Chapter 2: Second Son of the Margrave

And so, I started a new life. The house I was born into is the Fairchild family, which has been appointed as a Margrave in the Kingdom of Albion, a country possessing a long history on the continent. The second son of that family, William, was my new name.

I recalled my previous life on my sixth birthday. I was surprised because memories of my past life suddenly flowed in when I woke up in the morning. I remembered that God had foretold that my memories would return after I had grown up a little, but being surprised is just natural. And when I looked at my hands, they were small, and when I stood up, I was short; I truly realized, “Ah, I have reincarnated.”

My new parents were good people. My father, Theodore, is said to be a great lord skilled in both literary and military arts, and he cherishes his family. He has blonde hair and blue eyes, with an appearance just like a noble out of a painting. My mother, Mary, is a kind and beautiful person overflowing with affection.

My hair being silver seems to be inherited from my mother. They say my face resembles my father’s, but perhaps because I eat a lot of delicious food, I am the only one whose body shape has become chubby.

Since my memories returned, I wanted to read books to learn about this world, so I asked my parents. “Father, Mother, if possible, I would like to read books in the library.”

“Oh, you want to read books already even though you are only six? Will is admirable.” “My, my, Will is eager to study, isn’t he?” Will is my nickname. I heard that in the West in my previous life, there were nicknames for every name, and this world seems similar to that.

It seems there is confidential information in the library of the Margrave‘s mansion, and there is a guard in front of it. But when I toddled over, he said, “I have heard the story,” and unlocked the door for me. I am saved by the fact that I learned the language of this world before I had my memories.

While reading books every day, I came to understand various things. Science is not developed in this world, but magic is widespread, and monsters exist. In the library, there were also heroic tales of knights and magicians cooperating to defeat mighty monsters, and I thought, “Ah, it really is a World of Swords and Magic just like God said.”

When I read geography books, I learned that our Fairchild Margrave family possesses territory adjacent to the Great West Forest where monsters appear, and is a distinguished noble family bearing the responsibility of the Kingdom of Albion‘s western defense.

There haven’t been any major wars recently, but it seems ancestors achieved heavy merits in past wars to gain the peerage. According to history books, the reason our house is allowed to possess its own knight order to prepare for monsters is that successive heads of the family gained the trust of the royal family.

Yup, I was relieved that the future looks secure. Reading the memorandum of my grandfather, the late previous head of the family, it seems there are those among the nobles in the Royal Capital who backbite us as country nobles, but high-ranking nobles seem to treat us with respect.

It is the custom of the Fairchild family to eat breakfast and dinner with the whole family gathered as much as possible. When the meal is ready, a maid comes to call me, and I head to the dining room. Even in the frontier, as befitting a distinguished noble, a fresco is painted on the ceiling of the dining room, and glittering silver tableware is lined up on the long, narrow table.

In the morning, when I sit at my seat, I greet the beautiful blonde, blue-eyed boy sitting opposite me. “Good morning, Brother Eddie.” “Good morning, Will. It’s nice weather today too, isn’t it?”

The one who answered with a smile is my brother Edward, who turns ten this year. He is excellent and has a good personality, and it is said the Fairchild family’s future is secure. I feel like our faces are similar, but unlike me who is chubby, my brother is slim.

A little later, a girl sat down next to me looking happy. “Good morning, Big Brother.” “Good morning, Sophie.” This angel with blonde hair and blue eyes is my younger sister Sophia. Her nickname is Sophie. She is four years old, two years younger than me, and perhaps because our ages are close, she is very attached to me.

Being a distinguished noble family protecting the west of the Kingdom feels a bit different from a carefree life in the countryside, but I thank God for blessing me with a good family.