TEWMD Chapter 02

Chapter 2

Q. I remembered my past life on my seventh birthday, and apparently my mom is going to die and my dads are going to destroy the world. What should I do?

A. Wow! There is no solution. Congratulations!

I am Cecilia Miller, seven years old.

And I just discovered that the world I live in is going to be destroyed.

All because my mom is going to die.

“This can’t be happening.”

Unable to believe reality, I stretched my face with both hands.

This has to be a dream.

It must be a dream!

Otherwise, how could I suddenly be facing something like this when, just a little while ago, I had been worrying about whether a white carriage or a black carriage would look cooler?

But even after stretching my face and pinching my cheeks, this unbelievable situation remained unchanged.

Oww…

While I was pulling at both my cheeks because I was completely overwhelmed, Mom looked at me strangely.

“Why is Cici suddenly acting like this? Does she not like the cake I made?”

“I told you we should ♩♪ just buy a cake instead of making one ourselves. The only person among us who can actually cook is that guy who left the house.”

Kyle, my foul-mouthed dad, sighed and shook his head.

“Watch your mouth.”

At the same time, Dad Derek frowned even more fiercely than usual and warned him.

“Sometimes the truth is necessary, you ♪♩. How long are you going to keep protecting her?”

“As I have said many times, Blake, perhaps you could use gentler language in front of the child.”

Dad Harzen, the elegant archmage, calmly watched them from a distance and joined the conversation.

It was such an ordinary conversation that it was hard to believe these men were supposedly going to destroy the world.

Normally, I would have ignored my dads’ conversation without thinking about it.

But now…

Ugh, my head hurts.

After learning the shocking ending of the side story, there was no way I could calm down.

Why did I have to worry about something like this when I was only seven years old?!

“No, but I really worked hard to make it…”

Just then, Mom muttered sadly with a completely discouraged expression.

I immediately stopped thinking and looked up.

“No! Mommy’s cake is good! It’s really the best! It’s the best in the whole world!”

“But Cici didn’t look very happy.”

“Um, th-that was…”

Because I found out that my dads are going to destroy the world…

I glanced at Mom and my dads, who were all staring at me.

Then I let out a deep sigh.

Of course they would be worried. It was my birthday, yet I suddenly looked like I was about to cry.

I couldn’t make my parents worry, so I should at least pretend to enjoy the party…

As if I could!

There was no way I could pay attention to the birthday party!

And more importantly…

Mom is going to die! That’s impossible!

I looked at Mom and made another sad face.

Waaah, Mommy, don’t die…

If Mom died, we wouldn’t be able to eat cake together like this every year.

We wouldn’t be able to open my birthday presents together and get excited either…

Come to think of it, I wonder what my birthday present is this year?

Wait! Focus!

I stopped myself before my thoughts went any further and shook my head.

Maybe it was because my brain was still only seven years old, even though I had remembered my past life.

If I let my guard down for even a moment, my thoughts immediately went in strange directions.

Anyway…

I should just tell them.

All misunderstandings and disasters eventually begin because people don’t communicate.

Instead of struggling alone while keeping my mouth shut, it would be better to put our heads together and figure things out.

Surely Mom and Dad would come up with an amazing solution!

“Mom, actually, there is something I want to—”

That was when it happened.

[WARNING]

A statement that may cause major confusion in the world setting has been detected.

If the statement continues, additional penalties such as difficulty breathing and death will be imposed.

“Whoa.”

As soon as I saw the new scroll appear, I immediately shut my mouth.

There are penalties too?!

No, more importantly…

What kind of penalty is this?!

Difficulty breathing and death?!

Wasn’t this supposed to be a story suitable for seven-year-olds?

How can you just kill a growing child like this?!

“Cici?”

While I was covering my mouth with both hands and staring at the scroll, I heard a worried voice beside me.

It was an incredibly gentle and beautiful voice, like the sound of heaven itself.

Of course, it was my mother, Yuria.

“Mommy…”

I immediately crawled into Mom’s arms.

Mom’s arms really are the best.

If I could, I would stay in her arms until the day I died.

But the thought that I might never be able to enjoy this warmth again…

I absolutely hate that!

Even if the world had to be split into two, I had to save Mom!

But how?

“Is it because Shion isn’t here?”

Mom stroked my head and spoke softly.

By the way, Shion is the name of my other dad, who wasn’t at home right now.

You can basically think of him as Dad Number Four, the other person who is going to destroy the world.

“Maybe she misses the food he makes. Honestly, I ♪♬ miss it too.”

“That’s not it!”

“Then why do you look so sad, Cici?”

“That is…”

Because my future looks completely hopeless.

But if I said that, then…

My life would immediately become hopeless too!

I couldn’t die before I even had a chance to save Mom!

I shook my head and answered.

“It’s a secret.”

“A secret?”

“My life is precious.”

After saying that, I quickly covered my mouth with my palm again.

At the same time, all my dads looked at Mom.

“It’s probably because the cake is so ♬♪ terrible that it’s almost dead…”

“Yuria’s fault.”

“This is difficult to defend.”

“Really…?”

Mom looked betrayed.

I avoided her gaze and nervously moved my eyes around.

Sorry, Mom.

That’s the only excuse I could think of right now.

But I promise I’ll protect you no matter what!

I swear it on my dads!

A few days later, I came to a conclusion.

There had to be a reason the scroll had appeared in front of me.

It’s probably telling me to save Mom and prevent the destruction of the world.

Usually, when a system like this appears in a story, it gives the protagonist some kind of mission and expects them to solve the problem.

And the fact that it showed me those spoiler comments makes it obvious.

It deliberately showed me the spoilers because it doesn’t want the world to be destroyed.

Right?

But…

“Why won’t you tell me anything else?”

I buried my face in the stuffed toy I was holding and kicked my legs around.

Why?!

Why would it only tell me the ending and not the most important part?!

Wait…

A thought suddenly occurred to me.

I quickly raised my head.

Could this be one of those stories?

Maybe I had to raise my stats and clear quests to stop the destruction of the world!

If that was the case, it would explain why a scroll like a status window had suddenly appeared in front of me.

“Okay, then…”

I carefully looked around.

Good.

Mom had gone to volunteer at a nursing home.

Dad Derek was chopping firewood far away.

Dad Harzen was also far away, elegantly reading a book.

And Dad Kyle was probably locked inside his laboratory again, inventing something.

“Ahem. Ahem.”

I cleared my throat and whispered as quietly as possible.

“System.”

…

“Status window.”

…

“Summon administrator?”

Hmm.

Nothing appeared.

Maybe this wasn’t that kind of story.

Then how was I supposed to figure things out?

“Gaaah!”

Frustrated, I shook my stuffed animal around.

Are you suffering, bunny?

I’m suffering too…

Wait.

Just as I was making a sad face and torturing the rabbit plushie, something suddenly flashed through my mind.

“Side story…”

Don’t side stories usually deal with clues that the author left behind in the main story but never properly explained?

Then maybe I could think about the unresolved clues from the main story.

But there was another huge problem.

My brain isn’t working properly! Ugh!

I had discovered another fact.

My memory had returned, but my ability to think clearly hadn’t completely returned with it.

Obviously.

My brain was still seven years old.

Even though I remembered my previous life, my body and brain were still those of a child!

Even when I’m thinking normally, I suddenly lose focus or act on impulse.

Just look at me now.

I was thinking about the problem, and suddenly I started staring at the sky and looking at the shapes of the clouds.

Wow, that one looks like a rabbit.

I was staring at the fluffy clouds with my mouth slightly open when…

“…Cici!”

Dad Derek suddenly called my name.

He looked much more tense than usual, as if he had sensed something.

Dad Harzen also frowned slightly and looked into the distance.

Huh?

Why were my dads suddenly acting like this?

I was still staring at them in confusion when another semi-transparent scroll appeared in front of me.

[Original Story Route Partially Activated]

Side Story Chapter 1: The Threat That Has Not Ended

A visit from the Imperial Palace Knights has partially fulfilled the conditions required to continue the side story.

If you continue along this route, the entire Original Story Progress system will be activated.

Progress remaining until full activation: 10%

What in the world does that mean, Mr. Scroll?