"No!! Stop!!!"
The sudden scream stunned both Yiren and Magnus. They stood frozen like statues for a few seconds, completely unable to process what had just happened.
"Huh?" Yiren raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"Is it normal for babies to talk at this age?"
Magnus snapped out of his trance and shook his head, equally baffled. "Maybe kids these days are evolving?"
Both of them turned their gaze toward the infant lying on the diaper-changing machine. Just then, Yiren leaned forward with a mischievous glint in his eye.
"So... who do you like more, me or him?"
At first, Magnus and Gardiyan thought Yiren was joking, but the genuine anticipation in his eyes said otherwise.
They both sighed in unison and decided to ignore the question. Magnus took a step closer and addressed the baby seriously.
"Since when have you been able to speak? Oh, and don't even try to lie. Yiren can detect it instantly."
Yiren appeared uninterested, merely listening as if to pass the time. But the mention of his name snapped him back into the moment.
"I'd forgotten about that, but thanks for the reminder," Yiren said, waving his hand lazily. "Reading minds is annoying—it gives me headaches."
Gardiyan realized there was no use in pretending, so he answered calmly,
"Since yesterday."
His words came out slightly slurred, given his infant tongue, but they were understandable.
"What?! That's insane!" Magnus exclaimed. "My niece said her first word at one and started speaking at two..You are only half a year old! How is this possible?"
"You have a niece?" Yiren asked, surprised.
"Yeah. She died along with my brother... a long time ago."
Gardiyan listened in silence, unimpressed by their sentimental chatter.
"Do you know my name?" Yiren asked.
"Yiren," Gardiyan answered without hesitation. There was no point in pretending.
Yiren tilted his head and swayed slightly, a puzzled expression on his face.
"That's odd... No one mentioned my name around you. How do you know it?"
He ended his sentence with a cold stare directed at Gardiyan.
That look froze Gardiyan's breath for a few seconds. Composing himself, he responded quietly,
"My... my parents. They mentioned you when they said you'd be taking care of me."
Did that sound unnatural when I said 'my parents'?
"Yes. It did," Yiren replied instantly.
For a moment, Gardiyan thought he'd spoken out loud—until he remembered: his thoughts were being read. That smirk on Yiren's face confirmed it.
Gardiyan's eyes drifted toward the sword now pointed at his neck. He swallowed hard.
It was time to tell them the truth.
*****
"So... you're from another world?" Magnus whispered, though his voice was clear enough for all to hear.
Gardiyan gave a small nod.
"You just woke up one day and found yourself here?" Magnus asked.
Gardiyan closed his eyes for a moment, choosing his words carefully. He told them part of the truth—but withheld many details. He didn't mention that this world was a novel, nor that they were merely side characters. Most importantly, he didn't reveal that he had once been an assassin.
Still, it was enough to satisfy their curiosity.
Yiren sighed, brushing aside a strand of hair that had fallen over his eye, only for it to fall right back.
"How old were you in your original body?"
"Twenty-four. And you two?"
There had never been a clear mention of character ages in the novel, something Gardiyan always found frustrating.
Yiren was about to reply, but Magnus cut in,
"We're both twenty-six. Same as your father."
He looked at Gardiyan with an apologetic expression. "Sorry about the sword."
"It's fine," Gardiyan said, hiding his relief that nothing worse had happened.
Yiren placed one hand on his hip and the other lazily scratched his neck.
"I don't think I'll ever get used to hearing such mature speech from someone the size of my palm."
Then, with a flick of his fingers, Yiren made Gardiyan float into the air. In the next moment, the baby's body stretched and reshaped, transforming into a child around five years old.
Both Magnus and Gardiyan stared in shock, mouths agape.
"You could do that the whole time?!" they yelled in unison.
Yiren paused, genuinely trying to remember, then shrugged,
"Ah. Sorry. I forgot. I can do thousands of things. You can't expect me to remember all of them."
Both men sighed, visibly frustrated.
Gardiyan jumped down from the machine and immediately began inspecting his new teeth.
"At least I have teeth now. I can eat. No more diapers. No more of that cursed device."
Magnus deflated like a popped balloon, realizing his invention was now obsolete. Meanwhile, the word 'cursed' echoed in his mind like a cruel joke.
Yiren burst into laughter—genuine, teary-eyed laughter.
"Ah! I like you, kid!" he said, wiping his eyes. Gardiyan didn't know what was so funny, nor did he care.
"Are you laughing because he called my beloved invention cursed?" Magnus asked with a glare.
Yiren continued laughing.
Gardiyan sighed for what felt like the hundredth time and began walking to get used to his new body. It felt surprisingly natural, as if he'd walked in it his whole life.
Taking this chance, he looked up and said the most important thing from his old world
"I want a gun. And a dagger."