Jobless Reincarnation: The King with a Mental Problem

Winter isn't over yet.

The snow has stopped, but the road surface is frozen solid.

Mambo's hooves stomped on it, making a crisp "click-clack" sound, like striking a frozen drum.

The king and the witch embarked on their journey home ahead of schedule.

The king was held in the witch's arms, acting as a dutiful hot water bottle.

"That's great," Loki rested her chin on the king's head, her voice languid, "You have so much magic power, you didn't even pant the whole way with the heater on."

"I practiced magic before I could even walk, all through sweat and hard work."

He gently tapped the king's head with his chin.

...Is it jealousy?

"Sigh." Luo Qixi sighed, her breath brushing against Wang's crown of hair. "Why couldn't I have grown a little more?"

I'm not sure what she's referring to. Magic? Height? Or something else?

Take a gamble!

"The witch is already very beautiful."

A fist replaced a chin and fell.

You made the wrong bet.

The city gates of Roya came into view on the afternoon of the third day.

The snow on the city wall had not yet melted, like a white border lining the gray stones.

When they entered the city, Luo Qixi finally dismounted, probably because she was somewhat embarrassed to be seen "riding a horse while holding a child" in the city.

Wang did not comment on this.

"Let's go to the guild to pick up the packages first." Luo Qixi rubbed her hands together and exhaled a puff of white breath. "Those cloaks should be ready by now."

"Yes. My witch should naturally have clothes befitting her status."

Wang crossed his arms and nodded.

"I plan to go to the market later to bring some small gifts for the orphanage and visit Emily while I'm there."

Emily? You probably won't see Emily at the orphanage, right?

"She's probably too busy to go back to the orphanage right now. If you want to know anything about her, you should ask Philip."

Luo Qixi glanced at me sideways.

"I already said I was just dropping by to see Emily, and the main thing was to bring gifts for the orphanage."

"I see..."

I don't like going to those kinds of places...

The guild hall was much livelier than in Lunda City. The notice board was covered with new commissions, and several adventurers sat around the fireplace drinking and boasting, the air filled with the smells of ale and old leather.

Luo Qixi returned from the counter, carrying a bulging package in her arms. She found an empty table and spread the package out.

The cloak was folded neatly. The lining was well-tanned, gleaming with a silvery-gray sheen in the dim indoor light, and felt smooth and cool to the touch, like some kind of sleeping creature.

"The workmanship is quite good." Luo Qixi examined the stitches. "The labor fee wasn't much; we used some leftover material to cover it. Even so, there's still quite a bit left over. It'll be enough to make a new one for each of you when you grow up. That tailor probably has never seen such a large dragon wing membrane before."

"That's right," the king said. "He should take good care of what belongs to me. Otherwise, he would be deceiving the king."

Luo Qixi didn't respond...

She unfolded the topmost cloak—a silver-gray base with black trim, fine stitching, and a small, inconspicuous brass button at the hem.

"Put it on now," said the king. "Let me see the witch's beauty."

Loki took off her old camel-colored cloak and draped it over the back of the chair. The new cloak fell over her shoulders, its silver-gray color making her blue hair appear a shade darker, like the sea on a cloudy day. The brass buttons clicked lightly against the collar.

She stood there, her new cloak not yet fully fitted, the collar slightly upturned.

Wang looked at her for a while.

"Light colors really suit my witch."

Luo Qixi's hand stopped at her collar.

She lowered her head, her fingers pinching the brass clasp, and turned it.

"...You're here again." Her voice was a beat softer than before. "In public, aren't you ashamed?"

The tips of her ears were red.

Wang felt a sense of satisfaction—Luo Qixi had rarely shown such an expression in a long time.

She got used to those nonsense things like "Lord of Shadows" and "Forbidden Witch," and her response changed from blushing to sighing, from sighing to ignoring, and from ignoring to casually chiming in.

Wang thought he would never have the chance to see it again.

"The king rejoiced over the beautiful witch."

"Don't do that! It's so embarrassing!"

The blushing witch, clutching the package in one hand and carrying the king in the other, fled from everyone's sight.

Wang was lifted into the air, his legs dangling.

"Witch Sister".

"explain."

"Your clothes are all black and white, so why is your old cloak light yellow?"

Luo Qixi paused for a moment.

"...because this was the only small-sized cloak left in the store." Her voice was muffled. "Small cloaks don't sell well, so we gave it a 30% discount."

What a genuine answer...

"That old one belongs to me."

"You can't fit into them anyway."

"Hilufi has a dragonskin cloak, and my third brother also has a dragonskin cloak. It's not right for me to have nothing."

Luo Qixi turned her head and glanced at me.

"...Okay," she said. "Anyway, this one suits me better."

Actually, he just wanted to sleep under Luo Qixi's cloak.

"Next, we'll go to Boreas's house."

"You go ahead, I'll go buy gifts for the children at the orphanage. I always feel uncomfortable chatting with nobles."

"Okay." I'm not one to force people. "I'll come find you at the orphanage after I'm done talking."

They parted ways at the guild gate. Loki, carrying her bundle, walked towards the market, her new greyish-white cloak gleaming softly in the winter sun.

The new cloak definitely suits her better.

The white color made her look cleaner and brighter, like a piece of freshly fallen snow. When the wind blew, her silver-gray cloak fluttered slightly, like an angel descended to earth.

After bidding farewell to the witch, the king arrived at the gate of the Boreas family mansion.

This time, I was invited in respectfully, without having to knock on the door.

"Oh! Lord Philip!"

Wang raised one hand to greet the squinty-eyed Philip.

"Yo! Lord of Shadows!"

Philip also greeted me.

"However, the way nobles greet each other is not like this. They step back with their left foot, draw a half circle with their right hand, and bow their heads slightly."

As he spoke, Mr. Squinty Eyes demonstrated it to Wang.

The movements were clean and graceful, with an unintentional charm.

So this is ah.

Wang looked at it and remembered it.

But we can't lose our momentum.

"Of course I know that, but aren't we friends?"

Wang lied without batting an eye.

Philip paused for a moment.

Then he laughed.

It wasn't the polite smile that lingered on the corners of his mouth. It was a smile with his eyes narrowed and his shoulders twitching slightly, the kind where he was genuinely amused.

Just then, a fist the size of a sandbag slammed into Mr. Squinty Eyes' head, sending Philip flying and rolling a great distance...

"Philip!!!" A thunderous voice echoed throughout the room, "Where is your dignity as a nobleman?!"

A loud-voiced, violent man suddenly appeared, beat up Philip, and went straight to sit down in the head seat.

"Uncle, we were just greeting each other as family and relatives."

The uncle's gaze fell on Wang, and he looked him up and down.

"Oh? You must be Paul's adopted son. I remember you. I didn't expect you to grow up to be just as rude as Paul."

Wang also remembered this uncle.

A long time ago—actually not that long ago, when I was still a baby.

When Paul brought me here as an infant and Senis as a pregnant woman, he hoped that Philip could help him out and give him a job.

Philip's initial expression suggested he was unwilling to help.

The older man helped take Paul in, and then Philip gave Paul the job of a knight-errant in the village.

I've forgotten what her name was...

She was a typical person with a sharp tongue but a soft heart. It seems she died in the political struggles following the magical disaster.

I will definitely save your life when I have the time.

His two super long mustaches are just too... exquisite.

Is this the peculiar fashion of the aristocracy?

Over there in the corner, Philip had already gotten up on his own.

He dusted off his clothes, put on his squinty expression again, and casually walked back to sit down opposite Wang.

Their movements were so practiced it was heartbreaking.

"Trevor," Philip cleared his throat, his voice returning to its steady, businesslike tone, "this is Lord Shoros Boreas Grerat, the current Lord of Fituia, and also my father."

"Last time you came suddenly at night, and then left without saying much. Is there something you need this time?"

"I was truly rude before, please forgive the child's ignorance," Wang said, adopting the thick skin of a child. "This time, I intend to discuss a business deal with Lord Philip, and I also wish to learn some swordsmanship from Girenau."

"A little kid who slaughtered all the Burns family heirs?" His voice suddenly rose again. "Are you trying to fool me?!"

"There's nothing we can do. Those Burns were planning to kill us to silence us." The king took a sip of tea without changing his expression. "As for making money, I'd love to be born a rich young master, but unfortunately, my father is a disappointment. He gave up being a proper nobleman and went off to become some kind of unemployed adventurer."

Wang sighed and put down his teacup.

"As the eldest brother, I'm like a father. My father is an idiot, so it's up to me to take on the responsibility, earn more money, and make sure the family lives a more stable life."

"Hmph!" The arrogant middle-aged man crossed his arms. "You're much smoother-talking than that Paul guy. How do you plan to make money?"

Wang shared his business ideas with Lord Shaoluos, the lord of Fituia, and Mayor Philip of Roya.

The two adults were surprised when they heard that the price was 10 times higher than the cost.

"Is 10 times still too much? Let's make it cheaper then, you can decide the price..."

Wang's speech was interrupted by the uncle's maniacal laughter before he could finish.

The laughter was so loud it shook the chandelier. After a while, the uncle finally caught his breath.

Philip finally started to help explain.

"Ten times is too cheap. Do you think the nobles in the capital are commoners? They don't care about cost-effectiveness. If it's too cheap, they won't use it."

"That's right, nobles have their dignity! But... interesting! You're much better than that bastard Paul! Philip, this matter is yours to handle. Give this kid thirty percent of the profits, and put the rest into the estate's treasury."

I picked up my teacup, lowered my head, and took a sip.

……really.

The most expensive nobleman I've ever seen in my life is the one standing right in front of me.

"However," the king continued, "please name the developer after my teacher—Lokishi Migrudia. Also, please keep my connection to this matter a secret."

Shaoluos narrowed his eyes.

His gaze lingered on Wang's face for a moment, as if confirming something.

"Hmm? You're so young and you already know that being too flashy isn't a good thing?"

"That's certainly one aspect; the Shadow Lord naturally needs to hide in the shadows. Another aspect is to get revenge on Paul."

Wang lowered his body and once again assumed the posture of Commander Ikari.

"Since I was a child, I've always hoped that one day my father would suddenly say that all these years have been a test, and that there is actually a large fortune waiting to be inherited. Later, when I learned some of the truth, I was really... not happy about it."

Wang raised his head and met the uncle's gaze.

"So please keep this a secret for me. In a few years, he'll definitely give me a few more younger brothers and sisters. It'll be quite amusing to see him struggling to pay for magic university tuition."

Shaoluosi laughed.

The sound rolled out from his chest, rough, loud, with a slight cough as if he couldn't breathe. The crystal pendants on the chandelier jingled and rattled, Philip's shoulders trembled, and laughter is contagious; even the king couldn't help himself.

"Hahahahaha—" x3

Happy smiles echoed over the Boreas family mansion.