Mushoku Tensei (LN) - Volume 2 - Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

Absolute Promise 

After all of that, I finally turned ten. 

I dedicated most of the last two years to language studies. Besides the Beast God tongue and the Demon God tongue, I also learned the Fighting God tongue. It was extremely close to the Human tongue, so it was easy. Somewhat like the similarity between the German and English languages. The basics of grammar were the same as the Human tongue; the only differences were expressions and vocabulary. 

The languages in this world weren’t that difficult. Once you learned one, you could use it as a basis for learning the others. Probably a side-effect of all the warring between the races. 

However, there was no literature in either the Sky God tongue or the Sea God tongue, nor any people who used those languages around here, so I was unable to learn them. Oh well, speaking four languages was more than enough for me. 

As for swordplay, my skills were approaching the Intermediate tier. In just two years Eris had gone from Intermediate-tier to Advanced-tier, so I was no longer any match for her. You could really feel the gap in our abilities. 

Ah well, I thought. It seems she spent her days off training really hard, so that’s how it goes. While I spent my free time learning languages, she spent hers with the sword. The gap between us was only natural. 

As for magic, I only practiced through making figurines. I was able to make them more and more detailed, which probably meant I was improving. It was true that I had hit a wall though. Of course, that would be solved once I began learning at the Magic University. There was no use in being impatient. 

Ten years had passed since I came into this world, huh? The thought made me a bit emotional. 

*** 

As my birthday was about a month away, the people in the manor began growing restless, Eris especially so. 

What is it, I wondered. Was someone important supposed to be coming? Like someone else from the Greyrat family, or perhaps Eris’s fiancée? No way, it couldn’t be. Eris with a fiancée? I felt like a fit of strange laughter might burst out of me. But the restlessness made me anxious, so I decided to investigate. 

After doing a magnificent job of tailing Eris, I spotted her chatting happily with a maid in the kitchen. Ghislaine was there too, but she hadn’t noticed me. The brawny, animal-eared swordswoman was distracted by the meat that had been set out for our next meal. 

“I can’t wait to see the look of surprise on Rudeus’s face! He might even weep with joy!” 

“I’m not certain about that. It is Lord Rudeus we’re talking about. Even if he felt surprised, he might not let it show.” 

“But you do think he’ll be happy, right?” Eris asked. 

“Yes, of course. As part of the branch family, I’m sure he’s had a rough time of it.” 

I hadn’t really had a rough time of anything. But what exactly were they talking about? Were people gossiping about me? I was fairly confident I had done a fine job of being good, but perhaps I was the only one who thought so and the other people of this house actually found me unpleasant. 

If that were the case, I was confident I would weep. Specifically, confident I would create more work for the maids by using my pillow as a tissue to soak up all my tears. 

“I have to make sure it’s ready in time!” Eris said. 

“Being impatient won’t make things go well.” 

“If I can’t make it well, you think he won’t eat it?” 

“No, Lord Rudeus would eat anything you made for him,” the maid responded. 

“Really?” 

“Yes, as long as Lord Sauros is present.” 

Ah. I knew what this had to be. Preparations for a surprise party, huh? 

“If only Rudeus hadn’t been born to that house.” There was pity in Eris’s voice as she said that. 

Now that I knew what the conversation was about, I decided to take my leave. 

It turned out that I was someone who had to be kept from the public eye. In the past, I might have thought they wanted to hide me because of who my father was, but now I knew it wasn’t that. 

This was something I had learned in the past couple of years. Paul’s real name was Paul Notos Greyrat. Notos was the name of Paul’s noble family. A long, long time ago, Paul was disowned by the Notos household, and his cousin or younger brother became the head of the household in his place. 

That was fine, it was the past. Except that there were those who wouldn’t, or rather, didn’t, want to leave things in the past. Those in power were full of paranoia. Worst case scenario, they might send assassins after me. That was why it was necessary to hide me. 

Ordinarily, I should have been treated as more important than Eris since I was a boy, but instead I was being treated like a servant. Even the tenth birthday celebration, one of the most important noble customs, had to be limited in scale for me. That’s why everyone kept saying, “Poor thing, how awful.” 

That was why Eris had gone to her grandfather for the first time in a long while to request a secret party for me. One just for the people in the manor. A modest home party especially for me. 

Still, that was close. I was glad I eavesdropped, because although I knew about the customs here, a tenth birthday was nothing special to me. In fact, my own idea of a party was a house party, not that gigantic celebration that Eris had for her birthday. If someone had told me they were going to throw me a birthday party, my reaction would be pretty flat. Like, “Oh, really? Thanks,” or similar. 

But this was Eris’s idea. I was the only one her age around here, so this was the first time she’d done something like this. If I didn’t act excited about it, she would be disappointed. 

I decided to practice making fake tears with water magic. Because I was a man who knew how to read the situation. 

*** 

My birthday. 

I pretended I didn’t notice how anxious everyone in the manor was. Once afternoon lessons ended and we had our break, Ghislaine came to my room. She was unusually nervous, her tail standing sharp and rigid. 

“Th-there’s some magic I want you to teach me.” Her gaze, which was usually unwavering, was suddenly shifty. Apparently, she wanted to keep me in this room. 

Okay, okay. I would board this train. 

“Ohh? Like what?” I asked, knowing whatever answer she gave was surely planned. 

She looked me dead in the eyes and in a very serious voice replied, “Will you show me what Saint-tier magic looks like?” 

“Sure, but it will damage the city.” 

“What? Just what kind of magic is it?” 

“Saint-tier water magic involves gale force winds and a lightning storm. If I try hard enough, I can probably submerge the entire city.” 

“That’s amazing… I would like you to show me that next time then.” She was oddly excited about it. That must have been part of the plan. 

All right then, let’s tease her a little. 

“If you’re that interested, let’s do it. If we ride out about two hours, we should get a safe distance away. Let’s leave now.” 

Her cheek twitched. “Two hours?! N-no, wait. If we leave now, we’ll get back late. Monsters come out at night. Even the plains aren’t safe.” 

“Really? But we should be fine so long as you’re there. You said before that beastfolk are sensitive to sound, so you’re just as vigilant at night as you are during the day, right?” 

“That’s true, but it’s never good to overestimate yourself.” 

“True. Plus, I do use an awful lot of magic when casting Saint-tier spells. Let’s do it on our next day off then.” 

“Yes, all right. That’s good. Let’s do that.” 

I found a good spot to drop that conversation. Normally, nothing could fluster Ghislaine, so teasing her like this was pretty entertaining. Her tail went rigid when she lost her composure too. Just one word from me made it twitch. That alone was enough to amuse me. 

“Oh yeah, I’m sorry, I didn’t pour you any tea. Let me go get some hot water.” 

“No, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it. Don’t move. I’m not thirsty.” 

“All right then.” 

I could actually make the hot water myself, but she didn’t seem to realize that, so I kept it to myself. 

I could see she would do whatever she could to keep me in here. Maybe it was time have a little fun. 

“By the way, this is one of the figures I made recently.” From my shelf I took a 1/10 scale figure of Ghislaine that I was still working on. I was confident I had improved a lot since I first started making them. The sculpting of the musculature alone was professional work. 

Ghislaine let out a small breath as she looked at it. “Is this me? You’ve gotten pretty good at this. You did a nice job before when you were making one of Lady Eris, but this one is… Hm? There’s no tail.” 

“Unfortunately, I only have a vague understanding about tails. I usually create these from my imagination, but this time I’m being very picky because I want it to look as close to the real thing as possible.” 

“Hm.” Her tail twitched as if she were deep in thought. 

Heh, I’m looking forward to seeing just what kind of face you’ll make, I thought. 

“Would you let me see yours? The base of your tail that is.” 

“No problem,” she said. She turned around and pulled her pants off. She didn’t even hesitate. Right in front of me was her firm, muscular behind and the base where her tail attached. 

Amazing! I knew it would be! She’s so fearless! There’s no winning against her, I silently gushed. 

No! I couldn’t falter, not here. Ghislaine always had her guard up, but right now my curiosity overcame me. “C-could I touch it for just a moment?” 

“Sure. Go ahead.” 

It’s hard, I thought. Huh?! Wait a second, this is her ass, right? Right? 

It was as hard as steel. Yet at the same time, there was a certain softness to it. The ideal balance, the perfect amount of muscle. A perfect marriage of the properties of both red and white muscle! Any man, no matter who he was, would admire this. It was a little bit difficult to find this sexy though. 

Lord of Muscles, God of Sex, how grateful I am for your existence, however much the polar opposite of me you are, I thought. So grateful, so grateful. Please, bless unto me muscles such as these. 

“All right, that’s enough.” I lifted my hands away from her butt, feeling mentally battered. 

Ghislaine adjusted her pants then turned back to face me. “I once saw an artist painting a portrait of Lady Eris. Seeing that made me want something similar, something that could capture the current state of my body. I look forward to seeing the finished product.” She looked genuinely happy as she confided this to me. 

It felt like I had lost as a man in a battle of masculinity. Was there no way I could win against someone as handsome as Ghislaine? 

“It’s about time for dinner, isn’t it?” 

“H-hm, I think there’s still a bit of time left?” 

I made her tail flinch one last time before the maid came to call us for dinner. 

“All right, Rudeus. It’s time to eat, let’s go.” She stood quickly, as if trying to hurry me along. Apparently, the real show was about to start. 

*** 

I entered the dining hall to a burst of applause. I had previously met every person gathered here at least once. Of course, Sauros and Philip and Hilda, whose presences were typically scarce, were also in attendance. 

The party was being held in the same dining hall we always used. It was beautifully decorated for the occasion, with an assortment of fancy food I had never seen before lining the tables. Of course, not to the extent of what I saw at Eris’s party, but while the spread was not as pretentious, there was a warmth to it. 

I made a face like I didn’t know what was happening and looked around the room. “Wh-what’s this…?” Behind me, Ghislaine was clapping. “Eh? Huh?” I acted flustered. 

“Rudeus! Happy birthday!” Eris wore a bright red dress and had a large bouquet of flowers in her arms. 

I kept the dumbfounded look on my face as I accepted them from her. “Oh, that’s right. I turn ten today.” I recited the lines just as I had practiced them, as if I had only just realized it was my birthday. 

Then, just as I had planned, I scrunched my face up and covered my eyes with my sleeve. At the same time, I used water magic to make tears well from my eyes. After a few moments I sniffed. 

“I-I’m sorry. I-I just, this is… This is the first time since I came here… I kept thinking I couldn’t screw up, that I wasn’t welcome here… That if I screwed up, it would just cause issues for my father… I never thought you all would celebrate like this for me. Sniff…” 

I lifted my sleeve to check out their reactions, only to see Eris looking gobsmacked. Philip and Sauros and all the others in the room had ceased clapping. They all stood with their mouths agape. 

Crap. Was my acting too corny, I wondered. 

No, that wasn’t it. It was the opposite. It was too good. 

I screwed up, I should have acted with moderation. Sigh. I really was a terrible adult for concocting this plan in the first place. Ah well, too late, best to continue as I had planned. 

Flustered, Eris turned to the butler asking, “What should I do??” 

Were my tears that big a deal? Her reaction was so cute that I put my arms around her. Then, in a nasally voice, I whispered words of gratitude in her ear. “Eris, thank you.” 

“N-no big deal! Y-you’re family after all! It’s obvious I’d do this! Th-this is nothing to the Greyrat family, r-right, father! Grandfather!” 

Normally, she’d say something like, “You better be grateful!” But instead she was making excuses and looking to Philip for backup. 

That was when Sauros rose up, barking: “W-war! We’ll go to war with Notos! We’ll kill Pilemon and install Rudeus as the head of the family! Philip! Alphoooonse!!! Ghislaaaaine! Follow me! Let’s gather the troops!” 

And thus dawned the inter-family war between the Boreas Greyrat and Notos Greyrat households. It was a bloody feud that enveloped the remaining two Greyrat branch families as well, pulling the whole of the Asura Kingdom into what would become a long, drawn-out civil war. 

No, of course not. That didn’t happen. 

“F-Father, restrain yourself! Please, restrain yourself!” 

“Philiiiip! Do you plan to stand in my way?! You bastard! Surely you, too, think Rudeus would be a more fitting head of household than that ridiculous buffoon?!” 

“Yes, of course I do, but calm down! Today is a day of celebration! Plus, war isn’t a good thing, we would be making enemies of both Zephyros and Euros!” 

“You fool! I’ll defeat everyone by myself! Release me, release meeeee!” Sauros left the room, dragging Philip behind him. Even after he was gone, I could still hear his voice. 

I was dumbfounded. 

“A-ahem,” Eris cleared her throat once. “Leaving Grandfather aside for the moment, I prepared something for today that will surprise you, Rudeus!” She flushed red as she giggled and puffed out her chest in pride. 

It was adorable. She recently began wearing bras now that her breasts had started growing. Right now, they were just cute, but some day they would grow into something incredible. Or so said the Wise Old Hermit. Thanks, Wise Old Hermit. 

“Something that will surprise me?” I echoed back. 

“What do you think it is?!” 

Something that would surprise me… What could it be? Something that I would enjoy… A laptop and an erotic game? No, no. I had to think of something that Eris seemed likely to come up with. 

I considered my current situation. I was away from my parents and had been alone for several years. She probably thought I was lonely, especially since it was my birthday. 

If it were Eris, what would she want? For Ghislaine or her grandfather to come celebrate with her, right? If I applied that to me, then… 

“Don’t tell me, my father’s here…?” 

Her face clouded over as soon as I said that. Not just hers, but the maids’ and butlers’ faces as well. It was a look of pity. An incorrect guess. 

“M-Mister Paul…couldn’t come because monsters have become more active in the forest lately, he said. B-but he said you didn’t need him here anyway. As for Miss Zenith, she said the two young ones suddenly fell ill with a fever so she couldn’t come either.” Eris gave a choppy explanation. 

Ahh. So, they did invite them. Well, it couldn’t be helped. The village relied on Paul quite a bit, and if both the girls were sick, Zenith couldn’t leave their care solely to Lilia. It would have been nice to see them again, since it had been so long, but oh well. 

“U-uh, um, Rudeus. You know, um…” Eris started stumbling over her words again. It was cute, like a cat that got itself into trouble after acting so tough all the time. 

But don’t worry, I thought. It’s better if Paul’s not here. 

“Oh, I see. So my father and mother didn’t come then.” I meant to sound like I didn’t mind, but since I had just stopped crying, my voice was all nasally. I probably sounded completely dejected instead. 

One of the maids sniffled. 

I’d screwed up big time. I hadn’t meant to make the atmosphere so glum. Sorry, guys, looks like I can’t read the atmosphere after all. 

Just as I thought that, Hilda dashed over and took me in her arms. I dropped the bouquet of flowers I was holding by accident. “Argh!” 

I barely spoke with Hilda. She had the same red hair as Eris and had the aura of a widow still at the prime of her youth, radiating raw sexuality. Someone who might appear in an erotic game with “young wife” or “widow” in the title. Of course, she wasn’t a widow so long as Philip was alive. 

She shouted as she squeezed me tightly. “It’s all right, Rudeus, you can calm down. You’re part of our family now!” 

Huh? Didn’t she hate me? 

“I won’t hear any complaints! You’ll be our adopted… No, marry Eris! That’s right! That’s a great idea! Do that!” 

“M-Mother?!” 

Hilda had taken leave of her senses. Marriage, she said. Even Eris was surprised. 

“Eris! Do you have a problem with our Rudeus?!” 

“He’s only ten!” 

“Age has nothing to do with it! Now stop making excuses and spend that time refining yourself as a lady!” 

“That’s what I’m doing!” 

Hilda was on a rampage, with Eris firing back. I was told she married into the family, but I guess she was still a Greyrat through and through. She had the same wild presence as Sauros. 

“Okay, okay, let’s do this some other time.” 

“Argh! Darling! What are you doing! Unhand me! That poor child, I have to save him!” 

Philip gracefully escorted his wife from the scene after he returned from restraining Sauros. Whenever a situation developed, he would address it with glacial composure while everyone else stood dumbfounded. He was cool, like a master magician. A man you could rely on, someone you could consult with about anything. 

“So, what is it? The surprise you were talking about,” I inquired, after picking the bouquet off the floor. 

Eris folded her arms, puffed out her chest, and stuck out her chin. It had been a while since I last saw this pose. 

“Hmph! Alphonse! Bring it here!” She snapped her fingers as if to make a sharp, assertive sound, but it came out dull and flat. Her cheeks flushed, but Alphonse seemed unperturbed as he produced a staff from the shadows of a sculpture. 

A staff, the same one that Roxy had used. A magician’s staff. One made of gnarled, knobby wood. At its tip was a large, costly-looking magical crystal. The moment I saw it I knew. That staff was expensive. I knew because I had made two wands myself. 

The rank of a staff was determined by the wood and the stone at its tip. Each type of magic had a certain affinity with different types of wood. Fire and earth spells matched best with persimmon wood, while water and wind matched best with pagoda wood. 

But even if the affinities didn’t match, it didn’t mean the power of a spell was diminished. The important thing wasn’t the wood, but the magical crystal. Channeling magic through the crystal increased the potency of a spell. There were many grades of crystal, but the larger and more transparent, the more effective it was. A crystal’s price increased astronomically with its effectiveness. 

The crystals I used to make Eris and Ghislaine’s wands were worth a silver coin apiece. There were cheaper ones, but I remembered the approximate size of the wand Roxy gave me and selected something similar. They were about as big as the tip of my smallest finger. 

This one was as big as a fist and was easily worth over a hundred gold coins. Especially with its ultramarine hue. A crystal with color to it greatly increased the potency of its magic. 

Just how much did she spend on that thing? I wondered. 

Incidentally, the magic-imbued crystals found in labyrinths didn’t have an amplifying effect. Instead, they carried magic power of their own, so they were either used in magical items or used to supplement a person’s mana cost when using a powerful spell. 

“It seems you’ve taken a liking to it!” Eris said with a nod of satisfaction as I examined it. “Alphonse, explain!” 

“Yes, my lady. The wood for this cane comes from the branch of a living elder treant in the eastern part of the great forest on the Millis Continent. I’m sure you are already aware of this from your extensive learning, Lord Rudeus, but it is said that an elder treant is a higher subspecies of the lesser treant, born from the nourishment of the fairy spring. It’s an A-rank magical creature that can manipulate water magic. The crystal comes from the northern part of the Begaritt Continent, from a wayward sea dragon. Another A-rank item. The crafter is Chein Procyon, the greatest staff craftsman, the Rod Director in the Asuran Royal Palace’s Mage Guild.” 

Incredible. It seemed to be especially made for water magic. But it was expensive, right? 

“Please, accept the staff from the Young Mistress.” The staff was passed to Eris, and Eris offered it to me. 

I wasn’t going to worry about its cost right now. I told Eris not to spend money frivolously, but it was fine on a day like this. It seemed she ordered it especially for me, so I hadn’t the heart to refuse her. Money existed for things like this. 

“Its name is Aqua Heartia—Arrogant Water Dragon King.” 

I paused; I felt like I’d just heard something really nerdy. 

“Take it! This is a present from the Greyrat family! My father and grandfather requested it! You’re a great magician, Rudeus, so it’s strange for you not to have a staff of your own!” 

Eris’s voice brought me back to my senses and I accepted Aqua Heartia. 

Contrary to its appearance, it was quite lightweight. I took it in both hands and swung it around. It was easy to lift and flip. Despite the large crystal at its tip, it was balanced well. No surprise there, given how expensive it was. Though the name was a bit…special. 

“Thank you. For the party, and for giving me such an expensive gift.” 

“Don’t worry about the price! Now quickly, let’s resume the party or the feast we prepared will get cold!” Eris was in a good mood as she tugged at me, guiding me to the birthday seat that had been installed in front of a gigantic cake. “I helped too!” 

Other than Eris’s first home-cooked dishes, which were atrocious, the rest of the food was delicious. 

*** 

Once the party started, Eris’s mouth went off like a machine gun, talking about the cooking and the staff. I gave short responses as I listened, but midway through her words began to slow. Perhaps it was the exhaustion. She spoke less and less, beginning to mumble until she finally dozed off. 

I wasn’t sure if it was because she was exhausted from the excitement, or because her nervousness had finally lifted. Either way, Ghislaine carried Eris off like a princess so she could sleep in her own room. 

Sleep well, I thought. 

Sauros and Hilda returned partway through the party. Sauros turned sullen after Philip intervened when he tried giving me alcohol. Hilda poured the old man some instead, and eventually he got utterly smashed. He left for his own room with a drunken smile and red tinge to his cheeks, laughing merrily. 

Hilda leaned over and gave me a final kiss goodnight before retiring to her own quarters. Most of the food had been polished off by that point. The maids cleared the last of the empty plates with sleepy looks on their faces. 

That left only Philip and me. For a while Philip just quietly knocked back his drink. Wine, I guessed. I learned during Eris’s birthday that each region of the Asura Kingdom had its own form of alcohol. In this area it was largely made from wheat, but wine from grapes would be prepared for special occasions. 

Philip hadn’t talked much during the party. He had admonished Sauros and Hilda, but otherwise spent most of the time watching over us with a smile on his face. It was now, when the two of us were left alone, that he let the words flow. “I lost the battle to become head of the family. Right now, Eris is my only child.” 

So, it was going to be a serious conversation. I adjusted my posture and gazed intently at him. 

“Don’t you wonder why it is that Eris has no brothers or sisters?” 

I nodded quietly. “A little.” I was curious, but I was never able to ask about it. 

“The truth is, it’s not that she doesn’t have any. She has an older brother and a younger brother. Her younger brother is probably about the same age as you, I think?” 

“Was he killed in the battle to become head of the family?” 

Philip looked at me, shocked; I’d asked the question a little too directly. “No, of course not. He’s not dead. He was taken to the imperial capital by my elder brother as soon as he was born.” 

“Taken? What do you mean?” I pressed. 

“On the surface, he took him there as an adopted son to let him study. The truth is…it’s a tradition, I suppose.” 

Philip explained the Boreas family’s tradition, one that was connected to the battle to become the head of family. 

Sauros had ten sons. Among them only three were exceptional: Philip, Gordon, and finally, James. It sounded like the name of a certain locomotive. 

To decide who would be the head of family among these three, they were made to compete. The result was that James would become the next head of the family. Philip and Gordon had lost. 

During the first half of the power struggle, James first secretly pulled Gordon and the daughter of the Euros Greyrat family together. He maneuvered things so neither one would know the other’s background then fanned the flames of their love. Gordon became too focused on that romance, and just as James had planned, married into the Euros branch of the family. That effectively cut off his path to becoming head of the Boreas family. 

In the latter half of the struggle, Philip and James were evenly matched. They continued to fight by manipulating people from behind the scenes. 

But it wasn’t like some dramatic development occurred. The battle simply ended with Philip’s defeat. It was a matter of influence. James was six years older than Philip, widely known throughout the capital, and had served as a minister’s aide. He had connections, money, and, more than anything, political power. 

Philip was an excellent candidate, but that six-year gap was nearly impossible to overcome. Once James became the head of the household, he made Philip the mayor of Roa. At that time, Philip had yet to give up. He tried to formulate a comeback strategy, but the lands in Fittoa were largely rural, making it difficult to build political power. 

While Philip was breaking his back trying to do what he could, James stayed in the capital and built himself a rock-solid position as minister. That made the gap between them impossible to bridge. Then, when Philip’s son was born, James claimed him as an adopted son. 

“Isn’t it a bit tyrannical of him to take all of your sons from you?” 

“No, it’s fine. That’s the tradition.” 

In the Boreas Greyrat line, all sons born into the family were raised under the care of the head of the household. This prevented those who had lost in previous power struggles from participating in future ones. It ensured they would not involve themselves to boost their own son’s influence in the next struggle for power. 

This was a common issue, a problem that occurred all over Asura Kingdom. Apparently, the Euros family which Gordon married into had a different tradition, but Philip obeyed the Boreas tradition and surrendered all his sons to James while they were still young and had no awareness of the world. The only father they would recognize was James. 

“The situation would have been reversed if I had won.” The way Philip calmly accepted the situation made me think he may not have been Sauros’s true-born child after all. 

The same could not be said for his wife. Hilda was from a normal noble family. Having her newborn baby taken from her wasn’t something she could so calmly accept. In the aftermath of losing her oldest son, she fell into depression for quite a while. Once Eris was born, she seemed to recover, but when Eris’s younger brother was taken, she became unstable again. 

“She hated you. After all, why did the son of an outsider get to parade around here as if he owned the place, when her own sons couldn’t even do that?” 

I had already figured out that she hated me. At least now I knew she had a reason for it. 

“Plus, our only remaining child, Eris, turned out to be a tomboy instead of a lady. I thought all hope was lost.” 

“What do you mean by that?” 

“It would be difficult to try to use Eris to overthrow James.” 

By overthrow did he mean…? Ah, he still hadn’t given up on becoming the head of the family. 

“But lately, after seeing you, I’ve started to feel a little bit of hope.” 

“Huh?” 

“Your acting is good enough to deceive even Hilda and my father.” 

So, he noticed I was putting on a show. But the word “deceive” didn’t have a very nice ring to it. I just tried to act in a way that wouldn’t make things unpleasant. 

Philip continued, “You understand the importance of money, and you know how to be diplomatic. And you don’t balk at the necessity of putting yourself in harm’s way to win over people’s hearts.” 

He was probably referring to the kidnapping incident. Or the fact that I stuck around even though someone my age (Eris) was punching me all the time. 

“But most of all, Eris has grown tremendously under your supervision.” Philip sounded like he never could never imagined this. 

He had heard how exceptional I was from Paul, but as the son of someone who spent all his time flipping skirts at my age, he probably thought I would be the same type of delinquent. He figured something interesting might happen by pitting his unruly daughter against me, like observing the chemical reactions of a science experiment. Apparently, that was about as far as he’d imagined it. 

“I can still remember the day when Paul came running here crying,” Philip muttered to himself. 

I asked Philip to explain, who said Paul came crying because he was going to get married but didn’t have the money to afford a place and needed a stable job. Yet at the same time Paul didn’t want to return to his noble family. Apparently, he got on his knees for my sake, something he didn’t do even when the incident with Lilia happened. Well, that was in the past, anyway. 

“Wouldn’t Eris have found a way even without me here?” 

“Found a way? Of course not. Even I thought Eris was hopeless. I thought she had no future as a member of a noble family. That was why I hired Ghislaine to teach her swordplay so that she might at least become an adventurer.” After he said that, Philip recounted several of his past episodes with Eris, every single one painful to listen to. 

“So how about it? Will you marry Eris and help me seize control of the Boreas family? If so, I’ll tie her hands and put her in your bed right now.” 

That was a tantalizing offer… My mind conjured the image of getting a pop-up screen like in a game, saying, “Are you sure you sure you want to dispose of this (your virginity)? Once it’s gone, it will be gone forever!” 

No, no, wait, wait, wait! This is no joke. Read the previous line again, I commanded myself. Seize control of the Boreas family? 

“What are you trying to make me do? I’m ten!” 

“You’re also Paul’s child, are you not?” 

“I’m not talking about that!” 

“I will be the one to seize control of the family. All you must do is take the seat. If you want women, I’ll give them to you.” 

Did he really think I would listen just because he said he’d give me women? Paul’s bad reputation truly was loathsome. 

“I’ll pretend you said all this because you’re drunk.” 

Philip laughed quietly when I said that. “That’s right, go ahead and do that. All that stuff about the Boreas family aside, you’re free to pursue whatever relationship you want with Eris, you know? I have no responsibility for her. Even if I did marry her off, she would surely come right back. I would prefer to hand her over to you instead.” Another muted laugh. 

If he married Eris off, she would probably punch her husband to death within a couple of days. I could picture it easily. Just as easily as I could picture myself dancing to Philip’s tune if I took him up on that offer. 

“All right, it’s about time to sleep then.” 

“Yes, good night,” I responded. 

So ended the birthday party that Eris had staged for me. 

*** 

When I returned to my room, Eris, who should have been asleep, was sitting on my bed. 

“Oh, w-welcome back!” She was wearing a red negligee. Extremely sexy. 

I was sure she had never worn anything like this before. What was going on? Also, wasn’t she supposed to be asleep? 

“What are you doing here at this hour?” 

When I asked, her cheeks burned red and she averted her eyes. “I-I thought you would be lonely by yourself, so I was going to sleep with you tonight!” 

Apparently, she was still worried about what I said during the party, about whether my parents were coming. After all, she was still clinging to her parents at age twelve. Maybe imagining being without them for three years spurred her into coming here. 

No. Unlikely as it seemed, it was possible this was Hilda’s idea. Maybe she roused Eris, forced her to change, and sent her over here. 

“…” 

I took a second, hard look at Eris. Her body had not yet fully matured, but it was beginning to. Probably because of all the sword practice, her arms and legs were well toned. Whether it was because she was taller than the average girl or the negligee she was wearing, she also looked more grown-up than usual. 

Eris was already twelve after all. She was beginning to grow up. 

My body was still immature as well. I had yet to hit puberty, though it would surely be upon me in a few years. Maybe then I would welcome the opportunity to pop my cherry with this spoiled, tsundere loli. 

The moment that thought crossed my mind I felt like that thirty-four-year-old, homeless, jobless pervert again. I saw an image of him with his face covered in acne and lips set in a disgusting smile, swooping down on Eris. 

I snapped back to my senses. No, I couldn’t. I couldn’t touch her. That would be playing right into Philip’s hand. I would be planting my foot right in the middle of an intense power struggle. The same one Philip had already lost and Paul had run away from. 

I didn’t want to get involved in something that seemed to have so few payoffs. So I just prayed I could get out of this peacefully. 

She loathed sexual advances, so maybe I could say something to that effect to scare her off? “Th-that’s right! I’m feeling pretty lonely, so if you don’t leave I might do something perverted to you!” 

Or so I thought, but then I received an unlikely response. 

“Y-you can do it. J-just a little bit!” 

Seriously?! 

You’re really being bold today, Eris! How am I supposed to resist when you put it like that? What to do… 

I debated internally and finally decided to take her up on her offer. Just a little. 

“…” 

I sat beside her. The bed let out a small creak. If I were still my previous self, it would’ve surely let out a much larger groan, effectively killing the mood. 

I wasn’t thinking anymore, not about any of that complicated stuff. This was playing into Philip’s hands? Fine then. Three years ago, Eris had been so tsun, but now she was finally showing me her dere side. How could I refuse when she was offering herself willingly? At times like these it was best to just accept the risk and take the plunge, right? 

“You’re stuttering,” I said. 

“Th-that’s just your imagination.” 

“Really?” 

I petted her head. Her hair was so smooth. Even though this was a high noble family, there was no bath in the manor, so it wasn’t as if you could wash your hair every day. Her hair was normally coarse and rough from spending every day outside practicing swordplay from morning until dusk. She must have cleaned it up today for me. For me. 

“You look so cute.” 

“Wh-what are you talking about all of a sudden?” 

She looked away, her face red to her ears. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and planted a kiss on her cheek. 

“Hngh!” Her body went stiff, but she didn’t try to run. 

Ah, so she really is okay with this? I thought. She was definitely the type to run if she didn’t like something. 

“I’m going to touch you now.” I reached for her chest. Her breasts were small, just beginning to grow. Being able to touch these was proof she had given me permission. It was through a layer of clothing, but there was no doubt that right now, I had her in my hands. 

“Mm…” 

It wasn’t pleasure that made her hum, I was sure. She was just realizing how embarrassing what we were doing really was. I knew that. She was watching me with her lips clamped tightly together, tears in her eyes as she struggled to tamp down her embarrassment and confusion. 

I stroked her back comfortingly. Thanks to all her sword training, it was firm with muscle. Not as much as Ghislaine’s, of course, but well-toned and smooth. 

Eris snapped her eyes shut and grabbed my shoulders like she was clinging to me. Did this, perhaps, mean she was giving me the okay? She was, right? If so, I was going to go the whole way. Right now. 

O-okay, let’s d-do it then, I thought. 

I reached my hand toward the inside of her thigh. This would be my first time ever touching a girl there. It was warm and soft, of course, but firm with muscle. 

“Nooo!” 

She shoved me away. Then slapped me across the cheek, loud and hard. I landed on the floor with a thump after being kicked. She continued her attack, the sounds of her blows filling the room. 

Rendered completely defenseless by my own confusion, I took the full force of her attack. Once it was over, I looked up at her, flat on my back. 

Eris was standing over me. Her cheeks were red. She was glaring at me. “I told you just a little, didn’t I?! You moron!” The door was left hanging wide open after she kicked it and marched out. 

*** 

I stared blankly at the ceiling. The feverish heat that had taken over had dissipated completely. 

“This is why you’re a virgin.” 

I was filled with self-loathing. I completely misread the atmosphere. I went way too fast. Halfway through, I forgot that she was still a child. 

I completely forgot myself. 

“Ah, dammit, what were you thinking?!” 

After playing so many erotic games, I thought maybe I understood how the heroines felt. In my previous life I used to watch thickheaded protagonists be oblivious, and I would think to myself, Just hurry up and make your move, then it’ll be over. 

What I’d just done was the result of that thinking. As a player, you could see the heroine’s internal dialogue. The protagonist, meanwhile, had no idea what she was thinking. That was why most protagonists were aware something like this could happen, even if they knew the other person liked them. So they took their time and slowly developed the relationship instead. 

I was being completely short-sighted compared to them. Especially after I’d had that conversation with Philip. What was I thinking, saying I would pretend he only said all that because he was drunk? The things I said and the things I did were in complete contradiction. 

I knew what would happen if I had sex with Eris. We would sleep together, she would get pregnant, we would get married. A grand series of events that would make me an official member of the Boreas household. Or, after all that, would I come to hate the ugly power struggle that followed so much that I would run away? Would I plan not to take responsibility for my actions? Was I just going to pass it off as a one-night stand? 

Foolish. I would no doubt end up going after Eris every night. My sex drive was quite strong in my previous life, and I had a feeling, without even looking at Paul as an example, that it might be the same for my current body. There was no way I would be satisfied by a one-time thing. She may have come to me today, but the next time I would be the one going to her. 

Philip and Hilda surely hoped for that. No one would stop me. I would take the bait of temporary gratification and fall into the filthy trap that was the Boreas household’s inner power struggle. 

“Ah!” The staff standing in the corner of the room caught my eye. 

I couldn’t forget Eris’s feelings either. The money may have come from Philip and Sauros, but she was the one who planned the party for me and came up with the idea of giving me that staff. She was the one who worried over our conversation at the party and came here to comfort me tonight before I fell asleep. She thought about me all day long today. 

Yet a moment ago, I’d been about to violate her out of lust. There was a girl who genuinely considered my feelings as a person, and I tried to have my way with her. 

Remember how happy she looked when she was talking with that maid before? You just tried to trample all over that. 

“Haha…” 

I was a piece of crap. I had no right to judge Paul. I had no right to lecture anyone. I was a piece of crap in my previous life and nothing had changed in coming to another world. Tomorrow I would gather my things and leave. I would go die on the roadside like the garbage I was. 

“Ah!” 

I suddenly realized that Eris was standing in the doorway. Only part of her body was visible, her face peeking out from behind the frame. 

I panicked and tried sitting up, no stand… No! Should I just prostrate myself! 

“I-I’m sorry about what just happened.” I balled up like a turtle, prostrating myself before her. 

“…” 

I peeked up. 

Eris’s gaze was drifting as she fidgeted, her legs brushing against each other with the motion. Then she slowly whispered, “T-today’s a special day, so I’ll make an exception and forgive you.” 

Sh-she forgave me! 

“Besides, I already know you’re a pervert.” 

Who the hell told her that! 

No, it was true though. I was the one. I was the pervert. It was my fault. Everyone look over here. It’s me, the pervert. 

“But, i-it’s still too early for us to do that, so…five years! In five years, once you’ve grown up properly, then…mumblemumble…b-but until then, hold it in!” 

“Hahah!” I slumped forward. 

“W-well then, I’m going back to bed. Bye, Rudeus. Good night. I’ll see you again tomorrow.” After that choppy, disordered farewell, Eris vanished from view. I could hear the rhythm of her footsteps as she took off. 

I waited until the sound faded completely before I shut the door. “Pheeeeeew.” I slumped against the door and slid down. “Thank God!” 

I was glad today was my birthday. I was glad today was a special day. I was glad I didn’t do something worse than what I did. 

“And yeeeees!” 

Five years from now. A definite promise! From Eris! A promise! 

All right, no more insincere advances until then, I told myself. 

Five years. I would be fifteen. It was still a long time away, but I could hold out. If there was a guaranteed prize at the end, I could work hard. Until then, I would be a gentleman. Not a pervert, but a gentleman. I would stop all the sexual advances. 

Wine only had a depth to its taste after you let it sit for years. A charged attack had more power behind it the longer let it build up after all. I would become the kind of man that wouldn’t yield no matter what kind of temptation I encountered. This time, I would aim to be that thick-headed protagonist. I would hold down the A button and not release it until those five years had passed. That was the promise I made to myself. 

Wait, five years from now…? The thick-headed protagonist? An image of Sylphie’s pale, angelic face and sweet smile suddenly popped into the back of my head. 

*** 

The next morning, I woke up to crusty underwear. Apparently, I had accidentally released the A button. Oh well, I would just have to start again tomorrow. 

I had a word with the maid who came to collect our laundry and asked her to keep quiet about this so Eris didn’t find out. She giggled with a look of mirth in her eyes. It was a little embarrassing. 

*** 

NAME: Eris B. Greyrat 

OCCUPATION: Granddaughter of Fittoa’s liege lord 

PERSONALITY: Sometimes violent, sometimes meek, depending on the situation 

DOES: Listen properly 

READING/WRITING: Almost perfect 

ARITHMETIC: Capable of doing division 

MAGIC: Can’t do any spells without chanting them, Intermediate-tier spells also a challenge 

FENCING: Sword God Style - Advanced-tier 

ETIQUETTE: Currently studying difficult imperial court etiquette 

PEOPLE SHE LIKES: Grandfather, Ghislaine 

PERSON SHE LOVES: Rudeus