The Little Explorer

The daylight was beginning to infiltrate the cracks of the small wooden house where Richard, Margaret, and Robert lived. As the new day unfolded, each member of the humble family was busy with their own activities. Robert had gone out to the hard work of his daily routine in the fields, while Margaret used this time to tend to household chores.

Unlike his previous life as a businessman, where he was accustomed to the constant hustle of the city, with endless phone calls and meetings, Richard was now learning to appreciate the quiet rhythm of rural life. Of course, he had his moments of impatience, mainly due to his incredible intellect trapped in a baby's body. However, he also understood that each phase of life carried a unique and necessary meaning.

"In a year of living here, with the body of a baby, I've had more peace than in all the years I lived in the modern world," Richard thought wistfully.

In this new medieval world, the simple yet gratifying life of the family was a reminder of memories that Richard never had in his daily struggle to stay afloat in the modern world. The tranquility he felt now couldn't be measured by the same standards he used before. He was learning, and each day brought a new lesson.

On that day, an unexpected visitor brought an opportunity for exploration for little Richard.

"Good morning, Margaret and good morning, Robert. It's Richard's blessing day, may we go?" Aldrin spoke solemnly to Richard's parents.

Aldrin, the village chief, had come to visit the family to see the boy who was celebrating his first year of life. It was a village tradition to celebrate a child's first birthday with a small blessing. It was a tradition that Aldrin liked to personally perform as a sign of protection and blessing for the child.

Aldrin was in his 60s, with white hair and a slight hunch, a bit shorter than Margaret and much shorter than Robert.

It didn't take long for the four of them to walk to Aldrin's house, located in the center of the village. Arriving there, Richard looked at Aldrin's house and could describe it as follows: "It's not very special, but compared to the other houses in this village, it's definitely the chief's house."

Inside Aldrin's house, in a small room reserved for blessing children, casual conversation filled the room as Richard was observed and blessed by Aldrin. Without fully understanding it, Richard felt a familiar warmth coming from the elder, which couldn't help but put a curious look on his little face.

After some time, the ceremony ended, and Richard's parents engaged in conversation with the village chief. In a moment of distraction, Margaret gave Richard the perfect opportunity to satisfy his curiosity. Margaret, engrossed in the conversation with Aldrin, momentarily left Richard aside, giving the little explorer a chance to contemplate and devise a plan.

With some difficulty, Richard managed to maneuver out of that space, using the walls and furniture for support, he took step by step to a small room next to the one where he received his blessing.

Richard glanced around, and his eyes were instantly drawn to an old and ornate piece of paper on the floor. Crawling closer, he grabbed the sheet with his little fingers. With a look of surprise, he examined the scribbles on the paper. It seemed to be a map of the village and its surroundings.

"Serenelar?" Richard murmured to himself, recognizing that this must be the name of the village he now lived in. Until now, he had been completely ignorant of the nomenclature of this place.

Curious to learn more, Richard looked around the room. His eyes were drawn to a small bookshelf containing three books. One appeared to be very old, and this book was the only one within Richard's reach. With a mischievous smile, he made an effort to reach it. He clumsily pulled the book down, only to have it fall on top of him.

"Ah, it seems that knowledge comes at a physical price as well," Richard joked in his thoughts as he retrieved the book from on top of him.

He opened the book with one hand, caressing his sore forehead from the bump. Richard was eager to decipher the information within this book. Unfortunately, despite his adult mind, he couldn't comprehend the scribbles on the paper. They were marks, drawings, and symbols he had never seen before.

After some time trying to analyze the book, the open door of the room revealed a worried Margaret and a smiling Aldrin, with Robert following closely behind.

"Richard! You scared me!" Margaret scolded. Her voice was muffled by the accelerated beating of her heart, a result of her concern.

Aldrin, on the other hand, chuckled softly and shook his head. "This little boy is very curious," he said, clearly amused by the situation. He approached and picked up the old book. "I think you should keep this," he said, handing the book back to Richard.

Margaret looked at Aldrin, surprised. "But we... We can't even read or write, Aldrin. What will Richard do with a book?"

"Ah, but curiosity is the flame that ignites the desire to learn, Margaret," replied Aldrin, smiling at Richard. Although they were simple words, they carried weight and expectation, as if Aldrin saw something more in young Richard.

"This will be interesting," thought Richard, looking at the book in his hands, already imagining the knowledge he could extract from it.

With Richard and the book in hand, it was clear that it was time to leave Aldrin's house. Outside, the light was fading, and the city was being shrouded in the shadows of the evening. Stepping out of the comfort of Aldrin's house, the first thing Richard felt was the cold of the approaching night. Margaret, noticing Richard's shiver, held him closer in her arms as they began their journey back home.

Despite the cold, the path was gently illuminated by torches mounted on some wooden posts that marked the village's pathways. The familiar silence brought by the night spread over the landscape, enhancing the intimacy of the scene.

On the way back, Robert broke the silence with his gentle voice:

"Margaret, do you really think Richard will like that book?"

Margaret, as she walked, held Richard even tighter in her arms, protecting him from the night's chill. "I don't know, Robert. He's just a baby, but he's a very curious baby. Perhaps, as he grows, he can make some use of this book."

Upon arriving home, the welcoming scene of the hearth seemed to melt away the evening cold. The warmth of the fire in the fireplace and the familiarity of the place enveloped the family. As they entered the house, Richard was placed in his crib with the book. With a warm "Goodnight, Richard," his parents bid farewell and began their own evening routines.

Alone now, he looked at the book in front of him and, unable to contain his curiosity, reached out and touched the weathered cover.

Even though he knew he couldn't absorb anything right now, Richard couldn't help but open the book and flip through it. As his eyes wandered over the strange marks on the pages, he couldn't help but be surprised by a thought:

"No matter what the challenge, I'll always be ready to

 embrace it. And to learn to read, I know I can rely on my determination and ambition to overcome this barrier. Whether it's the life of a baby in this new world or a book full of strange marks, nothing will stop me."

With that thought, Richard looked through the small window that was still open to the starry night outside and then closed his eyes in satisfaction, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the new day. Because each new day brought not only a new sunrise but also a new adventure in his life in this unknown world.

"I'll do my best in this life," whispered Richard to the night before turning to the side, the book still clutched in his hands.