Mushoku Tensei (LN) - Volume 16 - Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

Orsted’s Suggestion

“…AND THAT’S how it went.”

After my meeting with Ariel, I immediately took off to meet Orsted and relay what had been discussed. If Luke was the Man-God’s messenger, I was Orsted’s. I would brief him on every little detail. In essence, I was an informant. Rudeus the Tattletale, you might say.

“Hm, so they already looked into information on Gaunis…” Orsted muttered.

“What should we do next?” I asked, despite half-expecting him to glare at me and tell me to think for myself sometimes.

Just to be clear, I wasn’t the type who sought the approval of others for every little thing I did, all right? I intended to be as independent as I could, but I had 

only become Orsted’s subordinate recently. I wasn’t yet sure what needed to be reported to him and what could be handled on my own. While I was figuring out that boundary, I was largely deferring to him for most matters on our current mission. I didn’t want him snapping at me for doing things without getting his input first. 

Also, I was asking for his opinion, not seeking a concrete answer. He didn’t have to spell out everything for me; he just needed to point me in the right direction. In this way, I would slowly learn how he wanted to handle matters. Plus, I did have a suggestion handy if he told me to think for myself: Orsted and I could use teleportation circles to infiltrate the Asuran library, where we could swipe the necessary materials. That was what I had planned if he had no other suggestions.

“You should head to the Library Labyrinth in that case.”

His answer caught me off guard. I tilted my head. “Library Labyrinth?” What the heck is that?

Orsted saw the confusion on my face. “A labyrinth where copies of books from all over the world are stored,” he explained 

I never knew something like that existed…

“How are those books copied?” I asked.

“A certain bookworm Demon King uses the power of their demon eye to copy them.”

Considering that the first people that came to my mind when he said Demon King were Badigadi and Atofe, I imagined this person was similar—someone with an obnoxious laugh and eight arms, each one holding a volume of manga. Part of me wondered why anyone would do that with the library, but when Orsted said it was a demon king… Somehow, that was all the explanation I needed.

“Well, it does sound like it must be pretty useful,” I admitted.

If the library had every book from all over the world, that meant it had contained a huge amount of intel. Sure, there was information out there that never made it into books, but a vast majority of it did. It was like Wikipedia but for magic. You could probably find information on just about anything you wanted in there.

“Not quite,” said Orsted. “The place isn’t organized at all.”

“Oh, okay…”

Having a wealth of information meant little if you couldn’t systematically search for what you were looking for. Dictionaries only worked because they were ordered alphabetically, allowing you quickly find the definition for whatever word you needed. This library, on the other hand, had a vast number of books all randomly scattered about. It was hard to guess how many hours, days, or even weeks it might take to locate a specific volume.

“In that case,” I said, “wouldn’t it be difficult for us to find the information we seek?”

“The vast majority of literature about Gaunis Freean Asura is grouped together by publication date. It would be difficult to gather everything ever written about him, but you would still find more in there than you would in Asura’s national library.”

Huh. So apparently this demon king hadn’t copied the books at random but in order of when they were written, oldest to newest. If that was the case, it wouldn’t be impossible to locate what we needed, especially in the case of Gaunis. He was a great king and war hero. There had to be a ton of books about him.

“Okay, so where is this place?” I asked.

“The Demon Continent. The Hyleth Region, deep in the Wraith Forest.”

“And I assume we’re going to get there by…”

“Using teleportation circles,” he finished for me.

Travel sure had become convenient lately, thanks to these teleportation circles. It made me nostalgic for the time I spent with Ruijerd and Eris, traveling from the Demon Continent all the way to the Central Continent.

“Very well. I’ll suggest that to Ariel and the others,” I said.

It would be a little unnatural for me to suggest such an obscure location out of the blue, though. Maybe it would be better to say I’d prodded Orsted for information and that was how I knew about the place. I could already picture the opposition to my mention of his name, but that would give me an opportunity to flex my persuasive prowess. Orsted had likely recruited me expecting I would be useful that way.

Just as I turned on my heel to leave, he called after me. “Rudeus.”

“Yes?” 

“If you cannot find your answer even after you have combed through various materials on Gaunis, try this.” He handed me a picture that I could only assume was the cover of a book. It was beautifully drawn. I wondered if he’d done it himself.

“And this is?” I asked.

“You’ll understand once you read it. Of course, if the books you find on Gaunis provide the answer you seek, then you needn’t bother with it.” 

His words, while vague, seemed to contain some hidden meaning. For the moment, I pocketed the picture he’d handed me and left.

It was late night by the time I made my way back to the floating fortress. There was no curfew there, so Arumanfi led me inside as usual. He warned me that Perugius had already retired for the evening, so I should keep quiet as I traversed the halls.

That means Ariel is probably asleep too.

Perhaps I should have gone home instead of rushing back here, but it was too late to regret my decision. I could spend the night here and speak with Ariel about the Library Labyrinth first thing in the morning.

With that in mind, I started toward the guest quarters, only to notice something moving in the corner of my vision.

Crap, a roach? Even at this altitude? Guess not even Perugius’s spirits can protect against an infestation. Makes sense, considering the rats I saw in the basement.

But then realized that this thing, whatever it was, stood outside the nearby window. Silver light poured in through the glass, and a beautiful garden spread out beyond it. The moon didn’t provide much light, but I squinted and noticed sitting at the table outside.

Who would be out there at this hour?

Maybe Sylvaril was putting in some overtime. Whatever the case, I decided to head out there and find out.

“Huh.”

A beautiful sight greeted me when I stepped out of the building. Bathed in the moonlight, the grass glimmered faintly, guiding my path forward. It led to a patch of flowers that were unremarkable during the daytime, but took on the moon’s glow at night and shone like a mirage. I could see why Sylvaril bragged about this garden at every opportunity.

A girl sat at the table where Perugius and Arielle often enjoyed their tea. Since she didn’t wear a mask, there was only one person it could be.

Well, okay, Nanahoshi hasn’t actually been wearing her mask much recently, so I guess there’s still technically two possibilities.

Nonetheless, the person sat there was a peerless beauty, known locally for her unmatched allure. It was Ariel, in other words. She was spacing out—or more accurately, she seemed almost immobile—as she stared out at the fantastical garden.

“Princess Ariel?” I said.

“Huh?” Her shoulders jumped as she jerked around to face me. “Oh, it’s you, Lord Rudeus…”

“What are you doing out here at this hour?”

Exhaustion crept onto her face as she averted her gaze. “I couldn’t sleep, so I sneaked out here.”

“Without alerting Sylphie or Luke?”

“Yes, my apologies. I simply wanted to enjoy the night air a bit by myself.”

I wasn’t judging her for it, but at the same time, she did have people out for her life. She knew that better than anyone. Maybe that was what compelled her to apologize.

“Well,” I said, “everyone has moments like that.”

“Even a king?” Ariel asked.

“A king is still a human being. So of course.”

She went silent.

I had heard that kings weren’t ever supposed to show weakness, but that merely meant they couldn’t expose it, not that they didn’t experience it. Everyone had moments of vulnerability where they needed to gather their thoughts.

“So what were you thinking about?” I took a seat by her at the table. Probably she didn’t want to be disturbed, but I had something I wanted to talk to her about anyway. While it could wait until tomorrow, it seemed better to tell her as soon as I could.

“I was contemplating whether I’m really fit to be king or not,” she replied.

Definitely not the words I was hoping to hear.

“Well, you seem like you’d make a splendid king to me,” I said.

“Royalty are good at putting on a facade to fool other people. It’s merely an illusion.”

“Ah, so it’s something inside that’s eating you up then?”

She went quiet for a moment before saying, “Ultimately, I’m only going down this path because I couldn’t face anyone otherwise. Maybe I was never cut out to be king. Maybe I would have been better off accepting an arranged marriage to whatever noble was deemed best for me and bantering with Luke as an equal, as I once used to.” Her voice grew quieter and quieter. I had never seen such fragility from her before.

“W-well…” I stammered.

Crap. Crap, crap, crap! She is so down in the dumps that she’s headed in an awful direction. If she seriously starts thinking about giving up her bid for the throne, I’m in hot water.

Especially since Orsted was already laying plans to help make her king. Those unique circumstances aside, I still had a fairly high opinion of Ariel. She may have been driven out of Asura after losing the political game, but she hadn’t given up. She was fighting tooth and nail to strengthen her position and create a solid foundation to pursue her goals. It had taken her five or six years to get this far; personally, I would have quit halfway through. No, I’d have thrown up my hands in defeat the moment I was driven out of the country—just like I did when I thought Eris had rejected me.

I didn’t want Ariel to give up now. I knew that even if she broke on the inside, she would probably put on a brave front and head for Asura Kingdom anyway. But how was she supposed to win if she didn’t have ambition behind it? Who would want to support a person who had no life in their eyes? The Ariel my future self wrote about must have been like that. She failed to win Perugius’s support and left for Asura anyway, only to be betrayed and killed.

That was all speculation, of course, but when push came to shove, her mental state might be the deciding factor. Not that willpower was the be-all and end-all, but when a person was pushed to their breaking point, their mentality could make the difference between victory and defeat.

“Princess Ariel…”

I said her name even though I had no real words to offer her. I wasn’t planning to be king, and I hadn’t known many kings before either, nor could I empathize with what she had been through. All I had seen was the mask she showed to the outside world. Whatever I said would slide off her like water off a duck’s back.

“Lord Orsted has an idea of where we might find a plethora of books on Gaunis Freean Asura,” I blurted out.

“Huh?”

“Before you decide whether you’re really fit for the throne or not, why don’t you try looking through those materials and see what you find?”

Ariel’s eyes widened. She stared at me and muttered, “Lord Orsted…?” She gulped. “And where would we find these books?”

“In a place called the Library Labyrinth…”

“Let’s go.” Ariel decided before I could finish my sentence. Not even a second’s hesitation there.

“You sure wasted no time debating whether to go or not.”

She had started turning away, but her gaze snapped immediately back to me. There was power there—passion. “I may be feeling weak right now…but I haven’t given up yet.”

“Good to know.”

She looked fragile as glass at the moment, but she was still a woman with her eyes on the crown. If she didn’t have guts, she wouldn’t have made it this far.

“All right then. Let’s head there,” I said, nodding with as much determination as she’d just shown me.

***

Three days later, I found myself in a building on the outskirts of Sharia. It was a different cabin from the one where Orsted had taken up residence, and inside was a teleportation circle emitting a dazzling, pale light.

“So this is the teleportation circle we’ll be taking,” Ariel remarked from beside me.

After we had spoken, she immediately left to rouse Sylphie and Luke and begin preparations to depart. I hurried back to Orsted so I could update him. He then cleaned up the basement of this building and put the necessary teleportation circle in place. This one was an inert type that required my mana to work, like the type Perugius often made use of.

“It’s not the first time I’ve seen one,” said the princess, “but I admit, I am a little nervous at the idea of stepping upon it.” She eyed it curiously. Suddenly, her gaze snapped away as she gracefully scanned the area, as if she’d suddenly realized something. Finally, she turned toward me. “By the way, I notice Lord Orsted is absent.”

“It’s his way of showing consideration, since his curse would only be an unnecessary distraction.”

“Oh, I see. I was hoping to at least introduce myself to him,” said Arielle.

If Orsted showed up, the three of them would probably refuse to use the magic circle he’d created. Although his curse seemed not to affect Ariel entirely, there was no telling what effect it would have if she faced it in the flesh.

“What a pity.” Ariel frowned, disappointed. Was she just fearless, or did she enjoy coming face-to-face with terrifying things? 

Either way, I couldn’t let her meet Orsted. The worst part of his curse made those who looked upon him lose all rationality. Even Sylphie and Roxy, with their sensibility and knowledge of said curse, could not bring themselves to trust Orsted. It was impossible to know what effect it might have on Ariel. She was fine at the moment, but if she was faced with him in close quarters, she would probably become so terrified that she’d keep her distance, even from me. 

It would be awesome if Ariel could speak to Orsted as openly as I did, but the risk meant that keeping our distance was the better option. She still found him intimidating, but she also understood she could make use of him. In fact, when I mentioned that it was Orsted who suggested visiting the Library Labyrinth, she hopped on board without second guessing his intentions. Maybe it was only natural—a drowning man grasping at straws—but Orsted’s curse was usually so powerful that most people wouldn’t accept his help even when backed into a corner.

“But this circle is something Orsted made, right?” Sylphie asked.

“Are you sure it’s safe to use this? I don’t want to get thrown into a pit of beasts,” Luke grumbled.

Neither trusted Orsted. If Ariel were to deal with him directly, she might become just like them. I had to avoid that at all costs.

“Don’t speak like that, you two. Lord Rudeus would never lead Sylphie into danger, would he?” Ariel glanced at me.

“Of course,” I said. “I already used it once, just to be sure.”

There was nothing unusual about our destination, aside from it smelling of mold and being covered in dust. Granted, I hadn’t ventured very far, since the place was supposed to be a labyrinth.

“Then let us be on our way…or so I would like to say, but first…” Ariel stood in front of the magic circle, her gaze focused on me, or—to be more precise—on the two women behind me. “Would you like to introduce them?”

I glanced behind me, where Eris and Ghislaine stood. When I told the former I would be going to the Library Labyrinth, she lit up at the word labyrinth and asked to tag along. I didn’t imagine she’d be of much use hunting down books. And Orsted had assured me that the place wasn’t very dangerous, but you never knew on that front. It wouldn’t hurt to have some extra fighting power. So, with no good reason to refuse Eris, I let her come along.

I had an ulterior motive for dragging Ghislaine along. This was the perfect opportunity to introduce her to Ariel. Although I could have waited until I grew closer to Her Highness, Ariel already thought more highly of me than expected, so I didn’t think it would be a problem to speed things up. Plus, she would have a harder time trusting Ghislaine if I waited to introduce them when we were just about to set off for Asura. I thought this labyrinth adventure would be a good opportunity to test the waters. 

When I brought up meeting Ariel to Ghislaine and Eris a few days ago, Ghislaine said she didn’t know squat about etiquette so she wasn’t sure how to go about introducing herself. Eris, likewise, was anxious about whether her wardrobe would be acceptable for meeting royalty. Ironic, given they normally never said such things.

Sylphie had stepped in to reassure them. While sighing to herself, she explained that Princess Ariel wasn’t fussy about other people’s manners. She also said Eris’s clothes were perfectly fine. But if the two of them were concerned, she would be happy to teach them. In the ensuing three days before our departure, they had worked hard to prepare themselves.

Eris stepped forward, as if she’d been waiting this whole time for Ariel to notice them both. I put a hand out to stop her.

“What?” she snapped at me.

Hold on a second. I’ll introduce you, I promise!

“Princess Ariel, this is Eris. As I am sure you are aware, she has earned herself the nickname Berserker Sword King. She is accompanying us today as my bodyguard.” I glanced at her and whispered, “Okay, now it’s your turn.”

She started to cross her arms before catching herself and putting a hand to her chest instead, bowing her head. “The name’s Eris Greyrat.” 

Her attitude wasn’t the most polite, but Ariel smiled warmly at her nonetheless. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lady Eris. I’m Second Princess Ariel Anemoi Asura. I have heard many rumors about you since I was younger.”

“Hmph. Nothing good, I bet.”

Ariel chuckled. “True, the ones that made it to the capital weren’t the most flattering. However, I don’t judge people based on the whispers I hear of them. It’s all hearsay, after all.”

Eris didn’t respond. 

“The fact that you stand beside Lord Rudeus is proof they’re not all to be believed,” Ariel said. “The people he keeps in his company may have their quirks, but none of them are bad people.”

Pleased, Eris nodded and crossed her arms. She stood with her legs spread beneath her, as always, completely forgetting etiquette of nobility she was supposed to follow.

“That’s right,” said Eris. “Rudeus is amazing. Good, you understand.”

“Indeed. Having said that, while we may not be in each other’s company long, I look forward to our time together.” Ariel curtseyed gracefully.

Eris just stared down her nose at the princess and snorted, although she did dip her head slightly.

“Ahem.” Sylphie cleared her throat, scratching the back of her ear.

“Ah!” Eris gasped quietly, dropping her arms. She pulled a face as she retreated a few steps.

I forced an awkward smile as I motioned toward Ghislaine next. “And this is Black Wolf Ghislaine Dedoldia. I brought her to introduce to you in hopes she might become one of your bodyguards, Your Highness.”

Ghislaine stepped forward and took a knee. She narrowed her uncovered eye, staring the princess down. “Ghislaine,” she grunted.

“A pleasure to make your acquaintance as well, Lady Ghislaine. I am Second Princess Ariel Anemoi Asura. When you were still living in the Fittoa Region, I—”

“I have one question,” Ghislaine said, interrupting. “I was told if I served under you, I’d be able to take revenge for Lord Sauros. Is that true?”

It was so rude and abrupt that I wondered why she had even bothered practicing etiquette with Sylphie for these past three days. Then again, I could see where she was coming from; this wasn’t a matter Ghislaine could compromise on.

“It is true,” Ariel answered without missing a beat.

To tell the truth, I had already laid the groundwork to make sure her demands would be met; I had told Sylphie that her aim was to avenge Sauros.

“If you accompany me to the Asuran palace, we will find out together who was really responsible—who pulled the strings to take down Lord Sauros. No, not we—I will be the one to find out for you. And when I do, please use that blade of yours to see justice done.” 

For some reason, she shot a meaningful look at Eris when she spoke.

What’s that supposed to mean? Is she eyeing Eris? Is she actually interested in her? I mean yeah, Eris does look pretty boyish and badass, but…really?

No, that couldn’t be it. Ghislaine was the one who wanted to take revenge for Sauros, but Eris had even greater reason to want his death avenged. Ariel likely thought that Eris was after the same thing and was acting as my bodyguard in name only.

I didn’t know Eris’s thoughts on that, but if she was presented with the opportunity to take down Sauros’s killers, she would likely do it. I would too. Myself, I wouldn’t go all out to hunt them down and murder them, but if there was a mastermind behind it all and they happened to appear in front of me, I would bring them to justice.

Sauros’s death was a result of scheming to reduce the Boreas family’s power, since they were one of four families that oversaw a vast stretch of kingdom land, while also weakening the first prince’s influence. There were so many possible culprits that it was hard to narrow it down.

“I will,” said Ghislaine to Ariel, bowing her head. Her tail flicked behind her as she turned her gaze to Sylphie. “Well, what should I do then?”

“Um, for the moment, we’ll have you come along as Princess Ariel’s bodyguard. Please shield her from the ashes of battle.”

“Ashes?” Ghislaine’s forehead wrinkled. “Are we going up against a fire breathing monster?”

“Huh? No, um… What I meant was, take down anyone who tries to attack her.”

“So that’s what you mean. Understood. Also, no need for fancy titles from now on. Just call me Ghislaine.” Having said her piece, Ghislaine returned to her place behind me.

“Well, it was an honor to meet you both,” Ariel said, curtseying before us once again. I instinctively bowed in response, which prompted a flustered Eris to follow suit. Ghislaine, on the other hand, merely bobbed her head in acknowledgment. The two were only acquaintances at this point, but surely trust would form between them the longer they worked together.

In the same vein, I needed to make sure this first job went smoothly, in order to deepen the trust between Orsted and myself. 

“All right,” I said. “Let’s get going.”

It was time to enter the Library Labyrinth.