The Beginning After the End (最強の王様、二度目の人生は何をする？)

It was then...

...I became king.

The most powerful king.

That's what I...

once was.

It's true.

I...was a king.

Don't forget.

In the life you've not yet begun,

seek the light.

- Huh? -Oh, Rey, look at him!

Aw!

He's got the same hair color as you.

But his eyes look exactly like yours!

Who are they?

Where am I?

Hey there, little Arthur. Do you know who I am?

My name's Reynolds!

I'm your dad!

Can you say, "Dada?"

How odd.

Oh, stop, he's just a baby.

- - Who's she?

I don't know these people.

It's daddy!

Dada!

And mommy, Arthur!

Truly bizarre.

They keep claiming to be my parents.

Wait.

If that's true...

...I didn't die!

I'd just been born.

THE REBIRTH OF THE KING.

To think that after my countless victories in battle,

I would be reduced to a helpless newborn.

Come on,

-burp for me, baby boy! -

-I bet you feel better now! -

Alice and Reynolds take excellent care of me.

They seem convinced that I'm their child.

I suppose it brings them pleasure.

Although, I'm often in a state of rage.

Or is it fear?

Arthur?

Look, he grabbed my finger.

That has to be a sign that he's bonded with me, right?

You fool! It's merely a reflex.

I've no command of my own bodily functions.

That sure was a big one, huh?

What a healthy boy!

Life is a series of small torments.

This useless body may as well be my prison.

I find myself desperately wanting to wake up

from this absurd dream, yet it persists.

And soon, I would witness something

even I found strange and unusual.

Ugh!

Oops.

Let me come take a look.

There are powers in this world

that I am completely unfamiliar with.

I was hypnotized.

Oh, good.

Daddy's back.

Knowledge is a weapon,

so I examined my surroundings intently.

Hello, you two!

I missed you both. Come here!

Uh.

Ah, actually, on second thought,

we'll hug later.

Individuals are allowed to own weapons here.

That indicates a certain level of danger,

which means I should focus on obtaining power for myself.

Are you okay? It's been a while, huh?

No need to worry.

It was a relatively quick job.

Well, that's good at least.

Now, you said hi to daddy, so that means it's naptime.

The days are full of frustrations,

but moments like these make me think it's not so bad.

Because the freedom to sleep when I wanted

is something I wasn't accustomed to.

Rey, dear, would you make sure he doesn't bump his head?

Of course, I will.

Hon, see that?

Little Arthur's looking at his reflection in the mirror.

Aw, so adorable.

Little "Arthur."

All these months have passed,

and I still haven't grown used to that name.

I suppose it's of little concern.

Sweet dreams, Arthur.

My boy.

At last, the time has come.

Having gained proper control of my limbs.

I'm on the move.

Target in sight,

I scramble as swiftly as possible,

trying not to draw any attention.

Success.

I have finally obtained the one weapon

I can wield in my current state.

Knowledge.

Which is to say,

information about this new world.

Dicathen, the continent I had been born in,

was comprised of three kingdoms.

The Darv Kingdom,

a subterranean nation of dwarves.

The Elenoir Kingdom,

a nation of elves located deep within a forest.

And lastly, the human Sapin Kingdom...

the most populous of the three regions,

and the one I now reside in.

Both my previous nation and this one

share a monarchical system.

The main difference between them

is that here, the throne is inherited

rather than seized violently.

This world seems to be vastly underdeveloped

compared to my old one.

And this book offers an explanation

for the lack of technological advancement here.

Magic.

A source of power called "mana" exists in this world.

The ability to control mana is largely hereditary.

It seems that roughly one in a hundred people possess it.

Curses. I'm itchy.

Broadly speaking,

there are two applications of mana.

Augmenting and Conjuring.

Augmenters are able to enhance their bodies with mana,

providing them with incredible agility,

defensive skills, and strength.

Conjurers project mana outside of themselves,

allowing them to manipulate their surroundings.

I suppose there are always exceptions.

No matter.

The key to controlling mana is a person's mana core.

Most mages' powers awaken between early adolescence

and their late teens.

The mana core manifests when one learns to focus

and channel the scattered fragments of mana

throughout the body into a single point.

That is a concept I am well acquainted with.

Ki.

Finding awareness of your internal power,

mastering it, and unleashing it.