Alexander didn't know when he realized he was reincarnated, he just was. He woke up one day and his memories merged with his current ones. He acted more mature. Well, mature for a toddler. He still acted like a child, but he was far smarter. He would not shove things up his nose or cry over new food. No matter how much his body wanted it to. It was odd though. Not terrible, just a little weird. He was reborn in an old world. Like during the time of the world wars. Well from what he was allowed to learn of the outside world.
The language he spoke wasn't English that was for sure. It was definitely European though. Looking at it written down when seeing his dad's newspaper doesn't look familiar. But he doesn't know every language. He could speak it, whatever it was. He was definitely making his parents proud. They didn't seem to be very wealthy. So, as a child with amazing parents it would be his job! He would use his future-ish knowledge to get rich quick! There had to be many things not known or made in this world.
He laid in his bed with his eyes closed. His door slowly creaked. He pretended to be asleep. His parents entered the room quietly.
"Is he asleep?" His mother whispered.
"Out like a light." His father replied. He heard footsteps move towards his bed.
"Do you think he could do it?" His mother shyly asks his father.
"He's bright for his age. I'm sure the Warrior Program will be no trouble for him." Warrior? Like soldiers! "He'll make our country proud. I just know it." He heard the footsteps move farther away until they left the room, and the door was shut just as quietly as it was opened.
It didn't take long for sleep to overtake him...
"Allright Kiddo! Want to learn something new?" His father asked.
"Yeah!" He excitedly exclaimed.
"Okay, okay. Calm down." His father chuckled. "Today we're learning to how to read." Alexander gaped. He would get read in two languages! This was going to be so cool!
The reading this world's language was hard. There were a lot of complex looking letters and words he hoped he would learn to understand. Thought it kind of looked familiar to him. His dad at least cheered him on even when he failed to pounce a letter.
"You did good!" He smiled at him. It made Alexander feel a bit better. "Soon, you'll be able to read it in absolutely no time."
He smiled. "I hope so."
It took some begging but eventually he was able to go outside. His mom would be the one to take him. She needed to go shopping and what better way to introduce him to the world.
"Come on! I want to see the world!" He tugged at his mother's coat. Saying he was excited was an understatement. He would finally see the world for what it was. The world he would someday be a part of.
"Alright, hold your horses." His mother said. "Come here." She grabbed his left arm and put a gray band around it. She then took another gray band that was bigger than his and put it on. "Now, promise me you'll be a good boy and stay out of trouble."
"Yes, Ma'am." He nodded. His mother smiled.
"Good. Now off we go." She picked him up and carried him on her hip. She grabbed her purse and exited the small home.
"Woah!" He looked up and down the street where they lived. The houses were practically many long buildings with houses inside.
"Remember the way home, alright?" He hummed in agreement as he looked around in amazement. He watched children play in the street together. It wasn't anything special, but it was home. His home.
They went past many homes and spoke to their neighbors.
"So, this is the little man! Hi there." A middle-aged man who had been outside getting his daily paper said to them as they walked past his home.
"Hi mister!" He waved at the man and the man waved back with a smile.
"We're out getting groceries so we can't speak long." His mom said as they walked nearer towards the man. "How's your son? Last time I checked he was in the program."
The man nodded. "That's right. He wasn't chosen unfortunately, now he's in the special unit for our kind."
"I'm glad. You must be so proud of him."
"Mhhm. I couldn't be prouder."
"Well, we better be off. We'll see you some other time then. Say bye bye to the nice man, Alex."
"Bye bye!" He waved and then they started heading for the markets.
"I'll see you around later" The man waved back.
They continued walking until they were in front of what looked like an alleyway. It was just as dirty if not dirtier than one anyway. "Hold your breath." His mother told him. He took a big breath and held it.
They exited the alley and they found themselves in a big marketplace. There were so many items on stands. It was beautiful. "You can let your breath go now." His mother told him softly. He exhaled before breathing in more air. The scent absolutely was heavenly. Fresh baked bread and other delightful smells filled the air around them. As he looked around them his mother shopped.
"I heard some soldiers were here today. From outside Liberio." Some lady gossiped to another next to her.
"Oh! I wonder what they're here for." The other woman replied.
"It's best to stay out of their way. They're doing Helos' will."
He thought back to what the first lady had said. Liberio?
"One more stop Alex." His mother told him as they left the stalls. She had two bags filled with produce and bread.
"Okay." He replied and they entered a nearby shop. The door rang as they entered. Looking around he instantly knew what kind of shop it was. "Meat!" His mother giggled. A butchery.
His mother walked up to the man attending to the meat and made her request. The man started their order of meat. The door rang as it opened. Alexander and his mother turn to see two men in uniform. Military?
"Move out of the way, Eldian whore." The taller of the two men His mother gaped and moved away from the counter. Eldian?
"Yes of course sir." She replied quietly. What?
"Quiet scum! If I wanted to hear a pig squeal, I would have just kicked it."
The shorter fat one with a beard sauntered up to the counter. "Your finest meats. Now." He startled the man behind the corner enough to send him fleeing. "And get it done lickety-split. We wouldn't want to cause an accident." The man came back with a wonky slab of meat.
"This is our most expensive meat item. Five pounds of Hizuruian steak. I can get it cut for you…"
'Hizuruian? Like, as in Hizuru?'
"No need. We don't need a devil like you to contaminate the meat more than you already have."
"R-Right, sir." The man told the price to the soldiers. From the looks on their faces, they were clearly upset about the it.
"Really?" The tall one angrily asked. "You can't give us a discount on your dirty meat? It's already a hassle enough to clean your kind's filth from it. A discount will make the work a tad bit easier."
"I-I can't lower the price!"
The fat soldier spoke up again. "You know who we are right!? We are Marleyan soldiers! We deserve this meat!"
Alexander paled. 'No'. He thought. 'This can't be!' He looked down at his arm. The gray band was to signify an Eldian. A million thoughts were running through his head at that moment. How? Why him? Why this world? Why was he an Eldian!? He was doomed to die!
"This devil is obviously being defiant." The tall one spoke up again. "I think we should show this pig how disgusting it is." The man behind the counter's eyes went wide and he paled. The man was completely frozen in shock.
"N-No! Please! I'm sorry!" His head was grabbed by the tall soldier and slammed into the counter. His nose was very broken. Blood covered the man's face. It ran from his face and onto the counter.
"Disgusting." The shorter of the soldiers said. His face displayed his tremendous amount of disgust. The butcher's face was slammed against the counter again and again. At this point the poor man's face was covered in blood and some of his teeth were shattered.
"Alexander, I think it's to go." His mother whispered. He nodded and they left as quickly and quietly as they could. "I think It's time to tell you about our history" Dread filled his body. He silently nodded.
