INFINITE - 38
"Whaaat?? That's so not true!"
"Bell, you're amazing and talented! Whoever thought of that is a jerk!"
Noria nodded firmly.
"That's correct."
Brea smiled.
"A name doesn't decide someone's worth."
Bell stared at the three of them.
Then he quietly laughed.
"Pft."
"It's fine. I don't mind having only one name."
Noria then asked, "Why didn't you ask the orphanage caretaker to legally add another name for you?"
Bell hesitated for the briefest moment. He couldn't exactly tell them that he hadn't even known it was possible at first, because he just randomly woke up in that body, let alone admit he wasn't actually a nine-year-old child.
Instead, he simply smiled.
"Well... it just didn't bother me that much, so I never asked."
Marc, Noria, and Brea smiled.
"Yeah, Bell is a cool name!" Marc exclaimed.
Bell smiled back before Marc's attention drifted to the books resting on the table. His eyes immediately lit up.
"Wait... are these The Greatest Mage books?! Whoa... the cover quality is so goooood!"
Noria and Brea giggled.
"You really are a big fan of him, huh?" Noria asked.
Marc grinned as he turned to her.
"Who wouldn't be? He's such an inspiration to mages all over the world!"
Brea glanced at the books.
"Is he the reason you wanted to become a mage in the first place?"
"Mhm!" Marc nodded with a bright smile.
Brea chuckled.
"I can believe that. We learned in history that he saved countless kingdoms, and one of them was this kingdom, Nerlarnd."
Marc's curiosity instantly piqued.
"Ooo, how did he save the kingdom?"
Noria shrugged.
"We haven't gotten that far in history yet. But somehow, almost every lesson our history instructor teaches about the past ends up involving The Greatest Mage in one way or another."
Marc was practically smiling from ear to ear.
"He's just that influential!"
Listening to them praise him so enthusiastically made Bell feel a little awkward. Clearing his throat, he looked at Brea.
"Um... is there a restroom I could use?"
"Of course." Brea smiled, pointing toward a door in the corner of the room.
"Thanks."
Bell quietly excused himself and headed inside.
Once he was gone, Brea looked back at Marc.
"Does your school talk about him too?"
Marc smiled while absentmindedly looking through the books.
"There isn't really a school in my village for kids my age."
Noria's eyes brightened.
"Then would you like to enroll in our academy?"
"Yeah!" Brea added warmly. "You and Bell could stay here at the castle with your teacher, and we'd all get to go to the academy together."
Marc smiled appreciatively at the offer but gently shook his head.
"It's okay. Teacher Juro said something about me and Bell going to a school after two years of training."
He looked at both of them with a bright, determined smile.
"So for now, I want to learn as much as I can from real-world experiences before I go to school and become a mage!"
Noria and Brea were both a little surprised by his answer, but they couldn't help smiling at his enthusiasm.
"Yeah!" Brea laughed. "We'll all meet again someday anyway, right?"
"Of course!" Marc replied without hesitation. "And by then, I'll be one step closer to becoming a mage!"
The three of them spent the next while chatting happily and flipping through the books together.
Meanwhile, Bell stood alone inside the restroom, staring at his reflection in the mirror.
His gaze lingered on his face before narrowing slightly.
"...It's not my appearance."
A thought crossed his mind.
"Then it could be..."
He quietly summoned the system.
A familiar blue holographic screen materialized in front of him.
"I figured..." he muttered.
===
Name: Bell
Age: 9
Race: Human
Attribute: None
Old Title: The Greatest Mage
Speed: 75+
Vigor: 260+
Knowledge: 549+
==
Bell's knowledge had increased significantly over the past few days.
"So... that's what this feeling is."
He stared quietly at his reflection.
"It's my knowledge... As it increases, I'm becoming more and more aware."
His gaze slowly dropped to his hands.
"Back at the orphanage... I thought I was completely myself. I knew what I was doing, and I believed I was thinking clearly."
He fell silent for a moment.
"But... looking back now..."
His fingers slowly curled.
"It feels like I was making immature decisions. Like I was actually thinking as a child."
Bell looked back into the mirror.
"I thought I was already fully aware of everything... but I wasn't."
The realization settled heavily in his mind.
"The more my knowledge grows, the more I understand... and the more self-aware I become."
He exhaled softly.
"So it wasn't just my powers and abilities that disappeared..."
"...I lost a part of myself too."
Everything suddenly began to make sense.
"That's why I didn't immediately recognize the landscapes and terrain outside the village back at the orphanage."
It hadn't simply been forgotten knowledge.
His own awareness had been dulled alongside it.
As his knowledge continued returning, more pieces of himself became clearer, as though a thick fog that had clouded his mind since his reincarnation was slowly lifting.
Bell let out a quiet sigh before turning on the faucet. Cool water splashed against his face as he washed away his lingering thoughts. After drying himself with a towel, he stepped back out of the restroom.
Marc noticed him immediately.
"Oh, Bell! Come over here! Read with us!"
Bell smiled and walked over before taking a seat beside them.
"So, what's this book about?" he asked.
Marc grinned.
"Of course it's about The Greatest Mage! But this one says he and the King of Demanas were actually friends. It even claims the king gave him complete authority over everything on the continent of Demanas."
Noria shrugged.
"We don't know if that's actually true, though. People tend to make a lot of bold claims whenever The Greatest Mage is involved."
Marc chuckled.
"Still... I'd like to believe the part about him being friends with the King of Demanas is true."
"Same here," Brea agreed with a smile. "I mean, who wouldn't want to be friends with The Greatest Mage?"
Hearing the children casually discuss him and especially his friendship with the King of Demanas filled Bell with a quiet sense of nostalgia.
A faint smile formed on his lips.
Some stories, at least, had gotten that part right.
The four of them continued chatting, reading, and sharing stories together in Noria and Brea's room.
..
Meanwhile, back in the dining hall, shortly after the children had left...
Juro glanced down at the table and noticed a familiar book.
"Hm?"
He picked it up with a small smile.
"Looks like Marc forgot this."
Sliding the book into his jacket, he was about to stand when a voice called out.
"Sir Juro."
Juro turned toward the king.
"Hm? Oh, Your Majesty." He smiled. "There's no need to address me so formally. Just call me Juro."
King Brunzel returned the smile.
"Very well... Juro."
His expression gradually became more earnest.
"As the King of Nerlarnd, I would like to personally offer you a title and a position within our kingdom, should you be willing to join our ranks."
Juro's gentle smile never faded.
"King Brunzel... I'm honored by your offer."
He gave a small, respectful shake of his head.
"But I must humbly decline."
The king let out a hearty laugh.
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't expecting that." He leaned back slightly before asking, "May I know your reason, Juro?"
He smiled reassuringly.
"If your concern is those two boys, I can personally ensure they're provided with everything they need. I'd even have them enrolled in the kingdom's finest academy alongside my daughters."
Juro smiled softly.
"Well, the kids are part of the reason," he admitted, "but personally, I've never liked being tied down to one place."
His gaze drifted for a moment before returning to the king.
"There are still countless things I want to see with my own eyes—things you simply can't experience by staying in the same kingdom forever."
He smiled again.
"Don't get me wrong. I'm sure your offer is both generous and beneficial."
His tone remained calm but certain.
"But for now, I want to continue adventuring with the kids. I still have a lot I want to teach them myself."
Across the table, Bray and Heler quietly exchanged small smiles, silently agreeing with Juro's decision.
King Brunzel let out a light sigh before smiling.
"I suppose I can't force a free spirit."
He leaned back slightly.
"Then instead, I'll declare you one of Nerlarnd's highest allies."
"Gertha."
The moment the king called his name, the air beside him rippled.
The space itself seemed to distort before a figure gradually emerged from the wavering air.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The man bowed respectfully.
"Bring me the crest."
"At once."
Gertha extended both hands before the king. A gentle swirl of wind formed above his palms, spinning faster and faster until a beautifully crafted crest slowly materialized within the miniature vortex.
As the wind dispersed, only the crest remained.
[IMAGE HERE OR KOFI]
"Here you are, Your Majesty."
The king accepted it with a nod.
"You may go."
Gertha bowed once more.
Moments later, wind wrapped around his body, and he vanished as quietly as he had appeared.
King Brunzel glanced toward Juro, curious to see his reaction.
To his surprise...
Juro simply continued sipping his wine with the same relaxed expression, as though summoning someone out of thin air was an everyday occurrence.
The king couldn't help smiling.
"Juro."
He held out the crest.
"Take this with you."
Juro looked over.
"Oh? Is this the royal crest?"
The king nodded.
"It is."
"If you ever need assistance, present that crest, and I'll do everything within my power to help. It also serves as proof that you have the support of the Kingdom of Nerlarnd."
A faint smirk appeared on his face.
"Think of it as a small insurance policy."
Juro laughed.
"Then I'll gladly accept."
He carefully tucked the crest into the pouche on his belt.
After a brief pause, he looked back at the king.
"Out of curiosity... why did you want me in your forces anyway?"
He tilted his head slightly.
"Is the Kingdom of Nerlarnd at war or something?"
King Brunzel chuckled.
"War is a rather strong word."
He gently shook his head.
"No, not at the moment. Though... we do have a bit of a conflict with the Kingdom of Hotazol."
"What kind of conflict?" Juro asked.
The king's smile faded into a more serious expression.
"When I first received news that my daughter, Noria, had been attacked on her journey home, I learned that some of the escorting mages were from the Kingdom of Hotazol."
"It was part of our agreement. They were supposed to send several of their own mages to accompany ours and ensure her safe return."
He let out a quiet sigh.
"I'm sure Heth already told you the rest."
Juro gave a small nod.
"So naturally, I confronted the King of Hotazol."
King Brunzel folded his hands together.
"However, he denied having any knowledge of the betrayal and claimed those mages acted without the kingdom's orders."
His expression turned thoughtful.
"Whether that's true or not... I can't say."
"But ever since then, relations between Hotazol and Nerlarnd have become... strained."
A brief silence settled over the dining hall.
Juro thought it over before smiling.
"I see..."
He leaned back comfortably.
"Well, even without me, I'm sure everything will work out, Your Majesty."
The king smiled back, though there was a trace of uncertainty behind it.
"Mmm..."
"I certainly hope so."