Reincarnation with AI (Unemployment-Free)

"What's your name?" Rudeus asked as they walked along the country road with Sylphie.

"Hilfi... Hilfi..." Hilfi said softly, her head down.

"My name is Rudeus, you can just call me Rude," Rudeus said, looking at Sylphie and introducing himself.

"Okay." Sensing Rudeus's movement, Sylphie looked at Rudeus and replied.

Their eyes met once again.

Rudeus noticed that Sylphie's little face immediately turned red; was she still shy?

So cute!

Rudeus looked at Sylphie, who had lowered her head, with a fatherly smile.

"Where are you going?" Rudius continued to ask.

"I'm delivering food... to Dad..."

"Let's go together!"

"But...why...don't you care?"

What do you care about? Those little brats?

Rudeus looked at Sylphie, and from her body language, Rudeus knew she was referring to the color of her hair.

"You mean your hair? I don't mind. You're not a demon, are you?" Rudeus asked.

"……I have no idea."

"Hmm? How could I not know? What race is your father?"

"...He said he was only half long-eared and the other half human."

"And what about Mom?"

"He's human, but with a bit of orc blood mixed in..."

The Long-Eared Race can be understood as the Elf Race, only in this world they are called the Long-Eared Race.

From what I remember, it's exactly the same as Rudeus's impression of elves from his previous life: long-lived, beautiful, slender, with the signature long elven ears and relatively small chests.

Hilfi continued, haltingly, "...Although Daddy said...I'm not a demon...but...the color of my hair is different from Daddy's...and Mommy's..."

As she spoke, Sylphie gradually began to choke up, and finally started to cry softly. Rudeus could only pat her head and comfort her.

This is a very serious matter.

When I was first reincarnated, I also experienced a period of serious identity issues.

For Hilfi, who doesn't yet have such complex thinking abilities, being different from her parents must be very sad.

However, these things will gradually become clear under the nurturing of love.

Rudeus stroked Sylphie's head, silently reflecting on his own growth.

There's no other way to deal with this than to appease them.

"It's okay. You just have hair that looks a bit like a demon's, and my teacher is a demon too. It's nothing to worry about."

"Uh-huh……"

"let's go."

"Why...why do you want to come with me?" Hilfi continued to ask.

"If those guys came back, they'd probably bully you again."

"Then... um... why do you need to protect me?" Hilfi seemed to have thought of this question as well, and asked timidly.

If he could, Rudius would have preferred that Sylphie's inquisitiveness stemmed from genuine curiosity rather than from unease.

This doubt stems from prolonged helplessness; when help is finally received, confusion arises.

She wondered why she had received help, and why the person in front of her wasn't bullying her.

"Because you are beautiful," Rudius said earnestly.

"Wh...what...but you might be disliked by other people too," Sylphie said, blushing, but her train of thought was not interrupted by Rudeus's renewed attack.

Rudeus gradually began to experience the pleasure of an older sister teasing a younger brother.

It's really fun to tease kids.

She blushed after just one sentence.

But they actually asked me what to do if those little brats dislike me?

Alas, when it comes to matters of interest, the dirty thoughts of adults inevitably come to the fore.

Are you referring to the affections of those under-ten-year-old boys who are male and farmers in the pioneering village?

In terms of combat power, even if there were a hundred times more of those guys, would one of them be stronger than a potential mage with the Laplace factor?

Ten years from now, wouldn't one Silphi be able to kill a thousand villagers in one go?

Not to mention that Hilfi is a little beauty. Unless there are ten thousand of those little brats, it would take a qualitative change in quantity to alter their proportion in the minds of dirty adults.

But even if there were truly ten thousand, considering the cost of education and the return on investment, Rudeus, as a rational adult, would choose Silphi rather than ten thousand villagers.

Because if it is truly a case of quantitative change leading to qualitative change, then the considerations will be completely different.

If a fight breaks out, you can't exactly bring a hoe, can you?

If that's not possible, where can Rudeus find someone to teach the villagers swordsmanship?

If you have swordsmanship, then what about weapons?

Where can I get a complete set of weapons?

How is the time of these people calculated?

If you train in swordsmanship, you can't farm. If you don't farm, what will you eat? Will you still have to pay taxes?

What problems might arise if I don't pay taxes?

If they investigate, will they find out you're stockpiling troops?

If you amass troops, will the other nobles allow it? Will the lord allow it?

Will war break out then? If war breaks out...

This dictates that among these 10,000 people, some must be engaged in production, some in domestic affairs, and some need blacksmiths, or perhaps merchants as well; a fine division of labor and cooperation is required.

Ten thousand people would drastically complicate matters.

Thinking about these things would make even the most sordid adult mind shrink back in fear.

This approach is no longer about self-preservation; raising so many able-bodied young fighters is practically an attempt to conquer the world.

Or perhaps it will be one-on-one instruction.

Admittedly, investing in an individual is also an extremely risky investment. Elite education has extremely high costs and can easily result in complete financial ruin.

Having a child can be seen as a major investment in one's life; whether the child becomes a genius or a fool is unpredictable.

However, Silphi's qualifications are guaranteed by information from the original work.

What needs to be considered is what kind of existence the other person is as a person.

That is, to see what kind of person and personality Hilfi is.

Rudius wouldn't just do what the original text says because he thought it was good; he would actually experience things firsthand before considering what to do next.

This point has always been evident, with Paul and Senis being the best examples. However, since the other party was Rudeus's parents and had been in contact with Rudeus since birth, it wasn't reflected in this aspect.

After all, in terms of relationships, parents are beings that humans, as biological beings, cannot avoid interacting with. As a human being, Rudeus naturally needs to go through a process of getting to know and become familiar with them.

If the couple hadn't loved their child so much, Rudyus might have abandoned his parents. Children don't necessarily need to have a good relationship with their parents to choose to leave them.

If Rudeus were to be reborn, he would encounter parents who abused him.

That just means you didn't give birth to me with my consent. If you continue to mistreat me, I will only see you as tools to temporarily ensure my survival.

Then, after gaining the ability to survive on their own, they choose to run away from home.

Not retaliating would be the only act of mercy, but of course, Rudius would most likely not choose mercy in such a situation.

This was a matter of course to Rudius.

Let's get back to Silphie.

It was only through this short period of contact that I saw Sylphie.

Putting aside Hilfi's outstanding appearance and excluding the influence of the second child on the eldest,

Treat the other person simply as someone who has no attraction to you of the opposite sex.

After witnessing the other person's experience of being bullied, understanding the logic behind their actions, and finally hearing their words of concern for you.

Even from a purely rational perspective, Rudius would choose Sylphie.

Because she possesses a purer soul than those unruly children.

If Rudeus didn't know about the Mushoku Tensei storyline, and even if Sylphie really was an idiot, then if Rudeus continued to contact Sylphie, the worst-case scenario would be that he became friends with a very nice person.

"It's okay, you can play with me then, let's be friends," Rudeus replied with a bright smile.

"Huh!? Is that so?" Silphie's face turned even redder, but this time it was hard to tell if it was from excitement or shyness. "Aren't you afraid they'll bully you?"

"Don't worry, because I'm stronger than all of them combined!" Rudius said, flexing his muscles.

"Is...that's how it is?"

Rudius created another water sphere, held it up in his hands, and said, "Yes, this is actually quite powerful."

If you fire with all your might, those children will be smashed to pieces like they've been hit by a sniper rifle... Of course, Rudius only thought this to himself and didn't say it out loud.

"What is that?" Hilfi asked, looking at the water sphere.

"It's magic."

I've been waiting for you to ask this for so long...

"magic?"

"That's right, if you want to learn, I can teach you," Rudeus offered.

There's no need to wait for the other person to speak first.

Right now, in front of Rudius, Hilfi is like a homeless Hakimi who has been spotted on the side of the road.

Hakimi will not proactively ask you questions like, "Can I go home with you?"

Therefore, Rudius chose to act directly and take them all.

No need to hesitate any longer, let's get straight to the point and begin the lesson!

"Is...is that okay?"

"Of course," Rudeus replied with a satisfied smile.

……

We arrived at the food delivery location without incident.

As expected, Silphi's father, who has elven blood, is a handsome man.

She has the same pointed ears as Silphie, and her bright, glowing blonde hair. She is slender but still has strong muscles.

He stayed atop a tower beside the forest, holding a bow in one hand, watching over the forest.

"Dad, this is a bento box..."

"Thank you for your help, Lufie. Did you get bullied today?"

"It's okay, someone helped me."

Hilfi did not deny it, but simply looked at Rudius.

Rudius bowed slightly in greeting as Rolz cast his gaze.

"Hello, my name is Rudius Grerat."

"Oh, is this Mr. Paul's child?"

"Yes."

"Oh, I've heard about you. You're such a polite child. Ah, I'm sorry for introducing myself so late. My name is Roltz, and I usually hunt in the forest."

After exchanging a few words with Roltz, Rudeus learned that this was a tower used to monitor whether any monsters had escaped from the forest.

The men of the village take turns guarding the place 24 hours a day, and Paul is no exception.

Paul was certainly not the kind of domineering nobleman who would participate equally in such routine defense work.

"Our child may have this appearance, but it's just a slight atavism. I hope you can get along well with him," Roltz explained.

It seems that even her parents were worried about Hilfi's hair color, and they started explaining right away.

"Okay," Rudius nodded in agreement.

After a brief conversation, Rudius and Sylphie left.

"Remember not to go near the forest," came Roltz's warning from behind.

"OK!"

Rudeus glanced at the botanical encyclopedia in his hand. Although he hadn't finished reading it yet, he decided to focus on teaching Sylphie magic first.

Rudeus led Sylphie back home and replaced the books with magic textbooks.

"Sylphie, this is a book that can teach you magic." Rudeus waved the book at Sylphie.

"But...I can't read," Sylphie whispered, mistaking him for someone who wanted to read a book.

Huh? Shall we start here?

Rudius was dumbfounded.

It seems like the investment will be quite large.

That makes sense, though. There are so many illiterate people in the world. Although Sylphie is a little older than Rudeus, she is only five years old. It's normal for her not to be able to read.

However, the training to increase the total amount of magic power can begin now, and it would be better to delay any longer.

"Alright then..." Rudeus pulled Sylphie into the courtyard.

Help Silphie into the correct pose to cast the spell, then teach her the incantation.

In short, the first priority is to release the magic power and begin training to increase the total amount of magic power.

Even if you're illiterate, it's not a big deal to train in this area.

The chanting was very simple; after being taught it only twice, Silphi learned it.

The water ball spell was successfully cast.

After throwing three water balloons, Silphie felt the exhaustion of her magic power dwindling.

"Alright, Sylphie, don't use magic anymore." Rudeus pulled Sylphie into the house. "This feeling means your magic is almost gone. If you continue using magic, you'll faint."

"I see."

"Then I'll teach you to read," Rudeus said matter-of-factly.

"Um."

I never even considered teaching the other person to read. Where should I even begin?

Rudeus tilted his head as he looked at Sylphie covered in mud.

"Sylphie, take off your outer clothes."

"Huh!? Why?"

"Because it's covered in mud."

"That's...that makes sense."

Rudius helped Sylphie take off her coat, looking at the hood and asking, "Was this coat bought specifically for you?"

"Hmm... This is a fifth birthday present from my parents."

"I see."

Rudius picked up his coat and looked at Lilia, saying, "Lilia, could you please wash this for me? Just give it to me to dry later."

"Yes, young master." Lilia took the clothes and was about to walk outside.

Mud looks dirty, but it's actually not difficult to clean, and Lilia can get it done quickly.

"Lilia, wait a minute."

After handing the shirt to Lilia, Rudeus turned back to continue taking off Sylphie's pants.

"Huh!?" Hilfi exclaimed in surprise.

"Silphie, lift your foot," Rudeus said.

Despite her surprised and doubtful reaction, Hilfi cooperated and took off her pants.

"Ru...Rudy...?" Hilfi regained her unease and stammered.

He handed the mud-covered trousers to Lilia, who, after confirming that there were no more clothes to wash, bowed to Silphi and went to do the laundry.

Rudeus wouldn't have chosen to have Lilia wash it off in one go if he hadn't thought the mud would leave a mess on the stool.

Although mud is easy to wash off, it will still take some time.

It wasn't too cold yet, and after taking off her pants, Hilfi was left with only a pair of children's lantern shorts to cover her private parts.

Thankfully, it wasn't a triangle bra; although Sylphie was shy, she wasn't overly shy, as she was only wearing harem pants.

It will still be a bit chilly.

Rudeus looked at Sylphie, who was blushing and clutching her undershirt as she tried to cover her lower body. "Sylphie, wait a minute."

"What?"

While Hilfi was still wondering, Rudius had already trotted into his room and soon returned with his clothes.

"Here, put them on."

Rudius took his trousers, squatted down in front of Sylphie, and spread them open.

"Lift your foot."

After Sylphie put on her pants, Rudeus pulled them up to her thighs and handed them to her.

Those are such slender legs; they're incredibly alluring.

Rudius was tempted to pinch it, but these areas were too private compared to the cheeks, so he decided to be a gentleman and not touch them.

Speaking of which, harem pants are a very charming type of clothing. Like cotton candy, they have a fluffy and cute feel. The person who invented harem pants was a genius.

Despite being fully covered, it only fuels the imagination; the loose silhouette blurs the body's lines, inadvertently amplifying both the sense of wonder and a feeling of security.

It possessed a unique allure, the kind that Rudeus in his previous life loved—a warm, knitted sweater-like attraction.

Before it even touches the skin, the eyes can already sense the fluffy, breathable, and enveloping warmth. The gently wrapped little human figure is itself a symbol of reassurance.

Like a ray of light wrapped in cotton wool, it is not dazzling, but it has its own gentle warmth.

Seeing a child wearing baggy pants makes me want to hug them.

Of course, the older sister in the knitted sweater is still an undefeated figure in Rudeus's heart.

"Th...thank you." Hilfi took the pants, blushing as she whispered her thanks.

"Is Sylphie shy? Haha." Rudeus teased, and Sylphie's face turned even redder.

"Come on." After getting dressed, Rudeus pulled Sylphie to sit down on a chair.

There aren't any books specifically for learning to read, so let's teach magic while we learn to read.

Rudeus opened the magic textbook.

Sylphie's magic class has begun.