My second younger brother, Mishi Zoldyck, was born today. In the original work, he was a character with not much presence.
Oh, but I have to say, in my eyes, he's a character worth fighting for a little.
To avoid unnecessary misunderstandings, I'll be frank about his character setting.
Anyone familiar with the original work knows that he will be a technical talent in the future, proficient in computers and games, capable of making various weapons and props, fond of junk food, and a lover of collecting anime girl figurines, a shut-in otaku who rarely goes out.
In terms of combat power, an adult him is inferior to a twelve-year-old Killua. In the original work, he was successfully threatened at least twice by Killua and injured once. In the Zoldyck family, which values strength, he belongs to the lower ranks and backstage of the family.
Thinking of this, little Mishi, who is sleeping soundly in the cradle, appears particularly pitiful.
As the saying goes, "What hurts others hurts oneself." As a fellow bottom-tier worker in the "real world," I have experienced no less hardship than Mishi will in the future. Mishi, after all, works for his own family business, with a stable job and a good salary. I, on the other hand, work for a private enterprise, where falling behind means being beaten, and working oneself to death yields only an average salary. Truly, comparing people to each other can kill you.
Subjectively speaking, I believe little Mishi doesn't look much different from Illumi at the same age. Both resemble Mother Kikyo, being standard-sized cute infants. It's hard to imagine how he ballooned into a chubby fatty when he was over ten years old.
The birth of a new member has always been a big event for the Zoldyck family. Except for those working outside, all family members are now gathered around Mishi's crib.
Oh, I need to pull myself together and put on a show. The family bonding activity with the theme of "family prosperity and harmony" officially begins.
At the enthusiastic invitation of Madam Kikyo, I had to step up to the camera, guided by others, and carefully hold baby Mishi, pretending to be a sister who dotes on her younger brother, for a family photo (pose).
Then it was Illumi's turn to pose with Mishi. Unlike me, who was just going through the motions, he was an older brother who had long anticipated his brother's arrival. His brows were unfurrowed, his expression gentle, and his posture for holding a baby was scientific and standard. His androgynous face was enveloped in a maternal glow.
Oh, what beautiful brotherly affection, so touching.
Amidst the warm family gathering, the butler knocked and handed Silva a report.
"Acceptable," he summarized blandly after a quick glance, then handed the report to Kikyo, who couldn't wait.
Kikyo is a fierce woman, wanting to get out of bed right after giving birth. It was Silva who ordered her to rest in bed for a day before she obediently sat up against the bed and perused the report, "These scores..."
Brother Illumi's concern for his younger brother was no less than Kikyo's. When Kikyo received the report, he immediately leaned over the bedside to look at its contents with her.
"Hmm, it's a few points lower than mine," Illumi said flatly, and for some reason, he glanced at me, "Sister, do you want to see?"
What for?
Why should I care about your brother's score?
As Illumi said, I am indifferent to other family members.
"..." I shook my head.
The Zoldycks have their own medical facility that conducts a comprehensive examination for newborns in the family, issuing a report and evaluating the pros and cons of various indices.
I dislike these report cards that differentiate between good and bad from birth, as if evaluating the breed of livestock.
Therefore, I didn't look at my own, nor did I ever look at Illumi's.
I know the importance of talent, but as an ordinary person, I still hold onto the fantasy that ordinary people can compensate for a lack of talent through hard work. Unfortunately, reality is often not like that.
Hmph, Illumi, you are indeed just a six-year-old child, only looking at the surface and not thinking about more profound things. The scores on this report card mean nothing. For a newborn, at most, only their physical fitness is tested; intelligence and other factors cannot be detected.
Physical fitness cannot determine everything. For someone like me with average intelligence and a weak personality, even with good physical fitness, my overall strength will be hard-pressed to reach the top tier.
Although Mishi's ranking within the Zoldyck family will indeed be that of a weakling, he will be an important technical talent in the future, a master hacker who can infiltrate even the most challenging Hunter websites. He can also forge documents, create weapons, and invent things. Such a good supporting high-functionality tool NPC is a valuable resource that must be pursued. Cultivating some goodwill might even lead to discounts when I place orders with him.
Oh, right, he's also obsessed with anime otaku culture and is a unique killer in the Zoldyck family. In the "real world," I also enjoy watching anime and manga. If we have overlapping tastes, perhaps we can chat, which would make it easier to improve goodwill. Plan completed!
With a new family member, the Zoldycks, as usual, issued the daily mission of "reporting to the infant younger brother to get acquainted."
Unlike the daily reporting missions during Illumi's time, which yielded no benefits, the long-term benefits of doing Mishi's reporting missions are foreseeable. Thus, with purely utilitarian motives, I have great motivation to do them.
So much so that I didn't feel much resentment when little Mishi in the cradle tried to grab the whistle necklace I was wearing.
Alas, he truly lives up to being a biological brother. Your older brother Illumi also particularly liked the whistle I wore during his infancy.
Or perhaps, children just like shiny things?
History is always surprisingly similar.
Silva mentioned before that he would send me a more beautiful hawk. Well, unlike my first hawk, which was entirely dark brown, the new hawk has white feathers on its head, neck, and tail, light yellow eyes, beak, and feet, with the rest being dark brown. Its physique is also stronger and more beautiful than the previous one. To say it's not more beautiful would be a lie.
To distinguish it from the first hawk, I gave it a name: "New Orleans (Chicken Wings)."
It is indeed more beautiful and smarter, but having seen the best, nothing else can compare. I can no longer love it as I loved the first hawk.
The whistle that pairs with "New Orleans (Chicken Wings)" arrived a little later because Madam Kikyo strongly insisted on intervening in the whistle's design, wanting to make it the most beautiful necklace. It is said that it was modified many times, almost driving the designer insane, before the final version was decided between extreme simplicity and super luxury.
The new whistle retains its silver-white hue and is thinner and longer than the previous one. A silver dragon entwines it, with exquisite carving craftsmanship and diamond eyes, looking very expensive at first glance.
What's with this showy, nouveau riche feel?
It's easy to be stolen or robbed if I wear it out!
Dodging baby Mishi's little hand, I covered the whistle, keeping an eye on Illumi, who had also come to complete the daily check-in mission.
The new whistle is so much cooler and more luxurious than the old one. If I were an onlooker, I would be envious, let alone that brat Illumi. I think he must be envious of my new whistle.
The scores from the newborn's report seem to have dealt Illumi quite a blow. More than looking at the infant, he often stares absentmindedly at the decorations hanging above the crib, lost in thought.
According to the portrayal in the original work and fan deductions, Illumi's unusual obsession with Killua is not purely out of "love" but is mixed with a possessiveness and desire for control over Killua's extraordinary talent, thereby gaining more power and satisfying some ambition.
The part about ambition feels a bit like a conspiracy theory, but his impure motives are widely recognized. In other words, he is very pragmatic; he only focuses on what he considers useful.
Tragically, poor Mishi's future performance will indeed be as the report card suggests: his combat power is a concern. Illumi's current judgment is not wrong.
Of course, I have no intention of helping Mishi improve himself and become a "sunny otaku" (laughs). I don't have that kind of leisure, nor do I have the energy and ability. It's better for Mishi to grow up as the shut-in fatty he was in the original work, to avoid a butterfly effect and make future plotlines uncontrollable.
Oh, thinking about it carefully, Mishi is actually a realistic person in the original work, valuing "transactions." If I raise his goodwill to a certain level, will I really get a discount when I place orders with him?
Well, then I won't force it. It's enough to be friendly to him usually; goodwill will be left to fate.
No one can say for sure about hidden rewards.
I'm sorry, Mishi. Your older brother and older sister came to see you with motives that do not align with the family's expectations. In reality, both are harboring ulterior motives. However, your older sister is a bit kinder. I wish you a bright future, and may you be happy with your paper wives. Amen.
After checking in at Mishi's crib, according to the usual schedule, it's time for training to begin.
Returning to my room, as I changed out of my dress and was about to put on my training sportswear, Kikyo stopped me. Just as she gave me the new whistle as a "surprise," she smiled mysteriously, "Wait a moment, Murr."
She placed her hand on my shoulder and had me turn around. Only then did I see a box on the bed.
Uh, it's common for my room to have something added or removed under Kikyo's control, so I'm used to it and don't pay much attention.
"Mom bought you new clothes again," Kikyo said, pushing me and urging me to open the box.
"..." Another layered frill and bow dress, I'm used to it.
"This time it's different," Kikyo said. "You're going out with Dad later, and this is the outfit you'll wear."
"!"
Can I wear these doll-like clothes outside?
Don't you consider Silva's feelings?
A muscular man taking out a doll, I've never seen such a bizarre scene.
Will I be more embarrassed?
Or will Silva be more embarrassed?
"Hmm," Silva said nothing else when he saw me, his expression unchanged.
"..." His heart is truly vast!
Perhaps people's aesthetic views in this world are more tolerant. After all, it's another world, a game, anime. What about Nen abilities, and hair and eyes of all colors are not something that can exist in the "real world." What about clown outfits, or wearing only a leather coat with bandages all over the body from head to toe, such eccentric clothing won't attract side glances. So, whoever is thin-skinned will be embarrassed.
Alright, I've confirmed it. I'm the one who's more embarrassed.
I apologize for being an airborne arrival.