1 A new life

It feels weird

It's like I'm floating through clouds feeling nothing. Not even the wind or my clothes.

Wait.

Am I naked?

No.

It's more like I can't feel anything at all.

Am I dying?

But I just got my promotion.

And that new game I wanted to play just came out.

What was its name?

No, focus.

Where did I work?

What promotion did I get?

I can't remember anything.

No, I remember something.

It's that novel I started reading.

What was the name?

I forgot.

I think I stopped reading it a while ago.

"AUGH"

My head hurts.

"GET UP"

There's a voice.

"RUN"

Or is it my thoughts.

I can't tell.

"GAH"

I sit up on my bed or what I thought was my bed.

"What the?"

I look around to see furniture and decorations that feel very old and antique yet they are very clean.

My head doesn't hurt anymore.

There are a lot of fancy things in this room.

Even the mirror looks like it costs millions with those gold engravings.

Huh.

It's a new face.

Yet it feels familiar.

It's a handsome face that looks no older than 18 with a violet purple hair that is almost glowing.

"Status"

…

Nothing happens.

Embarrassing.

I got up and look at myself.

There's quite a moderate amount of muscle and calluses on my hands.

It seems the owner of this body trains quite a lot.

…

I should wear some clothes.

I opened the cabinet and look through the clothes only to realize that there are only fancy outfits for celebrations or for flaunting wealth.

I opened the other cabinet to find clothes that were made for training I assume and outfits that are strangely mysterious looking with long hoods and a symbol that looks like a seven pointed star with a circle in the middle.

Looks like the previous owner was a member of some organization.

I grab a coat with a hooded shirt under it and black pants to go with it.

Right after I put on a random pair of shoes.

I look out through the window and see that it's night time.

"LOOK OUT"

I jumped through the window breaking it and landing on the ground.

*BOOM*

An explosion sounds and the room I jumped out from has smoke rising out of the window and the wall has cracks in it.

I put the hood on and start running to a random direction only to find a sight that is quite gruesome.

Three bodies hanging from a wall of some giant mansion while people I assume to be civilians are throwing random objects such as rocks and rotted food while holding sharp farming equipment and torches.

It's a rebellion.

I put on the hood and try to blend in with the darkness and get away while I still have a chance.

Since I got the opportunity, I take a look around the area and I realize that we're in a humongous garden.

How big is this place?

There were sounds outside the garden.

I look out to see more people looking very angry walking to the mansion that was getting burned so I start running to the mansion that hadn't been touched.

I jumped in through a window and got in a random room to hide and organize my thoughts.

"Whew"

The room was filled with shelves that had a remarkable amount of books and scrolls behind glass windows and signs with words written on it.

I can't remember anything that's not related to that novel other than some internet lingo and clichés or common plotlines.

I can guess that I have been transported into that novel.

Though why me and why this novel when I stopped reading it after only fifty chapters.

Surprisingly enough, even though I read it over a year ago I can remember those fifty chapters vividly.

It was about a child named Noah who rolled snake eyes when it came to life.

He's practically emotionless and grew up in an orphanage run by a greedy owner who sends him to Randheight Academy due to finding out he has a talent for the sword.

In the novel I can only remember his past life and just the first week of the academy.

His life was quite tragic.

Growing up without any friends or family and leading a miserable life until a teacher finds him during some kind of mission to find the most talented students.

They say it's to try and advance humanity but the novel explicitly tells us that it's a lie.

It should be a war of some kind or preparing for some kind beast tide.

The Randheight Academy is the best academy in all of the Elrean Empire, having brought out talents that have grown up to the leading figures of the empire.

I don't have much information when it comes to the novel but I do know that Noah has a secret power inside of him that's related to the darkness element in the magic system this world uses.

He meets Bella, the princess of the empire, Kevin the best friend and Tyler his assumed to be rival who's a slightly arrogant noble with a sense of fairness and a fighting spirit with a small dialogue hinting at an abusive family.

Anyways, I must not meet or be related to these people in any way since they are literal trouble magnets.

I believe I am an extra who wasn't mentioned since this noble family has fallen.

Unfortunately I didn't get this body's previous memories causing me to lose out on some important info.

How did a noble family fall against ordinary citizens though?

By logic, nobles are either strong themselves or have hired guards that are able to overpower any riot or rebellion.

Awakening itself is not that uncommon as most people can use mana but only those who have a decent talent get strong enough to use mana in combat.

The only possibility is that there was a traitor in the house.

"Are you sure we should be doing this?"

A male voice came from outside the room.

"Come ~on, if we find it we would be rich instantly."

Another voice answered. This one was rough.

"What if we get caught?"

"We won't, the others are too busy getting mad at the Cloasia family. Plus if we find that room that they keep their spell books we can finally get outta here and go somewhere nicer with warm and delicious foods with clean water to boot."

Spell books huh?

They are magical things that implant the knowledge of spells into your mind and you can instantly use the spell in the book.

Some even give you partial control over the element.

I should find that room.

Oh, it's this room.

*Click, Click*

They tried to open the door.

"Is it locked?"

But I didn't lock it and I could open it just fine.

I heard the voice outside.

"Why the hell is every door in this damn place locked with magic? Good thing I learned how to crack these small locks."

Magic locks, makes sense. Must have used my mana or something unlock it.

*Bam*

"Jay, are you ok?"

It seems he failed to crack the lock.

I should look around and try to find something useful.

…

Finally, found a book with a random teleportation spell in it.

I also found another book with a transformation magic which I used to change my hair to a nut brown color and changed my face to a normal looking face.

Nobody should suspect me as a Cloasia now.

After that I used a few books which gave me fire, ice and light elements.

I was surprised that my mind could handle three different elements since the average person could ever learn only one and going over your bodies limit could be quite severe.

This body is quite talented and tough seeing as I survived a jump from the third floor just fine.

Thankfully you can tell if you're near your limit or I could've killed myself.

Just as I was about to search for another book the door was blown off the hinges.

"That spell is really neat huh?"

A voice sounded out.

"Of course, it's quite useful"

A boastful voice could be heard.

"Oi, there's someone here!"

I grabbed a random book and used the teleportation spell which was fortunately instant.

But because it was random, I don't know where I am now.

I'm in a city but I can't tell if it's a big city or a small one.

Luckily it was night time so I can at the very least not be noticed by people in this outfit.

I start randomly walking around hoping to find something until I see a building that was quite large.

There seems to be some important looking people walking inside of it.

I ignored it and I wanted to ask around for info but I realized I would look like a crazy person if I start asking where we were or the date of today.

I decided to steal some supplies from people.

No matter how unethical or illegal this may be I'm trying to survive.

I was walking by buildings when I saw a calendar on the wall through one of the windows.

The 19th of August. The 862nd year on the Elrean calendar.

Tomorrow's the day a potential female named Evelyn from the Dahlmar duke household lead gets kidnapped and being the protagonist he ends getting tangled in it.

After walking for a while I found an orphanage and after looking at the name I realized it's the same orphanage the protagonist grew up in.

I decided to steal some money from the owner.

It was an orphanage so there was no security.

I just opened a window and climbed inside.

After walking around a little I found the rooms that the kids sleep in.

It looked horrible.

The doors were almost off its hinges and entire place was very cold.

I found some stairs and walked up to find a door that looked way too fancy for an orphanage.

It had a beautiful engraving.

I decided to destroy it.

I used ice magic to slowly freeze the entire thing and its hinges then kicked it open.

*BAM*

There was a loud noise but I kept a calm mind and started looting.

I broke open a drawer in his table and took everything in it which was quite a lot.

It totaled up to two hundred thousand preli, which was the currency of this empire.

After that, I took a map which was on the table and hurried to leave.

Right as I reached the door, a small girl wearing rags and holding a teddy bear blocked the way.

"Who are you?" The girl asked.

"A burglar ?" I said back almost like a question.

She looked at me for a few seconds.

"Can I come with you?" She asked.

"I'm a complete stranger"

"So?"

"How much do the adults here teach you stuff?"

"Not much, just half an hour"

"For the whole week?"

"Every three days"

I was shocked, baffled and disgusted at the orphanage owner.

"What about your friends?" I asked.

"I don't have friends because they're all mean"

"Oh"

I can't take this strangely cute girl in since I have to worry about my survival first.

Yep.

I have a reason.

I won't take her with me.

…

Fuck.

Right now I'm walking through town with girl on my shoulders.

"What's your name by the way" I asked.

"Tell me yours first"

I was about to say but I realized I can't remember it.

"Roy. Roy Cloasia"

I said almost out of instinct.

"I'm Eleanor"

"OK, Eleanor how old are you?"

"4"

I'm not going to get in trouble for this am I?

"What's that book you're carrying?" She asked me.

"Oh this?"

I forgot I was carrying it.

"It's a spell book, do you know about it?"

"No"

"Well if you used this you can use the spell that is recorded in this book"

"Cool"

"It is cool"

I opened the book only to realize that it was a fire element book.

"Hmm"

"What happened?" She asked after I stopped.

"This book gives me the fire element but I already have the fire element so it's basically worthless to me."

I looked at the girl.

"Do you want to use it?"

There should be no issue since learning elements require the minds space and the strength of our minds don't depend on age.

"Can I?" She asked a bit more enthusiastically.

"Yes"

I gave her the book and started moving again.

I thought spell books were rare but now that I think about it, they're not rare and are only in possession of nobles most likely because of greed since I found a libraries worth of spell books in that room back when I was escaping.

Since this city has the orphanage the protagonist came from it's the capital.

I decided to head to the abandoned warehouse the one where Evelyn is found after getting kidnapped.

I remember it just being there with no one to go there and the land itself isn't really profitable so everyone just left it there.

While walking I also stole a few sets of clothes me and Eleanor.

Also I stole bunch of large bags that I could use for later.

"Hey Eleanor"

"El"

"Hmm?"

"Just call me El, it's easier"

"Ok El. Don't do what I just did ok?"

"Why?"

"Because stealing is bad"

"So are you a bad person?"

"Maybe"

"I don't think you're a bad person"

"Oh really?"

"Yeah you saved me after all"

"I don't think save is the right word but thanks"

I also stole a bunch of bread from a bakery and decided to head to the warehouse.

…

When I and El finally got there, the sun had already been raised over the horizon and there was a gang of people already.

They don't seem to be trained and only one guy who seems like the leader can use mana, albeit the amount is so little it barely makes a difference.

Thankfully this body seems quite energetic and extremely talented in using mana.

"Shouldn't we run away?" El asked me.

I was surprised about how calm she was despite being very young but I had bigger problems at hand.

"Hey! Who the hell are you?" A random thug asked me.

"Just a passerby" I answered calmly.

"Hey what should we do with that girl we kidnapped?" a moronic looking thug asked everyone.

Dammit.

I dodged the overhead strike the thug in front me used and knocked him out with a knee to his gut.

The whole gang tried to attack me after that but untrained goons even with weapons weren't much to deal with.

I was more surprised at myself since I had just done that with instincts and muscle memory.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?" The leader asked me.

"Just a passerby" I answered wearing the same expression as before.

*Thud*

I knocked the guy out and started walking towards the warehouse.

"That was so cool" El complimented me.

"Thank you and aren't you going to sleep? You've been awake for a while now"

"I'm not tired" she said while yawning.

"Shouldn't you say that without yawning?"

I argued with her while opening the warehouse.

"Mphmm"

I walk over to her and take her blindfold and the cloth stuffed in her mouth.

"WHO ARE YOU? WHAT DO YOU WANT WITH ME?" she screamed at me.

Though it's understandable since she just got kidnapped.

How did she get kidnapped anyway? Shouldn't she have secret guards or something?

"My name doesn't matter and I didn't kidnap you"

"Yeah Roy is a good person" El interrupted.

Well that makes my line useless.

"How can I believe you? For all I know you could be tricking me just like how you could've tricked that innocent child"

"Cool you just made three different assumptions" I said while untying the ropes.

After untying everything she jumped and instantly mad space between us.

"Ok, I know you're jumpy because you just got kidnapped but there's a line you know"

"Hmph don't act innocent with me thief. I approved that design myself and it would've started selling today"

I look at the clothes me and El changed into.

"That's an awful assumption you're making miss"

"Don't play dumb with me, I'll call the guards and take you to prison"

"Wow" I clapped my hands. "Very ungrateful"

I'm getting pretty irritated with this girl and her shenanigans.

"How would you even run from me when you got kidnapped by some low level thugs?"

She shuddered a bit realizing her mistake.

"You shouldn't touch me, I'm a noble you see"

"Oh yeah? Then explain to me how you got kidnapped by random idiots who can't even use mana.

And if you're a noble shouldn't you have some secret guards or something?" I asked while getting a bit annoyed.

"I-um"

"You snuck out didn't you?"

She became stiff as she got caught.

"Now go back to your house or something"

I still don't understand how a kid like her got away from guards which I presume to be very strong.

She went away without saying a single word.

"She's a bad person" El suddenly said.

"hehe" I chuckled. "Yeah she didn't even say thanks"

I said while picking a somewhat comfortable place to sleep on.

"Anyways we should get some sleep" I told El.

"Ok" she answered back while using my chest as a pillow.

I guess I got a kid to raise now.