Life in Vain: Jobless Reincarnation

Part 2

An explosion of colors filled the night sky. Crimson sparks tracing out a wolf. White lights forming a bunny. A snowflake shining with blue light. And countless more bursts of colors, looking like flowers in the sky.

Norn watched it with wide eyes, doing her best not to cry.

It was beautiful. Rudy didn't have to do it. All Norn said she wanted was something small. A little dinner with everyone and to have her Big Brother cook something. But instead, he did all of this.

Norn shook her head and then looked around.

The courtyard outside of Rudy's tower. Elaborate silver chairs and tables that looked like they were vines wrapped together. Floating golden lights drifting through the air and illuminating everything with their soft and warm glow.

Big Sister Eris and Big Sister Sylphy were sitting together at a table with Eos and Ena, happily talking while eating slices of cake and drinking wine. All of them were wearing fancy black dresses, making them look even prettier than usual.

Off to the side, Roland was sitting on top of a quilted blanket laid out over the grass. His usual silver armor was gone, replaced with a black suit and pants. Because of that, his face was visible, along with his bright green hair and pointed ears.

He looked a bit uncomfortable, especially when Nina and Isolte kept staring at him with starry eyes.

Mister Ruijerd was nearby though, also dressed in a suit. Whenever the girls made Roland a bit too uncomfortable, Ruijerd made sure to speak up and rein them back.

And as for the rest of the guests at Norn's party...

"Rika still doesn't understand why you wanted to do all of this, Rudy." Rika adjusted her glasses and then smoothed her black dress. "A regular birthday celebration would be fine."

Rudy adjusted the black tie around his white suit and said, "It would be 'fine' but not 'great.' And it has to be great considering all the birthdays I missed already."

Cliff adjusted his cuff links on his black suit and then nodded. Looking at Rudy, he smiled and said, "As expected of Father-in-law. It's only natural that you would create such an elaborate birthday celebration for your dear sister."

"Again, just call me Rudy."

"And once more, I could never, Father-in-law."

Rudy let out a strained smile.

"Wao!" Fai hugged a slice of cake on the table, covering herself in white cream. She licked her arms and then said, "This is so tasty!"

Kishirika stuffed a chunk of cake in her mouth and nodded. "Mmhm! Super!" She chugged down a cup of juice and then let out a burp. "Tasty! Super tasty!"

Rika looked over and narrowed her eyes.

Kishirika flinched and hugged a plate filled with colorful pastries to her chest. "W-What? This One is not sharing!"

Rika let out a deep sigh. "Rika is beginning to wonder if we're even the same person..."

Kishirika puffed her cheeks out and said, "This One thinks the same!" She pointed at Rika and said, "You are far too serious! What kind of Great Empress are you to be so strict?!"

"One who lost everything."

Kishirika flinched again.

Off on the side of the table, Wyn yawned and flew over to lay down on a plate of jello. "You have fun eating. I'm going to sleep..."

Wata looked at her and sighed. "Wyn. That's food, not a bed."

Wyn rolled over and started sinking a bit into the jello. "Only because you're too big, Wata. This is perfect... zzz..."

Wata shook his head and then flew over to Norn, giving her an apologetic look. "I'm sorry about them, Miss Norn."

Stella looked up from her place sitting on Norn's lap and nodded. "Yeah. Ignore them Nee-cha. Fai and Wyn are silly."

Norn smiled and patted Stella's head. "I don't mind, Stella. They're funny."

Fai stuck her tiny fist up and said, "Yay! I'm funny!"

Rudy stared at her and frowned. "...Yeah. You're funny alright. And you remind me of a famous fairy..."

Stella looked over and said, "Ooh! Nabi?"

Rudy paused and then stared at Stella.

Stella blinked and then started sweating.

Norn frowned. "Stella? Is something wrong?"

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

"Imouto. Nihonjin desu ka?"

Stella giggled. But it was a nervous giggle.

Norn's frown deepened and she looked up at Rudy. "Big Brother... Did you teach Stella a secret language?"

"...I thought I did. But..." He tilted his head and said, "I guess she's a 'natural.' Aren't you, Stella?"

"Heehee...?"

Rudy shook his head and looked at Norn. "Anyway, are you having fun, Norn?" He shifted his gaze over to the pile of gifts next to her and said, "I wanted to give you a bit more, but since we might be heading off in the near future I didn't want to make too many."

Norn shook her head and smiled. "It's fine, Big Brother. Besides, Aisha will be jealous if you give me too much."

Rudy froze. "Right. I've gotta plan a party for Aisha too." He ran his hand through his white hair and muttered, "But I already made a party this big. It won't be fair if I don't do at least the same for her. But if I do the exact same, it'll seem like I'm just copying..." He paused and then looked at Stella.

Stella blinked and said, "What, Nii-cha?"

"You're fine with just a normal cake and food right?"

"I don't care about parties. But I want magic spells for gifts!"

Rudy nodded. "That's fair. But since you're such a 'genius,' you're promoted to looking over my work."

"E-Eh?"

Rudy stared at Stella with a dark gleam in his eyes and said, "Someone's got to take over this kingdom. And I'm sure a genius like you can handle it, right?"

Stella started to sweat some more.

Norn frowned and then hugged Stella close. "Stop scaring Stella, Big Brother."

Rudy laughed and went back to his carefree self. "Just kidding. I wouldn't wish this hell onto anyone but Dad. Except this place would instantly fall apart, so I wouldn't do that either."

Kishirika nodded. "Paul Greyrat is a fool."

Rika frowned. "He is no fool. He just... would not be fit to run a kingdom."

Norn nodded too and said, "Yes. Papa means well, but even as the head of the Notos family, he's..."

*Remember, Norn. Asuran Nobles are scum, so don't be afraid to kick them around when you meet them.*

*You see your Uncle Pilemon? Don't be like him. Scheming and plotting all the time while acting like a coward is pathetic. Be more like your Uncle Philip. Ah, but don't be as crazy as him and run around fighting people unarmed just to show off.*

*Might makes right. That's the rule that stupid people live by. Smart people don't do that, but Papa's not smart so he has to do this. Be better, okay? Like your big brother Rudy.*

*People aren't going to work? Alright. Stay here and be good, Norn. Papa's going to go crack a few heads.*

"...Um. Papa means well?"

Rudy stared at Norn.

Norn stared back and laughed.

Rudy sighed. "...Well. We can talk about Dad later. For now." He smiled and placed his hand on Norn's head. "It's a bit late, but... Happy birthday, Norn."

Norn's eyes watered and she nodded. "Yes! Thank you, Big Brother!"

-NNG-

Part 3

Norn's birthday celebration went deep into the night. Good food, fun stories, and having a great time.

Except for Sylphy.

A few hours in, she started crying while continually pouring herself more wine even while Eris tried to get her to stop.

Eventually, Rudy went over to calm her down... only for her to cry harder and say that she's sorry she changed so much and that she just wanted to spend what little time she had left with him.

Norn didn't understand it, but after that, Big Brother Rudy said good night to Norn and Stella before taking Big Sister Sylphy into the tower with Rika following after him.

But other than that, nothing else happened during the party. Just fun times.

And those fun times continued after the party as well.

Norn became good friends with Nina and Isolte, talking with both about sword fighting and sharing stories.

Stella started following Norn around, paying close attention and chiming in every now and then.

Big Sister Eris and Big Sister Sylphy occasionally came by to help out or watch...

In short, simple and peaceful days where Norn had fun playing with friends, spending time with family, and practicing her sword fighting.

And then, in what seemed like the blink of an eye, a year had passed. Not only that, but it was time to leave Arcadia.

Windport city, rebuilt after the Distortion and with a direct road linking it to Arcadia.

Standing at the docks, Norn set down a box with all of her belongings and then turned back to look around.

A bustling marketplace. Adventurers wandering around while members of the White Knights patrolled. Not only that, but even a few of Demon Lord Atofe's knights were patrolling as well, standing out with their pitch black armor.

"...I can't believe we're leaving." Norn shifted her gaze to stare at the black tower still looming in the distance. The place she called her home for a whole year.

"Believe it, Nee-chan." Stella walked over to Norn's side, adjusting a small backpack. "We have a lot of things to do."

Norn looked over to examine her baby sister.

Stella had grown up a bit. Enough to walk around on her own. Of course, she was also never really alone.

Wata hovered beside Stella and nodded. "We can't play forever."

Fai walked alongside Stella, now the same size and wearing a flowing white robe. Adjusting her red hair, Fai grinned and said, "Yep! We've gotta help find Stella's Mommies!"

Wyn yawned, still small and sleeping on Norn's head. "Okay... Wake me up when you need me..."

Wata frowned and said, "Why do you sleep so much anyway, Wyn?"

"Because I'm strong... Woohoo..." Wyn waved a tired hand around in the air and then went back to sleep.

Stella shook her head and then looked at Norn. "I'm going first, Nee-chan."

Norn smiled and patted Stella's head. "Be careful on your way up and don't trip, okay?"

"I'm not clumsy! Hmph." Stella turned her head away and started running up the ramp to the ship. "Let's go, Wat- Wah!"

Stella's foot slipped, sending her tipping forward. But before she hit the ground, a green wind pulled her back.

Wyn yawned and said, "Be careful, Stella."

Stella blushed and looked back at Norn.

Norn smiled.

"H-Hmph!" Stella turned her head away and continued up the ramp. This time though, she made sure to take her time.

Fai giggled and said, "You should be more careful, Ste- Wah?!"

A splash. Fai falling into the water below.

Stella laughed and said, "Serves you right, Fai!"

Norn shook her head at her baby sister's antics and then moved to pick up her box.

The others were already on the ship, so Big Brother would be arriving any minute.

Norn took one last look at Arcadia in the distance, memorizing it the best that she could. And then she turned around and started walking towards the ramp. But before she took a few steps, a voice called out.

"Wait! Norn!"

"You can't seriously be running off by yourself without saying goodbye!"

Norn turned around to see two girls running towards her.

The first was a black-haired girl wearing a suit of silver armor. The trainee outfit for the White Knights.

The second was a girl with flowing blue hair and darker skin. Unlike the first girl, she just wore a black coat.

Isolte and Nina.

Norn smiled and walked over. "I thought you two were adventuring?"

Isolte hugged Norn and said, "We were! But Master said you were leaving so we ran all the way here!"

Nina stepped forward like she was going to hug Norn too. But she stopped at the last second and crossed her arms. "Y-Yeah! I can't let my rival leave without seeing her off!"

Norn laughed and then hugged Nina. "Thanks, Nina!"

Nina blushed and then awkwardly hugged Norn back.

After that, Norn stepped back and looked towards the man who brought the girls there.

He was a bit different from the first time Norn saw him.

Although he still wore the traditional Supard clothing, a cloth vest with colorful patterns and matching pants, Ruijerd's appearance was different. His hair had grown out long, reaching to his shoulders. To keep it out of the way, he used a small leather strap to tie it in a short ponytail. While the scar on his face was still scary, his face itself was relaxed these days, giving him a reliable big brother feeling.

Norn smiled and said, "Thank you for bringing them to see me, Mister Ruijerd."

Ruijerd smiled back and said, "Although it's not a true farewell, it would be sad to have a friend leave without saying goodbye, wouldn't it?"

Nina bristled and said, "I wouldn't be sad!"

Isolte giggled and said, "It's better to be honest, Nina."

"But I wouldn't! I don't even miss my Dad!"

"Then why do you cry in your sleep all the time?"

"Uuu..."

Norn laughed.

Nina glared at her and said, "W-What's so funny, huh?"

"Nothing."

Nina pointed at Norn and said, "W-Well... You'd better keep training! I'm going to go into a lot of dungeons with Isolte and become super strong! We're both daughters of a Sword God, so it's going to be serious! When we grow up, we're going to spar! The loser become the other person's lackey forever!"

Norn smiled. "Okay. It'll be fun hearing you call me Boss, Nina."

Nina huffed. "Just you wait! I'm going to get training from Atofe too!"

Ruijerd chuckled and placed his hand on Nina's head. "That's enough, Nina. You should see your friend off with kindness, not anger."

"...Hmph." Nina turned to Norn and then waved. "...I'll see you later. But remember! We're sparring when you come back!"

At that time, a calm and suave voice echoed. "I don't think we will be long enough for the result to be any different. But train hard, Nina."

Rudy stepped out from thin air, standing next to Norn.

His outfit was the same as ever, wearing his usual white coat and pants. But he looked a bit different now. His face was a bit sharper, and his mismatched eyes were different too, one gold and the other a paler gold instead of the green and white they had been before. Not only that, but the air around him felt different.

Norn wasn't sure exactly what it was, but she felt that her Big Brother was more... reliable? Mature? He was already mature, but she thought that Rudy was more mature than he was.

Kind of like Papa was when he was being serious, except all the time instead of the like three times Papa had been serious in the past.

"Kyah!" Nina flinched and pointed at Rudy. "Are you a ghost?! How did you do that?!"

Rudy chuckled and said, "Not quite. And magic, of course."

"Don't be cheeky with-"

Isolte cleared her throat. "Nina. That's Lord Rudras, remember."

Nina froze and quickly bowed her head. "My apologies."

Rudy let out a faint smile. "All is forgiven." After that, he looked towards Ruijerd and said, "I'll leave this place in your hands, Ruijerd. Rika will help out, but I'm trusting you to deal with Distortions and other threats since Roland's coming with us."

"Eh?" Norn looked over at Rudy and said, "Mister Roland's coming too?"

"He's your nephew, so yes."

Norn blinked.

Right. She forgot about that.

Miss Ena, Miss Eos, Mister Roland... all of them were Rudy's kids.

Meaning that Norn was their auntie.

...It was weird. But time was already weird with the Distortions, so... Norn would just have to get used to it?

"Anyway." Rudy shifted his attention back to Ruijerd and said, "I checked out the warp point that Eri mentioned, but it broke down on their arrival so it won't work. Rika and I figured out magic doors though, so once I get a base over in Milis, I'll start hooking things up so we can move back and forth."

Ruijerd nodded. "I'm looking forward to it, Lord Rudras."

Rudy placed a hand on Norn's shoulder and said, "Alright. Then... Are you ready to head off, Norn?"

Norn looked up at him. After that, she stared at Arcadia in the distance and said, "...This won't be forever, will it?"

Rudy laughed. "Of course not." He paused and then muttered, "If it is, I've got a feeling Rika will run after me with a forged marriage license."

Norn giggled and said, "Big Sis Rika does seem like she would do that."

"Right?"

Norn paused and tilted her head. "...But why don't you marry her? She's nice and she likes you, just like Big Sis Eris and Big Sis Sylphy."

"That's because your big brother isn't like our dad who would have had four different wives by now if Mom hadn't put her foot down with Mama Lily."

Norn thought about her father. Then she thought about how he didn't cheat on Mom or Mama Lily, but always 'looked respectfully' at beautiful women.

"...I understand."

Rudy patted Norn's head. "Good. Then... Let's get going." He waved his hand and started floating towards the ship along with Norn and her box.

"Bye, Norn!" Isolte waved and said, "We'll see you soon!"

Nina waved as well and said, "I'll work hard to beat you!"

Norn smiled and waved back. "Bye Isolte! And keep dreaming, Nina!"

"You...!"

Norn laughed and then turned around.

Rudy looked over at Norn and said, "Are you sure you don't want to stay? We won't be gone too long."

Norn shook her head. "No. I'm going with Big Brother. You disappeared once, so I won't let it happen again."

"I think I'm the one saying it won't happen again... But I appreciate it, Norn."

"Mmhm! Besides, if I don't come, you're just going to spoil Stella."

"Totally wouldn't."

"Big Brother's a bad liar. Your eye twitches when you tell one."

"It doesn't. ...Does it?"

Norn landed on the ship and laughed. "Maybe, maybe not?"

Rudy landed as well and then ruffled her hair. "You little rascal. Where did my cute baby sister go?"

"Well, since Aisha's not here, I have to make sure to keep an eye on Big Brother. Especially since Stella does whatever you say."

"That's because I have blackmail material on her."

"And that's why I'm here."

Rudy chuckled and then looked around.

Norn did as well.

A massive ship, made of a pretty dark brown wood and with golden decorations everywhere.

"Mm." Rudy frowned and said, "Would've preferred the all black steel, but it's probably better if the church doesn't think I'm there to conquer the world."

"I think it would be better off if you did though, Big Brother?"

"...You and Stella have been chatting, haven't you?"

"Maybe~?"

"Don't tempt fate. It's in a really weird place recently." After saying that, Rudy snapped his fingers, causing the ramp connecting the boat to the dock to slide off. At the same time, the anchor holding the boat down flew back up, landing on the deck.

Norn looked around and then realized something important. "Um... Big Brother?"

"Yes, Norn?"

"How is the ship going to move?"

Rudy laughed and then put on a confident smile. "Did you forget, Norn?" He snapped his fingers again, causing the ship to turn and start moving even without any wind in its sails. "Your Big Brother is a god among men (by necessity) and a Demon Lord (by occupation). Now... To Milis! And to troll Dad to make up for all the years he trolled me!"

-PNG-

Paul shivered and looked out the window of the cafe he was sitting in.

Pierre slipped his mask back on after sipping a cup of coffee and said, "Is something wrong, Paul?"

Paul rubbed the back of his neck and stared out at the horizon. "...No. But I have a feeling I'm going to put my foot in my mouth again in the near future."

Rostelina walked over and set down a plate of pancakes in front of Paul. After that, she giggled and said, "Maybe another young pretty girl is going to come up to you and try to call you 'Daddy?'"

"*Please* don't remind me." Paul groaned and rubbed his face. "It was awkward enough with mistaking Tristina for Norn the other day."

Pierre sipped on his coffee and said, "Maybe pay more attention instead of just focusing on the fact that she has blonde hair, green eyes, and big boobs?"

"Well, I didn't feel anything from her, so I thought she was related. That's usually how it goes, you know?"

"Mmhm- Wait. What do you mean 'usually?' That's how it's *always* supposed to go."

"Ah, well... I heard some stories about uncles and great uncles who liked their sisters and mothers and-"

"*Please* stop talking."

"Right. Shutting up."

Pierre sighed. "Rudy can't get here soon enough..."