I woke up groggy and weak. Even turning my neck felt like a herculean task.
"He's awake!" someone shouted.
"Where am I?" I croaked.
"We're in a valley nestled within the Salora Mountains, my lord," someone answered in a gentle tone.
Salora. It was a large mountain range, bordering the Nanon kingdom. My mind finally began working. Why did I recognize that name when I'd never been to the Nanon kingdom?
No, I've been there and I've lived there, but that wasn't me; that was the previous owner of this body. So, this wasn't reincarnation in the traditional sense; instead of being reborn as a child, I had been shoved into the body of a dying man.
I didn't need anyone to tell me that the previous owner of this, now my, body almost died. The shocked faces of the people looking at me, as if I were a ghost, and how terrible I felt were proof enough. The next question I was about to ask vanished from my mind, as I suddenly emptied the contents of my stomach on the floor.
I spent the next few days lying down, trying to recall the life of the man whose body I now inhabited. Viscount Jack Nobara was a young man, twenty-five years old, a decade younger than me. He had a sharp and compassionate mind, traits he had to keep hidden, as his jackass of a father was almost a cartoon villain.
A lot of his memories were missing, and I was still too sick to sift through them. Memories of my own past life were also patchy, and seemed to be fading.
From what I could remember, it wasn't a great life anyway. I had been an intelligent but haughty man who had wasted his potential and burned many bridges. By the time I had gained some humility, it was too late to fix my life, probably. Maybe I could have turned my life around, but most likely I would've failed. So I didn't grieve too much at losing my past life and focused on what lay ahead.
Thanks to this new body's memories, I spoke the people's language, understood their customs and knew their history and geography. The 'realms' here were in a medieval era, with mounted knights as the pinnacle warriors, firearms not yet invented and by my guess, very high infant mortality rate. I could add a lot to this world, if I only could regain my health.
Surprisingly, I began recovering quite quickly, probably due to that asshole God's blessing. Within a week, I could feed myself and stand up on my own.
When I grew strong enough to walk by myself, I was invited to meet the Council of Elders, who led the Cha. Ignoring the people's pleas to lean on them, I gingerly walked out of my tent on my own, only to be blinded by bright sunshine. As my eyes adjusted, a beautiful vista of tall mountains and pristine forests unfolded before me. Looking around, I saw that we were in a valley, a few kilometers wide, and stretching as far as the eye could see.
Inside the Council's tent, the five Elders sat in a semicircle, looking somewhat apprehensive.
"My lord, words cannot express how grateful we are for your help. You risked your station and your own life for us. For that, you have the Cha people's eternal gratitude," the eldest amongst them said to me, as they bowed in unison.
"Please. No need for that. Any good person would have done the same," I replied, while trying to gauge their intentions. Now you can fuck off. Is that what you old-timers are implying?
"I seriously doubt that. Not everyone is as brave as you, my lord. May we ask why you went to such lengths to help us?"
I tried to recall the exact reason, but got no response. All I remembered was that it was very important to Jack that the Cha be helped.
"You were a people in need of help and I was in a position to help. There might have been a specific reason, but my memory is quite hazy right now." I replied.
"We will pray to God for your speedy recovery. Whatever the reason, we are immensely grateful for your sacrifice."
Sacrifice? Right; Jack's father must've disowned him.
"My lord, as you know, our people were forbidden from joining the military. We were reminded of our vulnerability when we were attacked by some brigands this side of the Bog. You are the only man with any proper military training in this valley, and we would like you to train our youngsters. After you have fully recovered, of course."
I considered their proposal, taking my time. I had to establish a position here, as Jack's father definitely wouldn't be taking him back, but I also couldn't appear too desperate or eager.
A jittery Elder spoke up. "My lord, we were just discussing your remarkable recovery. You were at death's door for days, yet you somehow recovered in less than a week! Many people are calling it a miracle."
This could work in my favor.
"Would you believe me if I said I was blessed with health and knowledge?"
I let the question hang in the air. It seemed like the best way to explain away any advanced knowledge I would reveal, if only they would believe me.
"Blessed? By whom?" He asked with trepidation.
"Who knows. God, perhaps? A reward for good deeds or something. We are a small community now, we could use all the help we can get, right? My new knowledge would be very useful." I held their gazes, one by one.
An Elder came forward. I noticed he was the youngest of the group, barely into his fifties.
"My lord, would you consider becoming our leader?" he asked, with hope in his eyes.
"Ericsson!" A much older man hissed angrily at him.
"He risked his life for us, despite his noble station! He has experience leading both soldiers and civilians. Do we have anyone more qualified?"
"He is not one of us!" The old man spat the words out like venom.
"Given his actions, I can ignore that. Who has done more for us than him?"
"I wouldn't mind following him." The voice, younger and deeper, came from the tent's entrance. I turned to see a man in his thirties, broad-shouldered, and wrapped in bandages. I recalled that he was the leader of their hunters, the only men among the Cha who had any experience in wielding weapons.
"Lothar, you have no say in this matter!"
"Honored Elders, you were discussing our safety," Lothar countered, his tone respectful but unwavering. "While I defer to your wisdom in most matters, none of you have any experience with military affairs. Lord Jack does, and he used it to help us escape. He almost died helping us."
That shut the council up.
The question of whether I should become their leader didn't even come to my mind. I could do so much as a leader, with all the ideas and knowledge in my head. All I needed was the Council's support.
"I promise not to be a tyrant, since I have no army to enforce tyranny anyway." I reflexively tried to lift the mood, but quickly reigned myself in, as this was a serious matter.
"Look, you need a different organizational structure now that you've stepped onto the bigger stage."
There was nothing but confusion on their faces.
"You are no longer subjects of any nation, protected by their military. You are a stateless people, ripe for subjugation or even enslavement by anyone who can. Sovereign nations exist in a state of anarchy, where might makes right, and you are quite short on might. I can help you with that, but I will not take such responsibility lightly. It must be backed by authority. Not just yours, but mine."
I never bought into the platitude that 'anyone who wants power is unfit to have it'. Power is a tool, nothing more. A dangerous and very addictive one, disastrous in the hands of idiots, but a tool nonetheless. What matters is what its wielder intends to do with it. I knew what I wanted to do; run Civilization in real life. Explore the world, expand my nation, exploit natural resources to enrich us and exterminate any threats to our well-being.
"Elders, declare me your leader, and I promise you a very capable military within a year, and more. We will create a cradle for our new nation so strong that none shall dare attack us. Those who are foolish enough to do so will shatter against our shields. I will also not take any major decision regarding the fate of our people without consulting with the Council first."
They still looked unconvinced.
"If you are worried about me setting up a dynasty that rules over you, you need not worry. We will form a... republic, with power shared between me and the Council. I will take over only in times of war. The next leader after me will be chosen by the people and the Council. I will be your first, and only, Supreme Leader."
The angry Elder was still opposed to the idea, and I saw it on his face when he decided to threaten me to get his way.
"Don't think you can force me into teaching, Elder," I warned, my voice low and steady.
"Training a competent military force requires a free mind. A shackled one will give you knowledge that's flawed, or riddled with failure points, and you wouldn't know any better if I did it."
My words landed like a punch. The two undecided Elders exchanged glances. Seeing how one Elder and the leader of their warriors were backing me, with another one eager to join in, they seemed to have a change of heart, but still didn't vocally support me.
"How about a trial period?" I suggested. "Make me an acting Supreme Leader, and if you are not satisfied within, say... three months, we can revisit the arrangement."
That should be enough time for me to develop some weapons to impress them, and for the soldiers to grow closer to me.
The undecided Elders assented to that proposal. The crotchety one was still against it, but he was voted out and I was made the new leader of the Cha people.
The same day I declared the founding of our new nation, the Republic of Chadom, and was proclaimed its "acting" Supreme Leader.
While I smiled and waved to the jubilant crowd, I was busy castigating my mind inside.
Did I just get myself declared Supreme Leader? Why couldn't I think of a better title? Good going, you stupid brain. Are you going to implement a cult of personality next? Make sure everyone has a picture of me in their non-existent homes and have the same silly haircut? Now I'll be thinking of Kim Jong Un every time someone addresses me.
Thankfully the ceremony was short, and I got too busy to ruminate on my mind's treachery. There was a lot of work to be done.
I woke up groggy and weak. Even turning my neck felt like a herculean task.
"He's awake!" someone shouted.
"Where am I?" I croaked.
"We're in a valley nestled within the Salora Mountains, my lord," someone answered in a gentle tone.
Salora. It was a large mountain range, bordering the Nanon kingdom. My mind finally began working. Why did I recognize that name when I'd never been to the Nanon kingdom?
No, I've been there and I've lived there, but that wasn't me; that was the previous owner of this body. So, this wasn't reincarnation in the traditional sense; instead of being reborn as a child, I had been shoved into the body of a dying man.
I didn't need anyone to tell me that the previous owner of this, now my, body almost died. The shocked faces of the people looking at me, as if I were a ghost, and how terrible I felt were proof enough. The next question I was about to ask vanished from my mind, as I suddenly emptied the contents of my stomach on the floor.
I spent the next few days lying down, trying to recall the life of the man whose body I now inhabited. Viscount Jack Nobara was a young man, twenty-five years old, a decade younger than me. He had a sharp and compassionate mind, traits he had to keep hidden, as his jackass of a father was almost a cartoon villain.
A lot of his memories were missing, and I was still too sick to sift through them. Memories of my own past life were also patchy, and seemed to be fading.
From what I could remember, it wasn't a great life anyway. I had been an intelligent but haughty man who had wasted his potential and burned many bridges. By the time I had gained some humility, it was too late to fix my life, probably. Maybe I could have turned my life around, but most likely I would've failed. So I didn't grieve too much at losing my past life and focused on what lay ahead.
Thanks to this new body's memories, I spoke the people's language, understood their customs and knew their history and geography. The 'realms' here were in a medieval era, with mounted knights as the pinnacle warriors, firearms not yet invented and by my guess, very high infant mortality rate. I could add a lot to this world, if I only could regain my health.
Surprisingly, I began recovering quite quickly, probably due to that asshole God's blessing. Within a week, I could feed myself and stand up on my own.
When I grew strong enough to walk by myself, I was invited to meet the Council of Elders, who led the Cha. Ignoring the people's pleas to lean on them, I gingerly walked out of my tent on my own, only to be blinded by bright sunshine. As my eyes adjusted, a beautiful vista of tall mountains and pristine forests unfolded before me. Looking around, I saw that we were in a valley, a few kilometers wide, and stretching as far as the eye could see.
Inside the Council's tent, the five Elders sat in a semicircle, looking somewhat apprehensive.
"My lord, words cannot express how grateful we are for your help. You risked your station and your own life for us. For that, you have the Cha people's eternal gratitude," the eldest amongst them said to me, as they bowed in unison.
"Please. No need for that. Any good person would have done the same," I replied, while trying to gauge their intentions. Now you can fuck off. Is that what you old-timers are implying?
"I seriously doubt that. Not everyone is as brave as you, my lord. May we ask why you went to such lengths to help us?"
I tried to recall the exact reason, but got no response. All I remembered was that it was very important to Jack that the Cha be helped.
"You were a people in need of help and I was in a position to help. There might have been a specific reason, but my memory is quite hazy right now." I replied.
"We will pray to God for your speedy recovery. Whatever the reason, we are immensely grateful for your sacrifice."
Sacrifice? Right; Jack's father must've disowned him.
"My lord, as you know, our people were forbidden from joining the military. We were reminded of our vulnerability when we were attacked by some brigands this side of the Bog. You are the only man with any proper military training in this valley, and we would like you to train our youngsters. After you have fully recovered, of course."
I considered their proposal, taking my time. I had to establish a position here, as Jack's father definitely wouldn't be taking him back, but I also couldn't appear too desperate or eager.
A jittery Elder spoke up. "My lord, we were just discussing your remarkable recovery. You were at death's door for days, yet you somehow recovered in less than a week! Many people are calling it a miracle."
This could work in my favor.
"Would you believe me if I said I was blessed with health and knowledge?"
I let the question hang in the air. It seemed like the best way to explain away any advanced knowledge I would reveal, if only they would believe me.
"Blessed? By whom?" He asked with trepidation.
"Who knows. God, perhaps? A reward for good deeds or something. We are a small community now, we could use all the help we can get, right? My new knowledge would be very useful." I held their gazes, one by one.
An Elder came forward. I noticed he was the youngest of the group, barely into his fifties.
"My lord, would you consider becoming our leader?" he asked, with hope in his eyes.
"Ericsson!" A much older man hissed angrily at him.
"He risked his life for us, despite his noble station! He has experience leading both soldiers and civilians. Do we have anyone more qualified?"
"He is not one of us!" The old man spat the words out like venom.
"Given his actions, I can ignore that. Who has done more for us than him?"
"I wouldn't mind following him." The voice, younger and deeper, came from the tent's entrance. I turned to see a man in his thirties, broad-shouldered, and wrapped in bandages. I recalled that he was the leader of their hunters, the only men among the Cha who had any experience in wielding weapons.
"Lothar, you have no say in this matter!"
"Honored Elders, you were discussing our safety," Lothar countered, his tone respectful but unwavering. "While I defer to your wisdom in most matters, none of you have any experience with military affairs. Lord Jack does, and he used it to help us escape. He almost died helping us."
That shut the council up.
The question of whether I should become their leader didn't even come to my mind. I could do so much as a leader, with all the ideas and knowledge in my head. All I needed was the Council's support.
"I promise not to be a tyrant, since I have no army to enforce tyranny anyway." I reflexively tried to lift the mood, but quickly reigned myself in, as this was a serious matter.
"Look, you need a different organizational structure now that you've stepped onto the bigger stage."
There was nothing but confusion on their faces.
"You are no longer subjects of any nation, protected by their military. You are a stateless people, ripe for subjugation or even enslavement by anyone who can. Sovereign nations exist in a state of anarchy, where might makes right, and you are quite short on might. I can help you with that, but I will not take such responsibility lightly. It must be backed by authority. Not just yours, but mine."
I never bought into the platitude that 'anyone who wants power is unfit to have it'. Power is a tool, nothing more. A dangerous and very addictive one, disastrous in the hands of idiots, but a tool nonetheless. What matters is what its wielder intends to do with it. I knew what I wanted to do; run Civilization in real life. Explore the world, expand my nation, exploit natural resources to enrich us and exterminate any threats to our well-being.
"Elders, declare me your leader, and I promise you a very capable military within a year, and more. We will create a cradle for our new nation so strong that none shall dare attack us. Those who are foolish enough to do so will shatter against our shields. I will also not take any major decision regarding the fate of our people without consulting with the Council first."
They still looked unconvinced.
"If you are worried about me setting up a dynasty that rules over you, you need not worry. We will form a... republic, with power shared between me and the Council. I will take over only in times of war. The next leader after me will be chosen by the people and the Council. I will be your first, and only, Supreme Leader."
The angry Elder was still opposed to the idea, and I saw it on his face when he decided to threaten me to get his way.
"Don't think you can force me into teaching, Elder," I warned, my voice low and steady.
"Training a competent military force requires a free mind. A shackled one will give you knowledge that's flawed, or riddled with failure points, and you wouldn't know any better if I did it."
My words landed like a punch. The two undecided Elders exchanged glances. Seeing how one Elder and the leader of their warriors were backing me, with another one eager to join in, they seemed to have a change of heart, but still didn't vocally support me.
"How about a trial period?" I suggested. "Make me an acting Supreme Leader, and if you are not satisfied within, say... three months, we can revisit the arrangement."
That should be enough time for me to develop some weapons to impress them, and for the soldiers to grow closer to me.
The undecided Elders assented to that proposal. The crotchety one was still against it, but he was voted out and I was made the new leader of the Cha people.
The same day I declared the founding of our new nation, the Republic of Chadom, and was proclaimed its "acting" Supreme Leader.
While I smiled and waved to the jubilant crowd, I was busy castigating my mind inside.
Did I just get myself declared Supreme Leader? Why couldn't I think of a better title? Good going, you stupid brain. Are you going to implement a cult of personality next? Make sure everyone has a picture of me in their non-existent homes and have the same silly haircut? Now I'll be thinking of Kim Jong Un every time someone addresses me.
Thankfully the ceremony was short, and I got too busy to ruminate on my mind's treachery. There was a lot of work to be done.
---
"Did you hear the news about Amlain?" Reshma asked Laira.
"Yeah." Laira let out a long sigh. "Another realm swallowed by the monster named Zoran."
"Only Sindhu and Nogal stand between us and them now, and Nogal hardly counts as a united realm. What is our plan?"
"Father is working on expanding the Royal Army, but he's facing some roadblocks. He's also considering an alliance."
"With Sindhu." Reshma finished. "Will that be enough though? Sindhu has a lot more people than us, but…" She let the rest trail off.
"But Zoran has far more. They can defeat Sindhu at their own game." Laira gave a short, hollow laugh. "Sindhu's human wave tactics are not going to work this time."
"Bloody idiots!" Reshma spat. "Neither of them care one whit about their own people. If Zoran takes Sindhu or Nogal, we are next, and there will be nowhere to run! What are we going to do?" She asked the princess, her voice tight with frustration.
"Accumulate power. We can't match them in numbers, so we'll have to find another way." Laira chuckled at the reversal of their roles; usually it was the happy-go-lucky Reshma comforting her, but she understood that Reshma was scared for her homeland. She met her confidantes gaze, rose on her tiptoes and kissed her lightly. "Don't worry Reshu, we'll find a way."