My mother's voice was startling as she sat down on the ground beside me, and I suddenly realized that I had been beaming goofily for who knows how long. Damn kid's body. It feels like smiling is this bugger's resting face!

"No mother. I was simply trying to grasp how blessed I was to be given such an opportunity to be able to-"

"You are just like Mesgen even in the way you fib." Marigreen chuckled sadly. "You don't have to tell me. I was simply being curious."

She ruffled my hair and smiled.

Such an angel! Why was I never graced with her presence in my previous life? I returned a forced smile.

During the past month, she was the only one who actively tried to get closer to me. I could excuse my siblings because they weren't aware that I was a different person, so didn't try to get to know me again. But the duke was being unreasonable. He hadn't spoken to me at all in a fortnight and was blatantly trying to avoid me.

"I'll take my leave now." Marigreen excused herself and stood up to exit the library.

Hmm...
How lucky. If I was reincarnated into someone else's body would I have been able to live life this comfortably?

It often bugged me during the last few weeks that I might have taken over some random kid's body and robbed him of this peaceful life. Questions like 'why me?' filled my head. And they weren't without cause.

I've already lived my life and died a satisfying death in battle. Why did I get another chance? Why me instead of someone who deserved it more? Why me and not my brother?

It took a while, but I put aside such thoughts as pessimistic and weak.

To begin with, I don't know if this body even existed before I woke up in it. And there were far too many variables to predict, such as if the original owner would have been a murdering psycho or a mumbling priest; both of whom would have been a waste of opportunities.

Over the past month, I read as many history books as possible, as well as a few reports on current affairs.

It wasn't too hard to get information, but most of it was just some noble doing something, and it was rather irritating.

But I did get some useful details. I found out that the Karr family was a line of half-elves. Supposedly, the great knight of justice, and almighty warrior of justice, Gamiese Karr, once met an elf and together they performed the 'no pants dance', which resulted in the Karr bloodline.

Although technically only a very small fraction of elven blood runs through their veins, anyone born with a direct elven ancestor less than ten generations ago was called a half-elf.

Though not as gifted, beautiful, or good-natured as an elf, they were far superior to most humans. Looks, smarts, skills, honor, and even wealth. The great Karr family had them all.

The only problem?

I died a virgin. This is definitely a scam. Someone's abusing my good name. AREN'T THERE LAWS FOR THIS KIND OF THING?!?

To add insult to injury, of all people who could have claimed to have been my significant other, why HER?
Why is the lady glorified as the star of a tragic romance with a great knight none other than my mortal enemy Teresa? That third elf princess bastard? Why did she claim to be my lover?

(Author's note--->
About two hundred years ago:
Great warrior happy. Great warrior strong. Elf princess meets great warrior. Elf princess thinks great warrior stupid. Great warrior mad. Elf princess and great warrior fight. Elf princess and great warrior fight again. Elf princess and great warrior fight again. Elf princess and great warrior fight again. Elf princess and great warrior fight again. Elf princess and great warrior fight again. Great warrior fights warlock. Great warrior dies.)

I can't let that damned woman use MY fame! What happened when I passed away? What happened to Regil, who knew my hatred for her? Why do I have so many questions? This really sucks.

Then it hit me... do I even need to get them answered? I got another chance at life, right? Why should I have to put in the effort to find answers when I could be slacking off by doing nothing?
Because it's boring living a quiet life?

"Lost in thought, young master?" Hugo interrupted.

"Sir Hugo?"
"It seems that the young master is thinking of something quite solemn. Perhaps I may be of help?" Hugo had come to offer me some tea with a maid from the kitchen.
"What is my future here?" I asked as I took the cup and had a sip of the beverage.

"Well, of course, that is for you to decide," the chamberlain gave a cliched reply, "BUT YOU MUST SEEK GREATNESS FOR THE GLORY OF THE KIM FAMILY! BE IT MAGIC, SWORDMANSHIP, ARTS, POLITICS, AS LONG AS YOU BEAR YOUR NAME, YOU MUST EXCEL IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE!"

I felt sincerely bad for the poor maid who got a heart attack from his sudden mood swing.

Magecraft in this world operated on invisible energy called mana, which accumulates in three 'cores' in the body. The cores are located in different places for different people, but contain mana of the same quality.

The 'purity' of mana collected in cores was basically how clean the mana in your body was. The color of the cores was how this was measured, on a scale of 9 shades starting with impure black, brown, red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, violet, and (counter-intuitively) white. Although no one currently has a white core, and only three have ever been recorded in history.

But back in my time, we weren't limited to only three 'cores'. When fighting the shallows every day, placing your life on the line every time, three cores weren't enough. So instead, we very efficiently stored mana in every part of our body.

But for some reason, this technique seemed lost to history, meaning that I am the only one capable of utilizing this technique. It'd definitely be worth it if I start practicing, and would surely make me much stronger than most other mages in the Kimaron empire.

***