This Reincarnation Requires a Subscription Fee

[Thank you for choosing me among many candidates, Subscriber! You’ve made an excellent choice!]

“…Is that so?”

[Of course! There’s no god who knows more about this reincarnation subscription system than I do. I’m confident I’ll be your most reliable supporter.]

“Supporter? You do intend to help me, right?”

I replied, full of suspicion. The very idea that Heaven, which had devised a cruel system where you had to complete quests to earn coins and then use those coins to extend your lifespan, could be my “supporter” was hard to believe.

‘I’ll probably just get stabbed in the back at a critical moment anyway.’

“But I do appreciate the event. The Divine Card Draw ticket.”

[Yes… It’s just that you showed so little interest in completing quests… So we came up with this special event…]

Serlus’s previously lively voice suddenly lost its energy. It seemed that my carefree attitude, after becoming a coin tycoon and ignoring the quests, had caused quite a bit of concern in Heaven.

“If you wanted me to do quests, you should’ve held this kind of event sooner.”

[Sooner? Finding a solution within less than 10 years is actually very fast!]

“Ten years…”

It hadn’t even been a full decade, indeed.

‘I guess, in the world of gods who enjoy infinite lifespans, 10 years is considered an extremely short time.’

Even as I marveled at this new realization, Serlus continued his chatter.

[Bringing together the opinions of so many people into one decision is really… an enormous challenge. But this time, everyone made a quick decision!]

“I see…”

Listening to Serlus’s endless rambling, I began to feel a bit dazed.

“Anyway!”

I quickly interrupted Serlus and snapped back to attention. I needed to focus on the real reason I had purchased the “Limited Hotline (Serlus)” and not get distracted by other topics.

“Am I in good condition right now?”

[Are you asking about your current state, Subscriber?]

“Yes. I feel like there’s nothing wrong, but I wanted to check just in case.”

[Ah, that’s what you were curious about! According to the scan by me, Serlus, the manager of the reincarnation subscription, Heaven’s clever one, the errand boy of the gods, and indeed, Heaven’s idol, your condition is ‘somewhat good.’]

“Huh?”

Not ‘very perfect’ or ‘extremely good,’ but ‘somewhat good’? It was an oddly unsettling expression.

“Is there something wrong with me?”

[I cannot disclose that. According to the terms of the reincarnation subscription system, Heaven does not take responsibility for the health status of its subscribers!]

Serlus cheerfully declared his “not my problem” stance, and I couldn’t help but laugh dryly. But I wasn’t surprised; this wasn’t the first time Heaven had taken this kind of approach.

“Well, okay. As long as it’s within the range of ‘good,’ I suppose.”

It didn’t seem like there would be any immediate issues.

“Then, about the Prophecy Book… Was it Heaven’s will that sent me to the future to bring back the interpretation?”

[…]

It wasn’t a particularly serious question, but…

For the first time, Serlus, who had been chattering nonstop, fell completely silent.

The sudden silence took me by surprise, and I tilted my head in confusion.

“Was that such a difficult question…?”

I had expected an obvious “yes” in response.

Serlus was expected to boast and take all the credit, saying, “We made it possible for you to obtain the Prophecy Book!” But instead, his reaction was quite different.

“Are you saying it wasn’t Heaven’s will?”

A chill ran down my spine.

The future I had seen was incredibly realistic. A power that not only showed such a future but also allowed one to bring objects back from that timeline… It was such an overwhelming force that I naturally assumed Heaven was involved. After all, it was hard to imagine an ordinary human could accomplish something like that.

But from Serlus’s reaction, it seemed Heaven had no involvement at all.

I jumped up and asked Serlus, “Then was it the followers of the Mad Dragon who did it? Do they have that kind of power?”

[…]

“Hello? You’re still there, right? The connection hasn’t dropped, has it?”

[I cannot say anything about that matter, Subscriber. It is beyond my authority.]

“What? But I bought the hotline product specifically to ask about this…”

He couldn’t answer me?

I quietly opened the Heaven Market window.

“Requesting a refund…”

As I muttered ominously and began searching for the refund policy, Serlus’s urgent voice echoed in my head.

[Used products are non-refundable, Subscriber! This is too much! How could you try to refund me, Serlus, the manager of the reincarnation subscription, Heaven’s clever one, the errand boy of the gods, and indeed, Heaven’s idol!]

“To be precise, I’m not trying to refund Serlus; I’m trying to refund the hotline.”

Of course, it wasn’t a major issue since the refund policy was clearly stated in bold letters: “No refunds for used products,” but still.

“And stop wasting time with unnecessarily long introductions! Are you going to repeat that weird introduction every time you say your name?”

[Unnecessary…? Weird…?]

“From now on, just say your name, only your name.”

I grumbled as I slumped back into my chair.

Serlus kept whining about something, but I didn’t pay any attention.

‘Come to think of it, it doesn’t seem like the Mad Dragon used its power.’

In the future I saw, the Mad Dragon didn’t exist. It had died without achieving its original goal.

‘The Mad Dragon wouldn’t have sent me to a future where its plan had failed and allowed me to bring back something that could help me.’

Or was there a problem with the interpretation of the Prophecy Book I brought back?

But if that were the case, the Pope would soon find out as he was examining the book.

‘If it wasn’t Heaven or the Mad Dragon…’

Whose power was it, then?

* * *

Rumors that the former emperor was in dire straits, facing death in harsh conditions, spread quickly throughout the capital.

Public opinion began to turn against Kirke.

Filial piety, as a principle, has the power to move people’s hearts across all social strata. Even though the former emperor had not neatly abdicated the throne, he was still a father, and murmurs that the emperor was being too harsh began to grow louder.

It was something she had expected, but Kirke couldn’t hide her discomfort.

The claim of being sick was surely a lie, but upon hearing about the situation in the capital, the former emperor would smugly think, “Everything is going according to my plan!” and confidently return.

‘A villa on the outskirts of the capital.’

Though quite a distance from the palace, it was still within the capital. Another sun would rise again in the center of power.

There can be many lead actors on the stage, but there should only be one protagonist.

“Your Majesty, why do you look so serious?” 

The Empress approached Kirke, who was deep in thought.

Kirke relaxed her tense expression, smiled, and quickly stood up from her seat.

“Empress, I heard you had a slight fever. I sent for the royal physician.”

“Yes, the physician came and assured me there was nothing to worry about. They say it’s common for a mild fever to occur when carrying a child.”

“Even so, you should rest.”

“I prefer to be by your side, Your Majesty. If I stay cooped up in a room alone, my thoughts become more complicated.”

The Empress smiled brightly as she gently sat Kirke back down and took a seat across from him.

Kirke observed the Empress, whose due date was approaching, and felt a strange mix of emotions.

“A child…”

Though he had long awaited an heir, the reality of becoming a father hadn’t quite sunk in yet, perhaps because the child had not been born.

Noticing that Kirke’s gaze was resting on her belly, the Empress smiled softly and said, “Once the child is born, Your Majesty will feel more at ease, won’t you?”

She wasn’t wrong. Having more children would certainly secure the line of succession, which in turn would strengthen the emperor’s political power.

“But that’s not the reason I’ve been eagerly awaiting this child. I’ve always wanted a family.”

The Empress tactfully avoided mentioning the former emperor or other members of the imperial family, knowing how much the issue of the former emperor’s impending arrival in the capital was troubling Kirke.

As they continued to talk about the child, a thought suddenly struck Kirke. It was something he had heard from Axel not long ago.

“By the way, I hinted at this before, but I wonder if there’s still a misunderstanding.”

“A misunderstanding?”

“Yes. Lady Elpinard is not my daughter.”

“…Pardon?”

The Empress was taken aback by Kirke’s blunt clarification, and he awkwardly scratched his cheek with a finger.

“So, you were still under that impression? It seems Lady Elpinard has been worrying unnecessarily.”

“Do you… communicate with Lady Elpinard separately?”

“Axel is my friend, after all. I hear about her often through him.”

“I see. It seems she has misunderstood something, so it might be good for me to meet her personally and clear things up.”

“Oh, would you do that?”

Kirke’s face brightened as he let out a sigh of relief.

“If you handle it, I’m sure Lady Elpinard will be reassured.”

“Yes, don’t worry. I’m planning to host a tea party soon, inviting some noblewomen and young ladies. I’ll make sure to invite Lady Elpinard as well.”

The Empress smiled gently, watching Kirke closely.

As she observed Kirke’s expression, which had been filled with worry, soften and warm at her words, her own lips tightened into a rigid line.