With nothing better to do and his body too undeveloped for sword practice, Roah spent most of his time casting magic for training. Bored, he decided to improve his relationship with the maid in front of him.
Roah yawned, snatching a cloth from Lilia's hands to help her wipe the table.
Lilia glanced at the aloof and prideful little boy, then leaned slightly forward and said, "Thank you, Lady Roah."
Her words were clearly a playful jab in response to his behavior.
Roah froze mid-action, then slammed his hand on the table. For once, his usually indifferent expression shifted, and he shouted, "Call me Young Master Roah!"
The morning sunlight illuminated his doll-like face, making him look as if he had stepped out of a painting. His clear, golden eyes resembled tranquil mountain pools, exuding purity and calmness.
Anyone unfamiliar with him might think he was genuinely upset. But those who knew him well understood that beneath his cold, expressionless exterior lay a gentle and kind heart.
His slightly raised eyebrows indicated he wasn't truly angry. When he was upset, his brows would furrow sharply, and his eyes would lose their usual calm.
Looking at the kind-hearted yet tsundere child before her, Lilia felt a complex mix of emotions.
'This child is nothing like Paul,' she thought.
She had initially assumed Paul's child would inherit his flirtatious nature, but Roah was the complete opposite—serious, methodical, and often thoughtful toward others.
Since Roah had learned to walk, he had been unconsciously helping her with chores, even if he wasn't always effective.
Now, as he wiped the table with some effort, Roah turned to her and asked, "Lilia, how did you meet Father?"
Lilia hesitated, glancing at his soft, golden hair cascading over his shoulders. His scent, a faint and soothing floral fragrance unique to children, was calming yet invigorating.
"Probably during sword training. I was his junior back then," Lilia finally said, her expression turning complicated as she spoke of Paul.
Roah replied with an air of maturity, "Figures. Paul is always causing trouble."
Lilia shot him a sidelong glance. Though Roah always addressed Paul as "Father" in front of others, he often referred to him by name in private.
It wasn't polite, but Lilia could tell there was no malice behind it.
She picked up another cloth, dipped it into a bucket of water, and began cleaning the floor with practiced ease.
Seeing that she had no intention of continuing the conversation, Roah asked, "Do you think the baby will be a boy or a girl?"
Lilia thought for a moment before answering, "I hope it's a girl. That way, there'll be one of each."
After that, they fell into silence again.
Once the living room was spotless, Roah wiped the sweat from his forehead and waved to Lilia before returning to his room.
---
Time flew by.
Autumn arrived, bringing crisp blue skies, gentle breezes, and fields of golden rice swaying in the wind. The air was filled with the light, nameless fragrance of flowers.
It was a beautiful day and a joyous occasion.
Zenith had given birth again.
As expected, the baby was a golden-haired boy. Roah made a point to check out his new sibling.
The newborn had a slightly oversized head and a chubby body. His dazed expression as he looked around reminded Roah of himself when he first reincarnated.
Paul and Zenith, despite their usual carefreeness, couldn't shake a sense of unease.
Both children had displayed some unusual behavior.
If Roah could read their thoughts, he would likely remark, 'Well, of course. You've given birth to two reincarnators.'
However, their joy over the baby's safe delivery outweighed any lingering concerns.
Paul beamed as he leaned closer to the baby, only to pull back instinctively, remembering his last encounter with Roah.
Peering into the infant's emerald-green eyes, Paul said to Zenith, "He's perfectly healthy."
He placed the baby, now named Rudeus Greyrat, into Zenith's arms, his gaze softening with emotion.
Roah stood to the side, watching the warm family scene with slightly furrowed brows.
'Rudeus Greyrat,' he thought.
Rudeus, the protagonist of the original story, had a life far from smooth.
In his past life, he had been a shut-in NEET. Even after reincarnating, he was manipulated by the Human God. To be honest, Roah didn't have a favorable opinion of him.
While Rudeus had gradually overcome his flaws and grown as a person, Roah's impression of him remained lukewarm.
Mushoku Tensei was a realistic story—no one is born perfect, and even in another world, life isn't without regrets.
Roah hadn't read the entire series, only the first two parts, so he wasn't entirely familiar with the later plotlines.
Still, since he was here and now Rudeus's older brother, he thought, 'I might as well give him a better ending.'
Words like "displacement incident," "Magic Continent," "Human God," and "Dragon God" swirled in Roah's mind. His brows furrowed further.
'By logic, I'm supposed to help foil the Human God's schemes, team up with the Dragon God, and aim for a happy ending,' he thought.
'But what if I could defeat the Dragon God first and claim a massive amount of Temporal Power? Could I then make the Dragon God my subordinate, take down the Human God, and still get the happy ending?'
'The real question is… can I even beat the Dragon God?'
The strongest individual in this world.
Roah glanced at his talents: Immaculate Soul, Fool, Greed.
'Maybe I can try… but not right now. I'd just be throwing my life away at this point.'
His thoughts were interrupted by Rudeus's loud cries.
Looking over, he saw Rudeus contentedly nursing. Roah couldn't help but curl his lip in disdain.
'What a shameless NEET,' he thought.
Unlike him, who had insisted on using a bottle after the first forced feeding, Rudeus seemed entirely unbothered by the close contact.
Roah sighed inwardly. 'Damn my principles.'
After Rudeus finished, his gaze shifted to the golden-haired toddler standing nearby.
For a moment, Rudeus's eyes lit up.
The boy standing before him was stunning—a delicate, golden-haired child with waist-length hair and doll-like features.
Rudeus's heart skipped a beat, and for a fleeting moment, he entertained the absurd thought of making this beautiful child his future bride.
But the cold, indifferent gaze Roah directed at him quickly brought him back to reality.
Roah's golden eyes reflected Rudeus like a calm, unfeeling mirror. His doll-like face showed no emotion, and his expression seemed to say, 'Who are you, and why are you here?'