01x01 - The Rebirth of the King

[bunniefuu]

I..

Had become king.

The most powerful king.

That's what I

That's right.

I was

a king.

Please

In your new life,

seek the light.

Look, Rey!

Yeah. His hair's the exact

same shade as yours.

But his eyes are like yours!

Who's there?

Where am I?

Hey there, little Arthur.

I'm Reynolds!

Your daddy. Can you say daddy?

I don't know him.

Come on, it's too early for that.

Or her.

Who are these people?

I'm your daddy, Arthur!

And I'm your mommy, Arthur!

These people

They claim to be my parents.

If that's true

Was I

Was I

just born?

The Rebirth of the King.

To think that, after my countless victories,

I would be reduced to a helpless infant.

Come on now, burp for me sweetie.

Very good!

Alice and Reynolds take good care of me.

They seem convinced that I'm their child.

I suppose that makes sense

Yet,

I am displeased. Or perhaps it's

a persistent sense of fear

Arthur?

Look, Alice!

Arthur really does love me!

It's just a reflex action.

My bodily functions are beyond my control.

That was a big one, huh?

Good boy!

Nothing is turning out how I would choose.

Now, let's get you cleaned up.

This body is like a prison.

I keep wanting to wake up,

yet this bizarre dream persists.

And I would soon witness

something even stranger.

Honestly let me take a look at that.

There are powers, in this world,

that I am unfamiliar with.

Genuinely fascinating.

Here comes Daddy.

Since knowledge is a weapon,

I continued to intently

examine my surroundings.

I'm home, Arthur, Alice!

Whoa, actually, I had better

hold off on the hug.

This society is one where individuals

are allowed to own weapons.

That indicates a level of danger

which means I should obtain power

for myself, as quickly as I can.

Are you okay? It's been a while, hasn't it?

Nothing to worry about.

It was a pretty quick job.

That's good.

And now that you've said "Hi"

to Daddy, it's time for a nap.

These days know no end of frustrations,

but moments like this aren't so bad,

because the freedom to sleep when I wanted

is something I wasn't accustomed to.

Rey, make sure he doesn't bump his head!

Of course.

Look! Little Arthur's

looking at his reflection!

That's adorable!

Little "Arthur".

All these months have passed, and

I still haven't grown used to that name.

But it's of little concern.

Sweet dreams, Arthur.

I had finally gained control over my limbs.

I'm nearly there.

I need only move as swiftly as possible,

without drawing any attention.

Success.

Knowledge is a weapon,

and I had finally obtained

what I was after.

Which is to say, information on this world.

This continent I had been born on,

Dicathen, contains three kingdoms.

The Darv Kingdom:

a subterranean nation of dwarves.

Elenoir Kingdom:

a nation of elves, deep within a forest.

And the Sapin Kingdom, where I live:

the most populous nation, full of humans.

Like my own nation, it is a monarchy.

The main difference is that the throne

here is inherited, and not seized.

Compared to my previous life, this world

seems to still be in the process of developing.

This book explains why their

technology is relatively primitive.

Magic.

A source of power called

mana exists in this world.

The ability to control mana

is largely hereditary,

and seems to occur in one

out of every 100 people.

I'm itchy.

There are, broadly speaking,

two applications of mana.

Augmenting and Conjuring.

Augmenters are able to use

mana to enhance their bodies,

providing incredible strength,

defense, and agility.

Conjurers are able to project mana,

and control it however they please.

I suppose there are always exceptions.

No matter.

The key to controlling mana is the mana core.

Most spellcasters tap into their powers from

the onset of puberty through their late teens.

By channeling the disparate mana

throughout their body into single point,

called a mana core, and mastering control

over it, one becomes a mage.

I'm acquainted with a similar concept.

Ki.

Becoming aware of your internal power,

controlling it, and then unleashing it.

The center of your ki is

crucial to doing all of that.

Will this knowledge from my

past life serve as a weapon?

This is

There you are!

Arthur, you shouldn't worry

your mommy like that.

I'm caught.

Huh

Did she notice something?

Did you poop?

I guess not.

Sorry to disappoint you, but

you'll find I haven't

I knew it!

How mortifying.

I must've been too focused to notice.

Let's change your diaper now.

This body really is a prison.

I must obtain more power.

It's been two years since Arthur was born.

Time really flies.

He's the cutest little boy in

the world, and so curious

Such a sweetheart.

But we've never seen him smile before.

Huh?

You've got a real knack for that, Arthur!

Alice, just look at Arthur!

And what are you doing with

my cute little Arthur?

I mean, I was just teaching him how a sword—

He only just learned to walk!

What is wrong with you?!

Sorry!

Over these two years, I've come to

understand the power structure of this marriage.

I cannot believe you!

What if he had been hurt?!

Are you listening to me?!

Or maybe this entire world is matriarchal?

You always brighten up

when we come into town.

Coming here has provided information

vital to understanding this world.

The types and quality of weapons will let

me judge this nation's level of technology.

These various substances that didn't

exist in the world of my past life.

And,

the opportunity to observe magic, in person,

was very valuable indeed.

Oh, I guess it's nap time.

The two of them have seen to my every need.

As stifling as this life

is, it is not unpleasant.

Is this what families have always been like?

I wouldn't know.

But this warmth is agreeable.

Sleep well.

Y'know, Arthur, I'm happy when

you slip out of bed to read,

and the way your eyes light

up when we're at the market.

You probably get it from Rey.

One day, just like him, you'll

want to run off and see the world.

I'd rather you live a more

peaceful life, though,

my dear Arthur.

I'm very fortunate.

Because I've got a living example

to learn from, in close proximity.

Is your dad awesome, or what?

It'd be faster to just pick the rocks up.

That wasn't his best shot.

But now,

you'll see how impressive Dad can be.

My father is an augmenter.

Pretty good, right?

I can't just stand around like this.

It's almost time for your nap.

No books! It's time for sleep right now.

I I said, "no!" Nap time comes first.

Even if you look at me like that

No means no!

Just a little, okay?

Victory is mine.

I've gained a variety of

knowledge over these two years.

The most valuable of which

is the ability to produce a mana core.

The countless fragments of

mana throughout the body,

all focused into a single point.

It was a task that took

considerable effort, but

It's finally paying off.

I'm nearly there.

Just a little bit more

Are you okay, Alice?!

I am

Arthur? Arthur!

He was inside!

No way this can't be

It doesn't make any sense!

He's not even three yet!

Rey! Where is he? Is Arthur okay?

Alice

Our boy is already

My days of study have finally born fruit.

This is a great first step.

Arthur!

I was careless!

I can't possibly die in a place like this!

Arthur!

That's right.

These two will make sure I'm safe

That's the kind of duty a parent has.

Alice, how's Arthur?

He's okay! He's okay.

Thank goodness I'm so relieved!

Why are they crying?

They fulfilled their duty.

They should be proud.

I don't understand.

I don't understand.

This is something I wasn't able to

learn from this world's literature.

Something I never learned in my past life.

Mommy! Daddy!

Someone tell me

what exactly is this?