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Mushoku Tensei (LN) - Volume 10 - Chapter 13




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Extra Chapter:

The Master Babysitter 

Approximately one year before Rudeus received the letter from his father. 

P AUL’S GROUP HAD ARRIVED in East Port, with Roxy and Talhand accompanying them. They had already discovered that Zenith was in the Labyrinth City of Rapan on the Begaritt Continent. They would have to take a ship from East Port in order to get there, but there was one thing weighing on Paul’s mind: his daughters, Norn and Aisha. Beasts roamed the Begaritt Continent in vast numbers, and it was said to be as dangerous a land as the Demon Continent. 

Paul was a former adventurer. While he had spent a transient period as a drunkard, he had continued training even after his retirement. Throw experienced adventurers like Talhand and Roxy in the mix, and they’d have no trouble traversing the Begaritt Continent—if was just him and the other adults. Bringing along two young children along would be an entirely different kettle of fish. 

Thus, Paul chose to send his two girls to stay with Rudeus. This had its own dangers, but he determined it was preferable to dragging them to a beast-infested continent. 

*** 

Four girls occupied a table in the dining hall of an inn: Lilia, Norn, Aisha and Roxy. One of them was an adult, while two were young children. The last of their group looked like a child herself, but was actually a full-fledged adult. 

“I don’t want to.” One among their number, Norn, was sulking. She carved up the food on her plate with her fork, but refused to carry it to her mouth. “I’m going with Father.” 

The reason for this dour mood was obvious. During breakfast, her father had announced, “Aisha and Norn will be going to live with Rudeus.” Norn had been unable to disguise her displeasure ever since, even as they ate lunch, cheeks puffed up in a pout. 

“I’m telling you once again, you’ll just be in Father’s way if you go with him.” 

“No, I won’t.” 

Aisha was the one bumping heads with her. Unlike Norn, Aisha had pumped her fist in celebration when she heard they were going to stay with Rudeus, which was also why she couldn’t stand Norn’s discontented grumbling putting a damper on things. As a result, she’d had been relentlessly criticizing Norn while trying to make herself sound reasonable and convincing. 

Aisha had no problems with selfish demands, but if her sister wanted those selfish demands to be met, she should go about it more intelligently. She had to do it in a way that made those around her think they had actually won. Instead, she grew irritable watching Norn pointlessly quibble by repeating the same line over and over. “I don’t want to.” It was disgraceful. 

“You just don’t want to go stay with our big brother, isn’t it? You’re treating him like he’s some awful person just because he had a little fight with our father a long time ago. Even Father himself said that he was in the wrong.” 

“He wasn’t!” Norn suddenly burst out. There was no doubt in her mind that the fight between Rudeus and Paul had been Rudeus’ fault. Norn wouldn’t accept anything else. 

“You’re always like that. As soon as things aren’t going your way, you start pouting and whining. You wait for everyone else around you to give in, and if anyone says anything you don’t like, you yell at them. How idiotic.” 

Norn clenched her teeth. She could do nothing but glare at her younger sister as tears sprang to her eyes. 

However, it wasn’t just Norn glaring at Aisha. So was the grown woman beside her. “Aisha, how dare you speak that way? Apologize immediately!” 

The woman in question was Lilia, currently in charge of watching the two girls while Paul searched for a ship and a knowledgeable guide. These sisterly arguments were a daily occurrence. Paul had more or less given up on mediation, looking exasperated as he acknowledged, “Well, they are sisters, so they’re going to fight.” He did still step in and scold Aisha when she began spouting too many foul words. 

Roxy sat beside them, looking a bit uncomfortable at the exchange. In the past, she’d worked as a live-in tutor for the Greyrat family. She also knew Lilia well, but that didn’t make this an easy place for her to be right now. 

“Yes, ma’am. I am sorry, Miss Norn, for getting carried away.” 

Aisha looked entirely unconcerned as she recited her apology. Her words were polite, as was her tone, but it was an apology in name only. Even Lilia understood that Aisha hadn’t truly reflected on her actions at all. If she had, then she wouldn’t lash out at Norn at every opportunity. 

She wanted to tell her daughter that she should be paying more respect to the daughter of Paul’s legitimate wife, but didn’t know to convey the sentiment in words. But that wasn’t the only reason why Lilia refrained from pressing Aisha further. Her daughter was right, this time. 

“Miss Norn, the Begaritt Continent is an incredibly dangerous land,” Lilia said. “Of course, the master will act cautiously and do as much as he can to ensure your safety. However, mistakes do happen. If you were to get injured as a result, I am sure it would cause him immeasurable grief.” 

Even Norn understood that meant she would be in the way. But that just didn’t matter to her. As far as she was concerned, being with her father was the safest and securest place for her to be. No one else would protect her. She couldn’t leave his side. “I don’t want to.” 

“Miss Norn. Don’t say that. Please try to understand.” 

“I’m saying it because I don’t want to! I want to go with him, to where my mother is!” She slammed her hands down on the table and stood up. Her plate fell and shattered, scattering her uneaten food across the wooden floor. “You’re going with him too, Miss Lilia! That’s not fair!” 

“Miss Norn! Enough is enough. Be reasonable!” Lilia’s voice grew louder. She knew her place in the master-servant relationship, and she cared deeply for Norn, but she knew when to discipline her, too. 

Norn flinched, but soon fixed the woman with a glare, balled her fists and yelled, “I’ve had enough!” She kicked her chair over and dashed out of the dining hall. 

“Ah, Miss Norn! Please wait!” Lilia chased after the girl as she disappeared outside. Roxy also scrambled after the two, but it was too late. By the time they emerged from the inn, the petite Norn had already disappeared into the crowd. 

“Hmph.” Left behind, Aisha snorted in displeasure. 

*** 

Norn ran through an undulating mass of people, her eyes full of tears threatening to spill at any moment. She was frustrated, irritated, and she felt pathetic. This wasn’t the first time that things hadn’t gone the way she’d wanted them. Q uite the opposite: Things rarely ever went her way. 

Even so, despite all that, she still wanted to remain with Paul. It was the only thing she wanted. She’d withstood every outrageous thing that had happened to them all this time just for that reason. Of course, she would make selfish demands at times, but generally she abstained from doing so. Ever since the Displacement Incident, this entire time, she thought that being with Paul was her absolute right. Now they were trying to steal even that from her. 

“Hic…” Norn couldn’t help but cry. As she wiped her tears, she turned the corner and collided with someone. “Ah!” 

“What?!” The person she’d run into cried out as something fell out of their hand. 

Norn peered up to find a stout, bearded man with a dumbfounded look on his face. Beside him was was a slender fellow whose eyes were wide in astonishment. Sauce stained the bearded man’s chest. At Norn’s feet was the skewer he must have dropped. 

As the man took in the scene before him, his face grew red, while Norn’s grew pale. “Hey, you little brat! Where do you think you’re walking!” 

“Eek!” 

He grabbed her by her shirt collar and hoisted her in the air. His scruffy face pressed in close, his breath washing over her. It smelled of alcohol. He was drunk. 

“Uh, um, uh…” Norn trembled in fear. She knew well what drunk people did. She’d seen Paul drunk often enough when he was running from his problems. Although his anger was never directed at her, it was still enough for a young Norn to understand. Drunk people are terrifying; drinking is bad. She’d accepted the fact that Paul couldn’t function without his liquor, but her father was the only exception. 

“What’re you gonna do to make up for this, huh?! Pay up!!” 

“Yeah! That was Boss’ favorite snack!!” 

“You moron! I’m talking about my clothes! And this stain! I’m not gonna be able to get it out!” 

“Uhhhh…hic…hic…” Norn could only tremble and sob when faced with their intimidation. Struggling to tamp down the overwhelming terror that threatened to make her wet her pants, she cast a pleading gaze around in hopes that someone would help. Heartlessly, no one stopped to look at her. None were eager to involve themselves with a quarrelsome drunkard, and they were all quick to distance themselves from the scene. 

“Now tell me where your mom or dad is!” 

“…” 

“You gotta speak so I can get an answer! You aren’t even going to apologize?! Were you raised by animals?!” 

“I-I’m s-sorry!” 

Wait. There was someone. A person who met her desperate gaze, heard her apology, and stopped moving. His expression contorted in anger as he stomped up to the bearded man. 

“Who the hell are you?” 

“…” 

The passerby grabbed the man’s arm, the one keeping Norn suspended in the air. He had such strength in his grip. The bearded man’s arm was almost as thick as a normal person’s torso, and yet the passerby twisted it back like there was no resistance at all. 

“Ow, ouch, ouch, ouch!” Unable to withstand the pressure, the bearded man relinquished his grip on Norn. She landed on her butt, looking up at the man who had saved her. 

“Explain. Just what did this girl do to you?” The passerby was wearing a forehead protector. A scar ran diagonally across his face, which was now twisted in anger. 

Had his hair and gem been visible, he would have been instantly recognizable as Ruijerd Superdia. Norn, of course, had no idea who he was. However, the moment she saw his face, she instantly stood and ducked behind him. 

“Th-that brat just ran into me out of nowhere and now my shirt—” 

“She apologized.” 

“That apology isn’t going to get this stain out—ouch!” 

Ruijerd strengthened his grip on the man’s arm, which strained audibly under the pressure. 

“You bastard! Let go of the boss!” The thin man tried to grab Ruijerd’s face, but the latter easily sidestepped him and the man’s fingers just barely grazed his headband. 

“Give up on the stain or give up on living. Which will it be?” 

“Ow, ow, ow! I’m sorry, it’s my fault! I’m the one in the wrong!” 

Ruijerd released him. The smaller man quickly ran to the bearded one’s side asking, “Are you all right?!” 

“You, apologize again,” said Ruijerd, peering down at Norn. 

Norn looked shocked for a moment, then quickly nodded and bowed at her accuser. “I-I’m sorry.” 

“Tch. It’s fine; it was my fault for bothering with you. Come on, let’s get out of here.” 

“R-roger that, Boss!” 

The two men disappeared into the crowd. Norn slowly slid to the ground. All the strength in her body fled when the cloud of fear finally lifted and a wave of relief swept in. 

“You all right?” 

“Oh, yes.” Norn looked up at Ruijerd. Her gaze was a mixture of surprise and familiarity. She remembered him. Back when she lived in Millishion, before either Aisha or Lilia had joined them, she’d almost tripped and he had extended his hand to help her. He’d patted her head so gently and even given her an apple. There was no way she could forget him—the bald man with a forehead protector and large scar on his face. 

The relief broke the flood gates, and though it was shameful for someone of her age, she burst into tears. 

Ruijerd panicked when he saw her crying. Other passersby were staring, and because of his frightening appearance, no one would approach them. After hesitating, Ruijerd crouched down and put a hand on Norn’s head and softly stroked it. The warmth of his hand and the way he handled her as gently as porcelain brought Norn such comfort that her sobbing began to quiet. 

*** 

“They were so cruel. All of them. Telling me no, that I’d be in the way.” 

For a short while after that, Norn went quiet, though she continued to sniffle. Ruijerd thought it best to return her to her father as quickly as possible, but when he mentioned it, she shook her head firmly. Ruijerd thought that there might be some issue between her and Paul, so he decided instead to hear out her side of the story. 

“I see.” After hearing all of the details, Ruijerd tightened his grip on his spear. 

Norn’s story was one-sided and lacked adequate explanation. As a result, there were several things that required further clarification. The main points, however, were clear enough that Ruijerd could infer the rest. And he could understand Norn’s desire to be with her father. 

“That must be tough.” 

Ruijerd knew what it was like to be a father. At one point he’d had a child and wife of his own. Back then, serving in Laplace’s imperial guard, he’d traveled across the Demon Continent. He left them both behind to fight, driven by a mix of ambition and loyalty. He hadn’t left them behind because they’d get in the way of satisfying those desires, but because they were so precious to him that he wanted them to stay somewhere safe. 

However… 

When he’d first left his village, his son still had a tail attached to his body. That was at the beginning of the war, though. Ruijerd fought in Laplace’s personal guard for many years. As he won battles and they began to unify the Demon Continent, his son grew up. His tail became a spear, his body became muscular, and he became a magnificent young man. He’d grown enough that when Ruijerd returned to his village for the last time, his son approached him and arrogantly insisted, “I’m an adult now. Take me with you to your next battle!” 

Back then, his son hadn’t the mind to heed anything his father said to him. So Ruijerd instead used his strength to force his son to back down. “If this is all you are capable of, then you’re not a warrior yet in my eyes,” he’d told his son before he left. 

It was a common mindset among warriors. They tried to keep their loved ones far from battle to protect them. But ultimately, Ruijerd was the one who had been unworthy as a warrior. His son had been the true warrior. It was his son, after all, who defeated Ruijerd when the demonic spear he wielded made him go berserk. It was his son who saved the other warriors. 

Ruijerd still didn’t know how his son had been able to defeat him back then. He roamed the whole of the Demon Continent carrying that question, but he’d never found a satisfying answer. Now, however, he had an idea. His son had surely worked hard to become stronger in ways his father never knew about. He’d followed his father’s instructions, and had trained himself with purpose and determination in order to protect both his mother and his village. Ruijerd felt such pride. 

If Norn felt the same way, then she wouldn’t listen no matter how much Paul told her that he was worried or that she was precious to him. 

If only she were a little bit older. A little bit stronger. If only she had that same sense of purpose and determination and had spent her days training. If she were as capable as Rudeus, then Ruijerd would have tried to persuade Paul to take her. Presently, though, Norn was just young and frail. 

“Norn.” 

“Yes?” 

Ruijerd looked into the eyes of the girl sitting beside him. “You need to get stronger.” 

“Huh…?” 

“If you want to be with someone, you have to get bigger, stronger, more impressive. In order to get there, you’re going to have to bear with your circumstances right now.” His words were clumsy. He wasn’t conveying what he wanted to very clearly. 

But Norn understood. Strange as it was, she found meaning in his words. They resonated differently from what Lilia, Aisha, and the other adults had said to her before, perhaps because Ruijerd’s came from a place of positivity rather than negativity. 

“Ugh.” Norn pursed her lips and looked downwards. 

In response, Ruijerd just smiled and reached his hand out. He stroked her head softly. “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you in your father’s stead until you get there.” 

The way he touched her was so gentle that it was more than enough to reassure her. After a long silence she spoke up in a thin voice, “Okay.” 

Satisfied, Ruijerd started to lift his hand away. 

“Ah!” 

He stopped when Norn exclaimed. “What is it?” 

“Please pet my head a little longer.” 

Ruijerd obliged her. Norn curled in on herself to hold her body perfectly still as he caressed her hair softly, as if he were stroking a baby chick. 

“It feels kind of comforting,” she explained. 

“I see.” 

Ruijerd continued rubbing her head for a short while after that. It was a pleasant sight for anyone who looked upon the two of them. Even Norn’s puffy, tear-covered face finally lit into a smile. 

“Ah! There she is! Miss Lilia, I found her!” From the side of the plaza came a voice. They spotted a young girl with blue hair trying to hold down the hat on her head as she ran toward them. 

“Looks like they’re here for you,” Ruijerd mumbled. He dropped his hand to his side and stood up. 

Norn felt a bit sad as his warmth disappeared. She followed him and stood as well. “Um…” He had already turned his back toward her, but she called out to him in a loud voice. “Please tell me your name!” 

He glanced over his shoulder. The knot in his headband had loosened during their exchange with the two men earlier and now came completely undone. As it fell away, it revealed a ruby-like gem on his forehead. “Ruijerd. Ruijerd Superdia.” 

It was a scene straight from a fantasy novel. A man with a beautiful jewel on his forehead, illuminated by sunlight from behind, a smile on his face as he looked directly at her. In that moment, Norn felt like a fairytale princess whose knight had come to rescue her. 

*** 

In the same moment, Ruijerd made another, completely different impact on another girl who’d heard him state his name. Roxy Migurdia. 

To describe the gravity of this impact will require a bit of explanation. 

There were three things Roxy hated as a child, the first of which was green peppers. It was the first vegetable she ate when she arrived on the Millis Continent. Back then she’d thought that the human world was heaven, full of only sweet confections! And that green peppers had been a messenger from hell, sent to drag her to the abyss. She could still remember the unique scent and bitter taste that spread through her mouth when she ate it. How she’d immediately spat it out, only to still feel nauseous. The green pepper is poison to the Migurd Tribe , she’d once seriously thought. She’d conquered that fear during her time as Rudeus’ home tutor, however, embarrassed by the thought of being picky about her food in front of him. 

The second thing she hated was children. Human children between five to fifteen years of age, specifically. Especially males. They didn’t listen. They acted hastily, based on their whims, and wouldn’t heed logic. Upon meeting Rudeus, she’d begun to think maybe she actually did like kids after all. Eventually, she realized the problem wasn’t that she hated children. Rather, she hated people who didn’t listen. In a way, she’d conquered her hatred of children as well. 

The third thing she hated was the Superd Tribe. She’d heard stories of them countless times from the time she was still a baby. They were a devilish tribe, involved in a war long before she was born, that had betrayed its allies. It was said they’d had connections with the Migurd Tribe long ago, but were persecuted as traitors and driven to ruin. The Superd held a strong grudge against those who’d turned against them, and as soon as they spotted a demon from another tribe, they would attack and kill them without question. 

Of all the Superd, Dead End was the one best known among children. As legend had it, when he found a child who’d misbehaved, he would come in and steal them while everyone was sleeping and carry them off to his lair. Then he would eat their legs so they couldn’t run, eat their arms so they couldn’t resist, and then slowly start eating their stomachs, saving their heads for last to keep them fresh. That was why you had to be well-behaved. Such were the stories she’d been raised on. 

Back when she’d first left her village and became a novice adventurer, she’d seriously thought she was in danger because she’d been so ill-behaved. Gradually that anxiety had faded as she grew into an adult, but her fear of the Superd Tribe remained. That was why she was on such high alert when she discovered someone was calling themselves Dead End in Wind Port. 

Now, several years later, she’d run into someone from the Superd Tribe, just as she’d been running around the city looking for Norn and finally thought she’d found the girl. The person before her was the same bald man she’d spotted at Wind Port. He had a chalk-white, three-pronged spear in his hand. In the next second, his headband fell away, exposing the red jewel lying beneath. 

“Ruijerd. Ruijerd Superdia.” 

And he called himself Superdia. For some reason he didn’t have any hair, but there was no doubt in her mind that he was a Superd— the Dead End. And he was moments away from sinking his teeth into Norn. 

“Ah…uh…” 

Fear gripped Roxy, starting at the base of her feet and rising upward. Shivers raced through her body, and she felt like she might release her grip on consciousness right then and there. However, she had been entrusted with the task of protecting Norn. Lilia was sprinting up behind her. There was also Aisha back at the inn as well. No…it wasn’t just them. Everyone in this plaza was in danger. Roxy’s heart screamed at her, forcing her to steel herself and hold her staff at the ready. 

“L-Let that girl go! If you refuse, I shall be your opponent!” 

Silence fell. Ruijerd grew stiff, and Lilia froze. Norn actually clung to Ruijerd, glaring with hostility in Roxy’s direction. Roxy realized something was off, but her extreme anxiety stopped her from figuring out what it was. Still, she got a distinct sense that she was making a mistake right now. She’d made many up until this point, so she knew the feeling well. 

“Lord Ruijerd, it has been a while,” said Lilia, bowing as she strode up from behind Roxy. 

Shaken by how casually Lilia had greeted him, Roxy asked her, “Uh? Um, you know him?” 

“Haven’t you heard? Lord Ruijerd is the one who escorted Lord Rudeus back to the Asura Kingdom…” 

“Oh.” She had heard. In fact, she’d even heard that the Dead End she saw in Wind Port was the very same one who’d escorted Rudeus. But she’d never honestly believed that he was an actual Superd. 

“I have no intention of hurting her,” Ruijerd said, warily gazing over at Roxy as she brandished her staff. 

Roxy realized she’d completely misunderstood the situation. Her face turned bright red as she averted her gaze to her feet. 

She really did hate the Superd Tribe. 

*** 

Ruijerd would escort the girls to Rudeus. When Paul’s group heard the news, their reactions were mixed. Lilia and Ginger, who knew his true strength and character, gave the plan their seal of approval, saying they could be assured that the girls would arrive safely if Ruijerd was the one escorting them. 

Vierra and Sherra both exchanged looks and nodded as if to say, Why not ? They knew Ruijerd was the one who had protected Rudeus as he traversed the Demon Continent. He was strong enough to be reliable as well, so they saw no problems with it. 

Talhand was against the plan. Just like Roxy, he had grown up with scary stories about the Superd Tribe, and heard anecdotes about how their atrocities when he traveled the Demon Continent. There was no smoke without a fire. Talhand had no doubt in his mind that Ruijerd had done something terrible in the past. Even if he were on the path to redemption now, that didn’t mean he could be trusted with a complete stranger’s loved ones. 

Roxy was partially against it. She knew she shouldn’t judge people based on appearances or preconceived notions. It was just that… this was the Superd Tribe they were talking about. Even after she understood that Ruijerd didn’t present them any danger, she still remained cautious. 

No, “cautious” wasn’t the right word. She was afraid. The Superd Tribe was the embodiment of the fear she felt as a child, hearing all those stories. Even though her village no longer told such stories about the Superd Tribe, they’d been the best common way of disciplining children when she was young. That was why she couldn’t fully mask her terror. Although she intellectually understood that it was safe, the fear that had been instilled in her as a child still froze her in place and made her wary. 

So she said, “If you really think you can trust him, then go ahead.” 

So there were four opinions: strongly for, partially for, against, and partially against. Paul considered them all. He didn’t know Ruijerd that well. The only time he’d had any contact with the man was when Ruijerd appeared alongside Rudeus, and even then, they’d hardly talked. 

At the time, he’d gotten the impression that Ruijerd was trustworthy. However, it’d been several years since then, enough to change a person. Paul knew this from personal experience. Heck, it didn’t require several years—a single day was all it might take. Thus the question: Could Paul really trust Ruijerd? Could he entrust him with the girls? 

As he weighed the decision in his head, he looked downwards. There, clinging to Ruijerd’s leg, was Norn. For a moment it was as if he were seeing double—an image of himself with Norn clinging to his leg superimposed over his vision. Norn was so shy with people that she hadn’t warmed up to any adults other than him. Despite that, there she was, leaning against Ruijerd as if he were her father instead. 

Then again, Ruijerd was the one who saved her. When that drunk came at her and she was crying, desperate for help, Ruijerd had stepped in as if it were his duty. No doubt it was much the same when he stepped in to save Rudeus as well. He moved without consideration for the consequences. Most likely, he hadn’t changed at all. 

“Can I trust you with them?” The words left Paul’s mouth before he even realized he was speaking. 

Ruijerd immediately returned his gaze. “Even if it costs me my life, I will deliver them to Rudeus.” His reply was both sincere and encouraging. Reflected in Ruijerd’s eyes was a sense of duty and determination. He had the face of a warrior, one earned over many moons, something that Paul didn’t possess. If this was deception, then Paul didn’t know what was real anymore. 

“Then I’ll leave it to you.” Paul extended a hand. Ruijerd took it and they exchanged a firm handshake. 

That was how Ruijerd became Norn and Aisha’s bodyguard. 



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