(Five years later)
I am now Kaiser Ashford, second child of the poor Ashford barony. If I were to give a speech about this life, I'd say, "This life isn't easy." Seriously, spending the first five years as an infant to a young kid has given me every kind of tortu- Ahem, I mean experience I didn't remember as Xavier Solstice. Talk about a downgrade.
In my early days, I couldn't speak or express anything other than crying and making unintelligible sounds.
And let me tell you, the worst part? I was always sleepy. It's an infant thing, I guess. I had the same vibe as a tired, cranky little potato.
And yet, I was supposed to be this once-in-a-million prodigy who could read after just one year. Ha! Yeah, I'm the former Crown Prince, after all.
Ashford barony might have been poor, but it was full of something my cold, stone-castle life never had: love. The kind of love that makes everything a little more bearable.
Sure, our lands were mostly made up of greenly farmlands, but I'd take the warmth of a humble home over the cold, isolating throne any day.
Our place was surrounded by mountains in the west, a lake to the east, a county to the south, and a viscounty on the other side, like a big, crummy sandwich. Doesn't sound too bad, right?
"Young Master Kaiser, what are you doing?" a voice called, pulling me out of my thoughts.
I was standing by the window, trying (and failing) to get a good view. Since my new body was only about three feet tall, I had to climb up on a chair to reach the window. Not exactly graceful. Damn it, I feel like I'm playing a game of 'How Not to Look Ridiculous.'
The voice belonged to Adrien, our family's guard. Or, as I like to call him, my personal bodyguard-savior from my own awkwardness.
If I were to describe him, he was tall, slim, and annoyingly good-looking, with short chestnut brown hair and matching eyes that looked like they've never seen a sleepless night in their life.
Since I'd been acting… well, let's say "unusual" for a toddler, I guess it made sense that Adrien got stuck with watching over me.
"Nothing," I said in my cute little kid voice, which is still pretty embarrassing. Let's not even talk about how my body now has bright red hair and those striking gray eyes of my idiotic father.
It's fine, I guess. I'm still pretty cute, but come on. I was Xavier Solstice, the former Crown Prince. People called me the most handsome man in the kingdom!
And now, I'm stuck in this tiny body, reduced to the adorable status of an over-enthusiastic kid with way too much time on his hands. Oh, the humiliation.
Adrien looked at me, his brow furrowing slightly. "What's that look for, Young Master?"
I pointed outside the window, where a group of smug-looking people was walking away from our cas—ahem—house.
"Who are they?" I asked. Not that I really care, but my curiosity got the better of me.
"Debt collectors," Adrien said flatly.
Ah, so that's who they were.
You see, there'd been a little problem with the farms. It was our main source of income, but we'd had some bad luck lately. Some real parasites- no, not the kind that steal money, the kind that fly around like they're on a mission from hell- had been plaguing our crops.
These nasty little critters had been messing with the farmland, sucking the life out of our crops like overzealous relatives at a family barbecue. It's been disastrous for our livelihood.
So, in response, a bunch of crows- uh, the financial kind- had come around to collect what we owe. They may not have wings, but they sure know how to drain the pockets.
I glanced out the window at the retreating figures, a thought coming to mind. "Should we just… pay them in love?" I asked, the sarcasm dripping from my voice. "You know, since we're so rich in that."
Adrien looked over at me with that same tired expression, clearly not buying my attempt at humor. "We'll handle the debt collectors, Young Master. But maybe you should focus on growing up a little."
I shot him a look that I'm pretty sure is full of deep, profound wisdom, despite my tiny stature. "Hump."
Adrien sighed heavily and stepped closer. "I'll make sure to keep the parasites out of our lives... both the bugs and the people."
But seriously, how is my dad ever going to be free from these debts? I can't be penniless forever. Especially since I have my own mission.
I need to figure out what happened to me, I mean, to Xavier Solstice. "Hey, Adrien," I called out, getting an idea that is nothing short of brilliant.
Yeah! This is it. A solution. A way to pay off everything. I grin to myself. "I know how we can get rid of the debt."
I, the five-year-old prodigy, say with an air of confidence that even adults would envy.
Adrien raised an eyebrow, looking at me with curiosity. Why isn't he asking how? I mean, it's obvious that this is a brilliant plan! Damn him for not seeing the genius in this immediately.
Here comes the baby charm. All I have to do is give him my best pleading face, and little Adrien won't be able to resist. He'll cave in. And I am not embarrassed to use it.
"So, what's the idea, Young Master?" he asked, though he looked like he's already regretting it. I stood a little straighter, hands on my hips, and delivered the most dramatic wink I could muster. "We have to steal."
Adrien's face instantly darkened, his expression morphing into confusion and concern. He's probably thinking, What in the world is this toddler talking about? Did I hear him right?
"Of course that's easy," I continued, unfazed, "right?"
He crossed his arms, standing tall, and looked at me with that serious guard face. "You're a little too young to be talking about crimes, Young Master."
"I know," I said, nodding sagely. "I'm not talking about stealing in the way you think." I glanced at him, making sure to deliver my next line with extra maturity. "We can steal within the law."
Adrien blinked. Then blinked again. He was just standing there, processing what I said, probably thinking I've finally lost my mind completely.
I sigh internally. Why doesn't he get it?
I looked at him patiently. "You see, Adrien, we don't have to break the law to steal. We just need to borrow... indefinitely. That's what I meant."
There, that should clear it up. Heh heh.
But no, Adrien was still frowning, clearly struggling to keep up. "You mean like... borrowing something we won't return?"
"No!" I waved my hands, doing my best to sound logical. "I mean borrowing in a... creative way. You know, like... acquiring things through legal means. Trading... clever exchanges." I gave him my best convincing smile. "And the best part is, no one will even notice! All we need is a little... persuasion."
Adrien just stared at me for a long moment, his eyes narrowing, trying to figure out if I'm being serious.
The thing is, even though I'm just a five-year-old kid right now, unlike everyone else who thinks I'm just repeating what I read in books, Adrien believes me. He's seen the spark in me. And I know he's probably wondering how exactly I plan to make this "creative" plan work.
But he didn't say anything right away. Instead, he rubbed his chin thoughtfully, like he's trying to weigh out the pros and cons of taking advice from a tiny kid. Finally, he just nodded, although I could tell he's still unconvinced. "Young Master, I'm not sure this is the best idea…" He hesitated.
Don't worry, my lovely guard. Has there ever been a day when this graceful prince let you down?
I flash Adrien my most confident grin.
Adrien looked at me with the tired expression of a man who has already lived a hundred years in the span of life. He didn't answer. Rude. But understandable.
Just then, a carriage rolled through the gates, catching my attention. It wasn't anything fancy, just a simple noble carriage drawn by two sturdy brown horses. Still, it was decent enough to tell me that whoever was inside wasn't a commoner.
I tried to get a better look, stretching forward like a curious little owl, except my body betrays me. The chair wobbles, and I almost take a grand, head-first plunge to the floor.
Fortunately, Adrien moved faster than my impending doom and grabbed me by the back of my shirt, steadying both me and the chair like it was part of his daily routine.
I clear my throat and pretend that never happened.
The carriage door swung open, and a boy stepped out. He was about ten years old. His uniform was all too familiar: a rich red jacket with silver linings, a crisp white shirt with a matching red tie, and black pants. Weawin Academy.
I narrow my eyes.
Weawin Academy… my school. Or at least, it was when I was Xavier Solstice. The place where nobles and elite warriors trained, learning about weapons, battle techniques, and mana theories.
Ah, mana. The invisible force that existed everywhere, in every living thing, non-living things, and even floating around in the air.
Sounds fancy, right? But here's the catch: not everyone can use it. The lucky ones, the ones who can actually manipulate mana, are called Arcanists. (And back in my prince days, I was the strongest Arcanist.)
But Weawin Academy didn't teach kids how to control mana. Nope. It was a school for ten-to-thirteen-year-olds, where they just prepared students for battles and future mana control.
Real mana control only started after a person awakened their mana core, which usually happened between the ages of twelve and fourteen.
If it doesn't happen by then? Well, tough luck. You're out of the Arcanist club forever. (And there are prodigies like crown prince me who awakened at the age of ten, heh heh.)
Now, back to the terrifying present.
The boy who just stepped out of the carriage was none other than my dear older brother, Arlan Ashford.
Yes, the same Arlan who had the honor of naming me Kaiser. The same Arlan who, in the five years of my new life, had nearly ended it multiple times.
I glare at him as memories flood my mind.
When I was barely one year old, he tried to push me off the roof because Mom said I was an angel, and he assumed I could fly. If it weren't for my father diving in like a hero at the last second, I would've had my first and last flight that day.
When I was two, Arlan thought it'd be fun to toss me into the air and catch me, except his tiny gremlin arms nearly missed, and I plummeted straight toward disaster.
Adrien, with the reflexes of a seasoned warrior, leapt forward and snatched me out of the air like a falcon catching prey. I'm still convinced I saw my short life flash before my eyes.
When I was three, he put me on a full-grown horse. A full-grown horse! I was shorter than the thing's neck and barely clinging on when it took off.
My father and Adrien both scrambled after me, one grabbing the reins and the other scooping me up before I became a tragic legend in Ashford history.
And now, after finally being free from his death-defying antics for a few glorious days while he was away at Weawin Academy, here he was again.
Back.
Uninvited.
Why? Why is this demon back?!
I look at Adrien, my eyes pleading for an explanation. Adrien, however, just pats my head like I need comforting. Which, honestly, I do.
If I were in my previous life, Arlan would definitely have been executed by now for repeatedly playing with the crown prince's life. No kingdom would tolerate such reckless endangerment.
Arlan disappears inside the house, vanishing from my sight. Naturally, my curiosity gets the best of me. Why is he back so soon? He should still be at Weawin Academy, right?
Without wasting another second, I leap off my chair and race downstairs. I arrive just in time to see Mom and Dad standing near the entrance, concern etched across their faces.
"What's going on, Arlan?" Mom asks, her voice full of worry. Totally justified, by the way, because none of us received notice that he was coming back.
"I'm not going back," Arlan declared, completely ignoring our sweet, angelic mother. How dare he?
Dad steps forward, his brow furrowed. "What happened? At least explain-"
But before he can finish, Arlan snaps at them.
"Why? Why are you even asking?" His voice is sharp, frustrated. In one swift motion, he yanks off his pristine red school jacket and throws it to the ground. "That school is for nobles, not commoners like me."
I blink. Commoners? What nonsense is this idiot spewing?
I glance at Mom and Dad. I can see the sadness in their eyes. The discomfort.
Arlan clenches his fists. His voice shakes, not just with anger, but something heavier. "Is it my fault that we're so poor we have to take on debts? How am I supposed to face the other kids? You might want me to be all high and mighty, but I… I just can't."
His words hit like arrows, but it's the next part that really catches me off guard.
"I'm not like your precious son, Kaiser."
My head snaps up. Wait, what?
Arlan's sharp gaze lands on me, full of something I can't quite place, bitterness, maybe? Frustration? But why?
What did I do? No, seriously- what even happened to make this idiot so mad?!