A world that seemed anything but ordinary

He was a little surprised by how well he had done, even if his tiny body housed an adult's soul.

He could understand pretending to be a math genius to fool people in an ancient society. After all, he hadn't somehow slipped through the cracks of nine years of compulsory education.

But being this good at everything else struck him as unbelievable.

He had discovered that his memory was ridiculously good now. Calling it photographic would have been an exaggeration, but he could definitely remember most of something after reading it once.

That left him wondering, Could this be my transmigrator cheat?

Enough of those idle thoughts. He had made a major discovery today.

He had found a clue to the Mystic Side—or, more precisely, to the ancient Mystic Side.

While reading A General History of the Croatia Continent today, he had come across a passage that roughly meant:

"After the entire Elf Race departed from the Croatia Continent, war broke out among the nations. This conflict lasted more than three hundred years, bringing the Second Era to a definitive close as the Third Era gradually took the stage."

The Croatia Continent was the name of the landmass he currently lived on.

And based on his memories from his previous life, the Elf Race was practically inseparable from the Mystic Side. No matter how he looked at it, they hardly seemed like an ordinary race of people.

A history book like A General History of the Croatia Continent presumably wouldn't invent an entire race.

Unfortunately, the Second and Third Eras were far too distant. Books recording events from those eras were few and far between.

One era lasted ten thousand years, and this was already the Fifth Era.

The Elf Race had left twenty or thirty thousand years ago. With such an enormous span of time between then and now, even a few scattered written references were more than he could ask for.

What really puzzled him, though, was that by this reckoning, humanity in this world had been developing for fifty thousand years-far, far, far longer than civilization back on Earth.

So why was their most advanced invention still just the steam engine?

He couldn't make sense of it. Given fifty thousand years, wouldn't Earth have shot straight out of the Milky Way by now?

Ugh! What a headache! Still, at least he had finally found a clue. This world had a Mystic Side—or, more accurately, it had once had one.

The discovery excited him a little. After all, what was the point of being a duke who did nothing but eat and wait to die? This world was terribly boring.

If it had taken them fifty thousand years just to invent the steam engine, his grave would probably be impossible to find by the time they finally cobbled together phones and the internet.

Thanks to his discovery, he was in a pretty good mood today.

With a book tucked under his arm, he hummed an unidentified tune and swaggered along as though he owned the place.

As he walked, he thought about all sorts of random things. Just as he became absorbed in his thoughts, a voice suddenly interrupted him.

"Little Eros! Have you seen your sister?"

Eros was his name in this life. His full name was Eros Renka North.

Eros turned to look and saw a woman with long platinum-blond hair spilling over her shoulders.

She wore a billowing white dress, and her exquisitely beautiful face held eyes as gentle as water.

She was his mother in this life, Estelle Eureka North.

The sister she meant was naturally Wendy Renka North. By the laws of this world, she was his only sister.

As for his other half-siblings who shared his father, they were only illegitimate children. Estelle didn't mistreat them, but she wasn't particularly close to them either.

Eros shook his head. "I've been reading in my room, and now I'm heading to the library to find some books. That brat- ahem! My sister hasn't come to see me today, so I don't know where she is."

He had nearly called her his bratty little sister. Fortunately, he had reacted quickly enough to catch himself.

Estelle didn't seem to notice anything amiss. She glanced at the book tucked under Eros's arm, then bent down, kissed his forehead, and praised him.

"My little Eros is such a good boy, unlike your sister. Mr. Boroka just told me that Wendy skipped her lessons again today. Who knows where she's run off to?"

Being spoken to as though he were a little child left Eros feeling just a tiny bit embarrassed. Still, it really did feel wonderful.

He promptly said, "My sister is still young. It's perfectly normal for her not to like studying. Once she reaches my age, she definitely won't be like this anymore."

Estelle looked at her young son with a peculiar expression. Why did that sound so strange?

His sister was still young, and once she reached his age? His sister was two years older than him! Looking at Eros acting like a little grown-up, she didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

She straightened and patted Eros on the head. She had to keep looking for Wendy. Constantly skipping lessons was hardly appropriate behavior for a young lady.

Watching that tall, beautiful figure gradually recede into the distance, Eros truly couldn't understand it.

Estelle was an absolute beauty from every angle, yet despite having such a stunning wife at home, his father still loved going out and chasing other women.

I just don't get it! Ugh!

He sighed and continued swaggering toward the library. But he hadn't gone far before a dark figure sprang from a flower bed and tackled him to the ground.

Eros looked at Wendy straddling his waist, noticed the leaves clinging to various parts of her clothes, and immediately understood.

No wonder Estelle couldn't find her. She had been hiding in a flower bed beside the path.

Wendy glared viciously at the little brother she had tackled, her tone super fierce-really, super fierce.

"Tell me! Were you the one who told Mom yesterday that I broke the flower arrangement she'd so carefully trimmed? You got me punished with an hour of standing!"

Eros looked at Wendy sitting astride him. Her expression was fierce, but perhaps because she had perfectly inherited their mother's outstanding looks...

Even when she glared like that, he still found her adorable and wanted to give her a squish. Her tone might have been super fierce, but it couldn't hide the soft sweetness of her voice.

Who could resist teasing such an adorable little blond girl, especially when she was his own sister?

So he answered without the slightest shame, "That's right, I told her. Weren't you the one who smashed it?"

Wendy grew even angrier as she looked at the little brother pinned beneath her, who not only refused to repent but was still acting outrageously arrogant. She roared:

"So it really was you! Just watch how I deal with you!"

As she spoke, she pulled a bottle of ink from her pocket. Clearly, she intended to draw something on Eros's face with it.

But before she could act, Eros spoke.

"If you draw on me, I'll tell Mom that you were the one who lost that necklace she couldn't find last time."

"You know, the one Grandma gave her. Mom was upset for ages when she couldn't find it."

Wendy froze. Suddenly, the ink in her hand didn't seem quite so appealing.

But looking at Eros still acting so smug beneath her made her furious. Absolutely furious! She felt as though her lungs were about to burst.

She tossed the ink bottle aside, planted both hands on Eros's shoulders, and shook him hard, grinding out the words through clenched teeth:

"You damned tattletale! Aaaaaaah!!!"

Despite being shaken back and forth, Eros was still in a pretty good mood.

I just love seeing you desperate to get back at me but completely helpless to do anything about it.