Mushoku Tensei (LN) - Volume 19 - Chapter 13

Chapter 13:

It’s All Right to Be Happy

WITH THAT OUT OF THE WAY, it was time to return to my family. Eris was close to giving birth so she might not be in the best mental state. She had times when she got depressed too, just like anyone else.

I decided to have Zanoba stop by our house too. I wanted to entrust Julie into his care again. Not that she had outstayed her welcome, but I figured she’d be happier with him. 

Incidentally, Ginger was out scouting for a place they could live in—Zanoba had vacated his dorm room and it was no longer an option for them. Even if he decided not to go back to a dorm, though, wasn’t there some way he could resume his studies at the university? He was only a few months from graduation. It seemed a waste. Perhaps if we put in a request with Jenius, he could pull some strings for us. Honestly, I was pretty sure that many went into research upon graduation as members of the Magicians’ Guild.

“Well, Zanoba, I look forward to working with you,” I said.

“As do I, Master.”

At least Zanoba would stay with me from here on out. That was something to celebrate. Our research on the Magic Armor would proceed apace, and we didn’t have to give up on selling those figurines either. Since Zanoba had lost his home here, I could always lend him money until he got back on his feet. Getting money involved usually led to unnecessary trouble, but I wouldn’t hesitate if it was for Zanoba.

We arrived at the house as I was lost in thought. Byt was tangled around the gatepost. Between him and the green roof, our house looked like an ecologically conscious one.

As we approached, Byt opened the gate for us, as he always did.

“I can only hope that Julie hasn’t caused any unnecessary trouble for your family,” Zanoba muttered.

“I’m sure she did fine. She gets along well with Aisha and—”

Fwish!

As we entered the estate’s grounds, the air whistled as something cut through it. I instantly knew what it was; I’d heard this same sound hundreds and thousands of times before. Someone was practicing with their sword. I could only assume Norn had come back to visit.

Fwish!

Huh. Weird. Norn’s swings sounded more confident and sure than I’d ever heard before. I hadn’t overseen her training for a while, but the sound of it hadn’t been quite so sharp back when I was teaching her. It was more of a fwoom, and not a fwish, which signaled that the blade was moving straight and true. My own swings never made such a pleasant noise.

Yeah. In fact, this sound kind of reminds me of Eris’s—

I turned my gaze in the direction of the noise, and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing at first.

A lone woman stood there, wielding the stone sword I’d made for her to practice her swings. Her hair was such a vibrant red it looked like someone had dumped a paint can over her head. And despite the weight of the weapon—given it was stone—she handled it with ease, using only one hand.

Th-that’s my pregnant wife! Eris!

“Oh, Rudeus,” she remarked upon noticing me. “Welcome home. You got back kind of late.”

“H-h-hold up just a s-second!” I squeaked, stuttering uncontrollably. “Eris! What are you doing?!” I raced over to her.

You can’t be doing this, okay? You’re about to give birth. Yeah, yeah, I get you’re strong enough to handle your sword with ease, but that thing is heavy! Flexing your stomach like that is…

Wait a minute. Her stomach…?

I glanced down at her abdomen and found it unexpectedly smooth and trim.

Um… Where is my little baby?

“Huh?” I blurted. Just to be sure, I tested my hand against her stomach.

Ooh, amazing. She’s got a six-pack, and her muscles are super tight. This is definitely not the kind of pregnant tummy I’ve seen before.

“Uh?”

What in the world was going on? Had her sinewy six-pack somehow compressed our baby like shrink wrap? Oh, god. 

No, stop it, I chided myself. This is no time to be panicking. Perhaps the baby had been pushed lower because of the six-pack. “Is it here instead?”

“What do you think you’re doing?!” Eris snapped, socking me in the face after I groped her bottom.

I gazed up at her, having been knocked onto my own bottom. Eris had taken up a wide stance, crossing her arms over her chest. Her chin jutted out as she gazed down at me and finally said, “It’s out now.”

“What’s out?” The words left my mouth before I could think them through, even though the answer was already obvious.

“The baby.”

“Whose baby?”

“Mine, of course!”

Eris…had given birth…to our baby.

I pursed my lips as I digested this information and sat up straight, legs neatly folded beneath me. “Um, pardon me for asking, but approximately when did this event take place?”

“Ten days ago! It was super late at night, but I got through it!”

Ten days ago? What was I doing then? Oh, right. I was still in Shirone. I was probably in an inn with Roxy, and the two of us were probably— No, there was no need to recount that part. Basically, what this meant was…

“I didn’t…make it in time for the birth?”

“Yeah. It would’ve been nice if you could’ve gotten back sooner, but it’s too late now!” A cocky grin spread across her face, as if she was trying to rub it in my face that she was perfectly capable of doing it all by herself.

Well now what? Should I prostrate myself? No, it wasn’t like I’d done anything wrong. We’d known this was a possibility before I left. I still couldn’t shake the guilt, though.

While I was too perplexed to properly respond, Eris furrowed her brows. “Wh-what’s with you? Aren’t you happy?”

No, that definitely wasn’t the case. “I-I am happy, but I feel a little…conflicted.”

“Oh! Right. It was a boy, of course! His name is Arus, just like the historic human hero!”

Was joy an appropriate emotion right now? I’d failed to fulfill the mission Orsted gave me. I’d let Zanoba’s younger brother, Pax, die. We’d managed to scrape by without the whole thing coming undone, but I’d screwed up so much of what we’d wanted to accomplish. My son’s birth was heartening news—if a bit sudden—but was I allowed to be happy about it, all things considered?

“Master!”

While I waffled back and forth over my emotions, the entrance flew open. A tiny figure with orange hair came darting out. She streaked right past me and launched herself at Zanoba, clinging to his thigh.

“Ah, Julie! My dearest apprentice, I have returned home!” Zanoba reached down, slipping his hands beneath her arms and lifting her into the air. 

Tears streamed down Julie’s cheeks. Her tiny fingers clutched at his sleeves. “I…I’ve been waiting patiently for your return this whole time, Master!”

“I know,” he said.

It was a heartfelt reunion. In fact, Julie showed so much emotion at his return I almost started to question whether my family had been cruel to her while he was gone.

The next words to come out of Julie’s mouth were jaw-dropping.

“You know, I…I love you from the bottom of my heart, Master!”

“Oh, you do, do you? I never realized—”

Before he could finish, she cut him off and kept babbling. “Please…don’t ever leave me behind like this again! Please let me stay with you until your dying breath! I beg you. Please…!” she pleaded, voice heavy with sorrow. The way she spoke made it crystal clear how much she had worried.

Zanoba stared back, initially dumbfounded, but his lips soon gave way to a gentle smile. “You needn’t worry anymore,” he said. “From now on, I’ll be with you. Forever.”

“Master! Waah!” Her cry for him devolved into a fresh wave of tears.

Zanoba pulled her close and pulled her head against his shoulder. He seemed quite happy with her reaction to his return.

Oh, yeah, I realized. It’s true that Pax died, my mission was a flop, and the Man-God seized victory from our hands this round. But we came back alive. Zanoba, Roxy, Ginger, and I are all healthy and whole. We didn’t lose any of them.

That, at least, was something to celebrate. It was all right to be happy.

“Eris!”

I wasn’t about to fight the sudden flood of emotion that washed over me. I threw my arms around Eris and planted a kiss on her. She was shocked at first, but responded by returning my embrace and kissing me back. My hands slipped down her back, finding their way back to her butt. When I squeezed, she tightened her arms around me and deepened our kiss. Taking this as an invitation, I slipped a hand around to her chest and began groping. The next instant I found myself kissing not her lips but the ground after her fist smashed into my face again.

“You went too far!”

“Sorry!”

She squeaked in surprise when I leaped to my feet again and lifted her, cradling her in my arms like a princess. I couldn’t wait any longer. I wanted to see my baby’s face ASAP.

“So? Where’s our boy? Where is he?” I asked eagerly.

“In the house!” Strangely, Eris didn’t try to fight her way out of my grasp. She wrapped her arms around my neck, pausing only once to point at the house in response to my question.

“Hm…Master!” Zanoba bellowed.

“Yes, Zanoba!”

“I will respectfully take my leave for today! I shall see you again tomorrow! Be sure to convey my gratitude to Lady Roxy as well!”

“You got it!”

After that brief exchange, Zanoba spun around and left. Apparently he didn’t want to impose on our harmonious little family gathering. 

I raced straight into the house, through the front entrance and into the living room where we found two girls seated on the sofa. One of them was cradling a baby in her arms.

“Look, Miss Norn, look! He just smiled!”

“Aisha! Come on, let me hold him!”

“Aw, fine,” Aisha grumbled back. “I guess you have held Lucie and Lara before. Oh, he’s touching my breasts. I guess he must be hungry?”

Norn shrugged. “Hard to say. We both know what his father is like.”

The two fourteen-year-old girls cradled my little man and fawned noisily over him. Hold up. My “little man”? That sounded like a euphemism for something dirty…

“Okay, Eris, I’m going to put you down now,” I announced.

“’Kay.”

My sisters noticed us the moment I set my wife down. They glanced up at me, smiles on their faces.

“Welcome home,” said Norn.

“Good to see you back,” said Aisha.

They were smiling. Both of them were really smiling. I had a sudden flashback to Pax’s face, to the self-deprecating, resigned grin he wore before the end.

“Miss Roxy told us what happened,” Norn said. “About how rough it was for you guys.”

“Forget that. Here, take him,” Aisha insisted.

“Oh, yes. Right. Elder Brother, this is your baby, little Arus.” After taking the little bundle into her arms, Norn quickly passed him off to me.

I held him delicately and drank in his features. The little tuft of hair on his head was red, and his eyes were exactly like Eris’s. This is my son… Perhaps it felt so surreal because I hadn’t been present for the birth. Anxiety swelled in the pit of my stomach. My little boy gazed up at me, stretching his stubby little arms toward my chest. He patted his hands against me, like he was trying to grope at something soft, but sadly for him, my pecs were rock-hard.

“Gwaaah! Aaaah!” He immediately broke into tears.

All the tension in me faded, relief sweeping in to take its place. Yeah, there’s no doubt in my mind now. This is definitely my kid—Paul’s grandbaby.

“Um, Arus? That’s your daddy,” Norn supplied. “He’s not a stranger.”

“B-Big Brother, are you okay?” Aisha asked. Both she and Norn were eyeing me with worry.

Only moments before, the two of them had been holding him, calling him cute, smiling as they did so. It was clear how much they loved him already. I knew that they loved me too, as family.

Again, my mind drifted back to Pax. Zanoba had no children, but I figured some of his siblings probably did. Pax had murdered them all. Every single one. He couldn’t love them. Chose not to. Wasn’t loved himself, either.

Oh, I realized. Maybe this was the kind of relationship that Zanoba wanted with Pax.

My eyes heated, shimmering with tears.

“Hey! Why are you crying?!” Eris demanded.

“I don’t know. I can’t help it.”

“Fine, you leave me no choice, then,” she said. “Give me the baby. I’ll hold him, so quit your crying.”

“I don’t wanna.” I shook my head like a petulant child, continuing to cradle our baby as I sat on the sofa between Aisha and Norn. Tears kept trickling down my cheeks for a while.

I wondered why I could not give Pax the recognition he so desired, even at the very end. I thought, at the time, that I understood how he felt. Warped though his reasons were, I should have been able to grasp his justification for being unable to love others. The environment he was in was so harsh that putting in effort seemed ridiculous. I should have realized that too. I should have seen that, in spite of the cards being stacked against him, he’d clawed his way to the throne. I could have given him recognition for his hard work. That kind of recognition had the power to change people’s attitudes. Sure, maybe I wouldn’t have forgiven him immediately for all he’d put Lilia and Aisha through, but I should have been able to do something to dissuade him from taking his own life.

Someone must have heard my sobs because footsteps came echoing down the stairs. After a few moments, Sylphie and Lucie popped their heads in. Roxy followed close behind, holding Lara in her arms. Lilia and Zenith, who’d likely been in the kitchen, came through the doorway as well.

Sylphie had probably heard what happened from Roxy. She saw me weeping and silently began stroking my head. Lucie decided to mimic her mother, climbing into my lap before reaching out her little fingers to pat me on the head.

“Honestly, you’re such a crybaby,” Eris said even as she joined in with the head patting. Every single one of them was being so kind.

“Aisha… Norn…” I muttered, as the tears kept falling. “No matter what happens, I’ll always support you. If you’re ever in trouble, don’t think twice about turning to me for help. You might think I’m not very dependable, but I swear to you, I will do everything in my power to help.”

The two traded glances. Judging by the looks on their faces, they seemed to be thinking, If anything, we’re troubled right now because you won’t stop bawling.

I had to pull myself together. If I kept this up, they really wouldn’t turn to me for help when the need arose.

“Okay,” Aisha said, “got it.”

“Yes, we’ll be sure to heed what you said,” Norn agreed.

They nodded in unison.

Good. It looks like there’s no problems with our family, then.

I sniffled as I glanced at Roxy and Lara. Nestled in her mother’s arms, Lara looked as impudent as ever.

It was fortunate that my life hadn’t been in serious danger this time. Although, it might have been a different story if Roxy hadn’t been there. Roxy was so dependable! No matter how hard I tried, I was always weak. Without her at my side, I could easily have faltered partway through our journey. I had Lara to thank for throwing a fit and coaxing Roxy to tag along. No amount of gratitude toward the two of them would ever be enough.

“Roxy…you were amazing on this trip,” I said.

“You were too, Rudy.”

Our journey was over. It had been a rough ride. I’d found myself doubting things I shouldn’t have, and it had taken a serious toll on me mentally. All I had to show for my efforts was failure and lingering trauma. I’d let Pax die. The whole thing felt like a nightmare, but it was over now. Tomorrow would surely bring new things. 

Before it did, there were some things we needed to talk about.

“Everyone,” I said, “I want you to listen closely to what I am about to say.”

That day, I told my family everything about the Man-God. About him, about Orsted, about the war raging between the two of them, and everything that had happened to me in the past. I mentioned that Lara might be a savior in the future and even explained why I was cooperating with Orsted. I shared every detail. And once I said my piece, I asked them for their support. When the time finally came, I wanted them to stand up for me—and by extension, Orsted.

Every single one of them nodded. Every single one of them—Eris, Sylphie, Roxy, Lilia, and of course Norn and Aisha, too—were dumbstruck by this sudden flood of information. Lucie in particular didn’t seem to really understand what was being said. But they all wore earnest expressions and bobbed their heads.

It was like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

***

Okay, let’s review the steps required to defeat the Man-God.

In order to reach him, we needed five hidden treasures passed down by the Dragonfolk, treasures that were originally created by their distant ancestors. Each of the Five Dragon Generals possessed one, and by using the Dragon God’s secret art, the door to the world could be opened.

My future self had despaired upon realizing that he wouldn’t be able to get his hands on the last treasure. I suspected Laplace was the one who held this final piece. Judging by what Orsted said about needing to kill him, I surmised that we would need to defeat each general to obtain their treasure. The Maniacal Dragon King Chaos was already dead, likely done in by Orsted, which meant we already had the item he held.

Therefore, only four Dragon Generals remained: Holy Dragon Emperor Shirad, Abyssal Dragon King Maxwell, Armored Dragon King Perugius, and Demonic Dragon King Laplace. It was possible that Shirad and Maxwell were also already dead; Orsted wouldn’t share that information with me. Perhaps because he was concerned about me—not wanting me to know of his actions when they could be construed as killing his own kind—or perhaps he actually felt guilty about what he’d done. Especially since he didn’t seem to be on particularly bad terms with Perugius.

In any case, Laplace’s rebirth was an absolutely essential part of this plan. He would eventually come back, reborn as a child. Orsted’s objective had been to pin down exactly where he’d be born; it would be easier to strangle him in the cradle.

Unfortunately, we had failed to accomplish that this time. We no longer knew the location of Laplace’s return, only that he would again launch himself into a war against the humans. Orsted needed to navigate that conflict and take his life. It seemed as though getting that last treasure would prove to be quite the trial, even for Orsted. Enough that it would leave him severely weakened going into his fight with the Man-God afterward.

Orsted had thus declared this loop to be a bust. Yet I felt that he hadn’t entirely resigned himself to failure. Discouraged by this setback, definitely, but he hadn’t given up. In fact, the more I thought about it, it was almost as if he’d predicted this outcome.

Take the situation with Ariel, for example. Orsted said that Asura Kingdom would face a great crisis a hundred years from now, but that it could be averted if Ariel became king. He also mentioned something about someone useful being born into Asura Kingdom afterward—I wasn’t clear on the details of that—but I suspected he wanted stability in Asura Kingdom for the war against Laplace. Asura Kingdom was chief amongst the world powers. If they could put up a good resistance and wear Laplace down, Orsted would have an easier time finishing him off.

It was also possible that Orsted may have suspected that his rebirth would be different in this loop from the moment he learned about me. There was plenty of reason to believe that the mere fact of my existence threw a wrench into the usual flow of events that led to his rebirth in Shirone.

I did find it somewhat odd that the Man-God had messed around with Laplace’s return to begin with, but my doubts were quickly dispelled. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that while the Man-God’s precognition couldn’t account for Orsted’s movements, he already saw Dragon Gods as enemies. If anyone had been waving the anti-Man-God flag for centuries, it had to be Laplace. He probably suspected Orsted would revive Laplace to try something with him. Somewhere in Orsted’s loop, which spanned several hundred years, there must have been a moment where the Man-God realized what he might be up to, which led to him proactively obstructing Orsted’s efforts. That would make sense. Anything the Dragon God tried to accomplish would only be to the Man-God’s detriment, after all.

In any case, this iteration of the world was headed down a different path than the one Orsted knew from his many, many loops. My days of obediently doing Orsted’s bidding and trying to set dominos in motion for him were over. If his plans were already completely derailed, there was no point in continuing to pursue them.

Laplace was going to reincarnate. There was going to be a war. If we didn’t take Laplace down, we wouldn’t be able to reach the Man-God. And it would be pointless if Orsted needed to spend the bulk of his power doing so. There was no way he could defeat the Man-God in such a depleted state.

This was where Zanoba’s proposal came in. We needed to gather allies. Working separately from Orsted, we could freely seek out powerful companions to build our forces. We had about eighty to a hundred years until the war. That was time enough to set up an anti-Man-God faction and bring in allies to support Orsted—or lay the groundwork for such a group at the very least. Orsted would have his own troops by the time we were through.

In all likelihood, I wouldn’t live long enough to see the war. I wouldn’t be able to take part in person. But I could still leave behind those companions and the organization we built together, trusting they would carry on my will. I was sure Orsted would go on to beat the Man-God for me as well.

This would be my goal for the rest of my days.