CAN I MAKE A GOOD COUNTRY IN THIS REINCARNATION? -3-

 

-3-

I felt something on my face.

Something cold.

It woke me up, shuddered.

Dream?

Exposed corruption deeds. Death.

Was it all a dream?

I let out a sigh.

What a realistic pain, I thought. Feeling all the sweat on my body.

Then I started to feel the abnormality.

Something was covering my face.

Did I cover my face with some cloth before I slept? Possible. I usually do it to cover my eyes from lights when I had my day nap after an all-nighter.

But when I touched it, I found out that it was a long white hair.

“Hah?” I heard a voice, not of my own.

I raised instantly

I was in an unknown room.

The atmosphere felt like an indigenous style luxury hotel in the northern provinces.

I was sleeping on a futon, laid on the floor, surrounded by poled mosquito net. The building was constructed by timber.

A girl sat by my side.

Black hair, honeyed skin, wearing a pair of culottes and a piece of breast wrap, a get up that is in between sexy cloth and indigenous cloth.

However, the thing that caught my eyes was not her slim waist, but the horn protruding from her scalp, a goatlike horn.

She was holding a wetted cloth that was wiping my face.

What?

Cosplay?

Was I in a party? Did I drink myself to sleep?

Am I still dreaming?

Dream in a dream?

When I pulled on the white hair, I felt pain.

The outside was either early morning or evening, some light still remains in the sky.

I saw a mirror placed near the window, so I crawled there.

The mirror reflected a fine young girl. Flat chest. Maybe still in middle school? The hair was white like an old person, no, it was silver.

She wore a long sleeve cotton shirt and a loose pants.

I raised my hand; the silvered hair girl did the same.

I moved my fingers, and the reflection follow.

I smiled, the girl in the mirror returned with a shining smile.

What is this? That girl is me?

When I moved my hand down to touch around, my tool was there.

What? Not a girl? But a boy?

A cute boy like those boy bands?

Snow white skin, with facial feature just like those half-Russian half-Asian children I saw online. With silver hair and amber eyes.

Then I remembered the other girl in the room, who was wiping my face.

She sat quietly on the wooden floor.

She gazed at me in silence, unintended to give any explanation.

I stared at the goat horn that looked like it was protruding from her cranium more than just decorative.

Wake up the find myself become a silvered hair girl, with a horned girl by my side.

What is the meaning of this? Am I in a confusion state? Or is this heaven?

I heard people says that the body in heaven will be different form the one on earth.

But it is unlikely, people like me would not be able to enter any heaven.

Is this hell? The goat girl is a demon? I had seen painting of goat demons, but my mentor told me it was just influence from pagan god, Pan.

Real demon should not have goat horn was it not?

Ooh, what is this?

Amidst my confusion, another girl appeared.

She entered the room in a hurry, maybe due to all the noise I made.

A girl with fox like ear, orange hair, donning a cotton cloth and some kind of red skirt liked pants; A mixture of Chinese, Japanese, and northerner clothing.

Her eyes were brown. A beautiful face. With a voluptuous body. Due to her orange hair, I felt see looked like European.

So, more animal-eared people.

The other side seem as surprise as I am.

“Umm” I try to speak with my boyish voice. Oblivious of how I should make a greeting.

The fox eared girl gave the order to the goat horned girl. She acknowledged it and left the room.

I think she went out to call for other people, because soon, people start pouring in.

The newcomer are all guys. They all have dog like ear. They start gathering around me.

Everyone wore either cotton or silk. Some donned a sword; an antient style scabbard sword. The one in the front is a middle-aged man with brown canine ear. He wore a shiny silk cloth. He has a long brown hair with some turning white, giving him a look of wizard from fairy tale.

I looked at the dozens of people around my futon, feeling confused by what is happening.

It seems like everyone here has animal ear, only miss goat that I met first has horn instead.

I touch my ear to find out that I has a normal human ear.

“You…no, my lord?” the important looking in the front said. “You do not remember me, do you?”

He did not speak my language, but I somehow understand his question.

I can speak various language, but this is different, it feels like the words was translated and deliver to me directly.

“Do you remember me?” he repeated.

Of course, I don not know him, but through my experience, I will not give my answer until I understand the situation.

I do not know if the owner of this body knows him. Does he expected to be remembered or not.

Should I answer honestly? Should I lie?

Due to the lack of information, I do not know how to answer.

So, I shook my head, hoping that it means no.

“I do not know how to explain this, frankly, I cannot remember you”

When I said it, the dog-eared person seem flustered, a positive kind. So, I decided to add.

“Just to put it up front; I am not this boy”

I expected everyone will be confused, but they all seem relieved.

“That is what we expected” the dog eared nodded, satisfied.

“Hmm?”

“I am Duke Silver Fang” he put his hand on his chest, introducing himself.

I do not know if the “Silver Fang” is his name or his post.

The “Duke” was actually in another language but was translated to my understanding.

These kind of vocabulary give the impression of middle age feudal system.

But what king of feudalism; Europeans, Chinese, Japanese, or Thai?

If it is Thai feudalism, then they will call each other by the post.

For example, the birth name might be “Hon”, but when received the post of “Duke Treasury”, the name becomes “Duke Treasury-Hon”

If it is European, then they will call by the territory name, like, Duke of Normandy.

“Duke Silver Fang is the name or the post?” I decided to ask.

“It is a post, my lord” he answers. “Five-thousand-acre fiefdom”

Seem like a land-based fiefdom, more similar to Asian feudalism than European ones.

Thai fiefdom usually does not have real land area, just the indication if one is placed higher on the pecking order. I wonder if they have real land here.

“What is your name, and where are you from, my lord?” This time the other side asked.

“I am Navin, I came from Krung Thep (Angel City)” due to confusion. I answered without thinking.

It startled them, and they start whispering.

“Pardon us, my lord, but Lord Protector seem to be skeptic about your claim” Duke Silver Fang who is older and gentler explained.

Lord Protector, seem like the dog-eared man in his early twenties. Handsome, greyish hair, greyish-blue eyes, staring intensely, giving of a feeling of a wolf.

“Are you truly not of our world, my lord?” Lord Protector asked.

“It seems so” I answered. “I do not understand it either. Suddenly I am here…”

“That is due to our summoning ritual” Duke Silver Fang explained. “We thank you for answering our plea”

“Summoning?”

He nodded.

“Actually, our land is currently in crisis, that is why we performed the summoning ritual to plea for help from you.”

“Hmm?”

I start to follow the story, but still do not want to accept my own conclusion.

Let us say there really is “soul”.

Hypothetically, maybe my soul left my body when I was dying and was called into this world by the ritual.

I have read many fantasy novels about reincarnating in another world and have heard of this kind of popular prime time show, they all sound delusional back then, but in this situation those delusion seem reasonable to explain this situation.

Ahhh…so, I became a protagonist in those cheesy cliché reincarnations in fantasy world stories?

“Says, what is the crisis you talked about? Some king of Demon king?” I inquire sarcastically.

“Demon King?” He asked, confused by my question.

Just so you know, I am not suitable to be fighting in the front lines. I learned to use firearms but had never shoot at anything other than the paper targets.

I also have no knowledge in any HEMA-Historical European Martial Arts like those youtubers out there.

Though I learned fencing from my mentor, but it is just on the level of exercising with the old man. The fencing and archery club I attended during my graduate degree aboard is also just for soliciting and making connections, nowhere near the requirements for defeating any Demon King.

I did not say all that out loud. It is better to not show my hand to keep my value in their eyes, so I could use it in negotiation later, but if a request to go out and fight something really come up, then I will say bye-bye right there.

However, the reason they summon me is….

“Our grand-duke is gravely ill.” Duke Silver Fang replied.

Ill?

I looked around.

I see.

Not warriors, but doctors.

“What is the grand-duke fiefdom?” I asked.

“The grand-duke held no fiefdom; the sovereign distribute fiefdom to nobilities.

“Ahh…”

“Because our sovereign is gravely ill” he said. “We cannot heal him ourselves, that is why we used the secret ritual passed down through the royal tutor’s fox sage clan that was used to summon heroes to rescue our land in crisis.”

I nodded.

Okay…I understand most of the situation. Their ruler is dying, so they tried to call for some magic man to help them out, do they not?

I recapped the situation in my mind and looked around at the dog-eared hopeful gaze.

Umm.

What would you do in this situation?

Would you sincerely helping them out will all you have?

If you ask me, I honestly do not want to get involve at all.

Firstly, I am no doctor. I do not even know if these animal-eared has the same anatomy with the great ape that is homo sapiens.

The said ritual might as well call for any random soul, or else, I should summon some kind of doctor instead.

Secondly, I smelled something from these dog-eared, a smell I used to, the smell of politicians. I was just killed from involving myself in politics. I do not want to be near any of these people no more.

However, their pleading eyes hinted that denial will not end well.

Especially, the gaze from the fox-eared girl. Why does she have to gaze at me with such discontent, like a combination of suspicion and anticipating in my answer.

Anyway, let analyses my course of action; what might happen if I deny their request?

Let says if I tell them; I am sorry, I am not interest, let me be on my way.

How am I going to secure my livelihood? Where to eat? Job?

Are they going to exorcise me from this body? If so, what will happen to me? I will not be return to my life before for sure. Maybe going straight to real hell this time.

Cannot conclude. Too few data. Cannot make reasonable decision yet.

The best course of action now should be playing along, gather more information, and find some way out later.

Decided. Will run away.

“Understood.” I spoke. “I will see the grand-duke condition”

Duke silver fang smiled.

“Really? You will help us out a lot.” He said. “But it is very late now, the audience will have to wait.”

I looked outside. Recognizing the setting sun. So, it is evening.

“Very well, we will travel at daybreak…For tonight, Sho will see to your need.” Duke Silver Fang ordered, introducing the orange haired fox girl as Sho.

“Yes!...but…” she tried to protest, but cut off immediately.

“Please take care, do not disgrace your family.”

“Yes…” The girl accepted sheepishly.

The scene where the boss shoves all responsibilities to their underling replayed right before my eyes. It all the same everywhere, no, every world, huh?

“I will take my leave.” He announced, then turn to whisper something to the fox girl before leading the crowd out.

The wolfish Lord Protector sent a suspicious gaze in my direction before leaving with the rest.

In the end, only the fox girl and I remained.

I sent her a forced smile.

Clearly, she does not trust me. It seems like Sho despise my face.

In fact, I admired her quite a lot.

Because her sense is correct, I does not intend to help the grand-duke, not even one bit.