As a Second Reincarnation Bonus, I Kept Rerolling and Ended Up Reincarnating as the Character Who Should’ve Had the Easiest Life... or So I Thought - Episode 4: The Prince’s Fear

Episode 4: The Prince’s Fear

(This is getting troublesome…)

Atlas showed a timid attitude on the surface. He was trying to calm the prince’s anger. But the flames of rage didn’t seem likely to die down.

Panicked soldiers and the tutor desperately tried to soothe Regnas. But being a stubborn person, he wouldn’t back down.

“I’m just going to spar with that man. The House of Lothian is hosting this year’s Founding Festival and is an important family supporting Glowarth. If their son is weak, it could be a problem later. There’s reason to agree, but no reason to oppose.”

At only seven years old, this dignified aura was impressive. Atlas thought so with admiration. That said, he had no desire to be dragged into the courtyard by this turn of events.

While the tutor’s persuasion continued, people began to notice the commotion. And a crowd started to form.

“Please stop, Regnas-sama, suddenly talking about sparring like this!”

“Old man! Don’t keep saying such nonsense. You there, prepare two wooden swords.”

One of the soldiers, ordered by the prince, reluctantly decided to prepare the swords.

Atlas had resigned himself. He walked toward the courtyard with an expressionless face.

“Do you have experience in martial arts?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Don’t they teach it in Lothian? You must protect yourself with your own hands.”

After a while, Regnas received a wooden sword from a soldier who arrived out of breath. He first demonstrated his own skill.

“Now then, I’ll show you the basics of the sword. You just imitate what I do. Understood?”

“Yes.”

Atlas replied, half in resignation. He thought that the right to refuse probably didn’t exist anymore.

What Regnas demonstrated were basic techniques of two-handed swordsmanship — overhead slashes, diagonal slashes, horizontal slashes, thrusts — the kind that could truly be called fundamentals.

Because it was practically the same as the repetitive practice he had done countless times in his previous life, Atlas imitated them with little trouble.

(Footwork and stance feel slightly different. Is this unique to the prince, or is it different from the swordsmanship I learned?)

There were tiny differences in everything between his previous life and this one. Since it was a different world, it wouldn’t be surprising if the changes were greater. And that fact puzzled him.

For a seven-year-old, Regnas’ swordsmanship was remarkably sharp. The belief in protecting oneself tends to fade the more powerful someone becomes.

The prince couldn’t stand weak nobles.

At first, Atlas had appeared ordinary in his eyes.

“You seem to catch on quickly. Then let’s try some sparring.”

“Regnas-sama! Please stop!”

About twenty minutes had passed when Regnas suggested sparring, and the tutor shouted out to stop him.

Even if royalty had strong authority in the kingdom, injuring a child of another noble family could become a serious issue.

“Old man! Are you saying I would injure him? He’s a beginner. I know how to hold back.”

But Regnas wouldn’t listen. Atlas had thought about how to settle things peacefully. But he concluded that there was no choice but to let him do as he pleased.

“Alright, let’s begin. You don’t need to hold back. Come at me head-on.”

“Yes.”

In the end, ignoring everyone’s attempts to stop them, the sparring began.

Facing the prince directly, for some reason, memories of the past came back to him.

(Those eyes don’t yet know killing. I hope they stay that way… No, now’s not the time to think like that. I’ll take it easy.)

Atlas’ body was slightly smaller than Regnas’.

He raised his gaze slightly, checked his breathing, and stepped forward quietly.

Whether he got hurt or caused injury, it would be a big deal.

He swung his sword downward gently, but not lazily — carefully controlled.

(Hm?)

It was a close moment.

Just as the wooden sword was about to hit, Regnas barely managed to block it.

It wasn’t that he deliberately delayed defending — he simply couldn’t react in time.

The sound of clashing wooden swords rang out, and the watching children squealed in delight, “Waaah!”

(That’s odd. I shouldn’t be able to swing with that speed now… huh?)

Atlas felt a strange power swelling up inside his body.

It was a strange power that felt both nostalgic and unpleasant.

As for Regnas, he was shaken by the sword’s unexpected speed and strength.

He had underestimated the son of a second-rate noble — he never expected to almost get hit.

Humiliation showed in his expression.

“Alright. That was a good move. Now, my turn to attack.”

“Yes.”

The man facing the prince decided this would be the end.

He would defend, then stagger backward in fear to satisfy the prince’s pride.

He could instinctively tell exactly when the prince would strike.

Just as he expected, at the predicted speed, a thrust aimed at his throat came.

Regnas had confidence in his swordsmanship. He believed he could stop the tip just before it hit the throat.

However, the wooden sword’s tip was filled with confidence and anger. It couldn’t even get close to the proper stopping point.

At the moment of approach, Atlas felt like something rose from his body.

Something much larger and more ominous than himself, with a black body and a red sword.

Regnas’ lunge came to a halt at an awkward distance.

This was unexpected even for Atlas — and it was Regnas who was most shaken.

“Ah… ahh…”

Still holding the wooden sword, the prince backed away.

His eyes were wide-open as if seeing a monster. They even showed fear.

But Regnas was by no means a coward.

The fact that he didn’t collapse after seeing that vision showed he was quite brave.

Those around them were frozen. They did not understand what had just happened.

Only Regnas, who had faced it directly, knew.

“What are you doing!”

At that moment, the king and the Lothian family arrived in the courtyard.

And thus, Atlas was finally freed from the prince.

Since neither of them was injured, it wouldn’t turn into a major incident.

The soldiers and tutor were relieved — but it wasn’t over yet.

They would now face the king’s anger and be sent scurrying in all directions.

(Could it be… my power from the previous life is returning? No, that can’t be…)

Meanwhile, in the middle of the chaos, Atlas couldn’t shake the bad feeling growing from deep within his body.

However, as time passed, the son of the Lothian family gradually forgot about the incident.

In contrast, the heir to the kingdom would never forget it.