Chapter 3

Evan only felt his consciousness being tugged incessantly, as if someone were kneading him.

When he finally regained his senses and struggled to open his eyes, he flinched at the sight of a face looming close.

Almost instinctively, Evan lashed out, striking the handsome face with force.

The blond young man yelped in pain, clutching his eyes as he flopped onto the ground.

It was clear the blow had done some serious damage.

Evan turned his attention to the figure writhing on the floor.

He was a tall, striking young man with short blond hair and deep blue eyes. His build was muscular, with well-defined yet lean lines—not overly bulky. He wore simple clothes: a white shirt and black trousers, but they were crisp and neat.

At the moment, though, he seemed to have made a minor misstep.

Realizing what had happened, Evan blinked innocently.

He wanted to say, You brought this on yourself.

"Paul, are you alright?" a soft female voice called from nearby. Paul, still covering his eyes weakly, muttered, "I'm fine, I'm fine. Looks like our little one's got some spirit."

Standing up, Paul gazed at Evan with slightly red, swollen eyes, a strained smile tugging at his handsome features.

Evan studied his face again and finally placed him. This was Paul Greyrat.

His eyes shifted to the young blonde woman lying on the bed. She bore a striking resemblance to Tsunade, with smooth golden hair cascading down to her waist. Her face was refined and beautiful, with sharp, distinct features and weary green eyes. Tall and slender, she carried herself with an air of grace and nobility. There was no doubt—she was Zenith Greyrat.

Evan reached out with a chubby little hand, feeling his frail body. In that moment, it hit him: he had been reincarnated.

Still, he felt a bit dazed. What was going on? Had he crossed time and space to become Rudeus?

Paul's voice snapped him out of it.

"Then we'll call you Roya Greyrat!" Paul declared.

Evan—no, Roya now—blinked and looked at Paul, still youthful and brimming with energy. His handsome face retained a boyish charm, with slightly arched brows and piercing green eyes that carried a hint of sharpness. The faint upturn of his mouth betrayed the pride and arrogance of youth.

Roya glanced around and spotted a red-haired girl with glasses nearby.

Lilia.

Paul's junior apprentice.

She currently worked as a maid in Paul's household.

Lilia's gaze was fixed on the baby in the cradle before her. He was adorable, with chubby cheeks and a tuft of rustling yellow hair atop his head. But his golden eyes stood out—unlike Paul and Zenith's green ones, they were pure and clear, like a pristine spring. For reasons she couldn't quite place, they unsettled her.

Almost instinctively, she felt something about this baby was unusual.

Roya's golden eyes met hers.

They left her momentarily stunned. It was as if those eyes could peer into her soul, radiating warmth and comfort. Lilia blinked.

Oddly enough, she felt no trace of unease toward the infant.

Roya broke the gaze and scanned the room again, but no one else was there—just the four of them in the spacious house.

So that was it.

He hadn't traveled back in time to become Rudeus after all.

Judging by the situation, it seemed he'd arrived in this world a bit earlier—before Rudeus was even born.

How bizarre.

The couple, oblivious as ever, didn't seem fazed by their newborn's unusual calmness. Paul carefully scooped Roya up and approached Zenith.

He gently placed Roya in her arms.

A smile spread across her delicate, beautiful face. Zenith was undeniably remarkable.

Even Roya couldn't help but stare, captivated.

All he could think was, What a shame such a gem ended up with a guy like Paul.

Paul brushed Roya's chubby cheek and said, "Time to say 'Mama!'"

Roya froze for a second. Snapping out of it, he tried to speak, but only a few garbled babbles came out.

Paul and Zenith exchanged smiles, their faces softening with relief.

Well, that was that.

Roya silently stared at the ceiling.

Some things, after all, were beyond his control.

Forgive him.

Two years flew by in an instant. Now, a two-year-old with golden hair and matching golden eyes lay in his room.

For reasons unknown, his hair grew unusually fast, reaching his waist by the age of two.

And Roya had noticed something else—he seemed to be developing in an unexpected direction.

He sighed quietly as he peered into the mirror.

Reflected back was a cute little child with golden eyes and a doll-like face, long hair flowing freely, dressed in the same clothes as him. When Roya smiled, the reflection smiled. When he tilted his head, it mirrored him perfectly.

I'm a boy, right? Sure, he was young, and his features were still soft and ambiguous, but his appearance leaned a little too feminine for comfort.

He discreetly checked himself and let out a quiet breath of relief.

Still, was this really okay?

Roya's room was modest but well-equipped. A thick magic tome sat on the table—a gift he'd requested from Zenith. At first, Paul and Zenith had doted on him after his birth, but it wasn't long before their attention shifted to making another child, leaving Roya to his own devices.

As expected, kids were just a side effect of their romance.

Roya sighed.

The soft quilt pressed against his small face, its warmth seeping into him, though his heart felt oddly cold.

Today, he might look feminine, but he had the heart of a man!

Besides, he was still young—whatever happened later was a problem for the future.

Silently, he tapped a floating orb-like icon in the corner of his vision. A transparent panel flickered into view.

It was simple, with just three options:

[Character Attributes]

[World Capture]

[System Mall]

Everything in the System Mall was grayed out, unavailable for purchase. Clearly, the powers that be were still upset and had locked him out of shopping privileges.

At least he'd gotten one over on the system during his reincarnation.

Browsing the system interface, he spotted his [Fool] talent on the third column of the first page.

Its price? 100,000,000 points and three S-level purchase permits.

He glanced at another talent, [Greed], a B-level ability. Its cost was steep too: 1,000,000 points and two A-level permits.

He had no clue about points or permits, but imagining the greed of those running the system, he figured it was an amount no ordinary user could ever hope to earn.

So, this time, he'd come out on top—milking the system for all it was worth.