Chapter 2. This is completely messed up.

‘Damn, this is seriously wrong.’

The protagonist, who was cursing inwardly, was a small human with pitch-black hair and eyes.

Moreover, he was a small human who was held in a nurse’s arms, unable to resist, and was sucking on a bottle with all his might.

“Oh~ my young master, how can you be so strong~”

The nurse’s soft voice, caressing his small hand that held the bottle tightly, tickled his ears.

‘What the hell is this? ’

How many days had passed? He now clearly realized that something was seriously wrong.

Not to mention, he couldn’t move a single finger as he wished.

Everything he saw was in black and white, and even that was hard to see clearly.

His stomach was so often hungry that he would get irritated every time it growled.

And yet, he couldn’t solve his hunger with his own hands.

Everything was a source of frustration.

‘Damn angels! You couldn’t even do one thing right and left my memories intact?’

Cursing madly in his mind while sucking on the bottle, when he finished, the nurse picked him up and patted his back.

“Ah~”

He was surprised for a moment by the satisfying burp he let out without realizing it.

“Oh~ my young master, how can you burp so well~”

No matter what, the nurse praised everything.

Even when he pooped a generous amount, she wouldn’t hesitate to praise him, saying, “How can you poop so well?”

The most humiliating part was that he couldn’t stop her from wiping his bottom thoroughly, no matter how much he disliked it.

Hating his small, weak self, who couldn’t resist at all, he wanted to bite his tongue and die, but he couldn’t even do that because he had no teeth.

‘Damn, damn, damn!’

More frustrating was how his body, despite his wishes, would become so sad when his stomach was hungry that tears would well up in his eyes. He didn’t cry to protect his last bit of dignity, but he couldn’t stop the tears from forming.

After eating, he would feel so sleepy. He couldn’t help but suspect that something had been done to the formula he drank every day.

His bowel movements were also uncontrollable. When he felt the urge, he would unknowingly squeeze and push.

Living such humiliating days, he would curse the angels and call out the names of the gods he knew, but no action was taken.

Thinking about how to get out of this situation all day was not enough, but now, after eating, he was falling asleep again, which was driving him mad.

‘If I... just become a god... No, if I just get my teeth...’

He would curse and then fall asleep as usual.

***

“Welcome back?”

“Yeah. He seems to be doing well.”

“That’s a relief. I was worried the medicine wouldn’t work...”

Kiritaga, who had large wings, waved his hand to reassure her.

“Sigh, the medicine wouldn’t fail.”

“That’s a relief.”

Kiritaga, who had just returned from observing Lanos’s reincarnation, plopped down in his seat.

When he went to check, just in case, he saw the baby drinking milk and burping satisfactorily.

“Yeah, he’ll probably do well.”

It was a carefully chosen place.

The couple, who desperately wanted a child, had a gentle nature.

Although it was a declining baronial family, they had enough assets to raise a child well, so he wouldn’t have a miserable childhood.

He could have sent him to be a prince or a prince, but he didn’t.

After living for five thousand years with everything he wanted, he thought it would be fine to be a little lacking.

Since he hated being tired, he reincarnated him into a family where he wouldn’t have to do anything tiring.

But their thoughts were completely wrong.

He just couldn’t speak yet...

***

Now, he could easily roll over.

He just needed to stand up...! But why were his legs so weak, unable to muster any strength?

“Oh, oh, young master! You’ll be walking soon!”

Seeing the nurse clap and shake a rattle in front of him, the strength in his already weak legs completely drained.

‘Damn. That rattle is shaken at any time.’

Exhausted, lying flat on the floor, his gums itched again.

When he reached for a toy with his mouth, the nurse quickly snatched it away.

“Young master! This is a pacifier. A pacifier!”

‘...If I get my teeth, I’ll really bite my tongue and die!’

If only his two front teeth would come in first.

***

“Huff!!!”

The woman, breathing heavily, sat up, drenched in cold sweat.

The damp pillowcase explained how intense her dream had been.

“This...”

The burning capital and the panicked people.

In the midst of it, the hand of a black-haired man standing proudly glowed, turning the sky dark red, and meteors began to fall from the sky.

No, they started to pour down.

The massive meteors, which would turn the surroundings into a wasteland if even one fell, completely blackened the sky, and the people who saw this scene froze in their tracks as if bewitched.

Those who accepted their fate stopped running and sat down, praying to their gods for mercy.

It was a prophecy, something that would happen, though no one knew when.

The face of Heloiz Arnet, the court prophet and diviner of the Arant Empire, was overshadowed by a deep shadow.

“Your Majesty, I must see you!!!”

Heloiz, who sprang up from her seat, burst through the door, and a startled soldier followed her.

It was the middle of the night, but going to the king at this hour meant it was a serious matter.

“Your Majesty. Heloiz Arnet requests an urgent audience.”

At the butler’s call, Grad Ruklair, the emperor of the Arant Empire, who had just opened his eyes, showed a brief sign of irritation on his face, but quickly composed himself.

“Let her in.”

The emperor, who got up and put on a nightgown, moved to the reception room.

“So, what is it at this hour?”

“Y-Your Majesty. I had a prophetic dream.”

The emperor’s irritated tone quickly subsided at the trembling voice of Heloiz.

“Tell me.”

As Heloiz spoke, Grad’s expression changed from moment to moment.

His curiosity and surprise gradually faded, and his eyes turned cold.

“...Everything will be destroyed.”

“No, no. It can’t be.”

The emperor, muttering to himself, sprang up from his seat.

“How, how did I get this position!!! Send someone to the Mage Tower to bring Alberto Nimrod, the tower master, immediately!!!”

***

“Did you hear that?”

With wide eyes, Laila asked, and Aileen, the nurse, tilted her head and picked up Lucas.

Lanos’s new name, Lucas Rodrigo.

He was the precious young master of the declining Rodrigo baronial family.

He was gnawing on a pacifier, trying to relieve the itch in his gums.

“The palace is recruiting mages on a large scale. They say they’re going to establish a magic academy.”

“An academy?”

“Yes. Like the sword academy, they’re going to create a magic academy.”

Aileen, patting Lucas’s back and moving around, kissed his forehead.

“Why are they suddenly creating an academy?”

“I heard a prophecy was given.”

“A prophecy?”

Aileen, who had laid Lucas in the cradle, shook the bottle and dropped a few drops of milk on her wrist to check the temperature.

“Yes. A huge prophecy. Something about the palace turning into a wasteland.”

“Hmph. I hope it’s true. I hope the prophecy comes true.”

Aileen, picking up Lucas again, carefully brought the bottle to his mouth.

“That’s right. How did our baron end up here...”

“Stop it. It’s in the past, isn’t it? Now that we have such a beautiful young master, everything will be fine.”

“Hehe. That’s right? Oh, how handsome he is!”

Laila’s smile spread as she touched Lucas’s cheek.

While Lucas was sucking on the bottle vigorously, his heart was burning black.

‘When will these damn teeth come in...!’

***

Finally, I stood up!

It wasn’t that something happened, but I, Lanos, finally stood up on my two feet!

His heart was filled with joy, thinking that this might be the most rewarding thing he had accomplished in his five thousand years of dragon life.

But the joy was short-lived, and his legs went weak again at the commotion around him.

“Oh! Young master! You’re standing up on your own already!”

The nurse’s voice, filled with emotion, filled the room.

‘If I ever start talking, I’ll faint.’

The baby, who let out a small sigh, tried to frown as much as he could, but the nurse ran over and lifted his bottom to smell it.

“Hmm? You didn’t poop...”

The young master was a baby, unable to make any facial expressions at will.

***

Now, my legs are starting to gain some strength.

I can only walk a few steps by holding onto the wall or furniture, but this is a tremendous improvement.

However, I had to endure the cheers of the people around me with every step.

“Our son will grow up to be a great swordsman like you.”

“Ha, that’s right. He’s so active even now.”

Hearing their praise and laughter all day, I wanted to put everyone to sleep with a sleep spell, but a baby who could only babble couldn’t use magic.

I searched my body thoroughly to see if there was any mana, but I couldn’t find a single trace.

‘Damn gods. If I go up there, I’ll kill them all!’

I cursed in my mind all day, but it only built up frustration since I couldn’t say it out loud.

***

Finally, I started walking properly.

I can say a few words, but pronouncing difficult sounds is still a bit challenging.

And since those people react so strongly to my small “mama” sound, I don’t even want to make that sound and keep my mouth shut.

I hurried to walk to quickly strengthen this body, but I didn’t need to speak since I could already use it freely, so I didn’t want to give those insignificant people more reasons to make a fuss.

“When will the young master start speaking?”

“Soon. Boys are usually a bit slower to speak, so just wait a little longer, and he’ll speak as smoothly as a flowing stream.”

Aileen, who answered Laila’s worried words with a gentle smile, never stopped smiling.

‘I won’t speak. And I’ve already decided what my first word will be. Arrogant humans.’

A bitter smile spread across Lucas’s face, who was determined to strengthen his legs.

“Oh! He’s smiling!”

‘Teeth.’

***

“I’m starting to worry, madam.”

“Me too...”

Lucas Rodrigo, their precious son, hadn’t spoken a word for a year.

After saying short words like “mama” at first, he only occasionally made small sounds and never opened his mouth.

Although Lucas walked and ate very well, his parents’ hearts were burning black because he didn’t say a single word that others could.

However, the baby’s expression was very calm.

‘Why should I bother speaking?’

But their expressions were becoming more serious than usual.

“Should we invite a doctor?”

“But he’s not sick, is he?”

“Then, someone from the temple...”

“The temple...”

The temple might have a way.

Even if it turned out that their son was mute or a fool, they would at least tell them.

However, the cost of having the temple diagnose their son would not be cheap.

They knew how much the haughty priests would demand as a fee.

“...Yes. Let’s call a priest.”

Driven to the outskirts, they were left with only a small estate and the servants and maids who trusted and followed them.

Selling the remaining valuables to barely make ends meet, this big decision made Lucas’s heart a bit uncomfortable.

‘Should I just say a word?’

No matter how much he disliked this reality, he didn’t want to worsen the already poor finances of the baronial family.

‘If I become poor, my life will be inconvenient.’

The black eyes of the child seemed to wander for a moment.

‘Yeah, poverty is no good.’

The baby’s mouth formed a straight line, as if making a decision.

‘Damn!’

Watching his father, Rodrigo, who was about to leave, he finally spoke.

“Dad!”

The servant, who had stopped in his tracks at the call, and his wife, Blain, whose eyes filled with tears, were moved.

“Sniff, sniff!!! Lucas!!!”

Seeing this, Lucas almost let out a small curse but managed to hold it back.

‘Damn... This is completely messed up.’

His hope for a quiet and quick end to his life was now completely shattered.