Chapter 13 – A Past Life Revealed
Alexander looked at Ignes, his usual stoic composure replaced by a visible, sharp anxiousness. His hands tightened at his sides.
"Igna…" he began, his voice barely a whisper. "Do you… do you truly remember your past life?"
Ignes leaned against a marble pillar, his posture relaxed and his tone casual—as if they were discussing the afternoon weather rather than the secrets of the soul.
"Yes, Dad."
He tilted his head slightly, his red eyes reflecting a genuine, quiet confusion.
"Is there something wrong? You all look like you've seen the world end."
He wasn't acting. To a soul that had drifted through the void and traversed the heights of the Empyrean, the concept of memory was simply a tool, not a crisis.
Frederick stared at him, his mouth slightly agape.
"How are you acting like this is nothing?" the Emperor asked, his voice rising in disbelief. "Like it's some normal, everyday matter to remember a different world?"
Ignes blinked once, his expression flat. "…Isn't it?"
Before Frederick could sputter a response, Ignes shifted the focus.
"What did you study back there? And what were your hobbies?"
Frederick was caught off guard by the sudden interrogation.
"…Engineering," he answered automatically. "And hobbies… I liked anime. I enjoyed cooking. Why does that matter now?"
Ignes nodded slowly, a look of "that explains it" crossing his face.
"I was a biologist. A doctor. And in my spare time, I was a singer."
He continued calmly, oblivious to the way the Dukes were slowly losing their minds.
"I studied physics as well—astronomy, specifically. I knew the names of the stars and the paths of the planets. I even spent years researching which celestial bodies could support human life… calculating how long a person could survive on the gravity of a super-Earth."
"I sent my theories to the scientific community. I even received a Nobel Award for my work."
He paused, a lazy, amused glint entering his eyes.
"But the point is… I've read so many novels across my lives that even the most bizarre occurrences feel completely normal to me now. My life is a trope I've already mastered."
Silence fell over the room, thick and heavy.
Frederick stared at the fourteen-year-old boy in front of him with a new kind of shock. "…How old were you when you died?" he asked slowly. "To achieve all that… you had to be in your 80s… right?"
Ignes looked at him, a flicker of his "temper" edge returning.
"…You are from the Stone Age, aren't you? I was only twenty-six when I left that world."
He paused, his gaze darkening for a fleeting second.
"…Ah. Wait. I wasn't dead."
"I was killed."
Alexander immediately stepped forward, his protective instincts flaring.
"Igna, are you alright?"
Seeing the four most powerful men in the Empire looking at him with such raw, unshielded concern—Ignes's expression softened. His heart felt an unfamiliar, steady warmth.
"I'm fine," he said softly. "It's not a problem. I knew I would die that day. I was fighting."
Alexander frowned, his voice low with dread. "Why were you fighting? In a world of science and stars?"
Frederick added, "The world you described… it was supposed to be peaceful, wasn't it? How did a doctor and a singer end up in a fight like that?"
Ignes looked directly into Frederick's eyes, his voice turning cold and precise.
"Year. Age. Name."
Frederick answered without thinking, drawn in by the command in Ignes's voice.
"2029. Age 22. My name was… Max."
Ignes nodded, his mind moving at lightning speed.
"2033. Age 26. My name was… Izar."
Frederick froze.
The color drained from his face, and then rushed back in a frantic wave. His eyes widened, and his hands began to tremble.
"…Wait."
"Are you… that Izar? The Izar from Sky Group? The top-ranked singer who vanished?"
Ignes replied with a simple, devastatingly calm nod. "Yes."
Silence.
And then—the Emperor of Aeternum moved.
Frederick lunged forward and grabbed Ignes's hands. His image as a calm, calculated ruler shattered instantly into a thousand pieces. Like a star-struck fan meeting their idol in a dream—he looked at Ignes with eyes that were literally shining.
"I'm your biggest fan!" he shouted, his voice cracking with excitement. "I was the president of your international fan club! I've heard every single one of your songs! I have your limited edition albums!"
He let out a shaky breath, nearly tearing up.
"My biggest regret when I died was that I would never hear your voice again! I thought the music was gone forever!"
Ignes looked at the Emperor—the man his father served, the ruler of millions—who was currently shaking his hands like a teenager.
A small, genuine smile finally touched Ignes's lips.
"I'm flattered, Your Majesty," he said.
He paused, a playful, dangerous light dancing in his red eyes.
"…Or should I say—future father-in-law?"