"Mom Had a Baby, I Had an Existential Crisis, and the King Had a Bad Day."

My heart was pounding so hard I could feel it in every inch of my body.

Dad had entrusted Mom to me—placed her in my hands—yet I… I failed to protect her!

While I hesitated, lost in my thoughts about my stupid NPC life… Mom stood against that monstrous dragon, smiling, all while carrying Asuna in her womb.

If… if only I had acted sooner…

NO.

NO, NO, NO!

IF ONLY THIS DAMN DRAGON HAD NEVER ATTACKED THE KINGDOM IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!

A surge of rage exploded within me.

I didn't think.

I didn't hesitate.

I charged at the dragon, fury boiling inside me, and unleashed every ounce of my magic aura at once.

For a moment—just a moment—everything stopped.

A suffocating pressure filled the battlefield.

Every single soldier, every knight, even the seasoned warriors… took an involuntary step back.

Benward—who was standing on the dragon's head, repeatedly smashing his fists against its hardened magic barrier—paused and looked at me.

Then—without a second thought—he grabbed Meiroth, who was about to thrust his spear into the dragon's heart, and flew to a safe distance.

Because they felt it.

The sheer, overwhelming magic radiating from me.

I soared high into the sky, coming to a halt for just a second.

The dragon locked its enraged eyes on me and took flight, roaring as it came straight at me.

I clenched my fists, letting all my mana condense into my hand.

Then—

We clashed mid-air.

A deafening explosion erupted as our overwhelming auras collided, shaking the very heavens.

And then—

I tore through its body.

There was no blood. No remains.

It simply… vanished.

As if it had never existed.

But the sheer force of the impact sent me crashing to the ground, bouncing multiple times before everything went black—

The last thing I felt was Benward catching me.

"RYUK! RYUK!"

His voice was the last thing I heard before my consciousness faded completely.

Ah…

Where am I…?

I slowly opened my eyes, staring at the plain white hospital ceiling above me.

"Ryuk..."

A familiar voice—warm yet filled with worry.

I turned my head slightly.

Dad was sitting beside my bed, watching over me.

Our eyes met.

And suddenly—

My vision blurred.

Tears welled up before I could stop them. My lips trembled, and my chest felt tight.

"I... I'm sorry..."

My voice cracked.

"I'm sorry... I let Mom get hurt..."

A sob escaped me.

"You entrusted her to me… and yet… yet I failed!"

I clenched the blanket, trying to hold myself together, but my body shook uncontrollably.

"I'm sorry... I'm sor—"

I couldn't breathe properly. My own cries choked me.

For the first time since I was reincarnated…

I was truly crying.

But then—

Dad shook his head.

"No." His voice was firm but kind. "You did a great job, Ryuk."

I looked at him, my vision hazy with tears.

"Maria is okay," he reassured me. "She fainted because, well—"

He smiled softly.

"Because you've officially become a big brother."

He gestured beside him, and I followed his gaze—

Mom was sleeping peacefully… and beside her—

A tiny, delicate form.

A baby girl.

Asuna.

Tears spilled down my cheeks.

I cried.

I cried like a baby.

For the first time, without holding anything back.

And Dad just sat there, silently patting my head.

I don't remember how long I cried.

By the time I finally drifted off to sleep, the weight in my chest had lessened.

And then—

Morning came.

It was the 22nd of Aurealis.

When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was—

Mom, gently cradling Asuna in her arms.

Dad sat beside me, watching over both of us.

"Ah, Ryuk. You okay?" Dad asked, his voice softer than usual.

I barely had time to process his words before—

Mom suddenly rushed to my bedside.

"Are you okay, Ryuk!?"

Her voice was frantic as she leaned over me, her eyes full of concern.

"You had me so worried! Are you hurt? Are you in pain? Should I call the healers?"

Before she could panic any further—

Dad gently placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Maria, he just woke up. Calm down."

His voice was calm but firm.

"He's okay. The healers already checked him. He's blessed by the Goddess of Nature—he's not hurt."

Mom finally took a deep breath, calming herself.

Then, she looked at me again—this time with guilt in her eyes.

"Sorry… you worried because of me…" she whispered.

She hesitated before continuing, her grip on Asuna tightening slightly.

"Because of me, you lost control and went on a rampage. Everyone told me… you killed the dragon."

I opened my mouth to respond—

But before I could say anything—

Asuna cried.

A soft, tiny wail.

And for the first time in my life—

A baby's cry didn't annoy me.

It made me feel… relieved.

Hearing that small, fragile voice—

It reminded me that she was alive.

That Mom was alive.

That I had actually protected them.

I turned my gaze to Asuna.

My baby sister.

My hands clenched into fists as I made a silent promise to myself—

No matter what happens in this life—

I will never fail to protect them again.

Mom gently placed Asuna beside me.

She was so small. So fragile.

Her tiny fingers reached out—

And grabbed mine.

Such small, delicate hands… yet, in that moment, they held my entire heart.

Ah… this… this is nice.

For a moment, I forgot everything—my past life, my failures, my overwhelming strength.

Nothing else mattered.

It was the best feeling I had ever experienced—

Including my past life.

Haha… being a big brother isn't so bad, huh?

---

Or so I thought.

Fast forward two days—

The entire kingdom was still in repair mode. Streets were being rebuilt, homes restored, and people were working together to fix the damage.

Most of the citizens had temporarily moved to the guild for shelter.

So naturally—

EVERYONE was talking about one thing.

And by one thing—

I mean ME.

"Did you hear? The guild master's son single-handedly destroyed the dragon!"

"I saw it with my own eyes! That aura alone made the entire army step back!"

"A three-year-old with the power of a war god—Ryukard Blackfyre is not normal!"

And the worst part?

They wouldn't stop looking at me.

Like. At all.

No, no, no, no, no!

This is NOT what I wanted!

I just wanted a quiet, peaceful NPC life!

WHY AM I IN THE SPOTLIGHT NOW?!

Nooooo!!!

As everyone kept trying to ask me questions, I did the only logical thing—teleported myself straight into the toilet. Yup, best hiding spot ever. A toilet.

I let out a deep sigh. Huh... Astraia, come out.

She appeared in her usual cheeky manner, floating around with that smug grin.

"Hehe, Ryuk! Didn't I tell you your mom would be in the hospital before the 22nd of Aurealis?"

"Yeah… but," I asked seriously, "why was this huge event never mentioned in the kingdom's history? And since I defeated the dragon this time, who did it in my previous life? Who sent that dragon? Why was it never recorded in any scripture?"

"Whaaa!! Stop, stop! So many questions at once!" she whined, waving her hands. Then, after a dramatic pause, she continued, "Let's see… In your previous life, the one who defeated the dragon was also you!"

"Wait, what?"

"Yup! You saw your mother get hurt and did the exact same thing you did today—just without thinking. The only difference was that back then, you were actually a baby in mind too, haha!"

I stared at her, stunned. "Then why wasn't it ever mentioned in history? And who sent that dragon?"

Astraia's playful expression faded. She looked at me with a rare hint of seriousness.

"The answer to all your questions, Ryuk… is simple. That dragon was none other than your kingdom's beloved ruler—King Norman Hemsworth IV."

"Huh? HUUHHHHHHHH???"

I felt my brain short-circuit.

"I... I... I KILLED THE KING!? I KILLED KING NORMAN HEMSW—wait, wait, hold on! That dragon… was our king?! Norman Hemsworth IV???"

"Yup!" Astraia chirped, looking way too casual about this.

"W-Wait—HOW?! WHY?! HUH?!?!"

She spun around playfully before answering, "Well, you see, Ryuk, your kingdom was established by the Hemsworth royal family centuries ago. And the very first king, Arnold Hemsworth, fought this dragon 500 years ago. But instead of killing it, he sealed the dragon inside himself!"

"...Okay, what the actual hell?"

"And ever since then," she continued, "each generation of Hemsworth rulers inherited the seal, passing it down from king to king… all the way to your time. Only a few, handsome and trustworthy people were ever told about this secret!" She giggled.

"Handsome and—what? Astraia, focus!"

She waved me off and kept going.

"So, just in case the dragon ever broke free and took over the king's body, those trusted individuals were supposed to kill the dragon—even if it meant killing the king, all to protect the kingdom!"

I felt a chill down my spine.

"And in this generation," she added, "those trusted people were none other than Benward, Meiroth, and your dad!"

My mouth opened. No words came out.

Astraia smirked. "And to make sure the people of the kingdom never feared their king, this entire story was erased from history! Pretty neat, huh? Haha!"

"W-WAIT!!! I KILLED THE KING?!?!"

My brain short-circuited as Astraia nodded like it was the most normal thing ever.

"Yup! You totally obliterated him! Not even bones left! Phew~ good thing no one saw it coming, huh?"

"NO ONE SAW IT COMING BECAUSE NO ONE TOLD ME!!!"

Astraia just shrugged.

"Eh, details~ Anyway, congrats, you're a national hero now! Or a criminal! Depends on who you ask! Hehehe~"

"I'M GONNA BE EXECUTED!!!"

I clutched my head in horror, already imagining my future tombstone:

"Here lies Ryukard Blackfyre. Accidentally committed regicide at age 3. RIP."

Meanwhile, Astraia was just laughing her divine little butt off.