1 Prologue

-Part 1-

Wake up. Eat. Work. Eat again. Sleep.

Then wake up again.

That is the summary of my whole life. A cycle that I tried to cling to since I became an adult due to the necessity of the society.

Or rather, it was what modern society demands from me.

If someone says "That's quite a monotony you got there," I will surely agree.

But it doesn't imply that my life is boring.

From time to time, I would break the monotonous flow by adding some spices into it in a form of reading books and playing games.

...I'm anti-social, you say?

No. That's a misconception. I don't hate human contact at all or try to avoid it.

In reality, I have friends. Though they were only a few of them.

If there's one word that best describes me, then it would be a "loner".

I value my solitude most of the time and I don't feel any loneliness from being alone all the time.

I can't really point out any factors as to why I am being this way but if one must insist, then perhaps it was because I was born as an orphan since I was young.

Well, there were some people in the past who willingly fostered me. If anything, they were more interested in the money that came along with it rather than having a new member of the family though.

Anyways, reading books and playing video games are my hobbies.

I'm quite fascinated by the amount of written information printed on such publications, showcasing the knowledge that humanity have accumulated through years of learning and research. This include comic books and light novels too, even if they tend to cater that fantasy side of things.

A way to escape realism is somehow beneficial. It just shows the power of imagination in one's mind.

Then there are videogames. There's nothing more to describe them but fantastic.

I am also fascinated with technology. May it be fiction or not. Another showcase of human talent.

You might call me a geek. However, fret not for I don't find myself being offended by such term.

"Ah..."

I let out a sigh as I lay my head on my pillow. Tomorrow's another day, another battle.

"One must need proper rest". I'm quite a devoted follower of such saying.

So with one blink, I close my eyes as I welcome the enveloping caress of the goddess of sleep.

-Part 2-

That was the last memory I had.

I opened my eyes to a world that has no resemblance to my previous one. I found myself in a body of a young noble boy Cielo Comunero of the Comunero Barony, a place that I never heard before.

Cielo.

A boy who is the son of a commoner turned noble who founded the fief 10 years ago. He was a 10 year old kid who now unfortunately shoulders the responsibility of administrating the barony after his father died in the recent war.

A place that neither the lower rank nobles nor the higher ones want to bat an eye on.

A place that most wealthy and influential would find unattractive and unpleasant. And yet...

This child does not want to give up this wasteland where he had created wonderful memories with his father.

This child does not want to give up the people living within it who put all of their hopes and support behind his father when he was still alive.

Abandoning this place is like abandoning his parent's dreams.

Surely it was a bleak future.

"What would be the proper course of action then?" the voice of Cielo resounded behind my mind.

I didn't voice out my answer for mine was already obvious.

-Part 3-

Life is full of unexpected surprises.

From my colleagues, my mentors, down to various people that I had met during the course of my life, I encountered this quote far too many times that I've already lost count of it.

The new opportunities and challenges, alongside the fun and sorrow that came with it, I should say that it was one of a roller coaster ride having experienced it first hand.

Sometimes life can be a jerk though.

It can be unfair, unjust, and terrible. In some ways, it thrust you to uncertain and confusing situations while giving you a middle finger along the way without any proper explanation, hoping that you can survive the state of affairs that you find yourself in on the fly.

If you found yourself stuck in such condition, there's a 97% chance that you'll end up failing. Though there's a miracle that you can flip the staggering odds in your favor and once you do that, you will survive with a happy smile on your face.

But the chance of something like that ever happening is too slim. Hence why it is often called a "miracle". But the people who always pulled this trick off without any setbacks every time are labeled geniuses in the working industry... or so I heard.

And I hope that it will happen to me today, in this very instant.

"Milord, are you okay?"

Without any explanation as to why, I found myself in a surrounding that I'm not familiar with. My beloved PC was gone, the ceiling fan that I've bought from a garage sale 2 weeks ago was gone, and the walls that were plastered with anime posters were gone.

They had been all replaced by a strange chamber. A room that was elaborated with medieval-style interior design that one can find in Goggle Images with just a few search now dominated my view. I myself sat on what looks like a sofa, though its softness and comfort that it provide didn't feel like my own sofa that I had in my apartment. There was also a person sitting right in front of me and watched me intently. The man was dressed in a garb like a medieval lord from an MMORPG that I used to play when I was in high school, and was showcasing an irritating smile.

What the heck? Wasn't I just sleeping on my bed?

I was at a loss as I thought to myself. For two consecutive days, I've been binge-reading a sci-fi novel written by Damascus Kosov without any pause (excluding eating and bathroom breaks). I could only vaguely remember a slight pain in my chest, and that I just want to lie down and take a rest for a while...

"Your Lordship, please state your decision."

The voice came from the person in front of me. His face was between old and young, seemingly between thirties and forties, and he wore clothes that were made of silk. At first glance, he looked like an aristocrat born with superiority complex, evident by the smug that was plastered all over his face.

I couldn't help myself but frown.

Decision? What decision?

As I quickly looked around in order for my bewilderment to be answered, my eyes were swept away. Laid on the wooden furniture, which separated me and the aristocrat-like person, was a document. The paper itself, at first glance, looked like something made out of wood-pulp but upon closer inspection, it was unmistakenly made of linen rags.

I've seen something like this before in an antique shop back in the days during our school trip.

Written on the said document were some gibberish scribbles I've never seen. As I squinted my eyes trying to make sense of the phrases and sentences inscribe in weird letterings, my mind was assaulted with memories. Recollections that were not mine, to begin with, yet felt it belonged to me somehow. The sudden flood of huge information was too abrupt that I could not help myself but wince in discomfort.

Though thanks to that, it answered my long-standing confusion.

"Your Lordship?"

The man who sat right in front of me was named Artemio Cañares. He is an aristocrat, a noble who also happens to be a messenger of a certain Duke.

As for my...new identity, I happen to be the sole heir of the Barony of Comunero, Cielo Comunero, and I had been assumed the role of governing this small fief after my father, Andres, felled in battle 2 weeks ago against an invading army of a neighboring country. With that being said, I somehow managed to get an understanding on the current situation that was going on.

In the eyes of the local lords, leaving a 10 year-old child whose understanding on how politics, military, and economy are barely minimum, to manage a fiefdom is quite laughable and out of the question especially for low ranked nobles such as (unfortunately) myself. After all, it is not easy to run a region and keep it standing. There are many elements or factors that needs to be considered and to be weighed first like what should be more given priority and what should not.

And I too really shared their sentiments. It would be best to hand this fief to those capable of administering a place like this. If only...

"I'm sorry Lord Cañares, but my answer is no."

"Eh?"

The noble across the table was baffled by my decision.

Logically speaking, it would be wise to agree with the Duke's proposal and be done with it.

However, the will of Cielo which was encircling within the body that I now possessed doesn't want to give this region which was the only memory left by his late father to the Duke. As for myself, I don't want to hand the barony to this Duke Vargas or whatever his name is for a different reason.

"Would Your Lordship enlightened me as to why you reject this good proposal of Duke Vargas?"

Though the messenger stated this query, I could see a hint of mocking tone from his voice.

You should know why I don't buy this out of goodwill proposal of yours.

If there is anything I learned during my 24 years of living, it's that people have agendas. Motives. Some were good and have benevolent intentions while some were bad and malicious. There were some that are good-sounding on the outside yet quite backstabbing and negative in the inside, and people who used to abide with this method of scheming usually wore a mask to hide their true intentions.

And this Artemio guy wore the very same mask that I detest; a person that cannot be trusted.

"It's because I don't want to. Simple as that."

I looked at him straight in the eye as I give my answer. From my position, though he was putting a face of a professional poker face, I could see the abrupt changes of his emotions in his eyes; shock turned to disdain, disdain turned to anger.

"That's not a good answer, young "Baron"."

He tried to probe yet I did not let the emphasis he put as he muttered my title go unnoticed. That alone already cemented the fact that he wasn't proposing this contract with "good intentions".

If you want to coat your "disdain" towards me with a sneaky remark then forgive me. I'm the opposite.

"If Your Lord Artemio is not satisfied with my answer, then allow me to rephrase it: I don't trust you. And the same goes too with Your Grace Duke Vargas. I don't trust his intentions at all. To be blunt, I'm more skeptic about this "out of goodwill" proposal of his."

The person on the other end, who has been wearing a false mask from the beginning, now surprisingly portrays a bewildered expression. Yeah, I know what you are feeling right now. After all, to hear those words that I said from the mouth of a 10 year-old kid...it is quite revolting, isn't it?

While the middle-aged man was still racking his brains on what he just witnessed, I should press my interest further.

"I don't have any intention to hand this land over to someone. Rather, I will be the one managing this fief, small as it may be. Rest assured Lord Cañares, I will raise this backwater town into a dazzling one within a timeframe of six months. That I can promise you and Your Grace."

I looked at him straight in the eye, a small smirk on my face.

"If you have no further business then,"

My hand which was gracefully outstretched itself pointed towards the door.

"Off you go."