mushoku tensei: unplanned reincarnation

The afternoon wind brushed against my face, but it wasn't enough to make me shiver. My body lay on the grass, and my fists were clenched, but not because of the cold that came with the wind.

I looked at my miserable state on the ground. Exhaustion made my chest rise and fall frantically, but even that wasn't enough to make me shiver.

But if someone asked me what makes a man shiver, I would say: a woman. Yes, a woman.

And why would that have anything to do with a woman? If you had asked me two days ago, I would have said that shivering meant reaching your limit. But if you asked me today, I would say that shivering meant being dominated—a man being commanded by a woman.

Today, Roxy decided to test how much mana I had. I accepted without hesitation, but I had no idea she would make me run while she tested her spells. She could be quite bossy when she wanted to, and I won't lie, I enjoyed the training at first. But I didn't know what she was planning. You could say I was manipulated by a little girl, but no, she wasn't a little girl. She was a woman. And what a bossy woman.

I looked to the side and saw her sitting in a chair, completely immersed in her book.

Her face showed total indifference to my condition. She ignored my suffering, as if she hadn't even noticed what she had put me through.

At first, I didn't understand why she made me train my body along with magic, but later, it became obvious. She was angry… No, it wasn't anger—it was embarrassment. Embarrassment over what I had said yesterday. I had told her I saw her standing at my parents' bedroom door, and maybe she didn't know how to deal with her conflicting feelings. So, she decided to punish me.

A deserved punishment, I would say. I shouldn't play with a girl's heart.

...Or maybe she was treating me this way because I was giving off submissive energy?

Well, if that were the case, maybe there was nothing I could do. A man's submission to a woman was only natural, after all.

"Hah..." I sighed, feeling my body grow heavier.

Today's training had been brutal. My mana seemed inexhaustible, but perhaps it wasn't as endless as I thought, since I felt my limit approaching. And my body… that had already given out a long time ago. Every muscle screamed in protest, and the breeze, which hadn't made me shiver before, now seemed to carry away the last remnants of my strength.

I looked at Roxy again. Still absorbed in her book, completely indifferent to my pain.

"Sensei…" I called out weakly, hoping for a shred of compassion.

Nothing.

"Sensei… water…"

She turned a page.

"Sensei, I think I'm going to die…"

Another page turned.

I closed my eyes and sighed. So, this was it? I, her poor disciple, thrown onto the grass like an abandoned dog, while my master cruelly ignored me?

"Sensei… I really am going to die…" I murmured.

Finally, she moved. Slowly, she lifted her eyes from the book and looked at me.

"If you can still talk this much, you can endure a little longer."

I shivered.

Yes, that was it. A woman could make a man shiver.

---

Time passed as I remained there, lying on the grass, staring at the sky with no strength to move. The sun had already begun to set on the horizon when I heard footsteps approaching—light and careful.

"Young master, are you alright?"

Lilia's calm voice brought a brief relief. I turned my head and saw her standing there, holding a pitcher and a cloth. She knelt beside me and, without waiting for a response, dipped the cloth in water and pressed it against my forehead.

I closed my eyes. The cold touch was a blessing after that massacre.

"If you call me 'young master' one more time, I'll give you a mission: do my training for me!" I said, still out of breath, trying to laugh, though it didn't come out as I intended.

Lilia gave me that usual look—serene, with a slight hint of "you're being an idiot."

"I'm not treating you as a master, just as someone who overdid it a little," she said with a playful tone.

I looked at the sky and let out a long sigh.

I felt Lilia lift the cloth to wet it again. A comfortable silence settled between us.

"You worked hard today, young master."

The way she said it didn't sound like praise or criticism. It was just a fact.

"I have to do this."

"I know."

She placed the damp cloth back on my forehead, and for the first time that day, I felt like someone actually cared about the miserable state I was in.

But as she took care of me, I remembered something.

"Lilia, how about this—as a reward for helping me, I'll take care of your leg?"

"But aren't you already taking care of it? And how would that be a reward?"

"Well, maybe it's a reward for me, not you." I smiled playfully. "Just seeing your leg is reward enough for me."

Lilia paused before shaking her head, but the small smile on her lips was enough to tell me she wasn't really mad.

I looked at her leg, which was much better compared to before.

"You've been taking good care of it, huh?" I commented, watching her movements as she sat down.

"I'm just following medical instructions."

"In other words, mine." I smiled, puffing my chest a little, but exhaustion quickly reminded me I wasn't in any condition to act smug.

Lilia gave me a look that seemed to say "don't overdo it" but kept her usual serene expression.

"If you have the energy to talk nonsense, maybe you can get up on your own."

"Ah, Lilia… how cruel." I sighed dramatically, throwing my head back. "After all we've been through together, this is how you treat me?"

"We?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, me and your leg. We've bonded, you know?"

This time, she didn't hide her sigh, but she also didn't suppress a discreet smile as she wet the cloth again to cool my forehead.

---

After a good moment of being cared for by a capable woman, I was standing again, and Lilia was there, looking at me.

"Now that I'm back to full health, let's get to the main topic."

She just nodded.

With that, I crouched and examined her wound. It was almost healed, but today, I was going to try something new. Today, I would completely heal her leg.

I placed my hands over the injured area, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath, concentrating my mana.

The body remembers. The cells, the tissues, the bones… everything has a memory. If a wound can heal because the body recognizes what was lost, then can I guide it to remember something new?

My healing magic had always been efficient, but I had never thought of it as anything beyond simply restoring. But now, looking at Lilia's leg, I realized I could try something different. Not just closing wounds, but rewriting the body's history.

But what if it wasn't just that?

Poisons, infections, and diseases weren't just wounds; they were invaders. Healing Magic treated the body, but Detoxification Magic dealt with what didn't belong in it. If an infection had set in the wound, simply regenerating the flesh wouldn't be enough. I needed to cleanse the body first.

I focused. I let the mana flow with a dual purpose. First, purification. Like a river washing away impurities, I visualized the magic dissolving any trace of infection, any sign that the wound could worsen again. Only then did I begin to regenerate.

At first, I felt resistance. As if her body hesitated, refusing the change. But I persisted, adjusting the mana's flow, guiding it more delicately.

Then, something changed.

The resistance vanished, and the magic began to flow naturally. Flesh reformed under my fingers, tissues regenerated, skin restructured itself as if remembering its original shape.

The light shone intensely for a moment and then faded.

I opened my eyes.

Her leg was healed.

For a moment, I remained still, feeling my breath slow and heavy. My fingers were still near her leg, where a scar had once been but no longer existed. The adrenaline from the effort began to fade, replaced by something warm and light in my chest.

My eyes turned to Lilia.

She tested her leg's movement cautiously, first bending it slowly, then stretching it more firmly. Her toes wiggled, hesitant at first, then naturally.

The cloth she had been using to wipe my forehead slipped from her fingers without her noticing.

She blinked a few times, then her eyes met mine.

The silence lasted a second, maybe two.

And then, her lips curved slightly. A subtle, small smile—but a genuine one.

"Well?"

I won't lie—I was expecting a compliment from her.

But she didn't say anything. She was just smiling. And as I looked at her smile, I realized she didn't need words to thank me. That gesture said everything, and I knew how much it meant.

Like a gentle breeze passing by, the moment stretched, but as always, time didn't stop. I looked around, and suddenly, I screamed in shock.

"Sensei! What are you doing here?!"

She was standing there, staring intently at Lilia's leg, her eyes narrowed in concentration, saying nothing. I hadn't even noticed her presence before.

Her eyebrow lifted as she looked in my direction, then moments later, she turned her gaze back to the wound. I couldn't help it—almost involuntarily, I smiled and asked:

"So, what grade would you give my work, huh, Sensei?"

I was trying to brag, of course. Not that it was planned, but the opportunity was there, and I wanted to know what she thought of what I had done. After all, I had just healed a complex injury with a spell I hadn't even imagined I could perform, and I was curious to see if she would recognize it.

"Hm…"

Roxy crossed her arms and tilted her head slightly, her eyes fixed on Lilia's leg. Her gaze wasn't just analytical—there was something more. A slight furrow of her brow, a subtly longer breath before responding.

She crouched down, running her fingers gently over the newly regenerated skin, as if evaluating every detail. But the way she lingered… the way her eyes narrowed for an instant…

When she lifted her head to look at me, her face was neutral, but the slight tightening of her hands against her clothes betrayed what her expression hid.

"It was a good job," she said, her voice firm but without the usual tone of approval. "Really impressive."

I waited for her to say something more, but she simply looked away and sighed.

"I didn't expect you to reach this level so quickly."

"I was really happy to see it work," I said, excited. "And you? What did you think?"

Roxy took a second to respond.

"It's… incredible. You're advancing faster than I imagined."

She wasn't smiling.

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"It is," she replied quickly, as if wanting to end the subject there. But then, she bit her lip and looked away.

"But?"

"But… Nothing."

"Sensei," I teased, crossing my arms. "If you want, I can pretend I'm still a bad student."

She shot me a sharp look.

"Don't you dare."

I couldn't hold back a smile.

Roxy remained quiet for a moment, then sighed again, shorter this time.

"You caught me off guard, that's all."

"Is that a compliment?"

This time, she averted her gaze and touched her chin, thoughtful.

"Depends… Do you want it to be?"

Was she testing me?

"Well," I shrugged, "if I passed the test, then I should get a grade, right?"

Roxy rolled her eyes.

"You passed."

"With what grade?"

She turned to leave.

"Don't worry about that."

And she walked away, her steps on the grass slightly quicker than usual. I blinked, confused.

That was a compliment… Right?

—

The next morning, after sword training, I watched my father wielding his sword with the enthusiasm of someone chasing their own tail.

"Dad, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"So… let's say someone sees another person getting better at something and starts acting… I don't know, kind of weird. As if they don't like it, but without saying it directly. What do you think that means?"

Paul stopped his training, looking at me with a smug smile.

"Roxy, right?"

I blinked.

"How did you…?"

He laughed and ruffled my hair.

"Girls are complicated, son. But jealousy? That's easy to spot."

Jealousy?

I thought back to her expression, to how her words seemed more carefully chosen than usual.

"So… how do I deal with it?"

Paul put a hand on his chin, pretending to think deeply. A second later, his smile widened.

"Well, if you want to tease her more, keep improving. If you want to ease her, ask her to teach you something new. Girls love feeling indispensable."

I sighed.

"So, you're saying I should stroke her ego?"

"Exactly."

I massaged my temples.

Paul grinned and patted my shoulder.

"Good luck, son. You'll need it."

Before leaving, I turned to him.

"Dad, how do you know so much about dealing with women?"

Paul paused for a second, then gave me that wide, self-satisfied grin that always made me wary.

"Son, your father has plenty of experience in these matters."

He thumped his chest with pride.

"Experience…?"

"Of course! How do you think I won over your mother?"

I opened my mouth, but closed it soon after. Better not to ask anything else.

He still smiles like that even though he has a woman in his life.

'I've said this before, haven't I? That he was the kind of person I wanted to be.'

But little by little this thought changed.

---

As Paul had suggested, I now found myself in front of the guest room door, where Roxy was.

I paced in circles, thinking about what I could do to ease her jealousy. I won't lie, a part of me felt happy that someone was jealous because of me.

And who wouldn't be? That just meant I was doing something right.

I looked at the door one more time and, deciding that standing there wouldn't solve anything, placed my hand on the doorknob and turned it.

The door opened slowly, making a faint sound. When I stepped inside, I immediately froze. Right there, in front of me, was someone completely naked. Silence filled the room, and for a moment, I couldn't look away. We stared at each other, but no words were spoken. I didn't know what to do or say.

But, with my male instincts kicking in, my gaze was involuntarily drawn to her chest, where I noticed a beauty mark—subtle, yet striking.

However, the beauty mark wasn't the only thing I noticed. A pleasant scent drifted into my nose, filling my chest with a warm and unexpected sensation.

I refocused on her face, and in the silence, I could even hear her soft breathing.

"W-What...?" Roxy said, quickly covering herself.

My gaze instinctively dropped to her chest—now covered—and I blinked.

"Rudy?"

She stared at me, her face slightly flushed. I remained exactly where I was.

"Ah, nothing. Absolutely nothing."

Her eyes narrowed. Without thinking twice, I turned around, walked to the door, and left.

Now, outside, I crouched down, taking a deep breath.

My heart was still racing.

'What was that?'

It wasn't the first time I had seen a naked woman, if I counted the times I had seen my two mothers. But at that moment, it was different.

Roxy…

Her pale skin, her blue hair still slightly damp, her eyes—usually so wise—completely surprised. Even the way she covered herself, as if she were trying to hide more than just her body…

There was something about her. Something that made that scene stick in my mind.

I shook my head.

No, it was nothing. Just an accident. A mere slip-up.

…Right?

"Urgw…"

Now, whenever I see a door, I'll remember what I saw. No matter what happens. My lack of manners made me see her body…

Maybe opening without knocking wasn't so bad after all.

"Rudy?"

Only then did I realize she had opened the door and was now looking at me, her eyebrows furrowed.

"W-What is it?"

I was stuttering like a shy girl receiving a confession.

"What did you want? And knock before you open the door."

With a quick movement, I stepped closer to her.

"That will never happen again." I nodded, agreeing with myself. "I wanted to talk to you about something."

Her frown softened slightly, but it was still there. Roxy sighed, opened the door wider, and pointed to a chair near the table.

I stepped inside, but the scent in the room brought back the scenes I had tried to erase. Shaking my head, I tried to push them away.

"So, what did you want to discuss?" She sat on the edge of the bed, crossing her legs.

"Hmm… Well… uh…" What did I mean?

She glanced at the door, then back at me, raising an eyebrow.

"You said you wanted to talk to me just to dodge the subject of spying on me?"

"W-What? Look, I'm not that kind of person! And do you know how old I am?"

She let out a sigh and shook her head, but she seemed a bit more relaxed. After a moment of awkward silence, I decided to get straight to the point.

"Actually, I wanted to ask you for something. I realized that, despite training in both magic and swordsmanship, I don't know much about the world. And… well, you always have the answers, you know? You're always so calm and have so much experience. I thought I could learn from you—about how the world works, how things really happen. I know you're good at that, so… if you don't mind, I'd love for you to teach me."

Roxy looked at me, surprised. Then, she frowned.

"You… praise me too much."

"But I'm serious. You're a great teacher, and I've been using you as a model to teach Sylphie. She learned how to use ice magic without chanting in a day, you know?"

At that moment, I noticed a subtle change in her expression. Her gaze lowered for a second, and her brow furrowed slightly.

I didn't understand it at the time, but something in what I said seemed to bother her.

She stayed silent for a moment, and I felt like there was something behind that pause. It was rare to see her hesitate like that.

"Look, Rudy…"

She sighed and averted her gaze for a moment, as if organizing her thoughts.

"Teaching is something I enjoy, and I'm happy you think so highly of me. But…" She paused, pressing her hands slightly against her lap. "I'm not as amazing as you think."

That caught me off guard.

"What do you mean? You know so much about magic, about the world, about—"

"About common magic, yes. But you…" She took a deep breath, forcing a smile. "You have a talent I never had. You can do things that even great magicians can't, and yet you think I'm the best person to teach you?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but she continued before I could say anything.

"I'm not a special person, Rudy. I've always studied, trained, and worked hard to get where I am. But you…" She hesitated, pressing her lips together slightly before continuing. "You break the rules of magic like it's easy. How am I supposed to teach someone like that?"

She let out a humorless chuckle, shaking her head.

I blinked. I didn't like where this conversation was going.

"And what am I doing? Complaining to a child?" She rolled her eyes and lay down on the bed.

What could I say here? A cliché motivational phrase? Or just insist that she was wrong?

None of that felt right.

I sighed and stepped a little closer, crossing my arms.

"Roxy, you're not special?" I let out a short laugh. "Working hard, studying, and training non-stop doesn't make you special?"

She furrowed her brows, still looking at the ceiling.

"Look, I don't understand much about how people see themselves, but to me, you've always been incredible." I sat on the bed, looking at her. "You weren't born knowing magic. You earned every bit of it."

She remained silent.

I think I was on the right track.

"Not to brag, but I was born with talent. But talent without effort is worthless. If I hadn't had you as a teacher, maybe I'd still be playing around making sparks. So who's more amazing? Someone who was born with something or someone who had to fight for it?"

Roxy turned her head toward me and stared.

"…You really know what to say, don't you?"

I smiled.

"I'm just telling the truth."

She sighed, but she seemed a little lighter.

"…Even so, I don't like feeling so far behind."

"Then surpass me." I shrugged. "Wouldn't it be cool if my master showed me I still have a long way to go?"

A small smile appeared on her face.

"…You're annoying."

"That's one of my charms."

A thought crossed my mind.

"We're studying the theory behind silent chanting, right? So, how about we test it now?"

She looked at me for a moment, then averted her gaze, lightly biting her lower lip.

"…Test it now?"

I nodded.

"Yes! You said theory is important, but magic is also practice, right? If we only study without testing, it won't do much good."

Roxy sighed and sat back down on the bed, this time with a more serious look.

"You talk like it's simple. But silent chanting isn't something just anyone can do."

I shook my head.

"It's just that most people learn magic backward."

She frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, normally, people learn magic the easiest way. They take a spell, memorize the words, and associate the effect with the chant. But that's an indirect way of casting magic."

Roxy crossed her arms, listening attentively.

"The chant is just a tool, a support to connect mana to the world and form the spell. But the truth is, magic itself doesn't need words."

She narrowed her eyes.

"And how would someone cast a spell without words, then?"

I smiled.

"Simple: by understanding how it works."

She remained silent, so I continued.

"Magic works in three basic steps. First, you feel the mana inside you. Second, you shape that mana according to your intent. Third, you release the magic so it acts in the external world."

Roxy nodded.

"That's the basics, yes."

"Exactly. And what does the chant do? It helps shape the mana and connects your intent to the spell."

"Right…"

"But if you understand the spell's structure, you don't need words anymore. Because, in the end, the chant is just turning your thought into an action."

She blinked.

"…You're saying the key is visualizing the magic without needing to speak?"

"That's it! If you can understand what a spell actually does and imagine the mana behaving the same way, then you can cast it without a chant. But most people can't because they're stuck on the need for words."

She seemed thoughtful for a moment.

"…That makes sense. But then, why don't most mages learn this way from the start?"

I shrugged.

"Because chants are easier. If you teach someone to recite a spell and it works, they feel like they've learned. But if you teach someone to shape mana from scratch, most will get frustrated and give up before succeeding."

Roxy fell silent, her eyes wandering around the room as if she was reorganizing everything she knew about magic.

"So? How about we test it?"

She nodded and looked at me from head to toe.

"Rudy, if I didn't know you, I'd think you were already an adult."

"What are you talking about? I'm just an ant in this world, you know?"

Roxy let out a sigh and crossed her arms, analyzing me as if trying to understand something that didn't make sense.

"A tiny ant, huh?" She shook her head, a small smile forming at the corner of her lips. "If you're an ant, then what am I? A rat?"

"I meant that I'm small compared to the whole world. I still have a lot to learn." I let out a short laugh.

"And yet, you want to test something even experienced mages struggle with."

I shrugged.

"The only way to know if I can do it is by trying, right?"

She huffed but seemed a bit more relaxed.

"Alright, let's test it."

I adjusted myself on the bed, excited.

"Great! Let's start with a basic spell. How about a small water ball?"

Roxy clicked her tongue.

"If it were that easy, I'd have already done it."

"That's why I'm here. Let's take it step by step. First, forget the chant. Don't try to form the words in your head, just feel the mana flowing."

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, focusing.

"Now, visualize the water taking shape. Don't think of the spell as words or fixed rules. Imagine how the mana needs to move to create the water."

Roxy furrowed her brows, her fingers moving slightly in the air as if drawing something invisible.

"This… is strange. It feels like I'm trying to grasp something that slips through my fingers."

"Normal. The chant usually guides this flow for you. But without it, you have to control everything on your own."

She stayed silent for a few seconds. Then, she opened her eyes and sighed.

"…Nothing."

"That means you're on the right path."

She shot me an irritated look.

"If I'm on the right path, why didn't it work?"

"Because you've spent years depending on chants. But think about it—if it were impossible, how would I be able to do it?"

Roxy stared at me, thoughtful.

"…You make it sound so simple."

"It is simple. Just not easy."

She observed me for a moment before closing her eyes again. This time, she seemed even more focused.

I just sat there, waiting.

Breaking a habit was difficult, but if anyone could understand that, it was her.

After a few moments, an idea came to mind.

"Roxy, have you ever tried starting the opposite way?"

She opened her eyes and furrowed her brows. "The opposite way? What do you mean?"

"Instead of trying to shape the mana directly, how about starting with the final effect? Think about the feeling of water. Imagine it flowing through your fingers, its weight, its temperature. If you can visualize that clearly, maybe you can pull the mana in the right direction."

She hesitated but nodded slowly. "Hm… I've never thought of that before."

"It's worth a try, isn't it?" I smiled.

Roxy took a deep breath and closed her eyes again. This time, her hands moved as if touching something invisible. The room filled with silence as she focused.

But nothing came out of it.

A sigh escaped her lips, but instead of dwelling on failure, she tried again.

Yet, as minutes passed, no magic appeared.

After a while, sweat trickled down her forehead, and her breathing grew heavy. She collapsed onto the bed, sighed, and looked in my direction.

"W-well, one step at a time, right?"

She closed her eyes, but a faint smile formed on her lips as she nodded.

Seeing that my words hadn't helped much, I averted my gaze and looked around the room. I spotted a white cloth on the table, got off the bed, and grabbed it. Then, I returned to her.

I looked at the cloth, then at her sweaty forehead, and slowly moved closer. With the cloth in my hands, I began to wipe it.

"W-what… What are you doing?"

She quickly opened her eyes, looking at me, and her arm tried to push me away, but I stopped her movement.

"I'm just cleaning you."

She stared at me for a moment, her eyes still slightly surprised, as if my words hadn't made sense to her at first. But slowly, she seemed to understand what I meant.

"I… don't need this."

Her voice was softer, but she didn't sound angry. She looked to the side, as if trying to hide the faint color that rose to her cheeks.

"I can clean myself."

She tried to smile, but exhaustion was still visible.

"No, I want to reward you for your effort."

"Reward?" She repeated, slightly flustered. "No… it wasn't necessary, I was just trying…"

I shook my head.

"It doesn't matter. You tried hard, and that's what counts." I replied, keeping my eyes on her with a simple smile. "Sometimes, a little help doesn't hurt."

She remained silent for a moment, perhaps thinking about my words, then, with a sigh, allowed herself to relax a little more on the bed.

"…Alright then. Just… don't make this a habit." She said, trying to hide the slight smile forming on her lips.

With a smile, I continued wiping her forehead.

As I did, I couldn't help but notice the delicate features of her face. Unintentionally, I recalled when I had seen her naked. Immediately, I shook my head, pushing those thoughts away. It wasn't the time for that—I had a task to do, and thoughts like those could wait.

When I finished, I placed the cloth aside and stepped back.

"That's better now."

She relaxed a little and looked at me.

"Thank you… I didn't expect that."

I smiled, sensing she seemed a bit more at ease.

"How about we continue tomorrow?"

"What? Continue cleaning me?"

"I meant the training."

I almost said the cleaning part but managed to swallow the words before they left my mouth.

"Then, see you tomorrow."

She nodded, and I left the room. As I walked toward mine, I realized I was smiling like an idiot.

With a sigh, I lay on my bed, still smiling, knowing why—even if no one else did.