"Not bad. You're the one with the best potential among this group of newcomers."
I have to admit, when those words reached his ears, his little heart skipped a beat.
However, the cold shiver he expected never came. Instead, he was enveloped in a warm, comfortable feeling.
"What are you doing—ouch!"
"Patriarch, you scared my baby."
The voices of a man and a woman rang out near his ears, both full of complaints and blame, giving the so-called patriarch no face at all.
This patriarch is a failure. Serves him right.
Of course, it's also your fault for scaring me, so I won't defend you.
Taking advantage of the moment, he turned his head to look around and found that he was lying in a small bed in a warm wooden room. Two men and one woman surrounded him—standard configuration, it seemed.
All the objects around him appeared oversized. He raised his small, soft hands, clenched and released them a few times, and after repeating the motion, finally understood—he had really turned into a baby. So what he said about his "small heart" earlier wasn't wrong, was it?
"Sorry, sorry. I'm just too happy," the man called the clan leader laughed heartily, completely unbothered by the complaints. His shamelessness was astonishing.
But he had a reason to be so happy.
"You two have done a great job adding to the future of our Crimson Demon Village. You deserve praise! And I wasn't wrong—your child really is the best in this batch. The amount of magic power in that tiny body is frightening, even to me. Once they grow up, they might destroy the world, ahahahahaha—!"
His hearty laughter made everyone frown. Hey.
Hey, hey, do you even hear yourself?
He really wanted to complain.
What's the difference between this and telling parents their kid will grow up to be a terrorist and destabilize the world?
If you want to compliment someone's child, shouldn't you say something like, "Your child is a genius who'll become a pillar of society and advance the world"?
Why destroy the world?
What did the world ever do to you?
No wonder people complain about you. I suggest you read The Art of Speaking sometime, clan leader.
What surprised him, though, was that his parents weren't angry. Instead, they were grinning, clearly delighted.
"Really? Destroy the world? That's my boy—amazing!"
"Hehehe—! I didn't expect our son to have such potential. I can't hide it now."
My son has the potential of a final boss?!
The man and woman cheered, seemingly looking forward to that day. For some reason, he felt like a general on stage with ceremonial flags fluttering behind his tiny back.
"By the way, have you two decided on a name for your child?"
The patriarch's voice chimed in again.
A name?
Right, I'm a newborn now.
But why? Why am I a newborn? My brain feels a little foggy. Is it because I was just born, or because I've been complaining nonstop?
"I didn't expect our Crimson Demon Village to gain three new members at once. Looks like our Crimson Demon Clan is thriving."
"Yeah."
"The patriarch just had a baby six months ago, right? With these three, that makes four newborns this year. What a bumper harvest!"
Why would you describe babies as a bumper harvest?
If you don't know how to use a term correctly, just don't use it. You're making yourself sound uncultured, Dad.
Also, why four babies?
What do you mean, isn't it five...
"Hahaha, actually, Hyoizaburoo's wife is due any day now. So this year, it's not four—it'll be five newborns!"
Oh, so that's it.
Five kids. Got it.
...Wait a second. I remember now.
Maybe it was the name "Hyoizaburoo," or the mention of "Crimson Demon Clan" and "Crimson Demon Village," or maybe it was just the sight of his parents and the clan leader, all with shining black hair and glowing red eyes. But something clicked.
This... this isn't right. Who set me up? How did I get reincarnated? And why the hell was I reincarnated into the Crimson Demon Clan!?
I remember now!
This is my second reincarnation!
In my last life, I was promoted at a young age and ended up living off rental income from more than a dozen properties.
With no more goals, I became a shut-in and lived a simple, uneventful life.
Then, on my 30th birthday, I was killed by a falling meteorite.
Thus began my first reincarnation.
I ended up on a neighboring island. Thanks to the knowledge from my previous life and the fact that it was a relatively modern world, I used my head and the $100 million my family gave me to quickly build wealth. By 18, I'd made more than most people earn in a lifetime through the financial industry. I was a rising star.
Even the news called me things like The Empire's Golden Chrysanthemum, claiming I was the shining hope that would revive the island nation's economy.
Just as I was planning to use my modern knowledge to play around the world and live as a winner in life—maybe even get the media to call me a Financial Immortal in my old age—I got killed by a meteorite again.
No, seriously?
Why am I being hunted across dimensions?
But this time, I didn't reincarnate immediately. I ended up in a dark space, where I met a goddess named Aqua. That's when I was struck by a terrifying realization: I had been hit by a meteorite and transported to a different dimension 18 years ago.
The isekai pioneers weren't lying!
Getting hit by a meteorite really can send you to another world!
As for why I got hit twice, maybe the first time didn't count as a full transfer, so fate hit the reset button so I could meet a goddess properly.
So... should I be thanking the meteorite?
——Thank you~!
Then I was roasted by that idiot goddess.
Come on! Getting killed by a meteorite may be rare, but it's one of the most common ways to travel to another world—right up there with getting hit by a truck or dying from overwork. If you don't believe me, try it yourself!
Anyway, I was finally granted a cheat ability.
"Come on, what ability do you want?"
"——Being killed by a meteorite not once but twice makes me a little paranoid. I'd like something to help avoid future danger. Please grant me this ability, goddess."
I pointed to an option on the catalog.
"This one? Your wish has been granted. Brave one! I hope you shine among the many other candidates and become the one to defeat the Demon King... Alright, off you go!"
A flash of blinding light—and I was reincarnated.
...Wait a sec!
Wasn't this supposed to be a regular isekai?! This is reincarnation! That's not what we agreed on!
Do I seriously have to go through the whole "pretending to be mature while surrounded by crying toddlers" phase again?
No thanks! That sounds like torture!
Thinking back on my previous life, my tiny face scrunched up in distress.
But there was no time to suffer. What came next was the most terrifying thing of all—the Crimson Demon Clan's naming ceremony!
Everyone knows how weird their names are. People always laugh when they hear them. And yeah... they are a bit funny. But the Crimson Demons are oblivious to this. They're actually proud of their bizarre names.
No! Being born into the Crimson Demon Clan is already enough of a penalty. I can endure growing up again, but at the very least... please don't give me a ridiculous name!
He struggled to stand.
The three clan elders opened their mouths in astonishment. A newborn baby standing up? In their hearts, they were probably already calling him a genius.
Then let's go even further!
Under the shocked gazes of two men and one woman, the baby staggered in seven wobbly steps—east, south, west, and north—before dramatically pointing at the sky with his right hand and the ground with his left, declaring in a commanding voice:
"I am the only one in the world!"
So his name became Zunzun.
...Damn it. I got so carried away, I forgot to switch to the local language and ended up shouting in Mandarin.
-End Chapter-
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