Toji Zenin looked up towards the golden sky.
He never really took the time to appreciate it, viewing it as mundane, ordinary. But now, since his end was near, he couldn't help but take in its splendor.
'I hope he takes a different path…' he thought, images of his son flashing through his head as the world faded.
Looking out across their battlefield, Toji silently thanked the white haired prick for opening his eyes to such beauty, even if it took having half of his body destroyed to do so.
His cursed spirit made a feint wheezing noise before detaching and falling away, its purple fluid pooling around his feet.
The last thing he remembered was the feeling of his body crumpling to the ground and landing in the disgusting puddle before everything went white.
…
White?
'Huh?' He mumbled internally.
Wasn't everything supposed to go black? Then what was this?
He could hear a voice, a feint chuckle. Something wiggled in his soul, a strange sensation to say the least.
He heard a woman crying out in pain, while another spoke in a firm tone.
A man could be heard soon after, his voice full of excitement, but Toji couldn't understand their words.
Large hands wrapped around him, before suddenly the world exploded with color.
Wait, the world?
'Aren't I supposed to be dead?' He wondered.
As his blurry vision cleared, he could make out the smiling face of a relatively handsome man.
Behind him were two women, one stood dressed in a maid's uniform, while the other lay seemingly exhausted in a bed, but despite that she had a grin equally as large as the man.
'Funny, it almost reminds me of her…'
Images of his wife flashed through his mind, the day his son was born playing like a movie in his head.
'Did she just give birth?' He wondered.
Suddenly the man leaned in and planted a kiss right on his nose.
Blinking, Toji had no clue how to respond to something like that.
Bites, cuts, slashes, slaps, you name it, his face was hit by it at some point, but a man's kiss was foreign to him.
The couple laughed as they observed his stunned expression, talking amongst themselves.
Suddenly, Toji looked down at his hands. Where once there was the rough and callus hands of an assassin, now were only the plump and stubby hands of a baby.
He remained stunned for who knows how long. Once he finally snapped out of it, he couldn't help but ask.
(Ouhhh uaahh ou) "Was I reincarnated?"
…
"You really are the strangest child." His mother said as she picked him up from his spot next to their fenced fireplace.
He'd been staring at the crackling flames for what felt like hours now.
"Shouldn't you at least be crawling around by now? Onesa said that her boys started at about eight months…"
Over these past several months, he'd been constantly exposed to this new language, and, weather it was because he was young and naturally impressionable, or sheer talent, he picked the language up incredibly fast.
Hearing her words, Toji could understand her worries. If his kid hadn't been crawling around at the proper age, he'd have feared a mental disability too.
'If I behaved like this in the Zenin clan I'd have been disowned by now…'
Thoughts of his former child hood made their way into his head once again, it felt like a regular occurrence at this point.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't escape their influence, even through death.
He let out a sigh, which his mother interpreted as him being hungry. Removing part of her top, she moved to sit on the sofa.
It was uncomfortable at first, suddenly having parents, and being baby… but he'd adapted.
He always adapted.
Their names were Paul and Zenith Greyrat, two seemingly ordinary villagers in midevil period Europe.
His father had light brown hair and green eyes, with a mole under his left eye. His mother had blonde hair and blue eyes.
He seemed to take after his father, possessing the same hair and eyes colors, as well as the mole under his left eye.
Life was peaceful in the Greyrat household, the words 'cursed energy' didn't even seem to be a part of their vocabulary.
Though he'd expected that to be a relief, it wasn't. At times it felt like he'd traveled to a completely different world.
Living his previous life had conditioned him to evaluate everything based on cursed energy.
Now that he lived in an environment that behaved as if it didn't exist, it was quite jarring.
He spent most of these quiet days watching the fire, or looking up at the sky through the windows. Other times he would sleep and eat.
His behavior drawing attention, mostly worry, from his new family.
They'd bought him many toys to try and stimulate him into doing something, but he would always meet their attempts with a blank stare.
'Nice try Paul.' He thought, watching as the kneeling man demonstrated how to use his new teething ring.
"Come on Rudy!" He groaned, spitting the toy onto the ground, "At least try and act like a normal baby."
'No can do pops.' He thought sarcastically, 'I ain't no baby.'
"Paul!" He mother snapped, "Don't say something like that again!"
She came and picked him up.
"You make it sound like he's some kind of freak." She held him up and looked him straight in the eyes. "Rudy is just a little special, but I know he'll grow into someone amazing someday."
Images of his previous life flashed through his head, a hollow pit opening in his stomach.
'Sorry to disappoint ma, but you gave birth to a monster.'
He had no desire to live or die, his many regrets tearing at his soul.
…
The days of his infancy passed quickly, toddlerhood arriving in a flash.
Staring through the window at the cloudy sky, Toji reflected on his decisions and regrets. A large hand tugged at his own, Zenith was pulling him along as she prepared dinner.
He sighed. 'This is my own damn fault.'
As things stood, he found it impossible to sit still.
"I shouldn't have let my emotions get the better of me," he muttered, trailing behind his mother.
After his reincarnation, Toji had no desire to do anything, especially not walk around and pretend to be a child. So he'd come up with a plan a while ago.
It was simple, really: play dumb.
Literally.
Don't speak, don't move, don't react, essentially, behave as a vegetable.
But his plans fell through on the night of his first birthday.
He'd been peacefully sitting by the fireplace, their maid Lilia on the sofa nearby sewing something, when they overheard a sudden argument between his parents down the hall.
"But what if he never does get better!" he heard his father shout.
"I told you not to say that!" She shouted right back.
"Zenith, we have to accept that Rudy might never be normal! He hasn't done anything for an entire year! All he does is sit there and stare off at nothing until you move him or put food in his mouth!"
"Shut up!" He heard her reply angrily.
"No! I was quiet for the beginning, hoping things would just get better but they didn't! Now I'm- smack"
The audible sound of a slap reverberated through the entire house.
"The hell was that for?!" Paul roared.
Hearing this altercation, Toji couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt. He was mooching off these people after all, and this was the result of his own actions.
Turning his head, he looked up at the maid. She had her gaze locked onto the hallway, a tense expression on her face.
With a heavy sigh, Toji made a decision he would quickly come to regret.
Pushing himself up off the floor, he stood up on his legs for the first time and walked confidently towards their room.
As he passed by, he looked up at the maid, who now wore a bewildered expression.
Striding down the hallway, he stopped right in front of their door.
'Here goes…' he thought, pushing the slightly ajar door open.
The rest went about how anyone would expect, his parents' shock and awe as the previously empty husk of a baby suddenly animated.
Since then his mother forced him to follow her everywhere in the house, possibly as a way of making sure he didn't revert back into his previous vegitable act.
It bothered him, sure, but he endured and silently trailed behind.
Though he still hadn't spoken a word to them, Paul hadn't complained since then, and Zenith was happy.
That was the status quo for the rest of his toddler days.
…
Staring out the window, Toji watched as Paul swung his sword in practiced motions. He was currently waiting for his mother to return from using the restroom, having been left by the window until then.
"What a waste of a sword," he muttered, unable to stop himself from criticizing Paul's swordsmanship.
Though he was currently only four years old, because of the 'work' he'd done in his previous life, he was quite familiar with sword techniques.
That was why he could look at the ridiculous way his father was moving and determine that whatever style he was practicing was a waste of energy.
All flair, no substance.
Lost in his thoughts, he ended up subconsciously extending his hand as if really holding a blade.
With perfect precision, he swung the imaginary sword in a clean arc, feint wind pressure kicking up dust on the window seal.
Snapping out of his daze, he looked down at his hand for a moment.
"Rudy?" Came his mother's voice.
Turning abruptly, he realized that Zenith was standing right behind him, observing him.
From the look on her face she'd been standing there a lot longer than he would have liked. Her expression the picture of excitement.
"Are you interested in what your father is doing?"
Unsure how to recover from this blunder, he could only sigh internally while nodding.
By now, Toji had realized that his heavenly restriction from his previous life had followed him into this one, rendering him unable to use 'mana' in exchange for what he assumed was a superhuman body… he still had no idea what this world's standards were.
Oh yeah, and this wasn't his world, by the way. This was a fantasy world, with magic, fire-breathing dragons—the whole nine yards.
Not that those things didn't exist in his previous world, but this place was something completely different.
The realization struck him when his mother tried teaching him how to read.
From her perspective, she simply read him a basic book on magic, doing her best to help him follow along while giving examples. Little did she know that Toji was shellshocked by the revelation. Hanging on her every word, he tried to feel the strange energy she described.
"Come on now, Rudy, repeat after me. 'Oh blessed earth mother, bestow upon this weary lamb thy tender mercies. Take away this pain and restore what was lost. Heal.'"
Toji watched as his mother's hands began to emit a soft green light. Tiny particles of light formed in the air and converged on a single point.
Focusing his senses, he could feel a foreign energy flowing around him. At first, he thought it was cursed energy, the same kind he was so familiar with. But quickly, he realized it was different.
Where cursed energy felt cold and prickly, this energy was warm and fuzzy.
But regardless of its nature, he was still completely cut off from it. Not a single drop flowed through him, unlike his mother, who seemed to have a decent amount.
'I wonder how this energy compares to cursed energy in terms of potency.'
There was no way to know for sure, especially since cursed energy didn't seem to exist here.
Still, it intrigued him enough to push himself to learn how to read their language.
During the night, he read through the few books their family possessed, picking up a few things.
From the regional atlas, he learned that the village they lived in was called 'Buena Village,' located in the 'Fittoa' region of the 'Asura Kingdom.'
It was considered a peaceful place, though the nearby forest had a high mana concentration, which led to occasional monster appearances.
What 'monsters' meant exactly, Toji couldn't say, but he could only imagine cursed spirits.
From the book on beginner's magic, he learned that people in this world harnessed the energy called 'mana' through incantations.
He assumed it worked similarly to the cursed speech technique, where a sorcerer imbues their words with cursed energy to force a target to obey commands.
It probably worked like that, but instead of influencing a target with cursed energy, the use of mana caused the very essence of the words to manifest.
For example, his mother's healing chant used specific key words that combined to create the idea of healing.
'Blessed earth mother, weary lamb, tender mercies'—evokes feelings of care and warmth, while 'take away this pain and restore what was lost' directs the mana toward a specific goal.
Or something like that. Honestly, he wasn't sure, and he had no immediate way of finding out.
Aside from a couple of novels, those were the only interesting pieces of information he'd come across.
Back to the present.
Watching his mother excitedly run to his father, Toji could feel another annoying change about to take place in his life.
'I hope they don't expect me to use mana,' he thought, a subtle unease taking root. 'What if they kick me out because of it…?'
The thought of being cast aside worried him more than he expected.
'Then I'll have to find a job and start working,' he realized.
For Toji, work would inevitably involve some kind of killing, and to be honest, he was tired of it.
...
"Alright, Rudy! Once more!" His father called, raising his sword before bringing it down with a swift motion.
Toji copied his movements, deliberately inserting mistakes here and there, careful not to reveal his true skill. He wanted to appear somewhat normal—geniuses didn't exactly get to have much fun.
He'd know, since he'd been hired to kill quite a few.
If he'd been born an orphan, he might have revealed his abilities to reap the benefits fame brings. But with the debt he owed these people for their kindness, the thought of them getting hurt because of his greed filled him with guilt.
'I've already hurt enough people over my petty emotions.' Images of his son's face flashed through his mind. 'I hope that kid's doing alright.'
Wishing his son the best, he refocused and continued improperly swinging the sword.
…
Days passed by, turning into months, then a year.
By the age of five Toji was almost completely used to this new life he had.
He barely even thought of himself as Toji anymore, his new identity having settled into his mind comfortably.
That's not to say he forgot anything that he'd done, it's just he'd assimilated well with his current environment.
Over the past year his parents had been increasing the amount of activities for him to engage in.
It brought to his mind the analogy of boiling a frog.
'Guess it's my own fault…'
He was currently watering their garden, a chore that felt like it was being forced on him when in fact he had agreed to do it.
'I've grown too soft.'
His original plan of acting like a vegetable went out the window a long time ago, his parents the main culprits of that sabotage operation.
He couldn't help but sigh.
Though his words were negative, his actual feelings on the matter were the complete opposite.
He'd never been so content, whether in this life or in his previous.
A loving family, a peaceful village, and a world that didn't discriminate based on the level of a certain energy you had, what a dream come true it was for the former assassin.
Though he didn't even realize that himself.
It was while he was watering their garden that his father suddenly decided to grab him and throw him over his shoulder.
Toji just dropped the watering can and accepted it without fuss, this was Paul after all.
"Paul!" He heard his mother cry. "He's not ready!"
Paul laughed loudly.
"Of course he isn't, but I wasn't ready either when I entered society!"
"At least let me pack him some things!" She pleaded.
But Paul was already at the gate.
A strange anxiety crept up inside Toji at that moment.
'Don't tell me he's doing what I think he's doing…'
"Don't worry, sweetheart, I have everything he needs right here."
As he said that, he patted a short blade hanging at his waist.
"We'll be back later!"
With that, they were off to the hill that marked the edge of the known for Toji in this new world.
…
After cresting the hill, Toji began to relax more and more with every step. Due in no small part to the beautiful scenery.
Paul continued to talk the entire way as they walked past houses, fields, animals, and other people.
Though he was still draped across Paul's shoulder, he felt no discomfort.
"Here we are!" Paul exclaimed, setting Toji back on his feet.
Taking the moment, Toji observed his surroundings.
In the distance, there were a few huts scattered about, along with what appeared to be a well.
Farther out, beyond the fields their path wound through, Toji could see the forest he'd read about.
Just then, Paul slapped him on the back.
"Alright, son," he said with mock sternness. "It's time for your Pa to get to work." Pointing toward the forest, he continued, "I'll be patrolling those woods for monsters. While I'm gone, you stay around this area."
Pressing a fist to Toji's chest, he looked down at him.
"The other kids usually play around here, so you'll probably meet them soon." Then, clearing his throat. "When you meet them, don't be afraid. Just smile and show them you're nice, and I'm sure they'll play with you."
With that, he turned to leave—but paused.
"Oh yeah, I almost forgot."
Reaching down, he detached the short blade from his belt. With a quick motion, he tossed it to Toji, who easily caught it.
"Only draw that if you're in danger or need to protect someone. If I find out you were using it to hurt somebody who didn't deserve it, I'll have to discipline you personally."
Saying that, he tapped the hilt of his own sword and gave Toji what he probably thought was a menacing grin.
With a wave, he was off again.
"Good luck, son!" he shouted as he disappeared into the woods.
Once he was out of sight, Toji let out a sigh.
"Alright… time to be anywhere else but here."
Saying that, he moved quickly to find a quiet place where he could doze in peace.
Not too far away, there was a large tree on a hill which, thanks to the height of the wheat, was almost completely obscured at its base.
The moment he saw it, he knew he'd found his napping spot.
Leaning against the tree, he lowered himself until he was reclining against its trunk.
"Oh… yeah," he sighed in contentment.
This was the first time in years he was completely on his own—at least in a 'no parents or guardians' kind of way.
Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to relax and drift off, the sound of the wind rushing over the fields lulling him to sleep.
…
Opening his eyes, Toji rolled over and saw his wife sleeping peacefully next to him. She was facing the other direction, meaning he couldn't see her face.
A sudden, desperate desire to see her face seized him. He sat up and grabbed her shoulder.
"Babe," he whispered urgently, "come on, wake up!"
Groaning, she shifted to her stomach and pushed herself onto her elbows.
"Mhm?" she mumbled, her hair falling to obscure her face.
"Babe, look at me real quick," he hissed.
"Wha—?" she responded in confusion.
Slowly, she reached up and pulled her hair back. Turning toward him, her full face was revealed.
Toji gasped in shock.
Where he expected to see his wife's face was instead the purple, baby-like head of his cursed spirit.
"Mommy," it said in a distorted child's voice. "I want a hug."
Sitting up with a gasp, he panted heavily, drenched in cold sweat.
"What the hell was that!?" he exclaimed, still recovering from that nightmare.
A distant cry snapped him out of his daze.
Wiping the sweat from his brow, he stood quickly and scanned for the source of the disturbance.
His first thought was that a monster had made its way into the village. But when he heard the scream again, he realized it couldn't be that—only one person was scared.
Looking down from the hill, he saw several village children gathered in the distance.
'Are they playing?' he wondered, watching as they gathered clumps of mud and threw them at something.
Squinting, he focused on what they were targeting—and realized it wasn't a something, but a someone.
'I see how it is,' he sighed internally.
Apparently, bullying was universal—no matter the day, age, or world.
Shrugging, he turned to head back to his spot.
Then he heard someone yell something, and along came another scream—this time, one of pain.
Clenching his teeth, he suddenly disappeared from where he was standing.
…
Raising his hand again, the leader of the children hurled a rock about the size of his fist.
"Take this, you monster!" he shouted.
The stone flew and struck the target. With a dull thunk, it bounced painfully off their head.
"Ahhhh!"
With a shriek, the mud-covered individual crumpled to the ground.
The boy laughed, amused by the reaction.
The other kids looked a little shocked at first, but when they saw him laughing, they joined in—eager to follow the leader.
Reaching down, he went to pick up a bigger rock.
But just as his hand touched it, his face was suddenly slammed into the dirt.
"Gah!" he cried, feeling something crack in his nose.
Dazed, he lay there for a moment before pulling his bloodied, dirt-covered face up and wiping his eyes.
"Huh?"
Looking around, he saw everyone else was now gone, having left him behind the moment things went south.
Confused, he scrambled to his feet and turned to run—only to slam into something and fall back down.
"W-What?!"
Looking up, he saw the silhouette of a boy around his age standing over him, a sword in his hand.
He opened his mouth to shout for help—but a shoe slammed into his mouth.
"Don't even think about it," the figure said in a bored tone, their shoe now smeared with blood.
The bully spat out a few teeth as the figure continued.
"I've killed kids far better than you for much less." Then came a kick to the stomach. "So be grateful I've gotten so soft—and piss off like the rest of your lackeys."
The boy felt a warm sensation spread down his legs. As the sword glinted in the sunlight, he scrambled to his feet.
He didn't stop running, even when another kick landed squarely on his rear.
…
Reattaching the sword to his belt, Toji let out a tired sigh.
"What a hassle…"
It had been a long time since the old Toji had come out, but it seemed his threatening side was still intact.
Rubbing his neck, he turned to see the mud-covered victim slowly sitting up from the ground.
Sighing, he began walking back to his spot—but just as he started, a voice stopped him.
"H-Hey!"
It was the victim, and from the sound of it, they were on the verge of tears.
Sighing again, he turned around.
"Hmm?" he replied.
"W-Who are you?" they asked with a shaky voice.
Toji had to hold back a flinch. The poor kid was literally covered in mud from head to toe, and where there wasn't mud, there was blood to make up for it.
The wound from the rock didn't seem like it wanted to stop bleeding, and he could tell it hurt.
"Name's Rudeus. Rudeus Greyrat. You?"
"S-Sylphy…" they replied.
'Sylphy? So they're a girl... or maybe just a really unlucky boy,' he reasoned, looking them up and down. 'Is that why they were getting bullied?'
As those thoughts went through his head, Sylphy tried hard to stand.
Snapping out of it, he watched as they fell again.
"Don't move," he said. "The adrenaline's worn off. You're probably in shock."
"Huh?"
Their confusion was fair. He'd just spewed a bunch of big words that meant nothing in this world.
Stepping closer, he crouched down and wrapped his arms around them, picking them up bridal style.
"W-Wait! What are you doing!?" they cried, doing their best to struggle.
"I'm taking you to my mom. She's the village healer."
Saying that, he turned and started walking toward his home.
"Oh…" they replied softly, going still.
"Just rest," he said. "It'll help you recover faster."
…
Arriving back at the house, the first one to spot him was Lilia. She came running out the moment she saw what he was carrying.
Quickly taking Sylphy from his arms, she listened to a brief explanation before rushing inside and preparing a bath.
Left alone outside, Toji let out a yawn, then walked over to a small cluster of saplings his mother was raising. Finding a comfortable position, he lay down in the shade with a contented sigh and drifted back to sleep.
…
A tap on the cheek woke him.
Sitting up slowly, he rubbed his eyes and yawned.
Blinking lazily, he looked up to see a young girl standing over him.
Strangely enough, she was wearing one of his outfits.
"Is this a dream?" he asked, still groggy.
"No," she replied, shaking her head nervously. "Sorry I woke you up."
"Who are you?" he asked bluntly.
"I told you earlier. It's Sylphy," she said earnestly. "Don't you remember?"
"Huh?" he said with exaggerated disbelief. "You can't be the Sylphy I know. That Sylphy was made of mud and wasn't wearing my clothes."
Sylphy blushed, her face scrunching into an indignant expression.
"I-I'm not made of mud! I just had it on me because of what happened!" she stammered.
Toji raised an eyebrow. "Really? Alright then, prove it."
Sylphy opened her mouth to reply, but froze, clearly unsure how.
"Um, well—I don't know how to do that…" she mumbled, pressing her fingers together and looking down.
Toji snorted. "I'm just messing with you, kid. I know you're not a mud monster."
Her blush deepened at his grin.
"H-Hey, don't do that. I don't like it… and you're a kid too!"
As his laughter died down, he looked up at her with a faint smile.
"Sure, sure. So… what are you doing here, anyway?"
At his question, her expression turned shy.
"Well, your mom healed me with that cool magic trick, and she said I could stay here as long as I wanted… I don't really have anywhere else to go, so… I decided to stay here for a while."
He nodded sagely.
"Don't wanna run into the bullies again, huh?"
She flinched. "Yeah…"
Pushing himself up, he stretched his arms.
"Well, do you have anything you like to do to pass the time? Like a game or something?"
He mostly asked to keep himself occupied. Sleeping wasn't always an option, and he'd already read every book in the house. A game sounded like a decent way to kill time—so long as it wasn't boring.
…
From the window, Zenith and Lilia watched the scene outside.
Zenith held a hand to her mouth. "Am I dreaming?"
"Not at all," Lilia replied quietly.
"Are we really watching Rudy—our Rudy—chatting with a girl?"
"Yes, we are." Lilia's voice was soft.
Though she was happy to see this side of her son, a small pang of jealousy crept in.
"I've raised him these past five years… and he's never talked to me like that. Not once. How did she do it?"
Lilia exhaled and shook her head.
…
Later that evening, after a long day playing with Sylphy, Toji spotted Paul returning home through the second-floor window. Even from a distance, he could tell—his dad was pissed.
'Oh yeah… I was supposed to wait for him, wasn't I?'
The earlier chaos had completely wiped it from his mind.
Dropping from the windowsill, he casually made his way downstairs.
"Rudy!"
He was only halfway down when Paul's angry voice echoed through the house.
"Here we go…" he muttered, bracing for the inevitable earful.
Stepping into the living room, he saw Paul at the door, arms crossed, and Zenith watching from the kitchen with a puzzled look.
"Do you have anything to say for yourself, young man?!" Paul snapped.
Toji didn't flinch. He simply met his father's gaze, calm and silent.
That only made Paul angrier.
"I come back from patrol and find out from the neighbors that you used the blade I gave you—to attack other kids?! Are you insane?!"
From the kitchen, Zenith stepped forward, concerned. "Paul, calm down, you don't—"
"No, Zenith!" he shouted, cutting her off. "Don't defend him this time—he's in the wrong."
"But you don't even—"
"Zenith!" he barked, turning toward her. "He broke James's nose and threatened the other children! He needs discipline!"
With that, he stormed over, grabbed Toji roughly by the back of his shirt, and started dragging him toward the door.
"Come on, Rudy. I told you—I'd discipline you myself."
Zenith's grip tightened on her apron before she finally snapped.
"Paul!"
Just as he turned to argue again, she rushed forward and seized his arm.
"Before you say another word—let me speak!"
He let out a frustrated sigh and shot her a glare, starting to shake her off.
"I told you I'm—"
Slap
The sound echoed through the room. Paul stood frozen, blinking in shock.
"You're right," Zenith said, her voice sharp as she pulled Toji from his loosened grip. "If Rudy had maliciously attacked those kids, I'd be the first to punish him."
Then she wrapped her arms around Toji.
"But that would only be true if any of it was real."
Lilia, who had just entered, stood quietly by. Her expression was troubled, but when Paul turned to her for confirmation, she gave a small, solemn nod.
Zenith continued, voice trembling but firm.
"Rudy wasn't attacking them—he was defending a little girl. They were bullying her, trying to hurt her because of her hair color. Then James took it too far—he threw a rock and split her head open. That's when Rudy stepped in. He scared them off. That's all."
Paul's mouth hung open. "What?"
"She's Laws's daughter. She nearly died today because those kids thought it was fun to treat her like dirt."
Paul blinked rapidly, processing. "But… Onesa said Rudy attacked them—"
"And you'd trust that lying bitch over your own wife?" Zenith hissed.
Paul wilted. "…No," he muttered.
He stood there for a moment, his expression unreadable as he looked between Zenith's fierce expression and Rudy's blank one. Then, with a sigh, he turned and walked out the door.
"I think I'll take watch duty tonight. See you tomorrow," he said, his voice quiet.
But before leaving, he paused and looked over his shoulder at Toji.
"…Sorry, Rudy. I shouldn't have doubted you."
Then he left into the night.
Zenith stood there, arms still tightly wrapped around Toji, staring at the door as it closed behind her husband.
'Wow. Feels bad, man,' Toji thought, shaking his head.
Honestly, he didn't think Paul was in the wrong. The guy was just trying to be a good parent, acting on what he thought was true. Yeah, the slap was a bit much, but it came from a place of love. Heat-of-the-moment stuff.
He looked up at Zenith's conflicted expression. 'Can't blame you either.'
With a sigh, he reached out and tugged on her sleeve.
She looked down at him, barely able to tear her gaze from the door.
Toji simply pointed towards it. "Go get Dad."
As if waiting for his permission, she let go and bolted.
From inside, he could hear her shouting into the dark.
"Paul! Paul, I'm sorry, honey! Please come back! Sweetheart?!"
Chuckling to himself, he turned to see Lilia watching with a bewildered expression.
He gave her a wink as he strolled past.
She just stared, completely unsure of what had just happened.
…
Later that night, lying in bed, Toji stared at the ceiling—listening to the very audible sounds of Paul and Zenith having… rough 'reconciliation.'
'…Huh. They're going for round three.'
This wasn't his first time hearing his parents do this, and it probably wouldn't be the last.
"Ah. Young love," he sighed.
He thought back to when he and his wife were younger. Not that it was that long ago—they'd married in their thirties, so technically speaking, he was less experienced in the romance department than those two.
Still, he grinned.
'Eh. I'm still gonna consider them my juniors.'
His pride wouldn't allow it any other way.
…
Life changed over the next few months.
And, much to his surprise, Sylphy became a bigger part of it than he'd ever expected.
His mother had taken to her quickly, welcoming her as an apprentice healer. It wasn't long before Zenith discovered Sylphy's incredible aptitude for magic.
She was the prodigy Toji had worked so hard not to be—a fact that earned her a small, reluctant dose of his sympathy.
He could already see how her future would unfold.
Once his parents informed Sylphy's family about her talent, both sides agreed to chip in for a private tutor.
That tutor was due to arrive today.
Toji sat slouched against the stone wall surrounding their home, enjoying the shade while letting his thoughts drift through the past few months.
The sound of light, quick footsteps brought him back to the present.
"Rudy!"
It was Sylphy, her voice high with excitement.
"Do you see them yet?" she asked, hauling herself over the wall and landing beside him.
Toji yawned and shrugged. "Nah. Ain't been looking."
"Rudy!" she huffed. "I know you see everything, so stop messing with me."
He chuckled.
She wasn't wrong.
He hadn't done a great job hiding all of his talents—his inhuman sensory abilities had accidentally revealed themselves more than once. At this point, it was basically common knowledge in the Greyrat household: Rudy had the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a bat.
If anything happened near or inside the house, Rudy knew.
So it had become routine. If someone wanted to know where someone was, or if someone was approaching, they just asked him.
He didn't really mind—unless, of course, he was trying to relax and someone wouldn't stop pestering him.
"Look," he sighed, "I already said I'd let you know when they show up. Just chill."
"But I can't!" she whined, flopping back in the grass with a dramatic groan. "What if they don't like me? What if they hate my hair? What if they refuse to teach me?! I can't stop thinking about it!"
Toji rolled his eyes.
"You don't have to worry. If they're not professional enough to look past something that dumb, then they're not worth learning from."
Sylphy groaned louder and clutched her head.
He glanced at her, but something in the distance caught his eye.
Narrowing his gaze, he made out a figure with bright blue hair and a large, pointed hat. He cleared his throat, then jabbed a finger into Sylphy's side.
"Gah!" she yelped, sitting up and rubbing the spot. "What was that for!?"
He just pointed.
Sylphy squinted toward the road, eyes narrowing. After a moment, she gasped.
"Is that them!?"
Toji shrugged. "Probably."
She immediately sprang to her feet and bolted toward the house.
"Auntie, they're here! They're here!"
Toji watched her go, unable to stop the small smile tugging at his lips.
Leaning back against the wall, he turned his eyes to the sky.
'You know… maybe living again isn't so bad after all.'
It seemed that spending the past few years in this peaceful place had changed Toji—at least enough for him to find joy in a child's happiness.
