IBGF 2

Chapter 2

Is this a dream or reality?

“That will be all for today’s class.” “······.”

A middle-school-looking teacher with a stern expression packed his books and left the spot. I could only stare blankly at his retreating back as if I had been possessed by a ghost.

“Tsk, tsk. He’s already turning twelve, yet his achievements are still so sluggish.”

I heard the teacher mumbling something or other, but those words simply passed right through my ears. What on earth is going on here? Several hours had passed since I opened my eyes, but I still couldn’t fully grasp the current situation.

At first, I simply thought I had been rushed to a hospital. Of course, that thought vanished in less than a minute. Because no matter where you searched in South Korea, you wouldn’t be able to find a hospital styled like pre-modern Europe.

My own physical condition was even more ridiculous. I, who surely should have been sent flying by a hit-and-run, didn’t have a full-body cast, nor even a single scratch on my body. On top of that, I had the appearance of a young child who probably hadn’t even reached middle school yet.

There was no other way to look at this than that I had been reborn.

Surprisingly quick to regain my composure, I was able to accept the very fact that I had reincarnated remarkably fast. This, too, was thanks to the hobby I usually enjoyed.

To reiterate, the human body is not a machine. If you rot away day in and day out in a research lab, you inevitably need a hobby that allows you to catch your breath for a moment. My only solace during those brief moments of leisure was reading web novels on the side. For emptying your head, killing time, and vicariously satisfying yourself, nothing truly beat web novels.

As for what the staple tropes of web novels were these days—saying it twice is nagging, and saying it thrice is nonsense. Reincarnation, possession, regression. Yet, absurdly enough, I had never even imagined in my wildest fantasies that this would become my story.

It was truly bewildering, but what could I do? At this point, I felt confident that nothing could shock me anymore.

Having swiftly accepted reality, I closely examined my surroundings. Strangely enough, the furniture visible to my eyes and the attire of the people drifting in and out of the room as servants looked familiar to me. It went beyond being similar to the historical materials I had examined until I felt nauseous—it was safe to say they were identical.

Moreover, listening to what the people were saying, this was unmistakable. France in the 17th to 18th centuries. There was no doubt about it. The background of the place I had reincarnated into was definitely this era.

Then, who was I, living right here and now?

Strangely enough, my memories didn’t feel clear, as though a hazy mist hung over my head. I certainly knew things intellectually, but it felt as though the lived experiences had been completely sheared away.