Regis rubbed his temples, hoping it was all just in his imagination, but the burning wound on the back of his hand felt stiff and undeniable.


    This wasn’t a dream. He had been reincarnated into another world.


    But why?


    The question lingered in his mind.


    He wasn’t particularly fond of reincarnation stories, but neither did he dislike them.


    "Young master, the meal will be ready in ten minutes."


    A woman’s voice called out from behind the door.


    He didn’t respond, and the maid didn’t seem to care.


    It was a rather unfortunate situation.


    Regis used the remaining ten minutes to summarize the events that had taken place in the house.


    Duke Hawkins had come with his daughter, who was supposed to be his fiancée, along with another boy who was her childhood friend. Regis Polaris, who he now was, had tried to lay hands on her.


    And her childhood friend had defended her.


    What happened next was predictable: Duke Hawkins left to annul the marriage contract, and Regis was punished by his father.


    But it hadn’t been him. So why did he have to bear the consequences of the actions of his previous self?


    His father had been so angry that steam might as well have been coming out of his head. Regis had thought he might be reincarnated a third time when he asked what he’d done wrong, but he had simply been slapped painfully instead.


    Sighing, Regis got up from his bed and walked through the hallway.


    Of course, he passed other servants in the corridors, but their cold, dark gazes instinctively silenced him.


    Even when I got caught with contraband magazines at school, no one looked at me like that.


    "That’s the delinquent young master…"


    Regis heard an insult, turned around, but the servants had all fled.


    Big mouths, fast legs.


    He clicked his tongue and stepped into the dining room.


    "…"


    "Tsk…"


    Regis slowly entered, scanning the faces of the other family members.


    Everyone seemed to have a poor opinion of him, likely because of his past misdeeds.


    Hmm? Why are most of them women?


    Three girls and one boy?


    Now he understood why his father couldn’t punish him too harshly.


    He was the only male heir to the family. Sigh.


    The worst part was that he was the youngest. The three girls were nine, twelve, and sixteen years old, respectively.


    The sixteen-year-old, in particular, was giving him an icy glare.


    Of course, I’m only seven years old.


    Just when he thought she might jump at him, the door opened, and his father, Drake Polaris, entered.


    He sat firmly at the head of the table, gripping the armrests, while the servants quickly served the meal.


    The way he cut his food was dignified and noble.


    Regis watched the others’ hands. Everyone was using forks and knives with elegance.


    Hmm.


    He grabbed a chicken thigh, placed it on his plate, and took a bite.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    It was delicious.


    "Father, Regis cannot inherit the barony!"


    Straight to the point, huh?


    Can’t you wait until I finish my meal like an adult?


    Suppressing his irritation, Regis listened silently to his sister’s complaints.


    "Duke Hawkins will blacklist us now! We need to mend ties with them, or the neighboring nobles will invade us!"


    Their father rubbed his temples.


    "What else can we do, Hun?"


    "Disinherit Regis. I should take charge of the barony!"


    His sister’s eyes sparkled with ambition.


    Damn, you just want my position, huh?


    "You can’t. Only a man can inherit a territory."


    "But! I’ve achieved merits at the academy that place me above other nobles. I’m capable!"


    "This isn’t about merit."


    Just as the discussion was getting interesting, Regis spoke up. "Fine, I’ll give up my title."


    Instantly, the room fell silent.


    The servants and butlers at the edges of the room, his father’s wide, trembling eyes, and his sisters’ curious stares all turned toward him.


    His mother spoke calmly.


    "You’re giving up your title for my daughter?"


    "Dear, even if you’re not his biological mother, he’s still your son!"


    He nodded quietly, taking another bite of chicken.


    His mother fell silent.


    Perhaps lost in thought, but Regis didn’t care.


    Just as his father was about to reprimand him, Regis suddenly stood.


    "I’m not hungry anymore. Father, I’m incapable of managing the territory. I believe my eldest sister is capable of caring for our subjects."


    His father paused mid-sentence, his mouth opening and closing like a fish.


    Regis left for his room, enduring the cold stares of the servants who were oblivious to the situation.


    Of course, he took the opportunity to grab one of them.


    "You. Bring me what’s on this paper."


    While waiting, he pulled open the curtain covering the window. The light blinded him momentarily.


    Regis laughed softly, gazing at the view outside.


    A fantastical, post-industrial world.


    Beyond the house stood advanced medieval-style buildings, with smoke visible in certain areas.


    Probably factory grounds.


    Looking down, he spotted a training field.


    "Ah, so that’s the source of the noise."


    Gunfire rang out as soldiers aimed muskets at straw dummies.


    Hmm.


    The soldiers held their muskets, reloading them with powder.


    A Napoleonic-era musket.


    Considering this world isn’t entirely fantastical, that’s a good thing.


    Well, against an automatic assault rifle, these muskets wouldn’t even be a threat.


    I guess the modern era really is a world apart. Heh.


    Hmm.


    Even if this world enjoys technological knowledge, does it also possess magic or supernatural powers?


    He scratched his chin.


    Perhaps?


    Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.


    "Young master, here are the books you requested…"


    Before the maid could finish speaking, he grabbed the manuals and shut the door.


    "…"


    The maid wore a blank expression.


    Regis quickly flipped through the history manual.


    "Basic Introduction to History."


    Ah! A map appeared on the second page, depicting a continent with one empire, four kingdoms, and a federation.


    So, this is the geopolitical layout of the world?


    The Gorgone Empire occupied the northern part of the continent, covering two-fifths of the landmass, followed by three kingdoms bordering the Empire and a federation with a smaller territory.


    The last kingdom was on the extreme opposite side of the Gorgone Empire.


    Regis turned the page, reading the history of the current nations.


    -Once, there were two continents, lands constantly changing hands, and rivers of blood flowing through the seas and oceans.


    Amidst the false kings, several men of great intellect forced the world into the next era, soon called the Industrial Era.


    Muskets and new combat methods quickly suppressed the old nations. New nations soon emerged.


    Among these emerging nations, the Gorgone Empire, led by its Founding Emperor, Justin Gorgone, absorbed three nations, contributing to peace in the northern territories.


    The central and southern kingdoms, threatened by the Empire’s power, hastily formed the Alliance of Kingdoms. The Empire quickly countered these enemies by drafting a defense pact with the federation.


    The federation was used as a hammer against the kingdoms.


    Ensuring their mutual survival.


    To this day, only the Kingdom of Helios has remained neutral.


    A force of three kingdoms, a federation, and an empire has balanced each other for over half a century.


    Turn the page.


    The 17th year of the Industrial Era.


    The Monster Saga.


    -This year marked an entirely unexpected turning point for the nations, and for humanity itself. Monsters began to appear in forests, meadows, and even mountains.


    The death toll in the first year was estimated at 30 million humans, nearly a quarter of the population.


    At the time, humanity was just recovering from the industrial wars, and the new war against monsters brought war back into prominence.


    Monsters were immune to lead bullets. Weapons effective against humans were used against them.


    Humanoid monsters, though weak, were formidable foes.


    Under the growing dangers of the monsters, for the first time in human history, nations united to form the Grand Army of 15 million soldiers.


    For ten years, humanity fought alongside heroes and powerful creatures for its survival.


    Again and again, humans and heroes perished.


    Even civilians had to take up arms to fight. Farmers producing bread were forced to wield swords; children laughing in the streets became disposable.


    However, this approach pushed humanity against a wall. The birth rate was low.


    The number of mobilized soldiers dwindled over the years; the presence of men on the streets became rare.


    Everyone thought humanity was nearing its end.


    And at that fateful time—


    The monster army launched an assault on the human coalition’s central command.


    Turn the page.


    Regis was completely absorbed in the text.


    He turned the page.


    However, the last part was completely torn out.


    "Why is the ending torn out?"


    He frowned.


    This was the most important part of the story.


    In a world where monsters had nearly wiped out humanity, how had humans managed to survive and thrive until now?


    What had become of the monsters?


    He wanted to ask a servant to bring another history book, but looking at the moon in the sky, Regis decided to give up for the night.


    "How did humans survive?"


    Regis covered himself with his blanket and fell asleep.