Reincarnated User Manual

“You’re weaker than me.”

“…What?”

At first, I thought I misheard.

‘That brat. What did she just say?’

Unexpectedly stung by Lucia’s words, lightning seemed to strike inside Shiron’s head.

His breath hitched. His heart thumped.

Dizzy. Feeling faint. How long had it been since he was last shaken by such a trivial taunt?

It had been a while since he had been in such a situation. Shiron wryly noted his threshold for annoyance had lowered.

‘Is it because of my young age? Why do I come off so childish?’

Verbal attacks because arguments failed. The childishness gave him chills.

However, he did understand how she felt. Perhaps she was very frustrated.

But just because he understood Lucia’s feelings didn’t mean Shiron had to stay silent.

‘Does she not know about my past life? Why does she ridicule me for being defeated by a hit from the Reincarnated Sword Saint?’

It was laughable. Really. Shiron’s face darkened in anger. Thankfully, his eyes narrowed in irritation without any effort.

“…Ah.”

Perhaps that was why. Lucia’s eyes widened. She now stood in opposition to Shiron. She seemed to realize what she had just blurted out. However, Shiron didn’t miss the chance.

“Hey, say that again.”

“…I said, I’m stronger… than you.”

“Yeah, you are stronger. Even though it was a surprise attack, I was knocked down without even having a chance.”

“…”

Lucia’s face hardened, realizing what she was doing to the young boy.

However, Shiron didn’t care whether she looked firm or not.

His past life and the scar of inferiority stung.

“But tell me, what does being strong have to do with me following your training method?”

“…”

“Also, why do you treat me like a madman when I’m speaking?”

With that, Shiron spat out his words.

Lucia gazed at Shiron with vacant eyes. She tried to speak, but…

“You were just… lucky.”

“That…”

He couldn’t open his mouth. He was too heated. Even Lucia realized that now.

Thinking about it, this was the second time. She had hit a child and berated him for being weak. She felt her face heat up with shame, recalling what she did.

‘She was just lucky?’

Lucia mulled over its meaning.

She didn’t need to think deeply.

She was lucky.

Born with more talent than others. Even after death, she was reborn with her memories intact.

From birth, her starting line in life was different. To add to that, unlike other ordinary orphans, she was immediately adopted by a noble family.

If she had a conscience, she should admit it.

It was a clear-cut conclusion that she couldn’t make excuses for.

A mixture of embarrassment and guilt consumed her. She felt the urge to escape from the situation. What was she doing to a child…

‘I wonder who the real child is here.’

Lucia chuckled bitterly.

Come to think of it, she often messed up in her previous life due to her aggressive nature. Memories of her comrades from her past life suddenly came to her.

‘Seira, too. Even Yura always told me to stop acting like a child.’

From the day she was chosen by the Holy Sword on a sandy island in the lake, Kyrie bore the fate of the hero.

However, Kyrie was fundamentally a country girl. To make matters worse, she was not an imperial citizen but an immigrant’s daughter.

A barbaric and useless girl.

She held just a sword and thought that she was something.

Her level was so low it made one nauseous.

She was always followed by such derogatory remarks. Each time, she’d react violently.

She went close to ruining her work every time because of her soaring temper. More often than not, her body acted before he could think.

Would she have been able to handle the situation smoothly if it hadn’t been for someone else’s help? Maybe it was sheer luck that she was in a position where someone could assist her. An old thought she always harbored. But that, too, was a thing of the past.

500 years had passed.

She hadn’t seen or heard from her colleagues. She couldn’t distinguish between old friends whose fate she was unaware of and Shiron.

Before she realized it, Lucia felt sorry towards Shiron.

“Yes. Let’s apologize again. What am I hesitating for? Even being on good terms with the family I barely got isn’t enough. I’m really pathetic.”

At that resolute moment,

Thud!

“Yikes!”

“Are you mute? Why are you keeping your mouth shut?”

Lucia let out a startled scream.

A cold object slid inside her clothes, startling her.

It was Shiron who had shoved snow down Lucia’s back.

“Just try it once. Once you try it, you’ll change your mind. This could help you later…”

Shiron couldn’t finish his sentence.

Lucia, with a terrifying look on her face, threw a punch.

Bam!

Her fist landed on Shiron’s face.

“Oww!!”

“You crazy bastard!”

It was Shiron’s second time getting knocked out.

---

Thud!

Shiron, after being punched in the face, collapsed lifelessly on the snow.

“Ah… Oh no!”

‘Again, I acted before thinking!’

‘This stupid, moronic, ignorant wretch…!! Oh, this isn’t the time!’

Lucia quickly came to her senses. She rushed to Shiron to check on him.

Lucia tried listening for breathing and also examined Shiron for any visible injuries.

Fortunately, Shiron was still breathing. Other than his busted lip bleeding a bit, he looked peacefully asleep.

Sigh…

Relieved, Lucia rubbed her chest. A streak of cold sweat ran down her back.

“Ugh… this is insane.”

Lucia clutched her head, muttering curses under her breath. She brushed back Shiron’s damp bangs. Seeing that the young boy was safe, Lucia’s tension eased.

Sigh!

She sat down heavily on the snow. Her butt felt quite cold, but she didn’t care. Thanks to the snow cushioning the fall, Shiron’s head wasn’t injured. Lucia felt relief.

“It’s. It’s a relief.”

Sigh…

Trying to calm her startled heart, Lucia lifted her head and let out a sigh.

It was ridiculous that she was this alarmed, considering she was the one who had hit Shiron.

However, seeing Shiron collapse lifelessly after punching him in the face made her heart sink.

For a while, she tried to calm her heart.

“Ah.”

Snowflakes landed on the bridge of her nose.

It wasn’t long ago that she saw the sun moving overhead, but now the sky was covered with dark clouds.

“…Is it snowing?”

Lucia stood up from her spot and dusted off her rear.

Quickly-

The girl hoisted the unconscious boy over her shoulder and walked briskly towards the castle.

---

Lucia gently laid Shiron down on the bed and covered him with a blanket.

Rumble—

Sure enough, looking outside, there was a storm, with thunder echoing and a snowstorm blowing. Good thing she had hurried.

Turning her gaze away from the window, Lucia reached out to Shiron. Wiping the blood that had dripped from his mouth with her sleeve, on the surface, he looked alright.

“…”

Perhaps the ordeal was mostly over? Lucia pulled a chair over and sank into it.

“What the hell.”

Lucia felt exhausted. She felt a deeper weight in her heart than when she had swung her sword all day. When was the last time she felt such emotional turbulence? Lucia thought back over the past 8 years.

“…”

But, whether in the village she used to live, when her mother passed away, or when a stranger told her he was her father, she never let her emotions take over.

Lucia gazed at Shiron’s face.

“…If only you kept your mouth shut, you would be quite cute.”

At that moment.

Knock knock.

“Miss, I’ve brought the items you requested.”

“Yes, just a moment!”

Lucia collected herself and quickly opened the door.

“Thank you, miss.”

Beyond the door stood Head Maid Yuma, who was holding linens and clothes.

“Thank you, Head Maid Yuma.”

“It’s no trouble, miss.”

Yuma entered the room with professional grace and began changing Shiron’s clothes.

Lucia silently observed.

After removing his top, wiping his sweat with a wet towel, and changing him into fresh clothes, Yuma even applied ointment to Shiron’s lips without a break in her actions.

After finishing her tasks, Lucia gestured for Yuma to come closer. As Yuma gently brushed Shiron’s hair back, she spoke.

“It hasn’t even been a day, and you two argued again. And, miss, you moved the young master all by yourself without calling for help. As I told you before, you can call the servants anytime.”

“Yes…”

Even though Yuma looked directly into Lucia’s eyes, Lucia avoided her gaze.

Lucia found Yuma unsettling. Yuma’s mechanical demeanor, the horn protruding from one side of her head, her vertically slit pupils, and the unnaturally protective aura around her made Lucia uneasy.

“…Why didn’t you stop me? You’ve been watching.”

Lucia wondered why no one had stopped her, even the second time around. At Lucia’s question, Yuma narrowed her eyes slightly before replying.

“No, it doesn’t matter. Whether you two fought or you left the young master in the snow. Nobody would blame you even if he had died from the cold.”

“…”

Lucia lowered her head. What a harsh reality. Did it mean the servants of the mansion wouldn’t intervene even if the kids killed each other?

Lucia fidgeted with her wet hands.

“I saw it. This morning…you hugging Shiron. Such an act cannot be without affection. Are you really okay with it?”

“Yes, I’m okay.”

Yuma stood up and walked to the door, not hesitating as if she had no more business there.

“You didn’t leave the young master alone in the end. You did that before and now. And.”

“…”

“Both of you are Prient. You must be responsible for your actions.”

With those words, Yuma closed the door.

“…”

Only the sound of Shiron’s breathing was heard in the excessively spacious room meant for one. Lucia stared intently at Shiron Prient’s face.

“What on earth is ‘Prient’?”

Prient, Dawn Castle, a Horned Demon, ten-year-old brother… Maybe because the tension had eased, an unexpected chuckle escaped her lips.

“I have never even taken a disciple, much less have a child.”