"Is this supposed to be my dad? Big nose… mustache? No way I'll look like that when I grow up. And who's this woman? Dressed like a maid… my babysitter? Huh, not bad. Maybe she'll take good care of me. Oooh, blonde… and those big bubbles look yummy too."
Most people would never think a newborn could think like this. But he wasn't exactly a normal baby.
Jake, an alchemist, had spent his life in his lab playing with fire, or, more accurately, highly toxic acids. One day, a mistake cost him everything: his eyes first, then his body slowly failing. Death should have come, but it didn't. His body became a shell, only his mind remained alive in endless agony. It's said that God is merciful, but in his case, God was late because he suffered for years, slowly going insane. The pain affected him mentally to the point that he started to see it as one of the ingredients that make a perfect life. Following his desire to combine and test chemical compounds and study their reactions resulted in his suffering.
Until he heard a voice offering a choice between two things: be reborn in his same old world without memories, or be reborn in a new world and keep his memories.
Obviously, he chose to keep his memories and reincarnate in the new world. Otherwise, nothing could explain the existence of a lustful baby with crazy thoughts.
"Did I make the right choice?" he thought. "Only ten seconds after birth, I already smell like… ugh. And I don't like what I see… except for those big bubbles."
The father didn't know what the little baby was thinking, and neither did the maid. But unlike the cheerful maid, the father only took a brief cold glance before leaving. The maid stayed, determined to care for him, which resulted in a better understanding of the newborn's behavior.
"Hello there, little one. I don't know what they'll call you yet, but I'm Marianne. For now… I'll call you Little Devil," she said.
Maybe she noticed how he was staring at her bubbles, which is why she chose such an obvious nickname. The Little Devil didn't like the atmosphere and tried to retaliate, but all he could do was cry loudly.
The maid didn't mind. She took it as a sign that he liked his new name. To calm him, Marianne thought of a way.
"Little Devil, look…" She held up a small cloth. With a gentle blow, it transformed into a colorful, beautiful bird. It was pure magic.
"Look at this bird. Isn't it beautiful?"
The Little Devil's eyes widened. What did I just see? This bird trick… can it be real? Did I see that right? This maid just cast a magic trick or is it a spell? Will I also be able to do that?
It was hard being an adult in a baby's body. All he could do was observe, unable to act. But imagination was his key to avoid boredom. He fell in love with the magic trick. As a former alchemist, he knew magic didn't exist in his former world, but he accepted that it was an amazing thing.
There was also a glowing mark on her forehead, which looked like a small sun symbol and one star. But he couldn't understand what it meant.
After a while, he simply decided to sleep…
Babies spend most of the day sleeping or crying. As he closed his eyes, he opened them in his dreams. It was strange.
A vast sea, still and unmoving, reflected an endless sky filled with countless stars in all colors. Some stars shared the same shade but differed slightly. Nothing else existed.
He stood on water with a baby body wondering... What is this place?. Dreams are usually blurry and uncontrollable. This can't be a normal dream… Unless… this is what babies dream. Clear, like reality itself.
The Little Devil wondered where this place had come from when he felt cold water under his tiny feet. Instinctively, he wanted to escape. That's when he opened his eyes again.
This strange dream gave birth to doubts and theories. Perhaps he was reborn in a different world, as he was told, a magical one. But what confirmed his doubt was what he saw when he woke up.
The Little Devil found himself in a large hall, carried by the maid. There were many people present. He recognized his father sitting on a throne and addressing everyone.
"Everyone, take a seat… today I present to you my first son. The ceremony of recognition will take place here."
A priest walked in, dressed in white with golden lines, carrying a magical stone. The Little Devil had no idea what was happening but already formed theories in his head.
The ceremony of recognition: it's the most important ceremony in one's life. It determines if one would live an ordinary life or a life full of adventure.
Hey, what's going on now? Everything here is freaking me out. Big nose is a king?. No way.. What's a recognition ceremony? Could it be… circumcision? No way I'll feel that pain again. I swear, I'll get my revenge when I grow up…
Of course, no one could know what he was thinking.
Marianne's expression was different this time, not her usual cheerful self. She approached the king quietly, lowering her voice.
"Your Highness, please think again. Even if the Little Devil truly has exceptional talent, his life could be in danger. You must consider carefully," she said, her words laced with fear and worry.
The king didn't bother to respond. "Danger? Under my watch? Now, take your place and prepare for the ceremony. You're the one overthinking."
Surprised by the king's attitude, she knewthere was something wrong with him. But she knelt as the priest approached and placed the stone in front of the Little Devil lying in her arms. He could do nothing but cry loudly, obviously upset with whatever the ceremony meant and the scary words he heard Marianne say to his father, who apparently didn't care about his safety. Thunder boomed outside, as if the storm knew the moment was coming.
A lightning mark glowed on his forehead, sharp and bright.
Eyes turned toward him: ministers, church envoys, representatives from other lands, even members of the royal family. Their gazes were heavy.
The priest's face shifted from anticipation to astonishment. "Your Highness… strange! The stone shows no sign, but the boy clearly has lightning affinity."
Normally the magical stone reacts and shows a colour that indicates an element. But in little devil's case the magical stone didn't react or show anything. It only forced the mark to show up.
The king's expression remained unreadable. "Let's wait and see. It might be a sign of… something interesting."
The mark alone was enough to stir anger in some of those present. Then, movement began above his head, a shape forming from pure blue magical fluid.
The priest could barely contain his excitement. "Your Highness…"
The king rose immediately, walking forward, his face a mix of shock and pride. Around the hall, tension thickened and the Little Devil sensed the hostility, and his cries grew louder. Baby instincts dominated over everything else, despite the mind of an adult inside.
"Your Highness, it's better to let him get it all out first," the maid whispered calmly.
The king nodded, a smile breaking through his usual cold demeanor.
In moments, the shape solidified above the Little Devil's head. A crown, formed of pure magical liquid, sparkled as lightning danced across its surface.
The king announced, "The queen had chosen a name for the heir long before his birth. Dignified and dominating, as if she had a prophecy. His name is to be Killial, Prince of Valtherion Kingdom."
He placed a silver necklace around his neck, carrying his name.
The ceremony's sole purpose was always to see if a baby would bear a magical mark. Only one in a thousand was born with it.
The lightning magical mark, also known as the elemental mark of lightning, is a symbol of affinity. The person carrying the lightning mark is recognized by the lightning element itself as its master, granting that person low to medium control of its magical powers. Therefore, he is called a master of the element.
But what appeared in front of everyone wasn't only the mark. It was also a crown of the lightning element. Unlike the mark, the crown is extremely rare. It not only symbolizes high affinity but also advanced to high control over the element. Therefore one gains a more powerful title, king of the element.
The same applies for the rest of the elements in the world. But the strength of a master of the lightning element and king of the lightning element is still the same in terms of raw strength. So what's the point?
In simple words, the strength of a person is determined by the number of stars around the mark. But if both have the same number of stars, the king of the element is still superior in mastery. He has more means for attack, protection, and escape. Which makes the crown a priceless treasure for many people.
It was hard to predict how many trouble one could face because of attracting so much greed.