Chapter 1

He wanted to say it with a voice that would resonate throughout the world.

"Everything is rotten. It's too late."

Pressing his adorable brows together, he sighed.

When he realized it, he was a toothless baby, babbling "aba aba." Rather, that was all he could say.

Listening to the gossip of the nurses and caretakers, it didn't take long for him to determine that he had been reincarnated into a different world.

His memories from his previous life had abruptly cut off on his way home from work.

Most likely, a pot from a nearby apartment, a piece of glass, or a suicide victim had fallen and hit him directly on the head.

He died at the age of 29, too early to drop out of life, but his reincarnation seemed to be into a noble family with a territory.

"Truly, you are the son of the Earl of Kleinzelt. Just like your father, your talent overflows from your body."

"What a beautiful baby. You must have inherited your mother's beauty, a beauty that surpasses all others."

Hearing these words, he thought his second life wouldn't be so bad. He was a pragmatic person.

The existence of magic also boosted his motivation. However, it seemed that mages were being persecuted by the church, and he had no opportunity to learn.

On the day he turned two, he had his first meeting with his parents in this life. His parents, who generally lived in the capital, returned to the territory twice a year, but until now, he had been unable to meet them due to fevers.

With his heart swelling with anticipation, he waited in the dining room where eight-legged chairs were lined up. The table was laden with fish dishes that he had grown accustomed to since weaning.

According to what he had heard, his father was a man of great talent and a robust physique, managing the territory brilliantly while handling political affairs in the capital. The portrait he found depicted a blonde, blue-eyed, incredibly handsome man.

His mother came from a prestigious noble family in the capital. Her beauty was so renowned that marriage proposals never ceased. Moreover, she was kind-hearted, virtuous, and highly trusted by the people. The portrait depicted a fair-skinned, brown-haired lady of the manor, whom one could easily fall in love with.

That's why he had been looking forward to it. He had directed his childhood admiration for a superhero towards his father and his admiration for the kindergarten teacher towards his mother, straightforwardly and sincerely.

"…but it was all in vain."

—What is this fat, bloated pig…?

He muttered quietly, staring at the fat nobleman in noble attire who entered the dining room. The man sat in the seat at the head of the table, and the chair creaked, making an unpleasant sound.

The chairs had eight legs to maintain balance even if one leg broke. He sent both praise and exasperation to the craftsmen who had put effort into such a trivial detail.

"My son. I am delighted to meet you. However, there is one thing I must say. You must show respect to the servants, for you were born into a noble family—"

He let the fat man's grumbling words wash over him and looked at the person next to the fat man. A woman, barely recognizable as such, sat in the chair.

She was heavily made up, as if she had just stepped out of a mirror with a pockmarked surface. It was like pouring water on a burnt stone. Makeup on this woman was like giving a coin to a cat.

"Sora! Are you listening!?"

"I am listening, Mother."

Sora, who was called by that name, replied with a bitter expression.

He had always wondered.

The strained faces of the servants who praised his parents, the maids who went into a panic when he was treated kindly, and even the doctor's exclamation of "A human was born from those two!?" when he saw him—all of these things he had pretended not to notice.

In short, the good reputation of his parents that he had heard was all a lie, and the servants were forced to praise them out of fear of punishment.

Now that he knew this, there was something he had to verify.

The state of the Kleinzelt territory, which he would inherit in the future.

After the meal with his parents, he sneaked into the lord's office and couldn't stop laughing maniacally.

Bribery, embezzlement, heavy taxes, the abduction of citizens using the lord's army, and their subsequent enslavement, and so on.

The inhumanity was beyond measure. The doctor's surprise was not entirely unfounded.

"There is almost no information about the territory. Get to work. There might be some in the capital, but the chances are slim."

Sora pressed his hand to his forehead and glared at the ceiling.

In other words, the meaning of the opening line was actually as follows:

"Everything is rotten. It's too late."

Revised on January 10.