The cold water dripped down onto my head.
It’s still a chilly day. The cold water seems to seep into my bones.
I stand on the road of a lifetime.
“It can’t be undone.”
A life different from my past, a peaceful and happy life.
“I reincarnated into a life full of luxury, compared to my life on Earth where I was in a position but still died.”
I think my past life held a significant position.
To protect the Earth, I executed many operations with a single eye.
But in the end, I failed and died.
“Is my past life repeating itself?”
The word ‘fate’ came to mind.
The reason I was born as their quadruplet in this world.
Similar to my past life. Using Heavenly Sky Eye, I carried out tasks, revealing spies was my specialty.
Damn, am I some kind of observer for them?
Now that it’s known that I can distinguish impostors,
I’ll be involved in even stranger events.
My task is clear now.
Until now, my goals were too vague.
I thought I could escape by enduring for just four years and becoming a high-ranking member.
But now, I am entangled with my siblings directly.
Like fiercely fighting a black wolf with a short dagger.
Cornered, I had to fight back.
Wanting a peaceful life, unlike my past, was a wrong thought from the beginning.
This time, it’s a struggle.
My siblings are waves.
No matter how hard I try to block, there are relentless, big waves.
Rather than being swept away like flotsam, I had to eat the waves to survive and grow.
Then, how strong do I need to become?
“Being the strongest in the world might be enough.”
I pondered.
The relics of twelve Azhibita Church, the martial arts training of Ranista, and the powerful force hidden in my Spirit, Dalbi.
And.
Heavenly Sky Eye.
In my past life, I only had Heavenly Sky Eye.
With that alone, I achieved a lot.
This time, there’s enough material to make it stronger.
I poured cold water over my head.
“Damn, it’s so cold.”
* * *
The next day, Melissa’s gift arrived.
“Ugh, it’s heavy.”
Inside the wooden box she brought was a note and sophisticated scale armor that emitted a blue light even without direct contact. I put the box down and read the note.
[Thanks for yesterday, Cantavia. This armor is made from Leviathan’s scales. It won’t break or tear easily. But don’t let your guard down. It won’t withstand powerful attacks, like those of a master-level swordsman.]
A master-level swordsman is not common, huh?
[I’ve made the impact transmit smoothly as advised by ‘Ranista.’ He asked me to tell you not to neglect body training.]
Damn, that Ranista.
[Instead, I’ve cast a special magic. What kind of magic is…]
* * *
If the contents of the note are true, it’s not just a simple gift of armor.
I immediately took out the scale armor from the box. It had weight, but it was much lighter than a knight’s armor. It felt like lifting a 5kg weight. I followed the instructions left by Melissa. Magic is different from science. Logically, it was not easy to understand, but following the instructions in the note was not difficult.
Putting on the armor, it naturally adjusted to my body. I swung my arms and did some PT exercises. Despite being scale armor, it was comfortable to move as if wearing a cotton shirt. However, the utility as armor would be compromised. Thanks to Ranista’s unnecessary meddling, this armor was designed not to block impacts. It could prevent cuts from a sword, but I would still feel the pain. Is it a concept of taking the damage? Wearing it would prevent fatal injuries.
The real power of this scale armor was something else.
In fact, calling it armor is ambiguous.
It’s more like a versatile Swiss army knife.
I followed the note’s instructions and engraved the ‘Marking Ritual’ of magical equipment. The method was easy, similar to fingerprint recognition on a smartphone. I cut my thumb, let the blood flow into the armor, and the marking was done. As my blood touched it, the Leviathan’s scales emitted an even bluer light.
As the light gradually faded, I moved on to the second stage.
Melissa said that handling this magical tool would be difficult.
Her magic is a transformation spell that changes the form of an object.
[It’s a form transformation magic that eats the remnants of your imagination. It’s easy to change into a shield, sword, spear, but anything beyond that will require practice. Human imagination tends to be poorer than you think.]
I took off the armor and placed my palm on the engraved pattern inside.
Melissa said it would require practice, but I quickly adapted to the nature of this magical tool.
The shape of the armor changed and moved according to my imagination. It turned into a shield, a sword, a spear, and even a rope and a utility hand. It even changed the strength and elasticity. However, it was impossible to exceed the mass. It wouldn’t turn into a bigger shield or a larger utility hand.
The reason I could easily manipulate magical tools like this was because of Heavenly Sky Eye.
Even with bizarre things like seeing star anomalies,’seeing’ something I imagined was clear enough.
Of course, the very idea of literally’seeing’ something based on imagination was strange, but the fact that Heavenly Sky Eye represented an unimaginable power was something I had felt countless times since my past life.
“It’s okay.”
Most things are valuable based on their appearance.
This is a magical tool with infinite utility.
If you want to eat ramen but don’t have a pot? If you want to scratch your back but need a utility hand? If you need to open a cork but don’t have an opener?
Of course, the magical tool provided wouldn’t be that convenient.
A magical tool that can change not only its form but also its strength and elasticity at will.
Even though it looked simple, the power of this magical tool is something that even the top ten knights of the Empire would envy.
I really didn’t want to think about it.
Damn, the beans that fall when my siblings are doing well are nice.
“La… Mel… Star.”
Like the great knights who named their weapons, I also named it.
The name of this magical tool is LaMelStar.
* * *
It was already the second birthday party they had thrown, but my father’s stubbornness remained unyielding.
The birthday party held at the Quilz Castle banquet hall that evening was grand in scale.
The level of the birthday party was determined by the status of the guests who came to congratulate. As if the Quilz territory wasn’t noisy enough these days, I sighed as I looked at the people gathered in the hall. Father, is this what you meant by “expectations”?
It seemed like all the powerful figures of the Kynakhan Empire had gathered.
Even my rebellious siblings, who lived by their own rules, showed up at the banquet hall this time. It seemed they couldn’t resist attending, especially after seeing Father’s expression.
The banquet hall had multiple long tables arranged around the center. Father and my siblings sat at the main table in the center of the hall. Unfortunately, Mother couldn’t attend. It seemed her recent outing had worsened her health. I felt a slight pang of guilt.
The gathering of powerful figures had a tense atmosphere.
Despite the lively performance by the Quilz music band, the rigid atmosphere didn’t loosen.
This was not a birthday party; it was a vile political stage full of checks and conspiracies. Especially the lackeys of the “Red Pillar” Solgar family and the vassals of the Rainberg were nowhere near the same table.
On the left, followers of Rainberg gathered, while on the right, nobles from the Solgar and Luchakuan families and their followers sat. The only seemingly neutral ones were the envoys of the Maitland family, responsible for guarding the southern sea.
What was Father thinking when he created such chaos?
It was the birthday of the duke’s heirs, but we were only 14 years old and hadn’t even received our titles yet. Simply hosting a family feast and a birthday party would have sufficed. Those who received invitations probably came out of curiosity, not caring much about congratulations.
Finally, the cheerful music from the orchestra turned into a calm melody, and the dinner dishes began to be laid out on the tables. Regardless of the purpose, the quality of the food was crucial at imperial noble gatherings. Even though it was a birthday party, if the food was subpar, Rainberg’s prestige would decline.
Fortunately, the chefs of the Quilz Castle were renowned for their culinary skills across the continent.
Ever since the chef, whom I thoroughly trained with special dishes from the southern island, came to Quilz Castle, my unfulfilled craving for exotic delicacies from my past life produced remarkable results. The dinner was adorned with rare dishes that couldn’t be found even in the imperial palace.
The powerful figures were surprisingly honest about the food.
I observed the people enjoying the dinner quietly. The ones drawing the most attention were the heirs of the Solgar family, the “Red Pillar.”
Rainberg’s children were quite young, as Father had children at an old age. In contrast, the Solgar Duke’s children were all adults, and the eldest son had reached the age of forty. I heard a rumor four years ago that they had a siblings fight over the inheritance, but it seemed things were now settled.
The Solgar family was no less prestigious than the Rainbergas in terms of tradition.
With a history spanning several centuries, their influence reached every corner of the empire, except for the Quilz territory. Though they subtly concealed it, their gaze was always on us, a form of restraint. It was understandable.
After all, Father, who was a mere commoner, ascended to the rank of duke, receiving the Quilz territory from the emperor. And the Quilz territory, in fact, once belonged to the Solgar family. The dense forest that thrived in the Quilz territory was the symbol of the Solgar family before.
As long as Father remained strong, they couldn’t openly reveal their ambitions.
Perhaps the old goat, the Solgar Duke, wanted to redeem the disgrace of his generation through his children. It was impossible, especially with my siblings present.
Poor fellows.
The Rainberg family was special.
Not only the Solgars, but the nobles of the empire were filled with a sense of elitism. Well, was it not natural? In this world, there was no revolution. Nobles were not considered wealthy because they had many possessions but because they possessed the strength to reach such a position, making them nobles.
Since a master-level knight could slaughter dozens of ordinary knights, a revolution was unlikely. So, Father was called a “hero” even more.
The small political stage, a fascinating, amusing, and disgusting place, was quite entertaining for the nobles.
My siblings were quieter than I expected. I thought they would jump up and slap anyone who glanced at the Solgar family’s children. Thinking about it, they had adapted to their current life, no matter how unconventional. If life were a sea, they would be the big waves. I had been a mere ripple until now.
“Hmm.”
Even in this gathering of powerful figures, the party’s proceedings were straightforward.
As the congratulations began, the servants presented the gifts. A valuable diamond from a mine for my siblings, a rare wolf’s skin obtained from a difficult hunt in the wilderness. I also had a gift, a modest one given the occasion of the duke’s heirs. When Ranista received a golden wolf’s skin, I received silk from the Sternil Kingdom.
Congratulations from respected individuals.
Blessings from the church.
It was tedious.
Once all the gift presentations were over, Father stood up.
His expression had been lively throughout the party.
I had a vague idea of what he was going to say.
And I was prepared.
“Ranista Quilz Rainbergas is known as the reincarnation of the God of War, achieving remarkable feats despite his young age. Everyone here is aware of that.”
Father praised and commended them, mentioning us, quadruplets. Although he expressed it as the reincarnation of a god, no one thought it was an exaggeration. Some seemed displeased, but most showed significant interest in the “Child of the Moon.” Father recounted of my siblings’ achievements as if they were professors who had studied a field for decades.
The strongest knights of the empire, Ranista.
The one loved by the Mana, Melissa.
And.
Needless to say, the one who attracted the most attention, the “Saint” Wooshas.
Everyone agreed.
The problem was Father’s final statement.
“Cantavia Quilz Rainberg!”
It was evident from his expression.
Father suppressed a laugh, his cheeks twitching slightly.
“It’s famous that he spent the last few years alone on the southern island.”
First, he revealed the flaw.
And then.
“But not many know that he has been diligently practicing.”
He masked it with a lie.
“At last, he has broken the egg of Karaxia.”
Hatching from an egg after crouching for hundreds of years, spreading its golden wings, and bringing good fortune to the world—the legend of the monstrous creature Karaxia. The expressions of everyone froze. Praising the useless youngest son of the Rainberg’s family didn’t make sense to them. Father didn’t care.
In the end, he said.
“Cantavia will succeed me, or rather, surpass me, to become the only heir to inherit the moon’s spirit as a Spirit User.”
