As soon as Arthur entered the library with his mother, his eyes lit up. The huge room was lined with shelves from floor to ceiling, packed with books in worn leather bindings. The smell of old paper and ink hung in the air, mixed with those mysterious particles that seemed even denser here.
Without wasting a second, Arthur rushed to the nearest shelf and reached his little hands toward a thick volume with an ornate cover.
"No, no!" exclaimed Anastasia, gently catching him. "That book is way too complicated for you, sweetheart."
She put the thick tome back and grabbed another one, smaller, with colorful pages.
"Here, this is a children's book with pretty pictures."
Arthur frowned but accepted the book. His mother settled him comfortably on her lap in a soft armchair near the window, then opened the book in front of him.
And then, disaster.
What the… What are these symbols?!
The characters on the page looked nothing like anything he knew. Not the Latin alphabet, not Cyrillic, not even Asian ideograms. It was a completely alien writing system, with curves and angles that seemed to defy all logic.
Arthur felt his heart sink.
How is this possible? How didn't I think of this?!
His mother noticed his grimace.
"What's wrong, Arthur? Can't you read?"
Of course I can't read, damn it!
Frustration rose in him like a wave. He'd been so stupid! Yes, the language they spoke was strangely similar to French—or at least, his reincarnated brain automatically translated it into French. So he'd assumed the writing would be familiar too.
Big mistake.
This written language is completely different. Another obstacle in my way to knowledge and power…
"Fucking hell…" he muttered under his breath, momentarily forgetting he was supposed to be a baby. "What is this crap? This is so unfair!"
Luckily, the words came out garbled enough that Anastasia didn't understand exactly what he'd said.
"What's wrong, sweetheart?" she asked gently, stroking his black hair. "Are you disappointed you can't read by yourself?"
She smiled tenderly.
"Don't worry. This book is a children's storybook. If you want, mommy will read it to you. How about that?"
Arthur nodded, resigned.
Well, I don't really have a choice. Might as well use this to learn about this world.
Anastasia settled in comfortably and began reading in a soft, melodious voice:
"Once upon a time, in a distant world, there was a hero called the Absolute Savior…"
Arthur listened carefully, despite his initial skepticism.
"In this world existed several races: humans, of course, but also elves with pointed ears, dwarf blacksmiths, and even powerful dragons. They all lived together, but not always in peace."
Elves? Dragons? So this really is a fantasy world…
"Among the humans lived a young villager named Eric. Eric only knew the art of the sword, which he'd practiced since he was very young. One day, a terrible threat fell upon the world: the Dark Invaders, creatures from beyond the borders of the known world."
Arthur rolled his eyes internally.
Classic. Very classic.
"Eric didn't sit around doing nothing. With his loyal companions—Erwin the mage, Ericna the elf archer, Torixa the dwarf warrior, and many others—he formed an alliance to fight the invaders. After many battles, they managed to defeat the Demon King and drive away the darkness. Thanks to their courage, a world of peace and equality was built for all living beings."
Arthur listened to the end of the story with a bored expression.
Another children's tale full of idealism. An equal world? Universal peace? Whatever.
He'd lived thirty years in his previous world. He knew perfect equality didn't exist. There were only situations where inequality was more or less tolerated, more or less visible. But pure equality? A pipe dream.
This bullshit to brainwash kids…
But suddenly, something strange happened.
Before his eyes, like a virtual overlay on reality, a translucent panel appeared. Lines of text inscribed themselves in glowing characters:
[SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
[New skill acquired: Absolute Linguistic Comprehension]
[Description: Ability to read, understand, speak, and write all languages existing in this world.]
Arthur's eyes widened, almost falling off his mother's lap.
What the hell is this?!
He blinked several times, but the panel stayed there, floating in his field of vision.
A… a system? Like in light novels and isekai manga?!
"Arthur?" Anastasia's worried voice brought him back to reality. "Why are you laughing like that, sweetheart? Are you okay?"
Arthur realized he was cackling like a maniac.
"Nothing, nothing!" he stammered, trying to regain his composure.
But the panel continued displaying new information:
[STATUS - ARTHUR BERHER]
Age: 6 months
Race: Human
Title: Seventh Son, Child Prodigy
STATS:
∙ Strength: 2
∙ Agility: 2
∙ Endurance: 1
∙ Intelligence: 5
∙ Mana: 0
∙ Magic Affinity: ???
SKILLS:
∙ Absolute Linguistic Comprehension [NEW]
∙ Reincarnation (Passive)
∙ Memories of a Previous Life (Passive)
Arthur stared at the panel, his mind racing a hundred miles an hour.
Strength 2, Agility 2… Makes sense for a six-month-old baby. Intelligence 5, that must be thanks to my adult consciousness. But… Mana 0?
He frowned.
Does that mean I can't use magic? Or just that I haven't developed it yet?
"Sweetheart?" Anastasia waved a hand in front of his face, looking more and more worried. "Are you sure you're okay? You seem… distant."
Arthur blinked and the panel disappeared instantly.
I can make it appear and disappear at will?
He concentrated, and sure enough, the panel reappeared.
Incredible…
A slow, satisfied smile spread across his baby face.
Alright. If I have a system… then maybe this reincarnation isn't so unfair after all.
He looked at his mother with a radiant smile.
"Mommy… more! Read more!"
Anastasia, relieved to see her son return to good spirits, smiled tenderly.
"Okay, my angel. Mommy will read you another story."
But in his mind, Arthur was already planning.
Linguistic comprehension acquired. Now I can really start learning. I'm going to devour every book in this library. I'm going to understand this world, master its rules, become stronger…
And protect those who matter to me.
His gaze hardened slightly.
In this fantasy world with a system, magic, and dragons… I'll never be powerless again.