Chapter 2 – New Beginning
"Young master," the voice called again, more urgent this time. "Please, you really have to get up. Today is important."
Erynd slowly opened his eyes.
"…Huh," he whispered.
He looked down at his hands.
They were small. Smooth. No scars, no calluses from years of sword training and spellcasting. Just the hands of a boy.
'I'm… younger,' he realized quietly. 'Why am I so much younger?'
He pushed himself up and turned toward the voice.
Standing beside the bed was a young maid he knew all too well.
Alice.
She had a soft, balanced figure—neither too thin nor too chubby. Her long black hair was tied up high in a neat bunny tail, allowing her maid headband to sit clearly on her head. She wore the classic uniform of a Viscount's household: a long black skirt that hid her legs, white apron, and black stockings just barely visible when she moved. The black and white contrast was easy on the eyes, tidy and elegant.
But one thing Erynd couldn't help noticing was that Alice herself looked…
"Younger," he muttered.
"Alice… you're so young," he said out loud, frowning.
Younger than he remembered. The maturity he was used to seeing in her features and posture simply wasn't there yet. Even her presence felt lighter, less grounded.
"What are you talking about, young master?" Alice tilted her head, puzzled. "Did you wake up from a bad dream again?" As she spoke, she reached out and gently patted his head.
Erynd ignored the question.
"Alice, how old am I? And what's the current date?" he asked, trying to keep his voice calm.
"It's currently the year 6010 G.H.A, young master. And you're around twelve." She smiled. "Did you hit your head or something?"
G.H.A.
Great Heroes Aftermath.
'This isn't how my regression is supposed to go,' Erynd thought. 'Normally, I'm around twenty-five when I wake up. No wonder I feel so much younger… I actually am.'
Was this a deviation?
Did something change because of… whatever happened before he woke up?
'Do I still have hope?' he wondered. 'No—this is better. This is enough time to train. Martial arts, magic… I can prepare before the Great Collapse and every major disaster.'
"Thanks, Alice," he said. "But why is today so important?"
He muttered the question honestly. In his previous regressions, this point in time had never existed for him.
"Oh, it's because you've been selected to join the Academy soon," Alice replied brightly. "Everyone in the mansion is busy preparing. You really can't be late today, young master."
"I see… thank you for informing me," Erynd said.
Before he could say anything else, Alice had already pulled the blanket away and started fussing over him, guiding him off the bed with practiced motions.
"Come now, young master. We have to get you washed and dressed," she said, already half-dragging him toward the door connected to his private bath.
"Alice."
"Yes, young master?" she answered, pausing.
"I can do it myself," Erynd said, face tightening slightly. "There's no need for you to help me. Let me handle it alone."
He was too embarrassed to let a clearly younger Alice assist him with bathing.
Alice blinked, then smiled softly.
"Alright, young master. I'll wait outside, then. Please be quick—the carriage will be here soon."
Erynd nodded and slipped into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.
Warm light filled the room.
He stepped in front of the large mirror above the sink and finally got a good look at himself.
A young boy stared back.
The stubble he had grown used to seeing in later regressions was gone. His blonde hair was soft and slightly messy, falling over a smooth forehead. His blue eyes were clearer and brighter than he remembered, like polished glass. He looked like a foreigner from his old world—like the westerners he used to see on TV and in online videos back on Earth.
"…So this is me at twelve," he murmured.
As he spoke, something flickered in the corner of his vision.
He froze.
A faint, translucent square hovered in front of him, just above eye level, like a screen someone had projected into the air. It wasn't reflecting in the mirror—just floating in his direct line of sight.
Lines of text appeared on it, crisp and clear.
[ System ]
[ Awakening of a Hero ]
Erynd stared.
'A… system?' he thought.
The instant the word crossed his mind, a strange feeling rippled through his chest—familiarity without memory, like he'd seen this kind of thing countless times in another life that wasn't quite his.
His heart began to beat faster.
'This… wasn't here in my previous regressions,' he realized.
The translucent window pulsed softly, as if reacting to his attention.
More text began to slowly form beneath the glowing title.