In a small village, inside a modest wooden house, a five-year-old boy sat beneath a large tree beside his home. The afternoon breeze rustled the leaves above him as he picked up a small stone and tossed it into the air, catching it again and again.
"It's been five years since I was reborn in this world…" he muttered quietly.
Thanks to the power granted by that god, he could read and understand every language in this world without effort. Compared to his previous life, this place felt strangely peaceful.
"Being a background character is actually pretty relaxing," he said with a lazy smile.
He had been born into a poor family in this village. They weren't rich, nor were they influential just simple people living a quiet life. And honestly, he didn't mind it.
By now, Haruto had realized something important.
This world was like a game.
He could clearly see his status.
"Status," he said softly.
A blue, digital screen suddenly appeared in the air in front of him, floating silently.
Status
Role: Background Character
Name: Haruto Kurosawa
Level: 1
Magic: -100 / 1000
Water: -100 / 1000
Air: -100 / 1000
Fire: -100 / 1000
Earth: -100 / 1000
Black: -100 / 1000
Special Power:
The words were there… but blurred, glitching, impossible to read.
Haruto's face twisted in anger.
"What the heck is this?" he snapped. "Why are all my stats negative? And not just a little minus one hundred?!"
That old man that god had said he gave him power to survive.
"But this?" Haruto clenched his fists. "How am I supposed to survive with this kind of power?"
There was no way back to his original world. He was completely stuck here.
After a moment, he sighed.
"Whatever," he said calmly. "I'm just a background character anyway. I don't need power. I can handle problems without it."
He stood up, pointed his right hand toward the sky, and shouted,
"Hey, old man! I know you're watching me somewhere, laughing! But listen I'll live my life quietly. I don't care about fate… I'll change it myself."
Just then, from behind the house, his mother appeared. She stopped and looked at him standing there with his hand pointed at the sky.
"Haruto?" she asked gently. "What are you doing? Why are you staring at the sky? And who are you talking to?"
Haruto froze for a second, then quickly lowered his hand.
"Nothing, Mommy," he said with an innocent smile. "I was just watching the birds… and talking to myself. I want to fly like them one day."
She laughed softly. "This child… always saying strange things."
Then she frowned slightly and brushed dirt off his clothes.
"Look at your back you're all dirty again. I told you not to play in the dirt. Go wash your hands and change your clothes."
"Yes, Mommy," Haruto replied, heading inside the house.
Later that evening, Haruto walked back toward the village with his father, carrying firewood from the forest. The road was quiet, painted orange by the setting sun.
Suddenly, a voice called out
"Haruutooooo!"
Haruto turned around. Running toward him was Mio, a girl his age who lived near his house.
She stopped in front of him, slightly out of breath.
"Haruto! I waited for you to play, but you didn't come. Why?"
"I was busy," Haruto replied. "I went to the forest with my father to gather wood."
His father smiled and said, "Mio, it's already late. And don't go too far from home alone, okay?"
"Come with us," he added. "We'll walk you home."
Mio puffed out her cheeks. "I'm not a kid anymore, Uncle! I'm a big girl now. I can go alone."
Then she looked at Haruto and smirked.
"But Haruto is still a kid."
Haruto sighed.
The three of them walked together under the fading sky, the peaceful village slowly welcoming the night
Two years later…
In the Duke's house an enormous mansion resembling a grand castle the atmosphere was unusually lively. The vast front garden stretched wide, filled with blooming flowers of every color, their fragrance drifting through the air.
Maids and workers rushed back and forth, each busy with their duties. Everyone was preparing, because the First Prince was coming to visit today.
Inside the mansion, the Duke stood calmly beside his butler.
"Is everything ready?" the Duke asked.
"Yes, my lord," the butler replied with a respectful bow.
The Duke nodded. "Good. There is no more time to delay. The First Prince is coming here today to meet my daughter."
He paused for a moment, his expression serious yet proud.
"This visit is for their engagement."
The butler straightened slightly, understanding the weight of those words. A new chapter was about to begin not just for the Duke's family, but for the entire kingdom.