A sea of stars flashes past my vision, transforming into a hazy symphony of colours, only to be abruptly replaced by a blinding light that forces my eyes shut. Finding solace in the comfortable darkness, a cascade of memories began to flow through my mind. Memories… that I didn’t exactly remember.

A woman’s cheerful voice.

‘Peek-a-boo! Ah! There’s that cute smile, ******!’

A young boy’s cry.

‘Pass the ball, ******!’

An old man’s echoing speech.

‘Please come to the stage to receive your diploma, ****** ****.’

I was confused, but at the same time, tranquil. As if I was too tired to think about what exactly was happening.

The myriad of memories and confusion died down as the moments passed before I was then awakened from my state of peace by pain.

Blinding, itching pain.

Every portion of my skin stung as if it were on fire, causing me to cry out in anguish.

But for some reason… it was muffled.

Distorted, as if my ears were clogged with water.

But slowly, the world around me became… clearer.

The pain throughout my body subsided, and my hearing was free to listen to the silent surroundings.

Well… I could faintly hear the crackling of a fireplace, so it wasn’t complete silence, but it was still quiet.

With the rustic background noise calming my senses, I eventually felt the need to open my eyes once again.

Slowly, I lift my eyelids. There was no glaring brightness, but oddly… it took much more effort than I thought it would.

And what greeted me, was… blurriness.

But as time passes, my vision slowly becomes clearer, revealing the scene of a rustic wooden ceiling, with a singular beam running through the roof.

Weird… this was very weird.

It felt so far away.

Raising my hand, I try to reach toward the ceiling, but, my hands… they were so very small and… pudgy. Like a baby’s.

Huh?

“...Gah?”

…What?

Was that my voice?

Huuuh!?

“Gbaa?”

W-What the!?

“Gubfaaa!”

I… I was a baby?

Why was I a baby?

No… why did that feel strange? Why did that feel wrong?

Who… who was I?

I can’t… I can’t remember, but it feels like I’m missing something.

A piece of me just wasn’t there.

Shocked and confused by the development, a face then appears in my vision.

A woman.

A pretty woman.

She had light blonde hair that was tied into a braid that rested over her shoulder, and her eyes were a deep beautiful brown that matched perfectly with her cute yet mature face. If I were to guess, she looked to be in her mid-20s.

“Oh myraha? Dukara neexi malkalith?” the pretty woman says before lifting me into her arms.

She smiled at me, her pale face filled with love as her hand slowly caressed my cheek.

“Du rylaxa arata striti, Leon,” she says, her breath hitching at the end.

Was this… my mother?

That’s… only natural, I suppose.

My mother then lowered her shirt, revealing her bare breast before gently placing my face toward it.

“Dirkadica. Groavin elixia, Leon.”

I… couldn’t understand what she was saying, but I think I got the point.

Besides, my stomach was beginning to churn in hunger.

But for some reason, even though it was normal for a baby, it felt pretty embarrassing to do this.

As soon as I latch on, I let the natural process take its course as my head becomes groggier with each passing second, inching me closer to the embrace of unconsciousness.

—-- Information on the Six-Faced World —--

Geography of the Central Continent

Red Wyrm Mountains: A large chain of mountains and hills that runs across and down the Central continent, separating the land into three parts - the North, the West, and the South.

North: A cold region that receives heavy snowfall and has mostly infertile soil, leading to the majority of the nations being weak and poor. Notable locations within this region include the three Magic Nations, the Sword Sanctum, and the Kingdom of Biheiril.

West: A prosperous region with a temperate climate, fertile plains, and rivers, making the Kingdom of Asura, the only nation in this region, the richest kingdom in the world.

South: A fairly fertile region, with numerous rivers and lakes along with vast plains and forests, which are divided by the Dragon King mountain range which runs vertically down the region. Notable locations within this region include the Strife Zone, the Dragon King Kingdom, and the Shirone Kingdom.

—-- Leon —--

It had been a month since I had been born.

Or at least… I think so.

Time was weird as an infant.

Not only was my perception of it off but I was also plagued with the constant need to nap, which further messed with things. And that wasn’t even mentioning how I could only guess the time of day from the light streaming through the doorway as we didn’t have windows.

Regardless, my perceptions of time didn’t really matter, as instead, this was a period of self-reflection, and a period to figure out what was going on with this life of mine.

First… my name.

It was Leon.

Leon… just Leon.

I guess there was no such thing as ‘last names’ here, or at least for someone of my class. How I could infer that… well, that had more to do with the self-reflection part.

I was knowledgeable.

I… knew things. Things that I shouldn’t, without any memories to back up that knowledge.

For instance, I knew that 5 times 5 equals 25, without remembering where I knew that from.

It was just… there. As were all the other pieces of my knowledge.

How I knew I was a baby, how I knew that most babies weren’t like me… yeah, it was odd, to say the least.

Then, there was my living situation.

I- or rather my mother, was… poor.

This was likely due to my father being absent, which was either due to him leaving my mother on his own accord, or, considering the medieval technology, him simply dying or being sent off to war.

Actually, it could even be something a little more… exciting, like a prince falling in love with a humble village girl. But anyway, like I said, this place was a medieval society, and my mother and I lived in a small house that didn’t even have separate rooms.

Luckily for her, I didn’t cry unless I was extremely hungry or needed to be changed, so I wasn’t disturbing her sleep. 

And that brings me to the last thing… my mother.

She was pretty, but other than that, she wasn’t particularly special, other than the loving care she gave me.

While I had yet to learn her name, my mother was a humble basket weaver, which seemed to make enough for the bare essentials.

She was a kind mother, if a little clumsy, and talked to me as much as she could, which was a great way for me to get used to the language. 

I also talked back to her when I could, although I was confined to babbles and gurgles. But it seemed to make my mom a little happier, and my articulation was slowly improving, so it was worth it.

Despite her constant conversations, without any reference for most words and phrases, I still needed some time before I could be fluent in the language. But at least I now knew some things that were commonly spoken to me, like ‘milk’ and ‘feed’.

Anyway, while I was curious about the outside world, I was still confined to my crib, and thus, I passed the time by slowly growing my motor skills and vocabulary.

Like this, another two months passed. Though again, that was just by my estimation.

And in these two months, things had… mostly stayed the same, at least for our general situation.

But I could move now!

I was sure that this was odd for such a young baby, and from the surprised face my mother showed when I first started crawling around, it seemed it was the case for others too.

I guess I was a bit more advanced then.

I wonder if my being completely conscious changed things, or perhaps I was just built differently, but either way, life seemed much less boring now that I could explore the house.

Unfortunately, I was still too short to reach the door handle, so I was confined to only the house, or rather, the room.

And that wasn’t all!

“Honestly Leon, I don’t know why you want to go outside so bad.” 

I could understand my mother!

Of course, I still had trouble with vocabulary, and my vocal cords weren’t developed enough to respond, but it was progress!

Picking me up, my still-unnamed mother then rests me on her lap as I let her hands brush through my silky smooth hair.

“It’s a bad omen for kids to go outside before their first year, you know!” she scolds me with a pout.

Yes, this was the main reason I wasn’t allowed past that dreaded door.

I could only assume it was due to environmental concerns, as newborns were terrible at regulating body temperature, or maybe concerns about infection and disease.

I did wonder if this was a custom of this particular place, or if it was something common amongst this world.

Ah, and that’s another thing I learned.

The ‘place’ that I lived in, was a village.

I didn’t know the name, of course, but I knew that it was quite small, and my mother was only able to make a living by selling her wares to passing merchants, who just so happened to be the only people other than my mother that I had ever seen.

And today, or rather, tonight, judging by the lack of light peering through the door, was just like any other.

Mom made her baskets while talking to me, I listened absentmindedly, and then I crawled around until I either tired myself out or was picked up and placed in my mother's lap like now.

Such was life.

“Hmm… are you hungry, Leon? It is about time for bed, isn’t it?”

“Uhn!”

I was getting a little hungry, even though I didn’t show it.

I guess this was a mother’s intuition, or something similar.

With her readjusting her dress, I prepare for my meal.

“Hmm… I wonder why you always close your eyes before feeding.”

Because it’s embarrassing enough!

But just as I was about to latch onto her breast, I heard a commotion from outside.

The sounds from outside were usually quiet.

The odd carriage rumbling by, the sounds of people talking as they walked, the sound of children running past.

But this… this was different.

It was yelling.

Screams of pain. The sounds of clashing blades. The crackling of fire.

W-What? What was happening?

“Bandits?” my mother says breathlessly.

Feeling my mother trembling, I looked up and saw that she was wearing an irregularly serious expression, her face quickly turning pale.

“Leon. Y-You have to be quiet, alright? Be quiet for Mom please,” she pleads, looking down at me.

Before I could respond, she picked me up and carried me over to the bin of discarded basket materials before placing me inside.

“J-Just stay there, okay? And don’t come out, no matter what.”

Her voice… it was panicked. Laced in fear and anxiousness.

“O-Okay, let’s do this Alice. Just like Mama taught you,” she murmurs to herself.

So my mother’s name was Alice… No! Now was not the time to be thinking of such things.

My mother then slowly undid her shirt, revealing some of her breasts as she collected her hair into a ponytail that rested over her shoulder.

“A-Appear good enough to be used, but not taken. C-C’mon, Alice. L-Leon still needs his mother.”

‘Good enough to be used’…?

No… why would-

Crash!

The door burst into splinters as a woman, with a large scar across her face matching her rugged appearance, entered the room.

My mother’s face pales.

“Oya? What’s this? Some harlot is living in a little village like this?” 

Resting a longsword on her shoulder, I noticed the tip of it was stained red, and from the smell, I knew that it was blood.

“Hmm…” the bandit says, her eyes narrowed. “You’re good enough to sell high, too. As long as we find a good buyer, that is…”

“N-No…” my mother shouts, stepping backward.

“Oh yes!” the woman sneers. “Now come here. Don’t struggle!”

The bandit then tapped the tip of her longsword against the ground in front of her.

W-What do I do?

No… I can’t do anything, I know this.

But… it felt wrong, to just sit here like this.

My mother then cast her gaze my way, and her cerulean eyes met mine before they narrowed in resolve.

“A-All right. I’ll… I’ll go with you…” she says through gritted teeth.

Not wanting to betray my mother’s trust, I held my breath despite the sickening feeling as she got closer and closer to the bandit, the sounds of a violent rampage increasing in the background.

“That’s it~ Be a good girl and who knows? The client might just use you as a pretty face,” the bandit woman says with a sneer.

I watch as my mother slowly crouches in front of the bandit while her hand slowly reaches toward her leg, where her carving knife is strapped, hidden from the bandit’s view.

N-No!

My mother wasn’t a fighter!

“G-Gah!” I shout.

The bandit’s eyes instantly dart toward me, her pupils narrowing as soon as she sets her sights on me as I feel an inexplicable pressure descend on my very being.

I-Is this how a wildebeest feels in front of a lion?

The feeling of being prey.

My breath hitches and my pulse quickens.

My heartbeat… it was too loud.

The very fabric of the air seems stifling.

“What’s this? A little brat- Ack!?”

She’s cut off as my mother’s knife descends toward the bandit's neck, but befitting the instincts of a fighter, she dodges out of the way, the blade lodging into the bandit’s shoulder.

Time seems to come to a stop once again as the bandit slowly pulls out the blade from her shoulder, the sound of the blood dripping onto the wooden floor the only sound in the room.

“...You… just did that… didn’t you?” the bandit says.

I felt the crushing pressure of her presence dissipate, but for some reason, that didn’t make me feel any more relieved.

No… in fact… it only made me more nervous.

I feel my hands shake- no, my entire body is shaking in fear as my mother takes a hesitant step back as she turns toward me.

“L-Leon! R-Run- Gah-!”

Blood splatters as the bandit’s sword runs through my mother’s chest.

N-No… w-what?

“Who’s running where? Dammit. Now Hector will be on my ass for needing his damn healing magic,” the bandit says, spitting on the ground.

My mind was blank, the distant sounds fading into the background as I looked at my mother in horror as she fell to her knees, blood already seeping from the corner of her mouth.

“Anyway… so you had a brat, did ya? Too bad Daddy isn’t around, or you might’ve gotten away. Anyway, let’s have a little look-see.”

My connection to the world was completely detached, so much so that I didn’t even register the feeling of being picked up and held by the scruff of my neck.

“A quiet brat, aren’t you? Must be scared shitless, eh?”

My mother… who I had only just learned the name of… she was bleeding. Bleeding a dangerous amount of blood, so much so that it had already formed a puddle that was growing larger with each passing second.

The scent of copper was overwhelming, to the point that I doubt I would ever forget it.

“Haa… boring~ Well, it’s not like anyone could take care of you now anyway, so consider this a small mercy on my part. Better than starving to death, right?”

My eyes slowly drift over to the voice as the bandit slowly pulls out a dagger before pointing it at my throat.

“Sorry kid-”

Her words are cut off as a flash of white crosses my vision.

Blood splatters onto my face, and I watch as the arm which was holding me flies through the air, followed by the head of the bandit, and after a moment of vertigo, I feel my body fall into yet another set of arms.

“Tch. Zenith! Get over here!” 

Flinching at the volume, I turn my head up to see the source of the noise.

A woman, a very muscular woman, with nothing covering her chest but a singular strap of fabric. Her body was littered with scars, and her face, paired with an eyepatch, gave off the feeling of a delinquent.

But what was shocking was the pair of gray ears poking out of her matching mane of gray hair.

Animal ears.

…No, the time for such questions came later.

For now-

“Gah! Ungaa!” I shout, reaching my arms out toward my dying mother.

The woman- my saviour, seems to get the point as she slowly lowers me.

“Ghislaine! What’s-? Oh my!”

The entrance of yet another woman enters through one ear and out the other as I reach out to my mother’s hands, barely having the motor skills to grasp onto the cuff of her shirt.

The new woman, or rather, the girl then kneels across from me, putting her hands over the wound that was gushing blood.

“Oh merciful mother of gods, please heal this one’s wounds, and let him recover with a healthy body - X-Healing!”

Her hands then set alight in a green glow, but despite yet another mystical phenomenon, I was too focused on my mother, whose face was paling further with each passing moment.

“I-It’s not working! It’s too deep! I-It needs advanced rank at least!” the girl says tearfully.

“Kach! L-Leon!” my mother says, turning her head toward me.

“G-Gah,” I sputter.

“Leon…”

Her hand then reaches up and gently caresses my cheek, and as if casting a spell, the fog that had been clouding my mind clears, giving way to a flood of memories.

‘Leon! You’re crawling! Mom’s so proud!’

‘What are you doing, closing your eyes like that? Silly boy.’ 

‘Hm? Outside? Leon, you know you can’t go out there! Here, come sit with me instead.’

I grasped the frail hand that rested against my cheek in a feeble attempt to keep the only ally in this life, my only family, anchored to the world of the living.

Her vibrant eyes were turning more distant as they began watering with tears just as mine were.

“Leon…”

I… didn’t want it to end like this.

So, feeling my throat tighten, I clenched my hand that was holding hers and tried to give her one last gift to show my feelings.

My feelings that she was a good mother and that despite the short time we spent together… I loved her.

So please, these bittersweet feelings of mine… get through to her!

 “G-Gam. B-Baba. M… M-Mama.”

Finally, I was able to utter my first word. Still, despite the celebratory achievement, there were no cheers to be had. Instead, only a solemn atmosphere of loss was present.

My mother’s eyes turn teary as she gives me a sweet smile before turning to the girl whose hands had glowed a moment before.

“G-Girl,” my mother chokes.

“Y-Yes?”

Taking a shaky breath, my mother continues.

“P-Please… take care of my son. P… Please…” her words trail off as she watches the girl nod her head.

“I-I will! I-” 

The girl then stops herself as she notices the state of my mother. Her hand quickly covers her mouth as tears threaten to escape the corner of her eyes.

I felt the hand I was holding tighten as my mother’s head fell to the side, eyes devoid of life, but a calm smile present on her face.

“Uuu… Uwaa!”

Then, as if a string had snapped, the emotions I had been holding back came flooding into me like a churning cascade, leaving me with no other way to release this pressure than to wail in grief.

Everything seems like a blur after that, but I do remember getting picked up by that glowing girl and my cries being muffled into her chest, before being taken out of the house, witnessing the devastating scenery that was my village.

But not long after, I tire myself from crying and find myself welcoming the embrace of sleep to end what had felt like a nightmare.

And so, after three small months in this world, I lost the only family and home I had, while also gaining a new one in the same day.