Chapter 3

I was held by Kuro as we scrambled through the forest. 　

As expected of a vampire, she is running through the forest at a great speed, so the wind is too strong to look forward. 　

Sunlight shines into the forest, creating a fantastic atmosphere. 　

Everything seems to be different from before I woke up... 　

Forests should have been places where mysterious powers could easily accumulate, and there should have been demonic beasts everywhere, but now they are rarely seen. 

"It's really peaceful..."

After a while, Kuro braked sharply and stopped. 

"Here we are. This is my home."

"Oh... Wow..!"

A number of wooden huts surround a massive tree at the center. 　

Each hut is connected by something like a bridge, and it's more authentic than I expected. 　After all, I thought it would be a secret base for children, but this surprised me. 

"It's a pretty tough house."

"Of course it is? 　

Well, I didn't make it alone, y'know. It's almost 20 years old... Your life response is getting stronger, so we moved to this place, you see."

20 years. It is no insignificant number of days. 　

I'm sure Kuro came to check on me almost every day until I woke up. 　

However, vampires and humans live different times. 

But, I guess I should still be grateful. 

"...Sorry for the trouble, or something. Thank you."

"Heh, don't worry about it. Did your personality become more amicable after sleeping for a thousand years? Disgusting."

"Hey, shut up! Ignore that, after all."

"Hah-hah-ha, how nostalgic. Well, there's a room I made for you.

I guess it is a children's room, though."

Kuro looked into my face with a grin. 　

I glare back at her with a sullen expression. 

"He's a little boy with sharper eyes than a vampire, scary, scary. Well, jokes aside, it's just your room. You can just sit there and think about stuff for a while."

"Yeah... I'll do that. Tell me a lot about this world."

◇　◇　◇

The children's room is very simple, with a bed, a desk, a chair, and a pile of books related to sorcery that she probably brought from my house. 　

All of them are dusty, but sorcery is useful a useful thing, so there's not a scratch on any of them. 　

Although it is a simple construction, that is only about the interior, and I am glad that there are almost no problems with the durability of the house. 　

It seems that you can look out from the round window, and a cool breeze blows in through the gap. 　

Kuro gently laid me down on the bed. 

"Oops... Oh~..."

I had been asleep all this time, lying on a stone for a thousand years. I can't help but leak out a sound with the magical attraction of my first soft bed in a long time and its broad-mindedness that would rendre all men useless.

 "What's with that strange voice?"

"...Shut up."

I close my eyes again and take a deep, deep breath. 　

I feel like I want to fall asleep again. 

"Hey, have you seen your body?"

"I can't see it, can I?"

I gave an absent-minded reply. 

"Listen, you know you have been wearing that blood covered sorcerer's attire ever since the time you almost died, without even taking a bath, right? Do you understand how dirty you are?"

Kuro made a bitter face while pinching her nose. Ah, it hurts... 

"Ugh... Then why did you put me on the bed!?"

"I thought that would be better than throwing you on the floor...so, take it all off."

"Hey, hey!"

Without a word, my clothes got pulled off like I was a baby. My large adult-sized sorcerers' attire was crammed into a trash can in the corner of the room (but it was my favourite one...), and I lay there unprotected with my underpants.

"Heh-heh-heh, what a pathetic look for someone who's saved the world."

"...What a terrible person you are...whether you're a hero or a scholar, everyone goes back to being a baby at night."

"That's not something a four-year-old would say, come on now."

"Four years old—"

Kuro nods. 

"Looking at how tall you are and your bones, and how much life response there is, that's pretty much what your body seems to be."

"Ha, ha-ha..."

I hold my head and hang it down. Lies... then I can't drink alcohol either! 

"Hey, hey, there's no need to be sad. You were twenty-one before you fell asleep, right? You're seventeen years younger now. It seems that all the people who have obtained money, power, and everything in the East and West, ancient and modern, have all sought immortality. You're the closest thing to that, right? 　

Aren't you happy?"

"Hrmm~... Well, immortality is an exaggeration, but I can't be unhappy about rejuvenation, certainly. I can do things over again, so. Besides, I'm already ready to take this as my second life."

"Oh?"

"But, you know, isn't being a child inconvenient? 　

I'm small in stature, and adults can make light of me."

"You don't like being made light of, huh? But there are many benefits, right?"

"Like?"

"Well, for example, you, a young man who used to be so nasty now look adorable just by taking the form of a child, or I used to be looked down upon by you and was annoyed inwardly, but now you are so cute that you can't move without being held by me, and after that—"

"Right! All the merits are for you! Don't make me the butt of your motherhood!"

"Heh-heh-heh, it is also an advantage that I can make fun of you. 

"Well, I'm going to get some food ready, so you can relax in bed for a while, then."

After saying that, Kuro grinned at my angry face and gave me a triumphant look, and walked out the door without saying anything.

"Good grief... You're still the same, even after a thousand years, huh..."

My child's roo-, my office finally became quiet, so I calmly started thinking about some things. 　

A thousand years... a thousand years, huh? I'm sure a lot has changed. 　

The Devil is no longer there, and the demon beasts are no longer as threatening as before. 　I wonder if the country has changed a lot after so much time. I wonder if it has disappeared, or gotten larger. 　

Mystyo's sorcerer unit where I was located...I'm sure it's been trained for a thousand years, and it's so powerful that the sorcery of the past can't compete with it. I'm kind of excited to see that. 　

They were... the five people who traveled with me. 　

Ugan, Elena, Nilfa, Zeke, Quinn... they themselves died in that battle, but the family would have prospered from the king's reward. Perhaps we will meet somewhere. 　

When I think about it, I certainly feel that there are many fun things to look forward to in this second life. 　

Everything is positive. 　

Seeing the world change, meeting people, training in sorcery... bringing back what I couldn't do in my time. 　

It's peace we've gotten, and no one will complain if I enjoy it. 　

That's the way it is for the time being. I'll get Kuro's help here, get my body back to normal, and visit their graves first. Let's do that.