Jobless Reincarnation: Live Seriously Even Without Transfer Events

"Stop talking nonsense!"

Immediately afterwards, Alice grabbed my hand and elegantly led me away.

……

"Rudeus's head seems even more swollen than this morning, Alice?" Hilda, who was sitting next to me at dinner, stroked my head and looked at Alice.

No wonder my head is swollen; the spot where Alice hit me is the same spot I saw this morning!

"Hmph!" Alice snorted and began to eat with her head down.

I smiled awkwardly. "Thank you for your concern, Madam. It's just that I was bumped this morning and happened to get caught in the rain on my way back, so it's swollen. It has nothing to do with Miss Alice."

"Really? What a pitiful child."

As she spoke, Hilda gave me a loving kiss on the forehead.

The restaurant fell silent, with only the sounds of Kyrie Irwin drooling and Alice chewing.

……

Finally, after everyone finished eating, I left with them.

I came to the library hoping to find some books about magic compression and concentration. I'm quite bothered by that strange feeling I had today. If something goes wrong while using magic, and the highly compressed magic explodes inside my body, that would be mortal danger. However, that's unlikely to happen because when I first cast "Thunderous Rain Cloud" today, I compressed the magic outside my body, meaning it's probably safe for my body.

Just then, Philip walked in.

Chapter Six: The Young Lady's Fate (Part Two)

Chapter Six: The Young Lady's Fate (Part Two)

"Oh, still studying in the library so late, how diligent you are, Rudeus."

Philip walked in carrying a glass of wine.

Good evening, Mr. Philip.

"I wouldn't call myself diligent; I just have some questions about magic and want to look up some related books."

"I never thought there would be a magic trick that could stump our Saint-level magician."

Philip chuckled jokingly, sat down on the sofa, and then waved to me to sit down.

"Hehe~" I gave a fake laugh and scratched my head awkwardly before sitting down on the sofa next to Philip.

"Mr. Philip is quite the joker."

Unbeknownst to me, an unsettling atmosphere had formed between Philip and me, an atmosphere that was suffocating. It was so oppressive that, despite Philip's smiling face, it felt strangely unsettling.

"Um...Mr. Philip, is there anything I can help you with...?"

I could only tentatively start by trying to break the awkward silence. As a NEET who's spent over a decade at home playing adult games and online games, I'm really not good at communicating with people, especially in this kind of atmosphere.

"I received a letter today that my brother is coming here with his family to tour the territory and visit our father."

As he spoke, Philip lay down on the sofa, holding his wine glass halfway up.

"Shouldn't Mr. Philip be happy if his brother comes to visit the territory? After all, they are brothers, aren't they?"

I have some doubts, but this is from a modern perspective. This is another world, after all. There are probably many brothers who, due to power struggles, become estranged and never speak to each other again.

"I lost to my brother in the struggle to inherit the family business."

"You should have noticed why there's only Alice as a child in this family and no other brothers."

"A little."

I nodded quietly.

"Alice was supposed to have an older brother and a younger brother, but they were taken away by my brother at birth... Rather than being taken away, it's more accurate to say she became his adopted son and studied in the capital."

This is probably a tradition that exists in every world. During the Sengoku period, weaker daimyo would give their wives or sons as hostages to more powerful daimyo in order to gain their support. Famous examples include Sanada Nobuyuki and Sanada Yukimura, who were held hostage by the Takeda and Uesugi families, respectively.

The situation was even more serious in the Bereas family; at least until the children who were taken away were old enough to understand, they would never know that their parents were someone else.

"Hmm... I think I understand."

I nodded and listened to Philip continue.

"Actually, Hilda hated you at first because her own son had been taken away by someone else, while someone else's son was having a great time playing with her daughter in her own home."

After hearing what Philip said, I understood why I had always been met with disdain from Mrs. Hilda when I politely greeted her in the past.

“However, ever since you helped Alice grow up so much, at least changed her image in front of other nobles, Hilda has started to treat you like her own son. Well, after all, you are the most likely child to marry Alice.”

"Is...is that so..."

Marrying Alice? Was there a groom in the Kingdom of Asura who was brutally murdered by his wife on their wedding night?

But if I think about it that way, I can understand Hilda's change in attitude towards me.

"Although I don't expect you to marry Alice, it would be great if you could accept her."

"But what does this have to do with Mr. Philip's elder brother's visit?"

Philip's expression immediately turned serious.

"That's the problem. You'll most likely be taken away by your brother."

I'll be taken away? How could that be? I'm not your child! But then again, going to the capital and making friends with some noble ladies doesn't seem so bad. I've heard noble ladies have some strange quirks. Building a harem in the capital? Sounds pretty good!

[Those girls from aristocratic backgrounds all wear heavy makeup and exude a cloying sweetness, but only after you actually sleep with them do you realize they haven't been exercising at all, and their bodies are in a terrible state... You only find out the truth after they take their clothes off...]

I suddenly remembered Paul's advice; it seems that going to the capital to build a harem isn't such a good thing after all. Besides, Sylphie is waiting for me; the idea of ​​abandoning Sylphie to go to the capital and build a harem is truly despicable.

"Huh? Me? Why?"

Philip placed the wine glass on the table. Then he put his legs off the sofa, rested his arms on his legs, and put his hands in front of his nose. Is this Gendo cosplaying?

"Because you are excellent."

"Huh..."

"My brother would never allow a child who could transform a poorly-reputed young lady into a refined lady in just three years and is also a Water Saint-level magician to remain in the branch family."

Am I famous? It seems my reputation as Alice's tutor has spread far and wide. But I can't be taken to the capital like this.

"What if I don't agree?"

"I might be assassinated by my brother."

Assassination? Are you kidding me? I'm only ten years old! I was just killed by a reincarnation tool in another world a little over ten years ago, and now I'm going to die another violent death? I don't want to! Absolutely not!

Before I knew it, my face had become unusually pale.

"Don't be too scared, I will protect you."

Perhaps to ease the tension, Philip smiled at me.

"Lord Philip!"

Hearing him say "I will protect you" almost made me cry. The Boreas family really are all good people!

"In fact, Father probably wouldn't agree to you being taken away by your brother, so the possibility of you being assassinated is even greater."

Mr. Philip, I haven't offended you, have I... Please don't talk like that... My heart can't take it.

"I estimate that my brother will arrive in about a month. When that time comes, you must follow my instructions, and I will do my best to keep you safe."

"Thank you... thank you, Mr. Philip!"

……

Philip didn't explain his specific plan, only telling me to do as he said. But for some reason, I had a premonition that one day I might be begging Mr. Philip to do something, even while crying. My intuition, honed from playing visual novels for over a decade, told me he was a dangerous man.

Chapter Seven: The Young Lady's Fate (Part Three)

The Young Lady's Fate (Part 3)

"Help! Help me!"

"I don't want to die, please, I don't want to die!"

"Rudius?"

……

When I woke up, I found... the sleeping face of a red-haired girl.

Although she can be a bit violent at times, she's still incredibly cute at heart. I couldn't resist poking her bouncy cheek with my finger. So soft! At the same time, I heard her murmuring something.

"Rudeus...Rudeus...I will...protect you..."

She said the same things Philip said last night, though it was sleep talking, but it gave me a different feeling. Is this a sense of security? I, a NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) man in my forties, am actually being given a sense of security by a twelve-year-old girl. Alice, you are truly amazing.

Her hand was on my shoulder, and she wasn't covered by a blanket. Did she come to my room to call me for breakfast but then fell asleep again? She's unexpectedly adorable, almost like a cat, which is quite different from her usual aggressive image. But this contrast is something I can't help but find endearing.

A shy girl with emerald green hair suddenly appeared in my mind. I'm sorry, Sylphie, it's probably best if you don't show up at a time like this. Although I feel bad for Sylphie thinking this.

However, last night's dream was truly terrifying.

Hunted by countless people, I tried to retaliate with magic, but suddenly my hands were chopped off. I collapsed to the ground, begging that person to spare me. In that instant, my mind flashed through images of various people, as if I had returned to my previous life, surrounded by many, bullied and humiliated, until my hands were chopped off and my throat slit. They treated me like prey, not as a human being. I never want to think about such things again.

Back to reality, I was still staring at Alice's sleeping face.

Her breath even had a slightly sweet smell.

Slowly she opened her eyes and met her gaze once more.

"Ru, Ru, Rudeus!"

She jumped out of bed and straightened her clothes.

"Are you feeling better?"

I got out of bed and put on my coat. "Thank you, Alice."

"It's okay, we're family!"

After Alice finished speaking, she smiled at me again. For the first time, I felt that smile was so comforting.

Alice then pulled me downstairs for dinner, but because we came down so late, the adults didn't wait for us. Luckily, Mr. Alphonse, the butler, had left some food for us in the kitchen, so Alice and I didn't go hungry. However, we were then scolded by Miss Edna, because it was impolite to make the adults wait for Alice and me to eat.

……

The entire manor was preparing for the arrival of James Boreas Greirat, the true heir to the fitoia territory lord, Shalos, and the current head of the Boreas family, a month later.

Of course, when James arrived, my assassination was probably not far off.

Thinking about this, my mood became even more depressed.

"Rudius! See if I wrote it correctly?"

Yeah, after learning I might be assassinated, even teaching Alice has been affected. If this keeps up, I'm afraid I'll get my pay docked. Sorry, boss. Oh well, I'm practically dead anyway.

I took the card box from Alice's hand. Hey? She got one right. If things continue like this, in a few months, Alice will probably have mastered division too.

"Only this is correct; everything else is wrong."

Upon hearing this, she immediately raised her fist...

"But that's great progress. Alice, you should be able to master division in a while."

Upon hearing this, she put away her fist, snorted, and took the card box to change it, while Gilead, sitting opposite her, was still engrossed in studying the problem.

Although Kyrie Ian wasn't as bright as Alice, he was indeed studying diligently. It's not that Alice wasn't studying diligently, just that their levels of focus were different.

However, I'm not in a position to criticize them right now, because I'm not really in the zone either.

But is there really no way? Although Philip said he would protect me, I can't rely on him completely. Should I still use a Saint-level magic to flood the entire town?

That won't do. It would involve thousands of innocent people, and assassinations are carried out in secret. They could be taken care of while I'm still dreaming.

Then I have no choice but to run away. But where can I run to? Should I just run away, back to Buena Village, and continue being a NEET? Would I be safe from assassination if I ran back to Buena Village? And then I might also kill Paul, Janis, Miss Lilia, and my two sisters. Should I run away and hide somewhere for a couple of years? But where could I go? I'm afraid any one of the three major sword factions could kill me. Besides, if I try to make money, who would take in a ten-year-old child? If I reveal my name, I might be assassinated again. It's safer at the manor…

"Rudius!"

Alice suddenly called out to me.

"You look terrible, did something happen?"

Kyrie Irvine looked at me with a very concerned expression, as did Alice. Was my innermost thought written all over their faces?

"I'm sorry. It's nothing."

I composed myself and picked up the book again.

"Alice..."