My sleep didn't last long as the sounds of people talking and making a ruckus around my baby crib got on my nerves. "Test, can you tune out these sounds? Maybe filter things and don't disturb me until it's something important."
"Acknowledged, master. Good night."
Soon the sounds got filtered out, almost like putting on noise-canceling headphones, and I fell back to sleep.
After some time maybe a few hours Test notifies me. "Master, should I engage defensive measures? User is being shaken vigorously."
"What?" I open my eyes to see a man in a black regal outfit with black eyes and jet black hair. Must say he's handsome, but I don't swing that way. As soon as I open my eyes, he stops. I notice my mom hanging from his arm like a koala she must be trying to stop him. "Test, who is this rude but good-looking man?"
"From the introduction given by your mother, this man is your father who rushed back from the border as soon as news of your birth reached him."
Understandable. These two my father and mother started arguing about what my first words will be: "mama" or "papa." They start coaxing me to say it. Are they dumb? I was just born three hours ago. Kids don't say "mama" or "dada" before six months, and I don't think my vocal cords are capable of it right now. But I can do something. "Test, search for a string of words my baby voice can produce that will carry discomfort and unhappiness."
"Search complete. Best option: 'Ga Ga.'"
I try it, and sounds come out of my mouth. "Ga Ga."
Then I smirk with my cute chubby baby face. My parents' eyes light up they start calling me a genius. That's their problem. "Test, turn noise-canceling mode back on. I'm going back to sleep."
I think about how beautiful my mother is. She's quite petite with porcelain skin, sky blue eyes, and hair. As her son, I shouldn't comment on it, but she's well-proportioned. As mentioned before, she can give the angels from this world a run for their money and easily beat all the supermodels from my old world.
I don't get to sleep for ten minutes before Test interrupts me again. "Master, it's feeding time."
Oh shit, nope. My eyes open and I see what's about to happen. My chubby face makes an awkward expression. This can't be happening. "Test, do you have something like an autopilot function? Please help me you take care of this part."
"Affirmative. Engaging autopilot general mode. User can sleep while I take over all functions and sensations."
This feeling is odd it's like sleep paralysis but different. I can take over whenever I want, but I don't want to. I have morals, okay? "Test, engage autopilot whenever it's feeding time."
"Affirmative." After hearing her reply, I drift back to sleep.
The days continue like this. A neat feature I found is that Test is connected to my old world's internet, so I can consume content online. I think I can even game if I want, but Test constantly monitors me, making certain I can't interact with anyone in that world meaningfully. This is an amazing way to pass my baby days, and autopilot helps me act like a baby very well. Test is doing a good job at acting like a baby. This is the good life my physical body is sleeping, but I can binge-watch my favorite shows. Test explained that this way I have one body and two minds, one of which is an angel, so they don't need rest. Test also manages all my bodily functions. Neat.
Time passes quickly. It's been three years, and today is special I'm about to meet my fiancée. Yes, this three-year-old is somehow unofficially engaged to the sole heir of this empire: the crown princess. She's eleven years old.
People in this world have longer lifespans usually reaching 300 years old, and if you have mana, you can easily live 900 years old. So a ten-year age difference isn't that special. Considering we're nobles, it's not odd either. You may wonder how I know so much it's simple. My little helper Test has been gathering info and giving me reports, helping me fill in the gaps from her general knowledge.
Test is extremely smart and clueless at the same time. She knows there are seven empires and calls them by number. As an angel, she couldn't be bothered to know their names or who rules them. I wish this world had some kind of internet for searching. Come to think of it, the world system did perform searches maybe Test doesn't have access to it. Her current main info source is chatty maids.
She's gathered info about the noble structure of this empire and its power dynamics. This empire has a similar governance system to my old world, with three main branches of government. The Legislative Branch makes laws, the Executive Branch carries them out, and the Judicial Branch explains and enforces them fairly.
This empire also has three branches led by three noble families. The White Family, also known as the Royal Family, mainly deals with internal affairs and governing the people. The head of this family becomes the emperor or empress. Then there's the Gold Family, who deal with law, upholding justice, maintaining balance, and religious affairs. They have contracts with angels, and if certain criteria are met, they can maintain the balance. The head of this family holds the rank of king and is also the high priest. The church maintains law and order great idea, I think sarcastically. But they're the most unbiased, which has something to do with their contracts with angels. Our contract is one of master-servant, so Test will do anything I order. Apparently, I can summon her other body if I want. Neat.
Finally, there's the Black Family my family who deal with military affairs, army, national defense, and everything related to warfare. My family is special because we have contracts with dragons and produce dragon knights. The head of the family, my father, holds the rank of king and is contracted with the blue platinum dragons they're like the kings among dragons. Our army's elite can go to dragon valley to try and make contracts with dragons. As the heir to the Black family, I'll be contracted to the next dragon king. The current dragon king is contracted with my father, and the head of our family becomes the empire's high command. Since my father is literally a king, that makes me a prince pretty cool, right?
The founders of our nation the three ancestors of the empire worked together to create this system. The White family were the human leaders, the Gold family were the human contractors of angels, and the Black family were the contractors of dragons. Together they made one of the most powerful nations in the world, becoming the seventh empire called Avaloria.
In Avaloria, the emperor and the two kings hold equal status but have distinct responsibilities. The Emperor oversees internal affairs and governs the people, maintaining order and unity. The King of the Black family my father commands military forces, protects the nation, and leads defense. The King of the Gold family maintains justice and religious affairs, ensuring the empire stays aligned with divine law. This trinity of leadership ensures no single ruler holds all authority, keeping Avaloria strong and stable.
Beneath the three great families, Avaloria's noble structure continues with ranks serving different roles. Dukes and Duchesses oversee large regions, Marquesses and Marchionesses guard borders, Counts and Countesses govern smaller areas, while Viscounts and Viscountesses assist with administration. Barons and Baronesses hold authority over villages and castles, Knights are warriors sworn to protect the realm, and Squires are young trainees preparing for knighthood.
The world system didn't do me dirty when it read my thoughts. I thought it just gave me a kick-ass AI, but little did I know it also set the path for me to contract a dragon. I thought the AI gig was enough well, that was all the info the chatty maids knew. How I'll get my dragon is a mystery, but I'm excited.
That's enough tangent. Back to the princess and her marriage arrangement with me. The old emperor was struggling like my family, and with the angels' help managed to produce one offspring a girl. According to national laws, a worthy family can marry the empress and has to be from one of the great families. The Gold family refused, stating some balance mumbo jumbo. My parents were already trying, and this situation just put more pressure on them.
This world isn't completely a patriarchal society women can hold positions of absolute power, but it isn't as open as my old world. According to the law, for the crown princess to take the throne, she must marry a member from one of the main branches of the three great noble families, or else her offspring will take the throne instead. She can't be empress without this marriage arrangement.