They walked across the vast plains.
Endless grasslands stretched in every direction. A breeze swept through, making waves ripple across the grass like a green ocean. The view was unexpectedly pleasant, and even Spider swayed her head from side to side in enjoyment.
Just then, the sound of wheels rolling came from behind them.
Ash turned around and saw a carriage slowly approaching.
The carriage itself wasn't extravagant, but the carriage cabin was unexpectedly refined. Its owner was clearly either rich or noble.
Four mounted guards accompanied it. They wore polished armor and watched their surroundings with serious expressions.
'Huh? A noble? But really~ why is it that even after coming to a fantasy world, nobles still use horses to pull carriages? Wouldn't monsters be more convenient? This is way too ordinary. It doesn't feel magical at all.'
Spider, who had been lying on Ash's back because she couldn't be bothered walking, glanced back after hearing the noise.
She immediately started waving her scythe-like forelegs around as if she were upset with someone, chirping nonstop.
"Don't eat people."
Feeling the change in Spider's mood, Ash quietly warned her.
But Spider was worried about something else.
'Should I hide? It wouldn't be good if they saw me.'
"Perfect. I'm too lazy to walk, and flying would attract too much attention... let's hitch a ride."
Although he knew communicating with Spider was impossible, after spending so much time together, both of them had grown used to talking to themselves.
Without any hesitation, Ash walked toward the carriage.
The mounted guards didn't pay much attention at first when they saw only a young man.
But when their eyes landed on Spider lying on Ash's back, they instantly became tense.
They gripped their weapons tightly, their eyes full of caution.
Even the warhorses sensed their riders' nervousness and pawed uneasily at the ground.
The driver was a blue-haired middle-aged man who looked like a butler.
Seeing Ash approach, he immediately stood up and shouted angrily, "Who are you? What do you want?"
"I want a ride."
Ash calmly stated his purpose.
The butler rejected him without a second thought.
"Move aside! This is the lord's carriage!"
"Sorry, but I'm not really asking for your opinion."
Ash smiled helplessly and shook his head.
Then he continued walking toward the carriage as though nothing had happened.
Seeing this, the butler hurriedly shouted, "Protect the lord and—"
"Shut up. Move."
Before he could finish speaking, a flash passed through Ash's eyes.
His gaze seemed to contain a powerful magical force.
Everyone was controlled by mental magic without any resistance.
The guards who had been preparing to rush forward, along with their horses, all stopped moving.
Even the butler seemed to lose awareness, mechanically sitting back down in his seat with empty eyes.
"W-What happened?"
A frightened voice came from inside the carriage.
The lord's trembling hands carefully pushed the curtain aside as he peeked out.
Ignoring his fear, Ash silently opened the carriage door and stepped inside.
That only made the lord panic more.
He immediately pulled his wife and daughter behind him and shouted with forced courage, "Y-You... what do you want? What happened to them?"
His voice shook with fear. His eyes were filled with concern for his family and fear of the unknown.
"Don't worry. I don't mean any harm. I only controlled their minds temporarily. They'll return to normal after a while."
Ash casually sat down on one of the carriage seats.
Looking at the frightened family of three across from him, he waved his hand indifferently.
"As I said before, I just didn't feel like walking and wanted a ride. You don't need to pay attention to me. After all, I'm not a bad person."
"Then... who are you?"
The lord forced himself to ask.
His eyes never left Ash, as if he were watching a dangerous beast that could pounce at any moment.
"A traveler passing through," Ash's answer was brief.
He had never liked wasting time explaining things, which was why he had chosen mental magic in the first place.
"You really don't have any other intentions?"
The lord still wasn't convinced.
He couldn't easily trust a stranger who had suddenly entered his carriage and could control minds.
"If I had other intentions, wouldn't I just do them directly? Or do you think you could stop me?"
Ash sounded completely straightforward, but there was an unquestionable dominance in his tone.
His calm gaze rested on the lord as though he were looking at someone unimportant.
Oddly enough, that blunt and overbearing attitude reassured the family a little.
They cautiously sat down across from him.
Their eyes occasionally drifted toward Spider, whom Ash had placed beside him.
Especially the noblewoman.
Although she looked afraid, her eyes were filled with curiosity.
She kept staring at Spider and eventually couldn't help asking,
"I-Is this spider... your familiar?"
"More or less."
Ash glanced at Spider before answering.
"She's really cute..."
The noblewoman smiled.
There was obvious fondness in her eyes.
"Cute? Your taste needs work."
Ash mocked lightly and looked down.
Only to find Spider staring fixedly at the baby.
That focused gaze left him somewhat helpless.
He reached out and pressed a hand onto Spider's head.
"I told you already. No eating people. Don't tell me you've been staring because the baby's meat looks tender."
After saying that, Ash's own gaze unconsciously shifted toward the baby.
The moment he looked closely, he frowned.
The baby had silver hair and crimson eyes.
But that wasn't the important part.
With a single glance, Ash sharply noticed that the baby's soul was clearly abnormal.
Or rather, her soul was much stronger than an ordinary human's in this world.
Although it hadn't reached the level of humans from his original world, within this world she would definitely be considered exceptionally gifted.
Out of curiosity, Ash subconsciously used Appraisal.
The result genuinely startled him.
[Race: Human·Vampire, Level 1, Name: Sophia Keren (Negishi Shouko)]
Ash stared at the appraisal result in disbelief.
'What kind of joke is this?'
'Human? Vampire?'
'Why are there two races?'
'And two names too?'
'Negishi Shouko?'
'That's a Japanese name, isn't it?'
He thought to himself as his brow furrowed even more.
He continued reading.
The more he looked, the more unbelievable it became.
Not only did this child possess the titles [Vampire] and [True Ancestor], she also had a staggering 75,000 skill points.
Everything about her was far beyond what an ordinary baby should have.
It even exceeded the common sense of this world.
Yet after appraising her parents, he discovered they were both pure humans.
After a brief storm of thoughts, he could think of only one possibility.
A reincarnator from another world.
Well, he was reincarnated too, but...
"Why am I an orphan with living parents, while this girl gets to be a noble's daughter..."
He unconsciously muttered in the common language of his original world.
Then he vigorously shook his head to clear away those thoughts.
Suddenly thinking of something interesting, he smiled and extended a hand toward the noblewoman.
"This kid is pretty cute. How about I let you hold my spider, and you let me hold your daughter?"
"Huh?"
The noblewoman was completely caught off guard.
Her eyes were full of confusion.
"Ah, right, that came out wrong. Ahem! What I meant is, I actually like children. Would it be okay if I held your daughter for a bit?"
Realizing what he had just said sounded inappropriate, Ash quickly corrected himself with a smile.
His expression looked completely harmless, like a young man who simply liked children.
Even so, the noblewoman remained uneasy around this mysterious and powerful stranger.
She instinctively looked toward her husband.
The lord was equally troubled.
He knew how strong the boy before him was.
There was no way they could resist.
To avoid angering him, he could only grit his teeth and nod helplessly.
Seeing her husband's approval, the noblewoman hesitated but eventually handed the baby over.
"Oh my, this little one is really adorable~"
Ash accepted the baby and pretended to be someone who genuinely loved children, carefully cradling her in his arms.
Then, like many adults would, he lowered his head and kissed her soft cheek.
Sophia felt uncomfortable from the sudden kiss.
Her face scrunched up, her mouth twisted, and she looked ready to cry.
But at that moment, Ash whispered into her ear, "Who are you fooling? You're a reincarnator, aren't you? Why keep acting like a baby?"
"?"
'How is this possible?'
'This monster can tell I'm a reincarnator?'
'No one has ever noticed before!'
Sophia froze.
The crying she had been about to start vanished instantly.
Her wine-red eyes opened wide as she stared at him in shock and fear.
Seeing that expression on a baby's face was surprisingly entertaining.
A slight smile appeared on Ash's lips.
With amusement in his eyes, he continued whispering, "I think it'd be best if you act like you like me. Otherwise... you wouldn't want your parents finding out that you're actually a reincarnator pretending to be a baby, right?"
"W-Wa... ha... haha~"
'What exactly does this devil want?'
Although Sophia was full of fear and helplessness, she didn't dare disobey.
She was forced to open her little mouth, revealing two cute fangs.
Then she put on a professional smile.
She babbled incoherent baby sounds, even reaching out with both hands to grab Ash's collar, trying her best to act as though she really liked him.
Like an innocent baby seeking affection from an adult.
This cooperative behavior pleased Ash.
Pinching her cheek, he happily said, "Oh my, looks like children really do like me. Madam, sir, your daughter is wonderful."
"That's amazing... Sophia actually likes a stranger this much..."
The beautiful woman, who had a tear-shaped beauty mark beneath her eye just like her daughter, covered her mouth in surprise.
Watching Sophia interact with Ash, the worry in her eyes gradually faded and was replaced by relief.
Seeing this, the lord also began to think that Ash genuinely liked children.
His tension eased slightly, "That's because I'm a good person. Children with strong instincts naturally sense the sunny aura I give off."
Ash smiled while gently stroking the baby's face.
He really did look somewhat like a cheerful young man.
'Sunny aura?'
'What nonsense is this guy talking about?'
'It's obviously a dark and scheming aura, isn't it?'
'I can't believe someone would threaten a baby!'
Sophia couldn't help complaining internally.
She genuinely wanted to roll her eyes.
But she didn't dare show it.
All she could do was continue pretending to like Ash and hold onto the hand he offered.
Being liked by a child to the point of practically being fawned over put Ash in an excellent mood.
He couldn't resist teasing her.
"Good girl, good girl~ Such a good child~"
His voice was full of affection, as if he were genuinely enjoying playing with a child.
'Do babies really act like this?'
'Am I being treated as a pet?'
Looking at Ash's delighted expression, Sophia's actual feelings were extremely complicated.
On one hand, she felt angry and helpless about his threats.
On the other hand, she had no choice but to cooperate to avoid bringing disaster upon herself and her family.
Because... She was absolutely certain that if this person disliked her, her entire family was finished.
So even if she had to throw away her dignity, she could only obey.
Though babies didn't really need dignity anyway.
Spider witnessed everything.
At first, she had been lying nearby, staring in shock at the obvious reincarnator baby who, for some reason, had countless advantages over her.
But as Ash paid more and more attention to the baby, Spider gradually became unhappy.
All eight eyes locked onto Ash and Sophia.
Dissatisfaction flickered within them.
She even started shifting around restlessly while letting out repeated chirps in protest.
'What are you doing? Don't get tricked so easily! That girl is a sly reincarnator too!'
The more Spider thought about it, the angrier she became.
She jumped up from the side, landed on Ash's shoulder, and bit his hair, trying to get his attention.
But Ash was too busy enjoying bullying a baby to pay her any attention.
With a casual flick of his finger, he sent her flying back.
Spider watched helplessly as Ash showered the baby with attention.
She was anxious beyond belief.
She tried to wake Ash up and stop him from being fooled by this seemingly cute reincarnator baby.
She climbed onto his shoulder, bit his hair, and made urgent, sharp chirping sounds.
Unfortunately...
Nothing worked.
Instead, Ash flicked her right back into her seat.
'What is this? What is this even? You moved on way too fast! What's so great about a human child? I was a fresh and adorable baby too! Why didn't you ever hold me? N-No... actually, you did hold me. But didn't you just throw me onto the ground afterward?'
Spider trembled with anger.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became.
All the grievances she had accumulated over time surfaced.
Every moment Ash had ignored her.
Every occasion he had "treated her roughly."
The memories replayed over and over inside her head.
She could no longer control herself.
She began rolling around on the carriage floor in a full tantrum.
The lord's family instinctively pulled their feet back, afraid the sharp spikes on her back might stab them.
Meanwhile, the carriage floor was innocently pierced with several holes.
But it was understandable why Spider had broken down.
The difference in treatment between her and the reincarnator baby was simply too great.
The gap wasn't limited to how Ash treated them.
Even the "benefits" granted by the system and the conditions of reincarnation were worlds apart.
They were both reincarnators.
Yet the difference between them was like an uncrossable chasm.
That baby had been born as a noble's daughter, with a prestigious identity.
She was even a True Ancestor with enormous potential.
Judging by her delicate features and adorable appearance, she would undoubtedly grow into a stunning beauty.
And then there was herself.
Being reincarnated as a spider was one thing.
Not having any particularly outstanding skills was another.
But when she was born, she only had a pathetic 100 skill points.
Meanwhile, that baby had 75,000.
Seven hundred and fifty times her amount.
How was Spider supposed to accept that?
How was she supposed to endure it?
This was practically fate mocking her.
This was the world's malice directed at her.
'This isn't fair! Where's justice? There aren't any gods in this world at all! Ah, wait, when Ash wasn't home, there was that nasty person calling herself an evil god. Damn you, D! If you're going to play favorites, at least have some limits!'
At first, Spider had wanted to make peace with herself.
But the difference was simply too large.
She was genuinely consumed by jealousy.
She had already accepted living in this world as a spider.
Yet this huge contrast filled her with envy and resentment.
'I'm definitely protesting this unfair treatment!'
Spider shouted inside her mind.
She couldn't just silently endure it.
Even if the other side was only a baby.
Even if Ash wouldn't understand her feelings.
She still had to fight for her own "fairness."
Even setting aside their identities as reincarnators, the skill points, the noble status, and all that other stuff, simply comparing their birth environments was enough to make Spider despair.
She had been born in the Great Elroe Labyrinth, the most dangerous place in the world.
Monsters that wanted to eat her were everywhere.
Every day was a struggle for survival.
She had even hunted prey and cooked meat for Ash!
And that baby?
She had been born into a noble family without a care in the world, enjoying wealth and her family's affection.
Now even Ash, her only companion, had liked the girl from the very first meeting.
He had even attacked Spider because of her.
In Spider's eyes, this was completely unforgivable.
Unless he treated her to delicious food for three days and three nights straight, she would never forgive him.
After all, she had always done her best for Ash.
Whether in battle or daily life, she had always been by his side.
She hunted.
She cooked.
She did everything.
During the day she served as a backrest, and at night she even worked part-time as a pillow.
And now he was hitting her because of a woman he had just met?
Wasn't that a shameless betrayal?
Wasn't that cheating?
Wasn't that abandoning the old for the new?
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