Sneaking around the hallway like a master thief, I pressed my back against the cold stone wall. Shadows stretched across the floor as the setting sun painted everything in warm orange. Footsteps echoed down the corridor—light, quick, and accompanied by hushed voices.
Maids.
I froze.
Like a professional, I dove behind the nearest cover. Which happened to be… a mannequin wearing a full suit of armor. Brilliant choice, really. If anyone saw me, they'd definitely believe a scrawny five-year-old was part of the decoration. Completely invisible. One with the armor. Perfect camouflage.
"…did you hear? Something strange's been happening over by the farmland," one maid whispered, her voice just loud enough to tickle my curiosity.
"Mm. People are going missing. The townsfolk are scared." another one
My ears perked. Missing people? Farm troubles? This had a plot hook written all over it. Exactly the kind of thing a protagonist like me should leap into headfirst.
Unfortunately… I'm five. Yeah, five years old. Prime hero material, right? Fear me, villains—I can barely tie my own shoes.
Since our district's called Greenfield, most of the land's just… well, fields. Farmland stretching as far as the eye can see. Which farmland were the maids talking about? That's half the district!
I stifled a sigh and shrugged to myself. "Well, whatever it is, it won't affect me. Not yet, anyway."
Once the maids passed, I crept out from behind the armor with all the dignity I could salvage. I dusted myself off. And that's when I spotted it—an old door cracked open at the end of the hall.
The library. Jackpot.
Most of the time, the library's locked tighter than a miser's coin purse. But whenever Father uses it, the doors stay open the whole day. And today was one of those days.
I slipped inside and eased the heavy door shut behind me with exaggerated care, like I was handling a priceless relic.
The library stretched out before me—towering shelves crammed with books and tomes, ladders leaned precariously against bookcases, specks of dust dancing in golden beams of evening light. Desks sat scattered around like an abandoned classroom.
Quiet. Almost too quiet.
Not that I was new here. Oh no. This wasn't my first break-in. I'd already snuck in at least three times before. The first time was pure curiosity: I'd seen Father heading in and thought, ooh, secret room, maybe hidden treasure. But nope. Just shelves of books. Still, something about this place drew me back.
I'd done some observing too. Turns out Father only visits the library on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, usually dragging his assistant along. They sit at a desk, muttering endlessly about laws, taxes, and noble duties. Important? Probably. Interesting? Absolutely not. Total snooze-fest.
Sometimes Mother shows up, but she just grabs a novel or two and vanishes again. No speeches, no paperwork. Efficient.
For me, though? The library was a treasure. I wasn't interested in politics, but history, magic, strange secrets—now that was worth sneaking for.
Just a few days ago, I learned that our town's name was Varnheart. Same as our family's surname. Which basically meant—yeah—we were kind of important. Apparently, two other families also shared control over Greenfield District, but I didn't know much about them yet. Probably the usual snooty, "we're better than you" types.
Today? Today I had a new mission.
I prowled through the shelves, fingertips grazing the spines of countless books, until something caught my eye. A shiny cover. Magical Items. Perfect.
I snatched it off the shelf, plopped down at a desk, and cracked it open with the eagerness of a treasure hunter.
…only to be met with disappointment.
The first pages were basically ads. Glossy illustrations. Bold fonts.
"Mega Sale! Buy two lamps, get one free!"
"Holiday Discounts: Only 1 Gold!"
I groaned, burying my face in my hands. "Wait. They had ads in medieval fantasy too? What's next, coupons clipped out of spellbooks?"
Still, my eyes lingered on the words. Only one gold.
Was that expensive? Cheap? A rip-off? A bargain? I had no idea.
you might be wondering how I even learned to read. Well, there was an entire arc of my life dedicated to it—my brother and mother drilled me for a whole year. Brutal, honestly, but necessary. If I'm going to live here, I need to be able to read and write.
I flipped through faster, skipping the medieval commercials. Finally—something useful.
"So these lamps… they've got Navratan stones inside. Stones that store mana, shine on their own, basically acting like batteries. No electricity in this world, but ta-da—magic lightbulbs."
I leaned back in my chair, lips curling into a smirk. "Heh. Idea. What if I start a business? Sell modern gadgets powered by Navratan stones? The riches, the influence, the funding for my glorious Overlord conquest… Yes, yes! Genius!"
I skimmed lower on the page.
'Navratan stones—discovered by the great sage Ravindra, 200 years ago.'
"Ravindra…?" I muttered. "That sounds… Indian. Wait. Don't tell me—did some guy from my world reincarnate here two centuries ago?"
The thought sent a thrill through me. If another Earthling had been here, what had he left behind? Knowledge? Technology? A legacy I could hijack for myself? I needed to know more. Absolutely.
That's when it happened.
A chill prickled down my spine. Like invisible eyes drilling into me. My instincts screamed danger. Slowly, carefully, I lifted my head.
The fading evening light stretched shadows long across the room. And in that glow stood a silhouette. Small. Familiar. Terrifying.
"…Lucian," a voice whispered. My blood froze.
Susan.
Her eyes narrowed, her voice dripping with sisterly wrath. "So. Here you are."
Panic. Cold sweat. Absolute doom.
"Uh, Sister! I-I was actually looking for you! Yes, that's right. I was going to your room to play, but, um, I… got lost and… accidentally came to the library."
Her brow twitched. "Excuses again! You promised to play with me after lunch! I waited in my room for hours!"
"I—uh—"
"No excuses!" she barked, stamping her foot like a tiny general. "You're playing with me the whole evening! And—" her eyes gleamed with cruel delight, "—we're playing dress-up too. I know how much you love dress-up."
My soul left my body.
"Noooo!" I slammed my forehead onto the desk in despair. "Anything but that! Don't take away my dignity!"
But it was too late. Susan grabbed my arm with an iron grip and began dragging me away. I flailed like a prisoner being marched to execution.