Rudeus and Daiki turned three.
It was only recently that Rudeus finally learned his parents' names with certainty.
His father was Paul Greyrat. His mother was Zenith Greyrat. And he was Rudeus Greyrat. In other words, he was the second son of the Greyrat family—technically, by a few minutes—since his twin brother Daiki had been born first.
They'd named him Rudeus, but since neither his father nor mother called each other by their names, and they shortened his to Rudy, it took him quite a while to memorize his full name.
Daiki, on the other hand, had known everyone's names much earlier. His past ability had catalogued every name, every face, every detail from the first few months.
Zenith Greyrat. Paul Greyrat. Lilia. Rudeus.
It wasn't something he was proud of. It just... was.
"Well, well... Rudy really likes books, doesn't he?"
When Rudeus started walking around the house with a book always in hand, Zenith said that with a warm smile.
They never scolded him for carrying a book around. Even during meals he'd set it aside, and nobody said anything.
Daiki read too, of course. But his relationship with books was different. He'd read them once and never needed to open them again. Everything was recorded perfectly in his memory. So after finishing the five books in the house, he simply... observed. Watched Rudeus practice. Watched Paul train with his sword. Watched everything.
And there was something else that caught his attention from very early on.
Swords.
Since he was a baby, something in him felt drawn to them. When he could barely crawl, he'd head toward where Paul left his training sword. When he learned to walk, one of his first actions was to pick up the wooden sword they'd been given.
Rudeus never showed much interest in it. He preferred books, magic, knowledge.
But Daiki... Daiki held it differently. Even with the clumsy hands of a small child, there was something about his grip that wasn't entirely childlike.
Paul had noticed.
"Look at that, Zenith," he'd said one afternoon, watching Daiki hold the wooden sword with both hands. "Daiki seems interested in swords."
Zenith had smiled. "Well, he's your son. It'd be weird if neither of them showed any interest."
"Rudy prefers books, like you."
"And Daiki prefers swords, like you." Zenith gave Paul a playful elbow. "Balanced, don't you think?"
In his previous life, he'd mastered his body to superhuman limits. He'd learned martial arts, combat techniques. But weapons... weapons had always been secondary tools.
Here, however, he felt they could be different. In a world with real monsters, with magic, with tangible dangers... They were incredibly useful.
And there was something else. Something he couldn't fully explain. When he held the sword, when he watched Paul train, he felt a resonance. As if this body was designed for this in a way his previous body never had been.
‹Interesting.›
Rudeus, meanwhile, continued his focus on magic. Still, he avoided reading the magic manuals in front of his family.
It wasn't that he was being mysterious, but the truth was he wasn't clear on what magic's status was in this world.
In his previous life, there'd been things like witch hunts in the Middle Ages. Those who used magic were considered heretics and ended up at the stake.
In this world, where a magic textbook existed so accessibly and practically, he doubted magic was considered heresy... but he didn't think everyone viewed it favorably either.
Maybe there was some unwritten rule like "magic is for when you're an adult." After all, if you abused it you could pass out. Could be they thought excessive use hindered a child's growth.
So Rudeus decided to hide his magical studies from his family.
Though... he'd already launched magic out the window more than once, so they might've already figured it out.
‹Not my fault, okay? I was curious to see how fast I could fire a projectile.›
Lilia sometimes shot him pretty stern looks, but since his parents kept acting completely normal, he wanted to believe everything was fine.
Lilia also watched Daiki with a certain... wariness. Especially when she saw him with the wooden sword. The way he held it, the way his eyes studied it. It wasn't normal. Neither brother was normal.
But she kept her thoughts to herself.
One afternoon, Daiki was in the yard holding the wooden sword. Paul was nearby, practicing his forms with his real sword.
Rudeus avoided going outside. From his window he'd watch his brother and sometimes envied him. Daiki could go out without problems, without that weight that kept him shut in.
Once, Daiki had even gone for a walk with Paul to meet people from the village. When they offered the same to Rudeus, he flatly refused. His parents exchanged a look but didn't ask any more questions after that. Maybe it was better that way.
The village never suspected Daiki was another man's son. Being Rudeus's twin had been proof enough for everyone. That stopped the curious looks and whispers before they could start.
Besides, the village women had other things on their minds when they saw Paul. They always seemed to melt in his presence, with their silly giggles and loaded glances.
Back to the yard. Daiki observed every movement. Every hip turn. Every step. Every cut.
‹Different. Completely different from what I knew.›
In his previous life, his combat style had been adaptive, fluid, without fixed form. Here, Paul followed specific patterns. A school. A structured technique.
‹Interesting.›
Without thinking, Daiki tried to imitate one of the movements. His three-year-old body barely responded correctly, but the intention was there.
Paul stopped and looked at him with surprise.
"Were you... copying me?"
Daiki nodded slightly.
Paul laughed, pleased.
That night, Rudeus and Daiki were in their room. Daiki held the wooden sword, moving it slowly in patterns he'd memorized from Paul.
"You're into swords," Rudeus commented, more as an observation than a question.
"Yeah."
"I prefer magic."
"I know. You're better at that."
A comfortable silence settled between them.
"It's fine that we're different," Rudeus finally said. "You with swords, me with magic. We can... complement each other."
Daiki stopped moving and looked at his brother.
"Yes. We can."
And in that moment, without knowing it, they began forging a bond that would go beyond simply being brothers.
They'd be partners. Allies.
Each with their own strengths, their own secrets.