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Mushoku Tensei (LN) - Volume 8 - Chapter 4




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Chapter 4:

The Beginning of My School Life 

A MONTH HAD PASSED since my enrollment. Rudeus the Q uagmire’s school life was a monotonous one. First I woke up in the morning, then, as had become my daily routine, I began my training. According to a manga I read in my previous life, there was a man who did push-ups and squats a hundred times, ran ten kilometers, and sacrificed his hair to obtain enough power to become the strongest in the world. I didn’t want to lose my hair, so I had to work a little harder than him. Specifically by practicing with my wooden sword. Such training had value only because I continued doing it daily. 

Apparently there were others at this university who were also passionate about exercise, because I spotted a girl going for a jog again this morning. I didn’t see her face because her hat was pulled over her eyes, but she looked fit, if a bit thin. 

After returning to my room, I did a bit of magic training. I was making a figurine again for the first time in a long while. Zanoba kept hounding me to teach him my skills, so this was partially a refresher for me. I hadn’t made much progress with this one, though, since Zanoba kept interrupting to summon me to breakfast. The dining order in the dormitory’s cafeteria was determined by academic year and social position, but they were lenient with the time frames. They were busy in the morning, after all. 

After the meal, I parted ways with Zanoba and headed for the library. My research into teleportation had gotten interesting. When the noon bell chimed, Zanoba and I would have lunch together. He’d ask me questions about things he didn’t understand in class, and I’d answer to the best of my abilities. Zanoba was only taking earth magic classes, but he was still working hard, in his way. 

We ate our meals outside. Elinalise sometimes came by, but apparently Zanoba didn’t look like a “good man” in her eyes, so she would quickly scamper off. I asked her how she was dealing with her situation, since she wasn’t allowed to bring men into the women’s dorm, and she said she went into the city at night to quench her thirst. Impressive stamina. 

On a separate note, this cafeteria had a lot of food that catered to my palate. It had things like nanahoshiyaki (the pseudo-karaage), as well as something that tasted similar to curry, called kerry soup. It wasn’t amazing, but I liked that it tasted like something from my previous life. They definitely maintained a menu that the various races here could enjoy. 

In the afternoons, I took a class on the foundations of healing magic, divine magic, and barrier magic. Divine magic was an especially effective against ghost-type creatures or beasts with a gaseous form. From a theoretical standpoint, I figured it was likely similar to Disturb Magic, using mana in its rawest form to strike your opponent. Granted, just smacking something with pure mana didn’t actually do any damage, so there had to be more to it. Perhaps I’d be able to understand that sort of stuff if I’d been an exorcist in my previous life. As it was, I was just learning the theory behind it and memorizing each incantation. 

I was taught you needed to change the type of magic you were using to counter your opponent. If you wanted to become a skilled divine magician, it was important for you to be able to analyze your opponent. But surely that requirement applied beyond divine magic? On that note, first-rate swordfighters could apparently cut right through ghosts. No need for analysis. I’d seen a number of ghost-type beasts while I was operating as an adventurer, but never a swordfighter who could cut through them. 

Barrier magic was, as the name implied, magic where you created a protective wall. These were basically constructed using magic circles, but at the Beginner-tier you could also create them through incantation. Magic Shield had the power to isolate flames or cold and reduce their effect. The magic-resistant bricks of the university, as well as the inn’s fireplace, were most likely developed from this magic. 

If there was a shield that could protect against magic, surely there was one for physical attacks as well? When I asked the teacher about it, they told me that the Millis faith owned the rights to both divine and barrier magic, so the university could only teach the basic levels of both. Apparently Physical Shield was an Intermediate-tier spell and not something I could learn. The teacher could use that magic and even teach it, but it was illegal to do so. If they violated the law and got caught, the Millis faith would hunt them down and put them on trial. 

In fact, it used to be that university wasn’t even allowed to teach the basics of those schools of magic. It was only about two years ago, after agreeing to certain conditions, that they were given permission. Given those circumstances, I was told that the class was instead going to focus on how to break through barriers. 

There were two types of barriers, those proofing against magic and those proofing against physical objects. Once a person was Saint-tier and above, they could create barriers that combined both aspects. There were also various other uses, such as a barrier to protect oneself and a barrier to lock something inside. 

My old teacher Roxy had also taught me about barriers, but at the time, I’d been satisfied just with the knowledge that they existed and more or less tuned out the rest of what she said. So it was informative to review and have someone re-explain them for me. 

I returned to the library once class was over. There, I spent my time researching teleportation until it became dark outside. I did technically go hunting through the literature, but as a result of teleportation magic being labeled a forbidden art, there wasn’t anything listed in detail. The book that Master Fitz had told me about, An Account of the Exploration of the Teleportation Labyrinth , might be the most extensive written information out there. 

After that I returned home to the dorm, ate dinner, and then, after working on the figurine a little, went to bed. My lifestyle had found a rhythm and I was beginning to feel relaxed, but my little man’s appetite, or rather lack thereof, remained unchanged. The healing magic class never touched on any subject related to ED, of course, and there were no books on how to cure such a condition in the library, either. 

There was no sign I’d recover. 

*** 

Then one day something happened. 

It was evening and I was in the library researching teleportation when Master Fitz approached with his white hair and sunglasses. He had a somewhat fashionable cloak over his school-assigned uniform, sturdy-looking boots and snug white gloves. I’d run into him several times now, but it felt like he was always wearing the same things. 

“Rudeus, mind if I sit beside you?” 

“Sit beside me? That makes it seem like we’re strangers. Here, please have my seat. I warmed it for you.” 

“Ahaha, sorry for the trouble.” Master Fitz grinned widely and sat down. He seemed like someone who was adept at responding to social situations. Once I moved seats and continued my reading, he peeked over to see what I had in my hands. 

“Are you making progress?” 

It’d been a week since we’d last spoken about it. I had been digging through books about teleportation every day. “I now know that there were apparently other incidents in the past that resemble what happened in the Fittoa region,” I said. Fitz had given me a head start on my research after all, so I decided sharing what I’d found was a way of showing my gratitude. It wasn’t something worth hiding, anyway. “It wasn’t on as large a scale as the Fittoa displacement, but there were cases of people abruptly disappearing one day and then suddenly returning another.” 

In other words, being spirited away. A single person would vanish and then either reappear in another place or reappear in the same place. This phenomenon was quite common… well, not quite, but it seemed to happen occasionally. 

“I wonder if that’s the same thing as the teleportation in the Fittoa region?” 

“Hard to say… hm?” When I happened to look at what was in Master Fitz’s hands, I noticed he was holding a book about teleportation. “Are you perhaps helping me?” 

He shook his head when I asked. “No. I’m also looking into the Displacement Incident.” 

“So that’s it. Why are you going to all that trouble? Did Princess Ariel order you?” 

“Not quite…” He put his hand to his chin as if he were considering his response and the corners of his lips lifted as he chuckled. His laugh was one of self-deprecation. “To tell the truth, one of my acquaintances went missing during the incident.” 

“Oh, uh, I’m not sure what to say…” I remembered the list of the deceased back at the Refugee Camp—how many hundreds of names had been listed on it. It had been five years since the disaster. The chance of survival for those still missing was basically zero. I was sure Master Fitz’s acquaintance and anyone else still missing was probably already deceased. I was one of the lucky ones since my entire family was still alive. 

“Oh, I recently found out they’re still alive, actually,” Fitz interjected. 

“Huh? Oh, really?” 

“Yeah. I’d been researching teleportation up until then thinking, if I could figure out the pattern behind where people were teleported, then it would make finding them easier. That’s why I looked into it.” 

A pattern behind where people were teleported to, huh? Interesting, I’d never considered that before. “Incredible as ever, Master Fitz. That’s an insightful idea.” 

“No, it’s really not that special. Besides, I wasn’t able to search for them in the end anyway,” Fitz replied, his head drooping. 

Based on what I’d heard, the Second Princess had lost her standing approximately a year after the Displacement Incident. Of course there must’ve been signs she was headed down that path even before then, and as her bodyguard, Master Fitz must’ve been really busy during that time. “That’s not your fault.” 

People had their own duties to fulfill. He couldn’t just abandon them to participate in his own search. In fact, he’d actually used his position to access the university’s library and conduct research on the incident. The fact that he knew his acquaintance had been found also meant he’d been gathering information. He had his own life to live and work to do, but even then he’d done what he could. That was enough in my opinion. “Instead of dwelling on the past, let’s think about what to do from here on out. And on that note, would it be possible for you to tell me what you’ve found, Master Fitz?” 

“Yeah, sure. I can gather my findings and bring them tomorrow. Just don’t expect much. I’m not really good at looking things up, so I can’t discover things as quickly as you do.” 

He didn’t seem very confident. Fitz had said he was a fourth-year, right? He was attending classes, acting as a bodyguard, and, according to what I’d heard the other day, also carrying out routine tasks for Princess Ariel. He’d also mentioned being involved in the Student Council. Even though he had all of that going on, he’d still carried out his search, refusing to escape the matter with the excuse that he was just “too busy.” That made him incredible in my eyes. 

“I just have more time to spend on it than you do,” I assured him. After all, I was spending all my time before noon looking into the matter. I’d actually seen the epicenter of the disaster, and with my knowledge from my previous life, I had some ability to predict things. 

“Uh, um… hey, Rudeus. There’s something I want to talk to you about.” Fitz was suddenly scratching the back of his ear as he looked down toward his lap and mumbled. 

I tilted my head. “Yes, what is it?” I owed him for helping me the other day as well. Whatever it was, I wanted him to feel free to tell me. 

“I’d like you to let me help out with your research into the Displacement Incident.” 

I felt incredibly humbled by his offer. “No, in fact I should be the one assisting you. I’m the one who just began my research recently. I don’t even have much information on the topic.” 

“But I don’t have that much time to spend on it. Even if we partner up, most of the work will fall to you. Does that… bother you? Having someone like me who just comes in here occasionally, butting into your research.” 

It might bother me if someone who barely spent any time helping came in just to lambast my progress, but he didn’t seem the type to do that. Besides, it was probably better to have someone with a different perspective weigh in rather than work on it all by myself, right? I wasn’t that smart anyway, and Fitz was considered a genius, so he might be able to find something in the data I gathered. “It doesn’t bother me. I look forward to working together.” 

“Yeah, me too.” 

We shook hands and Fitz gave me a toothy grin. The look on his face, combined with the softness of his hand, made my heart pound. 

Was I seriously feeling this way toward a guy…? No, that was absurd. My emotions were just getting off track. 

After that, I gathered what I’d researched for the day and headed home. By the time we left the library it was already growing dark outside. Master Fitz and I shared small talk as we walked back to the dorms. Between being the Princess’s bodyguard and doing chores for her, he was kept busy daily, but once every ten days he got some free time in the evening. 

“By the way, I saw you at noon. You were amazing.” 

Noon? I tilted my head at the word. What was I even doing then? 

“I was shocked to see the Zanoba Shirone following after you like a little puppy.” 

“…hah.” By noon he meant when we were eating at our insta-cafe terrace, bathed in the attention of surrounding students. 

“You might not know this, but when he first enrolled he was a violent troublemaker that just fought with everyone.” 

I laughed bitterly upon hearing the “troublemaker” part. I should’ve guessed as much. It seemed he wasn’t being bullied after all. Which made sense: someone who could pull off a person’s head with their bare hands wouldn’t be bullied so easily. 

“Although he did quiet down eventually, after Linia and Pursena—two ill-behaved students—did him in.” 

So Linia and Pursena were the leaders of the delinquents, apparently. They challenged the new student Zanoba, who was lashing out all the time, and rather easily managed to defeat him, two-on-one. Considering how strong he was I wasn’t going to call that unfair. After that, they started treating Zanoba like their underling. I hadn’t really witnessed that myself, though. 

“Linia and Pursena might try something with you, so be careful,” Fitz warned. 

“I think I’ll be fine on that front.” I’d already acted deferentially towards them. For the moment, I doubted they were planning anything behind my back. I wasn’t sure where the delinquents gathered, but I’d almost never seen them at the cafeteria. 

“Um, well, I don’t think they would take too kindly to you meeting with me.” 

“And why would that be?” I asked. 

“Well, when we were still first-years they tried to interfere with Princess Ariel. I then engaged and defeated both of them.” 

“Two-on-one?” 

“Yes. That’s why they—well, might be resentful toward me.” 

So that was it. Still, based off what he was saying, Master Fitz was quite strong. He’d defeated Linia and Pursena, who had themselves defeated Zanoba. Hey, hold up. That meant I was the strongest since I’d defeated Master Fitz, right? 

Nah, no way. It was just a bad match-up. I could use Disturb Magic so I was better against an opponent who could use voiceless casting. My opponent being caught unawares also worked in my favor. If he’d known I was going to use Disturb Magic when we fought, there was no guarantee I would’ve still won. 

“I’m sure you’ll be fine, though,” Fitz said. 

“Well, who knows about that.” 

“There isn’t a person here who can defeat me one-on-one. I’d never lost a fight, not until you,” he said, praising me. 

I should be the one praising him for his attitude. Here was someone who had never lost, finally tasting defeat at my hands. Yet he didn’t even hold a grudge. Wasn’t he frustrated that he’d lost? 

“That magic—Disturb Magic, wasn’t it? That was amazing. Teach me how to use it some time.” 

“Yes, certainly.” I would be happy to. Even if teaching him Disturb Magic meant I might not be able to defeat him anymore, the thought of refusing him didn’t even cross my mind. 

“Oh, well, anyway, that’s what I wanted to tell you, so be careful. There are a lot of eccentric people among the special students. There’s Cliff, who’s short-tempered, and apparently even Silent caused a lot of problems when they first enrolled here. There’s also a former adventurer among the first years. A strange elf, I heard. They say she’s been attacking boys.” 

“Ahh, that last one is an acquaintance of mine, so don’t worry.” 

“Oh, alright then.” Not sure about the first two, but as for the last one, it was definitely a different kind of attack from what Master Fitz was thinking of. “In any case, I’ll be careful in how I conduct myself and make sure not to start fights with anyone.” 

We arrived at a fork in the road. The path straight ahead led to the girls’ dormitory. It was still light out, but I wasn’t going to walk that road ever again. 

“Oh, I have some business with Princess Ariel, so I’ll part with you here.” 

“Alright, thank you for today. I look forward to talking again.” 

“I don’t have any free time tomorrow, but I will stop by the library,” Fitz said, before walking off toward the girls’ dormitory. He had free entry into that palace full of women. Probably the only reason why I didn’t feel jealous was because I could still remember that muscular terror from the other day. 

Or perhaps, just maybe, I could use my connection with Master Fitz to infiltrate that palace, and that would be the key to achieving my ultimate objective here at this school. For the moment, I still couldn’t see the meaning behind the Man-God’s advice. 

And that was how Master Fitz and I started working together to advance our investigation. I thought the two of us had gotten close. Partly because he was friendlier than I imagined, but either way we were building a positive friendship. Although he was still full of mysteries. 

“By the way, Master Fitz, why do you wear those sunglasses?” 

“Sunglasses… oh, you mean these?” 

He never took them off. Not once, ever. No matter the occasion. “Mm, I do have a reason for it, but I can’t tell you. Sorry.” 

“It’s fine.” I did want to see what his face looked like without them, but I had no intention forcing him to show what he was hiding. “Anyway, what floor of the dorms do you live on?” I asked. “I’ve never seen you at meal times.” 

“Um, well, technically I’m sleeping over at the girls’ dormitory. I am Princess Ariel’s bodyguard, after all.” 

“And… that hasn’t caused any problems?” 

“It’s fine, I have permission. And I wouldn’t do anything that would cause Princess Ariel problems.” 

You could keep a slave with you in the dorms if you got the permission to do so. It didn’t even have to be a slave. If you were a powerful royal or noble, then a little bit of financial compensation would work in your favor. There were, after all, some nobles in the boys’ dormitory that brought maids with them. However, if either maids or manservants caused any problems, their master would, of course, be responsible. Master Fitz wasn’t a manservant and was being treated like a student, but thanks to Princess Ariel’s charisma and the Asura noble family’s influence, the university was placing their trust in Master Fitz as an individual. Even that girl—Goliade or Big Van Vader, whatever she was called—spoke respectfully when referring to Princess Ariel or Master Fitz, acknowledging their authority. 

Also, according to what Elinalise told me, Master Fitz was apparently quite popular with the girls. It was the newbies who squealed over Luke. Once they gained some experience levels, their hearts would tremble when they caught a glimpse of Fitz’s soft side profile. Having actually spoken with him, I didn’t have the same impression of him, but I could understand where they were coming from. 

“By the way, I noticed you talk to me pretty normally,” I said. 

“Hm…? What do you mean?” 

“Everyone says you’re so quiet.” 

“I, um… am actually pretty shy.” 

And yet I’d gotten the impression he’d been the one starting conversations with me. Well, there were those that were on the same wavelength and those that weren’t, I was told, so maybe that was the reason. At any rate, people told me it was common knowledge at this school that Master Fitz was shockingly quiet. He’d even earned the nickname “Silent Fitz” or “Silent Magician”. Though that was probably partially because he was a magician who used voiceless magic. 

“Actually, your last name wouldn’t happen to be Ryback, would it?” I asked. 

“Huh? Ryback? Isn’t that the last name of the second North God? No way, not at all. Besides, I don’t even have a surname. I’m not a noble or anything.” 

“There you go being all humble. Be honest, you’re actually an extremely good cook, aren’t you?” 

“Uh, I can cook, but… what does that have to do with anything?” He didn’t get my joke. And yet he did chuckle, though I wasn’t sure what it was he found funny. That’s right, the man of mystery, Fitz, was laughing. 

It was also a mystery why he was helping me. Still, I wasn’t fussed about unravelling that. If Fitz was being coy with his intentions—whatever they were—there had to be a reason for it. I had no intention being as ungrateful as to pry into the secrets of someone who had helped me out. 

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t curious, though. Still, I kept the Man-God’s advice in mind. When I followed it, the person I met was Master Fitz. Judging by my experience with the Man-God up ’til now, things would wind up the same no matter what actions I took. In other words, by associating with Master Fitz I would eventually find out how to cure my illness. There was no need to rush. 



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