I Don’t Want to Die as a Mob in My Second Life! ～A Story Where I Kept Training from Inside the Womb and Ended Up Being Mistaken for a Monster～ - Chapter 28: Everyone Gets Along in the Reisoushi World!

Chapter 28: Everyone Gets Along in the Reisoushi World!

The training field, serving as the exam venue, was bustling with nearly 2,000 people gathered in its central area.

“If it’s like every other year, there should only be about 300 exam takers. But there are way more people here—looks like they’ve brought their whole households.”

I mean, I brought Dad, Maro, and Setsuna along with me, so I can’t really talk.

Most other families seemed to have come with relatives or servants in tow as well.

“Opportunities for Reisoushis to gather are rare. So they use this as a chance to turn it into a social event, mingling with other prominent families from distant regions.”

Dad wasn’t wrong. Adults in expensive suits and elegant traditional wear were chatting away, paying little attention to their children.

Heh, it makes sense. If you can marry into a prestigious bloodline, there’s a good chance of producing talented offspring.

“Our child has bonded with a Conceptual Spirit and is taking the exam this year. Second in their grade, quite sharp, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Oh, as a matter of fact, my seventh daughter is also taking it! Her attributes align perfectly with your child’s. If she takes after my wife, she’ll be very fertile—how about arranging a match?”

“That sounds wonderful!”

Overhearing snippets of their conversations, I caught wind of marriage negotiations happening right there and then, completely disregarding the kids involved.

Open discussions of eugenics, out in the open for all to hear.

It was a stark contrast to normal families, revealing the darker side of the Reisoushi world.

“Alright, let’s head out.”

I didn’t want to hear any more of those shady conversations, but I still needed to find my sister and brother.

“And Miss Setsuna, you’re obviously excited to see Miss Sharo, aren’t you?”

“I-I am NOT excited!”

When I brought it up, Setsuna suddenly got defensive.

“Don’t make it sound like I’m some obsessive siscon! That’s embarrassing!”

“It’s the truth, though.”

I mean, I know full well that Setsuna is a massive siscon.

You’re already a lost cause. It’s way too late to feel embarrassed now.

“Hmph… Anyway, won’t things get chaotic the moment you show up, Kanata?”

“Hmm, you’re probably right.”

Everyone sees me as some evil, rabid dog. Which is completely wrong, by the way.

It’s honestly frustrating. But since most of the exam takers are kids from the Spirit Conductor Academy, I should at least try not to spook them too much.

“Hey, [Doll], can you make me a veil to hide my face? Any design is fine.”

“Roger that!”

The little [Doll] perched on my shoulder immediately started weaving threads from her fingertips, quickly crafting a veil in no time.

It was just like the time she made me a scarf and gothic dress. Honestly, who needs a clothing shop when you have her around?

“Wait… why is the design so over-the-top?”

The veil matched the gothic dress, sticking to a black theme.

But it was made of thin lace with a rose pattern, giving it an elegant, chic design that looked like something straight out of a mourning dress collection.

“[Doll], couldn’t you make it a little simpler?”

“Don’t dismiss the artistic touch of a designer!!!”

Whoa.

“Complaining after it’s done is not okay! If you had a specific vision, you should have given me detailed instructions from the start!!!”

Alright, alright, I get it.

I apologized through my thoughts, saying, “Sorry, sorry.”

“Well, whatever. It does look stylish, I guess.”

“Good!”

The genius designer [Doll] puffed out her chest proudly, clearly satisfied.

Yeah… leaving things up to her on a whim is a bad idea. I mean, she’s the main reason my body turned out so weird in the first place.

“Alright, let’s get moving.”

We headed toward the bustling crowd at the center of the field.

To avoid drawing attention, I stayed hidden behind my father. And to take it a step further—

“Spiritual Energy Technique: ‘Presence Concealment.’”

Forming a sword-like gesture with my fingers, I pulled in all the spiritual energy leaking from my body, locking it inside.

This is one of the basic techniques of a Reisoushi.

By suppressing the life energy that is spiritual power, your presence naturally fades. It’s a great way to sneak up on an enemy unnoticed.

“W-Whoa, Kanata’s ominous ‘attention magnet’ aura is completely gone!”

Setsuna sounded genuinely surprised. Hey, sorry for standing out in a bad way, okay?

“Your stealth is incredible… Even standing right in front of you, it’s hard to notice.”

“Well, yeah.”

In my first life, I was just a weak mob character.

So techniques like this, combined with my talent for spiritual energy manipulation, became my specialty.

“Kanata, you’ve got the specs of a tyrant, but all these petty side skills are unnecessarily well-developed. It’s kind of… sleazy, honestly.”

“…Watch your words, sow.”

“Y-You called me a sow again!?”

Trading insults with Setsuna, I made my way toward the main field.

Unfortunately, the conversations of the other Reisoushis were hard to ignore.

“The Toudou family’s kid couldn’t take the exam until they graduated from the academy? For such a noble family, that’s laughable.”

“They’ve never been chosen by a Conceptual Spirit in all these years. Well, I suppose that’s just a lack of talent.”

“Speaking of which, the eldest son of the Hououin family ended up crippled from a mission, didn’t he?”

“That family’s finished. All four of their younger kids were born without any spiritual energy, right?”

…Not exactly uplifting conversations.

It’s either about promoting their own children or mocking struggling families that have fallen on hard times. That seemed to be the tone of most of the discussions.

“Sigh, Kanata doesn’t need to hear this nonsense.”

“Father.”

Dad gently covered my ears. What a kind man.

“Reisoushis are a powerful group of people. They’re many times stronger than the average person and earn many times more. But because of that, it’s easy for them to become arrogant.”

Dad’s gaze fell on some Reisoushi walking around with people bound in chains.

—Slaves.

These were individuals who had sold their rights as human beings, either because of their own debts or their parents’. Naturally, none of them possessed spiritual energy.

There are a fair number of Reisoushis who treat such people as nothing more than tools.

“And then there’s the fact that having a child doesn’t guarantee they’ll inherit spiritual energy. Even when they do, their talent can vary widely. That’s where all kinds of distortions arise…”

Dad let out a tired sigh.

Our Soranaki family isn’t exactly well-regarded. We’re just another unremarkable mob family from Saitama, more often the butt of jokes than the ones telling them.

But things changed a few years ago when the genius twins Michio and Hinami were born, briefly thrusting us into the spotlight.

He must’ve had some unpleasant experiences back then… sudden fake kindness, snide remarks, and even offers of money to “buy” his children.

“Anyway, let’s go find Michio and Hinami. And we can also look for Miss Sharo, for Miss Setsuna’s sake.”

“W-Wait, that’s not necessary, Mr. Michitaka…!”

And so, to avoid the toxic conversations happening in the main group of Reisoushi, we casually strolled around the outskirts. The kids probably wouldn’t be in the middle of that mess anyway.

As for Maro,

“Finding brats is a waste of time, de ojaru. Maro’s off to enjoy being flattered by the underlings, de ojaru.”

With that, he boldly marched straight into the group of Reisoushis he wasn’t too fond of and completely hijacked the conversation.

Man, that guy’s amazing.

The undisputed king of handling nonsense…

“He’s truly incredible. I need to develop that kind of guts for myself…!”

My father, clearly impressed, muttered as he watched.

That’s when a familiar voice rang out.

“I-I’ll definitely pass this exam, de gojaru!”

That unmistakable de gojaru speech pattern paired with an unnecessarily cute voice—there’s no doubt about it. It’s Sharo.

“Sha—SHAROAAAAAAAAA—!!!”

Setsuna instantly whipped her head in the direction of the voice and speed-walked at supersonic speed. That was… unsettling.

“Sharo! Sharo! How have you been, Sharo!”

“Ah, Big Sister…!”

When I caught up, I saw Sharo—our mini-skirted ninja loli—wrapped tightly in Setsuna’s arms.

For some reason, Sharo had tears welling up in the corners of her eyes.

Was she crying because her sister was acting so weird?

“―Hmm. Feeling relieved because your beloved sister showed up, huh?”

“―Wow, pathetic. A loser who’s also a siscon? That’s hilarious~.”

That’s when it happened.

A pair of thin-haired blonde kids sneered at Sharo.

“Michio, Hinami…!”

“”Oh, look, it’s our loser dad.””

The two of them hurled insults at Dad in perfect sync.

Their voices, their cute faces, and the sheer bratty attitude mixed in—it was all identical.

These were none other than Michio Soranaki and Hinami Soranaki, my older brother and sister.

“So these are the Soranaki siblings…? Never mind that—were you two bullying my Sharo?!”

Setsuna, furious, glared at them, but they just sneered and said, “Noooope~,” in unison, laughing through their noses.

“We just told her the truth: ‘Losers like you with terrible grades shouldn’t even bother showing up for the exam.’”

“Yup, yup. Honestly, it’s kind of kind of us, as classmates, you know? You’d probably just die halfway through the mock battle, right~?”

“If she faces us, we might end up killing her by accident.”

Michio spoke arrogantly, while Hinami giggled at his side.

…Uwaa. Their personalities are still just as rotten as ever.

And yet, both of them are at the top of their grade. There’s really no fixing them.

They’re good-looking too, which is why, in my previous life, they became TV idols that everyone adored.

But here they are, in the same grade as the clumsy, shrimp-like Sharo.

Of course, they’d mock her every chance they get.

“…Michio, Hinami. Apologize to Miss Sharo.”

Dad said, his tone firm but calm.

“What kind of kindness is that? It’s obvious you were mocking her. She’s been working so hard lately—”

“”Shut up, loser!””

Our father’s serious attempt at scolding them was met with nothing but insults.

“Why don’t you just leave, old man? We can’t stand you. Right, Hinami?”

“Totally agree, Michio~. If we have one flaw, it’s that we were born into such a pathetic bloodline with you as our head!”

Michio and Hinami hurled cruel remarks at Dad, laughing loudly and obnoxiously.

“… (They’ve gone too far…!)”

I didn’t think their attitude toward him could be this awful.

But Dad didn’t get angry. Instead, he quietly replied,

“…This is my failure as a parent. It’s my fault you’ve turned out this way.”

“Huh?”

“What?”

“I’m sorry. I’ve been a weak father.”

His voice carried the weight of deep regret.

“I’ve struggled to guide you, two children far more talented than I am. I couldn’t even scold you properly. I’ve been a man deserving of your scorn…”

He clenched his fists, his hands trembling slightly.

“But now…!”

His gaze sharpened as he spoke directly to Michio and Hinami.

“Now I can scold you. Now I can guide you. I can tell you what’s right—that hurting others is wrong, that when you do something bad, you must apologize!”

His voice rang out with determination, a declaration that he had left his weak self behind.

It was the voice of a man reborn as a parent, pleading with his twisted children to hear him.

“So, Michio, Hinami… please apologize to Miss Sharo. If there are others you’ve hurt, apologize to them too. I’ll apologize as well. Let’s change together, as a family…!”

Dad wrapped his arms around their shoulders, pleading earnestly. He truly wanted them to turn over a new leaf.

But—

“”Shut uuuup, loser!””

Michio and Hinami shoved Dad’s hands off as if brushing away a bug.

“Both of you…”

“Don’t touch us, old man. Unlike you, our bodies are treasures of the Spirit Conductor world, got it?”

Their words were unbearable to hear. They continued to hurl insults at their own father, calling him “trash” and “useless,” their voices perfectly synchronized.

And then—

“Oh, great. We’re so unlucky. It’s not just Dad who’s garbage—Mom’s a joke too.”

“Seriously, though!”

They started mocking their mother next.

“We already know Mom’s genetics are garbage. After all, she gave birth to a freak like Kanata. Both of you are dragging down our brand.”

“Exactly! Dad’s a weakling, and that woman an airheaded annoyance. Honestly, we totally got unlucky in the parent lottery.”

“I’ll give her credit for giving us good looks, but beyond that? Trash. Absolute trash.”

This is too much…!

I couldn’t believe how cruel they were being. My suppressed presence faltered as I instinctively tried to step forward and say something.

But before I could—someone else beat me to it.

“…I see.”

Dad muttered in a flat, emotionless tone.

“You two…”

He fixed his gaze on Michio and Hinami, who were still laughing.

And then—

“Let’s cut ties, shall we?”

Smack! Smack!

Two sharp, dry sounds echoed in the air, drawing the attention of the people in the field.

“Ow!?”

“Wha—!?”

Both Michio and Hinami yelped. Their cheeks were bright red.

Dad had slapped them without hesitation.

“You… you bastard of a father! What do you think you’re doing!?”

“Father? Who are you talking to?”

“Wha—!?”

Dad’s voice was ice-cold as he stared at Michio, completely unfazed.

“A disgusting child like you… Don’t talk to me again.”

“What the hell are you saying?!”

“Shut your mouth, trash.”

“!”

—Dad was truly, completely furious.

“Ha… laughing after tearing down your classmates and mother like that. How dare you. To me, you’re the real monsters here.”

“H-Hah?! That’s what a parent says to their kids?! Weren’t you just going on about how it’s your fault for being a bad parent? If you’ve got complaints, blame yourself!”

Michio smirked, as if thinking Dad couldn’t possibly refute him.

But Dad’s gaze remained cold, like he was staring at something utterly revolting.

“Oh, I see. So you’re saying it’s bad parenting? …Then you’re admitting that you, as you are now, are the product of a lack of proper education—a lowlife raised poorly?”

“Uh, that’s…!”

“How pitiful. If your father was just being insulted, he’d still have faced you sincerely. But you… you insulted your mother.”

“W-What does that even—!”

“You mocked my woman, didn’t you?”

In that instant, a sharp smack rang out across the field, louder than before.

“Argh!!”

Michio was sent sprawling across the ground. His cheek, now even redder, made it clear he’d been slapped again.

…It happened so fast I could barely see it.

I knew Dad had been training again, but I didn’t realize he’d gotten this fast.

“You… you bastard!”

“Oh, sorry, young master. If it bothers you so much, go cry to your ‘ideal daddy.’”

“!!”

Michio was speechless.

Dad turned his cold gaze away from him and looked toward Hinami next.

Then, with a sigh, he broke eye contact entirely.

He was completely ignoring her.

“Alright, everyone. We’ve found Miss Sharo, so let’s go. I don’t see my children anywhere around here.”

“W-Wait, you old man! That attitude—I know what’s going on! You’ve been brainwashed by Kanata, haven’t you?!”

Hinami yelled after him, her voice desperate and bitter, like a sore loser.

“Aww, so sad~! Acting all high and mighty, but you’re just brainwashed! A puppet on strings!”

Hinami taunted with a mocking sneer.

Dad turned toward her slowly, his movements deliberate.

Hinami flinched for just a moment.

Then, with an icy, detached tone, Dad said,

“And if I am?”

“Huh… what?”

“If I’m brainwashed, what of it?”

His voice was calm, devoid of emotion, as he posed the question again.

“I believe I’ve grown as a person, thanks to someone as respectable as Mr. Maro. But if I really am brainwashed… what difference does it make?”

“W-What do you mean…?”

“I stand tall with pride now. I’ve learned to love a son who’s called a monster by the world. I’ve faced down noble families for his sake. And today, I’ve stood up and defended my wife.”

At those words, Dad locked eyes with Hinami, his gaze sharp as a blade.

—It was the gaze of a Reisoushi who had seen life-and-death battles.

Hinami froze, gasping audibly, “H-Hk…!”

“So, do you have a problem with me, you little brat?”

“I-I… I don’t… have a-anything to say…!”

Tears welled up in Hinami’s eyes as she stammered out her response.

Dad looked down at her for a few seconds, then turned his gaze away.

This time, he didn’t look back.

“…It’s painful. The fact that they ended up like this is entirely my fault. I can’t escape the weight of my regret.”

Once we were some distance away, Dad let out those quiet words.

His voice was calm, but it carried an even deeper sense of remorse than before, as if he wanted to strangle his past self for his failures.

But—

“That said, their behavior—mocking their classmates and mother—is the lowest, most despicable kind of filth. Kanata, make sure you never act like that.”

“Understood.”

I responded instantly.

—This second-round version of Dad is seriously terrifying…!

In that moment, I silently swore to myself: I will never, ever make him angry.

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[Tips]

The World of Reisoushi: 

A shadowy realm of greed and corruption.

Because they wield the extraordinary power of spiritual energy, Reisoushis often look down on ordinary people and constantly engage in underhanded power plays to secure superior bloodlines and greater fame.

Thanks to the rise of Ouma Shiranui, blatant illegal activity has decreased, but in this world, ancient systems like the Five Ranks of Inferiority still exist, allowing the legal purchase of slaves.

As a result, wealthy Reisoushis often flaunt their power by acquiring slaves, sometimes for personal pleasure, sometimes to show off beautiful ones as status symbols, or even to use them as bargaining chips in negotiations.

Anyone who says, “The Reisoushi world is full of harmony and friendship!” is either delusional or a con artist.

—That said, if a common enemy were to appear, perhaps things could change…?

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↓Your thoughts and feedback are welcome at any point—don’t hesitate to share!