———
The Fastest Training Plan
———
Even if I do say so myself, I believe my life was tumultuous.
The torture in the pretext of training, being taken around everywhere in conflict areas with a ‘going for a stroll’ frame of mind.
During those turbulent days, I had become United Japan’s 37th Special Covert Operative… …the so called ‘Agent’.
Thereupon I met my comrade, and together, I continued to fight.
Spending all of my time fighting, at around the time I had passed 50 years of age, I retired and became an educator for the next generation.
‘Education’ was something that was difficult, but I believe that the days that I spent engrossed in it were enjoyable.
During those pleasant days, behind the scenes, a certain shadow organisation proceeded with secret maneuvering to have the world subverted.
The people who were to obstruct that shadow organisation’s size of an enterprise were, after great consideration, cautiously chosen.
And then… …I was selected.
I once possessed skills that made a name for me in the world; the selection is the result of my credibility and achievements.
But in reality, ‘it’s a retired ossan, so there’s little harm in it, even in the worst case scenario where he dies’… …is an afterthought based on the organisation-esque calculations of profits and loss.
‘No matter how you look at it, it’s a conspiracy’… …is how my comrade objected, but I accepted that.
It is because if I succeed with the elimination of the target, my comrade was promised to become part of the organisation’s senior management.
After being made to make a blood-sealed pledge, I make preparations, and attempt the operation.
The result… …I am dead.
Although it was a drawn out telling, I want you to think of me as having had spent a life that was by far, widely removed from those ordinary people. Having also gotten older, I take pride in having an iron heart that is not perturbed by ordinary occurrences.
Even though that’s what I wanted to yell, probably as this body’s vocal cords aren’t developed, even words are impossible. These surprisingly tiny hands and feet, this body which won’t move to my satisfaction even though it is my own body. Despite being an absurd state of affairs, I somehow clearly understand that I had become a baby.
As my confused self and composed self quarrel with one another, a shadow is cast over my face.
“———……——……—”
A woman is looking at me and speaking.
At what probably became my last operation, I disposed of the man who was the target, but I had myself suffered a fatal wound. Escape had become impossible, and to also include the destruction of evidence, I chose to to disappear together with the building.
Moreover, despite being able to recall the life I had led, I can’t recall the names of my former comrade and apprentices. The pinpoint holes in my memories, the situation in which I couldn’t obtain any information, and this body. In the present condition, I am unable to come up with answers no matter how much I think about it, and there’s also nobody that can give me answers either.
There are a few wrinkles on her face, so she was probably approximately past marriageable age, but all flattery aside, she is thoroughly a beautiful person. If I wasn’t a baby, I may have made advances on her.
Although there’s a heap of things that I must consider, without resisting the pleasant feeling, I let go of my consciousness.
One month had lapsed since I had awoken.
The world that I know of is still this room only.
Unlike before when sounds were difficult to hear, as if coming from a broken speaker, my ears had also become able to clearly distinguish sounds. And although I can’t walk yet, I have become able to move my body somewhat. However, inversely proportional to that, fuel consumption had exceedingly worsened. In other words, I had become hungry.
It was the entrance of the grey haired maid-san who is taking care of me. Speaking of that, even though a month has gone by, I haven’t seen anybody else other than this maid-san, have I?
“———……——————”
Yep, as usual I don’t know what she’s saying. My ears had become able to hear what they are saying, but I’m completely ignorant of the language. As I had flown about throughout the world in my previous life, I was proficient with languages, but not one of those languages has any consistency with this one.
Let me see…I wonder what kind of person—…………whah?
“——, ———, ———”
The grey haired maid-san gave instructions to the other person and left the room.
This girl, why in the world does she have [cat ears] on?
I still have questions, but I’m hungry so I decide to eat. Although, it’s something like milk with some kind of food mixed in it and doesn’t really taste nice.
“——! ————”
Every time I eat from the spoon, she squirms delightfully.
Honestly, are those cat ears real?
……eh, fire? But there’s no lighter or anything, from where exactly did the flame? Ahh I see, is it something like a sleight of hand? But I don’t think ‘fire’ is something that becomes such a beautiful sphere and floats in mid-air.
“———♪”
I’m confused over here, and in front of me cat ears-san is happily rotating her finger.
Is this possibly [Magic]… …maybe?
“——!”
Having realised that, cat ears-san’s movements stop, and at the same time the sphere of fire also disappeared. Without speaking, grey haired maid-san beckons over cat ears-san. With a scary ‘come here’ smiling face. The ears and the tail of the cat ears-san that was heading that way is dejectedly drooping; it was somehow soothing.
Cat ears or tails which don’t exist on normal humans, and the existence of magic.
I had presumably stepped away from intellection, but it seems that I must soon obediently accept reality.
This is… …nooot Earth.
Three months since I woke up.
My neck is steady, crawling movement was possible.
Making various rounds like that, I was deepening my understanding of the current situation anew. I confirmed that this isn’t Earth, and as there are things such as magic, it’s probably okay to call it an [other world].
The level of civilization here is, if in Earth terms, probably closest to Europe’s Middle Ages. Among other things, candles are the main for light and there’s no trace of things like electrical appliances so it seems inconvenient, but instead, there’s magic.
I decide to return to my room before maid-san comes. Today it’s probably cat ears-san’s turn to come.
“Here we are, it’s time to eat. I’ll feed you a lot. Aaan♪.”
Oh yeah, I had finally become able to understand the previously incomprehensible language. It’s probably also due to the learning speed of a baby, but I think it’s largely thanks to this cat ears-san. As this girl is immensely officious and at the same time loquacious, she comes to speak to me, to the extent of being arduous. If one is covered in the native language, then its acquisition is also fast. Being able to understand the language, naturally I also confirmed my name.
Sirius… …that is my new name.
The actual situation is unknown, but thus I gained a new life.
“It’s probably true for normal children, but Sirius-sama is special. He will undoubtedly make a name for himself in the future.”
An expert maid, but somewhat containing a doting parent.
She’s in the middle of her maid training at Erina-san’s side, but she still has a long way to go, as she hasn’t left her age-appropriate childishness.
“I wonder how soon he’ll call me ‘onee-chan’? Ah, but ‘onee-sama’ is also difficult to give up…”
Yep, this girl is fine without an honorific title.
“The meal is over now, right? I’ll ask that you do the cleaning next.”
I don’t know whether this world has four seasons or not, but outside the weather is fair and warm. It seems as if I were to take something like an afternoon nap, it’d be comfortable.
“Today the weather is warm, isn’t it? Let’s take a stroll outside for a bit shall we?”
“Yes, please leave it to me.”
Brought along by Erina-san, we take a leisurely stroll around the house.
And then after going around the house once, I incidentally notice it. But this house, it’s perimeter is completely covered by the forest and not one sign of other residences can be found? At best, there’s only a maintained path that continues ahead of a main gate-esque structure, and what was left of the surroundings, the forest is the only thing visible. It’s the kind of remote region that can’t be passed off as a rural area.
It seems that it’s usual for there to be things like dragons and other creatures which were just imaginary in my previous life, so it seems like it’s better if I start training my body from tomorrow onwards. Should I stop pretending to be a baby to some small extent and start training? If I show them that I can crawl after a while and they get used to the speed of my development, any distrust of the abnormal development thereafter will also probably fade. It would be ideal if, one month after I become able to walk, they’d smile and watch over me even if I jogged.
“……Erina-sama.”
“Yes.”
Turning towards the voice, an onii-san with pruning shears in his work clothes appeared from between the trees.
He was a young man with short brown hair and sharp eyes, he was also tall and in some respects engendered a ‘difficult to approach atmosphere’. If it was someone he was meeting for the first time, it seems like they would hesitate before accosting him.
“Apus have grown. Let’s bring some out for today’s evening meal.”
“Yes.”
Perhaps he is not good at speaking with others, his words are few and direct. As his expression has not changed one bit for a while now, if it was the previous world, he would definitely be certified as having communication sickness.
“Erina-sama, it’s impossible for a baby to understand…”
“…..that’s true. Please call me Dee, Sirius-sama.”
“!?”
He probably didn’t think that I would reply, Dee’s expression slightly fell apart.
“Yeah, truly.”
The pair’s eyes narrow, their gazes converge.
I’ve never seen them, and since there aren’t anything like photos, I don’t even know their faces.
My parents—I wonder where they are?