Beautiful.
That's the only thing I could've had said after finally being brought outside to the World.
The sky unlike in my old world seems much more bluer and the gentle breeze in the air felt calming and refreshing.
If my old world was this refreshing and peaceful back then, then I would've likely had touched grass much more often.
Still, the architecture in Sumeru sure is unique. Sumeru had a unique charm to it. The buildings were grand yet intricate, blending seamlessly with the nature around them. Tall trees intertwined with stone structures, vines draped over rooftops, and bridges arched elegantly over waterways. It was like something out of a dream.
Still, what caught my attention was the insanely huge tree just north-west of the city. There seems to be some infrastructures there as well.
I think it was even bigger in size than the statue of liberty. Maybe thrice or Quadruple its size maybe?
Maybe that's were the Archon resides? Seems like a grand place and all after all.
I was currently laid down in my Mother's arms as she carried me in her arms with my Father, Albern Yildirim covering us from the harsh sun with a huge enough parasol to cover the three of us.
"Honey, hold the parasol properly. My precious little Lux might get sunburned!" She chided my Father who was besides us.
Albern tiredly sighed. "I've been holding the parasol for 30 minutes straight without rest, my arms are getting numb.." Albern reasoned.
My Mother shot her a glare. "We're almost there so keep holding it up. I want Lux to look his best when he finally meets his new friend!" She quipped.
Father just sighed clearly knowing that whatever excuses he says will not be recognized. "But-" he seems to have something to say but stopped himself and sighed. "Yeah, Yeah."
I heard him grumble about some things but it seems like he just decided to keep quiet.
Smart guy.
I think I can pretty much see who is the one that wears the pants in this relationship.
I somewhat feel bad.
Still, I wasn't informed that I was going to be paraded off to another person. Does this woman think that I don't have any thoughts about it?
She doesn't.
I glared at her but it seems like she noticed and misunderstood. "Oh? Are you excited Lux? I'm sure that it would be very fun once you finally meet your new friend!" She happily said.
I wonder how I looked like that she misunderstood my glare for an excited one.
Anyway, I'm a little curious as for who this person that we're going to be visiting. After all, on the way here Mother keeps on talking about the person we would be visiting.
Something about being a very talented and dedicated dancer in a theater...?
I wasn't really paying attention at that time since I was too busy looking at the outside world and touching grass.
Stare...
Hmm..?
I twisted my head in the stalls and the people walking down the street and noticed some passerby were looking directly at our direction.
I've been ignoring it for a while now but aren't there quite a lot of people looking at our direction?
I just thought of it as people being mesmerized by the appearance of my Parents that seems youthful yet still very beautiful or handsome but now that I think about it...
They were looking at me weren't they?
What's their problem? Have they never seen a baby being carried by a beauty before?
Pitiful bastards.
On a more serious note, they seem to have curious and mesmerized look on their faces when they were looking at me.
I wonder what it is..?
Perhaps my face was just too cute for them? And they were mesmerized because of my undoubtedly (?) cute baby face.
Right... Enough of this stupidly narcissistic thoughts.
Well, now that I think about it. I've never really had the chance to see my face huh? I should add that to my to do list in the future.
After a few more minutes of walking we arrived at a moderately normal house made of wood and other exotic designs that fits a natures look.
"Niva, we're here!" My Mother knocked. "Open up before I kick down the door!" She added.
... Scary. Is this really how the Woman acts in this world?
Who goes around knocking on a friends door just to threaten their poor door?
Perhaps it's the common courtesy here in this world.
A weird one at that.
I heard a few shuffling noises inside the house and then the door suddenly opened showing a Woman in her mid 20s.
She had a long red hair and green eyes that seems to fit her very attractive beautiful face.
Is being a good looking person in this world a common occurrence I wonder?
If so, then I really lucked out with my Parents huh?
The person inside the house, Niva greeted us with a smile gracing her lips.
"It's been so long, how have you two been?" She greeted my Parents before looking at Deyna.
My Parents showed a nostalgic smile before my Father responded. "It has been great! We had an awesome time taking care of our little munchkin."
Mother added with a closed eyes as if remembering the beautiful things. "It truly was a very fulfilling and happy time taking care of Lux. From cleaning him up, feeding him to dressing him up. It has been very enjoyable, my Lux is just so very cute!" She rubbed my cheeks with her fingers as she adored me.
Niva chuckled wryly. "I get it, I get it. So this is Lux huh? You look very cu-" Niva cut her words short when she looked at my face.
Seriously this is getting real old. What's with people being so surprised about my face?
Niva's eyes seemed to widen slightly in surprise, intrigue and mesmerization but she quickly dismissed it with a gentle smile.
"Well, he certainly has both of your looks. He has your features Deyna and has your sharp eyes Albern, albeit his is... A little unique."
Unique...?
What, do I have 2 pupils or something that makes my eyes unique?
Is that the reason for the constant attention I was receiving?
Well, I guess that does explain the stares.
Whatever it is, it seems like my eyes looks quite weird that it could catch people's attention.
I was now gonna make sure that I somehow check what I look like back home and see what the hype was all about.
.
.
.
A While Later
After the greetings my Parents and I were led inside where we met her husband craddling a baby in a crib.
And in the said crib is where I currently lay with the baby, younger than me it seems. It seems like a she by how Niva and her husband- Nilfa talks about her.
She has little red hair poking out of her head, I don't know what her eyes looks like yet since she is still currently asleep.
I think I heard them call her... Nilou?
I turned my attention back to the adults and noticed that they seemed to have serious expressions on their faces.
As I lay in the crib beside the still-sleeping baby girl, I couldn't help but let my mind wander.
From the conversations I've heard so far, it's clear that my parents and these people, Niva and Nilfa are very close friends. Their interactions are natural, unreserved, and filled with familiarity. Considering how my mother didn't hesitate to threaten Niva's door earlier, I'd say they've known each other for a long time.
Still, none of that really concerned me. What did concern me was the strange reaction people had to my face. It wasn't just Niva, plenty of people on the way here had either looked at me with curiosity or intrigue.
I sighed internally. Well, first things first, I should confirm what's so "unique" about my face when we get home.
While I was lost in thought, my mother and Niva had settled into casual conversation, their voices carrying over to where I lay.
"How's work been, Nilfa?" my mother suddenly asked Nilfa, Niva's husband, while rocking the crib lightly.
"...Same as always," Nilfa responded with a weary sigh. "The Akademiya is as frustrating as ever. You'd think with all their wisdom, they'd have some sense of practicality, but no. The scholars live in their own little world."
Akademiya?
Father scoffed. "Still stuck dealing with those stuffy scholars, huh? I don't know how you put up with them. If I had to listen to a bunch of self-important bookworms argue all day, I'd throw myself into the desert."
Nilfa chuckled wryly. "You're not wrong, but it's not like I have much of a choice. The funding from the Akademiya helps keep the Grand Bazaar running smoothly, and they've been interfering with things a lot more lately."
That caught my interest.
"What do you mean?" my mother asked, raising an eyebrow.
Nilfa sighed and leaned back in her chair. "Lately, the Akademiya has been getting stricter about performances and gatherings at the Grand Bazaar. They're imposing more rules, increasing restrictions, and overall making it harder for performers to express themselves. They claim it's to 'preserve the integrity of Sumeru's intellectual pursuits.' As if dancing and the arts aren't part of our culture."
That's… interesting.
From what I've heard, the Akademiya is pretty much the Government in Sumeru, and their scholars are obsessed with knowledge. But to go as far as restricting artistic performances? That's plain being unreasonable right?
"They always were arrogant assholes," Father muttered, crossing his arms. "It's bad enough they act like their research is the only thing that matters. Now they want to kill off Sumeru's culture too?"
Nilfa sighed. "It's not just the Grand Bazaar. They're also cracking down on independent researchers who don't follow their rigid guidelines. If your research isn't something they deem 'worthy,' they either reject it outright or make it impossible for you to get any funding from them."
Niva, who had been quietly listening while sitting on the couch, finally spoke up. "The Akademiya sees themselves as the sole authority on knowledge. Anything that doesn't align with their vision is seen as a waste of time. It's been like this for a while now, but recently, it's gotten worse."
My mother frowned, shaking her head in disapproval. "That's just ridiculous. Sumeru is supposed to be the land of wisdom, not the land of tyranny."
Niva gave a bitter smile. "Try telling that to the sages."
So, the Akademiya wasn't just a place of learning. It was a bureaucratic nightmare filled with self-righteous scholars who thought their word was law. It reminded me of certain corporate environments back in my past life, where people in power only cared about maintaining control and their position rather than actually doing anything useful.
Still, this information gave me something important to think about. If the Akademiya had this much influence, then I'd have to be careful about how I lived my life in Sumeru. Getting on their bad side sounded like a pain.
Not like I was planning anything grand about my new life that would warrant their attention.
Suddenly I felt rustling next to me. Looking back, I saw Nilou.
As Nilou's teal-colored eyes fluttered open, she stared blankly at the ceiling for a moment, then slowly turned her head toward me.
Our eyes met.
She blinked once.
I blinked back.
She blinked again.
I stared.
…
And then, without warning
"Pwaaaah!!"
She let out a loud, bubbly gurgle and smacked her tiny hands against my face.
What the hell!?
Caught off guard, I flinched as her chubby little hands squished my cheeks with the strength of an enthusiastic baby who had just discovered her ability to grab things.
This girl… she had no hesitation. No fear. She just went straight for the face.
My mother gasped. "Oh my, how adorable! She likes you already, Lux!"
Mother, I truly doubt your thoughts that concluded that conclusion.
Nilou gurgled happily, seemingly entertained by the way my cheeks squished under her grip. Her tiny fingers curled and uncurled as she experimented, as if testing how much she could deform my face before I started crying.
This little gremlin…
I had two choices here: accept my fate and allow myself to be treated like a stress ball, or retaliate.
Of course as a responsible adult, I let her squish my face all she wants without exacting any revenge.
But it seems like she is enjoying it too much since she was trying to get closer to me to keep pinching me.
I slowly, and carefully reached out with my tiny baby hand… and placed it softly on her forehead.
Nilou blinked again, her expression briefly blank as she tried to lean forward. But my hand, weak as it was, provided just enough resistance to keep her at bay.
That's right. This is what we call keeping your distance, young lady. Learn it well.
Her response?
She scrunched up her nose, wiggled her body in protest, and then...
CHOMP.
…The hell?
The little menace had leaned forward and bit my fingers.
Not hard, mind you. Her baby teeth weren't even growing yet. But the sheer audacity.
"Awww, Nilou's playing with him!" Niva said, clasping her hands together.
I'd rather you call this, her trying to use me as her stress ball or in this case... Food.
I tried to pull my fingers away, but Nilou just happily gummed at them like she was taste-testing an exotic delicacy.
At this point, I just accepted the fate that I was forced into. But still, getting chewed on by a baby felt… humiliating.
"Looks like she's taken a real liking to Lux," Nilfa chuckled approaching the crib and looking at the two of us.
Mother beamed. "Well, of course! My little Lux is just so lovable!"
Father muttered, "Or maybe she thinks he tastes good."
Mother shot him a look.
I, on the other hand, just sighed internally and accepted my fate.
---
Later That Evening
After spending way too long as Nilou's personal teething toy, I was finally freed from my suffering. My parents and Niva chatted for a while longer before deciding it was time to head home.
Mother stretched her arms with a satisfied sigh. "It's getting late. We should head back before it gets too dark."
Father seemed to perked up. "Finally."
Mother shot him a glare, but he wisely chose not to say anything further.
With our goodbyes said, my parents carried me back through the dimly lit streets of Sumeru.
The walk was peaceful, with only a few lanterns flickering along the way. The earlier bustling energy of the city had settled into a quiet calm, with most shops closing and people returning home.
I leaned back in my mother's arms, letting the gentle swaying lull me into a relaxed state. The cool night air was pleasant, and after today's chaos, I appreciated the quiet.
That was, until..
"Deyna, can I please put the parasol down now?"
"Absolutely not. Lux's delicate skin needs protection at all times."
Father groaned dramatically. "For Archon's sake. It's NIGHTTIME."
"And? The moonlight still exists!"
"...That's not how that works!"
Mother narrowed her eyes. "Are you doubting my maternal instincts?"
Father immediately shut up.
Smart man.
With that, we continued our journey home under the Moon.
With a very comfortable atmosphere surrounding the family of Yildirim.