Another World Reincarnation Chronicle

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The same scene repeats itself. I deflect the incoming cannonball with the Ice Dragon Sword and use my body’s rotation to alter its trajectory.

The cannonball, rotating with my body, travels along the tip of the Ice Dragon Sword and rises above my shoulder onto the blazing edge of the Fire Dragon Sword. The heat that had diminished due to the chill of the Ice Dragon Sword now raises its head once more, igniting the cannonball with fervor.

Tick-!

With a faint sound, the cannonball releases from the sword and flies over the golden sands of the desert, heading towards the vessel known as Quiet Twilight, where it explodes.

Kwahng-!

The swordsmanship I forged earlier begins to imprint in my mind. Optimized paths and efficient movements emerge instantaneously. There was no need for mastery; the swordsmanship was crafted solely for me.

Once again, a similar scene unfolds. I catch an incoming cannonball with a flourish and send it back. The explosion of the swiftly moving cannonball visibly slows the opposing ship’s approach.

Naturally, the distance between the two vessels widens, and the exchange of cannonballs decreases.

-Changed direction!

It was a declaration of victory. Just as the lookout from the crow’s nest proclaimed, the ship that had been firing cannons our way redirected its course.

A hazy golden sandstorm scatters before me, and the softly shining moonlight illuminates the retreating shadows. Renilla, watching the scene unfold, raises her sword high in celebration.

*

Despite the battle exchanging cannon fire, the Sunny Ship suffered no damage, all thanks to me reflecting every incoming shot.

In gratitude, Renilla offered to let me stay in her cabin while I was on board the Sunny Ship. The cabin designed for the ship’s captain looked quite luxurious.

“Thank you very much. I never expected you had such skills… Did you use magic?”

I shook my head at Renilla’s question. Although I had performed what seemed like magic, it was purely the capability of my body—an extreme technique using rotational movement and rebound. The skills unfolded from the tip of the sword allowed for such magical feats.

This was swordsmanship.

“What were those guys doing just now?”

“Oh, you mean the Quiet Twilight?”

“Yes.”

Renilla removed her hat to shake her hair free. Golden sand gently scattered amidst her beautifully arranged locks.

“They are ruthless bandits who plunder everything in sight. Wherever they go, only eerie silence is left behind, which is why they’re called ‘Quiet Twilight.'”

Mountain bandits are termed mountain robbers, and sea robbers are called pirates. So, should we refer to desert bandit groups as desert thieves?

Somehow, that sounded off. As I manipulated the corners of my mouth, Renilla continued speaking.

“Anyway, thank you for helping us. Without you, we would have been stuck.”

“I’m just repaying a favor. You brought me onto this ship and provided me with food, didn’t you?”

“I want to praise my past choice. Well then, it’s late, so I’ll take my leave. If you need anything, just grab anyone and ask. I’ll even pretend to die if that’s what you want.”

With those parting words, Renilla exited the room, leaving me the cabin while she moved to another empty room. I felt slightly guilty for taking the captain’s quarters, but the other crew members and Renilla seemed indifferent to it.

Phew—

A little nightmare the size of a small puppy jumped onto the bed and burrowed into my arms. However, I had no intention of falling asleep just yet. Gently placing the nightmare back onto the bed, I reached for my swords.

Fwuurr—

The nightmare glared at me, puffing out its nostrils in annoyance as I ignored its displeasure. I lightly stroked its head and said,

“I’m sorry, but I’m going to sleep for now. I need to do this.”

The nightmare squirmed around before disappearing into the fluffy blanket.

“Haah…”

I took a moment to breathe deeply. Just as the candle illuminating the room flickered wildly, I found myself gripping both the Ice Dragon Sword and the Fire Dragon Sword.

The second form of dual swordsmanship began to appear hazily in my mind. However, it felt just out of reach. When I reached out, it scattered like a mirage. In that brief moment, inspiration raced through my mind, recalling dozens of actions.

The sword tips danced elegantly, tracing stars and moons. Time flowed swiftly, and the night deepened. I spent the night grasping my two swords.

*

Morning arrived. I yawned mightily as I stepped out of my quarters. The darkness that had enveloped the desert retreated entirely as the brilliant sun appeared, transforming the once dry and cool desert winds into scorching hot gusts.

Even after an entire night had passed, the desert showed no signs of relenting. A vague mirage shimmered beyond the golden horizon, touching the sky. Leaning against the ship’s railing, I gazed absentmindedly at the desert when a familiar voice rang out behind me.

“How did you sleep?”

It was Renilla, the captain of this ship. I shifted my body, sitting on the railing.

“Yes, thanks to you.”

In truth, I hadn’t slept at all, having developed new sword techniques, but I felt no need to mention this. Unlike yesterday, Renilla appeared in lighter attire, coming to stand beside me, leaning against the railing. Her finely textured golden hair flowed over her ample bosom.

“Have you lived here your whole life?”

“My first memory is of the golden desert. I must have been born here. Unless, that is, my parents abandoned me here.”

It sounded like she had no memories of her parents. I remained silent, casting my gaze back to the desert. As the endlessly sprawling golden sand sparkled, a small shadow appeared on the horizon.

At first, I thought it was a mirage, but as time passed, the shadow’s outline grew clearer, revealing its true identity.

A wide, billowy sail depicted an oasis. Renilla’s eyes lit up with a smile upon spotting the ship.

“Merchants! I can treat you to some special liquor.”

“Special liquor?”

“It’s a local specialty of this desert.”

I couldn’t help but salivate at Renilla’s response. Now that I thought about it, I realized I hadn’t had a drink in quite some time.

The ships navigating this desert didn’t stop, but the Sunny Ship and the merchants seemed unfazed, starting preparations for the trade.

They lined their ships alongside one another and laid planks across to create a path. The crew of the Sunny Ship utilized this makeshift bridge to head over to the merchant’s vessel.

I followed Renilla onto the merchant’s ship.

“Long time no see, Renilla of the Sandstorm. Is that child beside you a new crew member?”

As Renilla and I boarded, a large man with a hefty frame greeted us. Renilla shook her head and responded.

“No, he’s a precious guest.”

“Oh, a precious guest? I feel like I know just what you might be asking for…”

“Two bottles of Desert Starlight.”

“Two bottles of Desert Starlight? Do you have money for that?”

Renilla nodded in response to the merchant’s query. She produced a small leather pouch from her garments and handed it to him.

“Ho, ho…”

The merchant beamed strangely as he peered into the pouch Renilla had given him. He tucked the pouch into his chest, making sure no one else would see it, and raised a voice.

“Two bottles of Desert Starlight!”

What on earth did she just hand over? Merchants are never ones to take losses. Judging by the merchant’s nonchalance in handing over the goods, it seemed she had paid quite a hefty price.

The Desert Starlight liquor was packed in a luxurious box. The merchant, who had received the items with utmost care, opened the box to showcase the bottles inside.

Looking inside the box made my mouth go agape. Could this Desert Starlight be something exceptional? It truly contained shimmering starlight within its bottles, reminiscent of a flowing galaxy in the night sky.

“It’s confirmed.”

“That was a splendid deal.”

After Renilla finished confirming the transaction, two boxes of Desert Starlight were handed over to the Sunny Ship. The crew member tasked with transporting them bore an expression as if he were risking his life, carefully moving the goods.

Various other transactions took place as well. The Sunny Ship exchanged monster materials and gold coins, while the merchant’s ship primarily handled food ingredients and daily necessities.

The merchant’s ship even sold small monsters. Strange creatures with wings, horns, and tough exoskeletons squawked loudly from their confined cages.

While I was busy observing these peculiar monsters, I sensed a strange energy coming from a box placed in the corner of the ship. It was a box stuffed with rusty scrap metal, old books, and junk that seemed past its prime.

“Excuse me, merchant. How much for what’s in that box?”

“Oh, that one? Um, if you want anything in there, just take it. It’s a gift for a precious guest.”

The merchant offered a generous smile as if he had done something splendid. I nodded cautiously, unsure of what I might find, and began rummaging through the contents of the box.

It was hazy but unmistakable. There was the energy of a dragon, a draconic presence, felt within this box.

“What are you searching for?”

As I dug inside, Renilla approached and asked. Rather than respond, I focused more on the contents of the box.

After pawing through all those miscellaneous items, I finally found what I was looking for. It was a dragon statue about the size of my forearm. Its wings and arms, along with a horn, seemed broken, reducing the dragon’s stature significantly, but it was certainly an object related to dragons.

“A dragon statue, is it? Was that what you wanted?”

I nodded and shook the dragon statue in front of the merchant.

“Ah, it’s a statue found in archeological digs. Good choice. If you place it to decorate your room, it could add quite a bit of atmosphere.”

“Is it okay for me to take this?”

“Of course! Take it!”

And thus, the deal with the merchant came to a close. Whether it was a satisfactory exchange, all the merchants and Renilla appeared to walk away with smiles on their faces.

Time passed, and that evening, I found myself sitting with Renilla on the spacious deck, receiving a cup of liquor. The cup held the desert night sky as if captured directly.

The drink in my cup, flowing with starlight, emitted a unique aroma I had never encountered before.

“Give it a try. You’ll likely never forget it.”

“Is it that delicious?”

In response to my query, Renilla wore a strange smile and downed the entire drink in one gulp. I followed suit and lifted the cup to drink.

The first taste was refreshing. A unique floral fragrance enveloped my mouth, and behind it, a fiery warmth surged forth, like stars twinkling.

“Oh…”

This was some potent liquor. Because I couldn’t sense any alcohol within, I could easily overindulge, losing myself amidst the shimmering stars of the night sky.

“So, why did you bring that statue?”

“Oh, this?”

I glanced over at the dragon statue I had set down beside me, reflecting on its significance. There wasn’t any particular reason, really. I had just felt a sense of familiarity.

“It just seemed a bit unique.”

“If you wanted, I could have gotten you a more impressive, intact statue…”

I shook my head and sipped the drink again. The gentle starlight cascaded through the liquor, allowing me to feel as though I were drinking the very stars of the night sky. My cheeks began to flush. The intoxication of the drink was starting to kick in.

“I’ve thought deeply about what fitting name might suit you.”

Renilla, too, began to slur her words, evidently tipsy. Before long, the two of us had emptied both bottles of the drink known as Desert Starlight.

As I listened to Renilla’s voice, I absentmindedly stroked the aged dragon statue. The moment my fingers brushed against the scales of its neck, Renilla’s voice continued.

“Spirit of Starlight. What do you think? Isn’t it a lovely name?”

The embarrassingly poetic title made me frown, and my grip tightened on the statue. At that moment, with a sudden snap, the dragon’s neck broke off.

“Um, did that not sit well with you…?”

Renilla, glancing at the broken statue with concern, seemed to pick up on something. I noticed a hollow space inside the broken piece.

“This is…”

There was a tiny hole drilled into the fracture. I pried the narrow opening apart forcefully.

Thud-!

What fell out along with the dust were crumpled, old sheets of paper.

It smelled like adventure—the scent of adventure. Renilla seemed to sense something too, holding her breath as she gazed at the old paper.

Reaching out, I unfolded the tattered paper, revealing a vast desert and a sparkling golden city before my eyes.