Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – Prologue

I was born on the battlefield.

My mother, who was a young widow, died.

My mother gave birth to me while the evacuation caravan was under attack, and we were evacuated to a friendly camp.

However, shortly after giving birth, she became weak and passed away.

I grew up on the battlefield.

Initially, I was the soldiers’ errand boy.

Tasks like bringing supplies or cleaning weapons.

In return, I grew up eating leftovers, but when I turned 14, I suddenly found myself going to war.

I realized my talent on the battlefield.

A battle where we had to fight without moving due to a lack of troops.

In that battle, I instantly killed 10 enemy soldiers with a sword I picked up by chance when my spear broke.

Someone told me:

“You have talent with the sword.”

So, from then on, I became a soldier instead of an errand boy and began honing my skills wielding a sword, albeit in a very poor environment.

I realized this on the battlefield.

The fact that my talent is greater than I thought.

Three years later, I chose the warrior ‘Class’ and created a ‘Magic Core,’ something that some people find difficult to create in their entire life.

It settled in my heart and guided my movements and five senses to a completely different world from before.

I could eliminate more enemies, and my skill with the sword, born on the battlefield, became quicker and stronger.

And after another three years, I created a second magic core.

From then on, I was no longer a soldier.

I became a commander leading hundreds of soldiers, and with my outstanding experience and talent born on the battlefield, I began to accumulate countless specialties.

When I finally surpassed 3 magic cores and reached 4, I had the opportunity I unconsciously longed for.

“I will recommend you as a special candidate to be appointed a knight.”

Appointment as a knight.

An opportunity to change my life that was given to me, born and died on the battlefield, or had no idea what to do with my life after the war.

“Even the most outstanding hexa-rank knights did not reach quadruple rank at that age.”

Quadruple class.

The moment I obtained four magic cores, I had already earned the status of a knight.

Although I discovered my talent late, it only took me 11 years, and the commander who recommended me said that only five people in the entire empire hold the ‘hexa-rank’ title, which would be sufficient to be considered a high-level knight.

I thought that finally, even after the war ended, my life could find peace.

But…

Just one day before heading to the capital after being recommended for a special appointment as a knight, “An attack!”

And so, I was fated to die on the battlefield.

***

I thought that by allowing the talents awakened on the battlefield to fully blossom, a new life could unfold for me, one that had its roots on the battlefield.

Even in that new life… I thought I could have the family I longed for.

But it was all an illusion.

The 3rd Division of the Drennic Empire, where I was, was burned, collapsed, and finally completely destroyed by the large-scale attack from the 5th Division of the Altheon Empire.

Many soldiers have died, and now I am the only one left.

The reason was simple.

Because I was stronger than the dead.

But I will also die soon.

“He’s persistent.”

After all, I met someone who was several times, or even dozens, stronger than me.

“It’s been a long time since someone forced me to wield the sword more than ten times. Are you the famous Agrik? A talent that blossomed on the battlefield.”

This person knows me.

I never thought I would be so happy.

“You sound very content, Duke Thermion.”

“Haha. Do you know my name?”

“If you spend just one day in this battlefield, you will hear about the fame of the ‘Black Wave.’”

Duke Thermion smiled.

One of the six Hexa-Rank level knights in the Altheon Empire.

I exchanged sword strikes with him more than ten times.

As a result, my whole body was full of scars, but still, I was happy.

“You are worthy of respect.”

Of course, my sword was completely blocked.

No matter how hard I tried, the result was the same.

It was a talent at a different level than mine.

“I’ll ask you. Do you have any intention of surrendering? Your talent is wasted. At your age, you’re at the quadruple level… Maybe you’ll even surpass me.”

I shook my head.

“No. I was born on the battlefield, so this is where I’ll die.”

He smiled as if he liked my answer.

“It’s interesting. And it’s great sword handling. If you had grown a little more, you could have competed with me.”

It’s regrettable.

Because I couldn’t awaken all my talent.

And when the war ended…

I also wanted to start a family.

What envy I must have felt every time soldiers spoke of their wives and children waiting at home.

Having a place to return to is something very happy.

“Haha. It’s really, it’s a shame to lose a talent like yours. There’s no fixed way in the art of the sword, which makes it even more terrifying. Even if you lose your arms, you’ll have to fight with your sword in your mouth if necessary.”

Duke Thermion stepped closer to me.

I raised my sword.

“Your eyes are full of regret. In the next life, you’ll be able to vent those regrets to your heart’s content.”

Suddenly.

My sword and my neck were cut without even having the chance to block them. My vision jumps and spins, and finally stops.

“I also feel sad. If we had met somewhere other than the battlefield, we would have become good rivals.”

In the faint voice of Duke Thermion, my world ended like this.

My talent ended here, and my dream faded.

I simply thought it was so.

Until I opened my eyes again.

***

Look at these eyes. Aren’t they too clear?”

“That’s right, madam. Although we arrived late, I believe she gave birth to a gem.”

“What does age have to do with anything? And I don’t think it’s anything compared to gems. This child is a gift from God, a gift from God.”

“Haha. Exactly. It’s a blessing. Dain. You’ll become a great lancer and succeed your father.”

“What are you talking about! Dain will be a great assassin.”

“Ah, an assassin is so terrifying! Men are lancers! The spear is the ultimate embodiment of martial arts aesthetics.”

“What does it matter if he’s little? It’s more impressive to stealthily stalk, assassinate your target, and escape without being discovered! That’s much cooler! Not so noisy!”

“Oh! I see his bone structure is perfect for wielding a spear!” S~eaʀᴄh the NôvelFire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

“Oh, dear. Anyone would say you have the perfect bone structure to be an assassin.”

Both were intensely debating about my future. Sometimes, I wondered if, being the youngest, they expected me to follow in their footsteps.

“So, let’s do this. We’ll both try to teach him something!”

“Alright! Dain will surely be a great assassin!”

“A lancer! A lancer!”

By the way, how did they end up married?

What a friendly conversation.

It won’t last a lifetime, but it’s an unusual sight for a while.

But now, with less than a month since I was born, I could only express one thing.

“Wah.”

I’ve been reborn.

Not as someone who lived in the Drennic Empire but as the youngest son of a noble count’s family in the Altheon Empire, the enemy of my previous life.

My father is the best lancer in the empire.

My mother is the best assassin in the empire.

“Oh, it seems our Dain is hungry.”

“Let’s go back quickly.”

“Alright. Come, take my hand.”

“Oh, please. What does it matter if family members see?”

“If my wife wants to take my hand, who cares? Come on, quickly…”

I was reborn into a family as extravagant as no other in the world.

And…

The house in which I was reborn possesses tremendous power.

“Let’s return to our home.”

What I see before my eyes now is a territory and a castle of immense proportions.

Given that…

Displaying my talent could be something very straightforward.

***

“Abubb.”

Around two months, my expressions became more varied.

It’s good news.

Since I could only make “Wah” before, I made an effort to modulate the tone a bit to give it a different meaning.

Lily Sogres, or rather, my mother, burst into laughter every time I made “Abubb” or “Abuu.”

“Oh, our Dain is cooing now.”

This is cooing.

I should have taken care of a child before.

I haven’t even married yet.

Being in constant battle on the battlefield didn’t leave much time to see children. All I saw were babies wrapped in diapers constantly crying behind the cannons.

Half of them had lost their parents, and the other half cried out of hunger, their cries becoming softer and softer.

In that sense, the Sogres House was a truly prosperous and fortunate place, so I never had to go hungry.

“Haha! Dain! That’s how you handle a spear!”

Aken Sogres, my father, was a lover of spears… no, he was crazy about them.

I was barely less than 100 days old when he showed me a spear, which resulted in a scolding from my mother.

By the way, as a former assassin, my mother remained hidden until she captured the situation.

“I told you that you couldn’t teach him at such an early age! If that were the case, I would have taught stealth skills early too!”

“Ah! They say everyone does this these days! Even in the faraway Land of Teleportation Magic Masters, they put a wand next to babies when they’re born!”

“Is a wand and a spear the same thing? The spear is sharp!”

“Well then, is it okay to put a knife when changing diapers?”

“It’s a custom, a custom!”

Despite everything, they seemed like a harmonious family.

It was the hope of both of them.

I have two older sisters, both took completely different paths unrelated to spears or assassination.

Arabell Sogres, my eldest sister. She’s 12 years old.

Magic was detected in her as soon as she was born, and now she’s following the path of a mage.

“Dain, look at this! This is how… ta-dah! You make cheeks chubbier!”

“Abubb!”

Sometimes, if she got bored, she teased me with magic, but it was harmless and nothing dangerous, so I always found her adorable.

By the way, it’s said that our parents became desperate when they detected magic in my elder sister and called a famous imperial mage.

“Dad, no… the father… said that… she could be the best mage! But he was very gloomy. Why would that be?”

“Abu!”

She was too talented.

Normally, one would explore other paths with exceptional abilities, but her talent was so superior that there was no other option but to choose the path of the mage.

By the way, despite being only 12 years old, she was already a level 3 mage.

As far as I know, the maximum level for a mage is 9, so surpassing the initial level at 12 years old is truly a genius.

“Dain, do you want to learn magic with me later? I get bored studying alone.”

It seems my younger sister wants me to learn magic with her.

And now, my other sister…

Claire Sogress.

She’s 9 years old.

“Darling, I think Claire is still having a hard time with Dain.”

“It’s alright. She always had all the affection, but now all the attention has been focused on Dain. Because it matters a bit more.”

Likewise, the daughter who brought despair to her father.

She’s a very promising summoner.

This person is also very talented; she successfully summoned for the first time around the age of seven and now manages up to two summoned familiars at the same time.

Considering that summoners I saw on the battlefield complained even with a single summoned animal, this was truly an incredible talent.

“….”

Initially, I thought she didn’t like me.

She didn’t seem very happy when I was born and didn’t praise me, unlike my elder sister.

But soon, I realized it was simply jealousy, a common feeling children experience when a younger sibling arrives.

The sudden change in attention they always received from their parents.

Still, when our parents aren’t around, she often comes to me to play secretly, pretending not to care and stroking my cheek.

“How can you be so soft?”

If it becomes a problem because it sometimes gets inflamed from so much touching, it’s because of my elder sister, who is quite strict.

“Dain, it would be fun if you learned summoning with me… I’ll teach you later.”

It seems my younger sister wants to teach me summoning.

And now, my father.

A hexa-level spear master.

My mother, on the other hand, was a former professional assassin. Though she’s retired now, in the past, she even attempted to assassinate the emperor.

My elder sister, a brilliant mage.

And my younger sister, a prodigious summoner.

The Sogres House was a perfect family.

And I, having died due to my exceptional talents and reborn as Dain Sogress.

“Abubb!”

This place isn’t a battlefield where supplies are always lacking, and the people by your side might disappear tomorrow.

It’s the ideal family I always imagined.

And it’s the home of a count.

I’m fortunate to have been born into such a close-knit family.

I’ve always wished for a family.

“Lances are always the right choice.”

“But what if you learned stealth and assassination skills? Wouldn’t they be more useful?”

“Magic is the trend, Dad, Mom!”

“Even summoning is pretty good…”

I remembered a family gathering and having heated debates about who had the best field in their respective areas.

A harmonious family… right?