The apple is on the bedside table, I tried to reach for it, but my hands seemed to be much shorter than I was used to. Strangely, I rolled over on the bed to be closer to the bedside table. I picked up the apple. There was even a mark from my bite. I put it back and started looking around. Where am I?

  Has the strangeness in my body disappeared and I've already gotten used to it and I've become smaller? I don't understand how it is so much younger? The calluses of many years are gone, I took off my pants and there is no hair there and it has become smaller have I become rejuvenated thanks to the apple and have I become a child?

  No, it doesn't explain where I am or how I got here. I'm wearing simple clothes. I looked around the room. Everything here is both familiar and unusual, as if I know what's where, but it feels like it's all a dream. I opened the door and remembered exactly this is the hotel where I lived and worked when I was a teenager, what was it called?

  - Michael, come quickly and help me meet the guests!

  - Yes, sir, I'll be right there!- it's strange how quickly I got used to it, after all, I worked here all my childhood.

  I went out to an adult man and stood at the entrance to the left of the man.

  A couple of nondescript people on horses rode up and quickly got down from them to greet us and go inside. I noticed one of the travelers had quilted armor under his cloak, I took the horses by the reins and led them to the stalls.

  It's amazing how quickly I got used to this body. After rebirth, the soul adapts easily to the body, but nevertheless it's difficult for me to do something. Sometimes I stretch out my arm and feel dizzy. There is some kind of dissonance.

  It makes me fucking angry that I don't understand anything about magic or aura, I'm good at about nothing, how fucking pathetic I am.

  I gave the horses food and rinsed my hands in a wooden bucket and returned to the hall. I wiped the tables and came to take orders from the people who came here. I approached them and asked how I could help them, they asked for a simple stew with bread, I informed the kitchen of the order and went to get clean water to the well. I saw that guy in the leather armor also has a sword, a no frills sword, no decorations on the guard and the hilt is slightly worn, most likely a mercenary or a knight of poor nobles.

  If it was someone from the elite, he would have clearly announced his appearance or would have been wearing armor, but wait... I remembered there was a rumor that one of the marquis's swords passed through here, but later he was killed by the king's henchmen, maybe it was him?

  Yes, it may not sound like nonsense, but do not write off this opportunity, it is worth watching them, I do not remember anything outstanding on this day, and I do not remember this day at all. It's hard enough to carry buckets. I exhaled and gave the buckets of water to the kitchen.

  The food is ready, I took the tray and put the food on it, I left the kitchen and carefully put their dishes on the table for the travelers, I decided to ask them

  "Sir, are you a knight?

  "- the man laughed-It's too loud a name for a man who just waves a sword.

  The man sitting next to the man listened in silence, his skin is too white and clean, and for an ordinary person, he obviously does not work for hours on the street.

  I exchanged a few phrases with him, he behaved casually and calmly, but asking further, he hid a lot and avoided where he was from and where he was going, and I'm not an expert at extracting information, especially in the body of a child, especially from a man with a sword. I look like a superman. I'm a fucking former mercenary. I must give a fuck. And really, why am I even interested in this? Fuck it, I went about my business.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  The guests had a quiet breakfast and went to their room, nothing was heard from them until the evening before their appearance, I calmly completed my tasks and they calmly left their rooms and did not even leave yet, I went out with them, urging the horses to them. They calmly thanked me and rode off into the distance, the night darkness hid them in the distance and they disappeared from sight. I returned to the hall and the last couple of guests remained and they were about to leave. I cleaned the table for them and, tired, went to the counter where they gave me a couple of coppers that I put in my pocket. Tomorrow I'll figure out what to do with them.

  I went into my room, threw the coppers into the shelf where my other money was stored, I closed it and lay down on the bed, lying down I looked at the apple, was I really given a second chance?

  I have to use it, maybe I can even master aura or magic, buy myself a sword in the morning, and now sleep, he rolled over on his side and, listening to his breathing, fell asleep. I immediately got up as if I hadn't slept, I hate this feeling. I woke up just a couple of hours before work started. I put on pants and a light jacket. It's still a cold morning here. I went outside. If I had cigarettes, I would have lit them, but the truth is, I don't have them. As far as I remember, I started smoking at 15. Maybe in this life I won't I should start getting healthier.

  I was walking along the street, there were pharmacies and shops, and I was walking through the market. Somewhere there were chicken carcasses and somewhere pig parts with cows. The smell was indistinguishable from the battlefield, except that there was no smell of sweat. It brings back memories. I noticed a boy my age who was obviously stealing through the crowd. I used to think it was very cool that you could steal like that, but as I got older, I realized that once you get caught, your hands will be cut off and that's it, so it's obviously not mine and I went as a mercenary, it's ridiculous that instead of losing my hands, I lost my life, sometimes it seems to me that I'm very illogical and dumb at the same time, but all people are like that.

  I reached the forge, it was scary to come here, even as a mercenary, you couldn't count on a good weapon, at most something from the rejection of a good blacksmith or a weapon from a novice blacksmith, just like a novice blacksmith! I remembered that somewhere in my city there was a promising blacksmith, he started from the slums, for sure, I quickly went to the slums. I saw this blacksmith in my previous life, but then it was too crowded to get to him and watched only from afar through a crowd of people, but I'm sure I'll recognize him, maybe even get something for I feel confident in the future from meeting him so early.

  Fuck, maybe he hasn't started forging yet, as far as I remember, I heard about him at the age of 35, and he was like something about 20, damn, he wasn't even born yet. I really have to buy a shitty sword. The boy put his face in his hands and exhaled, he looked around and abruptly turned back to the forge. I entered and they didn't even pay attention to me. Well, I'm a kid. They think I came to see an experienced mercenary. How can they not see me as a mercenary? I'm amazed don't I look like a mercenary? I think it's similar.

  The boy was standing by the swords, looking at them, scratching his chin as if he had a beard there and there wasn't even a hair there, it looked ridiculous as if the child was trying to parody adults so sweetly and innocently, right?

  The boy picked up a meter-and-a-half long sword and carried it to the man behind the counter

  - How much does it cost?

  -10 pence

  -7 !

  -10 and no discounts

  - And what about discounts for children!7 pence and I'm taking this parody sword, the price is 7 pence on a good day and with no more margin!

  - All right, boy, take your sword for 7 pence and get back to your hotel!

  - Thank you, sir!- Said the boy, putting the money on the table and running with a sword to the hotel, because the working day starts soon.

  The boy left the sword in the room and worked at the hotel all day again. After the end of the working day, he decided to practice swordsmanship. Simple movements to get his muscles used to and trained were unusual even to hold a sword and it seemed impossible to move it with ease. His forearms burned and his fingers did not feel at all, which made the sword almost impossible to hold.

  It's been a long time since I've felt this way, it's very refreshing to let the sweat and strength flow out of me, I feel it for a reason, I know that it will have positive consequences. Tired and sweating, I went to wash up after the bathroom and fell asleep easily.