Chapter 5

I stood at the classroom door, still in shock at the fact that I had been reincarnated, and walked out of my parents' bedroom in this world.

Walking down the wide corridor with a high ceiling, I arrived at a large room that seemed to be a dining room. I was still not used to my body and was bewildered by the gap between my previous adult body and this one.

(The room looks wide, but that's probably because of my size. Maybe it's because the distance between my eyes is narrower.)

There was a large table that could seat ten people in the dining room, and a pleasant smell was wafting through, suggesting that breakfast was being prepared. In the kitchen at the back of the dining room, a woman in her forties with a sturdy build was preparing the meal.

"Good morning, Molly."

My mother greeted the woman. Watching her, I frantically searched my memory.

(Molly... I think she's like a helper. She should be the wife of Walt...)

After my father greeted her, I also greeted her.

"Good morning, Molly."

"Good morning, everyone. ××○△○, please wait a moment."

(She seems like a caring aunt. But there are still words I can't understand...)

As I thought this, she smiled and returned to the cooking counter.

There were wooden plates and wooden spoons on the table, and round bread was also placed. The bread was a rustic country-style bread, and it smelled delicious, as if it had just been baked.

A few minutes later, a boy who looked to be in the lower grades of elementary school appeared, greeted everyone, and sat in the chair next to my mother.

(That's my older brother, Rodrick. He seems to be called "nii-sama" by me.)

I tried to sound as childish as possible, "Good morning, nii-sama," and smiled. My brother looked at me with a slightly surprised face but quickly returned the greeting.

(Did I do something wrong? My memory of usual actions is vague, so I have to be careful not to make mistakes...)

After a while, Molly brought a large pot and served what looked like soup into each wooden plate. There were hardly any ingredients in the soup, just a few pieces of meat and some leafy vegetables like cabbage. After serving, my father, mother, and brother picked up the bread and started eating.

(The meal is quite poor. Even though our family is a knight's family, it seems to be in decline... Even after searching my memory, it doesn't seem to change much, so this must be a typical meal...)

I helped my mother tear the bread and soak it in the soup. The bread was too hard for my child's mouth, so my mother helped by pressing it into the soup with a spoon until it was soft enough to eat.

(The taste is quite strong, but not bad. The seasoning... is just salt. There doesn't seem to be any spices used.)

I ate two pieces of bread, each about the size of an adult's fist, and felt full. While the other three were eating, I thought about what I should do today.

(Well, I need to gather information. Yesterday, the weather was good, so I played in the garden with a girl called "Mel." Today, I could explore the house or follow my mother or father... I still lack information, so I'll decide after observing a bit more.)

After the meal, my mother led me outside. We seemed to be heading towards a well at the back of the house.

The house was on top of a hill, and the surroundings sloped gently. The slope was a grassy field, and further away, a patchwork of fields spread across the hills.

(On top of a hill... The patchwork is a bit distorted, but it reminds me of Biei in Hokkaido. However, thanks to enhanced vision, I can see clearly even at a distance...)

As I stared at the scenery in a daze, my mother urged me on.

"Is there something interesting to see? But let's wash our faces first."

We arrived at the well on the north side of the house, and I saw a sturdy man in his mid-forties drawing water.

"Good morning, madam, Master Zack."

"Good morning, Walt."

(Walt... He should be someone who helps around the house.)

"Good morning, Walt."

Walt responded, "Good morning, Master Zack," and then resumed drawing water silently. The well seemed quite deep, as it took a considerable amount of time to draw water, even for a strong man.

(It's understandable since we're on a hill, but it's quite hard work...)

I saw my mother put white powder on her fingers and start brushing her teeth. I imitated her, putting my fingers in the white powder.

(Salt? It feels like crushed rock salt. There's no toothbrush...)

I brushed my teeth with the powder on my fingers. The salty taste and the chalky texture were not refreshing at all.

(Is it salt and lime? As long as it's not harmful to the body... At least my teeth are all grown in, and I don't have any cavities, so I'm healthy...)

I scooped water with a wooden container and rinsed my mouth. I washed my face with the water in the bucket, just like my mother. The water was very cold, and it instantly cleared my drowsiness.

(The level of civilization seems to be medieval or earlier. If the information I had when creating my character is correct, there should be magic, but I haven't seen any evidence of it yet. It might not be common, or it might be specialized in attack magic. I need to gather more information...)

When we returned to the house, I felt the urge to use the toilet, which is a sign of good health. My mother called out in a hurry, but I was almost running to the toilet.

(A child's body can't hold it. I'm about to have an accident...)

When I reached the toilet, I immediately used it. The toilet was different from the one in my original world; there was no toilet bowl, just a hole in the floor. Below the hole was just dirt, and the smell was terrible.

(I've never seen such a dirty toilet. There's no toilet paper, and I have to wipe with a cloth, which is in a terrible state of hygiene...)

I wanted to wash my hands, but there was no basin in the toilet, so I couldn't.

(This way, children will get sick. I need to improve this to live comfortably...)

As I walked back outside, I resolved to improve the toilet, the first thing that came to mind in this new world.

I washed my hands and returned to the house, where my mother approached with a worried look.

"Did you soil yourself? Do you need to change?"

It seems she thought I had failed to use the toilet properly.

"I'm fine. I just went to wash my hands."

My mother checked my clothes and, seeing no problem, looked at me curiously.

(Did I do something wrong? But I can't settle without washing my hands. I'll be more careful next time...)

After the morning rush, I looked around and saw that my father and brother were gone, leaving just my mother, Molly, and me.

(Well, yesterday I played with Mel, Dan, and Sharon, four of us. From my memory, I spend my time playing with these three or following my older brother. What should I do today...)

First, I decided to check if the memories of the boy named Zack were consistent with reality.

(Children's memories are often vague and full of misunderstandings. I need to confirm this... It's a nice day today, so I'll check the garden, Mel's house, and Dan and Sharon's house.)

I told my mother I was going to Mel's house and ran out without looking back, as I usually do.

Mel's house was a small, single-story house about fifty meters down the hill from the mansion, surrounded by a windbreak-like forest.

(Mel's father is Hector, who always carries a bow. Her mother is Polly, who often helps around the mansion. Her brother is Sim, who is about the same age as my older brother... I don't know if they have a last name, but as a three-year-old, I know them well. Or maybe my consciousness has returned, and I can now organize and understand the information...)

I opened the door without knocking and called out, "Is Mel here!"

(Being the son of the lord, it might be okay, but it's not very polite... Well, I can improve it gradually...)

Immediately, a lovely girl with short brown hair and big brown eyes, slightly older than me, appeared.

"Master Zack, what are we going to do today?"

Not having thought about it, I was at a loss for words and replied childishly, "Maybe we'll go for a walk?"

(I'm a man in my forties playing as a child... I feel like my sense of shame is being torn apart...)

Mel nodded with a lovely smile and called out, "I'm going to play with Master Zack!" as she ran over.

From inside, a cute woman in her mid-twenties, Mel's mother Polly, wiped her hands on an apron and appeared.

"Mel! Make sure Master Zack doesn't get hurt! Master Zack, please be careful too."

I nodded with a smile and held Mel's hand.

(As a child, it's better to hold a girl's hand. Let's use the "Reference" ability...)

Using the "Reference" skill on Mel, I saw "Melissa Marlon, four years old."

(So her full name is Melissa, which is why she's called Mel. She has a last name, which is unusual. Maybe because they serve the knight's family... But she's a year older than me...)

Holding Mel's hand, we headed to Dan and Sharon's house, which was about twenty meters from the Marlon house, also surrounded by trees.

(Looking closely, there are walnut-like shells on the ground. Maybe it's a tree that bears edible fruit?)

We passed through a small forest and came to a field with leafy vegetables, and beyond that, sheep were grazing on the grass.

(Dan and Sharon are about my age. Their father is Guy, and their mother is Claire. Guy always seems to carry a bow, like an English longbowman. Claire seems to have a motherly image, maybe a nurse or caretaker... But I thought they served the Rockheart family as squires. Are they hunters or farmers? I have so many questions...)

We opened the door to Sharon's house just like at Mel's and called out, "Dan! Sharon! Let's play!"

It was embarrassing, but I continued to act to avoid suspicion.

A boy about my age with slightly bleached blond hair appeared and approached.

"Good morning, Master Zack!"

Confused by Dan's energetic greeting, I replied, "Good morning, Dan!"

Behind him, a shy-looking girl, Sharon, also approached. Sharon had light blond hair almost silver and pale blue eyes, like a doll.

"Good morning, Sharon," I said, and she returned the greeting with a slightly shy expression. Her mother, Claire, also appeared from behind.

Claire, in her early twenties, looked about the same age as my mother Tanya, with a slender, blonde beauty.

She smiled and asked, "What are you going to do today?" It seemed she was in charge of the four of us, as she had watched over us yesterday.

"Maybe we'll go for a walk."

At my words, Claire tilted her head and asked, "A walk?"

(Did I do something wrong? Maybe it's not childlike, but I've never raised a child, and I have little experience with young children. I need to remember what Zack likes... horses... No, I'm not allowed to go near the stables...)

Thinking she misunderstood my silence, Claire asked, "Where are you going for a walk?"

(I see, she's asking where we're going... I just want to see the area around the mansion, but how should I answer...)

"Um, we'll look at the sheep and stay near the mansion."

She smiled and warned, "Don't go too far. And be careful not to get too close to the sheep, as they can be dangerous."

(She seems like a kind person, almost like a mother to the four of us...)

I nodded and took Sharon's hand.

(Even as a child, it's better to hold a girl's hand. Let's use the "Reference" ability...)

Using the "Reference" skill on Sharon, I saw "Sharon Jakes, three years old, human, female."

(She's the same age as me. Dan seems a bit older, so he's probably four. There are so many children of similar ages in the neighborhood, so maybe the population here is higher than I thought...)

I had many questions in my head but pushed them aside and led Sharon and Mel out of the Jakes house. Dan followed with a smile.

We stopped running and walked west towards a grassy field. I slowly looked around as we walked.

At the base of the hill where the mansion was, there was a wooden fence about two to three meters high, surrounding the area. There were also watchtowers made of logs.

(This hill might serve more as a castle than a mansion. The fence suggests there are enemies, but I don't see any soldiers...)

I carefully observed the entire hill.

(The hill itself is about two to three hundred meters in diameter. If it's three hundred meters, the fence is about one kilometer long. To defend this castle, you'd need at least a few hundred soldiers. But there's no one in the watchtowers. I have no idea what the situation is...)

Mel's and Sharon's houses were on the south side of the mansion. There were a few more houses closer to the mansion.

(They're not barracks but ordinary houses. Even though they're small, they have fields... The entire hill is surrounded by a fence... To protect livestock from wild animals?)

As I thought this, we continued through the grassy field. Sheep with fluffy wool were grazing here and there, but they ignored us, as they were used to our presence.

Dan was about to play with the sheep, but I ignored him and continued walking. As we approached the western slope, I slowly turned my gaze and looked at the western landscape.

A river flowed beyond the hill, and a water wheel in a water mill turned slowly. Beyond that, a dense green forest continued, and in the distance, black mountains could be seen.

(To the south, hills stretch out, and fields spread out. In the far distance, a mountain range can be seen. To the west, a river flows, and beyond that, a deep forest... What about the north and east? From my memory, forests spread to the north and east. It seems our estate is at the northern end, and the village spreads to the south...)

After walking about a hundred meters in the field, Dan called out from behind.

"Just walking isn't fun. Hey, let's play knights!"

"Let's walk a bit more first," I said, trying to calm the whining Dan as we headed back towards the mansion.

As we got closer to the mansion, I heard shouts like "Hey!" and "Yah!" from the west side.