Mushoku Tensei (LN) - Volume 12 - Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

The Indomitable Magician 

R OXY WAS JUST AS I remembered her from so many years ago. She looked and behaved the same, although being trapped in the labyrinth for the past month had weakened her considerably. Her cheeks were gaunt and there were circles under her eyes. Her braids had fallen loose and her entire body was covered in dirt, making her look like a street urchin. Despite all that, she hadn’t lost her spirit at all. 

After seeing her condition, Geese made the immediate call for us to withdraw. A prudent decision. Talhand carried Roxy on his back and we headed for the surface. I, of course, suggested I would carry Her Holiness, but we wouldn’t make it through the second floor without my offensive abilities, so I had to give up on the idea. I did inwardly debate whether it was acceptable to let such an uncouth brute carry Roxy, but no one else protested—Roxy included. 

“I’m sorry, Mister Talhand, for causing such trouble,” she said. 

“Don’t worry ’bout it. I gotta help out sometimes, too.” 

“I don’t stink, do I? I figure it must be pretty bad for Rudy to have thrown up like that.” 

“Ha ha!” The dwarf guffawed. “If I couldn’t handle this much, I couldn’t call myself an adventurer!” 

I listened from behind as we walked. The two of them had traveled together for a long time, I was told. Judging by the way they talked, I could tell they trusted each other deeply. A twinge of jealousy stirred within me. Spurred on by that jealousy, I spoke up. 

“Teacher, you know it wasn’t because I thought you were stinky that I threw up.” Roxy glanced back at me before quickly averting her eyes. 

“Th-then why did you throw up?” she asked. 

“I was caught between happiness at finally seeing you again and despair that you didn’t remember me, and my stomach just knotted up.” 

“It’s not like I forgot you. I just couldn’t make the connection between the adorable Rudy from a long time ago and the current you,” she mumbled in response before going silent. 

“…” 

It was a short conversation, but hearing her voice for the first time in a long while filled me with such joy that I could have flown right up to heaven. 

Our inn-sitting group rejoiced upon Roxy’s return, likely because this was the first happy news they’d had since they began searching the labyrinth. Granted, we’d only filled in the hole they’d dug themselves, but I wasn’t going to say that. Regardless of the circumstances, this was a happy occasion. 

Lilia immediately coaxed Roxy off to the bath. Hoping that there might be something I could do for her in the meanwhile, I hovered outside her room, but then Vierra shooed me away. She said it was rude to approach a girl’s room while she was bathing. Of course, I didn’t have any ulterior motives. I just wanted to do whatever I could for her. 

I mean it. Really . 

Okay, yes, I did have a previous offense. But this time was completely innocent! 

I thought about defending my case, but decided to drop it. This was fine. It was me, after all. If I suddenly glanced to my side and saw her clothes sitting there, there was no guarantee that my hand wouldn’t slip and pocket the small white fabric nestled on top. I couldn’t give my perverted side the opportunity. Right now, my feelings were still innocent. So really, it was fine. 

We were going to rest for a few days to give Roxy time to recover her strength. That said, she was an adventurer. She had no major injuries, was still strong enough to walk unaided, and swore that with good food and a soft bed to sleep soundly in, she’d be back to normal before long. Everything seemed to be going smoothly. 

But I couldn’t get over the fact that I’d screwed up and behaved shamefully in front of her. I hoped she wasn’t disillusioned with me. The barfing had been disrespectful, but I was just so shocked. I never stopped thinking about her the entire time we’d been apart. To think she might have forgotten me…it was overwhelming. 

Come to think of it, Sylphie had said she was stunned, too, when I acted like we were meeting for the first time. I wondered if she’d felt the same way back then. I’d have to apologize to her when I made it back home. 

Roxy slept an entire day. I couldn’t really fault her for it, given that she’d spent a month in a monster-infested labyrinth. I wanted to be the first to bid her good morning when she woke, so I loitered in front of her door, but Lilia shooed me off. I glanced back and was able to get a glimpse of her face as she slept peacefully. I decided to leave it at that, hoping she’d recover soon. 

On the second day, Roxy jumped out of bed. It was right at the lunch hour. She marched over to our table as we were eating, moving as stiff as a robot. 

“Good morning, Teacher.” 

“Yes. Good morning, Rudy—I mean, Mister Rudeus.” 

There were four of us, including myself, at the table. The others were Elinalise, Paul, and Talhand. Geese and the remaining three were currently out shopping. Our group composition was such that the labyrinth party spent their entire time resting while they were in the city, and the waiting party ran errands in the meantime. Geese was part of the labyrinth party, but for some reason, he was taking command of the waiting party. He sure was a hard worker. Maybe he should quit being an adventurer and become an administrator instead. 

“Everyone…” 

All those present turned their eyes toward Roxy. 

Meekly, she swept her gaze over each of us, then bowed her head. “I’m sorry for causing you all trouble, but I really am okay now.” 

People’s reactions varied. There was one who wrapped an arm around her shoulder and said, “You needn’t worry about that.” Another who nodded and said, “No problem.” Another who took a gulp of alcohol before shoving a bottle in her direction. And finally, there was me, who was overwhelmed with emotion at her return. 

“Well, if you want to thank someone, thank Rudy. If he hadn’t started babbling, ‘Father, I can sense God nearby,’ and run forward, punching through walls, we wouldn’t have found you.” 

Paul made me sound like a complete nutcase when it put it like that, but I’d somehow known exactly where Roxy was as we wound our way through the third floor. I also had a feeling she was in trouble. Knowing that the situation called for expediency, I made a beeline for the sound of her voice without regard for the potential danger of the tunnels collapsing. Whenever I hit a wall, I smashed right through it without hesitation. 

I had no idea how I knew she was in trouble. I just did. It was my bond with Roxy, drawing us together; I was sure of it. Yeah. There was a slight chance that the Man-God had intervened, but I would disregard that. There was only one god I believed in. 

Wait, did that mean God had guided me there? In that case, there was nothing strange about it at all! 

As I was preoccupied with such thoughts, Roxy turned toward me and bowed her head again. “Um, Mister Rudeus, what I mean to say is, uh…thank you.” 

Why did I feel like Roxy was being cold and distant? No, I knew this sensation. I’d learned about it in school. 

It was my name. The way she’d called my name. She was calling me “Mister,” as if I were some kind of stranger. 

“Don’t worry about it,” I said. “I only did what anyone would have. More importantly, please just call me Rudy.” 

Roxy looked down and mumbled, “B-but doesn’t it sound like I’m being overly familiar if I call you that?” 

“What? But we are close. If I’m going to have my own teacher call me ‘Mister Rudeus,’ then I may as well make my father do the same.” 

“Hey now, why the hell would I do that?” 

I ignored Paul’s protest. “I’d like you to call me ‘Rudy,’ just as affectionately as you once did. No matter how many years pass… I will always revere you, Roxy Migurdia, as my teacher.” 

Roxy blinked several times. For some reason her cheeks were red. Did she have a fever or something? She suddenly slapped her cheeks. “Yes. You’re right… Rudy.” 

“There, that’s perfect.” 

She gave a self-deprecating smile as she looked at me. Her cheeks were still a bit rosy. “All that aside, you really have gotten big.” 

“I am a human, after all,” I reminded her. “You don’t seem to have changed, though.” 

“Yes, still as small as ever.” 

“I don’t think you’re as small as you think you are.” 

“Oh really?” 

This was bringing back so many memories. If I closed my eyes, I could recall them all: the first day she taught me magic, the day I obtained my object of worship, the day she taught me Saint-tier magic, the day we said goodbye, and the days we spent exchanging letters. Every memory was precious to me. 

“Anyway, that was some spectacular magic,” Roxy said. “It seems you kept up quite well with your training in my absence. Was that Emperor-tier water magic?” 

“Which spell are you referring to?” I asked, though I was pretty sure I hadn’t used anything Emperor-tier. 

“The magic you used when you saved me. That power, that speed, and the range. It was incredible magic. That was the Emperor-tier magic I’ve heard about, Absolute Zero, right?” 

Nope. That was just a simple Frost Nova. We had been traversing the second floor when Talhand told me about the magic Roxy had been using, and how effective it was. I’d simply mimicked it. 

But now Roxy had a look on her face that seemed to say Well? I’m right, aren’t I? I hesitated on whether to correct her or not. She was a water magic specialist. It might shame her to discover she’d misinterpreted my spell. Perhaps a little white lie was appropriate here? 

Granted, I’d be exposed immediately. Maybe the wisest course of action was to say yes and then relay the truth afterward, in secret. But what if I did that and she reacted negatively? My Stone Cannon apparently had the same level of power as an Emperor-tier spell, but it was magic of a much lower level. 

Hmm, how should I answer? 

“Nah, that was a Frost Nova. It just had more power behind it than the one you use.” As I hesitated, Talhand took the opportunity to respond in my place. How unwarranted. I’d better follow up with something or else— 

“Oh, so that’s it. My apologies.” 

“Honestly, Roxy, you haven’t changed at all. Though I do agree with you, it wouldn’t strike me as strange in the least for Rudeus to use Emperor-tier magic.” Elinalise jumped in without a moment’s delay to back Roxy up. “After all, he is considered the most powerful magician at the University of Magic.” 

Though that last comment was unnecessary. 

Everyone’s eyes gathered on me. Okay, this was my chance! 

“My current abilities are all thanks to my teacher’s guidance,” I said confidently. 

Roxy’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. “Rudy, I keep hearing you’ve been claiming that, but do you honestly think that’s true?” 

“Of course I do.” 

Roxy’s teachings were my foundation. “Go outside and talk to people,” “Try to get along with others without prejudice,” and “Always give it your best.” Those words had taken root deep within me. It was thanks to them that I’d been able to establish the relationship I had with Ruijerd, for instance. 

Sure, there were times when I couldn’t live up to those teachings, but that was another matter. Humans weren’t capable of living up to their full potential at every given moment. What mattered wasn’t whether you always successfully lived up to your ideals, but whether you made them the key to how you approached the world. 

“You improved on your own. Completely without my teaching.” Roxy gave a self-deprecating smile. “You’ve grown into an incredible man. The complete opposite of a klutz like me, who got herself trapped in a labyrinth.” 

She slumped forward onto the table with a thud. I could see the spot on her scalp where the hair swirled out from, which was kind of cute. 

“The master is incredible, and so is the student. What could be better?” Paul said. 

Well put. That was exactly right. I wasn’t particularly special, but Roxy was certainly an amazing person. So what if she lost to her pupil in a few narrow categories? That was no indicator of her value as a person. 

“If you hadn’t been with us, we wouldn’t be here. Have a little confidence.” Paul’s words seemed to rally Roxy’s spirits. She sat up and nodded. 

Geese returned after that and we proceeded with our meeting. We sat huddled together, the waiting party included. 

“I said we’d wait and see about Roxy’s condition, but I’m thinkin’ we’ll dive back in there in three days,” Geese announced. 

“Isn’t that a bit hasty?” Paul asked. 

Though it might not seem like it, labyrinth diving really wore a person down. Especially one like the Teleportation Labyrinth, which was riddled with traps, forcing you to constantly watch where you stepped even as you were embroiled in battle. It was exhausting enough for someone like me in the rear, but the vanguard bore an even heavier burden. 

“It’s best for Roxy to get back in as quickly as possible.” 

“Hm? Ah, yeah, I get what you mean. You’re right.” Paul nodded, but I couldn’t quite agree. Wouldn’t it be difficult for her to have to re-enter the place where she’d nearly lost her life before? 

“Don’t you think a little bit more rest is necessary for her?” I asked. 

“Mm? Ah. You may not know this, Boss,” Geese explained, “but when you nearly die in a labyrinth, you gotta go back in quick or you’ll get a curse on ya and never be able to enter again.” 

“A curse? Such a thing exists?” I asked, doubtful. 

“Yep. No clue why, but when you try to enter a labyrinth after that, your heart is just so filled with fear you can’t do anythin’.” 

Ah, I’d read about something like this in a manga once. A type of panic disorder, otherwise known as PD. I’d also heard that an effective treatment for it was to immediately retry whatever you had failed at. Apparently, the same held true in this world. 

“Plus, you’re a beginner, Boss. Goin’ at a slow pace and divin’ in repeatedly will be good experience for ya.” 

“I see. You do have a point.” 

After that exchange, the others began jumping in. 

“I can give you some pointers on doubling as a healing and offensive magician,” said Roxy. 

“We shouldn’t repeat Rudy’s method of punching through walls to navigate. The risk of cave-in is too high,” said Paul. 

“If you want, I can go in front of ya,” said Talhand. 

“I’ve been thinking… How about Paul and I switch positions?” Elinalise suggested. 

Geese kept us organized as we shared our thoughts on the previous venture, as well how we should approach the next. Everyone sounded deadly serious. I’d thought they might be a bit more jovial about it, but apparently not. Though weakened, they were still an S-rank party. 

There was little input for me to give at this meeting, except for answering when I was asked what I thought of my first labyrinth. They were pros. I was an amateur. No matter how good I was with magic, I couldn’t forget those two things. Our last trip had gone well, but that didn’t mean this one would, too. 

“For the moment, we’ll focus on mappin’ out the rest of the third floor. Dependin’ on how things go, we can at least go deep enough to find the circle for the fourth floor,” Geese said. “How’s that?” 

“Agreed,” we said in unison. 

Generally, once a party discovered the stairs to the next floor, they would decide whether to go deeper or temporarily return to the surface. If they opted for the latter, they would take a straight path down to resume from the point they left off when they returned. The same went for us; we’d gone straight down to the third floor last time. If you weren’t quick, there was a possibility the number of traps would increase. Speed was crucial. 

“Oh yeah, the book says the fourth floor is completely different from what we’ve seen so far,” Geese said. “Some kind of ruins or somethin’.” 

“In that case, there might be two bottom levels,” Paul said. 

“Hmm. Well, let’s save thinkin’ ’bout the fourth floor for next time. For now, we’re focusin’ on the third floor.” 

“Gotcha.” 

There were instances of long-existing labyrinths combining with others, forming a single labyrinth with two centers—two hearts with magically imbued crystals. These types were said to change in structure partway through. The Teleportation Labyrinth had that kind of layout, but that didn’t necessarily mean it had two centers. It was a possibility, nothing more. 

In fact, according to the book, the Teleportation Labyrinth had only one magic crystal. However, there was still the possibility that it had originally been an ordinary labyrinth which later merged with these old ruins to take its current form. Speaking of ruins, there were also the ones containing the teleportation circles we’d used to get here. 

“What’s this book you’re talking about?” Roxy asked, suspicious. 

“Rudy brought it with him. It’s got notes from a guy who traveled almost to the very depths of the Teleportation Labyrinth. You should read it, too.” Geese passed the book in question over to her. 

“Oh, I didn’t realize such a thing existed. Understood. I’ll go over it carefully tomorrow.” 

So Roxy planned to spend tomorrow reading. In that case, I would stay at the inn. I wanted to talk to her some more, though I wasn’t sure what about. If she was going to read the book, maybe we could discuss its contents? She could ask me questions, and I’d do my best to answer them. 

Yeah, that sounds good. Great. Absolutely perfect! 

“Now then, ’bout our formation,” Geese started. “Let’s shake things up a bit. Talhand?” 

As I was preoccupied with my thoughts, the conversation moved to the next topic. Talhand cleared his throat. As the man most often all the way in back, who thus observed the most, he was in charge of deciding our formation. “Hmph, leave it to me.” 

But he reeked of alcohol. He always reeked of alcohol. Geese also showered himself in liquor at night, but Talhand was tipping tankards back through the noon hours. At least he did go completely sober the moment we began our dive into a labyrinth. He had an impressive ability to switch his drinking on and off. 

“It’ll be ’bout the same as before.” There was a paper on the table with two lines drawn on it, along with small stones of different colors. Talhand placed the blue stone down first. “First, just like before, Roxy will take up the rear.” 

“Understood.” Roxy nodded. 

Then he put a gray stone beside the previous one. “Rudeus will act as Roxy’s support. She’s the type to slip up when somethin’ unexpected happens, but Rudeus’ got that Eye of Foresight. He’s also pretty calm for his age, so maybe he can stop somethin’ before it goes wrong.” 

“All right.” 

He made it sound as if Roxy was lacking in composure. I wanted to protest, but it was true that she’d slipped and stepped on a teleportation trap. I’d just be stirring up trouble if I tried. Although, if you thought about it, the Eye of Foresight could only predict things I could see. That meant I’d have a good excuse to keep my eyes on Roxy the entire time we were in the labyrinth. 

Put that way, it didn’t sound so bad. I was just happy to be able to look at her. 

“Let’s try switchin’ out Elinalise and Paul. Paul, you go in front. Elinalise, you go behind him,” Talhand said as he moved the red stone representing Paul forward and the yellow one representing Elinalise back. They were still basically side by side. This was likely just a change in roles. Before, Elinalise had been the tank while Paul had been the support, but this time it would be the opposite. Paul would be our main tank and Elinalise would be supporting him. 

“Geese, you’ll be where you were before.” He placed the brown stone far in front of the rest of the pack. Finally, he put his own stone in the middle. “Doubt we’ll need it, but there’ll be more monsters on the third floor. I’ll act as a shield for those in back.” 

SCOUT: Geese 

VANGUARD: Paul, Elinalise 

MIDDLE: Talhand 

REAR: Rudeus, Roxy 

That was our new formation. Excluding Geese, we looked like a five-dotted mah-jongg tile. 

“Any opinions on this?” the dwarf asked. 

I immediately raised my hand. “Should I take this to mean that my role basically won’t change?” 

“Yeah. You can talk to Roxy ’bout the details of your teamwork.” 

Upon hearing that, I glanced at Roxy. She returned my gaze, looking nervous as she gulped. 

“All right then. I look forward to working with you, Teacher.” 

“Yes, and I as well. I’ll do my best not to hold you back.” 

Just the opposite. I was the one more likely to be holding her back. 

I wish she’d be more confident. 

True, I might beat her when it came to mana capacity and spell usage, but the strength of a person’s stats wasn’t the sum of their worth. It was only with experience that one gained true power, and I felt like Roxy was ahead of me in that regard. She’d spent a whole month trapped and fighting in the Teleportation Labyrinth. And just days after being rescued, she was recovered enough to go right back in as if nothing had ever happened. 

If that were me—if I were to experience something so horrific—I’d probably swear to myself to never enter that labyrinth again. As the Japanese proverb stated, a wise man stays away from danger. You could call me a chicken if you wanted; I knew I was a coward. 

“Okay then, we’re all done with that. Next is the waiting party.” After that, Geese promptly gave his orders to the waiting party. He handed Vierra a list of supplies to purchase, then consulted Shierra about Roxy’s condition. He also advised her to prepare whatever medical supplies she deemed necessary in preparation for Zenith’s rescue. Finally, he entrusted Lilia with overseeing those tasks. 

If Geese was the leader of the labyrinth party, then Lilia was the leader of the waiting party. And Paul was the overall leader of our group. He oversaw all final decision-making and kept track of everyone. 

“Okay then, everyone, let’s prepare for three days from now. Dismissed.” At Paul’s order, the meeting ended. 

The next day, I spent my time ambling about on the first floor of the inn, staying in Roxy’s vicinity as she read. I wanted her to consult me if there was anything she didn’t understand. Me, specifically—not anyone else. 

“Um, Rudy?” 

“Yes?! What is it, Teacher?!” 

“You shuffling about like that is distracting,” she said with a forced smile. 

“My apologies.” I hung my head and decided to leave. 

So that’s it. I’m distracting her. That makes sense. I’m just getting in the way of her reading. 

I couldn’t cause her trouble. That wasn’t my intention—I just wanted to be of assistance. But if I was a distraction, then it couldn’t be helped. Maybe I should just go elsewhere. Yeah, maybe I would go to some deserted tavern somewhere. It was good to drink alone occasionally. 

Yeah, that’s what I’ll do. 

“Rudy,” a voice called out to me from behind. “If you have enough time to shuffle about, there’s some things in this book I’m not clear on that I’d like you to—” 

“Okay!” I immediately plopped down next to her. I think I broke a record for the fastest sit. If I were a dog and had a tail, it would’ve been whipping through the air like a propeller right now. “Where is it? Please feel free to ask me anything.” 

Ahh, Roxy sure was tiny, though I was sure that was partly because I’d grown so much. If I put her on my lap, I could easily wrap my arms around her. Though I was sure she’d be pissed at me if I tried. 

As I looked over at her, Roxy glanced up at me from the side. 

“What’s wrong?” I asked. 

She quickly shifted her gaze back to the book. “No, it’s nothing. It’s this part right here…” 

In the intervening years, my height had exceeded hers. Perhaps she felt discouraged by that. She did seem to be self-conscious about how short she was. 

Such were my thoughts as we spent the day together, reading. 

I was content.