a closet. This room that doesn’t even have any books, can be summed up perfectly in one word; dreary. The material of the coverlet also has a slightly harsh texture, and with the various other things, there’s a somewhat out of date feel to it.
Well now, it was a month where I did nothing but eat and sleep, but my body is developing favourably.
Unlike before when sounds were difficult to hear, as if coming from a broken speaker, my ears had also become able to clearly distinguish sounds. And although I can’t walk yet, I have become able to move my body somewhat. However, inversely proportional to that, fuel consumption had exceedingly worsened. In other words, I had become hungry.
If it were as usual, the food arrives with the best timing, as if you’d question whether they were surveilling me, but today of all days, it’s late. ‘I must think up some kind of plan for this’… …I had started to think of countermeasures, and at around time, the door opened.
It was the entrance of the grey haired maid-san who is taking care of me. Speaking of that, even though a month has gone by, I haven’t seen anybody else other than this maid-san, have I?
“———……——————”
Yep, as usual I don’t know what she’s saying. My ears had become able to hear what they are saying, but I’m completely ignorant of the language. As I had flown about throughout the world in my previous life, I was proficient with languages, but not one of those languages has any consistency with this one.
However it’s not that big of a deal. As long as I’m listening, I’ll probably eventually remember it, so I decide that ‘now is the time to prioritise the meal’.
“——? ——————”
Oh? It appears that today there’s not only grey-haired maid-san but one more person.
Let me see…I wonder what kind of person—…………whah?
“——, ———, ———”
The grey haired maid-san gave instructions to the other person and left the room.
No no, wait a moment. Who on earth is this woman who is approaching me with a smile on her whole face? She’s wearing maid clothes, so she probably came to help take care of me, but there’s a point I sort of want to retort to.
This girl, why in the world does she have [cat ears] on?
Seemingly full of life, her age is probably somewhere between a young lady and an adult. With red hair in a ponytail, she is a considerably adorable girl. But the cat ears on her head bothers me. It’s not that I particularly dislike them, but the first thing that comes to mind is a cosplay cafe. That’s what came to mind but, no matter how you look at it, these ears are moving. And even with a lovely *blip blop*.
“——, ———?”
Moving the surprised me, the girl in front of me held out a spoon with the food on it. As there isn’t a baby bottle or anything, I am being fed this way with a spoon.
I still have questions, but I’m hungry so I decide to eat. Although, it’s something like milk with some kind of food mixed in it and doesn’t really taste nice.
“——! ————”
Every time I eat from the spoon, she squirms delightfully.
It’s a bit annoying, but for the time being, I devoted myself to eating silently.
Although the meal had ended, cat ears-san was smiling and gazing at me without getting tired of it. You’re one of those people aren’t you? The type of person who has a weakness for cute things, right? Although, as there are no mirrors here, I don’t even know whether my appearance is cute or not. Leaving aside my appearance, now that my stomach is now bloated, let’s resolve one question shall we?
Honestly, are those cat ears real?
I point at the cat ears and try to appeal to her that I wanted her to let me touch them. No, not grab your finger, your ears for crying out loud. Even though she thinks about it for a little bit, cat ears-san brings her head closer and let me touch her ears. Yep, warm. I tried checking as far as the roots, but they’re definitely growing from her head. This is real, this is.
“——! ——,——————,——……”
I’m immersed in an indescribable feeling, and cat ears-san claps her hands as if she had thought of something. She closes her eyes, raises her index finger and with a *murmur murmur*, is muttering something.
“———!”
Right after having uttered a cry with her fighting spirit, at that instant, a flame suddenly appeared at her fingertip.
……eh, fire? But there’s no lighter or anything, from where exactly did the flame? Ahh I see, is it something like a sleight of hand? But I don’t think ‘fire’ is something that becomes such a beautiful sphere and floats in mid-air.
“———?”
I’m confused over here, and in front of me cat ears-san is happily rotating her finger.
While the sphere of fire is doing impossible movements and is matching that rotation, it flew about in cat ears-san’s surroundings. I can’t find any trick-like objects.
Is this possibly [Magic]… …maybe?
“——!”
“—!?”
At the same time as that conclusion arose within me, grey haired maid-san returned.
Having realised that, cat ears-san’s movements stop, and at the same time the sphere of fire also disappeared. Without speaking, grey haired maid-san beckons over cat ears-san. With a scary ‘come here’ smiling face. The ears and the tail of the cat ears-san that was heading that way is dejectedly drooping; it was somehow soothing.
Cat ears or tails which don’t exist on normal humans, and the existence of magic.
Things that absolutely didn’t exist in my previous life where the whole world had been unravelled.
I had presumably stepped away from intellection, but it seems that I must soon obediently accept reality.
This is… …nooot Earth.
Three months since I woke up.
My neck is steady, crawling movement was possible.
When the pair of maids aren’t watching, I break out from bed’s fencing, and devoting myself to gathering information from my surroundings; it’s how I’m spending my time everyday.
Making various rounds like that, I was deepening my understanding of the current situation anew. I confirmed that this isn’t Earth, and as there are things such as magic, it’s probably okay to call it an [other world].
Well well, that the [other world reincarnation] that my otaku colleague had spoken so much about would happen to me. Although I have already died once, ‘life’ is something incomprehensible.
The level of civilization here is, if in Earth terms, probably closest to Europe’s Middle Ages. Among other things, candles are the main for light and there’s no trace of things like electrical appliances so it seems inconvenient, but instead, there’s magic.
I move in search of new discoveries, but it’ll be meal time before long.
I decide to return to my room before maid-san comes. Today it’s probably cat ears-san’s turn to come.
“Here we are, it’s time to eat. I’ll feed you a lot. Aaan?.”
Oh yeah, I had finally become able to understand the previously incomprehensible language. It’s probably also due to the learning speed of a baby, but I think it’s largely thanks to this cat ears-san. As this girl is immensely officious and at the same time loquacious, she comes to speak to me, to the extent of being arduous. If one is covered in the native language, then its acquisition is also fast. Being able to understand the language, naturally I also confirmed my name.
Sirius… …that is my new name.
The actual situation is unknown, but thus I gained a new life.
My name in my previous life has disappeared, but so long as I have my ‘self’, I think i’ll live properly as ‘Sirius’. I might be saying something cool, but the me in reality is in the position of being fed by someone else, so there is a discrepancy.
“I wonder if the meal is finished?”
Grey haired maid-san, amended to Erina-san, came to check up on me. With her impeccable outfit, she has on the captivating presence of an expert maid today too. Although she’s probably younger than I was in my previous life, holding respect for the other party when they’re a professional is my own way of thinking.
“Ah, yes. At any rate, Sirius-sama eats neatly doesn’t he? Although I had heard that babies meals were harder to handle?”
“It’s probably true for normal children, but Sirius-sama is special. He will undoubtedly make a name for himself in the future.”
An expert maid, but somewhat containing a doting parent.
I had certainly considered whether Erina-san was my parent, but after hearing conversations it seems like she’s not. Her speech and conduct is that of towards one’s superiors, and I have the feeling that she’s closer to a lady-in-waiting rather than a maid. For that reason, the ‘doting parent’ expression is also a bit strange, but the eyes aimed this way are completely the eyes of a parent. Considering my age, rather than a doting attendant, there’s no mistake, it’s the expression of a doting parent.
“I know right. It’s almost as if he understands my words. Aah, even so, he’s really adorable.”
The name of cat ears-san who is entranced with me, is Noel-san.
She’s in the middle of her maid training at Erina-san’s side, but she still has a long way to go, as she hasn’t left her age-appropriate childishness.
“I wonder how soon he’ll call me ‘onee-chan’? Ah, but ‘onee-sama’ is also difficult to give up…”
Yep, this girl is fine without an honorific title.
“The meal is over now, right? I’ll ask that you do the cleaning next.”
“Understood!”
Noel gives a reply filled with vigor. From behind her, Erina-san comes and affectionately holds me in her arms, and left the room with me. Heading towards the entranceway as is, it had been decided that I am going outside for the first time in my life.
I don’t know whether this world has four seasons or not, but outside the weather is fair and warm. It seems as if I were to take something like an afternoon nap, it’d be comfortable.
“Today the weather is warm, isn’t it? Let’s take a stroll outside for a bit shall we?”
“Ai—”
“Yes, please leave it to me.”
Brought along by Erina-san, we take a leisurely stroll around the house.
The exterior of the house is a splendid two-storied wooden construction. There are six rooms, and I think it’s a house a bit more spacious than the average house. As they add a [-sama] to my name when they address me, I’m thinking that I’m living in a mansion as an upper class noble. This yard is quite large, and in several places the planted vegetable gardens, trees and shrubs were neatly arranged.
And then after going around the house once, I incidentally notice it. But this house, it’s perimeter is completely covered by the forest and not one sign of other residences can be found? At best, there’s only a maintained path that continues ahead of a main gate-esque structure, and what was left of the surroundings, the forest is the only thing visible. It’s the kind of remote region that can’t be passed off as a rural area.
I occasionally see a rabbit that has sprouted horns, jumping out from the thicket, making me believe that ‘this is really another world isn’t it…’.
“Sirius-sama, that is called a [Horabi]. It has a timid disposition, but it is a monster so you must not approach it.”
Yeaah, although I had expected it ever since I was aware that ‘there is magic’, sure enough it’s a world with monsters isn’t it?
It seems that it’s usual for there to be things like dragons and other creatures which were just imaginary in my previous life, so it seems like it’s better if I start training my body from tomorrow onwards. Should I stop pretending to be a baby to some small extent and start training? If I show them that I can crawl after a while and they get used to the speed of my development, any distrust of the abnormal development thereafter will also probably fade. It would be ideal if, one month after I become able to walk, they’d smile and watch over me even if I jogged.
“……Erina-sama.”
“Ara, is the pruning complete perhaps? ”
“Yes.”
Turning towards the voice, an onii-san with pruning shears in his work clothes appeared from between the trees.
To me, he is the third human discovered.
He was a young man with short brown hair and sharp eyes, he was also tall and in some respects engendered a ‘difficult to approach atmosphere’. If it was someone he was meeting for the first time, it seems like they would hesitate before accosting him.
“Apus have grown. Let’s bring some out for today’s evening meal.”
“Is that so? It’s Noel’s favourite food, so she will jump up and down with delight.”
“Yes.”
Perhaps he is not good at speaking with others, his words are few and direct. As his expression has not changed one bit for a while now, if it was the previous world, he would definitely be certified as having communication sickness.
Perhaps she knew that I’m observing him, Erina-san introduced Dee to me.
“Sirius-sama, this is Dee Mas. He’s our house’s gardener and chef.”
“Erina-sama, it’s impossible for a baby to understand…”
“That might be true, but if I don’t properly introduce you in advance…”
“…..that’s true. Please call me Dee, Sirius-sama.”
“Ai—”
“!?”
He probably didn’t think that I would reply, Dee’s expression slightly fell apart.
It’s really meaningless, but I feel like I won.
“……looking forward to the future right?”
“Yeah, truly.”
The pair’s eyes narrow, their gazes converge.
The future……huh. If I was able to speak at this stage, I’d say something like ‘to be ready for any troubles that may occur, I’ll train my body’. Before that, there’s no sign of the people that would be the most involved in my future.
I’ve never seen them, and since there aren’t anything like photos, I don’t even know their faces.
As if avoiding it intentionally, the topic hasn’t come up at all. I also am pretending not to have noticed, but it’s suspicious enough.
My parents—I wonder where they are?
