Life in Vain: Jobless Reincarnation

77 – Child – What is love?

I came to a stop, slowly catching my breath.

A simple log cabin house. Since it was early, Mister Laws should be home... Or so I thought. But the usual bow that he kept by the window was gone, so it seemed like he left out for patrol early today.

Maybe he wanted some time to think for himself before dealing with Dad? The few times I had seen Mister Laws recently, he *had* looked pretty haggard. Almost like he had his world shattered.

Well, not that serious. But it was the expression that was kind of like seeing your favorite anime get a live action Netfl*x adaptation and then ruining your childhood memories.

Or something.

It looked like Miss Rose was up though. I could hear pots clattering, and there was the yummy scent of cooking stew in the air.

...Or maybe it was just meat. I wasn't too sure about these sorts of things.

...And I was procrastinating again.

I adjusted my scarf and then closed my eyes to take a deep breath and calm down.

This was important, Rudy. You can't just go and rush in. Don't be like Dad. Make sure to be calm and collected and-

The front door slammed open and then a happy squeal echoed. Shortly after, a mature female voice spoke up, saying, "Oh my lord! You *are* cute!"

Eh?

Before I could process what was going on, someone ran forward and swept me in a tight hug, pressing my face against something soft.

A familiar experience. It happened whenever Mom got too excited and hugged me.

...Of course, it also meant that I was being smothered and couldn't breathe.

"Mmph! Mm, mm!" I tried squirming to get out of the woman's grasp.

But as expected of someone who gave a hug to rival my mom's, she was surprisingly strong.

Fortunately, it seemed like she didn't have as big of a chest as Mom so I could manage to get a few breaths in by turning to the side instead of getting a face full of squishiness.

But seriously, who was this? She seemed vaguely familiar for some reason, but...

"Grandma! No! Let go of Rudy!"

Sylphy's voice called out, and then I heard light footsteps rush over. At the same time, a gust of wind formed between me and the oppressive deadly assets, giving me some air.

Light peals of laughter echoed, and then the tight grasp around me suddenly vanished, sending me flying back.

I quickly righted myself, trying to steady my body. But feeling the wind pull me away, I decided to just go with the flow.

Sure enough, I was swept away to gently land beside Sylphy... Who had come outside sometime between me getting smothered by the mysterious overly affectionate... elf woman?

I blinked and stared at the person who had been hugging me.

She was pretty. Light blonde hair, crimson eyes and cherry lips. Her skin was completely pristine too, without a single blemish or wrinkle. Paired with her revealing outfit, a light green blouse and too short skirt, she gave off lewd 'onee-chan' vibes.

Wait. This was Sylphy's grandma?

I blinked again and tilted my head, still trying to come to terms with that fact.

I mean, I got the fact that this was a fantasy JRPG type world a long time ago. Kind of hard not to what with magic and Dad being able to do stupidly superhuman feats with just a stick.

But this beautiful lady who could walk down the street and pick up literally any guy... was Sylphy's grandma?

Wasn't Mister Laws around Dad's age? That would make him... 25 or something, right?

Low-balling it...

Oh. The lady was probably only around 40, so that made sense.

I felt a sharp jab in my side. I blinked and turned to see Sylphy looking away, pouting.

The elf woman... Sylphy's grandma raised her hand up to her mouth and laughed. She smirked and then said, "My, my, Sylphy. Are you jealous that your grandma's going to steal your Rudy away from you?"

"N-No." Sylphy quickly shook her head and looked at me. When she did, her face turned red and she looked back at her grandma. "But... You're being too clingy. Maybe you're trying to corrupt him with that Demon God mana!"

I blinked and then said, "I... feel like I'm missing a lot of context here, Sylphy."

Sylphy's grandma laughed and said, "Don't mind her, Sweetie. I think I've just been teasing her a bit too much these past few days."

A deep sigh echoed from inside the house, shortly followed by Miss Rose's voice. "Between you and what Paul has said, I would be surprised if Sylphy wasn't feeling a bit insecure. Honestly, trying to teach about 'that' to a girl this young..."

Miss Rose stepped out of the house and then looked at me, smiling. "It's nice to see you again, Rudy. How are Norn and Aisha?"

I smiled back and waved. "They're doing fine, Miss Rose. Norn's actually been asking about you a bit. It seems like she misses you."

Miss Rose smiled and said, "Well then. I'll have to come visit soon."

"You should! But, um..." I looked towards Sylphy's grandma and said, "Who are you again? I'm Rudy, but I don't think we've met...?"

She laughed and said, "You look a lot like him, but you're pretty different, aren't you? But I suppose you haven't had as many life experiences, so it makes sense... And you're only half of him too."

Miss Rose snorted and said, "Thank Milis for that. If Rudy was anything more like his father, I'd be worried."

Sylphy's grandma smiled and then walked over to me, stooping down to eye level. Smiling, she patted my head and said, "My name's Rostelina, Rudy. But you can call me Mommy if you want."

"What?"

Miss Rose glared at Sylphy's grandma and said, "No flirting with children!"

"I'm not flirting, dear. But fine. I'll tone it down a bit." Rostelina laughed and then stood back up. After that, she smiled and said, "Just call me Lina, Rudy. That's what your father and mother called me anyway."

"Huh? Mom and Dad know you?"

Rostelina laughed and said, "Well now. It seems like Paul's number two as always. But he did seem to like being on the bottom more than-"

"AHEM." Miss Rose cleared her throat and glared at Rostelina.

Rostelina pouted and said, "Fine, fine. Geez. No wonder Lawsy is so uptight. And no wonder Sylphy's an only child. You seriously need to loosen up a bit more, Rosie."

"And Mother-in-law needs to be more proper." Miss Rose sighed and then looked at me. "In any case..." She smiled and said, "Are you here to take Luffy out to play, Rudy?" She looked over at Sylphy and said, "Luffy has been a bit lonely without you around, so that would cheer her up."

Sylphy pouted just like Rostelina did and said, "I haven't!"

Miss Rose gave Sylphy a blank stare and then turned to look at me. "...Her grandmother has also been a bad influence, so I would greatly appreciate you taking her away from here."

Rostelina rolled her eyes. "Come now, Rosie. We both know girls mature sooner than boys. Not to mention that having so much mana can speed up the process and-"

"And I would greatly appreciate mother-in-law helping me cook this lovely meat pie so that we can have dinner together with the Greyrats this evening."

"Fine, fine... Geez." Rostelina shook her head and walked back inside the house. "Making these old bones move around like this... Some daughter-in-law you are."

"If a beautiful woman like you can be considered a bag of bones, then every women in the world has no meaning, Mother-in-law." Rose sighed and followed Rostelina back into the house.

Rostelina's laughter echoed from inside the house. Shortly after, she said, "True. I *am* gorgeous."

"...How did a woman like you produce my beloved and upright husband...?"

"Funny you mention that. Laws's father was-"

The door slammed shut.

And then it was just me and Sylphy standing outside.

I turned to look at her and said, "Uh. Your grandmother is... interesting?"

Sylphy let out a deep and exasperated sigh. "Ignore her. Grandma is weird."

"Yeah. I can see that."

Rostelina was definitely a lot different from both Mister Laws and Sylphy.

...Though I could kind of understand how Mister Laws grew up as an orphan if the vibe I was getting from Rostelina was correct.

Then again, she seemed to know Mom and Dad.

And Dad specifically.

...Let's not open that can of worms.

Sylphy smiled at me and said, "So are we going out to play, Rudy?" She laced her hands behind her back and moved to my right side. "Are you finally not grounded from using magic?"

I laughed. "No. I'm fine now, but I've been worrying everyone a lot too, so I think I'll delay that a bit longer."

"Mm... If that's what you want. But it's okay to be a bit more selfish, you know? If Rudy wants to use magic, I'll come help you argue to be ungrounded."

I smiled and then pulled Sylphy into a hug. "Thank you, Sylphy."

"You're welcome!" Her smile widened and she leaned into me. But then she broke away and spun, turning around to look at me. "So what are we doing on this pretty day, Rudy? Tag? Treasure hunting?"

"Um... We can. B-But there's something I wanted to talk with you about today, Sylphy."

"Hm?" She tilted her head and looked at me. "...Is something wrong?" She frowned and walked over, placing her hand over my forehead. "Are you still sick?"

I felt my face heat up and stepped back. "N-No. Not at all. Just... Um. H-How about we walk first? We can talk as we go."

Sylphy frowned, staring into my eyes. But then she slowly nodded and said, "Okay. But if you're pushing yourself again, I'm going to punish you."

I laughed. "Who do you think I am, Dad? Besides." I poked Sylphy's cheeks and said, "My best friend's too nice to do anything mean to me, right?"

Sylphy's eyes widened and then she blushed, turning away. "Rudy's the mean one. It's not fair to tease me like that. You know I can't hurt you."

I laced my hands behind my neck and started walking. "Right now, maybe. But in a few years, I'm pretty sure you'll give me a run for my money."

Sylphy moved to my side and huffed. "I was being sarkestic!"

"It's sarcastic. And I think you're using that wrong."

"Hmph." Sylphy huffed again and then crossed her arms, walking beside me in silence. She looked angry with a frown on her face. But from the way she kept looking at me and the way her lips kept twitching up, she really wasn't.

I smiled and then continued walking.

A comfortable silence. A gentle spring breeze blew past, ruffling my scarf as well as Sylphy's light green hair.

It was nice. As usual, spending time with Sylphy made me happy. Hearing her voice, seeing her smile... Just seeing her in general.

And from how happy she looked, it seemed the same was true for her.

But...

Sylphy glanced over at me, suddenly catching my gaze. Her eyes, a beautiful crimson hue like glittering rubies. A pretty face that was sure to become a great beauty in the future.

I wasn't like my dad who saw girls for their appearances first. ...Specifically two big appearances up top.

But I couldn't deny the fact that Sylphy wasn't just pretty, but she was really pretty. Enough to where I was sure any person who saw her would look twice.

That, paired with the fact that she always supported me and was such a big part of my life...

"Rudy?" Sylphy tilted her head, frowning. "Is something on my face?"

"Only beauty- I-I mean, no! Nothing's on your face!"

Dammit, Rudy! Stop it! No flirting! Bad!

"H-Huh?" Sylphy's cheeks turned red and she started shifting in place. "T-Thank you?"

Look! You made things awkward!

I coughed and said, "A-Anyway... U-Um..."

W-What do I say now?

Come on, Brain. Don't fail me here! You can calculate the complex integrations and transformations necessary to create three-dimensional models of 4D space, so figure out a way out of this mess!

...

...

...

I coughed again and said, "N-Nice weather we're having?"

@#$@#%!

Sylphy giggled and then nodded. "It really is nice out." She covered her eyes with her hand and stared out into the distance.

Phew! Crisis averted. Now to think about how to bring up that chat-

Sylphy turned back to look at me, a bright and warm smile on her face. "But every day with Rudy is nice."

...

"R-Rudy?! You're not breathing! Did something happen again?"

I coughed. "N-No. I'm fine-"

"You're coughing a lot too! Did you get sick?" She frowned and said, "You haven't been staying up super late with Miss Roxy, have you? I know that you like magic research, but rest is important too!" She lowered her gaze and said, "I don't want to see Rudy sick again."

*badump*

Gah! Dead! Critical hit!

I was not prepared for this!

Is this why they emphasized EQ more recently before I died? Because no amount of studying prepared me for this direct feels attack. Holy crap.

"...Rudy?"

I closed my eyes and held out my hand. "H-Hold on. I need a moment to gather my thoughts."

"E-Eh? Um... okay?" Sylphy sounded confused. But she stood still and waited.

At least I think she stood still and waited. Couldn't see because eyes were covered and all.

But that helped. Since it was dark, I could think things through.

Alright.

Okay.

So.

Definitely liked Sylphy. My heart's definitely pounding after all of that, and I definitely and completely scatterbrained right now because of how happy I'm feeling.

No, no. That's just the burst of feel-good chemicals scattering your brain, Rudy. Serotonin, oxytocin, and dopamine.

Remember, emotions are just a construct of the mind. Humans are rational machines that can overcome such feeble and fleeting phenomenon by-

...Gah, who am I kidding? This isn't working.

I like Sylphy.

I like Sylphy a lot.

It was different than with Master Roxy.

With Master Roxy, my heart definitely raced. And I definitely liked her too. I appreciated how kind she was in listening to me and how smart she was. I also enjoyed talking with her about magic and spending time together.

But I always felt a bit uncomfortable with her. Mostly because we weren't equals.

Master Roxy was Master Roxy. I liked her... maybe even loved her, but there was a distance there that I couldn't cross.

But Sylphy...

We started off as friends.

...No, I guess it was more like me swooping in to save her. But Sylphy wasn't a maiden in distress. At least, not after that.

Picking up magic with ease. Chatting with me about various things and supporting me as much as I supported her.

We were both alone and friendless, but we became each other's best friends. And we made each other better too.

I was sure of it. If Sylphy wasn't here, I would have devolved into a person who did nothing but study magic. Who knows what kind of rabbit holes I would have delved into?

But she was here. Sylphy, my supportive best friend who played games with me every day. Who invited me over a few times to read books together and just spend the day chatting. Who stood by my side when I was unconscious and then continued reassuring me even when I was terrified from being blind and the residual nightmares of whatever Being W tried to do that time.

Someone who I couldn't imagine life without.

...But someone who was still just a child.

Like me.

It was still too early for this.

We were both young. Barely even eight years old. And while I knew my feelings for Sylphy wouldn't change, what about hers?

Right now, the only person in her life around her age was me. Hell, the only guy around her age was me. She never met any other person.

Not only that, but we were kids.

Who was to say that she wouldn't fall in love with someone else in the future?

At that time, could I let her go? Would I let her go? Or would I be clingy and try to hold onto her even when it made her unhappy?

That...

...No.

That was quitter talk.

I liked Sylphy. No, like was too light of a word.

I was sure. I loved Sylphy. I was serious about it.

...I didn't know completely what 'love' entailed, but I did know that I would regret it for the rest of my life if I didn't at least try to hold onto Sylphy.

Not only that, but after all the effort and feelings she showed towards me...

She probably didn't understand it yet.

I didn't understand it yet.

But I liked Sylphy. So...

I opened my eyes, nodding.

Sylphy stared at me.

I turned serious and called out her name. "Sylphy."

She blinked and then slowly nodded. "Yes, Rudy?"

"I like you a lot. Do you like me?"

"E-Eh?" Sylphy blinked.

@#$%@! Why did you have to say it like that?! Who the hell do you think you are, some VN protagonist or something? Besides, does Sylphy even-

"Y-Yes!" Sylphy's face lit up and she hugged me. "I like Rudy too! I like Rudy a lot! More than anything in the world!"

Eh? EH?!

Sylphy let out a bright smile and said, "So... Rudy can't leave me behind for a mean girl like Eris, okay?"

I hugged Sylphy back and said, "Of course, Sylphy. I promise. I won't ever leave you."

"Pinky promise!" Sylphy stepped back and held out her pinky. "If Rudy disappears, I won't forgive you. I'll fly to the ends of the world just to find you again. And... And I'll even become a Demon Lord if I need to."

I laughed and wrapped my pinky around hers. "That won't ever happen, Sylphy. But I promise. I won't leave you."

Sylphy let out a warm smile.

I smiled back.

The two of us stood there for a while, just happy to be with each other.

But then it started getting awkward.

I coughed and said, "S-So..."

Dammit. It was that simple? No, Sylphy liked me that much already?!

Was I... Was I some dense Shounen MC? Even Dad wasn't like this, right? No, he definitely wasn't. That guy was like a shark with blood in the water when it came to sensing women attracted to him.

Definitely wasn't genetic then. Was it that? Smart people tended to over think things and miss the little stuff, right?

I didn't think I was that smart, but considering all the cues I missed...

...Damn. Maybe I was a genius after all. Because I sure as hell was as dumb as my dad was in other things when it came to girls.

Sylphy giggled and then said, "Let's hurry up, Rudy. Norn and Aisha probably miss their big brother, right? I'll fly us back."

"Oh." I nodded. "That's probably a good idea." I held out my hand and said, "Sorry to trouble you, Syl-"

Before I could finish, a gust blew me off my feet. "W-Whoa! Hold on-"

A pair of thin arms wrapped around me. Sylphy, holding me close. After that, she looked down at me with a bright smile and giggled. "This time, it's my turn to be the hero! Just leave it to me, Rudy!"

I felt my face heat up and said, "W-Wait a bit, Sylphy. C-Can I at least hug you properly instead of you holding me like-"

"Nope! I want to carry Rudy like a princess too! It's not fair being carried all the time!"

"B-But-"

"We're going!"