Freckles Point of View
At first, everything looked amazing according to plan. I stood on a hill overlooking the Reyseer border, feeling like a genius tactician watching his troops move.
My ogres marched in a perfect straight line. They weren't stopping. They passed l rocks and didn't even throw trees. My people, adventurers and knights come running towards them. I felt like watching how they would fight ogres.
I felt powerful, finally.
"Wow," I whispered proudly. "Look at them go. I did that. I actually did that."
But then suddenly, when they reached the border. And things went horribly wrong.
The moment they spot the border guards they roared in a deep, guttural, hungry voice.
And then they charged. My people fought hard until one of the ogres picked one female adventurer and bit her, leaving her torso down.
I froze.
"No, no-NO-STOP!! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO LISTEN TO ME!!"
They didn't stop. They didn't even hesitate.
In seconds, the guards were yelling, swords clashing, arrows flying,
and then it turned messy.
Too messy and too fast. One moment there was a fight and now all I could see were blood and bodies being torn apart. It was too real and gut wrenching.
My stomach twisted. My head spun. My legs shook.
"H-Hey!" I stuttered into the air. "This isn't what I told them to do! I didn't say kill! I didn't say eat people! STOP-!"
The ogres didn't hear me.
They tore through the guards like they were made of paper.
I stumbled backward, shaking.
"I didn't want this," I whispered, voice trembling. "I-I just wanted people to notice me… not THIS!"
I stared in horror as one ogre tossed aside a leg, a human leg
My breath hitched and vision blurred.
"STOP IT!! PLEASE!! I want to cancel it! TAKE IT BACK! I don't want this skill anymore, I don't want it-"
The voice in my head finally answered.
And it was no longer gentle. No longer warm and amused. No longer pretending.
"You wished for power." Its tone was cold, sharp, echoing like claws scraping stone.
I fell to my knees.
"Not this kind of power!" I cried.
"I didn't say kill anyone! I didn't say eat them! I just wanted…just wanted to be seen…"
The voice hissed.
"And now you SHALL be seen. As the prince who commands anyone."
"No-no, stop! STOP!" I clutched my head.
"Cancel it! Please! CANCEL THE ORDER!"
"There is no canceling."
When I was busy struggling, I suddenly felt gasped.
"What…?"
The cold in my chest surged, violently.
It wrapped around my heart like icy ropes.
I choked.
"N-No, what-what are you doing-!?"
"Your body is MINE now."
The world tilted. My fingers went numb.
A shadow spilled through my veins, crawling upward, filling my arms, my neck, my face.
"STOP!! PLEAS!PLEASE-"
The voice roared inside me.
"YOU AGREED TO THE PRICE."
My eyes rolled back as something heavy and dark slammed into my mind.
I felt myself sinking. Like drowning in ink, like disappearing.
"No… no… no…" My voice was fading.
My vision went black at the edges.
And the last thought I had, before something else began taking over, was:
"I didn't want this…"
Then something inside me SMILED, using my own lips.
When I opened my eyes again, I wasn't…me.
My thoughts were too clear, sharp and calm.
And the world around me, the forest, the ogres kneeling, the scent of blood, none of it bothered me.
Instead, I stood up slowly, brushing dirt from my clothes with a grace I had never possessed in my entire life.
"I see," I said. My voice was smooth. Refined. It was not trembling or whining, loud and insecure. It was… dignified.
Regal..The ogres bowed deeply.
"MASTER…"
"Yes," I replied with a calm smile.
"You may go. Hide yourselves until I call."
They obeyed instantly.
How delightful.
(The taker of Freckles' body POV)
Freckles, the idiot who originally owned the body, was screaming faintly inside my mind.
"STOP WALKING LIKE THAT! PEOPLE WILL NOTICE! YOU'RE TOO CALM!"
But he had no control, I controlled everything.
Only I walked. Only I breathed. Only I smiled.
His body was mine to use. And I used it well. I'll use all the information inside the idiot's head.
As I approached the palace gates, knights glanced at me and whispered.
"Prince Freckles… looks different today."
"Did he… get taller?"
"Did he finally grow confidence?"
Fools. All of them.
I glided, yes, glided, across the courtyard with perfect posture.
Chin is slightly raised. My Steps are even and quiet.
Freckles's parents were in the hall, King Alexander and Queen Francheska.
They lifted their heads, stunned. The Queen squinted at me.
"Freckles…?"
I bowed smoothly, one hand over my chest, like a noble who trained his whole life.
"Good afternoon," I said politely.
"I have returned from a short journey of self-improvement."
Both parents stared.
Silence. Shock. Confusion.
King Alexander finally leaned forward and whispered to the Queen:
"…did he hit his head?"
I smiled: a perfect, elegant smile.
Inside my mind, Freckles was panicking.
"STOP THIS! YOU'RE MAKING THEM THINK I'M NOT ME-!!"
I answered him calmly in the privacy of our shared consciousness:
"That is because you are not you anymore."
He whimpered.
I turned to his parents, clasping my hands behind my back with an aura everyone would respect.
"My apologies for any distress I may have caused in the past," I said smoothly.
"I realize I have behaved… foolishly."
The Queen blinked. The King blinked. A servant fainted.
"Is my son… maturing?" the Queen whispered dramatically.
"Do not strain yourself, Mother," I said gently. "It is only natural for one to grow."
Freckles shrieked inside.
"I NEVER TALK LIKE THAT!! YOU SOUND LIKE A NOBLE TURTLE!!"
I ignored him.
My smile sharpened ever so slightly.
For now, I needed his parents' calm, trusting and believing.
The King cleared his throat nervously.
"Well… Freckles… we're proud of you. Truly."
"Thank you, Father," I replied with the serene dignity of a prince who absolutely was NOT possessed by a pond demon.
Inside, Freckles whimpered:
"Please… give me back my body…"
I responded in silence:
"Soon, dear prince. Just watch.
Our reign has only just begun."
And I bowed again, perfectly.
His parents clapped.
A servant cried with joy.
Another whispered, "Prince Freckles has finally become a gentleman!"
Little did they know-
The gentleman wasn't Freckles anymore.
The next morning, I or at least the body I controlled woke up early.
EARLY, like I have slept all my life.
Freckles inside me screamed.
"WHY ARE WE AWAKE!? I NEVER WAKE UP BEFORE NOON!!"
I ignored him and stretched calmly.
"Because a prince should rise before his people," I whispered.
Freckles shrieked louder.
"THAT IS NOT ME! I DO NOT SAY PRINCE THINGS!!"
I smiled.
I left my room quietly and walked to the servants' hall.
Every servant froze.
They were used to old Freckles stomping, whining, demanding sweets, complaining about the morning sun.
Today I stood straight, hands politely folded, voice calm:
"Good morning. How are your families?"
They almost passed out.
"M-my… families…? They're fine, Your Highness…"
"Good," I nodded with a serene, princely smile. "You all work very hard. Please continue your efforts."
A maid actually squeaked. Someone dropped a spoon. Another tried to bless themselves.
Inside, Freckles was losing his mind.
"STOP! THEY THINK I'M POSSESSED! WAIT I AM POSSESSED BUT DON'T LET THEM KNOW!!"
I gently shushed him.
"Relax, Freckles. They like this version of you."
I walked through the corridors, nodding to knights.
"Good morning," I greeted. "You're doing excellent work. Thank you."
Every knight stared after me like I was a phantom.
One whispered, "The prince… complimented me… Is he dying?"
Another said, "No, no. He must have found religion."
I attended a council meeting, something old Freckles avoided like plague.
When I sat down politely, the ministers stared as though a beast had walked in.
I listened. I nodded..I gave calm, reasonable suggestions.
"Perhaps we should allocate more grain to the outer villages," I said smoothly.
A minister let out a sound like a hiccup.
Another clutched his chest dramatically.
Even Leonard, the perfect older brother, turned to me with wide eyes.
"Brother… that's… actually an excellent suggestion."
I smiled modestly.
"Thank you, Brother. I wish to be of use."
Freckles inside me SCREAMED.
"NO NO NO! LEONARD IS PRAISING ME! THIS ISN'T REAL. SOMETHING IS WRONG, STOP!!"
I sat with elegance, posture straight, the embodiment of a refined prince.
Leonard even clapped my shoulder and said:
"You've changed. I'm proud of you."
Oh, how perfect.
During lunch, nobles were eating and chatting. Old Freckles would sulk in a corner or brag uselessly.
Today, I smiled. I commented lightly on the weather. I ACTUALLY LAUGHED at someone's joke.
Not a whine or snort; it's a refined, controlled laugh.
"Ahaha… quite amusing."
A noble lady gasped.
"Prince Freckles is so charming today!"
Another nodded vigorously.
"It's like he's a whole new person!"
Indeed. He was.
My perfect older brother watched me with curiosity.
"You're… different," he said softly.
I bowed my head slightly.
"I simply realized it was time to grow."
Leonard laughed, a warm, genuine laugh.
"Well, whatever caused it, I'm glad. You're becoming someone who could truly lead."
Inside, Freckles whimpered:
"Leonard never said that to me before…"
I answered him calmly:
"You wanted to be seen. Now you will be."
He didn't understand that it wasn't him being seen.
It was me.
But that detail could wait.
For now, everyone loved the "new" Prince Freckles, refined, charming, smart and more mature.
A perfect prince and a perfect puppet.
John's Point of View
I never imagined my life would reach the point where I'd be fighting goblins just to "maintain my adventurer class."
But here we were. Tweety was blasting anything green that dared breathe in our direction. Shiro was swatting goblins like they were annoying flies.
I was behind them clutching a pan.
Look, use what you know, okay?
"John, another one behind you," Shiro called lazily.
"I KNOW, I KNOW, STOP REMINDING ME-AAAH-!"
I swung my iron pan so hard the goblin flipped three times before hitting a tree.
…Honestly I was a little proud.
"You could have used your flame thrower," Shiro said.
"And then what? Risk of depleting my strength? Not today."
After we wrapped up the raid, well, they wrapped it up while I screamed and used cookware, we headed back toward Reyseer.
I was ready for a shower and to do some cooking. I planned on some Ragu, Cockatrice version and some rice. I had my list of cooking ware to use. I plan to buy Mukoda the wares I don't have.
But then, Shiro stopped walking and I pump into his behind.
"What the?"
Shiro also froze, tail stiff.
My stomach dropped.
"Oh no," I muttered. "No no no no please don't tell me something is wrong. I just wanted to cook dinner-"
Tweety pointed his beak toward the trees.
"John," he said gravely, "that smell… is human."
"…Human what?"
"Human meat."
I gagged.
"What-WH-WHY-WHO-EW-WHAT!?"
We pushed through the trees and immediately found a group of adventurers and knights gathering near the forest border.
Even Ailock was there, his cape flapping dramatically like he'd been waiting for this moment his whole life.
A few knights were pale, whispering frantically. Someone looked like they were about to faint.
And on the ground, half-covered in dirt, were bloody scraps of armor and what was absolutely, definitely, 100% human meat.
Okay, I gagged again.
Shiro sniffed the air, his ears going flat.
"…This scent," he murmured.
"It belongs to a Blue Ogre."
I blinked.
"A what now?"
"Blue Ogre. Class SS."
CLASS SS!?
"I JUST GOT USED TO GOBLINS!!!" I cried.
Why was my life like this?
Tweety squinted.
"This is not normal.
Blue Ogres do not wander this far south.
They especially do not leave human remains lying around like leftovers."
I really wish he hadn't said "leftovers."
Ailock approached us, rubbing his temple like he'd taken an emotional beating.
"John," he said, exasperated, "please tell me your familiars did NOT do this."
I threw my hands up.
"WHAT? NO! WE WERE FIGHTING GOBLINS! I WAS GETTING CHASED BY THREE AT ONCE!"
Shiro nodded politely. Tweety bowed like a smug noble.
Ailock sighed again. This man needed a vacation.
"Well," he grumbled, "someone or something sent three Blue Ogres toward Reyseer's border. They marched in a straight line, ignored everything else, killed anyone who approached…"
He looked at the mess on the ground.
"…and then vanished."
My spine tingled in a very bad way.
Blue Ogres don't just show up.
They don't travel.
They don't march like soldiers.
They're wild monsters.
Or they USED to be.
I gulped.
"Uh… Tweety? Shiro? Do you think someone controlled them?"
Tweety's feathers bristled.
"Yes. This reeks of manipulation.
And the scent of the magic lingering…"
Shiro narrowed his icy blue eyes.
"…is unnatural."
I shivered.
"So… something dangerous is heading our way?"
Tweety didn't answer.
Shiro didn't answer.
Both of them simply turned toward the north, toward the castle, staring silently.
And that silence scared me more than any goblin ever could.
***
I've seen a lot since coming to this world.
Goblins. Slimes. A giant snake that wanted to eat my entire soul and divine beasts fighting over dinner.
But nothing, NOTHING, prepared me for the sight of human meat on the ground.
I dry-heaved so hard I nearly coughed out my throat.
"WHY," I gagged, clutching my stomach, "WHYYYY OUT OF ALL THE DAYS, WHY HUMAN!?"
Tweety looked at me like I was being dramatic.
"John, calm yourself," he said with the calm dignity of a royal scholar.
"This is nature. Survival of the fittest."
He even lifted a wing like he was giving a lecture.
"Humans eat beasts. Beasts eat humans. The chain continues."
I stared at him, horrified.
"That's not helpful, Tweety!"
"It is factual," he added, shrugging.
Shiro nodded beside him.
"Indeed. Food chain."
"NO!! NOT TODAY!!"
I waved both hands.
"No food chain talk! No chain! No food!"
Tweety blinked.
"Then what shall we eat? The pit viper leftovers?"
I gagged again so loudly that a nearby knight actually flinched.
I rubbed my face with both hands.
"Nope. No meat today. Nope. Absolutely not. I can't even look at meat. I might scream."
Tweety tilted his head.
"John… this means less food for us."
Shiro nodded solemnly.
"And less seconds."
"I DON'T CARE!" I wailed. "If I see meat right now I'll turn into a vegetarian monk."
The two divine beasts gasped dramatically.
"You wouldn't…" Tweety whispered.
"John…" Shiro murmured. "Think of your duty."
"Nope. Duty canceled!"
I pulled out the teleportation plate so fast I nearly dropped it.
"I'm messaging Mukoda. I need emotional support food."
Tweety squinted.
"Emotional… what now?"
"VEGAN SNACKS, TWEETY. I NEED VEGAN SNACKS."
Writing the Message
I scribbled furiously on a paper:
To Mukoda:
Buddy, please send bread.
Lots of it.
And vegan stuff.
No meat.
I saw something traumatizing. Together with this is 5 gold. Send everything that is in the budget range. Please help.
- John in dire help
I slapped the paper and coins onto the plate and watched it vanish in a flash of magic.
Tweety stared at me like I had lost my mind.
"John… you cannot feed divine beasts bread."
Shiro added, "We require protein."
"You'll eat what I eat today!" I snapped.
"Which is ANYTHING NOT BLEEDING."
Both divine beasts looked personally offended.
The plate glowed and a scroll popped out. Followed by two medium boxes and a small note:
Mukoda:
"I don't know what happened but uh… here. I added extra mayo-free options and vegan stuffings that doesn't taste vegetables. This type of stuffing always fool fel. I know this work with your familiars as well. Stay safe."
I almost cried.
"Thank you, grocery hero…"
I opened the boxes there ten pieces of each:
Toasted garlic bread
Herb butter rolls
Roasted vegetable salad
Vegan-like- meat croquettes
Tweety sniffed them suspiciously.
Shiro sniffed them twice.
"This smells like meat," Shiro commented suspicously.
"It tastes like coping," I retorted.
And so, for the first time in weeks, like Mukoda said, the croquttes fooled Tweety and Shiro. But over the days, they finally learned it was not a meat.
We ate not-meat.
Tweety sighed dramatically after chewing three rolls.
"I feel… underpowered."
Shiro whispered, "I feel unfulfilled."
I took a big bite of vegan like meat croquette.
"You'll live."