My friend is a slime, so what?

Part 9-Shun: A glimpse to the future

My name is Yamada Shunsuke, but in this world, everyone knows me as Schlain Zagan Analeit. After some weird crack exploded in my classroom, I was reincarnated in this fantasy world. I was born as the fourth prince of the Kingdom of Analeit. It was quite a shocking experience to feel how one moment I was in the classroom asking a friend to lend me her stationary, and the next I was a newborn baby. It actually took me a while to figure out where I was reborn, but when I did, I discovered I was in some sort of fantasy world that went through some sort of cataclysmic event that shocked and terraformed most of the world, and if that wasn't enough, like any natural disaster, many kingdoms and people's lives were affected, including mine.

People were constantly coming to our castle to tell us about how they had lost their homes, farms, and businesses. It was utter chaos, with everyone trying their best to keep the kingdom afloat; my father, my older brothers, the adviser. I recall hearing the occasional riot of the townspeople or the scream and insult of the occasional lord who refused to contribute their wealth to the rebuilding efforts from my room. When I was old enough, my education focused on subjects that would allow me to help the rest of my family in their current endeavors. I remember wishing I could do more like my brother Julius, the hero of the church of the goddess. His deeds that he accomplishes, the respect people have for him, always looking after others. I used to fantasize about being a hero like him, playing in the castle, but one day, one of those fantasies got me in trouble.

As I was playing being a hero, I ended up wandering off from the castle and into the town. There I witnessed the harsh and bleak reality of the cataclysm. People were working hard to rebuild the life they once had. Families were broken; people who had lost everything were now begging in the street. The guards were doing their best to keep what small semblance of order remained. While I wasn't sheltered from what was happening outside of the castle, seeing it in person made everything sink in. I felt my heart grow heavy and my stomach twist. People were trying to rebuild their lives, but the damage was such that it would take years before some degree of normality returned. After watching all that, I tried to return to the castle, but some hooded figure took hold of me, dragging me away from everyone. I tried to scream and squirm free, but everyone was so focused on their own troubles that they didn't even pay attention to me. I remember the dread and panic I felt that day. I feared I would never see my new family again, as once again, my old life had been taken away from me. I was powerless to do anything.

Then there was this white, blinding light that made me close my eyes tightly. I didn't know what to expect next. All I remember was hearing the voice of my brother Julius as he carried me in his arms, telling me everything was going to be okay as he tried to comfort me. Still, to this day, I don't know how he found me or what he did with the hooded figures, but I am glad he was there to save me. I remember walking next to him as we headed back to the castle when I eventually asked.

"Brother, how can I become a hero like you?"

"Hmm, you want to become a hero?"

"Yes! That way, I could help people! "

"And how would you help them as a hero?"

I didn't anticipate him asking me how I would help since I really didn't think that far ahead.

"Well, I could... prevent bad things from happening."

"You said that because of the cataclysm, didn't you?"

I nodded, looking down, kind of ashamed as I realized how childish I sounded, but Julius just laughed and petted me in the head.

"If only it were that easy, little brother, a lot is happening in the world. Many people are suffering, even outside our kingdom, and while it is true that I have a duty to help others, there are things that go beyond my capability. "