Toxic Parent Reincarnation ~ When I Doted on My Daughter Destined to Become the Final Boss, She Ended Up Liking Me an Abnormal Amount ~
The day the Lotus Royal Orchestra came to town, Horn, now fully recovered from his illness, attended the concert with his sister Mira. Chairs for the audience were set up in the plaza that served as the venue.
“Huh? Aldo, Iris!”
Mira spotted Aldo and his group. She waved and called out, “Hey!” prompting Aldo and the others to notice her.
“Mira! Hello,” Iris greeted.
“So you guys came to the concert too, Iris?” Mira asked.
“Hehe, yeah. Hearing all about it made me curious,” Iris replied.
Horn had been so excited about the orchestra’s concert that they’d gone all the way to Moonlit Hill to gather medicinal herbs for him. That level of anticipation piqued Iris’s interest, making her wonder just how amazing it must be.
So, she’d begged Aldo to bring her along, and here they were.
“Hello. Um, you’re Aldo and Iris, right? Thank you for everything back then,” Horn said, glancing at Aldo with a shy, downward gaze.
“Hey, you’re Horn, right? No worries at all. More importantly, has your illness cleared up?” Aldo responded.
“Yes,” Horn nodded.
“That’s great to hear. Take good care of your big sister, okay?”
Aldo patted Horn’s head. Being acknowledged by a grown man like Aldo made Horn puff out his chest with a hint of pride.
As they chatted, a group marched briskly toward the plaza. Wearing black uniforms with red horizontal stripes on the sleeves and hems, the Lotus Royal Orchestra arrived, each member carrying an instrument.
“Oooh!” the crowd exclaimed in awe. Then, the conductor, a man, stepped onto a platform that had been set up.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for attending our orchestra’s concert today. Our troupe was established by the previous king with a wish for peace. Even after his abdication, our purpose remains unchanged: to play music for peace. That’s all there is to it. Right now, this nation—no, this world—is threatened by evil spirits. Furthermore, while peace with other nations holds for now, it’s a fragile balance that could collapse at any moment. In times like these, we want to uplift the people with music. That is the desire of our orchestra.”
Horn listened intently to the conductor’s speech, hanging on every word. Iris, however, seemed bored and uninterested in the talk.
“To honor the name of the previous king, we’ve honed our musical skills and brought them here to share with you. Now, enough with the long speech—please enjoy the performance.”
The conductor bowed to the audience, then turned to the orchestra, raising his baton to begin conducting.
The performance started. Deep, resonant tones filled the town. The delicate and beautiful melodies captivated the listeners’ hearts. Horn, who had eagerly awaited this moment, listened closely, savoring every note.
There was no doubt that Horn could hear this music today because of the efforts of Aldo and the others. If even a single twist of fate had gone differently, this day might never have come.
As the musicians played each note, something stirred in Horn’s heart, growing into a distinct emotion. That emotion swelled and eventually formed a dream.
He wanted to join this orchestra and perform with them. That became Horn’s dream.
When the performance ended, the conductor bowed, and applause erupted. Every single audience member—Horn, Mira, Aldo, Iris, and all the other townsfolk—clapped wholeheartedly, thoroughly enchanted and united in their appreciation.
By the time the concert concluded, the audience had dispersed, while the orchestra members were busy packing up.
“Horn, it’s about time to head home,” Mira said.
“Yeah, but wait, Mira-neechan!”
Horn shook off Mira’s hand and ran toward the orchestra members.
“Huh? Wait, Horn!?” Mira called out, flustered.
Before she could catch up, Horn reached the conductor, who was putting away chairs.
“Um, excuse me!”
“Hey there. How did you like our performance?” the conductor asked.
“It was amazing!”
Horn wanted to say so much more, but as a child with limited vocabulary, he couldn’t fully express what he felt. All he could manage was a simple, childlike comment.
“Thank you. I’m glad even a kid like you could feel the joy of music. A lot of children brought by their parents tend to look bored,” the conductor said with a self-deprecating chuckle.
“Um, I wanted to see your orchestra perform all on my own,” Horn replied.
“Really? That’s wonderful to hear,” the conductor said warmly.
“A-And… I want to join your orchestra someday!”
Horn finally said it. This was his dream. In the official timeline, this dream remained the same, but it never came to fruition. Originally, Horn was destined to become an exorcist, following in Mira’s footsteps after she was killed due to Iris’s actions.
But the future where Mira dies had changed. As long as Iris didn’t become a witch, Mira wouldn’t die because of her—at least not for that reason. Now, Horn had a real shot at pursuing his dream.
“Hmm, I see. To join our orchestra, you’ll need to grow up a bit more. Come back when you’re 14. If your dream hasn’t changed by then, you can take the entrance test.”
“Y-Yes!”
“Horn! S-Sorry about that, my little brother—”
Mira caught up and grabbed Horn’s hand. The conductor waved it off with an “Oh, no worries” gesture.
“Come on, Horn, let’s go home,” Mira urged.
“Mister! I’m definitely going to join the orchestra! I’ll practice an instrument until then!”
“I’ll look forward to it,” the conductor replied with a smile.
And so, Horn gained a goal. His dream. In truth, it was also one of the crucial “elements” of the story.
The night of the orchestra concert, Aldo had a dream. It was set in the Primordial Dungeon, a place where the Spirit King was said to have sealed away evil spirits. In the dream, the Spirit King spoke to him.
“Traveler from another realm… I am the Spirit King… I am speaking to you now within your dream.”
“The Spirit King…?”
“You won’t remember this dream perfectly. But you’ll recall fragments of it. That boy named Horn—his dream. Its fulfillment is proof of the best possible future.”
“Horn’s dream? What is it?”
“There’s no need for formalities. As other spirits have likely told you, there’s no hierarchy between humans and spirits. Even as a king among spirits, I don’t expect reverence from a human like you.”
“Is that… so?”
“Horn will join the orchestra and earn the title of Music Saint. That is the best future. You have the opportunity to make it happen—just the opportunity, mind you. Whether you have the power to seize that future depends on you.”
“Power… How do I gain that power?”
“Just keep living as you have. As long as you don’t forget love, the worst future will be avoided, at the very least.”
“The worst future…?”
Aldo grew confused. What was the best future? The worst future? He couldn’t grasp what either meant.
“Your greatest strength is love. Treat your companions with love… Well, perhaps that was a bit tactless. You’re already someone who gives love without expecting anything in return. Sorry, forget I said that.”
“Wait, hold on! What should I do?”
“The answer… you’re already living it. Right now, you’re on a path that avoids the worst and aligns with the best. Just keep being yourself. That’s all I came to tell you.”
Aldo woke up. It was a strange dream. He remembered a figure calling itself the Spirit King appearing, but little else. The details of their conversation slipped away. The only thing he could faintly recall was that he was heading toward the best possible future.