The Dreamer's Fall

Chapter 3 - To War

Thirteen years later...

As the morning sun's gentle light entered his room to mark the beginning of a new day, Ethan's sleeping body unconsciously rolled over to avoid it. Unfortunately, as he turned, the sensation of his damp clothing clinging to his skin made any attempt at more sleep futile. And once his eyelids begrudgingly parted, his empty gaze fell upon the empty chamber pot in the corner of the dimly lit room.

"I can't do this anymore..." He bemoaned as he wiped away the beads of sweat trailing down his forehead.

He rolled over onto his back while his blank expression distorted into one of angry desperation as if pleading his case to no one in particular.

"How the hell do these people live like this?!" He whined in a hushed tone so as to not alert the servants.

"I miss my A/C. I miss having a normal fucking toilet. I miss..." He continued spewing his list of complaints that had been building up since he was reborn into this new world. He had done his best to appear like an average child for the past thirteen years, but constantly wearing that mask had taken a toll on him.

The world Ethan now found himself in was called Nithe, and its level of technology was similar to Europe in its high-medieval period. His name in this world was Arthur Revan, the firstborn son of Marquis Edward Revan, a vassal of the mighty Ollerin Empire.

Unfortunately, it was hot and humid all year round in his father's territory, and during the summer months, he felt like he was living in the bounds of a never-ending sauna.

He hated the heat. He used to believe that his body ran hot, but clearly, it was a psychological issue, considering he now had a brand new body and still despised the heat with all his heart.

Once his futile rant ended, Arthur found his throat parched and motioned his hand toward a glass of water sitting atop an end table. The glass lifted into the air in a jittery manner, spilling some water as it magically levitated into his hand.

"Heh, barely spilled any today." He said smugly as his disgruntled expression disappeared as though it were a lie.

After chugging its contents, he practiced levitating the glass until a sudden knock resounded from the bedroom door. The noise startled him momentarily, causing him to lose focus. In response, the glass fell atop his lap as if the magical strings suspending it were suddenly cut.

"C-come in!" Arthur shouted back.

The door opened, revealing the kind-eyed lady he had met on the day of his rebirth. Her name was Senna Crost, and she had initially served as a maid to Arthur's mother, but after she died giving birth to Arthur, Senna began to serve as his personal maid.

She wore her usual attire: a sleeveless, knee-length white dress that loosened up at the hips. It certainly wasn't the most practical garb for a maid's work, but it was tied to Ollerin traditions, displaying her purity or some other nonsense.

She was now in her late twenties, possibly early thirties, but he had sense enough not to ask a woman her age, so he could only guess.

"Good morning, young master." Senna said with a warm smile as she entered the bedroom and placed a small washbasin on the vanity across from his bed. "Breakfast will be ready in an hour. Should I bring it to the study?"

"Yes, please. Thank you, Senna." He replied cheerfully in a manner befitting a thirteen-year-old.

On a typical day, that would be the end of their morning interaction, yet Senna stood rooted in place today. She opened her mouth but hesitated to speak.

Arthur shot her an inquisitive glance. "Is there something else?"

"...Lord Revan has asked you to come to his office after dinner tonight." Senna replied with a concerned voice.