Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my head, forcing me to open my eyes, and then a flood of memories invaded my mind, compelling me to fall asleep again.
Seven years of Haruki Sakai's memories, from his birth until yesterday, flooded my mind, and slowly, these memories fused with mine, until we became one.
I opened my eyes. I immediately raised the upper part of my body and, sitting on the futon, looked around. What came into my view was a traditional Japanese room, reasonably large, about eight tatami mats in size. The walls were oak, and the sliding doors were made of wood and translucent white paper. The only element that stood out was the beautiful solid, polished wooden wardrobe in the corner; the rest of the room exuded simplicity and serenity.
Rummaging through my memories, I remembered where I was: the Sakai family mansion, an ancient family of samurais from the country of Jappon—the equivalent of Japan from my previous world, I guess.
I got up from the futon. Once standing, I realized I was wearing gray pajamas. I went to the wardrobe and opened the door. Behind the wardrobe door was a mirror large enough to see my whole body.
What appeared to me was a beautiful little boy with pale skin, light blue hair, and green eyes, and a cute face that would melt anyone's heart. I was surprised looking at my own reflection in the mirror.
(Wow, I'm really handsome! Thank you, Observer-sama.) I put my hands together and made a slight bow.
Scrreeeeeeeek…
Suddenly, the door slid open, and a maid, dressed in a classic black and white maid's uniform, entered. It was Hana, one of the maids.
"Ah... what a surprise, Haruki-sama is already awake?"
"Good morning, Hana, what is it?"
"Excuse me for bothering you, Haruki-sama, but Goshujin-sama(Master) is waiting for you for breakfast."
"It's alright, tell my father I'm coming now."
"As you command."
Seeing Hana leaving my room, I started to change clothes. I put on a black kimono and left my room, because, from what I remember, my father was not a patient man.
Walking through the corridors of the mansion, I could tell that my family really clung to tradition and rejected modernity. The whole house emitted an air of minimalism, tranquility, and the incorporation of natural elements.
(Truly a traditional Japanese house, no doubt), I thought to myself.
Upon arriving in the dining room, I saw my family ready for breakfast. I sat down in my chair and watched them. My father, Ren Sakai, the head of the family, sat at the end of the table. He had black hair, dark brown eyes, and tanned skin. To his left sat my mother, Harumi Sakai. She was a beautiful woman with blue hair and green eyes and had beautiful, delicate skin, pale as milk.
(I definitely inherited my mother's beauty), I thought to myself.
To my father's right was my older brother, Sora Sakai. He had black hair, thick eyebrows, green eyes, and tanned skin, like my father. He looked the spitting image of our father. Next to him was my older sister, Rui Sakai. She was beautiful, with her long black hair and green eyes; she had thin eyebrows and had inherited our mother's pale skin.
"Haruki, you've finally arrived. Sit down, eat your breakfast. Today you will go to the Dojo to begin your training along with your brother," my father said.
I nodded in response. Our family was descended from an ancient samurai clan. Thanks to this, my ancestors accumulated money that succeeding generations wisely used to invest in profitable commerce and properties. Because of this, our family currently has no financial worries, owning several inns and hotels across the country.
But even so, our father refused to abandon the family's traditional and military customs, forcing each of his sons to begin training in the way of the sword when they turned seven.
"Yes, sir," I replied to him.
I turned my attention to the breakfast in front of me: a bowl of rice, miso soup, and grilled fish. It looked delicious. I started by drinking the miso soup. It was delicious; it had a salty and slightly sweet taste that made it even more flavorful. After that, I ate my bowl of rice along with the grilled fish. It was truly a delicious breakfast.
While I was enjoying breakfast, a maid entered the room. She went to where my father was, made a deep bow, and said to him:
"I apologize for disturbing you, Goshujin-sama, but you have a call on the phone from the Hunters' Association."
"That's fine, thank you, Aiko," my father replied.
She bowed to him again and left the room.
(Hunters' Association...)
Those words stuck in my head.
"Well, I need to go. Haruki, don't forget to be at the Dojo after lunch," my father said, leaving the room without even waiting for my response.
I was so shocked by my father's words that I didn't even have the strength to lift the hashis (chopsticks) in my hands anymore.
"Haruki-chan, what happened? Are you okay?" asked my older sister.
Struggling to snap out of my stupor, I replied to her:
"Hahaha, don't worry, I'm fine, Rui nee-san. I just remembered I have something to do. Excuse me," I replied, slightly embarrassed, and got up from the chair.
"Hey, Haruki, you'd better not forget to be at the Dojo at the agreed time, otherwise father will definitely punish you," my older brother said.
"Yes, you can count on it," I replied back to him.
"Haruki-chan, before you go, don't forget my morning hug," my mother said.
"Yes, Mother," I replied with a slightly embarrassed voice.
After hugging my mother and saying goodbye to everyone, I went straight back to my room. I sat cross-legged in the center of the room on the tatami and started thinking about what I had just heard.
(The Hunters' Association. Did I really hear that? There's only one way to confirm: I need more information.)
I searched my memories for where I could get more information and remembered that we had a library in the mansion, although I had never been there.
I got up, left my room, and walked in the direction of the library, according to my memories.
Arriving there, I found an enormous room at least 30 tatami mats in size. Inside it, there were several shelves, all stacked with books uniformly organized by subject. Walking among them, I finally managed to find the area where the geography books were stored.