Mushoku Tensei: A Life Not Meant for Me.

Well, there was nothing better to do anyway. His bones and muscles hadn't yet developed enough for proper sword training. Aside from casually tossing around a few spells now and then, his days were mostly idle.

So, why not try raising this maid's affection level while he was at it?

Roya let out a yawn and snatched a cleaning cloth from Lilia's hands, helping her wipe away the stains on the tabletop.

Lilia glanced at the cold, aloof little boy and bent slightly at the waist as she said,"Thank you, Miss Roya."

It was her subtle revenge, for what he had just done.

Roya's hand froze mid-motion. He slammed his palm onto the table. The cold, impassive look on his childlike face finally shifted.

"Call me Master Roya!" he snapped loudly.

Morning sunlight streamed across his delicate, doll-like face. He looked like something carved from porcelain. Those clear eyes of his were like a quiet, deep mountain spring in summer, crystal waters flowing wherever his gaze fell.

Anyone who didn't know better would assume the little doll was truly angry. But those who had spent enough time with him would understand, beneath that icy, indifferent exterior was a gentle and kind soul.

The faint lift of his brows gave him away.

When Roya was truly angry, his brows would always shoot up sharply, and the still, serene depths of his gaze would grow turbulent.

Lilia looked at the kind yet prideful two-year-old standing before her and felt a strange mix of emotions rise in her chest.

This child… was nothing like Paul.

She had assumed Paul's child would at least inherit some of his flirtatious, unrestrained nature.

But this boy, he was precise, methodical, and always seemed to consider others without even meaning to.

Ever since he learned to walk, he had been quietly helping her with chores.

Still wiping at a stubborn spot on the table, Roya glanced at her and asked,

"Lilia, how did you meet Father?"

Lilia hesitated.

His soft golden hair brushed against her shoulders as he moved, and she caught the distinct, delicate scent of a child, something like a nameless flower. Subtle, refreshing, soothing.

"…Probably back when I was learning swordsmanship," she said at last. "I was his junior at the time."

Whenever Paul was mentioned, her expression always turned oddly complicated.

Roya replied in a tone far too mature for his age, "Yeah, Paul's a real piece of work sometimes."

Lilia shot him a sideways look. This kid never referred to Paul by name in front of him, always "Father."

But in private, he called him "Paul" without a second thought.

Impolite, to be sure, but she could tell he meant no disrespect.

Lilia grabbed another cloth, dipped it into a wooden bucket, and began wiping the floor with practiced ease.

Seeing she had no intention of continuing the conversation, Roya tried again,

"What do you think it'll be? A boy or a girl?"

Lilia thought for a moment, then said softly,

"I hope it's a girl. That way, it'd be one of each."

The room fell silent again. After they finished tidying the living room, Roya wiped the thin sheen of sweat from his brow and gave Lilia a wave before heading back to his room.

He flopped lazily onto the bed, lost in thought about how he ought to deal with Rudeus.

Time flew by.

Autumn was a beautiful season.

Outside, white clouds drifted across blue skies. A soft breeze passed through the golden fields of rice, carrying with it that same nameless floral scent.

The sunlight was warm. Everything felt… just right.

Today was, without a doubt, a joyful day.

The reason?

Zenith had given birth, again.

Sure enough, it was another blond-haired brat.

Roya had even gone over to take a look himself.

A chubby, round-headed baby with golden hair. The newborn blinked around the room in confusion, the exact same expression Roya had worn when he first arrived in this world.

Even those blockheads could sense something was off.

Paul and Zenith said nothing for a long moment. A silence settled over them.

Why… why had they given birth to two kids like this in a row?

If Roya knew what they were thinking, he'd probably say: "Well, both your sons are reincarnators."

Still, the joy of a healthy birth quickly swept away any lingering doubts.

Paul leaned in gleefully to look at the baby, only to suddenly recall the incident from two years ago.

He froze… and quietly took a step back.

Paul widened his eyes as he stared at the infant in his arms, those emerald-green pupils shimmering with light.

"He's healthy," Paul said to Zenith with a smile.

He gently placed Rudeus into Zenith's embrace, and for a moment, a rare tenderness flickered in his eyes.

Standing off to the side, Roya watched this warm and cozy scene, his delicate brows knitting slightly.

Rudeus Greyrat.

The protagonist of the original story. Though called the protagonist, his life was far from smooth sailing.

A NEET in his previous life, and even after reincarnating, he ended up as a pawn of the Human God.

To be honest, Roya didn't have a very favorable opinion of him.

Rudeus was timid, no doubt. Though he had gradually overcome his personal flaws and transformed himself step by step, it still wasn't enough to win Roya's admiration.

Jobless Reincarnation was a very grounded story. No one is born perfect, even if you get to reincarnate into another world, regrets are inevitable.

That said, Roya hadn't read the entire novel, just the first two parts. He wasn't too clear on how the later plot unfolded.

But since he'd already arrived in this world, reincarnated as Rudeus's older brother, then at least he could try to give the guy a better ending.

The teleportation incident. The Demon Continent. The Human God. The Dragon God.All these terms surfaced in his mind like scattered puzzle pieces, and unknowingly, Roya's brows furrowed even deeper.

Technically, he was supposed to team up with the Dragon-God to foil the Human-God's plot and reach the true end.

But... what if defeating the Dragon-God earned him a massive amount of space-time power? Then could he beat the Dragon-God first, make him into his subordinate... and then kill the Human-God, unlocking the true end?

Which led to a more pressing question, could he even defeat the Dragon-God?

The strongest being in this world.

Roya glanced at his own talents.

Body of Purity.

The Fool.

Greed.

...Maybe it was worth a try?

But for now, it was clearly impossible. Rushing in would just mean handing over his head on a platter.

As Roya sank deeper into thought, the sharp wail of Rudeus crying jolted him back to the present.

Glancing over, he saw the newborn happily enjoying a warm feeding session. Roya curled his lip in disdain and silently judged the NEET.

"Hmph. Not like me", he thought, full of self-righteous pride.

"I've got moral principles. Except for the first forced feeding, I've only ever used bottles and drank cow's milk".

Watching the utterly content baby before him, he sighed internally. "Damn this cursed integrity of mine…"

After eating and drinking, once full and satisfied, Rudeus turned his eyes toward the two-year-old who had been silently standing by his side this entire time.

Suddenly, his eyes sparkled.

There, beside the bed, stood a beautiful little boy with soft golden hair. His delicate, childish face, long hair flowing down to his waist, and doll-like features made Rudeus' heart skip a beat.

With just one look, Rudeus had the absurd thought: "I should raise this little boy to be my future bride".

But then he saw Roya's expression, and instinctively swallowed hard.

Those were eyes filled with icy indifference. Golden pupils stared back at him, reflecting his small body lying on the bed. That flawless, doll-like face showed no warmth at all, just a cold, silent look that said, "And you are…?"

.....

Chapter 5 Ended!...