Bucket List (2)

Sasha was lying on the bed, his eyes affixed on the all too familiar ceiling.

Even though there was no visible wound, the panicking Rufus had instructed the maids to rub some salve on his head before covering it with bandage. Only after he'd closed his eyes and pretended to sleep did they leave him alone.

The pain from the impact had sobered him up somewhat.

Since everything had turned out the same as before, even without him being proactive in it, then the rest of future events would most likely play out the same as well.

He would use his knowledge and experience from his previous lives to train in swordsmanship. Meanwhile, he would stockpile resources by the side. By showing his achievement to his father, he would be able to succeed as the next head of the house. From there, he would fortify the territory in order to withstand the attack of the monsters in the future...

"..."

What he had done back then, every steps of it... they were still clear in his mind.

Did he really have to do them again?

"I mean... if I don't do it, won't this territory get swallowed by the monsters?"

In his first life, the fall of house Granberg was the starting point for the human's involvement in the war. They were the first victim, as well as the proof of the humans' lack of preparation.

After that, when he was reborn, this territory became an important point that had turned the tide of the war to the Alliance's side. It was all thanks to Sasha's meticulous groundwork that spanned for years in the making.

Scheming, under-the-table agreements, securing manpower behind his father's back... although it was necessary, it was still highly stressful for him.

And now he had to do it again! From the start!

It was like watching a sand castle that you'd constructed for hours getting washed away by the waves.

"In the first place, what was the point of me getting sent back to the past for the second time?"

He had defeated the Dark Lord. He had brought peace and prosperity to the world. What else was there to do?

"The person who'd brought me back, if you're here, can you tell me what do you really want?"

He waited for a while, but he got no reply. As expected.

He'd somewhat hoped that he was brought back by some kind of deity, or perhaps a mysterious and powerful person. Those, he could talk and bargain with. At the very least, he could find out what they really want and worked toward achieving that goal.

What he feared the most, however, was the slight chance that this rebirth business had no real reason at all.

What if he was stuck in this loop? What if, when he died again, he would be brought back to this place, to this time when he was still six? What if it happened again for the third time, the fourth, and so on?

Was this actually a punishment for his first life's mistakes?

"..."

Shoving his blankets aside rather haphazardly, he rushed over to the window.

The sun had risen up in the sky, shining ever-so brightly. In the distance, he could see the main street getting packed with carriages hauling traveling merchants' belongings.

Suddenly, he had gotten the urge to go to that place.

He looked down. Right below him was a garden filled with flowery bushes. The pride and joy of house Granberg's gardener, the bushes were of various sizes, ranging from cute, pot-sized shrubberies to towering behemoth reaching two meters in height.

In his first rebirth, he was quite familiar with this garden. There was a need back then to sneak out from the estate from time to time, it was fortunate to have those bushes at the ready whenever he had to jump down from the window.

They would finally served their true calling as cushions for the first time after his second rebirth.

At this point of time, his father should be mentoring Lenard in the way of the sword. Rufus was busy managing the servants. As for the guards... they were focused on keeping watch for infiltration attempt. Their vigilance should be more lax here in the deeper part of the estate.

Making up his mind, the boy fashioned a rope made out of blanket and curtains, his movement quick and precise after being tempered by all the previous escape attempt in his past lives. It didn't take much time before he climbed down, and then jumped into one of the bushes nearby.

He then proceeded toward one of the more dilapidated walls in the estate.

There was actually a small hole at the bottom of the wall, hidden from sight by a pile of dirt. After he dug through, the way outside could be seen clearly. He had used this method countless times in the past, piling the dirt back every time he went in and out to keep it hidden from the guards.

Even the process of crawling through the hole felt familiar. He was once again struck by a bad case of déjà vu.

Shaking his head, he scurried away before the guards noticed him.

---

In the past, Lucian Granberg was an accomplished mercenary. When the current king had usurped his throne, Lucian was one of his trusted supporters. Following the king's reformation and later expansion, he had earned merits through his valor in the battlefield. He was given a newly-conquered land in the border of the kingdom, as well as the title of Baron.

His territory was relatively small compared to the other nobles, but he enjoyed a direct support from the king himself. As for the king, he put Baron Granberg's territory in high importance due to its proximity to the mountains where the Dwarves dwelled. As such, military budget had never been a problem for the Baron.

They were, after all, the first line of defense against potential invasion.

The village was at first constructed as a simple living quarter for the soldiers' and servants' families. As time went by, it had grown thanks to the ongoing trade with the nearby Dwarves settlement. At the moment, it was on the verge of becoming a proper town.

When Sasha reached the village square, he was greeted with the hustle-and-bustle of a thriving market.

There was a trading area being constructed in the northern part of the village, but it wasn't ready for public use as of yet. For now, the traveling merchants and the villagers simply performed their transaction right at the streets. Caravans could be seen parked haphazardly here and there as their owner went off to find good deals.

Nobody complained about it. This kind of sight had been here for years, so everyone was already gotten used to it. The guards even volunteered to guard the caravans, just in case anyone had some funny ideas.

Sasha remembered that he had come here during his first rebirth around this time of the day. Back then, he was feeling awfully nostalgic. Now... he was severely indifferent.

After the war, he'd taken over his father's title and lived in the manor for years. Upon retirement, he had moved to a secluded region in the territory, but he still visited this place numerous times to see his offspring.

In other words, he had already grown tired of seeing this village.

He let out a long sigh, feeling that life really had no meaning.

Suddenly, at that moment...

"Sorry! Coming through!"

A speedy blur knocked Sasha away as it bolted past him. It was a kid a bit taller than him. Judging from his ragged clothing, he seemed to be a peasant.

Memories surged into Sasha's mind. The exact same thing had happened in his previous life. If it was still like before, then that kid would definitely crash into a stack of crates, toppling them over.

Speak of the devil, it did happen!

There was a rumbling sound as crates fell onto the ground, spilling the metallic ores inside into the street. The owner of the crates howled in anger, but the culprit had been long gone. That kid didn't even look back at the mess he'd caused, as if he was possessed by something

He was heading toward the forest at the western side of the village.

Seizing the chance when everyone was focused with retrieving back the spilled ores, Sasha retreated to a secluded alley, and then took another route to follow that kid. During his flight, memories began to resurface.

Norman. That was the name of that boy. The first son of a peasant, he actually possessed quite a talent in martial arts. Even though he couldn't get proper guidance in his youth, he could still obtain a respectable position in the future if he ever decided to join the military.

Sasha was sure about this because in his first rebirth, Norman had essentially become his right-hand man.

He wasn't officially a member of the hero's party, but he had become a storied general who'd held the monster army at bay while Sasha and his companions stormed the Dark Lord's castle. With his unyielding spirit and unswerving loyalty, his existence was extremely important for Sasha.

As for why that wonderful person would end up as his trusted ally... everything started from this particular incident.

Norman had practically left him in the dust, but Sasha wasn't concerned in the slightest. He still remembered the path he'd taken before when he'd tailed Norman. As long as the course of fate still went the same, he would undoubtedly manage to reach it on time.

"Let her go!"

Just as expected, a boy's scream rang throughout the forest.

Sasha quickly climbed a nearby tree. From atop the branches, he could watch the same exact scenario playing from in his previous life.

Not too far from his current position, two burly-looking men was blocking Norman's path. There was another person behind the two, a tall, lanky man, who was carrying a white bundle upon which Norman had set his gaze on.

The tall man shouted at the two brutes, prompting them to jump at Norman. However, the boy was a beat faster. He rushed forward, slipping through the gap between the two. Like a ferocious tiger, he lunged at the tall man, sending a punch straight at the jaw.

As he caught the thing that person was carrying, the white sheet was blown away, revealing a little girl curled up with her eyes closed.

Norman didn't wait for the men to get back up. He quickly bolted deeper into the forest, followed by angry curses from the men who had scrambled back to their feet and gave chase.

Sasha waited several more seconds before jumping back down. And then, he leisurely walked toward the direction they'd headed.

A few minutes passed before he finally caught up with the group. The girl had been taken back by the tall man, while Norman was held down by the other two. The tall man in particular was sending kicks upon kicks toward the poor boy's face.

When Sasha had walked out of the bushes, he'd accidentally stepped on a twig, causing the men to notice his presence.

The men looked really pissed off. They'd initially planned to only take the girl, but now one kid after another kept on popping out of nowhere. It seriously had messed their schedules.

"Get him."

The tall man pointed with his chin. The two burly men rushed over to Sasha, grabbing him by the shoulders.

Seeing that he didn't make any resistance, the two men felt more at ease. That meant that things wouldn't be as messy as with that other kid.

"Sorry, boy. Just think of this as your bad luck."

That was the last thing that Sasha could hear before one of the men sent a quick chop at the back of his neck, knocking him unconscious.