"CHEERS!!!"
The entire room erupted with joy as everyone raised their glasses (or in my case, a sippy cup of fruit juice). My third birthday was in full swing, and I was at the center of it all.
I sat on Dad's lap, trying my best to look adorable while silently plotting how to get through this event without dying of secondhand embarrassment.
Just as I took a sip of my juice, a loud voice boomed through the hall.
"RYUK, MY BOY! YOU'RE FINALLY A MAN NOW! HAHAHAHA!"
A giant of a man with wild red hair and a beard thick enough to hide a family of birds stomped over and clapped me on the back—HARD. I nearly choked.
Benward Roseworth. My dad's old adventurer buddy, a powerhouse of a man who could probably suplex a dragon for fun.
Damn it, Ben! I'm three, not thirty!
"Oi, Ryuk! You better not grow up into some weakling, ya hear?" he bellowed, grinning ear to ear.
I massaged my aching spine. "Y-Yeah, sure…"
Before I could catch my breath, a small figure shoved Benward aside.
"Hmph! Move, old man! Let me talk to the birthday boy!"
A five-year-old girl with silver twin tails and a haughty expression crossed her arms at me—Rossy Roseworth.
Oh great, she's already this competitive?
"I'll have you know, Ryuk, that I can already lift a sword bigger than me!" she declared proudly.
"That sounds… unsafe," I muttered.
"Ha! You're just jealous! One day, I'll be the strongest adventurer ever!"
Yeah… or you'll break every bone in your body trying.
Benward beamed. "That's my girl! She's gonna be your future rival, Ryuk!"
I didn't sign up for this.
Before Rossy could challenge me to a duel, another deep, dramatic voice cut in.
"A rival? Pfft. The only thing this brat needs is the power of—EXPLOSIONS!"
I turned to see a tall, silver-haired man with a confident smirk—Meiroth Brethword, the strongest adventurer in my dad's guild.
He struck a ridiculous pose, flicking his cape back. "Ryuk, you don't need a sword! What you need is to harness the raw, destructive beauty of EXPLOSION MAGIC!"
This guy… is just as insane as I remember. He's the one who taught me all my explosion spells in my past life.
Dad chuckled. "Meiroth, you're not going to turn my son into a walking disaster zone, are you?"
Meiroth put a hand to his chest in fake offense. "How dare you, sir? I am but a humble teacher of the art of BOOM!"
I sighed. "I think I'll pass…"
He gasped. "PASS?! No one passes on explosions!"
Just as he started ranting about the 'philosophy of destruction', a sweet voice interrupted.
"Now, now, let's not scare the birthday boy."
A beautiful woman with long brown hair smiled warmly—Mei, the guild receptionist.
"Ryuk, happy birthday! You're growing up so fast!" she said kindly.
Finally! A sane person!
I smiled. "Thank you, Miss Mei."
She giggled. "Such a polite boy! If only some of our adventurers had manners like you."
Benward and Meiroth exchanged guilty glances.
Then, before I could enjoy the moment, another voice piped up.
"Ryuk! Happy birthday!"
I turned to see Roxxy Vold Croswreth, a wealthy merchant's daughter, beaming at me.
Oh, it's her… the one who funded my adventures in my past life. She's the reason I even made it to the northern region of the elf kingdom.
Roxxy grinned. "I bet you're excited to get your magic today! I hope it's something super strong!"
Before I could answer, a small hand tugged at Roxxy's dress. A shy little girl peeked from behind her—Rem Vold Croswreth, her younger sister.
"H-Happy birthday, Ryuk…" she mumbled, looking down.
Aw, she's already this timid. Hard to believe this girl is going to become a healing magic master and join my hero party in the future.
I smiled at her. "Thanks, Rem!"
She blushed and hid behind Roxxy again.
Then, another gentle voice chimed in.
"My, my, look at how popular you are, Ryuk!"
I looked up to see Ruby Vold Croswreth , their mother, who was noticeably pregnant.
Oh right… she's carrying the guy who's going to marry Asuna in the future. What a weird thought.
She chuckled. "I hope you and my daughters stay good friends!"
Oh, we're gonna be more than that, lady. Your daughter is literally going to be in my hero party.
As I tried to wrap my head around all this, a sudden shimmer filled the room. A massive golden projection of a regal-looking man appeared in the air.
King Norman Hemsworth IV.
"Ryukard Blackfyre, son of the strongest adventurer in the kingdom! On behalf of the royal family, I congratulate you on your third birthday!"
The room went dead silent as everyone bowed.
The King continued, his deep voice filled with authority. "I have high hopes for you, young one. Your father has proven himself to be a legend, and I trust that his bloodline will only produce greatness."
I forced a smile. No pressure, right?
The King gave a final nod. "Enjoy your day, child. May your future be bright." The projection vanished.
The silence was broken by Meiroth dramatically throwing his arms up.
"SEE?! Even the King knows you're destined for greatness! Now, say it with me—EXPLOSIONS!"
Benward laughed. "I think the boy's got a more balanced future ahead!"
Rossy huffed. "I'll be stronger than him first!"
Roxxy smiled. "I'll be cheering you on, Ryuk!"
Rem shyly nodded. "M-Me too…"
Dad just sighed, patting my head. "Well, son… looks like your real adventure starts now."
I looked at the chaotic mix of people surrounding me.
Yep. I'm doomed.
As I sat there, trying to process the madness around me, my mother suddenly pulled me into her arms, squeezing me like a plush toy.
"Aww, why wouldn't he be the strongest?! He got the blessing of all seven gods!" she said cheerfully.
The entire room fell into stunned silence.
"What? ALL SEVEN GODS?!"
Even the air felt heavier as everyone turned to look at me, eyes wide in disbelief.
Mom, why?! Why would you say that?!
Blessed? ALL the gods just dumped their mess on me, Mom!
"Yeah! Isn't it cool? My son is really blessed!" she continued proudly, completely oblivious to my inner screaming.
And just like that, my last hope of living a peaceful NPC life was obliterated.
Benward was the first to break the silence. "Wait… isn't having four gods' blessings already a legendary feat? Only a handful of people in history have ever received that!"
Meiroth, who was usually all about his dramatic explosion speeches, looked genuinely serious for once. "Even I only have two gods' blessings…"
Mei, always the gentle and supportive one, smiled kindly. "Nothing less from our kingdom's strongest warrior's son!"
Yeah, Mei, I appreciate the support, but I really don't want to be special!
Rossy, on the other hand, just stood there frozen, her expression shifting rapidly from shock to frustration.
"H-Hmph! That's not fair!!" she huffed, clenching her fists. "How am I supposed to beat you now?!"
I sighed.
Great. Now I've not only lost my chance to be a normal adventurer, but I've also just fueled Rossy's never-ending competitive spirit.
I could already feel my future getting more troublesome by the second.
Ruby, gently caressing her pregnant belly, chimed in with a warm smile.
"But isn't it understandable? Our Maria has the blessings of the Goddess of Water and Light, while Aldren possesses the blessings of the God of Fire, Earth, and Wind. Of course, their son Ryuk would inherit those blessings too!"
She sighed dreamily. "I wish my baby also receives many blessings!"
I internally groaned.
Yeah, he got them all right… and that's exactly why I allowed my Asuna to marry him in my last life.
The room buzzed with murmurs, everyone still trying to wrap their heads around my god-tier blessing. But then, the conversation took an even dumber turn.
Meiroth, the great explosion magic master… and also the man with the single worst brain-to-power ratio in the room, scratched his head. "Wait, but then what about the blessings from the Goddess of Spirit and Nature?"
Oh no…
Mei, ever the voice of reason, placed a hand on her cheek and smiled. "Everyone has their own unique blessings from the gods. Maybe our little Ryuk was special enough to receive theirs too!"
She clasped her hands together in admiration. "No less from Master Aldren's son!"
I sighed deeply.
Great. Not only am I overpowered beyond reason, but now they're treating me like the divine prodigy of the century. Someone save me…
Astraia!! Astraia!!
I called out her name, knowing full well that the moment she arrived, my life would somehow get worse.
And like clockwork, a tiny, glowing figure appeared in mid-air, twirling dramatically as if she had just descended from the heavens for a grand performance.
"Oh my, my! Finally, our hero is going to unlock his magic today!!" she announced with exaggerated flair, sparkles practically bursting around her.
I deadpanned. "No, I'm not gonna be a hero or anything!"
Astraia giggled mischievously, floating down to poke my cheek. "Hehe, we'll see~"
Then, with a playful wink, she clasped her hands together. "Happy Birthday, Ryuk!"
I sighed.
Great. As if the over-the-top party, the overpowered blessings, and the endless attention weren't enough… now the actual Goddess who ruined my peaceful reincarnation is here to rub salt in the wound.