I Was Forced To Regress As A Necromancer With Infinite Charm

Aaran sat quietly in the nanny's arms, wondering how he should get to the mark without raising suspicion or getting caught. Being a baby only complicated things, but he also knew the gods wouldn't give him an impossible trial.

They want entertainment, not to see me fail.

This quest had to be doable, same as the rest. But there were a lot of problems.

Maids and nannies constantly watched over the nursery, bustling about. Even if the soldiers were out manning the castle walls, the maids were capable enough to spank his butt if they caught him.

Escaping the place was an impossible task. At least for a normal baby, but Aaran was anything but normal.

As the nanny gently rocked him, Aaran let out a loud wail. Tears streamed down his chubby cheeks, and he squirmed in her arms.

"Oh dear, what's wrong, my little prince? Are you hungry again?" she murmured, patting his back.

After a few moments of futile attempts to calm him, the nanny sighed and placed him in his crib.

"Stay here, my prince. I'll fetch your favorite toy," she said.

Aaran's favorite toy was a giant teddy bear next to the crib. It was a gift from the hero, his parent's former teammate, imbued with spells to calm down the baby. Though it could get addictive, that's why Amara had instructed maids and nannies to use it when absolutely necessary.

The maid placed the human-sized plush beside Aaran and gently tucked it against the bars of the crib.

"There, now you can cuddle with Mr. Teddy," she said, smiling down at him.

At that moment, a maid entered the nursery, her face pale with worry. The two women began whispering about the monster sightings near the capital.

"They've been getting bolder," the maid whispered. "Do you think they'll breach the walls?"

"Not while the king and queen are here," the nanny replied firmly. "They defeated the demon lord. What can a few miscreants do against them?"

"…I hope you're right."

Aaran watched them closely. He knew these maids very well. Once they got to gossiping, everything else became unimportant. It was the perfect time to make an escape.

Using the bear's large, fluffy arm, he pulled himself up to a standing position. The bear's soft surface provided just enough support for him to climb over the edge of the crib.

With a push, he let himself fall, landing on the teddy's soft stomach. He remained still for a moment, ensuring the nanny and maid hadn't noticed.

Success!

They were too engrossed in their conversation to spare him a glance.

Slowly, Aaran began crawling toward the door. There, he spotted a laundry cart filled with linens and towels.

Perfect.

With one last glance at the distracted nanny and maid, Aaran crawled over to the cart and slipped inside, hiding beneath the pile of cloth. There was a soft thudding noise from the cart, attracting the maid's attention back to her duties.

However, she didn't want to go. The gossip was getting interesting. Just then, a young maid crossed the hall.

She was petite, with curly auburn hair tied in a loose bun. Her bright green eyes darted around nervously, and freckles dotted her pale cheeks. She couldn't have been older than sixteen.

"Amelia, take this cart to the laundry room," Clara instructed her.

"Yes, ma'am," the young maid nodded.

The ladies returned to their chat and Amelia pushed the cart out of the room. Aaran felt a sense of triumph. Even in this helpless body, he had outsmarted them.

The laundry cart rattled as Amelia maneuvered it through the castle's winding corridors. Aaran kept his focus on the map, waiting for the right moment.

Just before Amelia turned into a side corridor, Aaran rolled out of the cart and onto the floor. He had clutched a thick towel in his little hands to make his landing soft.

Sure enough, Amelia didn't notice him and walked away. He quickly crawled toward a narrow passageway used by servants to carry dishes from the kitchen to the grand hall.

Usually, guards were stationed here, but because of the monster attack, everyone was protecting the castle from the outside.

Thanks to that… I can take my sweet time.

Despite his quick thinking, there wasn't much stamina in an infant's body. Aaran had to take frequent breaks before continuing his journey ahead.

Thankfully, the map revealed several hidden routes and secret passages, and made Aaran's time easier. After what felt like an eternity, Aaran reached the red X. He was in front of an old broom closet tucked away in a forgotten corner of the castle.

This is it? A broom closet?

Aaran tilted his head in confusion. He had expected to get some grand treasure room, or a hidden artifact. Not a dusty closet filled with mops and buckets.

Thinking the gods had tricked him, he wanted to leave, but then decided against it. Since he was already there, he might as well check to see what was inside the closet.

With his little hands, he reached out to push the door, but it didn't budge.

Hell with this.

Aaran cursed in his mind and turned to leave. To his surprise, the door creaked open on its own. Inside, an orb the size of a melon sat on a cushion. Its surface shimmered like liquid silver, and faint, swirling patterns across its surface.

What is this?

In his nineteen incarnations, he had never seen such a thing in his life. But he could feel a strange, menacing aura oozing out of the ball.

Aaran crawled closer to get a better look. As he approached, the orb shook.

"Finally… I'm free!" the orb exclaimed.

It rolled off the shelf and onto the floor, glowing brighter as it moved.

"Who's there?" the orb asked.

But there was no reply. It rolled around the shelf, but couldn't find anyone and returned to its place.

"Strange. Only someone from Lucien's lineage can open this coffin. But I don't see anyone—wait, who is hitting my coffin?"

The Orb rolled to look below and spotted Aaran sitting upright on the floor, his tiny hands resting against the closet, staring at it.

"Are you the one who unsealed me?" the orb asked. "A baby?"

Aaran nodded, his tiny head bobbing up and down. He couldn't speak, of course, but his actions were clear enough.

The orb seemed to sigh, though it had no face to show its frustration. It rolled closer to Aaran, its size nearly matching the toddler's.

"Of all the people in Lucien's lineage, the one who unseals me is an infant. Wonderful," it muttered. "Why did you wake me up?"

Aaran tilted his head, equally confused. He had come here for a reward, not to free a talking orb. Aaran glanced at the map again, but it had disappeared as the trial was over. He pointed at the orb, then at himself, trying to convey his question.

"You're clueless, aren't you?" it asked. "Another prophecy I suppose…"

Aaran gave a small nod.

"Well, this is awkward," the orb muttered. "You must have some grand purpose for waking me, though I doubt you even know what it is."

Despite its complaints, the orb rolled closer to Aaran, studying him carefully. "Well, you're clearly part of Lucien's bloodline, or you wouldn't have been able to open that door. But how did you even get here?"

Aaran pointed to the orb, then to the closet, and shrugged, hoping the gesture would prompt more information from it because he was clueless.

"This is going to take a while," it muttered. "Alright, little one. Since you've unsealed me, I suppose I owe you some answers. But first, we need to get out of here before anyone finds us."

The orb jinxed itself as hurried footsteps echoed down the hallway. A moment later, Lucien burst into the room, his sword drawn and his face pale. His sharp gaze darted to the orb, then to Aaran sitting beside it.

"Aaran!" he exclaimed, rushing over.

He scooped his son up, checking if he was injured. However, the Orb interrupted their moment.

"Well, well," the orb taunted. "If it isn't the master himself. How noble of you to finally show up."

"…I'm not your master," Lucien's jaw tightened. "You should've stayed sealed."

"That's harsh of you to say that. Even undead have feelings, you know?"

"Shut it!" Lucien yelled.

With that, he left with Aaran as the orb rolled behind, following the father-son duo.