"Speaking"
(Thinking)
[Voice of the World]
When I woke up, I felt as if I had just enjoyed the best nap of my life.
A moment later, while rubbing my eyes with my tiny hands, I opened them and realized that this was a real world – not just a figment of my imagination.
Shortly after the initial shock, I began to ponder my current situation and status.
Then I summed up all the information I had:
• For some reason, I found myself in the body of Rudra Nasca – probably connected with that mysterious voice.
• But what exactly do I know about Rudra?
• He was the main antagonist in the Eastern Empire storyline.
• He was also the first emperor of the Eastern Empire and, previously, the last king of the Nasca kingdom.
• He was known as the first hero of humanity, bearing the title "Hero of the Beginning," and was probably the strongest hero in history. (If I remember correctly, in volume 12 it was said that Chloe is the strongest heroine, but in volume 16 it was mentioned that she was weaker than Rudra at his peak – I may have mixed up the volumes.)
• He was the rival of Guy Crimson, the first demon lord.
• He was the one who mockingly named that demon lord "fool," which sparked their rivalry.
• He played a game with Guy for world domination.
• He was an idealistic man, yet an idiot at the same time.
• He dreamed of uniting the world.
• Originally, he awakened the ultimate skill Uriel but exchanged it for Michael from Veldanava before facing Guy for the first time.
• Eventually, his ideals were forgotten and he cared only about winning the game against Guy – caused by a series of unfortunate events, with Michael only intensifying his negative feelings.
• He had a younger sister, Lucia.
• His master was Veldanava.
That's probably all the noteworthy details.
But what now? The question arises: what should I do?
I could follow the same path as the original Rudra and establish an Eastern Empire,
or I could abandon that path and choose something else.
However, if I truly am Rudra Nasca, it means I must be in a cardinal world where strength and power reign supreme.
This implies that I should strive to become as strong as possible. The imperial path would be a wise choice.
"Ehh" – I shouldn't speculate so far into the future; after all, I don't even know the path Rudra took.
I should focus on what is happening now.
So I began to look around and noticed that I was alone in a room with a single window, whose pane let in very little light.
The walls were made of wood, carved with strange yet interesting patterns.
I found myself in something resembling a children's playpen, constructed of smooth wood.
I felt as if I were wearing something like a diaper and a garment resembling a piżama.
I tried to move and, surprisingly, it was much easier than I expected.
On all fours, I pressed myself against the playpen's wall and decided to try to stand up.
I knew that as a newborn, it shouldn't be possible, yet newborns don't crawl anyway.
From what I remember, Rudra belonged from the start to the race of tall people—not ordinary ones.
So aspects such as maturation or a different physical build could be unlike what I knew.
However, I had to be careful that no one noticed me.
So I grabbed a wall that looked like a barred window and, using all my strength, pulled myself up with my arms until I managed to stand on two legs.
I was pleased with the result and wanted to try walking unsupported, but suddenly the room's door opened.
Instinctively, I let go and fell on my bottom.
"Ohh!? Who would have thought you'd start sitting so quickly?!"
I panicked for a moment, but then realized that the person entering the room was my mother.
She seemed to be smiling, so I concluded that—even though I shouldn't be sitting yet—it wasn't considered strange.
"Hmm. Usually, babies start sitting about 2–3 weeks after birth," she said.
From that remark, I figured I should start sitting at the earliest after two weeks of life.
So it probably wouldn't be strange if, one year after birth, I could already communicate normally.
Only then did I notice what my mother was wearing.
She had on an extremely loose, white dress. I wondered for a moment why she dressed so, but she quickly explained:
"You must be hungry since you haven't eaten anything since birth, and you're already so energetic."
After saying this, she lifted me up and sat down on a chair nearby.
Then she exposed her breast from under her dress and pressed my head against it.
At first, I reached out with my hands, trying to push away,
but when she asked, "Aren't you hungry?" my grumbling belly betrayed me.
"Maybe you should just get close to your mother?!" she said with a gentle smile, though just seeing her sent shivers down my spine.
A few seconds later, I stopped resisting and instinctively began sucking milk. It was a natural reflex that all mammals have.
In that moment, I felt like some old, wretched being taking advantage of this woman's ignorance.
But I sensed that something far worse might befall me if I did not comply.
So I accepted my moral downfall and simply yielded to instinct.
Not long after starting the meal, I almost immediately felt full.
Seeing this, my mother put me back in the playpen and said:
"Looks like you've had enough, that's good; a long day awaits us. Mama will be back soon—be a good child and wait."
After that sentence, she adjusted her neckline and left the room, leaving me alone.
Almost immediately, a thought occurred to me:
(How backward is this world when it comes to child-rearing and technology?)
I was truly astonished, but soon it dawned on me that if I were really in a cardinal world, then technology must be extremely primitive.
After all, in Rimuro's time, the technology and architecture of this world could be compared to that of the early Renaissance (~14th–16th century),
not counting the Eastern Empire, which was undergoing something like an industrial revolution (~19th century).
Considering that in the original story Rudra was born over 2000 years before Rimuru, it would be logical for the technology to be comparable to that of the early Middle Ages (~10th century) – perhaps even inferior.
After all, Guy Crimson ensures that nations do not advance too quickly, tempering their ambitions from the very start.
That makes sense because it is meant to prevent the rapid collapse of humanity, as Veldanava claimed and as the history of my old world demonstrates.
Wars erupted incessantly for truly absurd reasons; yet, almost always, it was due to human greed or an inability to accept the existing balance of power.
Examples? Here you go:
– WWI – Germany's desire to expand its colonies abroad, tensions among European states (human greed).
– WWII – Germany's unwillingness to accept its post-WWI situation (Treaty of Versailles) (balance of power).
All wars during the Middle Ages erupted because rulers sought to extend their influence.
…
But one cannot say that war is inherently evil.
The fact is, during war, technology is often rapidly developed to defeat the enemy more swiftly.
Frequently, technologies created for wartime eventually make their way to ordinary citizens, for example:
• GPS
• Microwave ovens
• The Internet
• Nylon
• Penicillin
• Jeeps
• Artificial limbs
Such innovations have undoubtedly improved the comfort of everyday life.
However, if technology goes too far and someone ultimately decides to press that infamous red button, it could be the end.
Einstein once put it well:
"I do not know what weapons people will use in World War III, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones."
These words clearly show that after a certain point in development, waging war becomes an existential danger to the whole world.
In my personal opinion, the role currently played by GUY is indispensable, yet it has its drawbacks.
Just as I finished my internal monologue, as if on cue, my mother entered the room perfectly.
"Forgive me for taking so long, my little treasure," she said, her voice slightly breathless.
She wore a simple, elegant white dress with intricately embroidered floral patterns. It was evident that the dress was expensive – lined with golden threads and adorned with decorations resembling precious stones.
In her hands, she held a sizeable box that looked as if it contained something valuable.
"I'm ready now; it's time for you," she said.
Speaking those words, she opened the box and pulled out an outfit resembling a white toga with red accents.
"Don't worry – it won't hurt," she assured me as she began to change my clothes.
I offered no resistance, for I wanted it all over as quickly as possible.
Appreciating my cooperation, my mother smiled and nodded in satisfaction.
After changing me, she lifted me onto her arms so that I could observe my surroundings, and off we went into an unknown destination.
When my mother opened the door, I noticed it led to a corridor splitting to the right and left.
It wasn't very long – about 10 meters to the right and 20 to the left. At both ends of the corridor were windows similar to those in the room where I had been.
The walls, floor, and ceiling were made of wood, decorated with patterns like those in the room. The ceiling and floor were covered with planks, though on the ceiling one could still see the supporting beams of the roof.
On the walls were candle holders with unlit candles, the holders made of a metal-like material while the candles looked practically identical to those from my old world (most likely not related to magic).
Looking further, on the right were more pairs of doors, and on the left, three more – one of which was located on the opposite side.
Also on the left were stairs leading downward – and that is the direction my mother took.
As we descended, I noticed we were in a large room with several windows and doors.
However, the most striking feature was a pair of doors that were noticeably larger than the others and, for some reason, secured with a wooden bar.
I guessed these were the exit doors, secured to protect against unwanted guests.
Continuing on, my mother approached the doors and gently pulled them open.
When they opened, a gust of cool, fresh air hit me.
My eyes beheld a blue sky with white clouds; beyond, I saw a sort of forest with many beautifully flowering trees.
As I observed the surroundings, my mother spoke:
"Looks like we'll wait a little longer, my treasure. In the meantime, the sea will show you the garden."
Judging by her words, I assumed we were waiting for someone to pick us up—and my mother didn't want me to be bored. After all, in such a situation, any normal child would probably start crying sooner or later.
That reminded me that I should behave more childishly so as not to arouse suspicion.
As that thought crossed my mind involuntarily, my mother turned and walked toward a stone-paved path bordered by a fence on both sides.
Only when I turned did I see the building's exterior façade – a two-story wooden house with a sloping roof covered in a type of tiles.
It had no window sills, indicating that the windows were permanently fixed; the gutters were rather primitively made.
"Do you like it? This is our summer house, Rudra. We usually spend our summers here when we have free time," my mother commented, providing me with some information.
A moment later, I nodded, and my mother continued on, as if understanding that I was pleased.
After about three minutes of walking, we reached a beautiful garden filled with many flowers, vines, and other plants.
Most of these plants were unlike any I had ever seen before.
"Hehe" – I laughed instinctively.
It was truly exciting – for the first time, I felt that I was really in another world. Perhaps my masculine nature was emerging.
I gazed admiringly at the various plants, so beautiful that it almost hurt not to admire them.
"I see you really like them," my mother said, noticing my interest.
I nodded in response.
Then I pointed with my little hand at an interesting plant, and my mother approached it.
"This is a flower…" she began explaining what kind of flower it was, where it grows, under what conditions, and what it can be used for.
This explanation repeated itself many times for different plants. I learned many fascinating things, and just when I thought this new world was truly exciting, I heard something even more thrilling.
[Acquired Skill: Basic Botany]
(So that was the voice of the world?) I thought.
Now, as I reflect on it, it's the second time – though I haven't quite connected all the dots yet.
(But what kind of skill is that? I've never heard of it – whether in anime, manga, LN, or other light novels?)
This proves to me that this world is far larger than I had ever imagined.
So, what exactly do I know about skills?
According to my knowledge, there are six types of skills:
• Intrinsic skills – innate abilities sometimes acquired during evolution; they can be inherited from one's parents.
• Common skills – widespread skills that are easy to acquire, usually with simple, singular effects.
• Extra skills – the best skills, gained through physical or mental training; they usually have multiple effects and offer greater flexibility compared to common skills.
• Unique skills – skills unique to an individual that arise when a person has strong desires; they may develop after decades of training and are quite versatile, often growing along with the user.
• Ultimate skills – allow the user to bend the rules of the world to their will; these almost always arise from the evolution of unique skills once their limits are broken – especially during a "super evolution" (awakening), provided the user has the necessary qualifications and determination.
• Resist skills – divided into nullification and resistance; as the names imply, nullification cancels all effects, while resistance provides high tolerance. They usually operate passively, though they can be deactivated.
That's about all I know about skills. I suspect that this particular skill belongs to the common skills category, given how easily I acquired it.
Most likely, it will help me distinguish plants more easily – something like that.
"Ma'am! Where are you?!"
During my contemplation, I heard someone shouting. My mother also turned toward the sound.
It turned out to be an older man in a chamberlain's outfit.
"Ohh. Here, Leonard!" my mother called out loudly, raising her free hand.
Leonard, upon seeing us, quickly approached, bowed in greeting, and then looked at my mother's face.
Up close, his face appeared younger than I had assumed from afar – despite a few white hairs, I wouldn't have guessed he was over 45.
He had black hair and neatly trimmed, styled mustache; small wrinkles were visible on his face, and beneath his dark-green eyes there were signs of sleepless nights.
As I looked at him, he first glanced at me, then at my mother, and then at me again.
"Ehhh. You truly are a stubborn woman, like your father, Gorgij, Sonna. You shouldn't send away all your servants right after giving birth. What if something happened to you or the baby?" he said, scrutinizing us to make sure we were fine.
My mother turned her gaze away and said:
"This is my child; do you really think I would let someone else act as a mother?"
Was it true that she had dismissed all the servants for such a trivial reason?
"EHHH. What am I supposed to do with you?"
Leonard's tone revealed that my mother had caused him many troubles in the past.
"Just leave us alone," my mother replied firmly yet with a note of pleading in her voice.
"Obviously, you know I can't do that, Sonna," Leonard said.
"I know, I know, but at least for a little while, I wanted to be alone with my child," she answered.
"Alright, enough of this conversation; we should be on our way," he said.
After that brief exchange, we left the house along the same path we had come. There, a carriage waited, and two women dressed as maids were unloading luggage and slowly bringing it into the house.
Noticing us, they bowed respectfully and continued their work.
We waited a moment until everything was unloaded and then boarded the carriage. The maids went back inside while the coachman took the front seat.
My mother sat in the proper place, and I was laid upon a rather large cushion—not particularly wide, but deep and well-stuffed with feathers.
Soon, the coachman grabbed the reins, lightly tapped them, and the horses started moving. At first, it was an interesting sensation, but after a few moments, when we drove over a bump, I realized that the carriage had no form of suspension.
Had I not been on such a big cushion, I would have surely hurt my bottom.
Just thinking that the journey would likely last over an hour made my back ache. I began to understand why people in the past seldom traveled.
[1h later]
Perhaps the views were nice, but...
HOW MANY BUMPS CAN THERE BE??!? My body felt like crying. Following my instinct, I exclaimed:
"Lleeaaahlee!"
"Ah, don't cry, please—soon it will be over. Hush…"
She said this in a gentle voice, then rose and picked me up, gently rocking me.
My body grew heavy, and before I knew it, I fell asleep.
[2h later]
"Let's get up, son. We're here."
A gentle jolt and my mother's words roused me from sleep.
When I opened my eyes, I found myself once again in my mother's arms. The surroundings had changed – it was no longer the forest, meadow, or fields I had seen along the way, but rather a town, or small city.
We were surrounded by buildings of two to three stories, reminiscent of medieval Europe; the streets were made of stone, and there were many market stalls and people coming and going.
Some used coin-like money, but most transactions were bartered.
The people around us were dressed—some in tattered, worn-out clothes, others in rather average attire, and still others in truly luxurious garments.
Everyone seemed content and unconcerned with coexisting with people of different status.
I assumed that in this kingdom, social status held little significance.
While thinking about this, I noticed that my mother stopped in front of a large stone building resembling a castle.
Not far away, I could see a gate guarded by several soldiers in light armor, armed with halberds.
Looking further, I observed that the carriage we were riding in was being controlled by guards.
My mother approached the carriage and said:
"We're back, Leonard."
The guards looked at my mother, then at each other, bowed, and indicated that we could enter.
My mother re-entered the carriage, and the guards hurriedly opened the gate.
After we drove through to the other side, Leonard whispered to my mother in a slightly agitated tone:
"Ma'am, why did you suddenly get off and say you'd be right back, yet order me to continue driving?"
"Hehe, you know, I sensed something delicious and couldn't resist," she replied with an innocent little laugh, as if nothing were amiss.
"Ehh," Leonard sighed and said nothing more, as if too tired to argue or preach.
Shortly afterward, the carriage stopped before a set of steps leading to what appeared to be the castle's main building.
At the top of the stairs were large doors made of a metal-like material, guarded by two soldiers this time – armed with swords at their sides and clad in heavier plate armor.
Then the castle doors slowly opened, and out stepped my father.
He wore an elegantly styled outfit reminiscent of a shortened, red cassock (like that worn by priests), with a golden emblem embroidered on the front.
On his head, he wore a cap adorned with several gemstones, and at his belt, a scabbard for his well-worn sword.
Seeing him, the guards bowed respectfully. Without paying them much heed, my father strode quickly to the carriage, opened its door, and said:
"Come on, dear, let's get this over with."
His tone carried a distinct note of displeasure.
"Ehh."
My mother simply sighed and nodded in agreement.
Then he extended his hand to help my mother down from the carriage; she took me with one hand, passed the other to my father, and then disembarked.
After my father released my mother's hand, she adjusted me, and then they proceeded toward the castle's center.
We walked along a long, spacious corridor, in which there were very few windows—and those that existed were high up and small.
Most of the light came from torches placed in the darker areas.
The floor was covered with stone tiles arranged without any special pattern.
Along the way, I saw many servants and guards passing by. Some carried food, others bottles (probably of alcohol), while some were in dirty clothes or cleaning.
Everyone we passed greeted us with respect.
As I wondered where we were headed, I began to hear shouts and arguments.
My parents exchanged glances and sighed, then headed toward the commotion, leaving me to wonder what was happening.
When we got closer to the source of the noise, I saw doors from behind which the shouting came.
A guard with a halberd stood before the doors; when he noticed us approaching, he opened them.
At that moment, I heard loud trumpets, after which silence ensued.
When we stepped through the open doors, I beheld a gathering of people dressed in extravagant, luxurious, opulent attire.
Most of their faces could be described as arrogant.
They were in a ballroom which, unlike the small windows I had seen so far, featured windows almost two to three times larger and of far superior quality.
There were many luxurious pieces of furniture and richly decorated carpets on the floor. The walls were painted red and adorned with numerous ornamental patterns, paintings, and other artworks.
As I looked around at the people again, my attention was drawn to a man standing on an elevated platform.
His clothes were far more elegant and tasteful than the others; he wore a crown on his head and an outfit similar to my father's.
His hair was pink—like my mother's—and his eyes had a reddish tint as if soaked in blood. His face was covered with numerous scars, which made him look rather frightening.
Only then did I realize that we were heading in his direction—I had the distinct impression that he was intently watching me with his terrifying eyes.
When we were about two meters away, my parents stopped, bowed slightly, and said:
"Good to see you in good health, father."
They seemed genuinely happy.
"Ha ha ha, a few springs will pass before this old man kicks the bucket, ha ha ha," he chuckled.
"Alright, enough about my health. Show me my grandson," he said, his voice conveying expectation, curiosity, and uncertainty.
With a gentle smile, my mother handed me over to a man I presumed was my grandfather.
When I felt his hands, I realized they were thick and rough—probably from frequent use of a sword.
Grandfather said:
"Hmm, I see you inherited your mother's eyes and facial features, and your hair comes from your father."
Now, thinking back, I had never really seen what I looked like—probably similar to Rudra from LN.
"Alright then, let's start a banquet in honor of the birth of my first grandson, hahaha," he said, raising a glass from a nearby table and shouting:
"To the health of my grandson!"
Soon others raised their glasses in unison and responded:
"Cheers!"
Then grandfather handed me back to my mother.
About 30 minutes passed, and I already felt that there was a dreadful boredom here—but I managed to glean useful information from their conversations. They discussed trade, marriages, politics, the army…
From these useful and interesting bits I learned that:
• The Nasca Kingdom is currently on poor terms with the USES country bordering from the southwest.
• The main state we trade with is the Magic Kingdom of Namrium.
• Most of the products produced in the country are for domestic use, with only a small portion for foreign trade.
• The kingdom's army numbers over 30,000 soldiers, mostly guarding the border with USES.
• There are problems related to the emerging Jura forest in the west and the storm dragon Veldora.
• There have been recent unexpected attacks by demons in the east and west.
• The first kingdoms in the west are forming.
• Upcoming problems, such as a weakening currency—supporting my suspicion that if the dwarven kingdom arises only in about 1000 years, their coins won't even exist.
While I listened, waiting for more interesting information to emerge, suddenly a nobleman with an arrogant expression and bushy mustaches appeared.
He said something to my mother that shocked me:
"Since your son has been born, what do you think about arranging a marriage between him and my daughter? In this regard, the child is two years old—but that's not a problem. The important thing is that both of us can benefit."
Hearing this, I felt like punching him in the face and telling him to get lost as quickly as possible—but I couldn't do it.
A moment later, I noticed that my mother's expression suggested she felt the same way.
"Don't you think it's a bit too soon for such a decision?" she said in an angry tone, clearly disgusted and unwilling.
The nobleman, seemingly ignoring the implication, tried to persuade her by explaining what he might gain.
But she continuously refused, her voice growing ever more indignant.
Honestly, I felt like vomiting at the sight of that man—was he really so stupid, or was his greed utterly boundless?
Grandfather, who had previously been hushed by the nobles, now, seeing what was happening, decided to intervene:
"Don't you all understand the meaning of 'no'? I'm saying this openly—there will be no arranged engagement with my grandson!"
His tone was full of irritation and anger; evidently, this man was not the first to try to arrange a marriage for his daughter with me.
I began to understand why my parents were so reluctant to get involved in these matters—these people were truly contemptible.
Then grandfather addressed my mother:
"Little Rudra, you look tired. You should be heading back now."
At first, I wondered why he said that, since I felt very alert and had no desire to sleep.
But suddenly, as if by magic, my body grew heavy and I became very sleepy—and soon I fell asleep.
[1h later]
I woke up suddenly in the same carriage that had brought us here. I looked around in a hurry and noticed that my mother was sitting beside me, watching me intently.
"Phew, I was afraid that my magic might make your body collapse, but everything seems fine. However, I won't be able to put you to sleep for a while," she said.
Hmm, so I truly fell asleep under the influence of magic. But seriously—woman, you're doing something without knowing how it will end!
I felt like yelling it at her, but even if I could, I wouldn't, for her haughtiness silenced me.
"Good thing you didn't see what happened next. Fortunately, you won't have to see them for at least five years."
Upon hearing this, I instinctively straightened up. And my mother, with a gentle laugh, added:
"Hehe, I see that even a child is glad not to see those idiots."
A slight smile was visible on her face.
"Spend the next five years with me—I won't let them spoil your morals," she said.
I felt satisfied. The fact that I would spend the next five years with my mother, away from that burdensome nobility, was truly comforting.
Then we returned to that wooden house, and upon entering, two maids were waiting for us.
And with them, I was to spend the next five years.
Those years turned out to be perhaps the most trivial of my life.