Year 193 of the Hoplian calendar, Mia Hart (7 years old).
An almost imperceptible change in the wind jolted Mia awake from her typically light sleep, as she always cast wind magic passively even while sleeping these days. While her magic was weak in terms of offense, its nature made it quite suitable for scouting-related purposes such as what was apparently happening tonight. Her [Detection lvl. 3] spell had notified her that another human presence was approaching the nearby vicinity.
Mia took a quick look outside her window. There were no clocks in this world, so she wasn't sure of the exact time, but the faint light trickling in from the moonlit night informed her that it must have been close to twilight.
An unknown figure was skulking around in the corridor outside her bedroom in the Hart mansion. However, their target didn't appear to be Mia's room. Rather, the furtive intruder slowly took their time in front of the room adjacent to hers – the bedroom that belonged to her father, the lord of this domain.
No normal servant of the Hart household should have been up and about at this time of night. If he was a servant, his purpose here at this timing could only be a nefarious one. With her curiosity naturally piqued, Mia silently picked up her ceremonial sword which was basically a glorified dagger from her bedside table as she slipped out of bed barefoot in an effort to muffle the sound of her footsteps as much as she possibly could.
Mia smoothly slipped out of her nightgown and into clothes that were easier to move around in, having a premonition that freedom of movement may come in handy. The simple action of changing her clothes was something incredibly normal, but the feeling of fabric against her skin only raised her tension instead of giving a comforting feeling. She also grabbed her pouch of sand that she carried around for the sake of blinding a potential attacker's eyes and loosened the pouch's drawstring. Then, she summoned her pet Slime and put on her armor.
Tiptoeing through the darkness to her bedroom door, Mia opened it by an unnoticeable amount and peered through the crack. Although the corridor was dimly illuminated, the moonlight streaming in from the window showed her the clear side profile of a medium height black-haired boy who had an intense gaze as he focused on breaking through her father's bedroom door without making too much noise. He had a slender build that showed signs of malnourishment, and he was evidently trying and failing to prevent his hands from shaking as they were still trembling ever so slightly.
He was concentrating solely on the door, showing no vigilance towards his surroundings. If looks could kill, he would have burned a hole through the door already with the crystal-clear killing intent that he was exuding.
Mia recognized who he was, even if she wasn't too familiar with him. He was a new 'servant' who had been picked up by her father for 'training and pleasure' purposes just three days ago. She hadn't spoken to him yet, nor did she know his name. Was he here for his own purposes, or was someone instructing him? The expression on his face seemed far too serious for someone who was merely carrying out orders, so she suspected it was a personal grudge of some sort. No surprise there, given that her father Count Hart ruled this domain with an iron fist and was as corrupt and depraved as any typical storybook noble one could imagine.
This was a private hallway on the second floor, with guards stationed at the staircase. Nobody that didn't have permission would be allowed here, but this boy had been stashed in the other room adjacent to her father's bedroom, which explained how he was easily able to appear here.
After about one minute, there was a soft *click* in the air as the lock popped open and the boy clenched his fist in a victorious pose. Without even a second's hesitation, he rushed into her father's bedroom.
Mia didn't have the luxury of taking her time to consider. She made a split-second decision – to follow him and find out what his intentions were. If what he was planning matched her suspicions, then the two of them shared a common cause – desiring the demise of her father.
Just in case, Mia used her wind magic to envelop this area with a soft breeze blowing inwardly, serving to trap sound within an isolated pocket. This worked on the same principle of how she typically controlled the airflow around her to bring faraway sounds to her ears. Mia had a hunch that it would serve her purposes for nobody to overhear what was about to occur.
Even if there was any danger to her, Mia considered it likely that she would have the advantage of surprise over him. It also seemed as if the boy was unarmed: there were no telltale bulges of weapons on his figure, nor did he pause to draw one as he excitedly rushed into the room.
With her body fully tense, Mia stealthily approached her father's bedroom door with drawn dagger at the ready. Fortunately for her, he didn't close the door behind him and left it ajar. Was it recklessness or inexperience on his part? Or could it be… that he simply didn't care about the consequences of being discovered now?
The black-haired boy was holding his hands over the sleeping figure of Mia's father. His back was turned to her, and Mia couldn't quite comprehend what was going on. However, Mia quickly figured out the situation when her father's previously peaceful sleeping figure began contorting.
Although Mia had mentally prepared herself beforehand, witnessing the death of a human firsthand was no simple thing to tolerate, even if it wasn't her first time by now. She still hadn't hardened herself to such an extent. However, she felt disgust only at the way he died, with no remorse at the fact of his death.
Mia's father wasn't a complex man; he was a despot that robbed his own citizens, plain and simple. Mia's mother had died a few years after giving birth to her, which was why her father slept alone. The only reason why Mia hadn't turned out like him was because she was a reincarnator and retained her memories from her previous life. This world was a different one from Earth, with magic taking the place of technology and had the setting of a game she played in her previous life.
Count Hart was now thrashing violently while struggling with his blanket. She could hear nothing but gurgles, as any speech he attempted was incoherent. A reeking stench soon filled the room – he must have soiled his nightclothes. Vomit soon came after, but that was the least of Count Hart's problems, as his hands stopped struggling and went limp.
During this entire time, the boy still had his back facing her. He never touched her father even once that Mia saw, but it was apparent this was the effect of a powerful poison. So, was it magical in nature? No matter if it was physical or magical, it must have been spread through the air. Staying vigilant, Mia sent the air currents in the room towards the boy's direction, not wanting to accidentally breathe even a tiny portion of whatever the poison might be.
Perhaps the boy detected the change in the air, or he was simply finished with his dastardly deed, but he finally turned around and noticed Mia standing in the doorway.
"Serve me, and I shall have you spared."
In retrospect, this may not have been the best icebreaker to begin with, but that was the first thought that came into Mia's mind.
"What? Are you crazy? Just who are you?"
Mia met the black-haired, violet-eyed boy's gaze directly as she held the tip of her dagger out in front of her protectively. He was glaring viciously with his head tilted in confusion, but he had more surprise than animosity. Mixed in with the contempt in his eyes was a sign of surprise at Mia's clearly unnatural request to him.
"Me? I'm Mia Hart, pleased to meet you. Who might you be?"
"I'm Zeke Ester – wait, that's not what's important right now! Hart? Doesn't that make you the daughter of Count Hart!?" The boy – Zeke's expression instantly hardened, but it didn't seem that he was about to instantly attack her. That was a good sign for the discussion Mia wanted to have with him.
Wait a moment, Zeke? While the last name was different, that was the name of a major antagonist in the original game of the world she was now in! Was this a chance for her to recruit him to her side before any life-changing events that transformed him into a pure villain? Well, this current event probably counted as the initial act that set him onto the path of a villain, even if his backstory wasn't expanded upon in the original game.
She knew his character backstory and motivations from the game, perhaps even more than he did. She affirmed her mental decision that she needed someone with his talents on her side.
"Yes, indeed it does. Thanks to you, I'm now going to be the next lord of the Hart domain, as I'm the person in the line of succession."
"Join and serve you? What are you even thinking? I just killed your father!"
"Well, I can guess at the reason why you did so. Obviously, it was something like 'Count Hart was a despot, so let's murder him and improve everyone's lives,' etc. etc. Foolish. Haven't you ever considered the consequences of your actions?"
The boy's wiry frame trembled with what Mia perceived to be outrage. "Why do you think I just poisoned your father to death! I didn't do it for anyone's sake but my own, he ruined my life! Your Hart soldiers are nothing more than bandits masquerading as defenders of the peace! Why don't you have me executed and get things over with!?"
While inwardly sighing at his rash behavior that ended in the outcome of his assassinating her father, Mia kept her patience and began explaining her intentions, judging he would be a useful person to make use of in the future. He seemed like the selfish type who only considered his own feelings, so she needed to first reignite his passion now that he seemed to have given up on himself after accomplishing what he set out to do. Mia still remained tense and on guard against any potential sudden movements by the boy, causing her voice to have a terse tone.
"When I said consequences, I wasn't referring to your fate, I was talking about the domain that you're presumably trying to protect so desperately. Who would assist the common folk after you were caught and executed? As the heir to this domain, what if I was just as tyrannical as my father? Even if it wasn't me, whoever ended up inheriting the Hart domain would make a display of punishing the commoners for this treasonous act of rebellion to discourage further instances. What then? Wouldn't things end up worse than before? Wouldn't more people just like you appear in the end?"
"You… you…" The boy was rendered speechless by Mia's words that resembled a lecture.
"Regardless of what your specific grievance against my father was, you've done something that cannot be undone. There's no use crying over spilled milk, so you must move on and deal with the aftermath. Judging by the magical skill that you just used to kill my father, I can make use of someone with your abilities. I don't hate you for killing my father, it's undeniable that he was nothing more than scum. I shall give you two choices: serve me and atone for your crimes by living, or die right here and now by my hands."
'Just how did things become like this, that I would want to recruit the killer of my father?'
Two years ago, during Year 191 of the Hoplian calendar.
Mia began making her secret preparations to overthrow her father when she was five years old.
No, this wasn't due to a young child's desire to take over the world or anything like that.
Mia had been born into this life with her memories of a previous life intact. She recalled that she had been a Japanese college exchange student studying in America for a psychology major when she met an untimely end at the hands of a random university shooter. Now that she had a second chance to lead a new life, Mia wanted nothing more than to live at least to enjoy a peaceful conclusion rather than meeting a violent death.
It took several years for Mia to get used to this new environment, as the language was unfamiliar and took time to learn. Unlike normal children though, she retained her adult mind and learned the language quite swiftly, along with maintaining an awareness of her surroundings.
What Mia did know was that she had apparently been born into a high-ranking noble family, as her own parents never personally took care of her. Instead, this work was typically done by a girl wearing an actual black-and-white maid uniform: something that Mia had never personally witnessed in real life before. Unfortunately for Mia, her personal maid had some nasty habits that Mia could only do her best to ignore.
Everyone in the mansion Mia lived in addressed her father as Count Hart. He was a tall young man approximately thirty years old, with a handsome face that just about every young female in the mansion would swoon over. He had dashingly fine silver hair and charming green eyes that Mia had inherited. Personally, Mia privately believed that her father's overly handsome appearance caused everyone around him to flatter him so much that he was led into depravity.
She also had an older half-brother named Barnaby, born outside of wedlock. Mia didn't know who his mother was, but he was also living at their mansion. Barnaby was a straight up bully that Mia tried avoiding as much as possible. Every time they met, he would always greet her with an unavoidable noogie, using the advantage of his much greater size and power.
According to what Mia's tutor taught her, the illustrious Hart family had been serving the Hoplia Kingdom loyally for many generations.
While Mia couldn't claim to know the name of every country on Earth, she knew for a fact that monarchies had already become a defunct form of government in the 21st century that she was from. Not to mention, there was no way that she wouldn't know the continents of Earth. When she got her hands on a map of Hoplia, the surrounding countries' geography confirmed what she had suspected all along: that this was a new world.
Not only that, after Mia saw the map of Hoplia and the surrounding countries, she finally came to a realization: that this was the world of an RPG game she had played in her past life! The game was called Legend of Eristan, named after the setting of the game's main continent of Eristan, and was a typical tale of heroes battling against a monster invasion. Nonetheless, she considered it only of medium importance – since the RPG game's scenario would take place in the neighboring country to the south, the Rodan Empire.
Long ago, in the land of Eristan, everything was peaceful and flourishing under the protection of the gods, the elemental lords, and past emperors' rule.
However, after the Eristan Emperor passed away, the empire split up into many smaller countries as his retainers battled with each other for power. In approximately ten years' time from now, the Demon King was going to revive and summon countless monsters into existence, causing massive chaos in the land.
Mia assumed that she had been reincarnated into a minor character who wasn't even mentioned in the game and that it would have nothing to do with her, so she put the game's scenario out of her mind and focused instead on her daily life and figuring out the system. She didn't realize at the time how wrong she was that it would have no connection to her life.
Since this was an RPG game world, people here had many unusual hair and eye color combinations just like Mia's. A dazzling array of palettes was available: all the bright anime colors a person could think of were commonplace here.
Technology here seemed to be a few centuries behind her previous world, with no concept of electricity existing. At the very least, Mia was grateful for the existence of toilets. Magic definitely existed however, something that Mia dearly wanted to learn more about. However, judging from what she learned, magic seemed rare in this world, and most of it was at a weak level. That didn't seem to match the RPG game that took place at a noble school where just about all the students could use magic of some form.
Mia was unaccustomed to throwing fake tantrums or pretending to cry just to act like a normal toddler. She believed in practical solutions rather than wasting time needlessly on something as unproductive as crying. Nor did she make any selfish requests as most children would, instead having spent the majority of the past three years learning her new country's language at a far rapider pace than other children.
It was Mia's own choice to avoid all unnecessary interaction with her father, Count Horatio Hart. Mia felt no familial affection for him at all. If all Count Hart did was lavishly enjoy an opulent lifestyle at the expense of his citizens, that would have been bad enough. But, there were two incidents in total that goaded Mia into wanting to become strong enough to overthrow her father.
Both incidents happened in quick succession right in Mia's presence. The first incident occurred on the day that Mia decided to ask her father about learning magic.
"You have something to talk to me about? Wait your turn. I have a guest to take care of."
When Mia went to visit her father's study, there was a merchant from a northern country haggling with her father about some gems for sale. Mia knew the merchant was foreign from his clothing that was evidently a different style; he was wearing a thick yellow cloak that seemed out of season for the summer emblazoned with an unfamiliar insignia. While they shared a common language, the merchant spoke with a thick accent that required Mia's full concentration to understand his words.
"These mana gems are the finest wares from the Arland Kingdom! They can be ground into mana stones for enchanting magical equipment, or simply make a fine accessory for this young lady here! They could all be yours for the low, low price of 5000 elemental crystal shards!"
Elemental crystals were the basic currency of Hoplia. This was due to the vast influence of the Elemental Church that spread the worship of the six Elemental Lords of Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Light, and Darkness. Elemental crystals contained minute amounts of their respective elemental magic, and were a critical component in forging magical equipment in this world, as well as being a catalyst for many powerful spells.
One loaf of bread could be purchased for two elemental crystal shards. 5000 elemental crystals as the asking price meant that… well, it was a lot of money.
"Mana gems of the highest quality, you say? Interesting. I hardly think this pathetically small bag is worth my effort though. I could simply import mana gems from the Rodan Kingdom at a much lower price. These stones are worth nothing more than 2000 crystals at best."
"Surely you jest, Milord. Even in the far north, we're aware that the southern Rodan Kingdom strictly controls the trading of mana gems as a precious national resource. Even if their government was to permit the exporting of mana gems, they would surely place high tariffs to protect their national interest. I can go no lower than 4500 crystals."
…and so on. After another five minutes of detailed haggling, both sides agreed on the price of 3800 elemental crystal shards. With a brilliant smile, Count Hart sealed the deal with a firm handshake. However –
*Sizzle!*
The foreign merchant seemed momentarily confused when it seemed like Count Hart was continuing the handshake for longer than necessary. Then, confusion transformed to terror when his hand lit up in flames.
Mia could only helplessly look on in horror as the merchant burned to death while screaming and rolling on the ground right in front of her, leaving behind only a nightmarish charred smell of burnt flesh. Throughout all this, Count Hart remained calm and smiled as he witnessed this scene, as if he was enjoying the spectacle.
Mia fled from her father's study without even remembering to ask about the possibility of learning magic. Not long after, she was too busy with the act of puking.
The subsequent incident occurred right on the next day after when Count Hart took Mia out together with him on a tour of the eponymous Hart domain. Perhaps Mia's unfinished visit yesterday had reminded the Count of the fact that he had a daughter, since he personally visited Mia's room and told her "let's go see our domain together!" with a jolly smile on his face.
Being an inland non-border domain close to the capital, the Hart domain was relatively rural and peaceful, with the greatest public disturbances coming from the Count himself. Mia later learned that such "raids" by the Count were actually commonplace.
Was it because Mia turned five that the Count involved her more in his affairs? Was this a benchmark age of some sort? Mia didn't know, but this "raid" opened her eyes to what this world was truly like.
"Okay, men, that's a nice-looking bitch right there! Hahahaha, let's take her back to the mansion, just like usual! Everyone gets to share!"
"It's tax collection time! Time to pay your dues as gratitude for our protection! It's all thanks to us that you get to enjoy this peaceful life free of monsters, don't you know!"
It was a typical situation straight out of a textbook villain scenario. Under the leadership of Count Hart, a fine-looking young lass caught his attention and was captured to be taken to the mansion. Mia never saw her again, and only learned what happened to her eventually much later. Another incident occurred in which Count Hart ordered his soldiers to deliver a vicious beating to a pregnant woman's elderly father for failing to pay rent. The soldiers also went around in armed small groups, bashing doors in, ransacking homes, and generally acting more like a group of bandits rather than defenders of the peace.
Mia's older half-brother Barnaby participated in the beatings as well. He was only a few years older than Mia and wasn't old enough yet to entirely understand some of the more carnal affairs that were happening, but liked to talk the part. Privately though, Mia felt like she knew a lot more than he did, thanks to her experience in a past life.
"Mine, mine, and mine! You're all going to be mine! I'm going to take you all back the mansion with me to serve my needs! You're going to play with me every day until I get tired of you!"
Well, the girls that he took were the "lucky" ones, as when Barnaby said "play," he wasn't going to be nearly as lecherous as the adults… even if he did pick up some bad habits from the negative influences around him.
Mia was spurred to take action to change things, but to be honest with herself, it was more out of a sense of self-preservation rather than a desire to be heroic.
Mia was fully aware that she was currently nothing more than a powerless, weak five-year-old girl. There was nothing she could do for anyone. If she spoke out, there was even the possibility that she might be killed herself.
That didn't mean that she could just turn a blind eye, however. The person committing the atrocities was her father and the ruling noble of this domain. Just from history in her previous life, Mia knew all too well how the eventual downfall of every tyrant would end. Not to mention, this was a fairly common trope known as the "death flag" – an event that would lead to the death of the villain.
In fact, Mia almost never saw Count Hart doing any work related to governing, and she privately wondered to herself how he even kept this domain running. The Hart domain would collapse eventually if this situation was allowed to continue, with great repercussions for the ruling noble family Mia was a part of by heritage.
Of course, Mia had a sense of right and wrong carried over from her previous world. But there were no heroes, no adventurers in that life who really existed that could fight against evil. They only appeared in fiction. Mia didn't think of herself as such a character even after reincarnation. She had only been a normal college girl, albeit one slightly on the nerdish side.
The Hero wasn't supposed to appear for another ten years yet. Nor was there an Adventurer's Guild in Hoplia, as its lack of strong monsters and rural status meant that there was no business for adventurers to do here. Apparently, the last Adventurer's Guild had closed down twenty years ago for having gone out of business. But even had there been adventurers around, there was an unwritten rule that adventurers and the nobility wouldn't interfere in each other's affairs. After all, adventurers were closer to mercenaries than heroes: they were paid to do their jobs. There were actually very few in real life that would go out of their way to oppose a powerful faction like the nobles just out of a sense of justice with no money involved. Those that did would usually meet a quick demise.
The only possible force that could oppose Count Hart in his own domain would be the Elemental Church, but Mia didn't know much about them as she never saw them around despite knowing of their existence.
Mia had died once already. She was unwilling to just become a bystander and passively die without being able to fight back again. Shivering in fear at the sight of someone she didn't even know pointing his gun at her and pressing down on the trigger was a memory she felt she would never forget. While she had reincarnated, there was no guarantee that reincarnation would happen again. People in this country worshiped various gods and the elemental lords, but who knew if they really existed?
Mia took three days to mentally steel herself and resolved to live at least long enough to die in peace and comfort at old age. The first step was to learn more about magic. She needed to gain enough strength to take charge of her own life.
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