Chapter 62 Wait, why am I a father again??

Allen turned around and walked back into the bedroom, the sound of Zenith’s slightly heavier pregnancy breathing echoing in his ears. Leaning against the door panel, he wore a mocking smile.

'Paul is undeniably great when it comes to family... but his management of everything below the waist remains as abysmal as ever... and Lilia... that's a tough one to wash clean...'

He shook his head.

'Participation score?'

Dust motes materialized.

[Current Stage: Childhood. Cumulative Participation Score: 70 points.]

Looking at the text indicating a participation score of 70, Allen fell silent.

That was right. For the past half year, his participation score had been completely stagnant. No matter how much he tried to raise Rudy and Sylphiette’s affection, it was of no use. Perhaps, as the system had suggested, his relationship with the two little ones had reached a threshold that was exceedingly difficult to break through.

He needed to seek a breakthrough for points from someone else.

This was the fundamental reason he chose not to meddle in the two children's intimate affairs.

'The infidelity incident, the birth of Aisha and Noren... Surely this participation score will rise now?'

Allen’s inner voice carried a hint of urgency. His previous points had come far too easily, but the majority of them had been derived from Roxy. Through the continuous beating of butterfly wings, his score had soared in a short period of time.

Yet after he returned to the Greyrat household, the glorious surge of points had ground to a halt.

Satellite-positioning capability was far too important in a world without cell phones, especially after the Mass Transfer Labyrinth incident.

[Opportunities for the score to rise certainly exist, but whether the host can make the optimal choice and ultimately how much you will gain depends entirely on your own skills~]

The system’s text carried a slightly malicious, teasing tone, causing the corners of Allen’s mouth to twitch involuntarily.

'Wait, why do I feel like you're somewhat jubilant? Is another one of my misadventures amusing you?'

The text danced playfully before Allen’s eyes.

[Absolutely no such thing~]

'This time I must accumulate enough points... Going on like this, getting a full score will be a stretch. Looking back, the judgments I made before were truly wishful thinking... No wonder the task reward for a full score was so enticing; it turns out pushing past 60 points is this brutally difficult...'

[Need a reminder?]

'Yes!'

[Gaining scores above 60 primarily relies on the host's deep-level participation in major events of Mushoku Tensei.]

'...Deep-level?'

Allen blinked. The chord in his mind labeled 'enjoying the spectacle' was suddenly plucked. He chuckled instantly and hurriedly spoke out.

'Say, if I walk over to the door right now, and the moment Paul finishes, I suddenly appear and scare him into impotence, would that count as deep-level participation? Look, this not only guarantees the birth of Aisha, but also prevents any potential future infidelity on Paul’s part. It even punishes this scumbag on Zenith’s behalf, and lastly, it serves as a warning for Rudy, teaching him that psychological issues can also lead to impotence, allowing him to prepare early! Four birds with one stone!'

[...And the next day, Paul would ship your scoundrel self right back to James.]

'??'

---

The snow in the winter of the 412th Year of the Dragon King Calendar fell with unusual persistence. Whenever the snowfall showed the slightest sign of abating, fresh flurries would sweep in once more.

Amidst this relentless repetition, Lilia realized the fact that she was pregnant.

Such a matter could not be concealed.

Therefore, she chose a time after dinner. Having cleared the dinner plates back into the kitchen, before even washing the dishes, she turned back out of the kitchen and stepped before the assembled household.

This action drew the gaze of everyone chatting and talking around the dining table.

Zenith blinked.

"Say... is Lilia feeling unwell today? I noticed your complexion hasn't looked too good since dinner."

Lilia cast a swift glance at Paul, who was looking at her in astonishment from across the table, and avoided the gazes of Rudy and Allen. She took a deep breath, her pupils behind her glasses entirely calm, and bowed her head toward Zenith.

"...I am terribly sorry, but I am pregnant."

The smile on Zenith’s face froze for a fraction of a second, then slowly vanished. The news failed to register with her immediately.

Meanwhile, Paul’s expression underwent a drastic change beside her.

Rudy sat in a daze, his gaze shifting repeatedly between Zenith and Lilia, who was feigning composure.

As for Allen, the moment Lilia had stepped forward, he had already detached himself from the dining table, walked over to lean against the side wall, and assumed the posture of an absolute outsider.

'In the original work, Paul is supposed to be kneeling and apologizing in a moment, while Rudy is the core figure who resolves this domestic ethical drama. First, he shifts all the blame entirely onto Paul, then he offers Zenith a graceful way out, and finally uses verbal persuasion to force Zenith into accepting the reality of Paul’s infidelity, welcoming a new member to the Greyrat family.'

'To be honest, this handling method is quite... As the sole victim of this incident, Rudy completely imposes his own thoughts onto Zenith, resolving the dispute in a manner that forces her to accept it.'

'From the result, a world where only the victim suffers has been achieved.'

'Although Rudy goes to apologize to Zenith afterward, it still feels rather hypocritical.'

'After all, he had already forced Zenith to make a commitment, hadn't he?'

'Putting aside how Rudy handles the problem... I definitely need to steer clear of the eye of the storm where this current conflict erupts. Right now, no matter what is said, Zenith won't listen. As for the key to raising my score, it lies in approaching Zenith after she calms down later, taking Rudy with her—or better yet, taking the whole family to talk with Zenith, and then...'

Just as Allen was calculating, dust motes emerged.

[Instant quest issued: Lilia's Moment of Desperation.]

[Quest Reminder: Lilia, outwardly calm, is already dead inside. She has prepared herself to be driven out of the house this winter, and accepts that making a wrong choice brings deserved punishment. Meanwhile, Rudy has yet to act... The time for the host to take the stage has arrived!]

[Quest Reward: If handled properly, you will earn the gratitude of every member of the Greyrat family, replacing the 'status' Rudy held regarding Aisha in the original storyline. Participation Score Gained: 20 points.]

[If handled improperly, 0 points.]

[At this crossroads of fate, out of tens of thousands of choices, can the host select the behavior most appropriate to the present moment? Can you complete the redemption of Lilia's inner soul?]

[Quest begins!]

Allen stared at the cheering, bouncing text, his entire face stiffening.

His expression was even two shades more dramatic than Paul’s, and he was shocked in every possible aspect.

'What kind of nonsense is Lilia's redemption?!? Shouldn't this focus on helping Zenith?! Damn it! Are you fucking lying in wait right here for me?!? What kind of chicken-scratch participation is this, are you sure this won't result in me getting banished from the household right along with Lilia?!'