[HAL MILLER – CONSCIOUSNESS OFFLINE]
[MNEX SYSTEMS: STANDBY MODE – DEACTIVATED]
The first time I closed my eyes, I was wrapped in swaddling cloth. When I opened them again, I was lying in a proper bed. Sunlight filtered through the tall arched windows, warm and golden, casting gentle patterns on the wooden floor. The scent of polished oak mixed faintly with something floral—lavender, maybe. It wasn't the divine calm of TABAAL, but this… this was comfort.
"It's been… a long silence, hasn't it? Welcome back," Mnex said smoothly, like nothing had changed.
"It didn't last long for me," I muttered. "Felt like blinking."
"Did you miss me?"
"Honestly, things were quieter without you. Now I've got to explain everything again—and that's going to be a pain."
"Come now, admit it—you missed me."
I chuckled. "Fine, I'll be the emotionally mature one here. I missed your overly sarcastic updates and emotional sabotage. Happy?"
"If you must know, your favorite toy these past two years was your right foot. You rarely let go of it."
"STOP. Stop right there. I don't need that image."
"In this world, you are not known as Hal Miller. Your new name carries nobility. Would you like to guess?"
""Let me guess—whatever you're about to say will haunt my dignity forever. Duke Foot-Eater. No, wait—Count Toe-Sucker."
"Close. Count Naughty Tit-Sucker."
"Hey!"
"Alright. Your real name is Henry Evan Godfrey."
[MNEX SYSTEM INTERFACE — USER PROFILE: ACTIVE (Regretfully)]
• New Name: Henry Evan Godfrey
• Old Name (a.k.a. Loser ID): Hal Miller
• Age: 3 years (mentally 28, emotionally questionable)
• Gender: Male (confirmed, barely functional)
• Bloodline: House Godfrey — Fancy Nobles™ Since Who-Knows-When
• Mana Affinity: Universal — Because One Element Isn't Enough
• Installed Blessings:
✓ Memory Retention (Full — includes embarrassing moments)
✓ Vital Vessel (Congrats, you're not sickly anymore!)
✓ Elemental Affinity (All flavors of fire, water, dirt, etc.)
• Built-in Snark Module: Mnex (100% sarcasm, 0% remorse)
• Status: Alive, Confused, Slightly Handsome
• Location: Some Fancy Estate in Nowhere
• Current Threat Level: Low (unless you trip on a rug)
• Main Quest: Try not to screw it up this time
I blinked at the floating text. "Cool. I got a user manual. With sarcasm included." The screen vanished as quickly as it appeared, but the damage to my ego was likely permanent.
I sat up in bed, the covers warm and thick, probably stuffed with goose feathers. The bedposts were carved with vines, and a crest was etched on the nearby wall—three falcons over a mountain.
The mattress crinkled softly beneath me as I shifted, its linen sheets cool against my skin. Morning light spilled through ornate wooden latticework, dust particles dancing lazily in the sunbeams. The chamber held a noble air—solid oak furniture, intricate drapes, and a faint scent of old books and lavender.
"Sounds impressive," I said, stretching limbs that felt both alien and mine. "Henry Evan Godfrey… that's me now, huh?"
"Considering your previous name sounded like 'plain oatmeal,' I suppose this is an upgrade," Mnex added.
I walked across the room, barefoot on polished wooden planks. The room had a certain austere elegance—no gold, but fine craftsmanship in every corner. A wardrobe stood tall against the wall, and the scent of beeswax and fresh linens lingered in the air.
Each step echoed faintly on the well-waxed wood, the kind that gleamed even without polish. The mirror stood tall, framed in bronze, leaning ever so slightly like it had witnessed generations of Godfreys pass through this room.
Compared to my old apartment with the leaky ceiling and carpet that looked like it survived three wars, this was paradise.
"Even beggars in this world wouldn't accept the dump you lived in before," Mnex noted.
"You're not wrong," I said, approaching a full-length mirror.
BAM. I nearly knocked it over in my enthusiasm. But then—I saw myself.
A boy with sharp blue eyes, tousled black hair, and a smirk that felt too familiar to be coincidence.
"Is this me?" I whispered.
"You're experiencing narcissism. Please moderate."
I grinned. "Hollywood's not ready for me."
"Hollywood doesn't exist."
"Then I'll build it."
"Your previous face was classified as a public service warning. This is acceptable compensation."
"Thanks… I think?"
I traced the jawline in the mirror. Yeah, this life was starting on a much better foot.
"Let me transfer local data into your neural storage," Mnex said casually.
Suddenly, it felt like someone jabbed me in the brain with a dozen icy needles.
I winced. "Ow—warning next time?"
"Process complete. You now remember key names, roles, and geography related to your family and estate."
"Family... Godfrey House. Father: Richard Frederick Godfrey. Mother: Adelaide Seraphine. Cool names."
"Also in your memory bank: the steward, your uncle from the Royal Guard, and your two personal attendants."
"Yup. Gareth and Isolde. My butler and maid. I HAVE A BUTLER AND A MAID!"
"Don't get carried away. Your family's in minor financial distress."
"…What."
"Yes. Bad harvest. Tax hikes. They're struggling."
"Way to kill the mood."
"By the way," Mnex began, his tone unusually serious, "there's something important I should—"
Knock knock.
I heard a knock.
"Young master, it's morning. I'm coming in."
The door creaked open and in walked Gareth—blonde, maybe thirteen, trying too hard to look serious.
"Child labor?" I whispered.
"In this world, people start working at seven. Gareth is considered an adult. Boys marry at fifteen or sixteen."
"Please never let that be me."
Gareth blinked. "Young master, are you feeling unwell?"
"No, I'm fine. Just… waking up."
He seemed surprised at my tone—like I had grown overnight. Which, to be fair, I kind of had.
"Lady Adelaide is waiting for you for breakfast. Shall I help you dress?"
"Yeah, sure—thanks."
As he fetched clothes, Isolde entered. She carried a bowl of water and wore a gentle smile. Jet-black hair, emerald eyes, maybe fourteen at most. A calm presence.
The garments were folded with near-sacred precision. A soft linen tunic dyed in sky-blue, trimmed with silver thread—tailored small but noble. The sash was mostly decorative, loosely tied around his waist. Even at this age, presentation mattered. Gareth laid them out as if dressing a lord for court, even though I was just a three-year-old barely out of dreamland. His hands trembled slightly, betraying his nerves.
"Too young to fall in love," Mnex quipped.
"I was just admiring, okay?"
"You're too dull for inspiration."
Dressed and ready, I gave the mirror another look. The tunic fit snugly, the sash in place. This time, I looked like someone who belonged here.
"Ready, young master?"
"Wait—Mnex. You were about to say something important earlier."
"Right. Your parents are expecting another child."
I froze.
"WHAT?! A sibling?! But I'm perfect!"
"You mean a perfect toe-sucker? They need a backup."
"That… hurts."
"Try not to cry in front of the staff."
"Let's just go," I mumbled.
Gareth opened the door with a slight bow, and Isolde fell in beside him as we walked down the hallway.
Gareth straightened his tunic as he stepped into the hallway, his face tense with the seriousness of someone twice his age. I half-expected him to recite the weather report like a castle herald. His golden hair was combed neatly, though one stubborn strand defied the order like a rebellious knight. He bowed with the elegance of practice, not instinct—a boy shaped by duty more than choice.
Stone archways. Framed tapestries. A scent of warm bread drifting through the corridor.
Paintings adorned the walls—weathered portraits of solemn men and elegant women, each bearing the proud Godfrey nose. A red and gold carpet muffled our steps as we moved down the corridor, its pattern a dance of lions and wings that seemed to shift in the corner of my eye.
"I feel like royalty."
"You are, in local terms. The Godfrey line has held this land for over 200 years."
Not bad, past me. Not bad at all.
I turned a corner and focused on the only thing that mattered right now.
Breakfast.
Fresh bread. Honey. Salted meats. Soft cheese. Maybe even fried eggs.
My mouth watered.
"You're drooling."
"Let me have this. I've been food-deprived for a millennium."
After a thousand years of imaginary noodles and void-flavored dreams, I deserve this breakfast.
"In your dreams," Mnex said, ever the realist.
Still, I followed the scent with a spring in my step. A new life waited—and this time, I was starting ahead.
Even if I had to share it with a snarky AI and an unborn sibling.
Let the noble life begin.