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Mushoku Tensei (LN) - Volume 10 - Chapter 4




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Chapter 4:

Dramatic 

R ANOA KINGDOM, the Magic City of Sharia: 

In a section of this city—heavily populated with students—was an old manor with many problems. A single step down the drive brought you to an untended garden, and then to a broken front door. The walls and ceilings had water damage, and the roof leaked when it rained. There was a fireplace that might or might not be in working condition, and the outer walls were shrouded in moss and shriveled vines. In short, it was less a house and more an abandoned ruin. 

Even better? The house was haunted. 

Surprisingly enough, a man named Rudeus Greyrat was attempting to move into the house. A former A-ranked adventurer and current student of the University of Magic, Rudeus had bought the house for himself and his future wife to live in. Peculiar taste, for sure. Not many people would choose such a place to begin their newlywed life. 

One man took up this client’s call: Balda of the Large Hollow, an artisan and renovator, and an expert architect affiliated with the Magicians’ Guild in the Duchy of Basherant. He had thirty years of experience that encompassed everything from designing the layout of a building to actually constructing it. Having acquired his skills in the Holy Country of Millis, he had a number of notable achievements under his belt, such as constructing a detached school building for the University of Magic. 

Balda was a bit of a stubborn man, but a good one whose skills were undeniable. He always had a hammer by his side, and if he found something he didn’t like, even if it was a stranger’s house, he’d tear it down and rebuild it. Such was the temperament of a craftsman. He’d beat anything into shape with his hammer, whether it be buildings or his own pupils. That was how he’d acquired another nickname: Balda the Hammer. 

“Aha. We’re here. You must be Q uagmire! Heard you’re gettin’ married!” 

The person who welcomed the artisan was the client himself, a man known on the streets as “Rudeus the Q uagmire,” though more affectionately referred to as “ Q uagmire” by the artisan. 

“Yes. I’m in your hands, Mister Balda.” 

Balda knew Rudeus. Talhand was an old friend of his, and he’d heard of Rudeus through Talhand’s companion, Elinalise. 

“I’m glad I was able to buy a house for my new wife, but as you can see, it needs some work.” 

“Well, why don’t ya let me have a look?” 

“Be my guest.” 

As soon as they tried to enter the house, the artisan furrowed his brows. “Hey now, what’s this here? This doorway’s in bad shape. Almost like the door got ripped right off its hinges.” 

“It didn’t fit right and couldn’t be opened, so we had no choice but to break it,” Rudeus explained. 

“Tsk, honestly,” the dwarf spat. “You kids just like to go breakin’ everything. You don’t have any respect for things.” 

“I agree completely.” 

The client easily brushed off the artisan’s angry words. He spoke as if he had nothing to do with the door’s destruction. The artisan didn’t care much for that kind of attitude, but he held his feelings in. He’d heard that Rudeus the Q uagmire was quite the terrifying individual if you provoked his anger. 

“So whatcha wanna do about the door?” 

“What do you mean?” Rudeus asked. 

“ Q uality of materials, design, that kinda stuff. If you don’t got a preference, I’ll just use my own know-how,” Balda explained. 

“I don’t have any particular preference when it comes to materials, but I would like to request a sturdy door. Also, please add a door knocker.” 

“’Course. This is the front entrance, after all.” 

After that they headed inside, where the artisan once again wore a look of mixed emotion. “This place’s really had a number done on it.” 

“I-It has?” 

“The floor’s oddly well made, but the walls and ceiling are pretty shoddy work in comparison. Almost like the basement’s the most important part of the house and everything else is just extra.” 

“You can tell all of that?” 

“’Course I can.” 

Balda’s eyes could easily tell what was well made and what wasn’t. The floor, stairs, second floor, dining area, kitchen and fireplace were all solid work. He could tell that a talented builder had exercised their architectural skills and magic abilities to create this a hundred years ago. But someone else had made renovations to the walls and ceiling. That’s where it’d gone haywire. 

“Well, this can be fixed real quick.” 

The artisan’s words were reassuring. Relieved, the client led him to a large dining area. 

“A large room, eh? Sunlight in here ain’t bad,” said Balda. 

“How about the fireplace?” 

“Let’s see.” The dwarf’s eyes lit up at the fireplace that might or might not be useable. “This is a nice fireplace. Bit old, but probably best we not go makin’ adjustments to it.” 

“Are you sure?” 

“Here, look at this mark chiseled in here.” Balda pointed to the emblem that Rudeus was sure he’d seen somewhere before. “This is the mark of a genius craftsman. His name’s been lost to time, but in the Asura Kingdom, magical implements with this mark on them fetch a high price. Most of them are small gadgets, though. Who’d have thought the same person woulda created a whole fireplace somewhere like this?” 

The client thought back to the crest on the diary he’d found in this house just a few days before, finally realizing that it looked awfully similar to this one. It seemed the original owner of the house had built these things himself. 

“So, what do ya wanna do with this big room?” Balda asked. 

“That’s a good question. What do you normally do with a room like this?” 

“Well, it’s a big area. Plonk down a big table and you can use it for parties. Have the one on the other wing of the house as a spare. If somethin’ comes up and ya can’t use this room, then you can use that one instead.” 

“So you wouldn’t use it most of the time?” 

“Not normally, no. Then again, for most us livin’ normal everyday lives, one big room is more than enough.” 

“I suppose you’re right. Let’s use the room in the other wing as a lounge, then.” 

“Aye.” 

The artisan and his client continued their exchange as they moved to the next room. 

“Ya got two kitchens here, too. Though the second one’s got no kiln.” 

“I assume that means it wasn’t used, then?” Rudeus asked. 

“Got a drainage pipe, so it was probably used for washin’ and bathin’.” 

“Oh, so a bathroom!” 

The artisan looked at the kitchen, then the washing area. He checked for deterioration and clogging in the plumbing, then nodded. “This place is fine without any repairs. It’s pretty clean, for how much it’s been used. Though might not have been used much to begin with.” 

“There is one thing I’d like to consult you about,” the client said, following up with his own suggestion. 

The artisan’s eyes lit up. “You think of some interestin’ stuff. But I don’t have the materials for that, so it might cost ya.” 

“I’ll create them myself with magic.” 

“Got it all figured out, eh? Very well. Let’s see what we can do.” 

And so the client entrusted the artisan with his idea. 

*** 

The next day, ten of Balda’s underlings gathered together and the renovations began. 

PART 1: DOOR 

Early in the morning, a large door made of expensive wood shaved down to fit the frame was carried in. On the outside of the sturdy slab was a door knocker in the form of a lion, with a magic circle drawn into the edge of the door as a security measure. 

“It ain’t much, but if anyone tries to force the door open, a loud noise will echo throughout the house,” the dwarf said. “Could be an alarm clock, too.” 

The client laughed boldly at the artisan’s idea. 

PART 2: WASHING AREA 

Under the artisan’s skilled ministrations, this area was undergoing quite the change. First, a partition was put in to split the area in two. The stone flooring was replaced by tile and canted toward a drain in one corner of the room. In another corner, a square stone box large enough for three people to lie in was installed. The floor below was slightly indented so the box could be set in place. Then a window was installed close to the ceiling. What exactly was this room supposed to be? 

PART 3: BASEMENT ROOM 

The client and artisan stood in the darkness of the basement. 

“This is a nice basement area. The way it’s built, you’ll hardly ever get mice comin’ in.” 

“Yes. Well, about this hidden door here. Behind it, I’d like you to create a room like this.” 

“Why’re you wantin’ such a strange—ah, forget it. I won’t say nothin’. I’m a good follower of Millis, but it looks like you sure aren’t.” 

Machinery and materials were brought into the basement to fulfill the client’s wishes, and the stains on the corners of the hidden door were completely washed away. 

*** 

Two weeks later, when the renovations were finally complete, the client brought his wife along with him. 

“Oh, I wonder what it is you want to show me. I am so excited!” 

“You sound like you’re reading those lines off a piece of paper, Sylphie. Don’t tell me you secretly gathered intel and already know what it is?” 

“Oh? Whatever do you mean? I have no idea what you’re talking about.” 

Rudeus flirted with his wife as she continued to pretend stilted surprise, and the two made their way through the snow. 

“Apparently, while I wasn’t looking, the honest-to-a-fault girl I knew learned to lie. Now that I think about it, maybe I should be happy. But if you can lie so boldly now, then I’m worried you might lie to me again in the future.” 

“This is your fault too, Rudy. If you use Princess Ariel’s name, I’m going to find out about it.” 

“I apologize.” 

“I’m going to get anxious if you don’t tell me anything, you know. I mean, you’re so handsome…” Sylphie trailed off. 

“You think I’d cheat? That’s upsetting.” 

“No, I mean…um, you know. I’m not very—I mean, in the chest area. They’re kind of small.” 

The moment the man saw the anxious look on his wife’s face, a grin spread across his. “What’s this, you’re worried about your breast size? Don’t worry, this old man is a believer in equality. I don’t discriminate. Ha ha ha!” 

“Old man? Ah, hey, don’t start suddenly touching me! People are watching!” 

“Yes, ma’am. I’m sorry.” 

By the time they reached the house, the man had grown quiet, like a dog with its tail tucked between its legs. His wife adjusted her sunglasses and grumbled in frustration. “Consider the time and place. Save that stuff for nighttime, in the bedroom! Okay?” 

“Yes, Miss Sylphiette. I will never do it again.” 

“Ah, b-but if you really can’t hold yourself back…then hmm…” 

“Oho? You’re gonna have to speak up, kid, this old man’s ears aren’t like they used to be.” 

The two of them took a look at their new house. 

BEFORE: 

Moss clung to the the stones and ivy snaked its way across the outside of the house. The windows were shattered and the front door hung off its frame. The Rudeus Estate gave off an eerie aura, as if it were home to a witch. 

NOW: 

The previously moss-covered stones had all been cleaned and polished, and a new coat of pure white paint had been applied to the outer walls. The roof, previously so dull you couldn’t tell its original shade, was now a bright green. Sturdy dark-brown double doors had been installed in the entryway. The doors had sparkling, lion-shaped gold hinges that looked almost like guard dogs. 

Seeing this, the wife covered her mouth. 

“What do you think?” 

“Um, uh, what do I think?” 

“I picked a color close to your original hair color for the roof. You might not have liked your hair, but I really did.” 

“Huh? Oh, I see. Aah…” She kept her hand pressed to her mouth, eyes full of admiration as she looked over the house. 

“Come on then, let’s go inside and see the rest of it.” 

The two of them went inside. A mat lay at the front entrance for them to wipe their feet on—a representation of the client’s feelings about this world’s culture of wearing shoes indoors. 

“To the right is the dining room. To the left is the living room. Which would you like to see first?” 

“Um, I guess the ‘dining’ one first?” 

“So you prefer the dining room! Very good. I’m sure you’ll take an even bigger liking to this place, once you see it. Come this way.” The client’s nervousness was filtering into his speech, as if he were some kind of car salesman. 

The two made their way from the foyer to a room on the left. The previously large, empty room had undergone quite the transformation. First, a long table had been placed within. It was bare at the moment, but it looked capable of seating ten people. The walls were covered in white wallpaper, and in the corner was a vase with a small arrangement of flowers. The large fireplace had been repaired with brand-new red bricks that accented the rest of the room. 

“Whoa, this is amazing.” 

“We’ll eat either here or in the living area,” the man said. 

“What are we going to do with a table this long?” 

“I’m sure we’ll use it when we invite people over.” 

“Oh, that makes sense. You’re right. We’ll have guests over.” The girl removed her sunglasses and scratched at the back of her ears. 

He reached over and patted her on the head, an affectionate look on his face. No doubt the client was inwardly thinking not only of potential guests but of filling the seats at the table with their children. 

“Okay, then! To the living room.” 

They moved to the living room. Spread out before them was a large, welcoming, family-oriented space. Couches were installed around the fireplace. A table sat close by with a pitcher and some cups resting atop it. The artisan had displayed magnificent ingenuity in implementing the client’s desire for a relaxing house so naturally. 

“This is amazing. Can I sit on this?” 

“Of course you can! Ah, but please don’t even mention that the cushions are hard, I already know. They’ll soften more with wear, I’m told.” 

“I haven’t even sat down yet. In fact, Rudy, you’ve been talking weird for a bit now.” 

“I’m just a little nervous.” 

His wife cautiously took a seat on the couch. “It’s not really hard at all.” 

The client settled down beside his wife. Then he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and the two faced each other, gazes connecting. His wife softly closed her eyes and— 

He pulled her back up onto her feet. “Wh-why don’t we go see the next room? It’s the kitchen. The Rudeus Estate boasts a fantastic meal preparation area; come have a look!” 

“Uh, yeah!” 

Besides the existing stone kiln, the kitchen also hosted an assortment of the newest cooking equipment. There was a counter large enough to butcher an entire boar on, and a cooking stove with a gigantic generic pot. There were also casks, jars and earthen containers for storage purposes. 

“It’s so normal.” 

“It sure is.” 

As her husband’s expression turned solemn, the wife in turn gave her own solemn nod. Once that was over with, they were on to the next area—the washroom. They walked down the hallway and slipped in through the entryway. When they did, the wife tilted her head. 

“Oh? It’s quite small.” 

There was a large bucket and washboard in the room, and nothing else. It was more than enough space to do laundry in, but what caught her attention was the door at the back. 

“Have a look.” The client led his wife through the door. 

The sight that awaited her was an enormous bath. 

BEFORE: 

It was nothing more than a plain room with no stone kiln, too large to be used just for washing clothes in. A desolate second kitchen area. 

NOW: 

The floor was replaced with tile, and at the edge of the room was a large tub filled with warm water. It was angled such that the water trickled smoothly down the drain that had been installed. The room that had formerly been covered in stone was now a stylish bath. 

“Um, could this perhaps be…a bath?” His wife asked. 

“I should’ve expected you’d figure it out. You know what a bath is, then?” 

“Oh, yes. I had a little experience with them when I lived in the royal palace. But this is the first time I’ve ever seen one this big before. Is this what you call a hot spring?” 

“It’s a little different from a hot spring.” 

She couldn’t mask her surprise. The client watched her with a curious expression. You could almost hear his sinister inner voice saying, “I’m looking forward to bathing together, heh heh heh” just from the look on his face. 

“I put water in it just so I could show you, but normally we’ll keep it empty.” 

“Okay. You can teach me how to use it later. Ahh!” 

He’d suddenly thrown his arms around her. Apparently, he was overcome with emotion at her words. 

“Jeez, what’s this about?” she demanded. 

“I was worrying about how I could get you to take a bath with me. So, when I heard you say that, I just couldn’t help myself,” the client said. 

“You were really worried about that? A bath isn’t something you do alone, right? The Princess is always going in with her attendants. I’ve even helped her wash up before.” 

“There’s a custom in one of the tribes out there where the wife and husband wash each other’s bodies. Have you heard of that one?” 

“I haven’t. That sounds kind of embarrassing, but I’ll give it my best.” 

Once their conversation was over, they took the stairs and ascended to the second floor. The ceiling had been beautifully restored with bright wooden panels, eliminating all concerns about being dripped on when it rained. The client took his wife straight to the door furthest in. 

“Right now, this is the only room I’ve remodeled on the second floor.” 

“Ah, it’s amazing.” His wife’s eyes widened with surprise as she entered. The most conspicuous thing in the room, of course, was the massive bed wide enough for three people to comfortably sleep in. There was only one pillow on it: the client’s favorite. “Why such a big bed?” 

“That’s obvious, of course. It’s so we can really enjoy ourselves when we’re alone together.” 

“Oh, so that’s it. I guess that makes sense. Hee hee hee.” 

They both wore toothy grins on their faces. 

*** 

And so I introduced Sylphie to our new house, documentary-style. 

She sat on the bed and cuddled with me. She was in a good mood, a big smile on her face. I was glad she liked the place. I wanted to push her down and get to husband-and-wife business, but there was a little something I wanted to talk about first. 

“Sylphie, it’s been approximately three weeks since I announced our betrothal. I realize that isn’t a long time, but we have taken a bit of a break from discussing it.” 

“Y-yes.” 

The reason I was talking so stiffly was because this was a serious conversation. 

Sylphie had to realize that too, because she straightened up. 

“Even though I said we’d get married, to be honest, I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. I went ahead and bought this house, but honestly, I can’t help feeling like I’ve rushed on ahead.” 

“I-I don’t feel that way at all. I’m really happy with everything you’ve done. In fact, I’m the one wondering if it’s really okay for me to live in such a luxurious place.” 

“Really? I’m glad to hear that you have no issues, but I wish to discuss what happens in the future.” 

The future. When I said that, her face went red, and for some reason, she started fidgeting. “Um, I’m fine with however many you want. But elf blood runs strong through my veins, so it might be difficult to get me pregnant.” 

“Y-yeah.” 

That was incredibly sexy to hear. This wasn’t modern Japan, after all. I’d have been disappointed to hear she wanted to put off having kids for financial reasons even though we just got married. That’s right. I was loyal to my instincts. And by that, I meant the natural animal instinct to reproduce. In other words, make babies. 

Even so, I intended to be understanding about her career. “But what are you going to do about your work for Princess Ariel?” 

I didn’t know what the Princess thought about all of this, but I didn’t see how Sylphie could continue her work as a bodyguard if she got pregnant. I supposed I or someone else could fill in on the battlefront, but that wasn’t the only aspect of being a bodyguard. 

“What do you mean?” she asked. 

“Wouldn’t it be difficult to do both at the same time?” 

“I’ve already spoken with the Princess about that.” Huh. Made sense. “We plan to stay in this country for the next two years at the very least, and even then, it’s not as if we’ll make tracks for the Asura Kingdom the instant we graduate. We’re looking at roughly five more years. So, um…” 

It seemed Sylphie had no intention of quitting her bodyguard work. The fact that quitting had never even been mentioned spoke volumes about the strength of her bond with Ariel and Luke. I wondered what the old Sylphie, the one who was entirely dependent upon me, would say. Perhaps she’d offer to throw it all aside to follow me. That would make me happy too, but… 

“Sorry. Now that I think about it, it’s unfair to you, isn’t it? You’ve provided me with such a magnificent home, but I won’t be able to spend much time in it because of my work with Ariel. I guess I don’t really deserve to be your wife, do I?” She lowered her head, face full of sorrow. 

It wasn’t a hard-and-fast rule here that the man worked while the woman stayed at home, perhaps because there wasn’t quite as much of a social power gap between men and women in this world. Still, it was the norm more often than not. 

“Am I not good enough after all?” Sylphie asked, eyes welling up with tears. 

I felt kind of guilty. I’d spent two years in abstinence. Once my libido was finally restored, the white-hot emotion that had been bottled up for those two—no, three years—came bursting forth, and the only thought in my head was Sylphie = someone who will let me have sex with her. 

I didn’t think that was necessarily a bad thing. Sylphie had initiated it, after all, even giving me an aphrodisiac and letting me have my way with her even though it was her first time. Even though I was such a sex fiend that even the beastfolk were turned off by me. If she’d found me scary, she’d shown no sign of it. When I woke the next morning, she’d looked at me and smiled. 

If not now, then when? If not Sylphie, then whom? If I hesitated again, and she ended up marrying someone else, I was sure I’d regret it for the rest of my life. If she were taken from me—wait, that was right. Sylphie already belonged to me. 

“You’re mine, Sylphie.” 

“Eh?! Uh, yes. I’m yours, Rudy.” 

“So please—marry me.” 

Come to think of it, this might be the first time I’d explicitly asked. 

“…Yes.” Her cheeks heated up as she nodded. Then she let out a small sigh of relief. 

“Please don’t worry about your work as a bodyguard. I’ll take care of the house. You just do what you need to do.” 

“Yeah.” 

“Well, I would like you to sleep with me every few days or so if possible, though.” 

“Huh?” 

Ooops. My sexual desires had come spilling out. 

“By sleep, do you mean that ?” she asked. 

“No, no, only if you want to, of course. If you’re not up for it, just let me grope your tiny breasts and we’ll be fine.” 

“Um, I’ll try my best, okay? I don’t want to make you restrain yourself, you know?” 

“Yeah, but don’t push yourself, either. When you’re exhausted, you need to recuperate. If you let me just touch you a little bit either before we go to bed or after we get up, I’ll take care of it myself.” 

My desires were just falling right out my mouth. Then again, there was no point in playing it cool for Sylphie, anyway. This was who I was. 

“Do you like my breasts that much?” 

“I love them,” I said. 

“But Luke said there’s nothing appealing about them.” 

“Don’t trust anything a young whippersnapper like that says.” 

The younger a guy was, the more obsessed he was with breasts being bigger or smaller. That wasn’t the important part, though. It was the heart. Right, you breast-loving hermit? 

“But my chest isn’t much different from yours?” 

“That’s not true. Mine are chiseled pectorals, yours are small, beautiful breasts. They’re totally different. If you don’t believe me, why don’t you try touching mine?” 

“Sure, okay.” 

I puffed my chest out and Sylphie gently reached over to cop a feel. “You’re right, they’re completely different. Yours are kind of hard.” 

“Hmph!” I grunted. 

“Whoa!” 

I flexed my chest, prompting Sylphie to panic and retract her hand. “These pectorals belong to you, so you’re free to touch them whenever you like.” 

“M-mine belong to you too, but keep in mind the time and place when you touch them.” 

“How about now?” 

“B-but we’re having an i-important conversation right now, aren’t we?” 

Oh yeah. We’d gotten a little off track. 

“Right—back to what I wanted to talk about. Let’s communicate openly with each other openly when we need something or when we’re dissatisfied with something, okay? That’ll keep our married life peaceful,” I hurriedly summarized. 

Sylphie nodded. “Yeah, I agree.” 

“And on that note, is there anything you want to tell me now?” 

Sylphie considered it for a moment, then lowered her eyes. With a sad look on her face, she smiled and said, “Just don’t suddenly disappear on me, okay?” 

“Yeah.” That was right. It was heartbreaking when someone suddenly left. “I understand. I won’t suddenly disappear.” 

I knew painfully well how much it hurt when someone you cared about suddenly disappeared on you. 

With that, our important conversation was basically over. There were still probably some things left we needed to talk about and sort out, but for the moment, this was enough. 

“Well, then, may I?” 

“G-go ahead.” She had a nervous look on her face as she thrust her chest toward me. 

I reached a hand out to touch them, but stopped myself. Last time I’d gone at her like a beast. This time I wanted to prioritize being gentle with her over my own desires. So I softly took her in my arms and slowly pushed her down onto the bed. 

“Y-you’re not going to grope?” 

“That’s for morning and night.” 

“O-okay.” 

We stared at each other, faces close together. I could see my face reflected in her moist eyes. She softly closed them. I patted her head and gave her an awkward kiss. 

*** 

That night, I dragged my lethargic body down to the basement. There was nothing in the underground storage area, since we’d just moved in. It was bare, save for a few shelves that had been installed. I walked deeper inside and put my hand on the hidden door that had been restored by the dwarven artisan. 

BEFORE: 

It was a noisy door that creaked and groaned when being opened or closed. Despite being called a hidden door, the edges were so dirty you could spot it at a glance. 

NOW: 

The device that opened and shut the door had new metal put in, with an ample application of oil to ensure it would be soundless. The wallboards for the basement had also been completely restored. No one would have any idea there was a door hidden here. 

I quietly opened the door. Tucked within was a small shrine of unvarnished wood. It was there, inside an altar constructed of lustrous black stone, that my idol was enshrined. The dusty old research room had been thoroughly cleaned and transformed into a space of divinity. There, in the quiet of night as everything else slept, I offered a prayer to my god from this new holy land. 



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