How to Live As a Returnee Munchkin Swordsman

2 – Compass of Fate (1)

-Sir Edgar, it’s Rae.

Hearing that low yet pleasant voice, I only had one thought.

‘Who’s Rae?’

I wanted to tear out my goddamn useless memory.

I couldn’t recall a single thing properly.

Partly because my memory itself wasn’t very good, but more because 10 years ago I was such trash, not even remembering the names of people around me.

Spending meaningless days playing around and eating, I didn’t have any idea what others were doing or what favors they showed me.

The only things I could vaguely remember were my father and brothers…

And some brief information about the continent and house?

As I agonized over this, I heard knocking again.

Knock knock knock-

“Sir Edgar, may I come in?”

I couldn’t just leave her waiting, so I called for her to enter.

Then a woman came into the room.

Clear blue cropped hair and beautiful looks, with a soft impression jumped out immediately.

Her low voice made me imagine a somewhat androgynous appearance, but she was a little different from what I expected.

“Sir Edgar, you have a meeting with the head in an hour. I came early since you’ll need to get ready.”

And this woman spoke briskly.

Her tone was again opposite her looks.

Hearing her words I could guess to some extent, but just in case I asked a confirming question.

“You are… who again?”

Even I thought it was a really trashy question.

The irony of her knowing me but me not knowing her.

But Rae sighed as if used to this situation and said,

“You’ve forgotten again? I thought you were familiar since we’ve met so often.”

“…Again?”

“Last time too you forgot my name and position. You even told me to bring alcohol thinking I was a maid.”

“…….”

How does this bastard spout such nonsense?

Mistaking her for a maid and telling her to bring alcohol?

Even homeless people on the street wouldn’t do that.

But in a way, it was fortunate I was trash 10 years ago.

Since I loved playing around and took no interest in people around me, cases like this where I was ignorant of information about others must have happened often.

Thanks to that, my strange questions now after returning were also naturally seen as ‘that guy being himself again’.

“I’m Rae. Sir Edgar’s attendant. You may not remember, but I’ve been attending you for over a month already.”

“…Right, Rae. My attendant. I temporarily forgot. hahahaha….”

As expected, Rae was my personal attendant.

I had guessed that much when she came to my room to report my schedule.

But women can also be attendants?

That didn’t exist in the otherworld I was in for 10 years, seems to be a rare case in the original world.

“I have to see my father?”

“Yes. I believe he wants to discuss your future path, the topic you were speaking of before.”

Brandon Mulric.

My father, and head of House Mulric, Viscount of Mado.

Among those with the ＜Mage＞ fate, he is known as one of the most skilled, and thanks to his exploits in the past Great Continental War, he is a quite popular hero in the kingdom.

I had been indoctrinated about my father’s achievements since I was very young, so even now after so much time had passed, I still remembered them well.

Facing him after losing many memories made me a little nervous, but it was a task I had to get over eventually after returning.

“I think arriving 30 minutes early and waiting would be good. Shall we depart now if you’re ready?”

At Rae’s question I nodded.

Truthfully after returning I hadn’t gone outside yet.

I focused on adapting to reality in my room, and only had a brief chat with the maid who came earlier.

Now I had to live my original world.

It wouldn’t hurt to get familiar with the people and buildings in the house ahead of time.

“Did Selene perhaps make some mistake with Sir Edgar?”

But as we walked down the hall leaving the room, Rae suddenly spoke up.

It was an unfamiliar name.

I coughed awkwardly a couple times and carefully asked,

“Selene… who was that again?”

“…She’s a new maid who joined House Mulric this month. Mainly in charge of making your snacks.”

“Ah.”

I immediately realized who she meant.

The first ‘person’ I met in this world after returning.

Seeing her, a maid of the family, I could finally feel that I had really returned.

Of course, she had come to prepare tea and snacks but ended up flustering me with some broken biscuits.

“I saw you crying earlier and wondered what had happened.”

Ray innocently asked about the reason for my tears.

…Was I crying over that?

I didn’t think I had done anything wrong in the first place. What could have upset the me from 10 years ago so much to elicit such a reaction?

I smiled wryly and shook my head.

“There was no other mistake. It’s just that some of the biscuits the maid brought were broken…”

But as I was speaking, I felt an inexplicable chill.

Sensing something amiss, I glanced around to see a flash of contempt in Ray’s eyes.

…Something was wrong.

Terribly wrong.

“It’s a misunderstanding.”

“You scolded her again over something like that?”

“I said it was a misunderstanding.”

“I will continue to guide you.”

She didn’t believe me at all!

This is unfair.

I really didn’t make her cry.

*

Stepping outside, I looked upon the enormous estate of the family.

The breadth and height of the buildings alone inspired awe.

The vast gardens and fountains, plants sprouting everywhere.

Various amenities built for the family’s enjoyment.

It was practically a small village.

Just the annex I had come from was as large as a mid-tier noble’s main building.

Seeing this incredible view, old memories surfaced in my mind.

Ah right, our family was filthy rich.

We were already a renowned Madoga clan, but my father, Brandon Mullock’s feats in the war earned him a title and elevated our status.

Naturally, wealth accumulated for the family, which is why such a mansion could be built.

Frankly, even as a noble before my return, I never owned an estate of this scale.

Regardless of economic differences between worlds, the Mullock family was exceptionally prosperous.

It wasn’t that I was idle and lazy 10 years ago.

“Hm?”

My eyes were drawn to a peculiar building.

Stopping in my tracks to stare at it, Ray beside me asked in puzzlement.

“Is something the matter?”

“That building is strange.”

The high walls and pillars, the open ceiling without a roof.

And the weapons and armor hanging around it.

Anyone could tell it was a training ground.

‘Was there a building like that?’

It clashed completely with the Mullock family’s style.

Yet it was unfamiliar, probably because it was of no interest to me before.

“It’s the training ground used by the family’s knights. Mainly for tactical training and sparring. Sir Edgar may not have seen it before…”

“I want to go see it.”

“Pardon?”

My sudden words startled Ray.

I smiled slightly at her bewilderment.

“It’s absurd for a family member to have not seen an internal building. I want to see it, Ray. There’s still time right?”

“Well…I suppose so.”

“Then spare me a moment.”

Though as a noble I needn’t ask a servant permission, I felt I should get her consent.

Nod nod-

And flustered by my dignified attitude, she unconsciously nodded before she knew it.

Seeing that sign of affirmation, I promptly headed toward the training ground.

Fortunately, it was not the knights’ practice time, for the training ground was completely empty.

‘There it is.’

And the moment I arrived inside-

I found the one thing I wanted to see.

A roughly forged, crude sword.

Too short for a longsword, too long for a dagger.

A gladius.

‘Greetings, my old friend.’

This was the first weapon I used on the battlefield when I arrived in this world 10 years ago.

Lightweight and easy to wield, the one-handed sword worked well with a shield.

Truly perfectly suited for foot soldiers like me back then.

That’s why it was a sentimental arm I used for a considerable time.

“Not bad.”

I swung the gladius through the air a few times.

It felt great.

The sensation of cutting through the wind and its familiar grip were so gratifying.

The reason I picked up this thing among the many weapons in the training ground.

Perhaps it was because of this feeling, like meeting an old friend.

“Hm?”

But then.

In a completely unexpected place, ‘fate’ stirred.

“The spinning compass of transforming fate!”

“You have been chosen as the hero of the ＜Swordsman＞ fate. The fifth fork in the road of the ＜Swordsman＞, ＜Understanding the Blade＞, swirls within you.”

After graduating from the hero academy I attended for 3 years, I was stuck at the first fork for ＜Mage＞, ＜Apprentice Mage＞.

I, who was so utterly lacking in magic talents I was ridiculed for possibly being a family bastard.

The second fate had come to me.