Chapter 2 — A Nobleman Shocked by Modern Civilization (1)

Stein slowly took a breath.

Air filled deep inside his lungs.

But… something felt strange.

Shallow.

The depth of his breathing was different from usual.

His heartbeat felt dull, and even the tension in his muscles was faint.

Even the sensation of blood flowing through his veins felt slightly off.

For someone who had always been accustomed to perfect control of his body, the difference was obvious immediately.

“This body… is far too weak.”

Stein muttered quietly.

“Huh?! Why are you talking like that all of a sudden?”

The man beside him, who had been packing his bag, stared at Stein with a strange expression.

But Stein paid him no attention. He was focused entirely on analyzing this new body.

If it were my original body, it would never feel this weak. This body must have been suffering from long-term exhaustion.

A faint wrinkle formed between Stein’s brows.

They said this body collapsed from overwork, didn’t they? Then the owner of this body must have died from exhaustion.

That was enough for now.

After finishing his assessment of the body, Stein finally lifted his head and looked around.

A low ceiling.

Desks that were so simple they almost looked crude.

People sat at them with books open, heads lowered while reading.

Stein raised an eyebrow slightly.

Is this… perhaps a library?

People were indeed sitting and reading books.

But it looked nothing like the “library” Stein knew.

There were no marble pillars.

No bookshelves decorated with gold leaf.

No chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.

No fresco paintings on the walls.

It was a space stripped down to pure practicality.

How… modest.

Compared to the solemn scholars turning ancient manuscripts in the palace library, the atmosphere here felt incredibly relaxed.

Some people were even sleeping with their heads on the desks.

There was none of the dignity or solemnity one would expect from a temple of knowledge.

Stein’s gaze moved to one side.

On the desks were shining objects.

Some were the size of a palm.

Others were larger than books.

They sparkled like finely crafted items.

Several people were holding them in their hands and staring at them.

A mirror?

That was his first thought.

It was not unusual for noblewomen to carry silver mirrors.

Gentlemen also checked their appearance in large mirrors before attending balls.

But this situation was different.

Why would they stare at mirrors for so long in a public place that isn’t even a social gathering?

A mirror was only meant for briefly checking one’s appearance.

Especially in a place meant for studying.

I cannot understand such behavior.

Stein frowned slightly, then calmly looked away as if he had seen nothing.

Even the way people handled books seemed strange to him.

Books were sacred repositories of knowledge.

Turning each page should be done with care.

Yet—

Flip. Flip.

Pages were turned quickly.

Some people even used books as pillows while sleeping.

It’s clear.

The puzzle pieces in Stein’s mind began rapidly assembling and rearranging.

He reached a conclusion.

And he had sufficient reasons.

***

First

The language he had heard earlier—and was still hearing now.

He understood it perfectly.

Even though he had never encountered it before, it felt like his native language.

Yet it did not exist within Stein’s knowledge system.

The languages he knew were:

His native Prussian,
French, learned for diplomacy and etiquette,
English, learned later to read veterinary research,
And Latin, used for academic foundations.

Yet these unfamiliar words were forming meaning in his mind instinctively.

Second

His consciousness had awakened in someone else’s body.

If his soul had entered an empty vessel…

The theory itself was not impossible.

Of course, that still did not explain why he had entered this body.

Third

The scenery and people around him were completely different from the world he knew.

All three points led to one conclusion.

This is not the world I know.

In other words, he had been transported to another world.

Even after reaching this conclusion, it was not something he could easily accept.

No matter how I examine it, it is illogical. An unexplainable phenomenon.

But the fact remained that it had happened to him.

If science could not explain it, he would need to approach it from another angle.

Stein’s eyes slowly calmed.

Just then, someone reached toward his shoulder.

Instinctively, Stein twisted his body.

It was a trained reflex.

“Why are you jumping like that? I told you we should go home. You obviously need rest.”

The man looked annoyed.

Stein slowly examined him.

A clean shirt.

Neat glasses.

But the fabric of the clothes was rough, and the finishing was crude.

Nothing like the clothing of nobles or the upper class.

It wasn’t even like a servant’s uniform.

He was the one putting books and writing tools into a bag earlier.

If so, he was likely someone assisting him.

Yet the man spoke to him casually.

Stein felt his sense of authority stir deep inside.

But he showed no emotion.

A true noble does not waste emotion on small rudeness.

He simply observes quietly.

Then the man spoke again.

“I’m serious; you look terrible. I’ve been talking to you, and you’re just staring around. Are you really okay?”

Oh?

He looks like a servant… but perhaps… a physician?

The man’s eyes were examining him carefully.

Perhaps he was responsible for this body’s health.

At such a young age?

If so, he must be quite talented.

Stein quickly organized the situation in his mind.

Since the man had expressed concern as a medical professional, it would be proper to respond politely.

“Thank you for your concern. My condition is fine.”

The man froze.

“…What?”

Stein’s eyebrow moved slightly.

“I merely expressed gratitude for your concern about my condition. Is something strange about that?”

“No, it’s just… why are you talking like that?”

The man looked at Stein carefully, like a doctor examining a patient.

“Did you hit your head when you collapsed yesterday?”

“Hm. You are even concerned about the condition of my head.”

As soon as Stein answered, the man turned around.

“Let’s go outside first. If you keep acting like this here, you’ll disturb people.”

“That would be appropriate.”

If this was a library, silence should indeed be maintained.

Stein agreed and stood up.

“Here, your bag.”

The man held out the bag naturally.

But Stein ignored it and began walking.

His back is straight.

His gaze is forward.

His posture is perfectly upright.

It looked so natural that the man slowly pulled back his hand holding the bag.

Then, almost unconsciously, he followed behind Stein.

A moment later, after leaving the reading room, the man realized he was still holding Stein’s bag.

“Hey, Kim Seok-un. Aren’t you taking your bag?”

He called out, but Stein continued walking down the hallway silently.

His expression was extremely stiff.

The man sighed.

He must really be sick.

If someone were struggling just to keep from collapsing, how could he hand him a heavy bag?

I’ll just carry it.

The man strengthened his grip on the bag and followed him.

****

Outside the Library

Once they left the building, Stein noticed far more people than before.

People entering.

People leaving.

Many of them were holding the same rectangular glowing objects he had seen earlier.

Some even stared at them while walking.

Why are they staring into mirrors while walking down the street?

Fixing one’s appearance should be done in private.

To focus on it so intensely in public was something Stein could not understand.

“This?”

The man seemed to notice Stein’s gaze and pulled out the same object from his pocket.

“Oh? You possess one as well?”

Stein raised an eyebrow.

He had thought the man was a capable physician.

Yet he carried a mirror and checked his appearance in public.

The word “capable” faded slightly in Stein’s mind.

Suddenly—

The man held two fingers up in front of Stein’s eyes.

“How many fingers do you see? Are you really okay?”

The fingers waved back and forth.

Stein’s gaze turned cold.

Waving fingers in front of someone’s face… how rude.

Yet a calm smile appeared on his lips.

It was beneath a noble’s dignity to become angry at ignorance.

Rather, it only invited pity.

Besides, Stein’s attention was already focused elsewhere.

He noticed the back of the man walking ahead of him.

White letters were printed on the black coat.

JEIL NAT’L UNIV.

Stein’s eyes first noticed the symbol below the letters.

A snake wrapped around a staff.

The Rod of Asclepius…?

A symbol of medicine since ancient times.

It was often used in the crests of royal physicians and military doctors.

So he really is a medical professional.

Stein’s gaze moved to the words beneath the symbol.

College of Veterinary Medicine

The combination of words felt familiar.

Britain had been gaining influence in veterinary medicine.

Stein himself frequently read the journals and research papers published by the Royal Veterinary College to stay updated.

…Veterinary medicine.

The art of healing animals.

The field to which he had dedicated his entire life.

Yet he had never imagined encountering that word on the clothing of an ordinary person in such a strange world.

Stein stopped walking without realizing it.

His heart began beating faster.

Memories of the past and the reality before him collided.

The scattered pieces began forming a single shape.

Then…

This was not just a place of learning.

…It is a university that researches and teaches veterinary medicine.

Stein’s eyes grew deeper.