The second chance of the uncrowned king - (Isekai)

"I shouldn't have eaten so much..." My stomach is full—I found something very similar to my favorite dish from my old world. I couldn't resist the urge to eat and eat, and now I'm paying the consequences. I don't think I'll be able to eat again for a few hours.

"I told you, and you didn't listen. Three servings were too much, Maki." Mom's eyes say, How can he be so foolish? Her judgmental look doesn't bother me. I don't regret eating so much—if I had more room, I'd eat more.

"You should listen to Aunt Celes, Maki." Sol also scolds me for my actions.

I look to Grandma for comfort, but she just stares at me like I'm some strange creature before turning her gaze away.

"I support you, Maki. A man should enjoy every bite of his favorite food." My only moral support is Cris. I like this kid more and more.

We keep walking, looking for more games to compete in. I've won the last two after the archery game. The first was similar to basketball, and the second involved standing with your back against a wall, dodging balls thrown by the game owner.
In the third game, I almost lost. I briefly used my pseudo domain to win in the end. I feel a little bad about using my ability, but it's fair if I consider it part of me.

As we walk toward the end of a street, we find a surprisingly large space for what seems like a simple game. When we approach, we see a boy playing—it looks like dodgeball.
Two boys are throwing balls at the person in the middle, who has to dodge for as long as possible. When the middle player lasts over 30 seconds, a third person joins in with another ball.

"Ready to lose, Maki?" Cris looks at me with confidence. "It's similar to that last game where you barely beat me. It's time for revenge."

Sorry, Cris, this one's my specialty. I'll use my pseudo domain to improve—rarely do I get the chance to have three people throwing things at me.
"This game's going to be 4–0 for me, Cris." My smile makes him hesitate. He turns away, and I can feel his concentration rising.

The boy in the middle is about to lose. I notice he's wearing a collar similar to the ones my brother brought back. When he takes enough hits, it activates, ending the game. It's a good way to play without getting hurt.

"I'm going first, Maki." Cris steps forward to take his turn.

He starts the game and does pretty well. In the first 20 seconds, he only takes one hit to the leg. But once the third player joins, Cris can't keep up and loses at 44 seconds.
It's a good time—the previous kid lost at 41.

"Try to beat me, Maki." Cris walks out of the game with a victorious smile. I don't want to crush his pride too much, so I'll let myself get hit after a minute.

"Young master Maki, it's a pleasure to see you again." When I see his face, my brain runs at 100 km/h trying to place him.

"How have you been? Still working at the site?" He never told me his name, but I saw him a few times when I visited.

"Yes, today my two brothers and I set up this stall to earn some extra money." Both brothers give me a small bow before greeting me.

"Good to hear. Don't go easy on me just because I'm the baronet's son. I expect your best." I walk to the center and put on the collar to begin. I can feel them exchange looks and nod—they'll take this seriously.

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This collar is different from ours—much simpler and with only a light enchantment. The difference is probably huge if I compare them.
"Ready, young master Maki. Let's begin."

The shots come in coordinated—only moments apart. If you dodge the wrong way, a ball could hit your back. For me, that's impossible.
Thirty seconds pass quickly. The third brother joins in, but even with all three, they can't hit me while keeping their strength at level one.

I think about giving up at a minute, but it gets more exciting. They increase the power of their throws, making the balls faster. These three are at emerald grade.
The speed is intense—one wrong step and I'll get hit. After fifteen more seconds, they only manage to hit my foot by chance, from a ball bouncing off another.

Then it gets harder—they step closer and begin throwing with both hands.

"Young master Maki, your reflexes are amazing." The one I met at the construction site is the first to approach.

"I didn't quite reach a minute and a half—missed it by just four seconds." I feel a bit disappointed not to hit a round number.

"Don't feel down, young master. We've been doing this event for years. You're the first person below emerald grade to last this long." One of the brothers comes to congratulate me.

We chat for a bit, and it's time to say goodbye.
"By the way, I never asked your names."

"We're Fala, Fale, and Fali."

"Our mother didn't want to complicate things, so she just changed the last letter." The four of us laugh together.

"Goodbye, guys. I hope to see you soon." They all bow before I walk back to where the others are waiting.

"Maki, how did you do that? Do you have eyes on your back?" Cris runs over and grabs my shoulders, shaking me.

"Yeah, Maki, it was amazing how you dodged so many balls from different angles." Sol also comes up and starts turning me around, trying to check if I have extra eyes.

I don't know how to get out of this without revealing my domain skill. My brain is running as fast as possible to find a way out, but it's hopeless. I shouldn't have gone overboard and given in to the excitement of the game.

"Guys, this is a public place for those kinds of questions—and every young person should be allowed to have a few secrets, right?" Grandma comes to the rescue.

The young nobles drop their questions and look away, slightly embarrassed. They catch on quickly. I glance at Grandma and Mom to confirm—they understand my look, hesitate for a second, and then nod.

"I'll explain a bit about my ability later. Don't get upset." They both look at me with bright eyes. I feel a bit bad for them. It's just childish curiosity. I think I can trust them—they're the children of a close family friend. I won't reveal everything, just a few details.

"Promise you'll tell us once we're at your house resting." Sol hooks her pinky with mine to make me promise. Some customs really are the same, no matter the world.

"I promise. After lunch, I'll tell you." Both of them look satisfied and happy.

They walk ahead with Grandma, looking for something fun to do. There's less than an hour left before the daytime fair ends. We'll come back for the nighttime fair.

"Are you sure you want to reveal your abilities, Maki?" Mom looks at me—not judging, just seeking clarity.

"I didn't want to, but the situation got out of hand. Do you think I messed up?" She doesn't get a chance to answer, because I keep talking. "Considering everything… they're trustworthy, right?"

"You didn't do anything wrong, son. I trust your judgment. Even though you're only eight, your mindset is mature. If you make a mistake, it'll serve as a lesson—it's part of growing and learning to trust." Her warm smile soothes my thoughts.
"They're Camux's kids—he's like a brother to your father. So yes, they're trustworthy."

"Thanks, Mom. I'm not planning to reveal everything—just a simple concept of my ability." I have enough time to think about what to say.

"I trust you, son. I won't interfere—you have to make some decisions on your own." She gives me a small pat on the back, and we speed up to catch up with the others.

I'm grateful to have been born into this family. I have loving, understanding parents, kind-hearted siblings, and a wise, gentle grandmother. I couldn't have chosen a better family.
Fate is giving back some of the things it took from me in my previous life.
I feel a little melancholic remembering my trainer and my uncle. I truly hope everything is going perfectly for my trainer—he was always good to me.

I activate my cold mind ability to clear those thoughts. It's not the time to be sad. He'd be angry if he saw me sad in this second chance. He'd probably make me do double the training.
I calm my mind—it's time to keep having fun.