Chapter 4

Finally, we get to the main story.

I woke up in an unfamiliar bed.

The room was dim, and it seemed that the shutters were closed, as only a faint light filtered through the gaps in the window.

(Where am I...)

If this were a light novel, I would probably mutter, "I don't recognize this ceiling," but I didn't have the luxury of such calm.

Usually, I'm not a morning person, but today I was inexplicably sleepy. Perhaps because of that, my head wasn't working at all.

When I tried to shake my head to wake up, I saw a large, young Caucasian woman's face right next to me.

(Ah! She's huge. But she's incredibly beautiful with her blonde hair...)

For a moment, I was shocked by the giant's face, which seemed twice my size, but I couldn't help but be captivated by her beautiful face.

(I can't just stand here admiring her. What was I doing last night...? I need to remember. No, I need to figure out what to do about this situation... I'm in bed with an unknown woman... Did I get drunk and end up in bed with her? No, I don't have the guts for that...)

Panic-stricken, I couldn't think straight.

I decided to try to get out of bed and reached for the blanket.

When I looked at my hand, I almost cried out.

(Small... It's a child's hand...)

I examined my hand closely.

It was small, smooth, and completely hairless, a soft pink color, and plump like a child's.

I looked around again.

(The room isn't big. I must have shrunk. I'm in a child's body...)

As I was fidgeting, the woman next to me seemed to wake up.

"Zack, what's wrong? ... ... ..."

I could understand the first few words, but the rest made no sense.

(It sounds like English, but there are a lot of unfamiliar words. Wait, just now, when I heard an unfamiliar foreign language, some words automatically translated into Japanese in my head. What's going on...)

I was about to panic and ask the woman what was happening, but no words came out.

As I froze, she wrapped me in her large arms.

(Are you scared... Did you have a bad dream...?)

From the words I could understand, it seemed she was asking if I had a bad dream.

My face was pressed against her ample chest.

The unique scent of a woman and the beat of her heart gradually calmed my panic.

(It seems I've become a child. Is this a realistic dream...? But it's too realistic. Could I have reincarnated?)

I tried to recall my memories, but all I could remember was reading a web novel at home and creating a TRPG character in a dream.

(Come to think of it, something strange happened. Why did I have a dream about creating a character? Maybe... reference...)

Despite thinking it was impossible, I tried using the "reference" skill I had given my character.

The "reference" skill allows you to see the name and a brief description of something you touch.

(Let's try it on myself. Reference... Name: Zacharias Rockheart. Age: 3, human male. That's all I can see with reference. If this is the world of Tunnels & Trolls (T&T), maybe I can see my stats. Do I just think about it...?)

I thought "status," but nothing happened. Neither "parameters" nor "menu" worked.

(No good... Wait, I thought about it in Japanese. Maybe it's "information"...)

I tried "information" as a last resort, and a display appeared in front of my eyes showing "Zacharias Rockheart," followed by his stats and skills.

Strength: 2/50

Reflexes: 4/90

Physical Control: 4/90

Endurance: 5/120 (80 x 1.5)

Magic: 4/100

Spirit: 120 (80 x 1.5)

Intelligence: 100

Craftsmanship: 2/50

Appearance: 87

Charisma: 82

HP: 48

MP: 40

Skills: None

Special Abilities: Hardy, Disease Resistance, Poison Resistance, Mental Resistance, Enhanced Vision, Death Throes, Past Life Memory, Reference, Magic Combat

(The numbers after the slashes are familiar. This body is definitely the character from my dream. The numbers are small because I'm still a child, but... Wait, Intelligence, Appearance, and Charisma are at their maximum. Appearance is probably the maximum for my age, but why are Intelligence, Spirit, and Charisma at their maximum...)

As I thought this, I wondered why I could remain so calm.

(I'm not usually the type to panic, but I don't have the nerve to stay this calm in such an abnormal situation. Is it because of my Spirit stat? Still, I should be shaken up...)

Because I wasn't moving, the woman who was holding me started to snore.

(The scent is nice, and it feels good, but I'm not getting aroused. Maybe it's because I'm in a three-year-old's body... While I'm at it, let me try referencing this woman.)

I gently touched her arm and thought "reference."

(Name: Tanya Rockheart. Age: 23, human female. We have the same last name and are sleeping together, so she must be my mother. What did I call her... Something is coming to mind... "Mother"... My memories are slowly returning...)

The memories of Zacharias Rockheart, the child, were gradually returning to my mind.

Until now, my memories as Kawaishi Yataro had been pushed to the side to make room in this small brain. I thought my consciousness had awakened because my memories had been organized.

(What should I do now? If this isn't a dream, I need to confirm if I've really reincarnated and if I'm this character. If I have reincarnated... my wish has come true.)

I wondered why I had reincarnated without any explanation.

(...But why did I reincarnate? Whether it's a god, an administrator, or a ferryman of the River Styx, there was no explanation. Did I die? I remember feeling chest pain in front of my computer. Maybe I had a heart attack or something... But usually, you get reincarnated for helping someone or because a god made a mistake... No, my head is completely filled with light novel tropes. There's no point in thinking about it now. I'll just go with the flow...)

And so, my second life began.

When my mother, Tanya, woke up, I decided to get up with her.

When I got out of bed, the room was colder than I expected, and I couldn't stop shivering.

My mother, seeing me shiver, quickly fetched some clothes and started talking to me. At first, it sounded like just a foreign language, and I could only pick up a few words.

As I listened to her while she dressed me, I gradually began to understand more words.

(It feels like I'm remembering. The words I learned before my consciousness returned are naturally coming to mind. My vocabulary is limited, but that's to be expected for a three-year-old...)

The clothes my mother dressed me in were a rough, light brown linen shirt with a round neck and loose waist tied with a string. The pants were made of the same material, with the long hems folded up and forced on. The shoes were crude leather, and they were too big, so I had to wear multiple wool socks to fit them.

"Zack, you haven't greeted me yet. Good morning."

My mother's gentle smile was blinding, and I could only blush and mutter, "Good morning, Mother."

She seemed amused by my reaction and smiled, picking me up.

She lifted me to about three times my height, which made me a little nervous, but from this height, my line of sight was the same as before, which gave me a sense of security.

As I looked around the room, another person got up from the bed.

He was a young, handsome man with blonde hair and a beard.

With my memories organized, I already knew who he was.

(I think he's my father. His name... Ah, Mother calls him Matt. Matt Rockheart, I think.)

"Already up, Zack?"

"Good morning, Father."

I greeted my father, and my mother put me down.

Then, they hugged and kissed, which seemed to be their morning greeting.

(It's embarrassing to see them kiss in front of me, but it seems normal...)

With two sets of memories, my thoughts were still unstable.

(I'll sort them out slowly. I don't know anything about this world, so I need to be careful not to be labeled as "possessed" or something...)

Both my parents finished dressing and opened the window.

The window had no glass, just a wooden shutter, and the bright morning light flooded the room.

Both my parents and I were dressed in plain, rough linen clothes, and they didn't look like knights at all.

(They look like a young farming couple. I wish there was at least a nice sword around to make them look like knights...)

Ignoring my thoughts, my father stretched while looking out the window.

"It's a nice day. The cows must be in a good mood."

I was surprised by his words and stared at his back in shock.

(Cows? We're not a knight's family? Or do they ride cows in battle in this world? I really need to gather more information...)

I decided to focus on getting through my first day and braced myself.